Jump to content
oscar_pal

Speed Of K-1 Visa

 Share

14 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

Hello Guys,

 

2 things I wanted to talk about in this thread:

 

1. I was watching the Visa Coach on YouTube as most of you probably know and he mentioned in one of his videos talking about the timeline for the USCIS processing times have gone down. Meaning they are going through the I-129F packets quicker. Mainly due to less people applying at this time. And not only that but it seems like they have put K-1 visas at a priority for the interviews at US embassies around the world. So is this all true and is it good news?

 

2. (please please please don't turn this into a political conversation, remember this is a visa topics website) Since Trump became president it has become much harder and longer to receive your K-1 visa. Do you think if Trump is elected out of office the process time will speed up? (again:vote for whoever you want...idc, I am just curious on this)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has not become harder to obtain a K-1 visa unless your fiancé is from a “travel ban” country. The process is the same now as it was under Obama. The layout of the forms might be different and the fees have probably gone up but the general process is still the same: petition - assigned to embassy - complete visa application form - attend medical - attend interview. 

Edited by JFH

Timeline in brief:

Married: September 27, 2014

I-130 filed: February 5, 2016

NOA1: February 8, 2016 Nebraska

NOA2: July 21, 2016

Interview: December 6, 2016 London

POE: December 19, 2016 Las Vegas

N-400 filed: September 30, 2019

Interview: March 22, 2021 Seattle

Oath: March 22, 2021 COVID-style same-day oath

 

Now a US citizen!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Your second question turns this into a political thread.

 

1. & 2.  USCIS remains our very worst Federal agency.  It is self-funded.  Until systems, management, and staffing improve, timing and efficiency will continue to suck.  No President can wave a wand to improve matters.

okay thx for not answering it then lololol. And damn it, hope for the best.

1 minute ago, JFH said:

It has not become harder to obtain a K-1 visa unless your fiancé is from a “travel ban” country. The process is the same now as it was under Obama. The layout of the forms might be different and the fees have probably gone up but the general process is still the same: petition - assigned to embassy - complete visa application form - attend medical - attend interview. 

than you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, oscar_pal said:

Hello Guys,

 

2 things I wanted to talk about in this thread:

 

1. I was watching the Visa Coach on YouTube as most of you probably know and he mentioned in one of his videos talking about the timeline for the USCIS processing times have gone down. Meaning they are going through the I-129F packets quicker. Mainly due to less people applying at this time. And not only that but it seems like they have put K-1 visas at a priority for the interviews at US embassies around the world. So is this all true and is it good news?

 

2. (please please please don't turn this into a political conversation, remember this is a visa topics website) Since Trump became president it has become much harder and longer to receive your K-1 visa. Do you think if Trump is elected out of office the process time will speed up? (again:vote for whoever you want...idc, I am just curious on this)

"Visa coach"?  LOL.  I would not put any stock into the YouTubes for immigration related info.

  

And not only that but it seems like they have put K-1 visas at a priority for the interviews at US embassies around the world.  I wouldn't say that.  The reposts I've seen VJ members make from consulate info has been that they will slowly be starting to resume K-1 interviews.  They have not been given 'mission critical' status like CR/IR-1s, if that is what you mean.

 

I personally am not a Trump fan or supporter by any stretch, and he has a clearly demonstrated anti-immigration stance.   That being said, I agree with @TBoneTX that USCIS and US immigration in general has larger issues than a particular administration.  It will take more time than through the election/inauguration for DOS and USCIS to dig themselves out of the current COVID and financial crises.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Kenya
Timeline
3 hours ago, oscar_pal said:

okay thx for not answering it then lololol. And damn it, hope for the best.

than you.

 

3 hours ago, JFH said:

It has not become harder to obtain a K-1 visa unless your fiancé is from a “travel ban” country. The process is the same now as it was under Obama. The layout of the forms might be different and the fees have probably gone up but the general process is still the same: petition - assigned to embassy - complete visa application form - attend medical - attend interview. 

@JFH Is Kenya and Uganda on a travel ban or on the fraud countries ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Cute doll face said:

 

@JFH Is Kenya and Uganda on a travel ban or on the fraud countries ?

Neither country is known for being easy to obtain a visa from to begin with. And pre Covid neither had strong passport "value" and required needing a Visa in order to visit from the vast majority of economies.  However they are not notoriously hard like Morocco, Nigeria or Pakistan that make up the majority of issues on this site.  And neither are subject to additional bans such as:

  • Executive Order 13769 that placed stringent restrictions on travel for citizens of Iran,  Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
  • Presidential Proclamation 9645 which added restrictions on Chad, North Korea, and Venezuela.
  • On January 31, 2020 the expansion of the travel ban on six more countries. However this ban only affects certain visas for residents in countries of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. 
  • In some cases waivers may be applied for or automatically considered

You would be interviewing at the consulate from either your country of citizenship or where you legally reside.

 

4 hours ago, oscar_pal said:

Since Trump became president it has become much harder and longer to receive your K-1 visa.

There has always been one major issue with K1 visas.   A K1 that is refused by a consulate can not be "appealed" like a spousal visa

 

Filing a K1 is great for people in certain counties, people in a rush, people without "red flags" and people that have the resources to support a spouse the first year plus while awaiting work and travel authorization.  A K1 costs more in time, money and emotional capital to get the green card being issued.  K1 Visa issuance by consulates is not a mission critical task of a consulate unlike the spousal visa is.  While K1 petitions are processed as "normal" in the US, consulates are not back to normal processing for them. You don't have to look far in the K1 forum to find people who have come to realize this.

 

4 hours ago, oscar_pal said:

I was watching the Visa Coach . . .

Visa Coach is there to ultimately sell you a service.

March 2, 2018  Married In Hong Kong

April 30, 2018  Mary moves from the Philippines to Mexico, Husband has MX Permanent Residency

June 13, 2018 Mary receives Mexican Residency Card

June 15, 2018  I-130 DCF Appointment in Juarez  -  June 18, 2018  Approval E-Mail

August 2, 2018 Case Complete At Consulate

September 25, 2018 Interview in CDJ and Approved!

October 7, 2018 In the USA

October 27, 2018 Green Card received 

October 29, 2018 Applied for Social Security Card - November 5, 2018 Social Security Card received

November 6th, 2018 State ID Card Received, Applied for Global Entry - Feb 8,2019 Approved.

July 14, 2020 Removal of Conditions submitted by mail  July 12, 2021 Biometrics Completed

August 6, 2021 N-400 submitted by mail

September 7, 2021 I-751 Interview, Sept 8 Approved and Card Being Produced

October 21, 2021 N-400 Biometrics Completed  

November 30,2021  Interview, Approval and Oath

December 10, 2021 US Passport Issued

August 12, 2022 PHL Dual Nationality Re-established & Passport Approved 

April 6,2023 Legally Separated - Oh well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Kenya
Timeline
12 hours ago, oscar_pal said:

Hello Guys,

 

2 things I wanted to talk about in this thread:

 

1. I was watching the Visa Coach on YouTube as most of you probably know and he mentioned in one of his videos talking about the timeline for the USCIS processing times have gone down. Meaning they are going through the I-129F packets quicker. Mainly due to less people applying at this time. And not only that but it seems like they have put K-1 visas at a priority for the interviews at US embassies around the world. So is this all true and is it good news?

 

2. (please please please don't turn this into a political conversation, remember this is a visa topics website) Since Trump became president it has become much harder and longer to receive your K-1 visa. Do you think if Trump is elected out of office the process time will speed up? (again:vote for whoever you want...idc, I am just curious on this)

As for # 2, I always say here and will say again- whichever way people want to spin things, immigration and politics tie hand in hand. Whoever comes in will be tasked with shaping immigration agendas which will be formulated into policies. And especially this year, a lot of immigration stuff is at stake. Simply put, if Trump comes back, things will get tougher on the immigration arena. If Biden is elected, the immigration will be more family friendly. As for number 1, the bottleneck is the embassy. Once they open, things should move a lot faster.

 

8 hours ago, Cute doll face said:

 

@JFH Is Kenya and Uganda on a travel ban or on the fraud countries ?

No- Absolutely not. There was an email a friend of mine received,  they may start processing the K1 along with CR1 and IR1 visas in October. Right now they are processing DV visas.

Edited by retheem
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Kenya
Timeline
1 hour ago, retheem said:

As for # 2, I always say here and will say again- whichever way people want to spin things, immigration and politics tie hand in hand. Whoever comes in will be tasked with shaping immigration agendas which will be formulated into policies. And especially this year, a lot of immigration stuff is at stake. Simply put, if Trump comes back, things will get tougher on the immigration arena. If Biden is elected, the immigration will be more family friendly. As for number 1, the bottleneck is the embassy. Once they open, things should move a lot faster.

 

No- Absolutely not. There was an email a friend of mine received,  they may start processing the K1 along with CR1 and IR1 visas in October. Right now they are processing DV visas.

Thank you 

 

1 hour ago, retheem said:

As for # 2, I always say here and will say again- whichever way people want to spin things, immigration and politics tie hand in hand. Whoever comes in will be tasked with shaping immigration agendas which will be formulated into policies. And especially this year, a lot of immigration stuff is at stake. Simply put, if Trump comes back, things will get tougher on the immigration arena. If Biden is elected, the immigration will be more family friendly. As for number 1, the bottleneck is the embassy. Once they open, things should move a lot faster.

 

No- Absolutely not. There was an email a friend of mine received,  they may start processing the K1 along with CR1 and IR1 visas in October. Right now they are processing DV visas.

Ok dear thank you 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Ukraine
Timeline
13 hours ago, oscar_pal said:

1. I was watching the Visa Coach on YouTube as most of you probably know and he mentioned in one of his videos talking about the timeline for the USCIS processing times have gone down. Meaning they are going through the I-129F packets quicker. Mainly due to less people applying at this time. And not only that but it seems like they have put K-1 visas at a priority for the interviews at US embassies around the world. So is this all true and is it good news?

 

I would defer to recent K1 applicants here to answer directly if they feel the K1 processing times at USCIS is faster.  But the processing time graphs here on VJ shows the NOA1 - NOA2 processing times have increased.  Almost by double at CSC and TSC.   At the same time, CR1/IR1 processing times have stayed about the same or have gone down (at NSC).

 

K1 was given permission to begin visa processing at embassies recently, but at embassies like Frankfurt, they are still not processing them due to the travel ban.  CR1/IR1 was given mission critical status for a few months now and have been processed at a relatively brisk pace recently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
Timeline
49 minutes ago, SteveInBostonI130 said:

 

I would defer to recent K1 applicants here to answer directly if they feel the K1 processing times at USCIS is faster.  But the processing time graphs here on VJ shows the NOA1 - NOA2 processing times have increased.  Almost by double at CSC and TSC.

Just as an aside, all cases of "TSC" for a K-1 are data entry errors (usually because the person filling in the timeline confused the Dallas/Lewisville lockbox with the Texas Service Center); all K-1s are initially processed in California (Texas used to process some, but at least since 2017, they don't anymore). This just happens enough that the graphs for CSC and TSC are basically identical.

K-1                             AOS                            
NOA1 Notice Date: 2018-05-31    NOA1 Notice Date: 2019-04-11   
NOA2 Date: 2018-11-16           Biometrics Date: 2019-05-10    
Arrived at NVC:  2018-12-03     EAD/AP In Hand: 2019-09-16     
Arrived in Moscow: 2018-12-28   GC Interview Date: 2019-09-25      
Interview date: 2019-02-14      GC In Hand: 2019-10-02
Visa issued: 2019-02-28
POE: 2019-03-11
Wedding: 2019-03-14

ROC                             Naturalization
NOA1 Notice Date: 2021-07-16    Applied Online: 2022-07-09 (biometrics waived)
Approval Date: 2022-04-06       Interview was Scheduled: 2023-01-06
10-year GC In Hand: 2022-04-14  Interview date: 2023-02-13 (passed)
                            	Oath: 2023-02-13

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Your second question turns this into a political thread.

 

1. & 2.  USCIS remains our very worst Federal agency.  It is self-funded.  Until systems, management, and staffing improve, timing and efficiency will continue to suck.  No President can wave a wand to improve matters.

It can be very frustrating. I actually get better customer service from the IRS.)

Not a newbie but lost my old info years ago) I have been through this process before --all the way through naturalization-- This site has always been a great help to me. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Ask our VJ Immigration Lawyers.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
- Back to Top -

Important Disclaimer: Please read carefully the Visajourney.com Terms of Service. If you do not agree to the Terms of Service you should not access or view any page (including this page) on VisaJourney.com. Answers and comments provided on Visajourney.com Forums are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Visajourney.com does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. VisaJourney.com does not condone immigration fraud in any way, shape or manner. VisaJourney.com recommends that if any member or user knows directly of someone involved in fraudulent or illegal activity, that they report such activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can contact ICE via email at Immigration.Reply@dhs.gov or you can telephone ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All reported threads/posts containing reference to immigration fraud or illegal activities will be removed from this board. If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by contacting us here with a url link to that content. Thank you.
×
×
  • Create New...