K-1 Visa UK / US Ditch or Swap?

[Thistletongue 0]

Hello everyone, I'm sure you're all bored to death of randos popping on to cry about K-1 Visa timelines but unfortunately I'm here to do that more or less. 
My fiance lives in the UK and I am a (born?) US Citizen. 

The short version is we applied for our Visa back in August of 2019 and our petition was accepted. 
When I look at the "Immigrant Visa Application" it states that we were approved in February of this year and the last update was in April. 
It also says we're ready for our interview when scheduled. 

Whats weird is he never got any mail or emails and I only know this from checking the website with our LND number.

Anyways, obviously we can't schedule an interview and everyone is talking about interviews being scheduled out until August of next year (on Reddit mind you but...).
So to make a very long story short should I just move to the UK and take up citizenship there? Should we get married somewhere else and apply for a different Visa here?

Obviously we've sunk well over $2k into our Visa application (we have a lawyer who is worse than useless) but at this point we just want to be together.
Neither of us cares where we live or what we have to do while Visas pend and all this. 

I appreciate anyone taking the time to read this mess, this is my first time posting here so feel free if you have any questions. 
Thanks

[Wuozopo 4,285]

8 hours ago, Thistletongue said:

Anyways, obviously we can't schedule an interview and everyone is talking about interviews being scheduled out until August of next year (on Reddit mind you but...).

London interviews are typically only open (on the appointment calendar) for the current month and the following month, so for sure London is not booked out until August 2021. There’s nobody scheduled past October 2020 currently.
 

You are so close. Once the travel ban from the UK is lifted, one would think K1s might move. Right now London is only interviewing those who are not limited by any presidential proclamation...mostly spouses and a few special diplomats. You’re already ahead of all the fiancés who are being held at NVC. Once London starts interviewing K1s, you are poised to jump in and snatch an interview off the calendar before those other piled up K1s get shipped over from NVC and have to wait for the “Ready” status. Be ready by having all your required documents for medical and interview in hand. Get any needed shots now. 
 

There’s a UK regional forum here on Visa Journey that would be a good place for you to monitor and ask questions since your case is already at the embassy. Each embassy is different, so start keeping up with London at this point. 
UK forum

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/99-united-kingdom/

 

Note: the pinned threads in that forum are useless because too out of date. The links and processes have all changed, but mods won’t unpin them. Skip those.

[Ermehgerdd 172]

11 hours ago, Thistletongue said:

Hello everyone, I'm sure you're all bored to death of randos popping on to cry about K-1 Visa timelines but unfortunately I'm here to do that more or less. 
My fiance lives in the UK and I am a (born?) US Citizen. 

The short version is we applied for our Visa back in August of 2019 and our petition was accepted. 
When I look at the "Immigrant Visa Application" it states that we were approved in February of this year and the last update was in April. 
It also says we're ready for our interview when scheduled. 

Whats weird is he never got any mail or emails and I only know this from checking the website with our LND number.

Anyways, obviously we can't schedule an interview and everyone is talking about interviews being scheduled out until August of next year (on Reddit mind you but...).
So to make a very long story short should I just move to the UK and take up citizenship there? Should we get married somewhere else and apply for a different Visa here?

Obviously we've sunk well over $2k into our Visa application (we have a lawyer who is worse than useless) but at this point we just want to be together.
Neither of us cares where we live or what we have to do while Visas pend and all this. 

I appreciate anyone taking the time to read this mess, this is my first time posting here so feel free if you have any questions. 
Thanks

We also applied in Aug 2019, and have been sitting at the London consulate after being approved in Dec 2019.  

 

We joined the lawsuit Milligan v Pompeo.  Its a mass mandamus suit that is not only arguing for the plaintiffs, but also arguing for a national interest exception for K1s, and for the DoS to process K1s within the 30 day time frame they themselves have alleged to meet in a related case argument. 

 

We are so close.  Don't give up yet. Starting over with a spousal visa will surely take longer.

[SalishSea 16,884]

13 hours ago, Thistletongue said:

should I just move to the UK and take up citizenship there?

You can't just move there and 'take up citizenship.'  That's not how that works.

[yoda one for me 321]

15 hours ago, Thistletongue said:

Anyways, obviously we can't schedule an interview and everyone is talking about interviews being scheduled out until August of next year (on Reddit mind you but...).
So to make a very long story short should I just move to the UK and take up citizenship there? Should we get married somewhere else and apply for a different Visa here?

Don't read reddit and assume the same applies to your case, all embassies run a bit differently and the UK embassy moves in a very specific ways. In my experience Reddit immigration communities are very heavy on Canadians and various Asian nationality folks and especially those on work or education visas. All very different scenarios to a UK K1.

 

If you marry in order to do a CR1 spouse visa you start over from scratch and have fresh fees (no refund on the K1 you void either) and at least a year of repeating the whole waiting process before you get to interview stage, so you lose the current advantage spouse visas have in embassy interviewing. There are other advantages to CR1 over K1 but you guys are right at the finish line and it seems silly to start fresh now and pay another buttload of money just to wait and wait and wait again.

 

Just wait for K1 interviews to be bookable and you (well, your UK fiance) will be able to jump right in - as Wuozopo said they open bookings for the month ahead so once you can book there won't be much of a delay at all. 

Edited September 25, 2020 by yoda one for me

[Wuozopo 4,285]

8 minutes ago, yoda one for me said:

Just wait for K1 interviews to be bookable and you (well, your UK fiance) will be able to jump right in - as Wuozopo said they open bookings for the month ahead so once you can book there won't be much of a delay at all. 

@Ermehgerdd vs @Thistletongue

Who will snatch the first interview date once the playoff rounds begin?
😊

[yuna628 9,541]

OP: I'd suggest waiting this one out. As for the UK, you cannot just move there. It's a multi years long immigration process requiring a lot of time and money - of which would be based upon your fiance's financial situation and which they may or may not qualify for. Most people actually do not.

 

Just be aware we are really in a unique situation, and if it wasn't for the current pandemic, your application process would be moving quite fast at this point. Everyone is more or less in the same boat.

[Ermehgerdd 172]

10 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

@Ermehgerdd vs @Thistletongue

Who will snatch the first interview date once the playoff rounds begin?
😊

My obsession with checking the Visa Appointment Service site is nearing clinical diagnostic criteria.

 

😂😂😂 but also, 😭😭😭

 

 

[*Snowdrop* 603]

I wouldn't ditch the US application yet as you have already invested so much in there. But it must be horrible not being able to be together. And everything is up in the air.

 

The UK process is very expensive but for at least the first part of the process quicker (normally, not sure about with Covid) than the US system. 

 

You could eat the current costs and go ahead with a spouse visa for the UK - IF - your fiance has been employed for at least the last six months with a job earning over 18,600 pounds. If he has then he can sponsor you. It's a few thousand pounds to complete this first application and then you can move over there, get married and will at least be together. After 2.5 years you do another application to continue to stay. It will be roughly ten years before you can become a UK citizen. 

 

But if you are really fed up of not being together you could do the first UK visa - and then apply for the US spousal visa and wait out the waiting times while living together. 

 

So it comes down to your personal preferences and financial situation. 

 

Step One - reseach and find out if your fiance qualifies to sponsor you for the UK visa based on his finances. If he doesn't then you are in the same boat as now. 

 

If he does then Step two - you can decide whether you can afford the fees to do the UK process and if it's worth it to give you a bit of stability and time together while the world works out it's Covid immigration situation. 

 

 

 

[OliverBa 61]

On 9/25/2020 at 1:40 PM, Wuozopo said:

@Ermehgerdd vs @Thistletongue

Who will snatch the first interview date once the playoff rounds begin?
😊

@Ermehgerdd has won 🥂 🥳 

[Ermehgerdd 172]

On 9/25/2020 at 1:40 PM, Wuozopo said:

@Ermehgerdd vs @Thistletongue

Who will snatch the first interview date once the playoff rounds begin?
😊

Looks like me 😜

 

God Bless Good Lawyers. 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

4 hours ago, Ermehgerdd said:

Looks like me 😜

 

God Bless Good Lawyers. 

Wow. Great news. Go tell the  K1s in the  UK .forum. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/751539-any-updates-on-k1-visa-interviews/ They have all gone to sleep over there.

 

[Ermehgerdd 172]

4 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

Wow. Great news. Go tell the  K1s in the  UK .forum. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/751539-any-updates-on-k1-visa-interviews/ They have all gone to sleep over there.

 

London won't schedule any K1s that aren't plaintiffs in Milligan v Pompeo, unfortunately 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

Just now, Ermehgerdd said:

London won't schedule any K1s that aren't plaintiffs in Milligan v Pompeo, unfortunately 

Well share all the news and tell them about the lawsuit. 

[Ermehgerdd 172]

1 hour ago, Wuozopo said:

Wow. Great news. Go tell the  K1s in the  UK .forum. https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/751539-any-updates-on-k1-visa-interviews/ They have all gone to sleep over there.

 

The thread is locked 🤣