JANUARY 2022 FILERS (I-130)

[G.jack 12]

Ok thank you so much!

[xyz_123 6]

On 6/13/2022 at 2:12 AM, JD2 said:

My brother's I-130 just got approved after 2.5 months.  He had the same lawyer as me for his I-130 but did the K-3 without a lawyer. Lawyer did not care he did the K-3 on his own.

We took your advice and filed the K-3 in late June (original filing date for the I-130 was 1/28/22). Just received the I-130 approval notice yesterday (8/11/22) through the Nebraska Service Center. 

 

I definitely feel that the K-3 helped. Currently processing times at Nebraska for the I-130 are 10.5 months, and 4.5 months for the K-3. Originally our lawyer told us not to expect anything before 13 months (March 2023) and the timelines here have suggested between November 2022 and March 2023 for us.

[Straya 37]

43 minutes ago, xyz_123 said:

We took your advice and filed the K-3 in late June (original filing date for the I-130 was 1/28/22). Just received the I-130 approval notice yesterday (8/11/22) through the Nebraska Service Center. 

 

I definitely feel that the K-3 helped. Currently processing times at Nebraska for the I-130 are 10.5 months, and 4.5 months for the K-3. Originally our lawyer told us not to expect anything before 13 months (March 2023) and the timelines here have suggested between November 2022 and March 2023 for us.

Did you have to submit evidence and passport photos for the k3 or was it just the form?

 

I want to submit it (our PD is 01/13/22) but my husband (petitioner) is currently deployed so there is no way to get his photo etc right now. I'm also not in the US. I'm in my own country. 

[xyz_123 6]

36 minutes ago, Straya said:

Did you have to submit evidence and passport photos for the k3 or was it just the form?

 

I want to submit it (our PD is 01/13/22) but my husband (petitioner) is currently deployed so there is no way to get his photo etc right now. I'm also not in the US. I'm in my own country. 

This is everything I submitted and the way I listed it out in the cover letter:

• Cover letter
• Form G-1145
• Signed Form I-129F
• Signed Form I-129F Addendum (2 pages)
• 2 passport-style photos of the beneficiary and petitioner
• Copy of Form I-797C (I-130 receipt notice)
• Copy of Form I-797C (USCIS account access notice)
• Copy of the petitioner’s birth certificate
• Copy of marriage certificate

It's really not too much. Form G-1145 is just for electronic consent to notify us once the packet is received. I-129F is the main form you have to submit. The addendum in our case was just to have more space to fully answer the questions on the I-129F. I also provided copies of a couple notices and the only evidence supplied was a birth certificate and marriage certificate.

 

Yes, you do need passport photos. Technically the instructions say the photos need to be taken within 30 days of filing the I-129F petition (and that they can't be retouched). We both used a mobile app called "Passport Photo Editor" to take the photos from our own countries. I have heard of other people submitting the I-129F using their original passport photos from the I-130 but I did not want to risk perjury over this. If your husband has access to a mobile phone it should be possible to take the photo and send it to you but the proportions need to be correct (that's why an app helps). I printed off the photos of both of us using a grid from that app (6 of them fit on a 4x6 inch sheet of photo paper) at the local drugstore and spent less than $1 doing so.

[Simplytex 386]

1 hour ago, xyz_123 said:

We took your advice and filed the K-3 in late June (original filing date for the I-130 was 1/28/22). Just received the I-130 approval notice yesterday (8/11/22) through the Nebraska Service Center. 

 

I definitely feel that the K-3 helped. Currently processing times at Nebraska for the I-130 are 10.5 months, and 4.5 months for the K-3. Originally our lawyer told us not to expect anything before 13 months (March 2023) and the timelines here have suggested between November 2022 and March 2023 for us.

Seeing this and two other posts having success with the k-3 gives me some hope... I filed online at the end of May, with K-3 filed 2 weeks later in June, so I'm really hoping that I get an approval by the end of the year.

[Straya 37]

6 hours ago, xyz_123 said:

This is everything I submitted and the way I listed it out in the cover letter:

• Cover letter
• Form G-1145
• Signed Form I-129F
• Signed Form I-129F Addendum (2 pages)
• 2 passport-style photos of the beneficiary and petitioner
• Copy of Form I-797C (I-130 receipt notice)
• Copy of Form I-797C (USCIS account access notice)
• Copy of the petitioner’s birth certificate
• Copy of marriage certificate

It's really not too much. Form G-1145 is just for electronic consent to notify us once the packet is received. I-129F is the main form you have to submit. The addendum in our case was just to have more space to fully answer the questions on the I-129F. I also provided copies of a couple notices and the only evidence supplied was a birth certificate and marriage certificate.

 

Yes, you do need passport photos. Technically the instructions say the photos need to be taken within 30 days of filing the I-129F petition (and that they can't be retouched). We both used a mobile app called "Passport Photo Editor" to take the photos from our own countries. I have heard of other people submitting the I-129F using their original passport photos from the I-130 but I did not want to risk perjury over this. If your husband has access to a mobile phone it should be possible to take the photo and send it to you but the proportions need to be correct (that's why an app helps). I printed off the photos of both of us using a grid from that app (6 of them fit on a 4x6 inch sheet of photo paper) at the local drugstore and spent less than $1 doing so.

Thanks! I suppose the fact I would need to also submit copies of the I-797C means it's still impossible until he is back since they are all in storage and inaccessible. 

 

Oh well I guess it is just a waiting game. Thank you for taking the time to reply. 

[JD2 55]

11 hours ago, xyz_123 said:

We took your advice and filed the K-3 in late June (original filing date for the I-130 was 1/28/22). Just received the I-130 approval notice yesterday (8/11/22) through the Nebraska Service Center. 

 

I definitely feel that the K-3 helped. Currently processing times at Nebraska for the I-130 are 10.5 months, and 4.5 months for the K-3. Originally our lawyer told us not to expect anything before 13 months (March 2023) and the timelines here have suggested between November 2022 and March 2023 for us.

Me and my brother both did it for our wives.  Both of us got approved in about 2 months.  But, I've seen several people for whom it didn't really work.  I think it works for some depending on if the background checks are clear (if they are they approve it quickly) but that's just my theory.

Edited August 12, 2022 by JD2

[JD2 55]

3 hours ago, Straya said:

Thanks! I suppose the fact I would need to also submit copies of the I-797C means it's still impossible until he is back since they are all in storage and inaccessible. 

 

Oh well I guess it is just a waiting game. Thank you for taking the time to reply. 

You should be able to download the I-797C online from myUSCIS

[davidtech 8]

On 8/11/2022 at 8:33 AM, xyz_123 said:

We took your advice and filed the K-3 in late June (original filing date for the I-130 was 1/28/22). Just received the I-130 approval notice yesterday (8/11/22) through the Nebraska Service Center. 

 

I definitely feel that the K-3 helped. Currently processing times at Nebraska for the I-130 are 10.5 months, and 4.5 months for the K-3. Originally our lawyer told us not to expect anything before 13 months (March 2023) and the timelines here have suggested between November 2022 and March 2023 for us.

Wow congrats! That's good to hear! That makes me feel better about filing K3. Although it's been two months for me already since I sent the K3 in.

 

My original filing date for I-130 is 2/27/22, currently in active review processing at California Service Center. I filed K3 in late May. Hopefully it helps my case and I hear something soon.

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by davidtech

[intothelight2021 19]

On 8/11/2022 at 8:33 AM, xyz_123 said:

We took your advice and filed the K-3 in late June (original filing date for the I-130 was 1/28/22). Just received the I-130 approval notice yesterday (8/11/22) through the Nebraska Service Center. 

 

I definitely feel that the K-3 helped. Currently processing times at Nebraska for the I-130 are 10.5 months, and 4.5 months for the K-3. Originally our lawyer told us not to expect anything before 13 months (March 2023) and the timelines here have suggested between November 2022 and March 2023 for us.

congrats!!! that is great news! seems like 50%+ of the time the K3 helps to accelerate the processing. 

[JD2 55]

Just now, intothelight2021 said:

congrats!!! that is great news! seems like 50%+ of the time the K3 helps to accelerate the processing. 

There's actually a Facebook group for K3s.  I think for 25% of people it helps a ton (like 2 months), then for a 40% it helps a little (like shaves a few months off), then the remainder it doesn't help at all.  Those %s are just my gut feeling.

[Simplytex 386]

6 hours ago, JD2 said:

There's actually a Facebook group for K3s.  I think for 25% of people it helps a ton (like 2 months), then for a 40% it helps a little (like shaves a few months off), then the remainder it doesn't help at all.  Those %s are just my gut feeling.

Not to take it too off thread topic, but yeah it's annoying on VJ timelines that there isn't a way to flag K3 filling or not for I130 people. 

 

Also, I'm pretty certain my case is at Vermont, which USCIS are currently saying 15mo for I130, but only 5.5mo I129F, but from what I understand Vermont doesn't do K1 visas (or at least, none currently/recently on VJ.)

[JD2 55]

Just now, Simplytex said:

Not to take it too off thread topic, but yeah it's annoying on VJ timelines that there isn't a way to flag K3 filling or not for I130 people. 

 

Also, I'm pretty certain my case is at Vermont, which USCIS are currently saying 15mo for I130, but only 5.5mo I129F, but from what I understand Vermont doesn't do K1 visas (or at least, none currently/recently on VJ.)

Vermont does to K3s though.  My I-130 and K3 were at Vermont and I got approved in 2 months.

[Simplytex 386]

2 minutes ago, JD2 said:

Vermont does to K3s though.  My I-130 and K3 were at Vermont and I got approved in 2 months.

Right, so I'm really trying not to get my hopes up, but they kinda are up... May 28 online filing, June 6 k3... Even getting an approval by end of year would be brilliant 🙃

[nka1509 11]

My husband is US citizen and he filed i130 for me on 2nd January 2022 ( online). Service centre is Texas as per receipt. Our case was moved to status ‘Actively being reviewedby USCIS’ on 7th January 2022. We filled i129 (K3) on 2nd May 2022 and that was sent to California service centre. I am not sure how long should we wait for approval. I am in India and seems like it will take almost one more year for whole process. With K3 we had a hope of fast processing but it didn’t went well.