Do Embassy and Current Beneficiary Address have to be in the Same Country?

[skorpis62 0]

Hello,

 

This is my first time posting here. I am currently applying for the K1 visa. My fiance (who is a Cambodian citizen) currently lives in Thailand. Since she is Cambodian we are planning on using the Cambodian Embassy in Phnom Penh. She will eventually move back to Cambodia.

 

Will it be a problem if we list her current address as a Thai address even though the embassy we are using is in Cambodia? Thank you for all your help.

[skorpis62 0]

I just thought of another detail. Her current employment is in Thailand. So it might look weird if we put a Cambodian address as her current address. For this reason, is it safest to just put her current address in Thailand? Thanks!!

[Chancy 6,233]

*** Moved from K1 Progress Reports to K1 Process & Procedures ***

 

11 minutes ago, skorpis62 said:

Will it be a problem if we list her current address as a Thai address even though the embassy we are using is in Cambodia?

 

Cases are typically assigned to consulates based on the beneficiary's physical address, not the embassy listed on the petition.  So if the current address is in Thailand, NVC will likely assign the case to Bangkok, regardless of the embassy you selected on the I-129F.  Unfortunately, you'll only find out for sure when you get the case number from NVC.

 

[skorpis62 0]

Hello,

 

That is very helpful. As a Cambodian citizen is she able to use the Bangkok embassy? I figured she would have to use the embassy in Cambodia since she is a Cambodian citizen. Thanks.

[powerpuff 5,970]

4 minutes ago, skorpis62 said:

Hello,

 

That is very helpful. As a Cambodian citizen is she able to use the Bangkok embassy? I figured she would have to use the embassy in Cambodia since she is a Cambodian citizen. Thanks.

If she will have legal long term residency in Thailand at the time of the interview such as permanent residency or if she is on a work or student visa, she can interview there. In other words she can’t be on a tourist status there 

[skorpis62 0]

Hello,

 

Thank you for clarifying that powerpuff. She has lived there long-term since 2017 and is currently a teacher on a work visa. However, she is planning on leaving Thailand and returning to Cambodia around January 2023.

 

For this reason, do you suggest we just put her current Thai address on the K1 application and then update her address at the time she moves back to Cambodia? 

[powerpuff 5,970]

25 minutes ago, skorpis62 said:

For this reason, do you suggest we just put her current Thai address on the K1 application and then update her address at the time she moves back to Cambodia? 

You’ll have no choice but do that. You can’t put Cambodian address as her current address when she lives in Thailand, that would not be truthful.

 

Unfortunately, USCIS will automatically send it to the consulate in Thailand, it’s just what they do and it is what it is. I was in the same situation. I changed the countries/addresses when the petition got to NVC. 

[skorpis62 0]

Hello,

Thank you very much. I will keep the address as her current Thai address. I do not want to be untruthful. 

 

Based on this, I have one final question. There is a requirement to include her current address in her native alphabet. Since she is Cambodian, her native alphabet is Khmer.

 

Since we are unable to type Khmer script into the I-129F pdf document, is it alright to attach a typed word document to the back of the application? I appreciate all your help.

[Letspaintcookies 2,232]

You can just fill it out per hand after printing it. It's ok to mix typed and hand written.

[skorpis62 0]

Hello,

 

I considered that but I do not know how to write in Khmer and my fiance lives far away. She typed the address using Khmer script in Microsoft word and I printed and attached it to the back of the I-129f as an additional attachment. We included the page number, part number, and item number on the attachment to make it clear what it is. On the application itself I wrote "See attached" in that section.

 

Do you think that will be alright? Thank you.

[skorpis62 0]

Another option is for me to print, cut out the responses, and glue them in place. Would that be preferred? Thanks.

[skorpis62 0]

A third option is for my fiancé to print that page, hand-write the Khmer writing in the boxes, and then scan it and email it back to me.

[Thunderbolt 162]

 

Have your girlfriend type the address in her language, export it in MS Word to PDF and send it to you. That's what we did with my wife. At the time I couldn't write Thai alphabet. 

 

Also, if I remember correctly there are pages at the end where you can add more information if you need more space. If your girlfriend cannot use the form page where is asking for the address in the native language, use the extra page. 

I wouldn't glue, staple or hammer down anything on the forms. That's why you have extra pages to add additional information. 

On that page you put that this is addition for page 7, Question No.3a etc. 

 

Good luck! 

 

[Crazy Cat 39,591]

14 hours ago, skorpis62 said:

I just thought of another detail. Her current employment is in Thailand. So it might look weird if we put a Cambodian address as her current address. For this reason, is it safest to just put her current address in Thailand? Thanks!!

Enter the information as it REALLY is. Her physical address is where she actually currently lives..... These forms are to be interpreted literally. 

[EatBulaga 252]

15 hours ago, skorpis62 said:

Hello,

 

This is my first time posting here. I am currently applying for the K1 visa. My fiance (who is a Cambodian citizen) currently lives in Thailand. Since she is Cambodian we are planning on using the Cambodian Embassy in Phnom Penh. She will eventually move back to Cambodia.

 

Will it be a problem if we list her current address as a Thai address even though the embassy we are using is in Cambodia? Thank you for all your help.

No. Your K1 beneficiary does NOT have to K1 interview at the US consulate/embassy of her home country or home country address. The K1 beneficiary can interview in a 3rd country US consulate/embassy as long as the beneficiary has legal presence there (as previously mentioned). On the current I-129F, Part2, Item62, you can list which US consulate/embassy to apply for the visa abroad. 

But the I-129F address and address history needs to have consistency to the later forms like the UStravelDocs and DS-160, so the US consulate/embassy can send the visa to the proper address. So if the address does change, you need to complete the USCIS address change. 

https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange

From my experience, the USCIS address change works well if the K1 petitioner request the change early on like before NOA2. But if the request of address change is later like at the NVC stage, the request may not reach the case since the USCIS has to forward the change to the Dept of State and then to the US consulate/embassy.

 

Now with that said, if you compare the wait times between Cambodia and Thailand, Cambodia may have a shorter wait time. 

https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/stats.php

 

If I was the OP, I would select Cambodia just for the shorter wait time--not because of the artificial notion that the K1 beneficiary has to interview at the US embassy/consulate of the beneficiary home country. But you can also weigh in the K1 beneficiary work factor like would going back to her home country without work versus waiting longer in the 3rd country with work? 

 

Some K1 beneficiary do not have US embassy/consulate in their home country and have to travel to another country for K1 interview anyways. If you read my Timeline, my K1 beneficiary interviewed/approved in the US consulate not in her home country, and we saved maybe over 1-year of wait time compared to many of the K1 applicants still waiting in her home country. So we are very blessed to have that option. I hope others can learn from our experience. Good luck!