Establishing Evidence/Credibility For the K-1 Visa

[Centaurus 10]

12 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Only basic evidence is necessary for I-129F petition approval (see the Guides and innumerable threads).

After USCIS approves the petition, it ends up with the appropriate consulate.

A clear bona fide relationship is necessary for the consular officer to grant a K-1 visa.

Time together in person (with documentation thereof) is the chief factor for approval.

 

For tough consulates, "front-loading" the I-129F petition with evidence of a bona fide relationship can help.  However, as Adventine says above, Budapest is not a consulate in a desperately poor country or one known for attempted visa-fraud.

 

Add a couple of photos, from your physical visit(s), to your I-129F petition package.

Be very certain NOT to include ANY correspondence in which you teasingly refer to yourselves as "husband" or "wife."

Got it so when do apply for it?  3 months after meeting or 6 months?

[Crazy Cat 39,559]

17 minutes ago, Centaurus said:

Crazy cat is  in contradiction with Slavaskii, who says the "baseline" is 13.5 months. 

The chart I posted is generated by by data entered by VJ members.  @Captain Ewok is the VJ guru for data analysis.   The first chart I posted is the netire process from submission to visa interview.  The following is data for the USCIS I-129F segment:

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[Crazy Cat 39,559]

28 minutes ago, Centaurus said:

Also crazy cat says you hear all sorts of things, exactly, so how do I know crazy cat is just another member I am hearing?  

I said outside Visa Journey.   VJ is the best source for accurate information.  Good luck and, again, welcome. 

BTW, recent data from USCIS shows that they are receiving two times the number of petitions that they are processing.  The queue is not getting shorter, unfortunately. 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[TBoneTX 43,404]

10 minutes ago, Centaurus said:

Got it so when do apply for it?  3 months after meeting or 6 months?

Technically, you can apply for it 15 minutes after meeting.  USCIS requires one in-person meeting within 2 years of petition filing.

[slavaskii 885]

24 minutes ago, Centaurus said:

Crazy cat is  in contradiction with Slavaskii, who says the "baseline" is 13.5 months.  If this is true the "baseline" is indeed close to 1 year.  There could also be < 13.5 months if you get ahead of the "baseline".  Also crazy cat says you hear all sorts of things, exactly, so how do I know crazy cat is just another member I am hearing?  

Nothing we're saying is in contradiction. His chart is showing you the average time from I-129F submission to K-1 interview. My "baseline" was in reference to the time it takes the I-129F to be adjudicated alone, which according to USCIS (and verified by many members here, if you look through the Progress threads) is 13.5 months. So, to recap: CrazyCat's chart says 520 days from start to finish, I posit roughly 400 from start to USCIS approval. 

 

Following USCIS approval, your petition will spend roughly 2 months at NVC (60 days) before being forwarded to the Embassy, which may-or-may-not have a significant backlog. Already we're at 460 days; 2 more months (60 days) doesn't sound unreasonable at all, particularly for certain Embassies (like Warsaw) which was already booking January appointments back in June. 

 

If I could give any advice, it would be to definitely spend some time looking through the forums here to get a feel of the time you're looking at overall; we're all here to help and give honest updates. For myself, I went into the process thinking it would take only 9-12 months because that's what I read on an outdated, random, pre-COVID website. When I actually got on VisaJourney and saw the charts, I refused to believe them at first, but lo and behold they were far more accurate than anything else. 

 

You can't rush the process unless you have a valid expedite, so as others have said, focus on sending good, quality evidence that will make the Adjudicator's job easy when it's your turn.

[Centaurus 10]

5 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Technically, you can apply for it 15 minutes after meeting.  USCIS requires one in-person meeting within 2 years of petition filing.

Ok, that's helpful.  So when applying do you need photos, or can you apply if you met online then go visit in person after having applied?

[TBoneTX 43,404]

You must meet in person BEFORE filing.

[Centaurus 10]

2 minutes ago, slavaskii said:

Nothing we're saying is in contradiction. His chart is showing you the average time from I-129F submission to K-1 interview. My "baseline" was in reference to the time it takes the I-129F to be adjudicated alone, which according to USCIS (and verified by many members here, if you look through the Progress threads) is 13.5 months. So, to recap: CrazyCat's chart says 520 days from start to finish, I posit roughly 400 from start to USCIS approval. 

 

Following USCIS approval, your petition will spend roughly 2 months at NVC (60 days) before being forwarded to the Embassy, which may-or-may-not have a significant backlog. Already we're at 460 days; 2 more months (60 days) doesn't sound unreasonable at all, particularly for certain Embassies (like Warsaw) which was already booking January appointments back in June. 

 

If I could give any advice, it would be to definitely spend some time looking through the forums here to get a feel of the time you're looking at overall; we're all here to help and give honest updates. For myself, I went into the process thinking it would take only 9-12 months because that's what I read on an outdated, random, pre-COVID website. When I actually got on VisaJourney and saw the charts, I refused to believe them at first, but lo and behold they were far more accurate than anything else. 

 

You can't rush the process unless you have a valid expedite, so as others have said, focus on sending good, quality evidence that will make the Adjudicator's job easy when it's your turn.

Ok, so let's say you've met online, done some Whatsapp and Vibering, can you apply after that, or do you need to actually meet in person before you apply?

[TBoneTX 43,404]

And a little language-precision is in order:

1.  You FILE the petition (with USCIS).

2.  Upon petition approval, the beneficiary APPLIES for the visa (with the consulate).

[Centaurus 10]

1 minute ago, TBoneTX said:

You must meet in person BEFORE filing.

That's in the rules somewhere?

[TBoneTX 43,404]

Just now, Centaurus said:

you need to actually meet in person before you apply

^^ This.

Please read the Guides (link is atop any VJ page).

[TBoneTX 43,404]

Just now, Centaurus said:

That's in the rules somewhere?

Yes.  Again, please read the Guides, THEN return with any unanswered questions.

 

Your success in this process relies on your reading accurately, interpreting literally, and answering completely & honestly.  Become an "A" student of the entire legal-immigration process.

[Centaurus 10]

8 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Yes.  Again, please read the Guides, THEN return with any unanswered questions.

 

Your success in this process relies on your reading accurately, interpreting literally, and answering completely & honestly.  Become an "A" student of the entire legal-immigration process.

Got it.  Based on the guidelines, I should apply after we have met in person w/ several photos together, and  perhaps with Viber records, phone records and email records to back it up. 

[TBoneTX 43,404]

26 minutes ago, Centaurus said:

Viber records, phone records and email records

Not necessary for your consulate.

Spend as long a time visiting as you can, and even better if you make two trips.

[Loren Y 2,740]

When I did my K-1 back in 2018, I didn't include any chats, logs, emails. All you need is proof of meeting. I did a passport stamp, 4-8 photos, my boarding passes, and a rough timeline on a single page. My whole petition was under 30 pages with the 12 I think the I129F was. Keep it simple. Of course back them went from application to visa in hand in only 8 months. 6 or 7 years before that say 2011-2013 you could get a K1 visa in about 3-4 months... Those were the good old days! I would agree that about 14-16 months is about right. I am marrying a couple on the 26th of this month, his fiancee is arriving on a K1 visa on the 22nd, and they applied in April of 2021, so that's about 16 months from filing to entry into the US.

Edited September 19, 2022 by Loren Y