Visa Issued!

[AMH 11]

Hey everyone, hoping we're all nearing the end of our visa saga! My wife and I just had our interview yesterday at the embassy in Seoul, South Korea and the visa was issued today, so we're done! 16 months start to finish... and that was without any RFEs or anything. Here's our brief timeline, good luck to everyone on the last stages!

 

Nov 15 2021: Filed with USCIS (transferred from Nebraska to Vermont, who knows where else)

Nov 11 2022: Got approved and sent over to the NVC

Dec 29 2022: Got approved / DQ'd

Feb 7 2023: Got the interview appointment

Mar 8 2023: Had our interview in Seoul, South Korea

Mar 9 2023: Visa Issued

[IRFUN 59]

Woohoo! Time to celebrate with some kbbq and soju. 

 

[etrangais 927]

Congratulations

[ozeroff20 2]

Congratulations to you guys! My wife and I are waiting for her interview in Seoul Early May. Did you update your documents such as new tax forms or added more evidence to your relationship? I am following the instructions provided by the NVC after getting the approval. She got her checkup. What happens from there? 

 

Thank you for your time and congratulations!

[AMH 11]

18 minutes ago, ozeroff20 said:

Congratulations to you guys! My wife and I are waiting for her interview in Seoul Early May. Did you update your documents such as new tax forms or added more evidence to your relationship? I am following the instructions provided by the NVC after getting the approval. She got her checkup. What happens from there? 

 

Thank you for your time and congratulations!

We didn't update the tax forms since we hadn't filed yet when we had our interview. If you filed for 2022 and it's easy to bring updated forms with you, it wouldn't hurt (but I don't know if they would require that). Otherwise, just print and bring all the documents you submitted to the NVC (original and translated). I got a job between submitting NVC docs and the interview, so I brought the job offer letter from my employer and they seemed glad to see that. One thing to check is that your ARC number is fully printed on the family relation certificate - mine was only partially there with a bunch of *'s and we had to run across the street to the gov office to print new ones while at the embassy.

 

For the interview, get there a bit early if you can, bring your embassy appointment letter (the email they send you) to get in, head up to the second floor and check in and wait. They'll give you a list of how they want you to order your documents for the first step. Everything is done right at the second floor counter and the people there are super nice and professional. We were there about an hour and a half, most of which was waiting. They asked my wife a few questions about why we were moving and what our plans for work were, and then we were done. We had our 2 yr old with us, which I think helped get a little sympathy, lol. 

 

Hope that's helpful, let me know if you have any other questions! 

[ozeroff20 2]

40 minutes ago, AMH said:

We didn't update the tax forms since we hadn't filed yet when we had our interview. If you filed for 2022 and it's easy to bring updated forms with you, it wouldn't hurt (but I don't know if they would require that). Otherwise, just print and bring all the documents you submitted to the NVC (original and translated). I got a job between submitting NVC docs and the interview, so I brought the job offer letter from my employer and they seemed glad to see that. One thing to check is that your ARC number is fully printed on the family relation certificate - mine was only partially there with a bunch of *'s and we had to run across the street to the gov office to print new ones while at the embassy.

 

For the interview, get there a bit early if you can, bring your embassy appointment letter (the email they send you) to get in, head up to the second floor and check in and wait. They'll give you a list of how they want you to order your documents for the first step. Everything is done right at the second floor counter and the people there are super nice and professional. We were there about an hour and a half, most of which was waiting. They asked my wife a few questions about why we were moving and what our plans for work were, and then we were done. We had our 2 yr old with us, which I think helped get a little sympathy, lol. 

 

Hope that's helpful, let me know if you have any other questions! 

Thank you so much for the response. It seems to be straightforward based on the letter of instructions. I'm a bit anxious since I had to leave Korea for a job in the states. I'll be including the offer letter and payslip on the job now. I looked around to see if I have to update my address but they only care about the applicant, not the petitioner. Having a cute baby definitely helped you guys haha.  

[Crazy Cat 39,937]

1 hour ago, ozeroff20 said:

I looked around to see if I have to update my address but they only care about the applicant, not the petitioner.

Petitioners/sponsors must notify USCIS of address changes.  That takes effect after filing an I-864.

Form I-865, Sponsor's Notice of Change of Address (uscis.gov)

Edited April 24, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[ozeroff20 2]

20 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

Petitioners/sponsors must notify USCIS of address changes.  That takes effect after filing an I-864.

Form I-865, Sponsor's Notice of Change of Address (uscis.gov)

Thank you. Government forms confuse the heck out of me. I will get started on that and hopefully it won't be a big deal down the road. 

[Crazy Cat 39,937]

Just now, ozeroff20 said:

Thank you. Government forms confuse the heck out of me. I will get started on that and hopefully it won't be a big deal down the road. 

The I-865 is easy...but you have to mail it....no online option.....Good luck. 

[ozeroff20 2]

Just now, Crazy Cat said:

The I-865 is easy...but you have to mail it....no online option.....Good luck. 

That is part of the reason why. It doesn't make sense in any way. Oh well. We will sit tight and see what happens. 

[TBoneTX 43,549]

2 hours ago, AMH said:

Hope that's helpful

Be sure to add your insightful comments to your "Embassy Review," if you haven't already.  

Congratulations on being able to feel great!

[Ladybug13 0]

Congratulations! My husband and I have our interview in a few months! Did they let you enter the interview with your Korean spouse? I plan to go to Korea for the interview. What types of questions did they ask?

 

thank you!

[AMH 11]

13 hours ago, Ladybug13 said:

Congratulations! My husband and I have our interview in a few months! Did they let you enter the interview with your Korean spouse? I plan to go to Korea for the interview. What types of questions did they ask?

 

thank you!

Thanks, and good luck with your interview! Yes, the whole embassy process, including the interview, took place in one area on the second floor of the embassy at a set of windows (looks like a bank lobby), so we were together the whole time along with our daughter. When they called us up to the window we were both standing there and for the interview portion they asked my wife how long I had been in Korea, when our wedding was, why we were moving to the states and what our plan was for work when we got there. Everyone was really nice and it was pretty painless. If it's not too busy, you should be in and out within 2 hours. Just bring all of the documents you submitted to the NVC and anything you've gotten since then that might help (I brought a signed job offer that I had received recently). Good luck!