What is department of state?

[Rachel n Tyler 45]

Our 129f says 'On June 17, 2024, we sent your case, Receipt Number XXXXXXX, to the Department of State for visa processing. You can find general information on Consular Processing by visiting our website at www.uscis.gov . The website will provide information on what to do next, who to contact, and how to inform us of any changes in your situation or address.'

I thought the next step was NVC? 

[hplusj 137]

The Department of State is a US governmental agency which handles a number of different operations, including visas and consular affairs.  That part of the agency is referred to as the NVC.  You can learn more at https://travel.state.gov/

[Rachel n Tyler 45]

3 hours ago, hplusj said:

The Department of State is a US governmental agency which handles a number of different operations, including visas and consular affairs.  That part of the agency is referred to as the NVC.  You can learn more at https://travel.state.gov/

I tried finding more info but it didn’t tell me anything clearly. Thank you!

[milimelo 4,500]

Your local US Embassy - the Hague (or some other location if the Hague is not handling immigrant visas) will be where you'll interview for K-1. NVC will just forward your approved petition to the embassy to either schedule your interview or have your schedule your own interview. May want to look up information on the Hague embassy website. 

Edited June 18 by milimelo
I really should look better at flags before responding...

[JeanneAdil 6,554]

OP 

to your question

 

After USCIS approves your petition, they will transfer your case to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC)

[Rachel n Tyler 45]

1 hour ago, milimelo said:

Your local US Embassy - the Hague (or some other location if the Hague is not handling immigrant visas) will be where you'll interview for K-1. NVC will just forward your approved petition to the embassy to either schedule your interview or have your schedule your own interview. May want to look up information on the Hague embassy website. 

Yeah sadly the Hague closed immigrant visas so I'll have to go through Germany (Frankfurt). But I think that this means they sent it to the NVC, and when the NVC gets it, they'll send it to the embassy in Frankfurt

[MalloryCat 206]

1 hour ago, Rachel n Tyler said:

But I think that this means they sent it to the NVC, and when the NVC gets it, they'll send it to the embassy in Frankfurt

that is exactly what it means
after about a month (30 days) you can contact the NVC to get your new case number (they are supposed to send a letter with the case number to the foreign fiance, but it is notoriously slow), and then track your case via CEAC.

Once it gets to the embassy in frankfurt, they will send you packet 3 which will have all the info on what to do next and how to schedule your interview

[hplusj 137]

8 hours ago, Rachel n Tyler said:

I tried finding more info but it didn’t tell me anything clearly. Thank you!

The site is vast and I am unsure what you are looking for specifically.  I assume you are looking for the NVC: that would be in the Visa section.

You asked what the Department of State was, so that's what I delivered.

[Rachel n Tyler 45]

57 minutes ago, MalloryCat said:

that is exactly what it means
after about a month (30 days) you can contact the NVC to get your new case number (they are supposed to send a letter with the case number to the foreign fiance, but it is notoriously slow), and then track your case via CEAC.

Once it gets to the embassy in frankfurt, they will send you packet 3 which will have all the info on what to do next and how to schedule your interview

Interesting, is it not two weeks? That's what showing in the visa flowchart on VisaJourney. And I think I also saw something about 20 days? But that might be for the USCIS sending it to the NVC? So many different answers

[MalloryCat 206]

7 minutes ago, Rachel n Tyler said:

Interesting, is it not two weeks? That's what showing in the visa flowchart on VisaJourney. And I think I also saw something about 20 days? But that might be for the USCIS sending it to the NVC? So many different answers

i believe the 2 weeks is for it to get to the actual NVC.

if you look at the fine print of the NOA2 you received, I believe (and I could be miss remembering, it's been awhile since I looked at mine) it says you can/should contact the NVC after 4 weeks if you haven't heard anything from them.

 

But you could technically contact them sooner, but you'll probably just get a generic "we're still processing your case" email.

 

even if you do wait the 30 days, you still have to wait for the embassy to send you packet 3

 

We waited 30 days to contact the NVC for our case number. the case got to the embassy i think a little over 2 weeks later

(and my fiance got the letter from the NVC telling him the case was sent to the embassy over a month after we already knew that lol)

Edited June 18 by MalloryCat
spelling

[Rachel n Tyler 45]

15 minutes ago, MalloryCat said:

i believe the 2 weeks is for it to get to the actual NVC.

if you look at the fine print of the NOA2 you received, I believe (and I could be miss remembering, it's been awhile since I looked at mine) it says you can/should contact the NVC after 4 weeks if you haven't heard anything from them.

 

But you could technically contact them sooner, but you'll probably just get a generic "we're still processing your case" email.

 

even if you do wait the 30 days, you still have to wait for the embassy to send you packet 3

 

We waited 30 days to contact the NVC for our case number. the case got to the embassy i think a little over 2 weeks later

(and my fiance got the letter from the NVC telling him the case was sent to the embassy over a month after we already knew that lol)

I think it said 20 days in our letter, but I'll ask my fiancé for a double check. Should I not go ahead and plan the medical before receiving the packet?

[MalloryCat 206]

2 minutes ago, Rachel n Tyler said:

I think it said 20 days in our letter, but I'll ask my fiancé for a double check. Should I not go ahead and plan the medical before receiving the packet?

they do recommend that you wait until you can schedule your interview before scheduling the medical. you should plan to have 5-10 days between when you have your medical and you interview. (it may be longer since your medical has to be sent from the netherlands, but most embassies recommend 5 to 10 days)

 

they dont suggest scheduling the medical too early because the 6 months that the K-1 visa is valid for (meaning the time you have to move to the US) starts when the medical is done. for example, if your medical is in july then you'd have to move to the US by november. But theres a chance that you couldn't schedule your interview until december (meaning youd have to pay for the medical again, which isn't cheap). Also, its a requirement that you bring with you to the medical exam proof that you have a visa interview scheduled.

 

So I would say as soon as you get packet 3 from the embassy, you can schedule your medical. Once you get packet 3 and follow the instructions in it, scheduling the interview happens not too long after.

So you should be able to schedule the medical and interview close together.

[Rachel n Tyler 45]

1 minute ago, MalloryCat said:

they do recommend that you wait until you can schedule your interview before scheduling the medical. you should plan to have 5-10 days between when you have your medical and you interview. (it may be longer since your medical has to be sent from the netherlands, but most embassies recommend 5 to 10 days)

 

they dont suggest scheduling the medical too early because the 6 months that the K-1 visa is valid for (meaning the time you have to move to the US) starts when the medical is done. for example, if your medical is in july then you'd have to move to the US by november. But theres a chance that you couldn't schedule your interview until december (meaning youd have to pay for the medical again, which isn't cheap). Also, its a requirement that you bring with you to the medical exam proof that you have a visa interview scheduled.

 

So I would say as soon as you get packet 3 from the embassy, you can schedule your medical. Once you get packet 3 and follow the instructions in it, scheduling the interview happens not too long after.

So you should be able to schedule the medical and interview close together.

Hmm I see I see. I'm just worried since the validity of the approval of the i129f is only 4 months, and by the looks of this, it's going to take atleast 2 months before I can schedule it.

[MalloryCat 206]

Just now, Rachel n Tyler said:

Hmm I see I see. I'm just worried since the validity of the approval of the i129f is only 4 months, and by the looks of this, it's going to take atleast 2 months before I can schedule it.

i wouldn't worry too much about the validity date.

most embassies will automatically extend it by another 4 months (for up to a total of 1 year, if it were to come to that)

my fiances interview is on July 9th, but our NOA2 says it expires on July 4th.

a lot of people on this site have said that they went to their interview after the 4 months and the expiry date didn't even come up.

 

but if you're still worried, when it gets close to the expiration date (i'd say like 2 weeks) you could submit an inquiry to the embassy and confirm with them that your petition validity will be extended.

[Rachel n Tyler 45]

4 minutes ago, MalloryCat said:

i wouldn't worry too much about the validity date.

most embassies will automatically extend it by another 4 months (for up to a total of 1 year, if it were to come to that)

my fiances interview is on July 9th, but our NOA2 says it expires on July 4th.

a lot of people on this site have said that they went to their interview after the 4 months and the expiry date didn't even come up.

 

but if you're still worried, when it gets close to the expiration date (i'd say like 2 weeks) you could submit an inquiry to the embassy and confirm with them that your petition validity will be extended.

Alright that gives me some hope! I'm hoping my timeline is a little similair to yours, I'd love to have my interview in 4 months!! Thanks for all the info, I really appreciate it