Advice Regarding a K1 Visa, Interview, and Lawyer Suggestions

[Laguna Sunshine 1]

Hello! I’m a longtime visitor of this website but I’ve finally got up the courage to post. I hope I can get some advice from the wonderful people here with experience.

 

In March 2022 I filed for a K1 Visa with my fiancé who lives in Moscow (I live in California). It was approved by USCIS in July 2023 and our application was forwarded to the NVC. In September 2023 we received an Appointment Eligibility Letter from the Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. My fiancé doesn’t have a Schengen visa and was told that European countries don’t currently issue Schengen visas and that an interview in Poland wouldn’t be possible. Therefore, we would need to request an embassy change.

 

My immigration lawyer sent requests for an interview to various embassies around the world but hasn’t heard back anything useful. During that time, our four-month window on our application expired, but my lawyer said that’s common, and nearly all applications expire due to the slow processing times. As long as we’re actively working with the government for an interview then it will be “revalidated” by the consulate officer at the time of the interview he told me. Has anybody had this happen? I just want the peace of mind in knowing that is indeed the case.

 

My questions are: 

• Is there any way to get into Poland from Russia for an interview? I’ve heard of people trying through Italy, Greece, France, etc. but I’m not sure how successful they’ve been conducting an interview in Poland or if they already had a Schengen visa prior to the Ukraine situation. Any tips or recommended countries would be most appreciated.

 

• Also, does anyone have a great lawyer they would recommend who’s been successful bringing a Russian to the U.S.? Please let me know. My lawyer had good reviews and was expensive, but truthfully, he’s been slow and vague. I’m open to suggestions and the money is worth it if someone can get it done. I don’t mind switching if I have to. I realize the situation is difficult right now regarding Russia, but an attorney with extensive experience in that area is appealing to me. 

 

I don’t want to start all over with a new application, but I also don’t want to waste time waiting on a “frozen” application. Me and my fiancé are both in our 40’s with no criminal records and no financial problems. I’m hopeful that if we can just get an interview, then we have a good chance. Obviously, the situation in Ukraine is a giant issue, but I’m wondering if anyone has been able to navigate a successful application.

 

This has been such a long and stressful journey, and I’d love to hear from anyone who has made it through this and can give us hope. Thank you all so very much.
 

Edited April 10 by Laguna Sunshine

[EatBulaga 483]

@Laguna Sunshine Russians can travel to US consulate in China for K1 interview.

 

Has your lawyer requested transferring your case to Guangzhou or Hong Kong?

Edited April 10 by EatBulaga

[Laguna Sunshine 1]

28 minutes ago, EatBulaga said:

@Laguna Sunshine Russians can travel to US consulate in China for K1 interview.

 

Has your lawyer requested transferring your case to Guangzhou or Hong Kong?

 

He says he's requested at multiple embassies, but he hasn't mentioned those to me by name. I will mention them to him the next time we speak. Thank you for the suggestion! 😊

[P3ACHY 35]

You maybe need to get your lawyer to request transfers again, and get details from them so you're not in the dark: where they requested and what the actual response was. Many people in the forums here hit brick walls trying to transfer their cases to other embassies without a good reason (Schengen visa denial, Residency permission being good reasons for a transfer).

 

You can also try requesting the transfers yourself. From what I understand, you just need to email the specific US embassy with your case information, and why you want the transfer.

 

They're still issuing Schengen visas to Russians (Hungary, Spain and France are the best bets from what I've seen lately). Many people have successfully had their interviews in Poland after receiving visas from one of these countries. Since your fiance is in Moscow, it should be more convenient for them to get the Schengen visa, given all of the embassies are there.

 

Good luck, and I hope you keep everyone updated.

[Laguna Sunshine 1]

25 minutes ago, P3ACHY said:

You maybe need to get your lawyer to request transfers again, and get details from them so you're not in the dark: where they requested and what the actual response was. Many people in the forums here hit brick walls trying to transfer their cases to other embassies without a good reason (Schengen visa denial, Residency permission being good reasons for a transfer).

 

You can also try requesting the transfers yourself. From what I understand, you just need to email the specific US embassy with your case information, and why you want the transfer.

 

They're still issuing Schengen visas to Russians (Hungary, Spain and France are the best bets from what I've seen lately). Many people have successfully had their interviews in Poland after receiving visas from one of these countries. Since your fiance is in Moscow, it should be more convenient for them to get the Schengen visa, given all of the embassies are there.

 

Good luck, and I hope you keep everyone updated.

Thank you for the helpful response!

 

I will contact my lawyer again in a few days to suggest any locations I get from this post and hopefully we'll send another round of inquiries to various embassies. It's a good idea to find out where he's contacted already. He's fairly difficult to communicate with and "in the dark" is an accurate description of how I feel.

 

I truly appreciate this site and I've been visiting here from time to time to see how the immigration situation has evolved for the past several years. Everyone here loves somebody and is going through similar circumstances and it helps to not feel so alone. 

[TBoneTX 47,507]

8 hours ago, Laguna Sunshine said:

I truly appreciate this site and I've been visiting here from time to time to see how the immigration situation has evolved for the past several years. Everyone here loves somebody and is going through similar circumstances and it helps to not feel so alone. 

This is exactly what the site is for, and you're very welcome here.