Sean and Laura

The only thing we did that may, or may not, have influenced the time frame is that we detailed on the cover letter my travel dates back to London on November 8th to hopefully help her pack and await her visa.

I'm currently in London helping Laura pack. When arriving for this trip, the guy at UK Passport looked at my travel history and then asked me point blank if I had a girlfriend here. I coughed up the info that my fiancée is here... he got all suspicious until I told him she was moving to America on an approved visa. He asked why I was coming to London if she was moving to America, and I told him I was here to help her pack for the move. Then he stamped my passport and said "tell your fiancée I'm letting you in because us lovebirds have to stick together." Go figure!

Hey everyone. Laura had her interview at the London embassy today and.... WE'RE APPROVED! :dance: :D

We both really want to thank everyone on here... we each must have read through all 40+ pages of this forum several times each, and it was so helpful and calming for us.

We'll try to get a full review posted, but Laura's appointment was at 8AM (we think that must be the first group for the day) and the whole process there she said took only about 90 minutes from the time she entered the embassy.

For the I-134 the only evidence they took was my most recent IRS transcript (we had the past 3 years, plus banks statements prepared). They didn't ask for any additional evidence, but did look through the photos they already had on file from the I-129F petition -- which they then gave back. They also only asked a few simple questions (What do you do for a living? What are your ages? How long have you been together? How many times have you visited? Where do each of you live? Where did you get engaged?) and then gave her the good news!

Thanks again to everyone that's helped us out along the way. We'd love to pay back to the community, so while we're definitely still no experts on the subject we're happy to share any details on our experience thus far for anyone still going through the process.

Off now to book that plane ticket!

We have an NOA1 date of March 1st but still have no NOA2 we have planned a wedding for January 5th (foolishly) but really thinking I won't make it for then since we don't even have our NOA2 yet. Any suggestions/opinions on whether we will have our visa on time for January 5th or not?

I realise it was silly to plan a wedding in advance now, but what's done is done. Praying we still by a miracle get out visa on time.

At first that does sound like a bit of a delay, however if you visit the USCIS site and check the processing times (https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do) it shows that VSC is currently processing K1s with a filing date of February 27th... sounds like VSC is a little behind, but your date is hopefully not far away.

Of course, it's impossible to know if you'll make it in time or not for your January 5th date. Our NOA 2 came 2 weeks earlier than the USCIS timeframe, but then our packet got stuck for about a month before it left USCIS and went to the NVC. We unfortunately have little control to the "waiting periods", which for me has been the worst part of this process. The only thing you can do is be as prepared as possible, start thinking ahead about the materials you'll need to gather once the NOA2 arrives (police certificates, etc.), and start prepping the next forms so those are ready as well.

The good news is once you get to the Department of State things do move quicker than USCIS. Best of luck!

Hi All -- just got our interview date by calling DOS, and thought I'd share our timeline for others that are waiting as well.

We sent all of the "Packet 3" documents, including DS2001 on August 28. Laura's medical exam was on August 30. After patiently waiting a couple of weeks I called DOS yesterday (Sept 18). They told me that their system showed everything logged as being received one day earlier, Monday, September 17, but no interview date yet. I called again today (Sept 19) and they did have an interview date in their system: October 3, 2012... only 2 weeks away!

We still haven't received a formal letter, of course, but it sounds like they assigned the date today and we'll hopefully get the official notice shortly. I am a little surprised at the close timing between now and the interview date (we didn't mention a specific wedding date or travel plans, so I assumed there'd be at least a 4 week spread), but very happy and grateful about this news. (And really hoping the rep at DOS was looking at the correct file! )

The police certificate form is changing on Monday (Aug 6) so be aware of that . I don't think it's posted yet but they are accepting the old form for a few weeks. http://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx

Wow, that's good to know about the police certificate. Laura sent in her police certificate form last week, so I guess we just beat that deadline.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Once we get everything completed and sorted, and are sure the embassy has received our petition, I think we'll go ahead and send in the forms.

Hey VJers --

A quick question. Our K1 petition just passed cleared the NVC on Wednesday and was shipped then (Aug 1) to the London embassy. According to the VJ timeline it can take 3-5 business days for the embassy to receive the packet, and up to another week for them to send "Packet 3".

However I just discovered the London consulate page on VJ: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=United%20Kingdom&cty=London

(How did I not look at this sooner??) The page explains this about "Packet 3":

Used to be called 'Packet three', cause they send you forms etc through the mail. Now it is just a letter containing a link of where to download all the forms and the IV-15 check-list.

Immigrant visas: http://london.usembassy.gov/ds2001.html

K visas: http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html

(The required forms to send back are in the upper right column of the page)

So here's my question -- is there any reason to wait to receive the letter from the embassy before sending in the forms for "Packet 3", or can we jump the gun and send them in as soon as we have them ready and have confirmed that the embassy has received our petition? We already have our case number from NVC...

Curious if anyone's had any personal experience doing this, especially in London.

Cheers!

S.

Just an update, after finding out on Monday July 30 that my case was received at NVC I took a few days off of calling them and just called them now.

They did have my case number already, and said they sent it to the embassy in London on August 1... just 2 days! I know it's a K1, but still, fast!

dwheels, QP&Thomas and PhilC ... Good news around the corner for all of you for sure as well!

For reference, our NOA2 was June 29th, and NVC just received our petition today, July 30th. We were CSC, FYI.

Hello all,

We have the NOA2 now in our hands, I have to go for my interview by nov 11 of this year. I am so excited of course!!!! I do have a question though, once I am handed my k1 visa from the counsulate in Vancouver, do I have 90 days from that day to get married, or is my K1 visa valid for six months and once I use it, I have 90 days from that point? I am a bit confused, my fiance who is in the states called the uscis office and really confused me with her answeres from them. As well as, if the latter is the case, how do I file for an extension for my interview?

All the help is appretiated.

Thanks!

The visa is good for entry into the US for 6 months. Once you enter the country, you have 90 days to get married.

Good luck!

Just got off the phone with NVC who received our petition today. She said it's "not in the system yet" and to "try back in a couple of days for the case number". Woot!

So let USCIS on Friday, arrived NVC Monday. Let's hope things pick up from here!

I called USCIS tonight also. Was on hold for about 45 minutes. When the lady answered the phone she said mine was still there and would be sent to NVC next week. She told me she had just got off the phone with someone that was approved June 29. Mine was June 25.I wonder if that was Sean and Laura ??? I told her I was on this web site where other people had been approved after my date and their packet was already at NVC. She told me to not to believe everything I see on the web. Little does she know we have our own little army. Maybe next week. Getting beyond pissed...I thank her for keeping me on hold for an hour.

Phil -- how funny. Very well could've been us!

PhilC and Sean and Laura this is what I just did. Thank God I did they are open until 8pm. Do it now. This was given to me by Tokinaija. God bless them.

Call USCIS, and specifically request to be connected to a Tier 2 supervisor (bypassing the contract customer reps). When connected to a Tier 2 representative, request that you want confirmation that your approved case has been physically shipped to NVC. In amenable words, request for the specific date that the package was shipped. If you are lucky, you will get someone who would take the time to confirm this for you.

What happened just now for me:

I called and quess what? My case is still at CSC. The very nice very sweet CSC Tier 2 supervisor lady wrote a very fast email stating it has been 4 weeks and this petition has been approved please forward to NVC immediately without delay and she gave me a Confirmation number. Faith without works is dead. wooo weee. Thank the Lord.

Just did the same thing. Got transferred to a Tier 2 supervisor (the transfer took about 50 minutes of being put on hold and listening to a pre-recorded message in another language, oddly). She looked up the case and said it was just sent out TODAY. She explained that even though they NOA2 "says" it's been sent out, sometimes they require additional review and processing after their approval, but that it was indeed sent out as of this morning. She said there was no other confirmation number she could give me, but assured me it was CSC today. She said even on Monday NVC might not have their computer's updated, but they should by the middle of next week.

So nice to hear a reassuring voice (they really are nice over at USCIS!) explain the process and reassure me that everything is fine and on track and that nothing is lost in the ether. Thanks for the tip guys!

There bundling sucks. I mean VSC folk bam recived and case #'s in days. They are hatin on CSC for reals. weeks between receive, case#, AOS and IIN. and Me and Sean and Laura goodness sake. Come on now. Oh wait what if it was sent via Nigerian mail. OMG Sean we are talking months years. Dana and Divine had a package arrive a few weeks ago that was sent to Nigeria 2 years ago. OMG my bad.

Hahahaha. Oh god, I hope not!

Well this just in. Called NVC and was tellin the lady was saga. And she said "well to be honest we have a boatload (I know she wanted to cuss) of applications and I am sure its here we just haven't got to it." Than she said, "Well I know we have people working the weekend to try and get caught up".

So a bit of light on at least my situation I hope, I am smiling a little. She said give it until mid week.

dwheels - that is some excellent excellent news indeed. Thanks for sharing, makes me a feel a little better today.

Rofl.....Nigerian mail indeed!! Oh D you're cracking me up! You know its coming! This process is willy nilly and you know it. But the end is in sight now!!!

Let's hope you're right TracyJo! I find it easy to get impatient, but we have to have faith it'll work through the system alright in the end. Happy to have found a community to vent to / rely on for support and advice!

As Left Coast Lady suggests, check out the K-1 flowchart in the GUIDES section at the top of the forum.

Our experience was a little different than she experienced, our petition was at NVC for 11 days. It varies from case to case. Their processing can drag on, and on.... they use the abbreviation, AP, which to NVC can be interpreted as Additional Processing or Administrative Processing... the result is the same.....more time waiting....

YMMV

Good luck on your visa journey.

YMMV is right. I befriended a few other VJers who submitted their I129Fs on the same date as us. We all got our NOA1s on the same date, and even our NOA2s on the same date. The other people I've seen were in and out of NVC within 2 weeks of the NOA2, and are even onto medicals already.

Ours on the other hand still hasn't been received by the NVC about a month later -- the most recent update being an email from them saying that it could now take as long as 45 days for them to receive the petition from USCIS.

We're doing our best to be patient, but we've also learned not to get our hopes too up any step of the way. We thought it'd be smooth sailing after the NOA2 (which was approved ahead of the estimated time), but clearly every case is different and has its smooth parts and hiccups along the way.

My NOA2 for my K-1 was approved June 12, 45 DAYS now and nothing. I don’t know what else I can do; even my congressman has not returned my letter/phone call. I would be happy right now even if they told me they lost it. Just to hear something definitive.

Wow -- it's amazing how drastically in can vary case to case. I understand the processing of files taking different amounts of time due to different circumstances... but the sending of documents? Surely these are being sent in tracked packages with tracking numbers of some kind. It's not even the time frame that's annoying, it's the uncertainty and the fact that no one wants to take responsibility.

WOW I thought what the heck call USCIS just to see what they say. To my dismay they said "You have to wait 90 days. It can take up to 90 days for NVC to recive your case. If they haven't received in 90days than please do call us back so we can see where your case is." OMG I am speechless.

Do you ever get the feeling like they're just making it all up as they go along? Our NOA2 said it could take up to 30 days. The email from NVC this morning said 30-45 days (suddenly there's an extra 15 days of possible shipping time?), and now your recent call is 90 days? What can we do if every call is answered with a new extended deadline?

:::Must think positively, must think positively:::

I feel ya. It's crazy. I just want to hear case received they make me nervous with all these papers everywhere. The other day someone got somebody elses approval email. Goodness. Today is our day Sean and Laura. Friday is moving day. Lets believe we will receive our bessing today.

dwheels -- I love the positivity! Have to stay positive and strong. Fortunately, I did get an email from NVCresearch this morning. Unfortunately, it was not the response we wanted:

Dear Sir/Madam:

The National Visa Center (NVC) has not yet received this petition from

U.S. Citizenship Immigration Service (USCIS). Please be advised that

it can take approximately 30-45 days from the date of approval for a

petition to be forwarded to the National Visa Center for processing. So,

please allow ample time for file transfer. Once we (NVC) have received

your petition, the appropriate agent will receive further instructions.

Sincerely,

Morgan

National Visa Center

Written Inquiry Unit

Serco Inc., Support Contractor

NVCResearch@state.gov

But Laura reminded me we have to stay patient and strong. Sometimes things are out of our hands, and this is definitely one of those situations. It's so tough when all you want is to be close to the one you love, and I try to rationalize how sending a packet domestically could take a month or more, but I'm sure there are reasons and inner-workings here that we just don't understand.

However, that won't stop us from calling them every day.

Seems like NVC is getting K1's out of there quickly. Man people all after my approval received, case#'s, case closed. This was someone apporved July 3. Good God we are still in July. Its been 26 days and not even a we recived now wait 20 days. I would be fine I just want to know the case got there.

Not necessarily. We submitted a K1 with the NOA2 date of June 29th. Other K-1ers with our same NOA2 date already got their packets from their embassies and are getting their medical exams done... but called NVC for the first time this morning only to hear they haven't received it. Emailed NVCRESEARCH and of course no response yet (except for the auto-responder).

Heard so much on VJ about K1s cruising through NVC, but it's clearly not always the case.

My fiancee and I are applying for a K1. We sent in our I-129F and got the NOA1 on February 15, 2012. We were prepared to wait at least 5 months for approval, but got the NOA2 on June 29, 2012... a couple weeks earlier than expected! We were hoping things would cruise from here.

Alas, it is now July 26, 2012 and no word from the NVC. Called the phone number for NVC listed on these forums (thanks VJ'ers!) and was told that they have not received our case yet. I was instructed to email a scanned copy of our NOA2 to nvcresearch@state.gov, which I've just done.

Hoping our case doesn't get lost into the ether. No special circumstances for us, and we were very diligent with all of our paperwork, so it would be very sad indeed to get too hung up at this step. Fingers crossed they track it down soon!

Does anyone have any experience with how long it typically takes NVCRESEARCH to reply once you've sent in a scanned NOA2?

Thanks everyone.

No RFEs, and no prior updates before this (we've checked regularly), but just got the email saying that our petition was approved and the NOA2 sent out today -- and all this about 2 weeks earlier than we expected based on VJ's estimates.

It's been a very karmic day -- Laura bought her wedding dress today and we bought train tickets to today to visit her family when I come to the UK in a couple of weeks, and then we received the notice tonight and couldn't be happier.

Just thought I'd share our update!

Do you have a nearby relative or friend with a stable address who could receive your mail if it were addressed "Sean, c/o Friend, address, city/state/ZIP"?

I do have friends with stable addresses nearby... but would I be allowed to change my address to that if it's not where I am truly living?

I know there's been many quick responses to straightforward "change of address" questions, but I haven't seen anything for this specific situation...

I'm the USC, and we're still in the middle of having the I-129F reviewed, with no action since NOA 1. Due to some personal reasons, I've had to sell my house that I currently live in and need to be out in 3 weeks. I plan to buy again, but there will be a gap of at least a month or two or three months where I'm living somewhere else temporarily, before I find, buy, and close on a new house.

So my question is -- has anyone had experience with multiple address changes? Doing just one makes me nervous, but I feel that doing 2 just one to two months apart could just add extra potential for hiccups. Or perhaps changing the address to a PO Box could be an option instead?

I know it's better to stay put, but also that the change of address is simple. Any actual, personal experiences with any similar situations would be much appreciated though.

Cheers,

Sean

Team February!

Sent my petition in on Friday February 10. It was received on Monday the 13th, and the first NOA received electronically on February 15.

I just got the hardcopy of the NOA in the mail yesterday (the 21st). Now time to cozy up for the long wait.

The trickiest part I'm finding is -- how do you plan for the wedding? We would like to have a small yet proper wedding, but doing so also takes time (most venues are already booked a year in advanced I'm finding!). But at the same time, how do we commit to a venue and give our friends and families dates to plan for traveling when we don't know for sure... we can't. If any one has tips on how to plan for the future without knowing for sure I'd love to hear them!

Hopefully we all get our NOA2's by July! *knocks on wood*

Hey Gary --

Yes, I'm sure that's true. Just happy to know the packet was received and is in the system.

By the way, I've really enjoyed reading your posts on here. Some of the threads you have on VJ are the reason I ultimately signed up. So cheers! And I'll be sure to keep my emotions in check from here on out.

Sorry to litter the forums with a minor update, but I'm just TOO DARN EXCITED!

Just received the email and text a couple of hours ago that our K1 Petition has been received and routed to the California Service Center for processing. The notices came just before 11PM PST on Wednesday 2/15... the application was sent Friday 2/10 and delivered via FedEx 2/13... so only had to wait 2 business days for the first NOA (electronic).

I was nervous cause I realized right after we sent in the packet that I forgot to write my name on the back of my passport photo (I wish I had found VJ before sending to triple check everything but I only stumbled upon it a few days ago), but I guess it was good enough to move the next level. Now for the looooong wait.

Fingers crossed -- I'll keep everyone updated. It's such a minor update but I feel like 1000 pounds have been lifted. WOOOHOO!

-S.

Thanks everyone. I'm very happy to have found a community that truly cares. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly!