Takeo

I was astounded yesterday to receive NOA2 text/email for our I-129F. 33 days from NOA1 to NOA2! We had braced for a much longer time. Still more to go but pretty excited that happened so fast. I'm sure spending time on this site helped avoid any mistakes/RFEs!

I heard things have speeded up but 33 days is amazing, consider yourself lucky. When I applied, I waited 9 months for NOA2, the rest was quite quick and we kinda worked on it at our leisure because my wife wasn't able to fly during the hot season with her dog and rabbit. Good luck on your journey, use the checklists provided. There's a lot of misinformation which can be confusing. I've forgotten much of all the details, probably my way of releasing all the stress I went through. My wife got a notice the other day that her green card is approved. It's been quite a journey, but so worth it. Good luck and congrats on the NOA2!

Had our interview in Honolulu yesterday. The officer was very nice. She had a lot of questions, typical stuff like how did you meet, where did you meet, who proposed, where did you marry, did you meet each others parents, what do you love about each other that made you decide to marry, etc. My wife had to also answer questions to clarify that the information she provided was consistent and accurate like past employment, past trips to US, any history of being arrested, any marriage history, etc. She was nervous and got a bit mixed up on some dates and stuff but the officer was patient. We provided pictures and evidence of our relationship like joint bank accounts, medical coverage, joint rental aggreement, and stories of visits we had with each other. Officer said everything looked good.

Takeo, what happened that made things take so long? Did you guys have some missing documents or something?

Back when I submitted the I129F, Obama was pushing his Dream Act which allowed illegal immigants who were younger than 30 who came to the US before the age of 16, to apply to defer deportation. This caused a flood of paperwork for USCIS, especially California. It took 8 months for my NOA2. I had an RFE, but that was resolved quickly. It was weird, some I129fs were processed in the typical 4 months, others took 8-10 months or even longer. You can check my timeline or view Igor's list from last year. It was a nightmare for many. Once NOA2 was received and it moved over to the State and then the Consulate, things moved really quickly. The interview in Tokyo for my wife was a breeze as we had a lot of supporting documents. I hope the processing times have improved. I rarely frequent this forum because I've been busy getting married and trying to get back to somewhat of a normal life. We just had a second reception which we planned so I'm ready to just relax but greencard interview on 4/1. We have to fly to Honolulu, $360 in plane fare, but we are almost done.

Hey everyone. Lurker here introducing myself.

Have been getting the paperwork ready for first filing of the K-1 (& K-2) for the past month or so, just gathering information. Going to send the I-129F and other necessary documents to fiancee in Japan for signing and then send to USCIS as soon as I get it back.

Easier to send pre-typed documents and have her fill in some blanks and sign than for her print or draft her own somewhere.

Hope all goes well!

Saw your location as Honolulu and thought I'd drop a comment. It's been a long haul for us, actually waited a year for the K1. We go for our interview next Tuesday in Honolulu. My best advice is to use the Checklists during each step of the process. Try to find others with similar timelines and keep in touch with them. Follow the forum threads. Be patient and try your best to enjoy the journey. I flew to Japan twice while waiting for the visa to be approved, that was fun, although leaving was always difficult. Aloha!

I live on the Big Island and we have two Civil Surgeons. One wants to do a full exam for $400, the other will transcribe the DS3025 info to I-693 for $180. My wife is adamant that her DS3025 is full and complete but I did warn her that some have gotten RFEs. We will most likely submit a copy of her DS3025 with the quoted USCIS info that I-693 is not needed and pray no RFE.

http://www.post.japanpost.jp/cgi-charge/index.php?lang=_en

We flew last week on United (operated by ANA). It was one checked bag each, I had to pay $100 for her 1 extra bag. They said the rules had changed just a couple months ago about that. You may find shipping to be cheaper.

Sorry, yes, ANA changed their rules a couple months ago, but my fiance already had her flight arrangements made before the rule change, so they had to honor the old rules which for their Diamond Status fliers are allowed 3 bags at 32 kg. She listed me as family, I got a joint frequent flier card, and was allowed 3 bags also. My connecting flight doesn't honor this rule, so they were suppose to charge me, but I got lucky and brought it for free.

My fiancee was going to ship some boxes, but there are size limits. Have your fiance check with Japan Post. If it's sent by air, it can get costly, but slower service should be cheaper. Japan Post is suppose to be the most efficient shipping in the world. I sent a box First Class USPS from Hawaii which usually takes a couple weeks to mainland US, it arrived at my fiance's home outside of Tokyo in 4 business days..I was totally blown away! We shipped suitcases in Japan, 45 lbs, for less than $20 across the country, 2 days.

If I find out more information on international shipping, I'll post it.

Hi Everyone...

Just wanted to say that we're married and filed our AOS today.

We basically built our package in 2 days. 110 pages of docs. Applications, forms, support docs.

Be sure to use the online forms that print with a barcode. I used a PDF App that didn't and could have sent bad docs if I didn't figure it out.

Explorer displayed things correctly. You can search it in the AOS section. Firefox sounded OK but Chrome was bad.

Hope all is well.

Ganbatte!

M

Congrats on your marriage! 2 days to build your packet is awesome! I just printed out the forms and am getting ready to tackle it after our wedding. My fiance arrived in Hawaii on 9/21 with her dog and rabbit. The immigration officer was not familiar with the K1 visa at Honolulu Airport, took a while, but passed without a glitch! The dog and rabbit took some time to pass quarantine as we are a rabies free state and we were required to do a packet and blood work for direct release of the dog. We are all settling in and getting ready for the wedding next weekend.

Congrats on your journey. My fiance will be moving here (USA) from Japan also. I have not found many choices for shipping companies that offer door to door or door to port service. We are not moving any of her furniture or big things, but she still has a considerable amount of "stuff". I have found Nippon Express, Econo Move Japan, and Eagle Net. I am interested in shipping by boat since air would be way too costly.

Any help is appreciated.

Wish I could be of more help. My fiance had been visiting me over the past year, and brought her maxium 3 baggage at 32kg allowed as a frequent flier on ANA. I also visited Japan twice and brought back some of her things. Extra luggage on the airlines is very expensive but probably cheaper than sending it by air mail. She went with the maximum size and maxium weight. Some of her family are visiting for our wedding next week, they will also be bringing some of my fiance's things.

Well, it's been 8 months, but we finally got our K-1 visa! I'm off to Japan on Thursday. We're going to do a party in Japan and a typical wedding couple photo session, going to have lunch with her whole family, etc etc. Then we'll be back here in a week and wedding next month!

What a relief.

Congrats to you both! My fiance flies in next weekend. 13 month journey. She's arriving with dog and rabbit, had to do extensive quarantine paperwork, testing, and payment for the dog, the rabbit also have to go through an evaluation and come in with English health certificates. What a journey!

Takeo and Chruka:

Welcome to the club!

Look for a change of status on the CEAC status check I posted above. It should show something by now or at least tomorrow. Remember, I only saw 2 stages. administrative processing (Monday afternoon) and issued (Tuesday afternoon) which it still shows as of now.

Thank you! Went to the CEAC status check on Monday (US time) and it showed "Issued". My fiance received her passport and visa yesterday, so fast!

My fiance got approved for the K1 Visa today! We're chatting now about it. I hope your fiance had similar results, Takeo!

My fiance got approved also! She showed up at 8:00 for her 8:30 and there were already 10 people waiting. She said she had a very friendly lady who asked her very simple questions. I think the immigration officers at Honolulu Airport are more intimidating and have grilled her with questions on past visits. Anyways, congrats to you and your fiance, I'm so glad this 1 year ordeal is done. Time to go read about AOS.

Good luck on Monday!

The receipt was actually a bit strange. We had a page with an "uketsuke bango" but nothing with a dollar amount on it. We included an online banking screen shot showing the withdrawal but I'm sure not necessary.

Thanks! Yes, tomorrow is the day and it looks like we have everything in order. We've survived an RFE and NOA2 delays, so I'm sure we'll do fine. Wish I could be there tomorrow but I just moved and need to unpack and get the house ready for my fiance's move. Thanks for your help.

Okay, she chatted with the embassy and they gave her the receipt number and told her she didn't need the hard copy, just the number. Why she waited 2 days before our interview is beyond me

My fiance is getting her interview packet together and now she tells me she cannot find her receipt of payment for the visa. Does anyone know if another receipt can be requested or in another document can be use for proof of payment?

The online portal was showing "Administrative Processing" yesterday when I first checked the portal following interview. Now today, the day following interview. The portal is returning "Issued" as the status. Of course it's about the 10th time I queried today but looks like the boys and girls in Akasaka liked my positive review ;-)

https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx

I'm hoping next week I'm feeling the same elation! Actually I'm confident all will be well. Thanks for sharing!

Do not panic!

We enjoyed our trip to the embassy. Lot's of good people watching. Of course we were prepared ad joked and laughter the whole time.

Your list looks good. You are covering your bases. Worst case, your fiancé is carrying a lot of unnecessary paperwork around. Small price to pay.

Bring a copy of the appointment email to flash at security on the way into the embassy.

We also had had packet 3 with us and a ton of evidence.

Nobody looked at or requested any NOA or NVC documents, no body asked for more evidence,

We provided re-affirmation if intent. Not required.

The official list asked to organize the docs in this order...

Put picture in provided plastic bag

Passport

156k

156 with picture and payment receipt

156 no picture

(157 if applicable)

Birth Certificate/Kouseki with translation

134

Police certificate

Medical

More details coming in review.

Thanks for that info, it's so good to hear from somone who went through the process, that's the nice thing about visajourney. You are the first person I have had contact with who had a visa approved in Tokyo. I wish I could be there with my fiance but I just got back from visiting her, it was a trip planned before we got NOA2. This week makes 1 year since I129F, so we are excited to get this over with. I'll look for your review! Aloha!

Well, because I did a little bit of research and I read that the courier fee is included in many of the Non-Immigrant visa fee. This coupled with my fiancé reading recent online Japanese posts that it wasn't required for K-1.

However, didn't want to blow it over 500 so I picked one up across the street from the Embassy at Lawson.

Bottom Line it was not required for K-1. We have an extra one now.

We got a verbal approval and I will be posting a review shortly.

Cheers!

Congrats!

My fiance's interview is next Monday we we are double checking her documents, here's what I got if any of you can review and see if we have everthing:

1. Copy of I129f packet.

2. New letter of intent, both she and I, signed.

3. I134 with supporting documents.

4. Copy of NOA2.

5. Proof of ongoing relationship (pics, receipts, boarding passes, ring receipt...).

6. Police Certiticate.

7. Medical Evaluation.

8. DS156 - 2 copies?

9. DS156(K) signed at interview

10. 2 photos 5 cm x 5 cm.

11. Birth Certificate

12. NVC Letter.

13. Copy of RFE.

Anything else? Getting a little nervous.

My fiancee has done a couple things at her local doctor's office already, and I think she did the two-stage thing you mentioned. She contacted the medical facility that conducts the evaluations for the embassy in Tokyo and asked what she could do ahead of time. I'll ask her again to make sure whatever she needs to do to complete the eval can be done in one day.

Her interview is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. but she'll get there beforehand. Pretty cool the coincidence about them having the same interview date and wedding date.

All I know is whoever makes it to the interview, should automatically be approved. I'm guessing the whole process is made to be difficult to weed out those who want to use and abuse the system. I give credit to every couple who has gone through this, it's not easy nor is it cheap.

In addition to the visa process, my fiancee is bringing a dog and a rabbit. Hawaii has very strict quarantine laws because we are a rabies free state. Blood samples needed to be sent to a lab and evaluated for months, that wasn't free. Then, the rabies certificates need to be submitted to Hawaii Quarantine, with translated copies, which is not always easy to get from the vets, and a payment made to Hawaii Quarantine. Then, the dog needs to get a full evaluation 10-14 days before the flight and the evaluation mailed overnight to Honolulu. The rabbit needs an evaluation just prior to the flight, translated in English. The rabbit also needs to stay two nights at Narita Airport for observation, so my fiancee has to stay at a hotel to feed the rabbit daily. There is a fee for the rabbit when it arrives and is inspected in Honolulu. Fees for travel for the two pets is $600.

Try to plan a wedding when dealing with the above. Oh, also, I have to move because my rental does not allow pets. That's what I'll be doing the next two weeks. All worth it though! What a journey!

Kobe Medical seems like a Royal Pain in Butt!

We did it, they called back, needed a second trip for MMR? Should have got this juice the first time. What's up with that place? Still waiting on packet. 6 business days left before departure to TYO for interview.

British Clinic in TYO seems like the way to go based on everything I've read.

Total like 50,000+10,000=60,000 in Kobe.

Maybe I'm just a Gaijin, but I really don't get why you go to the hospital, take a blood test to check your immunity, then need to go back again a week later.

I had a minor cut in some sheet metal over the weekend and went to Walgreens and in lieu of a tetanus booster got Tdap.

Kobe said no problem, they will rush the report but I feel they need to be a bit more proactive, the rush wouldn't be necessary.

Cheers,

M

Regarding the the immunity check, must not only be Kobe, must be a requirement for embassy in Tokyo. My fiance went to get blood drawn at a local clinic, then went back for results and doc said since results were good, there was no need for another $100 shot. The price of the immunizations are going up but luckily my fiancee found cheaper rates at local clinics instead of waiting to do it at the medical eval in Tokyo. Good luck to your fiancee on the interview.

I don't have a standard timeline but I posted my dates in my forum signature.

My fiancee got a couple emails saying she still needs to send stuff in, since we applied for the appointment before she got Packet 3. The case is at the Tokyo embassy and her packet 3 had been sent out today, but I just wasn't sure how long it would take to get to her. We're going to wait until she gets it because nobody can seem to give us a straight answer and all the online instructions are too vague to chance.

Yeah she had applied for the police certificate a couple weeks ago and will get it this week. She'll go for the health check on the friday before her interview and just stay in Tokyo until it's finished on monday (Aug. 12th). I'm getting paperwork compiled now to send out next week so she has everything she needs.

I saw your timeline in the signature, thanks for pointing that out. Want to hear something, our wedding date is October 5 also, how ironic is that? What time is her interview? My fiancee's is at 8:30 am. If you message me your fiancee's name, I can share mine if they are similar times. Would be nice if they had each other to talk to.

You are right, there is very vague information on the web/forum. I kept getting confused, finally just waited till my fiancee got her packet, which I think was 2 or 3 days after they received the case. I'm sure it will be quick and easy.

My fiancee requested her police record yesterday, the office she went to told her 1 week to get the records.

Has your fiancee done immunization shots? My fiancee said there are quite a few shots to do and it might be cheaper to do at a local doctor or clinic. Also, there was one shot, she could not remember, that is two stage, so it needed to be done ahead of time especially if the medical eval is close to the interview date. Not trying to scare you, I don't know the immunization requirements, just sharing what my fiancee told me.

Takeo, your fiancee and mine have an interview on the same day!

Before she even got packet 3 she was able to get confirmed for an interview on August 12th. So for everyone else, it seems you can set up an appointment before you pay the fee or send in any paperwork connected with packet 3. I expected to wait a month (which I would have considered a lucky break).

I'm not sure how long it takes for her to get the packet, but if it isn't too much trouble I'd appreciate it if you could ask your fiancee what she had to mail back to the embassy. I want to get the paperwork finished as soon as possible.

*duplicate post deleted*

Takeo, your fiancee and mine have an interview on the same day!

Before she even got packet 3 she was able to get confirmed for an interview on August 12th. So for everyone else, it seems you can set up an appointment before you pay the fee or send in any paperwork connected with packet 3. I expected to wait a month (which I would have considered a lucky break).

I'm not sure how long it takes for her to get the packet, but if it isn't too much trouble I'd appreciate it if you could ask your fiancee what she had to mail back to the embassy. I want to get the paperwork finished as soon as possible.

Interesting to hear they have the interview on the same date. I wanted to look at your timeline, but you don't have one established.

You can see my timeline to see how fast things moved along. Some people were having delays from NOA2 to NVC, mine was quick. By the time I called NVC, my case had been mailed which I tracked on the DHL website, using the trick explained in a thread. Once the embassy received the case, my fiancee got the packet in a couple days, completed it, and mailed it back. We took a break because I just went to Japan but back on track, medical next week, police certificate hopefully today.

My fiancee forgot what she sent, the break caused her to relax and forget, sorry. Your fiancee can prepare the DS230 Part I and make a copy of her passport. You can also see the DS156 online. All that can be done in a day, so don't sweat it. Did your fiancee get the medical and police certificate? Is your case still with NVC or did it leave? Have you done the financial support and letters of intent?

Feel free to msg me if you don't want to share all the details in this thread. It's nice to finally msg someone going through what I am experiencing. I tried to message a couple others, but they never replied back.

One real question now:

What must be sent to the Tokyo embassy for packet 3?

I see it says to send DS-230 Part I, but do I also send the DS-156 (two copies) and DS-156K along with it? Or do they only need receive the DS-230 as part of the packet 3 paperwork?

When my fiancee got packet 3 from the Tokyo embassy, she just followed the directions, it's straight foward. I don't recall exactly what she sent DS230 Part I for sure. From what I read, 2 copies of DS156 and a copy of the passport photo page. If you want me to ask my fiancee, msg me but as I said, the packet is pretty self explanatory.

We took a short break after packet 3 because I went to visit her in Japan. Recently my fiancee paid online for the visa and emailed the request for interview and received acceptance for August 12.

Now for the medical eval, police certificate, and documents for the interview. Almost there.

Got the NOA2 e-mail just moments ago! WooHoo!!!

Congrats!!