sweetgal8

Me too... I filed around the same time as you! February 10ish.. I haven't heard anything since February 20th.. We've been dating for almost 4 years now.

Good luck!! Tell me how it goes for the interview!

Agree! A letter should suffice.

My fiance filed the petition in February, still waiting for NOA2... Our petition is at TSC. I think we have a long way to go... probably get approval in August or September. I'll keep you guys/girls updated.

I've heard that sometimes they allow your fiance to be present because they can tell whether or not your relationship is genuine. I guess it's up to the discretion of the person interviewing you.

Good luck! I am also going to have my interview at the Montreal consulate... no interview date yet and no NOA2 yet.. still waiting since February. When did you start this whole process? Did it take long for you to get an interview date? Were you processed at the Texas Center or California Center?

Next time, bring a cub with you. He is just trying to get fresh with you, nothing to do with culture BS.

I never feel the need to hug anyone here in US, except for my MIL and close family/friends.

hahha I fell off my chair when I saw this comment lol.

I don't think it's an 'American thing' for people to hug. It kind of sounds ridiculous. Even if you met the person a couple of times, you're not 'close' enough to be hugging. I would find that kind of awkward.

I think hugging family members or close friends that you've known for years would be much more acceptable.

I would refuse to hug a person I do not know or hardly know. Don't be shy, be straightforward with people.

Thanks guys/girls for answers! I was worried a bit that I won't have a lot of time to contact my fiance as he is deployed! He should be back by then. Thanks

Just curious... Two questions:

1. Once I-129F petition is approved, how long do you have to respond with the proper documents (when the Consular sends you the packet)? What is the normal expiration date?

2. Once K1 visa is issued, how long do you have to enter the country? Expiration date....

I know that once you enter the U.S you have 90 days to get married... just wondering about the two questions above, since I will have to notify my employer and train the new person who will replace me.

We filed our petition in February... I wouldn't be surprise if we only hear from them late August/September...

I also like seeing that others are doing the courthouse first then another wedding later. My fiance and I have spoken about how completely unromantic and business-like this whole thing makes getting married. He has never been married before but I have, so I want it to be special for him. It's a whole nother mindset to think of the "big wedding" later on down the line being the more meaningful one. But if that is how it must be, then I need to adjust my attitude about it. lol.

We're doing the courthoue then afterwards a big religious wedding. I don't think it's bad.. i'm actually pretty excited! I am sure it's pretty common for K1 visa holders.

In addition to the typical questions in A&B's posted link, check out as well the US embassy reviews here: http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/

You can also narrow your search to your specific country/ consulate and visa type. All the best!

Thanks! That was actually pretty helpful! They only ask a few questions. I'll have to prepare before the interview... I always get nervous when I go to an interview.

We didn't receive our NOA2 yet for our petition, but I was just wondering what type of questions do they ask at the interview stage? How long is the interview? I saw a topic VJ where there were a lot of questions...

Hey, sweetgal8! Yup, i'm filipino! I hear that Virginia is nice, a little humid but the scenery is beautiful! One of the things I like about my husband's job is that he gets to travel, and we can tag along did you grow up in the philippines? i miss my home country a lot, but I like the weather here a lot better. More temperate and not so humid also, less pollution haha! Yeah, finding a job is the next challenge we'll be facing. We just have to have more faith in ourselves, since the first step is always the hardest but if we don't do it we won't get anywhere

No, I grew up in Canada and I don't speak Tagalog fluently, since I had to learn French here. I like that my fiance's job will allow us to live in different parts of the world. I'll probably miss living here and speaking French :'( I currently work in a bank, hopefully I can find something similar in the U.S.

It will probably be hard the first year when i'll be in the U.S., since I don't have my DL... I'll probably buy a bike so I can go around town. I told my fiance we need to find a place close to a grocery store and other important stores. Maybe a Filipino restaurant? lol

By the way, I really like San Diego, nice beaches and lots of places to visit!! I was on vacation there with my fiance in March 2013.

oh and I don't drive... it's really easy to take the subway and bus here in Canada (Montreal).. it's actually quicker than driving. I don't have a driver's license.. which worries me because I will need to one when I move to the U.S.

Three months of sitting on the couch is doing me no good .

Some days I just get lost in my previous life, the life where I could go anywhere and anytime I want without worrying about not having a car or a bus pass, or seeing my bank account depleted because hey, it gets replenished every 15th and 30th of the month anyway.

I know that, right now, I'm luckier than most. I have a husband who has a job that earns more than enough for the two of us, an apartment, and a little bit of money to spend on clothes and food. I'm within walking distance of filipino/asian groceries, my dentist and doctor, and Jollibee. I have Netflix! (totally worth the $7.99/month) Last week, my EAD card just arrived, which means I can now start sending out the hundreds of resumes I can probably expect to send out before finding a job.

Sometimes , though, I just wonder what's in store for me here. I hope you don't think I'm being too negative! I look forward to getting a job, driving our car, and especially building our little family. I can''t wait to start! I miss being busy, having very little time to wonder what happens next, and just plowing through the minutes and hours just accomplishing the next task that needs to be done. I miss being at work, doing overtime (yes! you read that right) and barely having enough time to eat lunch. This new life of not knowing what to expect next is exciting, scary and discouraging, all in one.

Do I do the laundry today? Do I take the bus to the mall and, do what exactly? Do I finally have enough courage to do some volunteering on my own? Should I maybe visit the library and try being productive there? What's on Netflix? Should I maybe cook dinner now, even though it's only 11am? Why am I so lazy???

The first few weeks I really tried being productive. I hated just sitting in front of the tv, and one night my husband said to me, "do you really have to clean the stove every single day?". Oops.

After a few weeks, I was running out of things to do around the house. I filled my days with doctors appointments, dentists appointments, furniture hunting on craigslist, and practicing my coding (programming) skills. When I got my learner's permit, I immediately called a driving instructor and got myself driving lessons. I even resorted to knitting. The unfinished scarf is still sitting on the shelf.

I realize, however, that I couldn't let all of this make me depressed. I'm really very thankful that everything in our immigration journey has gone smoothly so far. I also could not overlook the blessing of my husband's job (he's in the US navy) and that we can afford many of life's simple joys. And even though I miss my family and friends back at home, they're just a skype call away! So even though I get sad or worried about getting a job and adjusting to life in the US, know that this is just a phase and it, too, shall pass.

How about you, how are you adjusting to life here? What coping mechanisms did you find useful? How's the job search going? What shows do you watch on netfix? I hope you enjoyed reading about my little progress report! Hope to hear yours

I live in San Diego (National City) and would be happy to meet anyone near our area! But, I don't have a job yet, so no expensive lunch or dinner meetups, ok? )

My fiance is also in the US Navy! Maybe one day we'll be stationed in the same city/state. Once I get the visa, we'll be in Virginia for a year, then who knows maybe San Diego!

I am also worried about finding a job... even though I know my fiance can provide for both of us, I like keeping busy. Staying at home all day is not my cup of tea. Are you Filipino? Im French-Filipino and fiance is Filipino.

I understand!!! But yes some one told me that if i have tourist visa i can stay and wait all the process there with my fiancée.. i applied last year for and they denied my visa ...

Where are you from? Panama? I am not sure about how it works with your country in terms of tourism in the U.S., but us we can stay 6 months in the U.S., but then need to go back home. I highly doubt that you would be able to stay that long, which is why you would not be able to stay in the U.S. during the process. The reason is that it could take longer than 5 months to get your K1 Visa approved.

for the other question ''petitions with NOA1 dates as follow are currently being processed

I-129F for K1 visa

TSC: February 18, 2014''

Where did you get that? On this website? I don't think they are processing February petitions. I saw that many December and January filers haven't received their NOA2 yet. So I think they are working on those ones first. There's no way to know for sure, but it's a guess i'm making.

I have no doubts at all about my fiance. I love him so much. He's everything that I want in a man.

What I am worried about when I move to the U.S.:

- Finding a stable job that pays the same or better salary than what I am paid now.

- Public transportation that is not as good as my current city

- I don't have a driving license

- Different culture... Speaking French (I am from Quebec).

- Missing my family

I have a lot going for me here in Canada, but I want to be with my fiance so bad. I wouldn't do all this if I wasn't 100% sure.

You're from Canada?? I didnt know Canadians needed visa to go to US....

We don't need a visa as tourists. However, for all other purposes, we need a visa if we plan to stay in the U.S. for more than 6 months.

I intend to marry my fiance and permanently stay in the U.S. with him and build a life together. We've been dating for almost 4 years now and he's in the military so it's very difficult for him to get time off to visit me. At the beginning of our relationship, even after we got engaged, I was still in school, which is why we didn't do the move sooner (it's cheaper school in Canada). I also had financial responsibilities here, but now is the right time for both of us.

As far as I know they don't need a visa, unless they want to live here or work here.

My source: My sister went to law school and her friend who is an immigration lawyer told me so.

My fiance can't call... he's deployed :'(... I think everything is going to go smoothly.. we just need to be patient. but I have to admit I can't wait to be with my fiance! don't like being apart at all.

I am not entirely sure Sweets, the answer was unclear...my partner relayed the info but I can assure what we heard back is a very reliable source...we are very frustrated as we like many others here have planed etc for our special day!

I also seen the one you mentioned...it also goes to show what I said about the random way in which flies are dealt with...my feeling is its easier to deal with the files that land on your desk than to get off your #### and grab a box that needs seeing too....there is no reasonable way to see otherwise from what we see here from other members!

I am a February filer and I am pretty sure that I will get my NOA2 around September... I don't think this process takes only 5 months (from NOA1 to NOA2). More like 7-9 months for those who have their file at the Texas Center. I guess some are lucky and it only takes them 2 months. This whole approval thing is random.

Just ask him to send you the receipt number and you can check status online at this link .

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard/CaseStatus.do

He already forwarded me the message that they sent him (NOA1) and the receipt number. But i've heard that they don't always update it and sometimes you can get a RFE by mail without an e-mail/text.

What if they send a RFE by mail and we never received it? then the 90 days passes...

I called them last week and I'm sure they told me the same thing they'd tell you - because it's the same thing they told somebody else here more than a month ago! They said they're currently working on November 16th petitions. So for more than a month they've been stuck on that day - apparently. At least that's what they say. At three months they'll definitely not tell you anything more than you can get from their website.

They've posted the current processing time for K-1s at Five Months. But even if you're over 5 months as I am, they'll tell you you're not over the posted five-month deadline!! So I wouldn't waste your time right now calling them. You're not supposed to call them anyway until you've over their posted time which is 5 months. But apparently in government-speak 5 months means anything longer than 5 months!

I am willing to wait 6 months... like I said I am not in a rush. I am just worried about the status of our petition. I'd like at least an update if they are even working on my case. But I guess not, since you are saying they are still working on Nov. and December cases. In the meanwhile,I'll just wait, it's not a problem...

3 months is not that long. Maybe they won't ask for an RFE. However, It doesn't hurt to call so ask your fiancé to call the the service center. You can call too and just ask for an update. They will tell you about the current process time and ask you to wait but it is always a good thing to check. You can if you want.

Your fiancé should get an email as well once the NOA2 gets in the system.

I know how it is, I used to check twice a day. I was always waiting for the RFE like you but then I didn't got one and I got my approval , just be patience and be strong!

Thanks so much for the quick response! I am not in rush to be honest, I am just worried we might get a RFE that's all... My fiance is in the military and he won't have access to his mail for a couple of months because he is deployed. He'll be back soon. Thanks for all the help! I think i'll wait until it's been 6 months and i'll call the service center.

Hi everyone!

I am the beneficiary and was wondering if I can call the service center and if they will give me information about the status of our petition (I-129F.. K1 Visa)? It's been over 3 months now since NOA1, and I read all over this website that some people have received RFE by mail without the website being updated. My fiance is out of town for a couple months and his cousins are taking care of his mail... I ask them once in awhile if they've received anything, but don't want to keep nagging. If we do receive a RFE, how long do we have to reply to it?

I sent photos, boarding passes, train tickets with both names on, receipts. Got an RFE.........

Are you serious? I sent the same thing pictures with family and friends and boarding passes to the U.S. We have been dating for almost 4 years now. The first time we met was in NY and we have a picture in Time Square which is easily noticeable... I have recent pictures in Canada during Winter time but that's about it..

ugh... I don't understand how you can get a RFE...