Shekinah013

Two quick questions:

1:How long does it normally take to receive the RFE hard copy?

2: How long does it generally take for it to be approved?

I wish this site had some RFE statistics, such as average days from RFE received by USCIS to NOA2. That'd be cool.

I hear you. Just our experience but maybe the info will help you a little.

USCIS website said they sent our RFE on 5/27/15. I had been waiting for the NOA2 but didn't check the status until 5/30, when I was trying to figure out why it hadn't already come. Got the RFE notice in the mail 6/1.

I sent back what they asked for on 6/3 by overnight express. They received it 6/4 before noon. We got approval on 6/9... so 5 days for us. Very happy there wasn't more delay!

Well I could see that be an RFE for me in the future too as I met my fiance online as well. I believe I just put we met online June 1st, 2010 then started our relationship March 20th, 2013, met in person on May 21st, 2013, and then listed the like dates and time ranges of all the times he's visted (like six or seven times).

Did you just have to send another letter in attesting as to where online you met your fiance?

That's exactly what we did. And sent it back overnight express.

Got the approval on June 9! Good luck with yours.

Got our RFE in the mail today, 6/1 (USCIS website says it was done on 5/27). Met on an online game and I foolishly didn't specify **where** online in the initial application. They want to be sure we didn't use an international marriage broker and were trying to hide it by not saying where online.

Scratch that. Just checked USCIS website -- we have an RFE as of 5/27. Just haven't received it in the mail yet.

Our NOA1 was April 21. No NOA2 yet, & we're at 41 days. I was worried until I looked at the CSC processing times bar graph-- looks like they're not even halfway through April's K-1s yet.

... (why not get the vaccines now then - if he is ok to get them, I am not sure why he would not just get them and not risk delays).

Briefly, in our religion certain things (including vaccines) require a lengthy (6-8 wk) purification ritual before one can participate in sacrament and/or high holy celebrations. Marriage is both. While he's not a member of our religion now, it's still an issue for us. If he must receive vaccines, it would be less of an issue after the marriage-- especially in light of the 90 day K-1 period for the wedding versus the necessary purification period (which must be overseen by an elder, so usually can't be done "long distance").

Anyone know who he should call or email for clarification?

As far as I am concerned you're not required vaccinatation for K1 visa but you're going to need it for AOS. So I'm assuming he'd has to get them done when he is in the states before AOS but that's probably going to cost a lot of $$.

I checked. Cost would be $73 for MMR & TDAP. Flu vax would add $40 if it's during flu season. So that's not a deterrent to waiting.

Just want to be certain that it's not one of those "not required, in theory" but mandatory in practice kind of things.

Hi all,

We're not at that step yet but I'm confused after reading the Sticky guide on Vancouver & K-1 and want to try to clarify. I've read elsewhere, several times, that the vaccinations are NOT required for K-1 approval but that you have to have them before the AOS once married. The guide here says required and that the Canadian beneficiary should start on vaccines well before the medical exam.

Which is correct? And yes, he will be going through Vancouver.

(Background: We religiously object to vaccines so do not vaccinate. Beneficiary is not yet a member of our religion, so I suspect he will be willing to get them rather than potentially have a waiver/exemption attempt hold things up. BUT we all would prefer that he do them here in the U.S. prior to AOS, if that is an option, rather than while still in Canada.)

No matter which process you're going through it can be nerve racking at times. Your daughter and future son-in-law are lucky to have you to help and support them through this.

Thank you. I hurt for them, as they suffer from being apart. My husband was military for the first 13 years of our marriage and we endured a LOT of separations, so I can empathize.

Aside from that, I'm self-employed with a computer-based business, so it's far easier w/ my schedule and web access, for me to do basic (time-consuming) research and then hand them the results. Plus I'm a worrier and a perfectionist, so doing the research and getting input from you all helps ME to be less anxious about the whole process. For now, it's my stress management technique. Nice side benefit is that it helps my daughter and future son-in-law. Hey, at least I'm honest!!!

That's the option I would have chosen as well.

No notary needed for the letter of intent.

Be sure to check out the K-1 guide here: http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide It's a big help and lot's of info. There's example letters there as well.

I'm glad to have that validation, Teddy B. Thank you. And thank you for the info on the letter of intent. That will save him some time and legwork today.

I've practically memorized the guide already. And we used the example letters, read through all the sample filled out forms, etc. It's been SUCH a huge help to have all the resources right at our fingertips. I'm so grateful for this site, and for all of you and the advice and input I've received and been able to pass along.

I will start a timeline as soon as the K-1 is mailed, and definitely keep everyone updated about the process for us.

Please let us know what option you chose and how you make out.

They are putting together the K-1 application right now, with hopes of getting everything together and sent out by next week. My daughter has everything complete and ready for her part of it, including the photo (which she got yesterday). Future son-in-law is going today to get his photo done and documents scanned, etc. -- though he was unhappy about having to do that instead of work his shift at work today. Fortunately we convinced him that it's really important to move on this ASAP!

Anybody know if it's necessary to notarize his letter of intent to marry her w/in 90 days of receipt of K-1? He doesn't have easy access to a notary, so would help if it's not required for this step.

Wow. He sounds like a great guy and you a great in-law! Thanks for sharing more of your heart and your story. For me as someone who had to deal with some serious family anger about my marriage, it was easy for me to mistake the intention behind the comment. Thankfully my family has come around and really loves my husband. I'm so excited for your daughter and future son-in-law because they are miles ahead of where some of us were in the family support department. I am a firm believer that everything works out for the good and this stress of the plans you guys are making will pass too.

I'm also happy to hear NLR's comment about waiving the school in state tuition residence requirement. My husband has interest in going on to get a Master's degree at some point. If he does plan to go to college here, make sure he brings his high school transcript. My husband did not bring his college transcript and unfortunately due to the bureaucracy that is his university, he can't attend classes here until he goes back home and gets it. I'm sure its easier to get things to and from Canada and the universities probably have more systems in place for electronic versions, etc.

Good Luck again, and congrats to the happy couple!

Thank you! I'll be sure to pass along the suggestion about bringing his high school transcripts. That's very helpful and a great idea! Theoretically it should be easy to get them BUT it's probably that much easier to just have them in hand already. In a sealed envelope, of course. That seems to be how our local community college demands to receive them.

Excellent! I'll mention that to them so he can check it out. Thank you!

I do appreciate your input! Thank you!

You get a green card right away. You can work right away. You can travel right away. It's cheaper, travel expenses not included.

But the downside is the only place they interview is Montreal. So... maybe for you guys that $1070 is better spent on the AOS and him waiting the 90 days to work, than on travel.

Brutal honesty here: our future son-in-law is currently a fast food worker, and my daughter is still in college. In other words we're going to be supporting them anyway. He's not going to miss out on that much of a salary by not working until everything comes through, nor is he going to be traveling. (She can't afford to take the time off from school, and we do have our limits of what we're willing to help with!)

So I think the $1070 is, for them and us, much better spent on the AOS and waiting the 90 days to work.

Why not? Because a CR1 is a better visa option and doesn't mean you HAVE to change your plans should something come up.

We purposely took that route, knowing we'd have to spend time apart, because of all the advantages a CR1 visa has over the K1. Faster to visa doesn't necessarily mean better.

If you start the paperwork there is a chance he could have the visa in time. Would he be interviewing in Montreal or Vancouver?

Sometimes K1 get through the petition fast, only to wait for 3-4 months for a date to open up to interview. It has happened.

Better in what way?

He'll be interviewing in Vancouver.

I hope you're right. Thank you for the positive thought!

Is he in the USA right now or no?

If not you can either try your hand at the K1 and hope for the best (but it's dangerous to have anything that looks like a wedding before being admitted on the K1.)

OR

They can continue with their wedding plans and file for the CR1 after marriage.

No, he's still in Canada. He hadn't firmed up travel plans yet for the visit this summer and wanted to work as long as he could to save up money for ring, etc.

Wedding date was supposed to be 12/27. I know there's no way to know if the K-1 would be approved by then. Just trying to find any option to salvage the wedding plans (even if we have to make it a "wedding" instead of a real one) and his poor family's non-refundable reservations to attend it IF the visa doesn't come through by then.

Honestly a CR1 doesn't make sense to me. (Which is why I didn't post this here originally-- posted in the K-1 area-- but post was moved to this area by a moderator.) Getting married this summer is not an option and wouldn't help resolve the issue anyway. So why would they wait until December, only to get married and immediately separated for potentially even longer for processing of a CR1? Doesn't make sense to me, especially since the K-1 might come through before the planned date in Dec.

Am I missing something?

New member, very chagrined to have only found out important info and this site after making some baaaad decisions. My daughter (US citizen; college student) and her Canadian boyfriend (fast food worker w/o college degree) are engaged to be engaged. He has visited several times, most recently from Nov-Jan. He had been planning a trip to visit next month and was going to stay the summer. They surprised us by saying that they want to go ahead and get married at the end of her fall semester (so December), and we all thought he could just stay while applying for the proper paperwork. I know NOW that that's wrong and was very naive! But it wouldn't have been as big a deal as the problem that we've created for ourselves because we didn't know better.

We started planning for the wedding. Made reservations for the venue, vendors, hotel reservations for guests, etc. WORSE, the groom's not-financially-well-off family made non-refundable reservations for their flight, hotel and rental car. I cringe to report that I'm the one that suggested the travel site that they used to do so, and I know for a fact they can't get out of that reservation nor can they afford to just "eat it."

Obviously we have to put in the K-1 app like NOW. He may or may not be able to come for a visit this summer (and obviously can't stay for a few months, without being perceived as a risk for not returning to Canada). And we're in NC, so I assume their application will have to go through the Texas service center. I've now read enough to figure out that that's bad.

My question is... how can we minimize the damage, if his K-1 hasn't been approved by December? Can we hold the wedding and just not file the paperwork, then they go to the magistrate here once the K-1 is approved and make it legal? I know (now!) that if they actually get legally married, the K-1 would be voided and we'd have to start over again, right?

I can't believe we've gotten ourselves into this mess!