Kay&Epi

Hello everyone,


 
I joined VJ because I had so many questions about the process and wanted to chat and share information/tips with others who were going through the same thing. Below I have listed a detailed account of our journey and hope it helps some of you that are preparing to start the process.

 
Timeline:

 
Fiancé and I met in 2011; relationship began in 2014; engaged in March 2016.
I-129F submitted: 9.8.16

NOA1: 9.13.17

NOA2: 10.27.16

Left NVC: 11.28.16

Consulate Received: ?

Packet 3 Mailed: 12.9.16

Packet 3 Received: Went to embassy for packet on 2.15.17 after receiving email

Interview Date: 2.21.17 -------à approved!!

We never received the packet 3 via mail. I emailed the embassy with a few questions and they informed me that they mailed the packet to me (the petitioner) on 12.9.16 and that I should have received it. I spoke with a representative at the 703-520-2573 customer service number and they told me that the embassy has a list of people that they have sent the packets out to and we should only move forward IF we had indeed been notified that the packet was sent. (IDK how true this is but those were her exact words). My fiancé printed the email and ceac status that said “ready for interview” and went to the embassy to ensure we would be granted the chance to be interviewed (we had already scheduled the date). He received the packet which contained basic instructions for interview preparation (as discussed heavily on VJ).


 
Below is the order of information we presented
:  
Passport

Passport photos

DS 160 confirmation page

Medical Report (sealed)

Police Certificate

Birth Certificate

Financial Support

·      They only asked for one year of tax information
·      I also included an employment letter but it was not reviewed
Letter of Intent

Evidence of Relationship

·      Whatsapp convos
·      Facetime logs
·      Facebook interactions
·      Twitter conversations/mentions
·      Pictures from 3 most recent visits
o   Pics with his family, friends, engagement night in Dubai, etc

·      Screenshots of selected conversations
·      Letters of support from a few fam. and friends
·      Wedding preparation (ring receipt, dress receipt, etc.)
·      Emails
·      Apple Music subscription (family plan)
Original Petition

·      With all USCIS and NVC letters
·      This was not reviewed
 
We originally used a hard brown file but after reading around on VJ, I saw that most people were saying the file should be flexible so we switched to the navy one. Each of the documents were in an individual clear sheet and labeled with a notecard. Although my fiancé was praised for organization, the documents were removed from the file and clear sheets and placed in order in a simple folder and taken back for review.

Whew, that’s a lot of info but I know I was hoping someone would put their details in one forum versus having to search a million different ones for answers to questions I had.  Hope this helps! Let me know if you all have any questions.

**Questions from the actual interview will be in my fiancé’s review*


 

 

Here are some  govt. website links
 
https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-us-citizens/fiancee-visa/fiancee-visas
https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f
 
Once the 129 F is completed he can mail it to:
 
File Form I-129F at the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility:
For U.S. Postal Service (USPS):

USCIS
P.O. Box 660151
Dallas, TX 75266 .
 
Afterwards you wait til it is approved. Once approved the petition will be sent to the NVC then forwarded to the embassy. Do some research before starting. Visa journey has some great guides that you can use as resources

First of all, I am very sorry about what happend to you. I can't imagine your desperation, and what you've gone through.
 
Second of all, do not lose hope. It will be clread out soon:
 
"A federal judge in Brooklyn, New York issued an emergency stay Saturday night that temporarily blocks the U.S. government from sending people out of the country after they have landed at a U.S. airport with valid visas.
The order barred U.S. border agents from removing anyone who arrived in the U.S. with a valid visa from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It also covered anyone with an approved refugee application. The Department of Homeland Security said that more than 170 people were denied entry to the U.S. as of Saturday night, according to Reuters.
The ruling by Judge Ann Donnelly of the U.S. District Courtfor the Eastern District of New York came during a hearing called after President Donald Trump issued an executive order blocking people from seven Muslim-majority from entering the United States and putting a temporary halt to refugee admissions
Twelve refugees were detained at JFK Airport within hours of Trump's order restricting immigration from seven majority-Muslim nations -- but two were released later in the day -- as hundreds of protesters continued to amass at the busy airport throughout the day and into the evening."
Stay strong. You will make it to your loved one soon. Wish you all the best and I'll keep you in my prayers.

No worries I am here to help. I did the k1 twice. With your friend it all depends on their case. With my first K1 I didn't provide any tax returns and also no evidence of continuous relationship. On the second K1 a lawyer helped me and did more face time, sent three years of tax return and continues relationship. 

Many VJers refer to missing their SO in progress reports. Maybe a stupid question but what is a SO? Tried searching for it on Yahoo to no avail. Maybe I've been out of America for too long.
 
Can someone enlighten me?

Significant other

Ahhh...got it. Thks. Much better than the criminal justice system definition of SO (sex offender). 

Hahahhahjaha omg...lol!  Wow!  How to turn a term of endearment into a possibly heinous crime.  Omg that was a great laugh!  Thank you

Hello everyone on vj,
I went for my interview on Jan 9th, 2017 at Ghana, US embassy and was approved. I'm so happy and also grateful for all the information I got on vj forum and it expect members.

What number did u call please

Do you have an interview date yet? Where are you at in the visa process? 
 
Ghana is a very tough embassy, so you need to plan accordingly.
 
For the interview, the questions will come from whatever evidence you've submitted so far and what you bring to the interview. Every interview is different. No one can tell you exactly what will be asked, but you can assume most of the questions should be basic (how you met, wedding plans, details of your relationship, etc.). Keep in mind the the consulates in Ghana like to throw in random questions to try and trick people. As someone suggested, read through the consulate reviews on this portal. It will give you and your fiance an idea of what to expect at the embassy. 
 
As for evidence, you need to submit anything that can prove you have a genuine relationship.
The best evidence is proof of time spent together, meaning airline tickets, visa stamps, hotel receipts, photos of you together. How many times have you or your fiance traveled to Ghana? The more trips the better?  A timeline of your relations. How did you meet. How did the relationship progress. How did you get engaged. What are you plans for the future.  You should include proof of an ongoing relationship...this is conversation history, call logs, and Skype log. You don't need to submit all of your conversations, but you should select a few conversations every couple of weeks to submit. Make sure it's not just "I love you...love you too...I miss you" type conversations. You want to show conversations that show you're planning a future and getting to know each other's families. Conversations alone are not enough evidence.  If you've made any wedding plan, that's good evidence too.  Some submit letters of support from family and friends.  These are just a few ideas. For Ghana, you should not submit anything that would show a knocking ceremony or an engagement party. They will deny you immediately as they will see you two as married, even if you don't. 
 
I saw you ask about red flags. Red flags are anything that might cause the consulate to not believe your relationship. Some include: 
Limited face-to-face time Only knowing each other for a short time before getting engaged A large age gap Getting engaged shortly after getting divorced Having had another petition for you or you having petition for another person  Red flag don't mean an automatic denial. But you will need to have stronger evidence to overcome these things. It is very possible. You just need to be prepared. 
 
I hope this helps. Good luck! 
 

Does it state how to submit them? And can anyone please share what the letter exactly says? Am wondering if you schedule the interview now, what abt the medical? How and when should it be done?

yeah, will need the following:
The applicant's passport number The receipt number from GT Bank receipt. The ten (10) digit barcode number from the applicant's DS-160 confirmation page

North Carolina. But I'm biased however, it is rather affordable as compared to the northeast and both Charlotte and Raleigh have good job markets.
I hear Texas is good too.

North Carolina. But I'm biased however, it is rather affordable as compared to the northeast and both Charlotte and Raleigh have good job markets.
I hear Texas is good too.

I'm already a bit OCD with organization.. So i checked, double, and triple checked to make sure I had everything cleaned, organized and all..
Made closet and drawer space for his clothing... cleared some shelving in the closet and just in general for him to have space to place belongings...
Kind of in advance stocked up on food stuff and drinks in the fridge and got some snack stuff also...
The above is a good idea too, something I did not think of honestly, put some money aside for them for spending cash.

I'm just curious what type of prep other petitioners did to get their house/environment/life ready for their fiancé/spouse to arrive?
What things did you have finished before they got here? Was there anything you overlooked at first and wished you could have had ready for them?
Being a little ####### retentive I'm trying to make the transition as easy as possible for my fiancé by having things like his new cellphone, a key to the house, phone numbers for family members in his phone, a copy of our bank card, etc... But I'm curious how others have handled this or are handling it.

Someone gave me the excellent advice of setting aside money they can use. It's very hard to be stuck without work and having them feel like they are able to contribute a little is a big deal. Also, are bus routes big in your city? Helping them figure those out so they can get around is important, too. And make plans of different things you can see and/or do together so he can learn your city and your country and you can enjoy life together, because they will be stuck in the house most of the day and having some ideas pre-thought out will help keep you from sitting on the couch every night.
Also, my spouse is planning on attending free English classes. He speaks English, yes, but he wants to improve his vocabulary and be able to connect with others.

So I just spoke to the Chief Consular Officer and he assured me that everything is fine but they're just having a backlog so an interview will probably be around February. He said even though they receive the case electronically, they have to enter it manually and that is what is causing the delays. Since our petition expires in January, he told me that the consular officers will be able to extend the petition and that it will not be an issue. I wanted to share this with you and the rest of us so we at least have some information on what's going on.

Ok - various people offer various stats and thoughts - but this is taken DIRECTLY FROM USCIS:
From which countries does an applicant need a police certificate?

IF the applicant…


1) ...is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months AND is 16 years old or older THEN obtain the clearance from the police authorities of that locality.

2) ...lived in a different part of their country of nationality for more than 6 months AND was 16 years or older at that time THEN obtain the clearance from the police authorities of that locality.

3) ...lived in a different country for more than 12 months AND was 16 years or older at that time THEN obtain the clearance from the police authorities of that locality.

4) ...was arrested for any reason, regardless of how long they lived there AND was any age at that time THEN obtain the clearance from the police authorities of that locality.


SO IN THIS INSTANCE - you (or your fiance) is a resident of the GHANA - but has lived in UAE (Dubai) for 24 months - I believe condition number 3 (third line) applies to you:

..lived in a different country for more than 12 months AND was 16 years or older at that time THEN obtain the clearance from the police authorities of that locality.



HOWEVER - UAE is one of those regions that you cannot get the police report from unless you are LIVING THERE - therefore you are waived this requirement ONLY FROM UAE based countries. If he lived any other country for longer than 12 months - then line 3 does apply again for that location.


ALSO - Line 1 applies to him due to living in Ghana because he is:

is living in their country of nationality at their current residence for more than 6 months AND is 16 years old or older THEN obtain the clearance from the police authorities of that locality.



So NO police clearance from UAE - but you will need one for GHANA.

I would suggest Charlotte. I am biased because it's my hometown. However homes in the suburbs are large and affordable, decent schools, and also decent job market. Excellent job market if you're in healthcare or finance/banking. It's a family friendly city surrounded by lovely towns. Weather is nice too

We did have a few gnarly fights while waiting for my husband's ead. It's tough moving to a new place without your support system and relying on one person for everything. Once my husband was able to start working, he started making friends and feels better now that he's able to contribute financially. Things are much better and much less stressful now.

It still goes to the NVC even though it doesn't say that on the NOA2. You can call them in 2 weeks for your case #. You're not alone. I freaked out too.

To KM and others,
i hope this will help you and all a little through this process. I was once in this position where my wife now and i waited to hear from the Ghana embassy and they will always tell you we have sent out something. This is what i did the petitioner for my wife.
i sent the email below in blue maybe three times and finally got a respond: Remember to make the subject line as follows: Requesting A Pickup Date For Appointment 3 & 4 Packet, Case #ACCxxx
Petitioner's Full Name: xxx
Case Number: ACCxxx (K-1 Fiancé Visa)
Petitioner- DOB : xxx
_____________________________________________________________
I would like to request a pickup date for Packet 3 & 4 for the Beneficiary at your Accra location. Please forward a date and time to the following email addresses: petitioner email & beneficiary email . Thank you.
Beneficiary Full Name: xxx
Beneficiary DOB: xxx
Email: xxx

They replied this to me and i sent that to my wife to print and send to the embassy. Message below in red.,My Wife Printed that email and went there at the time they mentioned at 7:30 and the person at the gate allowed her to go inside.

Re: ACCxxx
Thank you for your e-mail inquiry.
Our records indicate that a call-in letter was mailed out on May 2, 2013. If the applicant has not received the letter, they may come to the U.S. Embassy Accra on any business Wednesday morning at 7:30 am to pick up the appointment package. The package will have the instructions necessary to proceed further with the case. Please be aware that the applicant will drop off this letter in the morning and then return at 2:00 p.m. to receive the package and interview date.
The applicant should also bring a copy of this email to be admitted to the Consular Section.
We hope this information is helpful to you.
Sincerely,
U.S. Embassy Accra
Consular Section

Freakin Chantel. It looks so bad now. Because she waited so long to tell her family it now seems like Pedro is using her because they're now rushing to get married.
I actually feel bad for Mohammed because Danielle is screwing him finacially. It just sucks bc he said the lease is in his name and it also seems like some of the bills are in his name too. He wasn't expecting his situation to turn out that way and now he wants out.