Homer&Marge

In 2006, I met my husband and then we decided to get married in the beginning of 2007. He is an American citizen and I am Turkish. He talked to his lawyer and we found the K1 application for me the best way to come to America with his lawyer's advice. The lawyer had said to us that getting K1 visa would take only 3 months but it didn't work like that. My husband and I applied for the K1 visa for me on 11th January 2007. Being processed in America took 4 months and then finally my K1 visa application file came to the American Embassy, Ankara, Turkiye in the beginning of May 2007.

By the way, my husband visited me for 2 times and we did a little engagement ceremony with our family and went to holiday together and took lots of pictures to show in my interview with the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkiye.

The American Embassy in Ankara required some documants from me to show them in my interview such as my criminal records (if you stay abroad more than 1 year, you have to get a criminal record from there aswell which i did because i stayed in England for 2 years before meeting my husband), our photos (especially with our friends, families..), flight tickets to visit each other (yours or your fiance's), phone bills, mails, your fiance's tax documants, post cards..

Finally, I received the appointment letter for my interview on in the middle of June 2007 for 23th of July 2007 from the American Embassy in Ankara. I took all documants above with me. I waited for a quite long while because of the queue. The appointment letter says your interview date and time but the time isn't certain so that don't be surprised if they make the interview with you a few hours later than your interview time.

My queue number and the table number were announced and I went to the table. I showed all documants I had. The interviewer didn't ask so much. He asked where I met my husband, when we got engaged, how long i have known him for, what he is name, what he is occupation, where he lives in America, I have ever been to America..

and then he said it is fine and I went to have my name and address information registered to UPS service. They said I would receive my passport in 2 days but it took 5 days to receive my passport with the K1 visa..

my thoughts to you..

1. If you are someone who is capable to find the right information on the internet then you don't need a lawyer because our lawyer didn't do anything for us except for posting our documants to the Immigration Office in CA. Our lawyer didn't fill our forms or give a really useful information about what we should do. For example, our lawyer didn't say to us to get a criminal record from anywhere you have lived for more than 1 year. My husband found out that information on the internet.. and we paid the lawyer $1.000 for getting nothing in the beginning of our application.

2. The lawyer said to us that I could come to America as a student or tourist and then I could get married to my husband but it would be so risky! So we waited from January 2007 to August 2007 to be together. Sometimes we feel so regret about waiting for that long time because I could have tried to get a student visa for America.

3. I have been in America since 28th July 2007 and we got married in the beginning of September and we applied for my green card in the middle of October after gaining the all necessary documants and forms. We didn't get a lawyer's help for this time. We found an experienced paralegal and he helped us more than a lawyer can. He filled in the all forms with us and gave good advices (such as my name should be in every bill we pay with my husband's name to prove we live together).

4. Never Ever! don't send any original documant to the immigration office or the embassy in your country. Keep the original ones with you to show them in the interview because if you send the original documents, just forget them, you aren't gonna get them back!!!

5. Keep everything could prove your relationship! phone bills, post cards, envolopes with the stamps (from you or your fiance), photos..

6. Take lots of pictures with your friends and create an album to show in the interview.

7. Wear something formal when you go to the interview!

8. Don't mince the words during the interview. Talk in a certain way!

9. Smile and even the interview says something provocative, don't get panicked and express yourself smoothly.

10. Think positive because I haven't heard anyone who can't get the K1 visa!!!

I am one of the May 3 NOA-2 batch. I just checked with NVC. Turns out they got our application on May 10, and forwarded it to the consulate on May 14.

Thanks Arnt! I hope you get approved soon as well.

Congrats!

I got approved!!! WOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I had one touch last week on 4/26. Today I got a touch and two approval emails. I guess they just sent the approval mail twice. :-)

The folks at CSC must be working really hard today.

I thought I was the only one. I got a touch on 26th as well, and then nothing. My hopes had gone up so much, thinking that I would get an approval.

D'OH!!

Scarlett07- I had touches on the 25th and 26th and then nothing. So you aren't alone. Still sucks ####### though.

Same here. One on the 19th and the last one on the 26th... nothing since.

I got a touch yesterday, but nothing since then. No email of any sort.

Maybe the adjucator took out my file and put it in another cabinet that says low-priority. :-)

I got a touch!

My NOA-1 was 01/16.

still new here -- are you guys getting "touches" through the email notifications you set up on the USCIS website or are you having to go each time and check their site on-line?

thanks!

autumn

I just saw the date change. I haven't received any emails so far.

no offense, but I'm hoping the finish November before they start cranking on January

It may be about time to contact your congressman.

I got a touch!

My NOA-1 was 01/16.

No touches for me yet. And my NOA-1 date is 01-16.

They should seriously reform this whole system. No one should be apart from their loved ones for more than 3 months max.

Hi everyone,

I just discovered about VJ a short time ago, and this is my first post in this forum. I applied for the K-1 visa in January (through an attorney) to the CSC. My NOA-1 has a notice date of Jan 16. From this thread, I see that a lot of people who have applied after me have already gotten their NOA-2's. Should I be starting to get worried? Do you guys think my file is lost somewhere in the CSC?

By the way, this is an awesome site full of good information. You must be hearing this a lot from newcomers, but I wish I had discovered this a lot earlier. :-)

Only about 1/3 of January filers from CSC have NOA2. The average wait time right now is about 81 days with some much longer than that. On the bright side, there seems to be some recent activity suggesting more NOA2's are on the way. Click the link below to see some stats:

Thanks for the info! I will try to be more patient.

Hi everyone,

I just discovered about VJ a short time ago, and this is my first post in this forum. I applied for the K-1 visa in January (through an attorney) to the CSC. My NOA-1 has a notice date of Jan 16. From this thread, I see that a lot of people who have applied after me have already gotten their NOA-2's. Should I be starting to get worried? Do you guys think my file is lost somewhere in the CSC?

By the way, this is an awesome site full of good information. You must be hearing this a lot from newcomers, but I wish I had discovered this a lot earlier. :-)