BlueberryMuffin

38 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

Some civil surgeons agree to transcribe the vaccination portion only but most don’t. It’s really about finding the one that would just do the vaccines and you’d have to pay less. But it doesn’t really matter now, you already had it done.

 

Yes, it is true that if you filed AOS within 1 year of the overseas medical with a panel physician, you do not need to do another medical. However, USCIS can still request it and there’s nothing much you can do. Arguing with them is unproductive, it’s just easier and faster to get the medical done and send it off.

 

There’s a good chance your interview will be waived. There’s been a trend that K1 AOS applicants have had their cases approved and interviews waived after an RFE for I-693.

 

Mail it to Boston. As I mentioned, if you sit there and try to figure out how USCIS works and why it does things the way it does, there would be no end in sight.

Thank you for the information!

Yeah, I didn't want to waste time arguing with them or searching for someone who would be willing to only do the vaccines; that's why I just went and did it. I figured it probably wouldn't hurt to have the full medical on the updated forms. It was just that this doctor was such a condescending jerk to every single person I saw him talk to (me, my spouse, the nurse [he was really awful to her], another patient...), and he didn't even pick up any of the paperwork, so I was worried that maybe there was a misunderstanding or that he may have messed us around. Social Security insisted that my spouse wasn't eligible for a SSN when he absolutely was, so my faith in people is low. It's good to know he was doing what almost everyone does. I am a bit bitter about the cost, but getting to keep my spouse in the country is worth it, haha!

K1s who got an I-693 RFE are getting their interviews waived? Wow! That would be so nice. Fingers crossed! I'm so freaking tired.

I knew to mail it to Boston; I was wondering what office was processing it because the processing times are different, and I wanted to make sure my timeline info here was correct. But thank you! Yep, I've pretty much given up trying to understand what is going on at USCIS because my hair would turn grey.

Thanks again!

My spouse got a notice in his USCIS account that there was an RFE for the AOS because they needed form I-693, which he didn't include in the original AOS packet he sent to USCIS. My spouse followed the instructions in the RFE and used the find a doctor link to find a Civil Surgeon to sign the form, give him the vaccines he needed, and include the COVID-19 vaccines he got. 
This is what the RFE said:

I was under the impression that if you filed the I-485 (AOS) within one year of the overseas medical exam, which we did, you didn't need to redo the medical. The medical examiner back in the UK found no class A medical conditions. In the instructions for form I-693 it says the following:

So today, we went to the Civil Surgeon, and he insisted he needed to do the whole medical. We explained that my spouse entered on a K1, and we filed the AOS within one year of the overseas medical. I tried to show him the page with the above information from the I-693 instructions, but he didn't even look at it. The doctor glanced at the RFE and said, "I do this all the time, I know what I'm doing," which I'd like to believe, but I'm getting a lot of conflicting information. I held the instructions and said, "so this means nothing? Why does my spouse need another medical exam?" He didn't answer the question; he just told me the cost of the medical again. Real helpful. The doctor charged us for a full medical, the Hep B vaccine, and the tests for STDs. All that came to $640! Today he took blood and a urine sample but didn't do the vaccine. He said, "you're done," then left the office. When I tried to ask the nurse at the desk what the next steps were or if and when we needed to come back, she said, "I don't know, we'll have to call you" when I asked when they would call, she also didn't know. She didn't know the answer to anything we asked.

I'm so confused. I thought we just needed the vaccine record. Do we really need to do the whole medical all over again? Is this normal and what we need to do, or was there some miscommunication?

Also, I'm now confused about what office is processing our case. We had to go to the Providence, RI office for biometrics, but the RFE says to mail it to Boston, MA.

What software did you use? You may have made a small mistake on your form. The new forms put out by USCIS are somewhat buggy in certain programs. Our joint sponsor couldn't type in a few of the fields, and it auto-filled their household size wrong and would not let them change it.

I opened the document in Adobe Acrobat DC (the paid version in my case) and the household size glitch went away and they could type in the other fields.

Do you have exact copies of what you sent USCIS? Check part 5 and 6, they were the parts we had tech trouble with.

1 minute ago, K1visaHopeful said:

Yes.

Your status is "K1 Visa Holder-Out of Status".

However if you haven't been arrested yet, lol, that's a non-issue.

File ASAP.

Thank you! I was hoping that was the answer. It seemed like the answer, but I've had so many "wow, I was incredibly misinformed" moments through this whole process that I felt the need to ask.

Do we put "K1 Visa Holder - Out of Status" as his status on the I-485 where it asks you what your status is? Current form: Part 1, Question 27?

HAHA! We're filing ASAP! I think my husband fears getting arrested in the US more than anything, not that I blame him 😅

After reading a lot of confusing and conflicting information, I'm completely lost about what steps to take next.
 
My now-husband (beneficiary) entered the US on a K1 back in October of 2021, and we married at the end of November 2021, so well within the 90 days we had to marry.
My husband's I-94 expired on Jan. 12th, 2022
Due to going through many unfortunate circumstances, we hadn't had the time to finish his AOS until now. We will likely be submitting it by next week.
 
Many sources say that as long as you are married within 90 days, you're fine for anywhere from 180 days to a year. I've now learned that's not correct (I'm sure someone will link the post about the person who got arrested during a traffic incident) 😬 I could "could've, should've, would've" all I want, but that won't change our current situation. I just don't want to mess this up any further. Some sources say that if the I-94 expires, you need to submit an I-130 along with the I-485, but I haven't really been seeing people doing that unless it has been years since they entered the US. Most articles mentioning the I-130 are about getting married after the 90 days, but that's not our situation. I'm so unclear on what we need to submit now.
 

TL;DR: The K1 beneficiary's I-94 expired a few months ago. We married within 90 days of the beneficiary's entry into the US. Do I need to file an I-130, or can we just stick to the I-485 and other forms mentioned in the K1 AOS guide?

 Congratulations to all the couples getting interviews and getting approved. I hope you're all reunited soon 💗

My fiance has his interview at the London Embassy on August 2nd! Wish us luck, we're both nervous. I can't wait to have him in my arms again.

ETA: For people worried about their case "expiring" on CEAC, don't worry, ours did too but then my fiance got a letter from the embassy saying they were ready for him to schedule an interview. Since the pandemic was beyond our control, the London Embassy just requires an updated intent to marry letter from me, check what your embassy requires. Best wishes!

10 hours ago, Scandi said:

He goes to his interview and gets interviewed. After the interview they refuse his visa application and puts him in AP until he can provide them with everything they need to make a decision. Happens all the time.

 

He will be given a letter saying his visa application was refused and it will let him know what he needs to do next (ie send in the required documents once he has them).

6 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

@BlueberryMuffin

 

Don’t put off the interview. They are too hard to get. They will still interview him in London. He will just have to submit the police certificate when he can . They will give him the information on how to submit it.

 

why does it go to you instead of directly to him?

Thank you so much! This really puts my mind at ease, especially since I'm not seeing many people getting K1 interviews in London, I really don't want to chance it.

@Wuozopo The police clearance process for Canada is so convoluted. He needs a check under the Privacy Act, and the RCMP will only send those out through Canada Post to the address provided, and all the Accredited Fingerprinting Companies I've communicated with say to have it sent to a North American address due to some countries having delivery issues, delays, lost mail, etc. it will be safer, and most likely faster, to have it sent Standard Canada Post to me (Ottawa, ON, Canada > Boston, MA, USA) and then have me express courier it to him anyway.

After 20+ months of waiting, my fiance finally got a K1 visa interview for August 2nd in London. I was so relieved to finally see the light at the end of this dark, seemingly endless tunnel. However, due to several mixups and relatively short notice, my fiance will likely not be able to get his Canadian police certificate in time for the interview. He lived in Canada for a few years on a work visa, so he does need one. I heard from a fingerprinting agency that the Privacy Act police clearances are taking at least 6 weeks just to process due to COVID, then they have to mail it to me, and then I have to mail it to my fiance in the UK.

I really don't want to push the interview out any further because this process is absolutely wrecking me (I had poor mental health to begin with, and this has only made things so much worse, I'm dealing with worsening medical conditions, a very sick mother, and on and on) and I want this phase to be over with as soon as possible. I was thinking he could go to his interview with proof that he requested the right police clearance, get a 221(g), and then send them the police clearance when it arrives (hopefully) just a few weeks after the interview for approval. However, I don't know if this would be a terrible plan or if it would likely result in a flat-out denial. I don't know when the next earliest interview slot would be, and I'm worried that if things are really slow on the Canadian side that the police clearance still wouldn't have arrived for the rescheduled date. He has already rescheduled once because the interview date given to him was literally only one week later, so I don't even know if he can do it again.

What would be our best and fastest option here? I was told to ask someone who has more experience and knowledge of the London embassy. I know nothing is a guarantee, but I'd like some guidance from someone who knows more than we do.

Over 20 months without even being able to hug my fiance has been brutal, I know many of you can relate.

Just now, Lemonslice said:

Ok, I just wanted to make sure it was a legit firm, sometimes third party go in the middle (of Google search results...)

 

You still attend the interview, and forward the certificate when you get it. I'm not sure there's a difference in how long it takes, I can't say if it takes longer or not.

Thank you for your concern, I do really appreciate it. I was yelling about how I "don't trust anybody I just find on google" to my fiance 🤣 but we confirmed they are legit.

However, I did just hear back from Commissionaires and they were very kind and said to do the Privacy Act, I think I'll go with them because they were nice and seemed to know what he needed. The man on the phone said it may take 6+ weeks just to process so it's definitely not making it to him in time for the interview. I guess he can just bring proof he submitted the documents and is just waiting on them? I don't know if it would be better to try to reschedule the interview. I imagine if we don't get denied on the spot, it will probably be faster to just go, get the 221(g), and then submit the certificate when he gets it.

I really appreciate the advice! Thank you!

22 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

You should select what's required by immigration, i.e what's listed in the reciprocity schedule posted by @Chancy.

 

Was the "FingerprintRoom" recommended by the RCMP?  https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/where-do-get-a-criminal-record-check

 

Have you looked if the Commissionnaires are offering international service - they're usually reliable (not sure about international service though).

 

Ok will do, is the processing time roughly the same for the Privacy Act vs. Standard RCMP Certificate? If we can't get the certificate in time for the interview, what should we do?

The Fingerprint Room was on the list of accredited agencies sent to us by the RCMP, but I just contacted Commissionaires via phone and email and I'm waiting to hear back. Thank you for the recommendation. 

15 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

Select "Privacy Act" --

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Canada.html

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: The Certified Criminal Record Check requested under the Privacy Act is fingerprint-based, but the report does not include an image of the applicant’s fingerprints. [...]

Procedure for Obtaining: To obtain this document, you must submit your fingerprints to a local police service or RCMP-approved partner agency.  You must also specifically request the record which includes the “RCMP National Repository entire holdings.”

 

Thank you for this information!

Does the privacy act take longer to get? From what I'm seeing it's taking people (especially overseas) a long time to get their certificate.

Would we be better off getting the one for a visa and hoping for the best since they say "Alternate Documents: Criminal Record Check for Personal Use" or show up possibly without any kind of certificate and explain that there just wasn't enough time?

I'm very confused and stressed because the fingerprinting agency told us to check off "visa"

I didn't know what sub-forum to put this in, so I hope this is ok.

My fiance is a UK citizen currently living in the UK, he lived in Canada for a while so he needs a police certificate from there for his K1 interview. Where I'm confused is on the form it asks "reason for application" and I'm not sure what box he should check off. I've read through the forums and all I could find was people requesting while in Canada, and people saying to not check off "visa" so what should he write?

It's form RCMP C216: https://thefingerprintroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/C216C-RCMP.pdf

Thank you!

My fiance (beneficiary) received their NVC letter on Jan. 21st, 2020, and embassy letter on Feb. 6th, 2020. Due to COVID shutdowns, he has been unable to schedule an appointment, and now we're coming up on a year. On the NVC website, it says, "Secretary of State shall terminate the registration (petition) of any alien who fails to apply for an immigrant visa within one year of notice of visa availability" but I'm confused about if this applies to K1's since they are non-immigrant visas that are treated like immigrant visas.

I just want to know if our petition will be terminated because we've been unable to move forward at all for a year. Any instructions on what to do now so our petition isn't terminated would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! I'm so anxious.

According to the DHL hack our package was received in London yesterday so I'm hoping to see the status update on CEAC soon!

Just to clarify:

Once we receive the I-797 letter we can send the information listed in the PDF in the "Type Your Question Below:" section of the Ask NVC page? We don't have to wait 30 days like the I-797 letter says? My NOA2 Receipt Number is the same as my USCIS Case Number, is that normal?

Thank you, the whole "wait 30 days" thing is throwing me off. 

 Hi everyone,
Facebook is a garbage place to find K-1 information, but I'm seeing a lot of people saying that you should include a letter stating how you started talking/met but nobody will clarify if that doesn't matter if it was over 2 years ago. It seems to be a way to prove you didn't use an IMB?

Long story short: My fiance reached out to me via Facebook 6 going on 7 years ago due to a shared interest, we first met in person 6 years ago and have since met in person about a dozen times (7 of them being in the last 2 years)

Should I include a letter stating something like "In [month] of [year], [my fiance] reached out to me via facebook because he found me through my photography, we started talking about our shared interests and then in [month] of [year] I went to visit him in [his city at the time] [blah blah bah... more info about other meetings]" or is this completely pointless and they really only care about what has happened in the past 2 years and don't care how we were introduced to each other?

If I do have to include this, should I also include proof such as our first chat logs, or is this something saved for the embassy phase? London, UK embassy.

Thanks!

15 minutes ago, Takaro91 said:

I am just paranoid and don't want an RFE.

Haha, I'm about to file for a fiance from the UK too and I'm so paranoid about an RFE too, I've been working on this petition for ages, but from what I've read London seems to be pretty "easy" so to speak since, as far as I'm aware, the UK isn't considered a "high fraud country." 

Your packet looks good! Best wishes to you both!

As long as you have that 1 stamp and some hotel receipts and other evidence you both were together at the same time (ie: bank statements with charges in the same area around the same time, photos together that prove a where and when they were taken, anything with both your names on it like an Airbnb receipt) you should be fine. You can provide the other evidence you have for other visits, but you only need that 1 stamp from the 2 years before filing the petition. Does your partner have stamps to the US and/or an I-94?

They approve people who only knew each other via the internet for 6 months before getting engaged and have only met in person once; if your relationship is genuine, don't sweat it.

Best of luck on your visa process!

Your initial petition doesn't need to (and some would say should not) include evidence of ongoing/bona fide relationship in the form of chat logs, video calls, etc. only proof that you have met in-person within the 2 years before filing. A lot of sites say to include this information with the initial petition if the beneficiary is coming from a "high fraud country" but I don't know if it actually helps your case or just slows down the process because you "didn't follow the rules."

When the beneficiary goes for their interview that is when they submit proof of bona fide and ongoing relationship; chat logs, video call screenshots, cards/letters, call logs, etc. should suffice, many people can't see their fiance during the NOA1-NOA2 stage.

Best wishes for your visa process!

So I ordered a couple official copies of my birth certificate and "illegal to reproduce" and "void without watermark" and "verify watermark" is written all over it. It is quite clear it is not my original birth certificate and just one that I ordered off the state website.

The I-129F instructions say: 

"NOTE: If you submit original documents when not required or requested by USCIS, your original documents may be immediately destroyed upon receipt."

but my "Certificate Of Vital Record" says it's illegal to reproduce. Is photocopying this ok or should I send the official copy? Send both just to be safe? I don't want to accidentally do something illegal but I also don't want an RFE because they destroyed my copy of my birth record.

Thanks!

A short gap should be no problem, the passport stamps are what really matter. If you have the boarding pass and passport stamp you don't even need to include your emailed itinerary.  If you're really paranoid you can get a proof of travel (and explanation that your flight was delayed) letter from the airline, contact their customer service.

I don't know about the address thing, but a couple weeks isn't a big deal. They would likely only find it suspicious if it were months, a lot of people have temporary living conditions between homes.

As said above they are not official documents and are not required, they are just helpful to the person going through your case.

It can be as simple as:
 

[Your Full Name]

[Your Address]

I-129F Cover Letter

To Whom It May Concern:
I am filing the enclosed Form I-129F, Petition on behalf of [Beneficiary's Full Name], the beneficiary. I, [Your Full Name], am a U.S. citizen petitioner, and [Beneficiary's Full Name] is my fiancé.

The Following Documents Accompany and Support This Petition:

• [Payment Type (i.e. A Check For $XXX)] to Cover the Filing Fee
• Cover Letter (This Page)
• Form I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancé
• One Passport-Style Photograph of the Petitioner

• One Passport-Style Photograph of the Beneficiary

• Proof of Petitioner’s US Citizenship (Include Kind)

• +The rest of your documents+

Thank you for your prompt consideration of this I-129F Petition.
Signed,

[Your Name]

[Signature]   [Date MM/DD/YYYY]

You can get more "official" with it, but you don't need to.
 

You don't have to include your full chat logs, only select the parts that you wrote nice things. They definitely don't care to read through all of your messages.

1 minute ago, payxibka said:

I actually have a totally different opinion.  I believe in  quality and not quantity.   You don't get any extra credit.  

That is a fair opinion that I do agree with. It's 2 extra pages that I feel adds quality. You can disagree, I didn't come here to debate whether or not it's of any value, just wanted clarification on if the "wet ink" thing was, in fact, outdated information. Thank you.

6 minutes ago, payxibka said:

the instructions will indicate that copies of original or certified documents is the standard

Ok, that's what I thought when I read the official instructions but some posts here threw me off.

6 minutes ago, payxibka said:

However,  affidavits are of little to no utilitarian value 

I know they aren't the most useful proof, but people offered to help and I figured it couldn't hurt to have an affidavit from the minister who will marry us and a friend who saw us the day we got engaged. We have the standard proof (airline tickets, hotel receipts, airbnb's with both our names on them, passport stamps, etc.)

Thank you!