hamorflic247

NVC does not mail or email K-1 beneficiaries so updating his address won’t do anything. They only forward the file to the embassy. Just keep contacting NVC every week until a case number is created and the case is released. The polite version of "are you done yet are you done yet?" That's what I'm doing.

yup ours took two months to get sent and still waiting for them to get it (aka find it in their warehouse) approved oct 16th sent dec 16th. mindblowing this is normal and accepted. if anyone else did this they would be fired.

I think I might have got something confused when I did the timeline originally, I believe I updated it now.

Thought I would give an update for anyone else going through this. Well, they're claiming USCIS lost the petition, and they're supposed to get a hold of them. I'll try to get a hold of USCIS too but they don't have a form like NVC does, but to say that this is stupid is an understatement. We're on day 61 now since approval.

that status means the consulate decided not to issue the K-1 visa and returned your petition to USCIS which is because they had concerns about the relationship, eligibility to marry, or something that came up during the interview (even if USCIS already approved it). It doesn’t mean your case is revoked yet, but USCIS will now re-review it, which can take months, and may send you a Notice of Intent to Revoke explaining the issue and giving you a chance to respond. It’s frustrating, but not uncommon with K-1 cases, especially in countries where consulates are extra strict

Your nov 24th timeline doesn't apply to k1s it's for immigrant visas. k1s are treated different. You won’t get a welcome letter or invoice ID, and you won’t be able to track your case using that CEAC timeline. For K-1s, the case is sent directly from NVC to the embassy after it’s created, and at that point you should receive a K1FTP email (not a welcome letter) once it’s forwarded. My petition was approved october 16th and still waiting for them to be working on it much less approve it. Hoping SOMETHING happens this month. Already had almost 60 days which they like saying is their minimum before being bothered. Despite the USCIS notice saying wait 30 days.

NVC doesn’t send welcome letters for non-immigrant visas like the K-1. I looked at your timeline, and if you haven’t already, you really need to message NVC on their website and ask if your case number has been assigned yet. Just use their public inquiry form. Based on other timelines I’ve been watching, I’d estimate yours should’ve been assigned around Dec 5–15. Mine is tracking closer to Dec 20–30, and I got approved two weeks after you. Best I can do since they give zero feedback other than yeah give us at least 60 days before you bother us. Otherwise it's worth bothering uscis and your representative to find out if the case got lost.

if you don’t mind me asking did she ever have TB in the past? My fiancé did years ago so I’ve always worried if he might get flagged for something ‘suspicious’ on the x-ray, even if he’s healthy now. I have thought about him seeing a lung doctor ahead of time at st lukes to clear him before the offical visa exam but it felt extra when he's healthy now.

Hey, totally get the confusion — this process is messy and not always consistent across embassies. For Ciudad Juárez, yes — it's true that you usually wait for the “appointment letter” email from the embassy before you schedule anything. That letter gives you the green light to: Fill out the DS-160 Pay the MRV fee Create your USTravelDocs account And finally, schedule your interview and medical Some people try to jump the gun early with the DS-160, but Juárez is one of those embassies that tends to stick to their own flow — so it’s better to wait until your case is marked “Ready” in CEAC and you get that official embassy email. So no, you’re not crazy — your fiancé is right to be cautious, and honestly your lawyer is kinda giving generic advice that doesn’t always apply embassy-to-embassy. If you want to be extra sure, you can email the Juárez embassy (they’ve responded for other people) — but if your CEAC status doesn’t say “Ready” yet, they’ll probably just tell you to wait for the email anyway.

NVC creates the case number after USCIS sends your petition over, not the embassy. You (the petitioner) will usually get it by email, if NVC has your correct info on file. Sometimes the beneficiary gets it too if their email was included on the I‑129F. There’s no physical mail for K‑1s, just email. But you won’t get anything until NVC actually receives and processes your case, which can take anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks after USCIS approval but lately it’s been closer to 6 or 7 weeks for most people. If it's been over 30 days, you can do a public inquiry with NVC. Just attach your approval notice and ask for your case number and to confirm your emails are in the system. Also yes your USCIS account might update to say “Case Sent to Department of State,” but don’t count on it. Some people never see that change even though everything’s moving behind the scenes.

If the CEAC status says “Ready” and you already submitted the DS-160, you should be able to pay and schedule. But when the site keeps saying “System Busy” for two weeks, it usually means either: The embassy hasn’t flipped the switch on your case yet Or the payment system is glitching (which happens more often than it should) Best move? Email support-dominicanrepublic@ustraveldocs.com and ask if your case is actually active in their system. Sometimes they don’t even realize it’s stuck until someone points it out. It’s not just you. that whole site is janky. But once it works, yeah, you can pay and schedule directly through that page. Just gotta get through the digital brick wall first.

You won’t get an email from NVC when the case is created. You can either call or email them to get your case number. Once you have that, you can fill out the DS-160 and prepare everything. You’ll need to wait until CEAC says “Ready” before scheduling an interview. No welcome letter is sent for K-1 cases.

Usually takes 2–8 weeks for USCIS to send your case to DOS after NOA2. You’ll know when the case shows up in the CEAC system or you get the “sent to NVC” status on USCIS site. The whole NVC step after that is mostly waiting — NVC assigns a case number, then sends it to the embassy in your fiancé’s country. That can take another 1–3 weeks, sometimes more. Cameroon’s embassy doesn’t delay much based on what I’ve seen.

You won’t see any status change beyond “received” unless you get an RFE or approval. USCIS doesn’t give real-time updates on I-129F. If you want to talk to someone: Call 1-800-375-5283 — say “technical issue” or “info pass” a few times to get past the robot. Or go to USCIS.gov and type “live agent” in the Emma chat box. After 6–12 months with no movement, contact your Congressman for help. Hope that helps.

hopefully you saw some movement since last saying this. your case is same month as mine and we're waitiong on nvc

You're in the same boat as me! Mine was approved October 17th too and it’s still sitting in limbo at NVC, almost 60 days now. So I’d assume yours is as well. You should definitely contact the NVC using the inquiry form on their site (don’t bother emailing they rarely respond, and they don’t have a phone line). Just a heads up though: they’ll tell you not to even bother them until exactly 60 days have passed. Real “don’t bother us, we’re busy” energy. 🙄 That approval notice (I-797) is important later, even though the embassy gets a copy, they’ll still expect your fiancé to bring a physical one to the K-1 interview. If you never received it, USCIS has a form on their site where you can request a duplicate. Just make sure your address, phone, and email are up to date first. Your notice probably said to wait 30 days before inquiring, but that’s outdated advice. NVC doesn’t blink until 60 days, minimum. It’s a mess, but you’re doing the right things. Hope things start moving for you soon!

It's literally just sitting there waiting to be acknowledged by someone. Right now USCIS says 80% of cases are done in 10 months (used to say 9 not too long ago). I got lucky when ours was approved a few weeks before the 9-month mark, and that was despite getting an RFE. They asked for a passport or long-form birth certificate copy, both letters of intent, and the page that confirms if you have a lawyer or not. 😅 be detailed especially if you’re not using a lawyer. Then once you’re approved, you get to enjoy another 60 days of silence while the NVC sits on it. This whole process just teaches you how to be patient and accept mediocrity as “normal.” 🤷‍♂️

You're right to double check, and you're not wrong the 90-day requirement only applies to getting married, not to filing the I-485 (AOS). Ideally, yes, it's recommended to file AOS before the 90 days ends, because that's when your I-94 expires and your lawful nonimmigrant status ends. But you’re still allowed to file after that especially since you married a U.S. citizen within the required timeframe. USCIS still accepts AOS applications filed after 90 days for K-1 entrants who married on time. Just try not to wait too long after the 90 days unless necessary. No other form is required just to prove you got married on time, your marriage certificate will speak for itself when you submit the I-485.

No, the USCIS “sent to NVC” date is not the same as the NVC receive date. That USCIS date just means your case was moved to the outgoing mailroom. It could still take 2–6+ weeks before NVC actually processes and logs your case, assigns a number (like MNL#######), and forwards it to the embassy. NVC doesn't tell you the exact date they received it — the only way to know they're working on it is when you get your case number. If it’s been over 45–60 days, you can send a public inquiry to NVC asking for your case number.

I appreciate you saying this because it sure does explain a lot. No it's not easy at all and sometimes I wonder if I would have bothered with the k1 visa if I would have known how this really works. It's still worth it but it's exhausting for sure.

Ah, I’m so sorry that happened — USCIS can be really quick to reject for payment issues, even if the intent is clear. When this happens, they usually send the whole package back within 2–4 weeks. If you haven’t gotten the package yet, I’d wait a few more days before deciding whether to refile. If the rejection notice includes instructions, you may be able to resubmit without starting over. Let us know when it arrives and what it says — happy to help you from there.

Good luck. I've been doing the same and all I get are generic answers. Are you mailing me anything to my new address or current address or not??? Not the brightest bunch.

We're hoping this week they FINALLY give us a case number and send the k1 petition to manilla already. I'm not sure why it takes 60 days (according to them) to do this but I'm also not sure why it took almost 9 months for uscis to do their job. jeez we would like at least this stuff to be done before the end of the year, see SOME progress. Been here since may with my fiance and this thing hasn't even left the usa left. It's always so crazy to me how the us gov expects people to just wait and keep their life on hold.