pemac

Lovely..let me do the chicken dance.

WOW you are a good dancer. Thanks for the congratulations dance. We are for sure HAPPY. It takes time but it is well worth the wait.

In April we filed our K-1 petition and waited each day for news. Like so many others we checked our email and online status many times each day hoping to see good news. Some days it would drive you crazy wondering how long it would be for the approvals. Finally on my birthday we were approved and that was the best birthday present a man could ever wish for. I was so happy when I received the email and text alert from USCIS.

I forwarded the approval email to her and asked her to read it out loud to me and then I heard a scream "I AM APPROVED". We were so happy and thankful to have that news finally. Our case went through NVC and on to the Embassy and within a few weeks we were able to schedule her embassy interview for September 1st. My Fiancee and her friend were able to do their interview on the same day and be together.

She called me after her embassy interview and told me that she was approved. That was one happy and excited girl and I was so proud of her. Finally after months of waiting our dream became reality. Her embassy approval came just weeks before her birthday. We each received the best birthday present we could have asked for. I will fly to Manila and arrive there September 26th and spend a few days there helping her get her things ready and we will depart to the USA on September 28th. After a stop over in Honolulu we will be home in Houston.

Also we will have a dear friend that we met traveling to the USA with us. We are proud that Mila will travel with us.

Our Dream Has Come True. Many prayers later, it is reality.

Keep up the prayers and be patient. Good things come to those who wait.

Paul & Theresa

Thank You to everyone for the information and support during our K-1 process. She passed her embassy interview on September 1st and has also completed her CFO seminar. I am flying to Manila on September 24th to bring her to the USA. After a stop over in Honolulu we are home.

Now if the 24th will just hurry and get here. Waiting for the 24th is like waiting for the NOA 2. Counting the days off one at a time.

Paul & Theresa

So I was wondering how accurate checking your online status was on the USCIS website, for K1 Petition, I have heard some people say that they got theres without there online status changing, does that happen often? Also for email/text alerts?

Just wondering cause ours should be approved anytime now but havent seen a touch or anything in over two months But I will keep my head up I know it will be here soon enough.

We filed our K-1 on April 9th, 2010 and were entered into the system April 12th. We received a "touch" on April 15th saying "Initial Review". For 15 weeks it stayed the exact same, nothing changed and I thought it would never change. I chose the text alert and email alert options. Last Friday - August 6th just after noon Houston time I received a text alert from USCIS that said check your email and online status. I checked my email and there was a message from USCIS that said our K-1 was approved on Thursday August 5th, 2010 and that a letter was mailed. My 50th birthday was Thursday August 5th - the day of the approval. Best B-day present ever...................

I went online and checked the case status and it was updated 08-06-2010 and said the same thing the email said. So in our case, it did work as advertised.

For some it works, for others it does not. Keep the faith. Good news will come either way. By email or by mail letter.

Again, it took 15 weeks of waiting to go from NOA 1 to NOA 2 for us.

Paul & Theresa

read this entire thread - Dodi posted the numbers, I posted 'what you can get' -

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/264972-shortcuts-when-checking-for-updates-from-the-nvc-and-dos/

Thank You for the link. Very good information. We appreciate the help.

Our K-1 Fiancee Visa was approved on August 5th, 2010. We are still waiting for the official letter to arrive in the mail.

I am new to this and I am wondering how you know when the NVC has received your petition from the USCIS?

How do you know when the NVC sends it to the Embassy?

My Fiancee is from Dumaguete City. She moved to Manila 11 years ago to work and she is still in Metro Manila.

I live in Texas, just outside of Houston.

Our NOA1 is dated FEBRUARY 24, and our case was LAST touched on march 1st... This is just really weird. Specially since our relationship is very solid, and all the information we sent and proof of us meeting in person in the past two years were very legitimate and left no doubt about the legitimacy of our relationship. This is so unfair. And we won't even try calling since the information they can give through the phone is pretty much useless.

I just don't get this discrepancy between processes.

Gabrielaa,

We know exactly how you feel. Our NOA 1 was dated 4-12-2010. Since that date and initial "touch" in our online status, we were never updated and never received any information from anyone. We sat and waited and read of all of the approvals that were done so fast. It made us feel that our case was lost or that there was a problem we were not made aware of. True when you are inside of the 5 month approval time frame, they offer no real information other than to wait. I tried to get information and each time I was only told that we should receive information within 5 months of the filing date. We knew that we had to wait until the 5 months expired to try to get more information.

Our approval came 15 weeks after filing, on my 50th birthday.

In reading your timeframe I think you are very close to the end of your 5 month window. It will be worth the effort to call and request information. We hope soon you will receive your approval. The waiting is hard for sure. Keep your faith and it will come to you. Daily I told Theresa, Good Things Come For Those That Are Patient And Wait".

Paul & Theresa

Congratulations!

I mailed my 129F on April 14th and my NOA1 is the 21st. My birthday is next week. I really hope and pray that I receive the same gift.

After waiting so long and hearing nothing and seeing the online case status staying the same in Initial Review, I said my prayers and made a birthday wish to have her approval as my birthday gift. I did not get the actual letter on my birthday but I did get a confirmation email from USCIS that we received approval and a letter was mailed August 5th, my birthday.

That was the second best birthday gift I received. The first best gift is the birthday package she sent me Fed Ex. I was touched by her package.

Say your prayers and make your birthday wish of approval. I hope it comes true for you. Keep us posted on your status.

Paul & Theresa

We filed our K-1 I 129F Fiancee visa application with VSC on April 12th, 2010. Since that date we did not ever get any information or a "touch". We were getting worried something had happened.

Here is our update.

After 15 long weeks of waiting and having no "touches" on our case since April 12th, 2010 we finally received a text and an email today saying that our K-1 Fiancee Visa is APPROVED. The email said the letter was mailed on August 5th, 2010. I hope to have the NOA 2 approval letter in my home mail by next Friday August 13th, 2010. I also logged on to the online case status and checked it. It was "touched" today and changed to Post Decision Activity. We are so happy that this part of the journey is over. We are not done yet and we know we still have time for the other processes to be completed but we are one step closer.

We now have to wait on the actual letter and then the approval and letter from The NVC.

I also want to add that the date of the approval letter being mailed is noted in the email and also in the online status as August 5th. That is the date of my 50th Birthday. I got my birthday wish and it was an awesome birthday gift.

Do not give up. True the wait will drive you nuts and make you thing you were lost in a hole somewhere. When it is your time, it is your time.

Paul & Theresa

An update to my earlier post here on this topic.

After 15 long weeks of waiting and having no "touches" on our case since April 12th, 2010 we finally received a text and an email today saying that our K-1 Fiancee Visa is APPROVED. The email said the letter was mailed on August 5th, 2010. I hope to have the NOA 2 approval letter in my home mail by next Friday August 13th, 2010. I also logged on to the online case status and checked it. It was "touched" today and changed to Post Decision Activity. We are so happy that this part of the journey is over. We are not done yet and we know we still have time for the other processes to be completed but we are one step closer.

We now have to wait on the actual letter and then the approval and letter from The NVC.

I also want to add that the date of the approval letter being mailed is noted in the email and also in the online status as August 5th. That is the date of my 50th Birthday. I got my birthday wish and it was an awesome birthday gift.

Do not give up. True the wait will drive you nuts and make you thing you were lost in a hole somewhere. When it is your time, it is your time.

Paul & Theresa

For sure the wait is the hardest part. As I mentioned in another post, we did not get a NOA 1 in the mail at all. After 2 weeks I called the 800 number to inquire. The person asked my case number and I told them I did not have it since i did not get the NOA 1 in the mail. The person asked my name and did a search and found nothing. Asked my home address and found nothing. Asked my Fiancee's name and address and found nothing. I was thinking maybe we do not exist there but I did have proof of delivery of the application at the VSC. I asked what to do and was told that if I paid by check and the check had been cashed I could get the case number from the back of it. Then I was told that they have 30 days to wait for the NOA 1 and if I did not have it after 30 days then I could call back.

I called the bank and they gave me the case number from my cashiers check and they mailed me a photo copy of it to my house. I used the case number and went online and registered for online case status and it found me. It said my case was received April 12th and was in initial review. It was strange to me that earlier in the day I could not be located in the system through name or address but with my case number we did exist. That brought a smile to my face. After 32 days I called back and stated that I never received my NOA 1 in the mail. I was told that it must have gotten lost and that they Do Not mail out duplicate NOA 1 letters. I was told that it was only a receipt and that I did not need it. As long as I had the case number, I was fine. I did mention that in reading the online status, it mentions that a receipt letter was mailed to me and that I was to follow any special instructions listed on the letter. I asled, if I never got the NOA 1 letter and there were special instructions listed there, how was I to know if there was anything I was directed to be doing. The person went into my file and said No There Is No Special Instruction Request In Your File. I accepted that and decided I had no choice but to wait so I became a professional waiter.

After seeing so many other cases getting approved much faster than ours and most all of them were sent after ours by over one month, it made me wonder if our case got lost in the tunnel. I still waited and checked my email and online status about a hundred times each day. My Fiancee would ask a few times each day if i had any news yet and I had to say sadly No Babe, Not Yet. After 114 days we are still waiting. Our online status still says Initial Review. I also sent an email request and received a reply that said. Your Case Is In Review. You Should Receive Information Within 5 Months Of Filing. Thank You.

On July 23rd I went online and made an Info Pass Appointment here at the Houston Office. I was scheduled that day at noon and went to the appointment. I took a number and waited in the waiting area. After 1.5 hours I was called to the window. I was asked what they could do for me and i basically explained all that I have typed here. She asked what I wanted her to do and I said..........expedite our case. She laughed and said I Wish I Could but I have no authority to do that. Then she said she will put in a request to update. She wrote a number on a sticky and gave it to me. She said that is your request number I made for you. I requested that they reply to you by mail before August 28th, 2010. I thanked her and left. In my mind I was wondering if it would bring a reply from them. On Monday August 2nd, 2010 I did get a letter from USCIS in the mail. It said we received your case on April 12th, 2010. Your case is under review. You should receive a decision within 60 days of this letter. If you do not receive a decision by that time, call the 800 number.

The date of 60 days after the date of the letter will be about 2 weeks after the 5 month filing time. I gues I have done all I can think of to do. There is nothing left to do but wait.

Sorry for the long message. Hope you enjoyed our story.

Tomorrow is my Birthday and it would be AWESOME to have a NOA 2 letter in my mailbox for my 50th Birthday.

Paul

The same thing happened to us when we filed our K-1 in April. I never did get a NOA 1 letter of reciept. I called and they said that I should receive it before 30 days from filing. The letter never came in the mail. Either it was lost in the mail, mailed to the wrong address or never mailed. We will never know. They will not issue a replacement NOA 1 letter.

I paid the K-1 filing fee with a bank cashiers check. When the USCIS deposited my check into their account, they put our case number on the back of the check to post it to the correct applicant account. I called my bank and had them read me the case number from the back of the check. Then I signed up on USCIS site for online case status. I registered and used my case number and it shows the case status somewhat.

From what i have noticed, the online status is not 100% accurate and up to date. It does not appear to be directly linked to the actual case in their system. Some have their NOA 2 letter in the mail and the online status still will say Initial Review.

Hope this information helps.

Soon she will be here with me in New Caney, Texas.

For now I am here waiting and she is in Paranaque City.

Vermont seems to be very erratic lately - it's totally hit or miss whether it goes quickly. We sent ours on April 23 and there has been nothing at all - no RFE, no touch, nothing - since the NOA1 on April 27. It is extremely frustrating that there seems to be no correlation at all between when you sent your application and when they actually look at your case... Good luck.

I know your feeling. We sent our K-1 April 9th and the check was cashed April 12 and entered into the system. Status says Initial review and has not changed since. Radio Silence. No contact at all so we just sit and wait. Phone calls render nothing. As long as they are still within their proposed process time they basically just tell you how much time they have left to complete the review and make a decision. I read on the USCIS site they process the applications in the order they are received. I do not see that happening.

Sitting and waiting patiently in Texas.

Our K-1 Visa application was entered on 4-12-2010. Other than being in the initial review stage, nothing has changed since the initial touch. No RFE, not any communication or updates in any way. We are like many others that just sit and wait until someone decides it is our turn.

Hopefully we will hear something soon, I wish it would be this week.

We are still waiting for NOA 2 approval. I am currently not planning to attend the interview with her. I have only 2 weeks vacation left for 2010 and I am saving it for the time I go to bring here here to marry. She will do fine in the interview herself. She knows more about me than I do and she can answer anything they ask. I will also make sure she has all of the information and documents she will need.

I am in New Caney, not so far from Brenham. As they say in Philippines, it is very near. Oh what I have learned from when she told me something was very near. I asked her once, what do you consider very far.

Hey Congrats I amtoo waiting... just got approval and sending to NVC.. I am from Brenham, Tx

Going soon after medical to go to the interview with my fiance. Whats your plans?

Hello to all. We just joined and have already read so much information. Lots of stuff to retain in the memory bank.

We filed our K-1 Visa application in April 2010 and are waiting for approval.

I am in Texas and my Fiancee is in Metro Manila. We have been together over one year and life could not be better. I have been to see her two times, each time for 12 days. I really enjoy going to the Philippines. I just want here here...........

Pemac & Therese

I am wondering if I should try to call the National Customer Service Center and see what they might tell me about our K-1 filing.....

I called 30 days after we filed with the Vermont Service Center and explained that I never received the NOA 1 they said they mailed. I did not get anywhere with that call. Was basically told that it was mailed and another one would not be sent. I was told that I really did not need the NOA 1 for any reason.

I signed up for online status monitoring and it is still in the Initial Review stage since April 15th. On Thursday July 15th it will be 3 months since they entered us into the system and no updates. In looking at how fast the K-1's are coming out of the Vermont Service Center the last few months, I am wondering if our filing got misplaced / lost. I hate to sit and wait until 5 months is up to call and find out there was a problem from the beginning and have to start all over again.

I mailed it April 9th, 2010 and they signed for it on April 10th, 2010.

They deposited my Cashier's Check on April 12th, 2010.

We went to Initial Review status on April 15th, 2010.

Since that time................Radio Silent

We filed our K-1 with the Vermont Service Center and it was entered into the system on April 12th, 2010. I never did get a NOA1 letter in the mail. I called and was told to wait 30 days and call back. I waited 31 days and called back and they just said that the NOA1 was mailed and that they would not mail another one even if I did not get the first one. They said you do not need it, it is just a letter letting you know your application is under way.

I signed up to check the status online and also opted for text alert and email alert. So far we have not heard one word from anyone there. I check the status daily, in the morning and in the evening. Still sitting in "Initial Review". All we can do is wait. On Monday July 12th it will be three months and no word yet.

Some seem to get approved rather quickly and then there are those like us that seem to be lost in a pile of papers on someones desk. The question is, when will we be found and moved along.