Jump to content

mysoeng's US Immigration Timeline

blank avatar   Petitioner's Name: USA
Beneficiary's Name: CAMBODIA
VJ Member: mysoeng
Country: Cambodia

Last Updated: 2022-07-12
Register or log in to follow this timeline

  

Immigration Checklist for USA & CAMBODIA:

USCIS I-129F Petition:      
Dept of State K1 Visa:    
USCIS I-485 Petition:  
USCIS I-765 Petition:      
USCIS I-131 Petition:      
USCIS I-751 Petition:  
USCIS N-400 Petition:  


K1 Visa
Event Date
Service Center : California Service Center
Transferred? No
Consulate : Cambodia
I-129F Sent : 2016-08-11
I-129F NOA1 : 2016-08-24
I-129F RFE(s) :
RFE Reply(s) :
I-129F NOA2 : 2016-10-04
NVC Received : 2016-10-24
Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : 2016-10-24
NVC Left : 2016-10-26
Consulate Received : 2016-10-31
Packet 3 Received :
Packet 3 Sent : 2016-11-09
Packet 4 Received : 2016-11-18
Interview Date : 2017-02-09
Interview Result : Approved
Second Interview
(If Required):
Second Interview Result:
Visa Received : 2017-02-17
US Entry : 2017-03-16
Marriage : 2017-04-27
Comments :
Processing
Estimates/Stats :
Your I-129f was approved in 41 days from your NOA1 date.

Your interview took 169 days from your I-129F NOA1 date.


Port of Entry Review
Event Date
Port of Entry : Seattle
POE Date : 2017-03-16
Got EAD Stamp : No
Biometrics Taken : No
Harassment Level : 0
Comments : Questions asked were: 1) When did you get engaged? 2) What was your job in your home country/what kind of work do you plan to pursue in the US? 3) Where will you stay in the US? 4) Do you plan to marry within 90 days?


Adjustment of Status
Event Date
CIS Office : Seattle WA
Date Filed : 2017-05-05
NOA Date : 2017-05-09
RFE(s) :
Bio. Appt. : 2017-06-14
AOS Transfer** :
Interview Date : 2018-03-29
Approval / Denial Date : 2018-03-29
Approved : Yes
Got I551 Stamp :
Greencard Received:
Comments : Our interview went very well. We brought a friend to help translate. She didn’t need any qualifications, just a form that they gave her to fill out. Our officer was really nice and was cracking jokes the whole time. The questions he asked were mainly about our story together. When and where did we meet/how many times did I go back to visit/when and where did we get engaged/get married. He asked a lot about our families and how many times we met both sides. He also asked my fiance about his job and if he drives a car in America and what we like to do together. The documents I provided were our joint bank account, joint credit card statements, utility bill, auto insurance, health insurance and retirement accounts. We didn't need an updated medical exam or any other forms. After he took our documents, he said he was convinced of our relationship and our green card would arrive in the mail!


Employment Authorization Document
Event Date
CIS Office : Chicago National Office
Filing Method : Mail
Filing Instance : First
Date Filed : 2017-05-05
NOA Date : 2017-05-09
RFE(s) :
Bio. Appt. :
Approved Date : 2017-08-25
Date Card Received : 2017-09-02
Comments :
Processing
Estimates/Stats :
Your EAD was approved in 112 days.


Lifting Conditions
Event Date
CIS Office : California Service Center
Date Filed : 2019-12-30
NOA Date : 2020-01-03
RFE(s) :
Bio. Appt. : 2020-05-13
Interview Date :
Approval / Denial Date : 2020-11-12
Approved : Yes
Got I551 Stamp : No
Green Card Received :
Comments :


Citizenship
Event Date
Service Center : Online
CIS Office : Seattle WA
Date Filed : 2021-03-29
NOA Date : 2021-03-30
Bio. Appt. :
Interview Date : 2022-07-01
Approved : Yes
Oath Ceremony : 2022-08-08
Comments :

Member Reviews:

Consulate Review: Cambodia
Review Topic: K1 Visa
Event Description
Review Date : March 1, 2017
Embassy Review : I accompanied my fiance to his interview in Phnom Penh and I’m thrilled to say that we were approved! A huge thank you to everyone on these message boards who helped me along the way.

Having read all of the prior reviews I was expecting a bad experience, but I have to say that I found the whole process to be efficient and well organized. I also found all of the people we encountered at the consulate to be so polite and helpful, even the guards.

We arrived at 6 am and were first in line, which forms outside the door to the left of the window. We wore matching white shirts and ties because we are both boys. The window opened at 7:10 and the man let us in after checking our passports (he never asked for my interview letter). The guards inside checked our passports again and took our bags and phones. No food or water is allowed inside, but there is a drinking fountain and very clean bathrooms. We went through the double doors and lined up outside of window 7, which opened around 7:40 to give everyone a number.

About 10 minutes later, we were called to the window to submit our documents (ACLEDA Bank receipt, I-134 with employment letter, 2015 tax transcript, letters of intent to marry, fiance’s ID card, passport, passport photos, birth certificate, medical exam, police certificate, and lastly all my evidence of the relationship). My fiance only brought the English translation of his birth certificate and forgot the original. The woman politely explained that we could still do our interview but he would have to come back with the original. Next was fingerprinting and finally the interview.

The American man who interviewed us was fluent in Khmer and was so nice and friendly. He started by asking my fiance whether he wanted to be interviewed in English or Khmer. When he chose Khmer, the man turned to me and asked how we can communicate if he doesn’t speak English. I told him my fiance speaks English, he’s just nervous about the interview. He then asked my fiance the following questions in Khmer and asked me to confirm each answer in English:

1. Where and when did you meet? I heard my fiance say the wrong year (2016 instead of 2015) but the interviewer let it slide.
2. Where and when did you get engaged?
3. How many times has your fiance been to Cambodia? He then asked me if I spend a lot of time with my fiance when I come. I told him it’s the whole reason I come and he stays in the hotel with me.
4. What is your fiance’s job? My fiance told him my title and company name and then he asked him what my company does and what I do every day at work. My fiance said he doesn’t know, which made
me very nervous.
5. Where does your fiance live in America? He then asked him further details like who do I live with and do I rent or own my apartment?
6. Where do your fiance’s parents live in America?
7. What are your plans for getting married in America?

There were a few other questions that I just can’t remember because it all went by in a blur, but nothing that I haven’t read in other reviews. After that, he handed us a pink paper and said we have been approved, but my fiance would need to come back the following Monday or Tuesday to bring his original birth certificate. I gave my fiance the biggest hug and we thanked him and waved goodbye. My fiance brought his birth certificate back the following Monday and they told him to come back in a week and a half to pick up his visa.

I’m going to provide a few more details about our situation because this is the information I found to be most helpful and was frustrated when the other reviews left them out. We didn’t have any red flags, but my biggest concern was that we only met 3 times in person. We met in a nightclub the first time I came to Cambodia as a tourist. We didn’t have any pictures from that meeting so I made sure to include our text messages from the next day saying I’m so happy I met you last night. I came two more times over the course of a year and started the K1 application in between those two trips. I included at least one glossy photo from every day that I spent with him in Cambodia. I took screenshots of our text messages on the Line app and included at least one screenshot per day for the entire length of our relationship (1 year and 3 months). I also submitted all of our video call logs (about 2 per week) and for each one I included a screenshot of our faces talking to each other on camera. I read in someone’s review that a picture is worth a thousand words.

I also wanted to mention that another girl was having her interview at the same time as mine so I overheard some of the conversation. She was by herself and the man was grilling her really hard on every question. I heard him say “so your fiance came to Cambodia just to find a wife? ...so your parents decided your engagement for you? ...so you did or did not have an engagement ceremony?” Another employee was translating her responses from Khmer so I couldn’t hear, but she was providing really long answers and there was a lot of discussion back and forth. I thought for sure she was going to fail from his tone, but I guess she argued her case well because at the end he told her she was approved and wished her the best of luck. Another couple was turned away during the document collection step because they didn’t pay the fee through ACLEDA Bank.

My advice is to smile a lot and provide as many text messages and video call logs as you can. I think my mountain of evidence helped us a lot, even when my fiance messed up some of the answers. Good luck everyone! Feel free to message me if you have any questions.
Rating : Very Good


Timeline Comments: None yet, be the first!

Register or log in to comment on this timeline


*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.

** Not all cases are transfered

vjTimeline ver 5.0




×
×
  • Create New...