Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Didn't submit a letter of intent	It's kinda funny, I have only read about negative experience from people who use an attorney for K-1. You still have to fill out the forms and gather the evidences yourself anyway, so why pay 5000$ for a glorified secretary to mail the packet for you. You should get your money back tbh. Oh and don't worry too much, even if you get RFE, it will probably set you back 2-3 weeks only IMHO, it depends completely on the attorney you use. I'm having a fantastic experience with my attorney, and I'm only paying about $2,600 for him to help me through the entire process, from collecting evidence through AOS. It sounds like the problem isn't that people are using immigration attorneys, but more directly the problem is that they're expecting the fact that they have an attorney to take the place of being informed about the process and about the reputation of the specific attorney that they hire. So along with the advice of contacting your state's Bar Association to find out how to go about recouping your money, you might do some checking into lawyers' reputations (even interview a few of them--after learning enough about the visa process to know what questions to ask--before deciding which to use), and ask the state Bar Association if you could have your fees transferred to the new attorney. Just a thought. Best of luck!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-02-19 13:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Being present during Interview & time to get visa	My understanding is that you're not allowed to go into the interview with your beneficiary fiance. That said, I've seen a couple (literally only a couple) of instances where the beneficiary fiance mentioned to the CO that the petitioner fiance was outside waiting for them, and the CO then invited the petitioner fiance in to speak with them. I've also heard of a case or two where the CO poked his head out of the office to physically identify a petitioner fiance or even sent someone to the hotel where the petitioner fiance was supposedly waiting to verify the person's presence. Sometimes the CO will ask "where is your fiance?" or "why isn't your fiance here now?", too. Even if that's not the case, it's easy enough for the beneficiary fiance to make sure to mention that you're right outside the consulate waiting for them. This shows support and a close relationship, even if they don't verify it (but if they do verify, it had sure better be true!) I've even seen one case in particular where the CO invited the petitioner in to speak with her and it ended up turning a case that was about to be denied into an approval! So to make a long story short, I'd recommend being present for the interview!! As for having the visa in hand, that's totally dependent upon the specific consular office. Even if it could be ready within a couple of days, don't you want to give your fiance enough time to gather their belongings and say their goodbyes? Hope this helps!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-02-19 13:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	waiting 3 months after filing I-129	Hello, I live in the US and my fiance lives in the Philippines. I filed the I-129F form along with the 325G and all requested items about 3 months ago. Soon after filing, I did receive the 797 form, which seemed like basically a receipt. Since then, I have heard nothing. I realize that I am anxious for my girl to get here, but this seems like a long time. Is this normal? Is there some way for me to check on the status? thanks Yes, along the left hand side of the document is a receipt number. You can go to the USCIS.gov website that's listed on the 797 form and enter the receipt number to see where you are in status. I wouldn't worry about not having heard from them since receiving the 797, though. You won't hear anything until you've been approved in the NOA1 and your case moves to NOA2. That's completely normal. I don't know what office you've filed your I-129F through, but CA and VT are taking roughly 5 months to process NOA1 on average right now. Best of luck.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-02-13 11:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Interview Dates	I'm just wondering at what point in the process we should be notified of my fiance's interview date. Is the date actually assigned from the office here in the States, or is it actually assigned by the Casa consulate? How much advance notice is usually given? I'm hoping to buy a plane ticket to be present for Youssef's interview, and just trying to figure out how much $$ I need to save and how quickly. Choukran ala nassiha...	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-04-20 16:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Lawyer Aggravation	I've also got an attorney, and I can't say a single thing that's even remotely negative about my experience. We don't have a particularly sticky case or anything; for us it's more about the piece of mind that if (for any reason) we did happen to have any hiccups in our process, there's someone there who's on our side who knows the immigration laws inside and out and who can get answers when petitioners often can't even get through to find out what the problem is with their case that's holding up a favorable decision. It's true that you can probably do it yourselves if you don't have a difficult case and if you give USCIS/the consulate the documentation they need to make a decision. On the other hand, if you've already paid, why sever ties and risk needing them later? It could be a help during the AOS process, too. On the other hand, if this attorney isn't giving you the help you need, you could always try to get a refund for the parts of the process he hasn't helped you on and take that part of his service to an attorney with better organization/customer service skills. Just my 2 cents...	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-04-22 14:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	not following the 90 day rule for the K1 visa	Not sure what country the fiance is from, but let's just assume for argument's sake that we're possibly talking about someone from the Philippines (since that's where your own situation appears to be based and we might reasonably assume this is a friend from your home country). You said the man gets $3K - $5K per month from his ex wife... I can't imagine that he couldn't live on that in the Philippines. So what could possibly be the problem with him going there? Okay, so he won't make as much money in the Philippines as he can here in the US. He's got the money from the previous marriage plus whatever he can make there. There must be something else going on here. Either way, it's unfortunate that he's letting his ex-wife rule his life even after divorce. It also seems likely (at least from my limited perspective) that your friend is dealing with a situation in which the man is more worried about his money than the woman that he "loves". Unfortunate. In any case, using the K1 to come to the US with the intent to not marry within the 90 days is a blatant misuse of the visa and its intended purpose--which is to help those of us who really do want to get married, rather than to offer a way into the US for people who otherwise can't get here on other merits. IMHO, this couple should have respect enough respect for the system and those of us suffering through it for the right reasons to not take up the consular office's time with their misrepresentation.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-05-19 23:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	February filers getting excited...???	We're NOA1 on Jan. 31, and I'm losing my mind wondering where my NOA2 is...	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-06-20 15:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NOA1?	I wouldn't stress yet; after all, it's only been 3 business days since the petition's arrival at Dallas Lockbox. The case won't get processed there anyway. It has to go either to the California or Vermont Service Center (depending on where in the country you live), and then it's a week or two before an NOA, usually. I've seen it take up to three weeks with some cases on here.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-05 23:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	What are good contact phone numbers to have handy if your case is lagging or need status update or that EXTRA PUSH ;)	I started calling USCIS' customer service line: 800.375.5283. The series of numbers you push to get to a live person is 1-2-1-1-2-2. In other words: press 1 for English, then 2 for filing your petition not online, then 1 for immigration services, then 1 to check status of your application, then 2 for "I don't know my receipt number". The auto attendant will tell you where to look, then you enter 2 again to say you've lost it. They'll then transfer you to a live person (assuming you call between 8a and 8p EST). The person won't help you unless you have the receipt number handy, though. If you're officially outside the 5-month goal timeline for adjudicating a K-1 case, then you can ask to file a status request. They'll ask you some questions and tell you that you should hear back within 15 days. It took me 2 days after I filed to get my NOA2. I hope this helps.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-11 22:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Administrative Processing at NVC??	Thanks for all your great responses! I called again this morning and was told that the case was received on Tuesday, and that they need to enter it into the system and do the very basic background checks that they do to every case at NVC, and then they'll mail it to the consulate (she even said they don't do any processing at all, but that the consulate handles that, and that all they do is enter it and verify some of the petition info). She then said to call back on Monday to see if our case had been sent yet or not. Mitexi, thanks for the link; I can't tell you how much better I feel having read that and then getting this statement today from NVC. I'll call again Monday and see what they say...	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-19 08:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Administrative Processing at NVC??	I spoke with a representative of NVC this afternoon, and he shared that our case was received yesterday and that it's in A/P. Is that standard for a K-1 at NVC? In other words, is that just their way of saying they're running the standard background check, or should I be concerned? After all, I did get the whole line about there not being a time frame for admin processing...	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-18 17:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Administrative Processing at NVC??	Thanks; I thought I was posting in the K-1 forum... I don't know how to delete the post, though.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-18 17:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Administrative Processing at NVC??	I spoke with a representative of NVC this afternoon, and he shared that our case was received yesterday and that it's in A/P. Is that standard for a K-1 at NVC? In other words, is that just their way of saying they're running the standard background check, or should I be concerned? After all, I did get the whole line about there not being a time frame for admin processing...	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-18 17:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Did you send your sexual conversations?	I have to agree on the bit about too much info not being a good thing. Specifically with relation to your case because Nigeria is considered a high fraud post. That said, sex and sexual activity is a very intimate thing that a CO will argue can be used to make the manipulated party feel as though the relationship has a level of authenticity that for the manipulator isn't there. This is because when sex is involved, for a lot of people, there's an automatic assumption that the relationship is at a certain point. I'm not saying in any way that this is the case for you; I'm saying it can be the case for some couples if the beneficiary is simply using the petitioner to get to the US. Further, I don't know what the major religion is in Nigeria, but if it happens to be Islam, sleeping together before marriage (or sexual activity in general) is a HUGE taboo. It's not like it doesn't happen, but it's not something that a legit couple would necessarily be willing to share with the world because it's private and the couple doesn't want to be viewed as a sinner and bring shame to him/herself and those with whom they associate. So again, this would raise a red flag with a CO. Finally, it's a simple enough matter to print out what you want to send, then black out the text you don't want them to see with a Sharpie. That way the CO can see that there's a chat record without reading your personal details. You're better off providing evidence that there was a conversation via time stamped print outs than by letting them read your personal content. Just sayin'	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-10 13:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa Service	well if you're going to pay almost $1800 for a visa service, why not just pay the extra $200 or $300 and hire an actual attorney?! If you get a good one they'll still help you with the paperwork and preparation for filing your petition but will also represent you all the way through AOS in the event that you need them to be present at your AOS interview--might be good, especially if your SO is from a high fraud post. For example, I did not use a visa service, but I hired an attorney. I paid $2,200, and the attorney sent me and my SO questionnaires. From these questions, they filled out the petitions for us and all other necessary paperwork, had us review and sign, and directed us which evidence pieces we needed, how many, and organized and made copies of all evidence before filing on our behalf. They're always available if I have questions, they made the filing process super easy (I'm also a very busy person with a significant amount of responsibility in my company), and they'll be there for us throughout the AOS process. Word of advice, though, if hiring a lawyer: do some checking and don't just hire the first one you find. Get one that specializes in immigration law, who's located within driving distance to where you're located. Check references for their communication/organiziation/ease of access/helpfulness/friendliness to clients, find out what his or her "win rate" or percentage of time they win their cases is, and find one that's reasonably priced... it shouldn't cost you more than $3,000 or so, tops. This is the only way you're assured of having someone who is actually qualified to help you with the process since visa agencies can only file paperwork for you and cannot act on your behalf in dealing with consulates or getting information. Good luck!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-05-26 10:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Evidence of ongoing relationship	I always recommend including as much evidence in support of a bonafide ongoing relationship as possible. This is because the Consular Officers are not trained to give you the benefit of the doubt. In fact, this is quite the contrary. They are trained to assume your relationship is fraudulent and to look for holes in your evidence that support this assumption, basically until you've given them no recourse but to find the relationship "bonafide". Therefore, the onus is on you as a couple to show the CO beyond any shadow of a doubt that you are in fact a legitimate couple. Although providing proof of an itinerary is a start, it's by no means going to blow the CO away with confidence in your relationship. I've seen people get denied with much more evidence than that. So I suggest gathering as much proof of interaction and of relationship as you can possibly muster. If you don't have any then maybe you ought to consider spending the time to compile some before filing... best of luck!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-08-13 00:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Interview Question	The answer to this question depends on what country we're talking about. Since your case is for a fiance from the UK, you don't need to worry about it. Typically where you'll see the petitioner trying to be present for the interview is when the case's beneficiary is from a "high fraud" country. For example, my fiance's and my case interview is in Casablanca because he's from Morocco (a high fraud post). As such, the COs who interview there are a lot harder on the beneficiaries when they interview them, often trying to trip them up, catch them off guard, and subsequently catch them in a lie that proves the relationship is not legitimate (since it's their job to always assume an illegitimate relationship until proven otherwise). Even though the consulate's official stance is that the petitioner is not allowed into the interview, there have been documented cases where the CO has asked something like "why didn't your fiance come to be with you at the interview" to which the beneficiary has replied that the petitioner was waiting outside, and the CO sent for the petitioner to then enter the consular office and meet with the CO personally. The couple of cases that I've seen like this cite this, specifically, as what tipped the vote in their favor. Just so you know the story. This is not the rule, but the exception, and it's more of a precaution than anything. All that said, you should be fine... Best of luck!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-08-13 11:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	G-325A form questions!	1.) Due to the bad record keeping in Morocco, my fiance's father doesn't have a birth month or day, only a year. Should we only put the year? What should we do in regards to that? We have the same situation with my fiance's mother. Just use 01/01/YYYY. That's not unusual, particularly for those born in rural areas.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-08-18 00:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	129-F photo assortment?	It's best to show an assortment of dates (turn your time stamp application on, on your camera) and an assortment of participants. Show photos of the two of you as well as photos of you both with his/your family and/or friends. They want to see three things from these: 1) that you've met in person 2) that it's been at least once in the past 2 years (hence the time stamp feature) 2) that family approves of the relationship (though they don't necessarily state this anywhere) Order doesn't matter so much.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-10-01 17:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	best month to file	Based on my conversations with our attorney, you're best to file either before mid-November (like right now) or after the first week or two of January, if you're looking to not get set aside in favor of other visa types. Late in the year, and leading up to the start of spring semester of school, the offices tend to get inundated with student visa applications. That said, it depends on how many other visas are filed around the time you file, and every year's different. Since there's no way to really know, I'd recommend filing as soon as you possibly can. Even if it took longer, you'd still probably finish earlier by filing sooner than you would by waiting another two months. By the way, ... the offer for in-person help still stands if you feel like making your way up to my neck of the woods . And if not, I may be down your way for a half-marathon around V-Day.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-11-01 19:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	POE Questions!	My SO came in through ATL and every POE is different. But I can tell you that they called me to ask me if I was expecting anyone from another country, what our relationship was, and a couple other questions. They probably won't ask about your work status. Everyone I've talked to has said that the POE was a couple of quick questions: who are you coming to see? (maybe also how'd you meet/how long you've been together?) where you're going to live/work? and welcome to America. Hope this helps!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2013-03-21 00:12:00
USCIS Service Centers	Texas Service Centre	I made the same mistake thinking I'd be processed in Texas, but my lawyer today told me that only Vermont and California Service Centers process the K-1 at this time. She also said that from time to time they'll shift around which office handles what type of application. Maybe that's why.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-01-21 00:07:00
USCIS Service Centers	buzy or slow	Keep in mind that the stats posted above are only the I-129 petitions. There are a ton of other types of visa petitions being processed, and they have their own ebbs and flows in terms of volume. For example, things slow down in late summer presumably because the offices are processing student visas and things like that.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-04-22 14:59:00
USCIS Service Centers	Visa Processing Time Changes	My fiance and I received the NOA1 for January 31. At that time, the processing times at the Vermont Service Center (where our petition is being processed) were 5 months. As of April 23, the processing time for the VSC is now 8.7 months. Does this mean our processing time starts over as of April 23 and it'll now be approximately 9 months for an adjudication on our case? Are we grandfathered into the 5 month processing time period? Does anyone have any insight into how this works for cases that are actually in review when the processing time changes like this? Thanks for your help!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-04-28 16:47:00
USCIS Service Centers	CSC 75% through January, VSC only 45%	what's this about a significant staff change at VSC?? I haven't heard anything about it... and yes, I've been watching the % bar not move on Igor's List for days now.	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-06-25 23:08:00
USCIS Service Centers	any word on VSC	Paul86 Gold Member PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip Add as Friend PM this member Group: Members Joined: 14-January 12 Location:New Jersey Filed for: K-1 Visa Filing Location: Vermont Service Center Country: Ukraine Timeline Photos Posted Today, 08:56 PM View Postkatchoo12, on 27 June 2012 - 07:04 PM, said: Well now a NOA2 for July is almost not an option anymore, even August... Even with my fiance congressman involved I don't think it will make much of a difference. Definitely no wedding for us in 2012 ! This process is the mist painful thing i have ever gone through...Sorry people but I just feel lime crying now Yup. It appears VSC imploded on us...whatever happened..it was bad. and probably extends far beyond an H1B fiscal year ending issue...I would not be surprised to see 180-200 day processing times as an average now. They have quite the mess on their hands. And tragically there will be no way to resolve it for a while. A week of complete inactivity will have done nothing to help the situation this week.. 1/13/12 - I-129F Petition Submitted to Dallas Lockbox 1/18/12 - Received at Vermont Disservice Center 1/20/12 - NOA1 1/24/12 - Touched 2/09/12 - Touched Just out of curiosity, how do you know your case was "touched" on 1/24 and 2/9? I received my NOA1 on 1/31, but I've not had any word at all since then...	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-06-27 20:03:00
USCIS Service Centers	any word on VSC	Just an FYI to all... USCIS will tell you that you're not qualified for a service request until you're outside the 30-day window directly following your expected adjudication timeframe (which is currently 5 months from date of NOA1).	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-06-20 15:55:00
USCIS Service Centers	Just Venting	Just to spread a little hope: I just received my NOA2 this past Wednesday. I was at 162 days (at the VSC). So don't worry; your time is coming, I'm sure of it!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-13 19:15:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)	Third Time's a Charm? AP	No experience, just wanted to say good luck and we're all rooting for you here!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-06-08 09:17:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	NVC changing adress	straight from the USCIS site where you check your case status: "If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or contact our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283." Here's the link they're referring to above: https://egov.uscis.g...i/go?action=coa	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-06-24 14:32:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	Morocco Packet 3 Help	by the way, in your question you state that the packet 3 asks you to "send to the NVC" this information/these documents. For the record (just in case that wasn't a mistake and you think you're supposed to send these to the NVC), these are the things you BRING WITH YOU TO THE INTERVIEW. Do not send them to the NVC. If you've gotten your packet 3 it means your case is already at the Casablanca consulate, and NVC doesn't really have anything to do with your case any longer. Good luck!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-08-18 00:05:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	Getting excited!!!	Just a quick note to say how friggin' excited I am that I leave (technically... now that it's 12:14a on Thursday the 30th) tomorrow for Morocco to see houbi, and his interview is in less than a week!! Please send happy thoughts our way! I promise it'll be completely reciprocated....	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-08-29 23:14:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	Cheapest airline tickets????	As for plane tickets, just make sure you buy the round-trip tickets. He won't be allowed on the plane with a one-way ticket from what I've been told. You can always cancel the other half of the ticket... just make sure you actually get it cancelled and that you have confirmation. He can absolutely fly directly into Dulles. It's just a matter of finding the right flight. You could also try Expedia.fr (the French version of our site). Finally, buy your tickets AS SOON AS you find out your dates. The closer you get to the departure date, the more expensive tickets will be (and prices are always lowest on Tuesday afternoon at 3p).	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-10-12 07:19:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	Cheapest airline tickets????	Why not specify where over there is????? That will help to ans your question Well... this is the Morocco forum...	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-10-12 07:16:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	NVC Automated Messages	I've seen several posts by IR/CR applicants. Will the process and forms at NVC be the same for K1 filers?	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-11 19:56:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	How long!!!	à vos ordres chef Salut Farid&Lisa, I might be speaking out of turn here since we're not quite to that point in our process yet, but I have seen this come up in posts over the past several weeks and noticed that you seem frustrated by the lack of response from members with significant others in Morocco. So I thought I'd answer. I've seen written that it's advisable to bring both the I-134 and the I-864 to the interview, along with copies of past 3 years' tax reports from the petitioner... that was seconded by my attorney. Hope this helps! Lindsey	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-02-17 23:55:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	help me pples to find out	hello every one im looking for samone had intrvew in casablanca consulat to tell me what kind of ask they can give in the intrvw i have intrvw next week ::::: thanks all ples who work her to help pples Hey MozMoz, We haven't personally been through the interview yet, but I've been reading up on it for quite some time now. It seems the questions they ask are all things that you should already know about your significant other. If you go to the consulate reviews and just sift through the ones for Morocco, there are several entries that address the interview questions. Best of luck!! Lindsey	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-02-17 23:39:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DHL Tracking From NVC to US Embassy	Thanks again for the insight; this is an awesome thread!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-23 22:29:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	NOA2, FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!	I wanna be next They hung uo on us yesterday saying they working on Jan 9th as usuall. GRATZ !!!!! First, I want to say thanks to everyone for your support!!! Next, JBH, I started calling the VSC the day after our 5-month mark. I called for 3 days in a row, and on the third day someone finally was willing to file a status request. I called back the next day acting like I didn't know I was supposed to wait 15 days... that was yesterday. I was really nice, but I just kept calling. I don't know if that helped or not, but might be worth a try. Good luck!!	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-11 19:28:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	NOA2, FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!	NOA1: January 31, 2012 NOA2: July 11, 2012 162 days, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best of luck to all who follow... your time is coming	Linds&Youssef	Female	Morocco	2012-07-11 15:33:00