ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

July 19th NOA1 with CSC, just got approved (officially was approved on March 7th, but for some reason they didn't email me so I just got the letter today).

It was approved the same day I got a senator's aide to send a request for expedite, not sure if that was a coincidence or not.


Congratulations! I would have thought that was coincidence. A Senator's aide is unlikely to have worked that quick!

Out of interest, you said that you didn't receive an e-mail but has the USCIS website been updated and showing your approval?
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-12 01:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!
So. Another week is about to start. Let's hope that we July filers hear good news this week.

I am considering yet another trip to the US. United Airlines are making money out of this delay anyway! It's so bad I'm now on their frequent fliers program and I've only been travelling to the US for 11 months! I know I'm lucky that I can afford to do it but I would much rather be spending this money on our future life together in the US.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-10 17:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

I think they may have filed expedite requests - a few of the profiles discussed wedding plans for this summer. Still not cool though!


If the October is the one I remember, it was expedited for financial hardship grounds as the beneficiary had lost their job, had a young child and her fiancé is in the military and can't be allocated a house until they are married. I think there is possibly a case for that expedition and she had only asked for it to be expedited recently.

Do you think I will get anywhere if I (the beneficiary)said I was made redundant in November? Didn't think so. I can't really get another job when I will be leaving the UK this year - it's not really fair to a new employer.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-09 13:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!
I see that 4 CSC NOA1s became NOA2s yesterday - 1 from July, 2 from August and 1 from October.

So some movement from CSC but why the hell they can't do them in order?!
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-08 15:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!
226 days waiting. Living in a single room sharing a bathroom and kitchen with 3 other people whilst my fiance is in our two bedroom apartment all ready for us (which I helped to sort out whilst I was there for 90 days). I sold my flat and moved into this single room in anticpation of moving to the US early this year. How can it take so long to process our petitions? I thought the K1 was put in place so that couples were not apart any longer than they had to be?
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-07 10:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

Had my medical on Thursday...already have an interview two weeks away! Wasn't expecting anything for at least another 3-5 weeks!


Congratulations - but it makes no sense. Your NOA1 date is just two weeks before ours and we still haven't had our NOA2. I just don't know what's happening with our group of people stuck in limbo here. We can't do a service request as it keeps telling us that it's in the timeframe because the damn USCIS site hasn't been updated since 31 Dec. This is so very frustrating.

P.S. Please can you update your timeline - thanks. It would be very useful for us to know your timings as you were in the US when you got your NOA2.

Edited by Anna Grant, 06 March 2013 - 10:42 AM.

Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-06 10:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

YES! July filer here, approved last night!!
Now to wait and figure out what comes next...!


Congratulations! And with an RFE too (what I would give for an RFE and I never thought I would say that but at least it shows they've looked at our damn file). Our NOA1 is a week earlier than yours, so it gives us hope. CSC do seem to be trickling thorugh.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-06 02:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

Yeahhh. It's like, even though they are just arbitrary dates, they mean so much... Valentines/Christmas/anniversaries and birthdays that we missed out on. I got really cut up over the fact we couldn't do Halloween costumes together, which is silly but meant so much to me.


I know what you mean. I turned 50 in November and we weren't able to be together. I turned 30 in his arms (that's a long story) and it was important to us that I turned 50 in his arms as well. But it wasn't to be. He said 'you will turn 51 in my arms and every birthday after that and that is what is important'. I also missed his birthday last July.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-27 10:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

Hi, everyone! We were approved this morning, exactly 7 months after being touched on July 27th, 2012. Unsuspecting, I opened the mailbox this morning, and boom, it was just there at the top. Now I am so excited!


Congratulations! Your last 'touch' is the same date as my last 'touch'. So that gives me hope. Did you sign up for alerts from the USCIS website? If so, did you get any alert to say it was approved? Has your status changed on the USCIS website?
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-27 10:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

omg so true! My fiance was finally allowed to file a e-request due to being outside times, only to get a reply back saying we are within time frame since they are working on june 4th........ june 4th! sure cause all those august files we've seen are imaginary.


And someone from 1 September got their NOA2 today... It's so frustrating.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-21 16:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

Vermont is faster


It is now - it certainly wasn't when we got our NOA1!
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-19 14:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

We are 202 days... My fiance called USCIS again today since we are very upset to see some of the August filers have got their approvals. I meant, congrats for them, but please. :| Can at least they finish the July first before they moved onto the August filers?
Anyways.. So he called and he got the same response again!!! that they're doing the July 18th. and my fiance was like "There must be a whole lot July 18th filers. Because you have not moved for like 2 months now :|!!!"
And they won't let him file for a service request because we are still in the time frame. This is ssssssooooooooo ridiculous!
What can we do? I say, what can we do?? :crying:


It's crazy! How can they say that we're within the time frame?! On 31 December, they said they were processing NOA1s dated 18 July! Ho can, 7 weeks later, can our NOA1 dates still be within the time frame.

I just don't understand why August NOA1s are now being approved - what about us July NOA1s?
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-19 11:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!
We haven't booked the wedding yet - we know precisely where we're getting married and, when we have the NOA2, we will book it so we have evidence of date of wedding (it can help with getting an interview in London). The chapel we are using honors the booking for 12 months i.e. if we have to move the date, it can be done with a couple of days notice with no penalty for up to a year (deposit is 50% though).
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-18 17:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

Hi there,

I am sorry to see all these people waiting for more than 200 days. Your NOA2 is on the horizon, hopefully it will be coming very soon.


Did you place in a service request or tried to seek help from your senator/congressman?

Cheers.


Our lawyer has put in a service request - I may ask my fiance (the USC) to seek help from his senator or congressman.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-18 14:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

210 days here! :(


209 days here! :(
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-18 08:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

They have been saying there working in July 18 for 2 months. I'm a July 27 filler anyone else that day that has got there NOA2


Is that the actual date of your NOA1? Your timeline suggests that was the date that you sent your I-129F.

We submitted our I-129F on 20 July and our NOA1 is dated 24 July. We have not had our NOA2 yet (and we're both going crazy about it).
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-12 11:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

6 months and 4 days........... What is going on, guys... :crying:


6 months and 11 days here. I spoke to our lawyer this afternoon and he's going to chase it up with a service request. He said that he has seen approvals slowing down - he said that the officers have extra caseload at the moment.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-02-04 17:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

It will be 6 months for us in two days.. I feel like crying every time I look it up and still no updates.. Do you have people around you that doubt that you'd even make it? It's frustrating enough without people telling you to just drop it and find someone else! :((


It was 6 months for us 4 days ago.

Although my friends are sometimes concerned about me moving 4000 miles from everything I've ever known, no one has ever told me to drop it - just be careful. They can see how my face glows when I talk about him and know that I'm not one to act on impulse. I turned 50 last November, so I'm not naive or inexperienced. I just have never, ever felt like this about a man in my entire life and he has never felt like this about a woman (he is 64). Finding someone else is not an option and never will be.

We will make it and then it will be forever.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-01-28 10:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

184 days and no noa2 yet. This is so frustrating!


I know - it will be 6 months tomorrow for us - we can't plan our future life until we get the NOA2 and can start to get some dates in the diary.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-01-23 13:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!
This is getting absolutely ridiculous. I need to be making plans and cannot because of CSC being so slow now. We have an NOA1 date if 24 July - please get on and process and approve our petition CSC!
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-01-14 17:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

I read in the forum some members say if it's taking so long it may be RFE's too... Is this true? I'm so down right now :(


No, not necessarily. I've checked around our receipt number and they are all for NOA1s on the same date (24 July) and none of them have been approved. I think we are just unfortunate with our timing. It's galling as I know of someone who filed exactly a month before us who moved permanently to the US from the UK just before Christmas.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-01-03 11:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

I just opened my email. NOA2 is on it's way.

Gareth got on his plane 3 hours ago to spend Christmas & New Year with me. I can't wait to see what he says, when I tell him we are approved!!

Hope you all hear good news about your files soon!!


Congratulations! That is such a great Christmas present for you. Please ask Gareth to post in the 'Yes, you can travel' thread when he finds time so that other people know that it's okay to travel whilst going through the K1 process.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-12-21 13:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

Our timeline keeps moving back and forth. I saw someone got NOA2 approved after 30 days something and the beneficiary said her fiance is not a military and she wasn't sure if it's expedited while ours on the other hand,is on it's 148 days now since NOA1. This is so frustrating. I know it's a case-to-case basis but seriously CSC, please have some good news for all of us who have been waiting for so long.:bonk: :help:


I also don't understand this. And I see other people being granted their NOA2s and then asking 'how can I slow it down?' I'm just wishing we would get our NOA2 and move onto the next stage as soon as possible. My fiance's eldest son asked him what he wanted for Christmas - my fiance wanted to say 'the NOA2' but we want to be a bit sensitive.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-12-18 10:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!
A couple of people have asked how I got on with entering the US on Saturday - I've posted more here:

http://www.visajourn...ost__p__5851011

But I did get in.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-12-03 09:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

I saw some August filer got approved.. And even October.. What is going on.... Oh this is just frustrating...


I agree that is annoying to see but I assume that they are expedited petitions. Has your petition been 'touched' since you got your NOA1 because mine hasn't.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-11-29 11:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

Another week.. My mind wanders every time..Will it be the day...


Same here - my NOA1 date is 6 days before yours and I keep wondering where on earth my NOA2 is. The waiting is doing both my fiance's and mine heads in. I know we just have to wait but I got a false sense of optimism when CSC appeared to go down to 95 days but now it's back up to 121 days (I know this is based on the minute proportion of actual filers that do their timelines on this site)

As someone once said 'It's not the disappointment I can't cope with - it's the hope.'
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-11-26 10:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

Hmmmphh... :(
Oh well. Keep being patient, I guess! Last time I checked Igor's list it seemed to me that USCIS is working in the left over of May filers. Oh God.. Please help us!


Yes but they were mostly ones that had RFEs, so were delayed because of that.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-11-12 15:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!

New day, new week.. NOA2......!!! Why u no come. :|?? Lol..


New Day, yes. But Federal holiday (Veteran's Day) today so likely to be no movement today.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-11-12 00:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJuly Filers!!!!
I'm still waiting. Booked a flight to the US for 1 December for Christmas and New Year. Had hoped to have the medical before leaving and fly back early, if necessary, for the interview. Now seems unlikely that I will be able to have the medical before flying out. I just wish we would ge the NOA2 because we have all the paperwork we think we need ready. Arggghhhh.... I suppose I should just be glad that I am able to afford to fly. I'm really sorry for those that have been apart for so long. As my fiance said yesterday 'no cuddling sucks'.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-11-09 14:39:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat was it like to see him for the first time?

I didn't want to read and run but this thread came up when I clicked on 'View New Content'.

 

I have loved reading your stories and they are sending me to bed with a big smile on my face.  I am not part of the MENA sub-forum but I thought I would say briefly my story.

 

We first met over 20 years ago but the timing wasn't right in either of our lives.  Fast forward 20 years and I'm messing around online and suddenly thought 'I wondered what happened to him?  I hope he's happy.'  I Googled him and found him on Facebook.  I sent him a friend request, he responded.  Within 6 days he had asked me to marry him, although we hadn't even had a video chat at that stage.  We needed to sort out a lot before we could meet physically, which took 6 months.  He got down on one knee and proposed properly in the arrivals hall of Chicago O'Hare airport - this was the first time we had seen each other in the flesh for over 20 years.

 

We will be married in 42 days time in Illinois, which will be 21 months after I sent that FB friend request..  


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-06-01 17:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBonafide marriage question

I am getting married to my fiance next month in his country abroad, and then we are going to begin the CR1 visa process. Because we are applying right away for a visa after the wedding, we won't have any proof of joint finances, property, or residences for I-130. We've been doing long-distance for the past 3 years. I tried going to my bank (Bank of America) to open a joint account so that I can deposit our wedding money into it, and they will not let me add his name to any account because he does not have a SS #. Is it possible to prove a bonafide marriage just from proof of a relationship (pictures, receipts, e-mails, letters, phone bills, etc.) rather than showing proof of joint ownership of some sort?

Thanks!


About the bank account question, I'm a UK citizen and my fiance and I opened a joint bank account with US Bank in August. I have a bank card, which I can use here in the UK (we are going to K1 route). Both our names are on the cheques and bank statement. Obviously, I don't have a SS number - I just showed my UK passport and UK/international driving licence fro ID proof. However, it may have been different in that we both went physically to the bank together as I was in the US at the time.
Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2012-11-18 04:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSwitching to a CR1 from a K1

What may be worth investigating is DCF - see here - http://www.visajourney.com/content/dcf as your current fiancée will be in the UK for over 6 months.

 

I don't know a great deal about this route as it was never an option for me but it jumped out to me as a possibility because of the time she will be in the UK.

 

People who are far more knowledgeable about this option will be along shortly to give you more experienced advice :-)


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-06-01 16:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting US-Proving strong ties to UK

Okay. Anything else I can do to help his chances?

 

OK.  Where does he stay in the UK?  Parents?  Friend?  Can someone write a letter which says 'Fred rents a room from me at $120 a week.  I expect him to return to occupy his room on 1 December 2013.  All his possessions are still in his room.  If I can be of further assistance, please contact me on xxxxxxxxxxx'.  That's what I got my friend to do for me who I was renting a room from.  I also went to WH Smith and bought a rent book for her to complete.

 

I also took time stamped photos of my possessions in my room - I took them an hour before I left for the airport.

 

Ensure he has a return ticket and he carries a copy of that ticket with him.  Ensure he prints out a copy of his ESTA (they say you don't need it but I know of one person who had this queried and the CBP person insisted that they go to the ESTA site to prove they had one).

 

Any car?  Insurance of that car?  Other bills?   Phone contract?  Really - anything that shows that he HAS to come back to the UK.


Edited by Anna Grant, 16 August 2013 - 06:38 AM.

Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-08-16 06:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting US-Proving strong ties to UK

No he doesn't have to show up every week for his benefits or "sign on" to anything. He will still be able to claim the benefits while he's temporarily out of the country.

 

From the list of documentary proof you posted for me he has the following;

 

Return ticket

Copy of the I-130 packet made and if we get a NOA during out wait (not leaving till October) then we'll bring those as well.

 

Other than that nothing. It does say on the list "If you do not appear to have the means to support yourself while in the U.S. a letter from whomever you will be staying with stating that they will be financially responsible for you during your stay." Do I need to write a letter for him since I will be supporting him while he's in the US with me? I would imagine not since I'll be at the airport with him, going through customs as well. I'll just be able to tell them face to face that I'm supporting him and I'll have proof of my finances with me to support the claim. Should I still write a letter though?

 

Write him a letter.  You may be at customs with him but you will be going through the USC line - he is unlikely to be allowed to do that, so you will not be together going through customs.  Writing a letter is better than saying 'You see that person over there?  That's my wife and she will vouch for me.'


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-08-16 06:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting US-Proving strong ties to UK

I'll look into getting us return tickets then. I just want to make this easier than his last visit, he was given such a hard time in customs and they almost didn't let him in cause of his lack of ties to his home country. He does collect benefits from the UK, would showing proof of that help his ties to the country since he has to actually live in the UK to receive them?

 

Not really.  As once he leaves the UK for 90 days, he will no longer be able to claim them (assuming that they are the type of benefits where you need to turn up in person every week to 'sign on').

 

What does he have in the list of documentary proof in the link I posted earlier?


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-08-16 06:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting US-Proving strong ties to UK

Well since I am buying our tickets together and I don't plan to return to the UK (for a long while) I'm buying the tickets as one way (I want to ensure we're on the same flight). So he will only have a one way ticket. Will that cause problems??

 

Very likely, if he's travelling on the VWP - see under 'Travel Must Be On An Approved Carrier' here:

 

http://travel.state....thout_1990.html

 

Also under 'Who is eligible to apply for admission under the Visa Waiver Program?' under the ESTA FAQs:

 

https://esta.cbp.dhs...line_Help_1.htm

 

 


Edited by Anna Grant, 15 August 2013 - 10:23 AM.

Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-08-15 10:19:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting US-Proving strong ties to UK

See this long running thread of people's experience with visiting whilst on a K1 - still relevant to you:

 

http://www.visajourn...-you-can-visit/

 

This is a useful link for documents you should consider bringing:

 

http://www.visajourn...content/k1visit

 

I was in a similar situation (no job, no home) and traveled twice for 89 and then 90 days with just a 6 week gap (not really recommended - you are supposed to spend more time out of the US than in it).  All I was asked for was my return ticket.


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-08-15 10:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIs my wife banned from the US until K-3 Visa given?

Our lawyer also told us that I couldn't travel to the US after we had submitted our paperwork (we went the K1 route).  It was only because of this site that I realized he was wrong (it may be the standard response from a lawyer).  I traveled a total of 5 times to the US and 2 of those were after we had submitted our paperwork. 


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-08-23 13:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresA straight up question, give it to me straight.

to other replies..... read please, the GOAL is for her to remain here after marriage, not return and file for papers and be apart a year.

 

Well, that's all our goals here.  I didn't want to be apart from my fiance for months and months either.  But I went the K1 route as that is the safest route to take.

 

However, if your fiancee genuinely entered the US without the intention of getting married, then you should probably be okay.

 

You say that she has a B2 visa?  Did she get that prior to entering a relationship with you?  If after the start of the relationship, was she asked anything at the interview about who she was going to see in the US?  Was she asked anything by the CBP on entry about why she was visiting the US?


Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-09-26 12:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHusband admits during medical he smoked weed 4 years ago
If he was asked the actual question 'Have you smoked weed?' and then 'When was the last time?', then he had absolutely no choice but to tell the truth. He should not lie and you should not be so hard on him.

Corinthians 13:4-8

However, if he volunteered the information, then I can understand your annoyance.

Edited by Anna Grant, 22 March 2013 - 02:40 AM.

Anna GrantFemaleUnited Kingdom2013-03-22 02:35:00