ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresreally confused
Take a deep breath because it's a lot of information to absorb. Yes, you can file I-129f (new form) as soon as you get NOA (Notice of Action) that your I-130 has been received. But filing I-129f may not "speed things up," if the goal is to have him here and working asap.

Many of us are pursuing I-130 and I-129f simultaneously, not knowing which will be approved faster. The CR-1 means the spouse can work right away. With K3 there's more waiting for work eligibility while they're in the States.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-01 09:29:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIs this possible?
Seems to me that if you wanted to have her eligible to work as soon as possible, you'd be interested in Direct Consular Filing in the Netherlands as meauxna suggested. She might even be able to take a leave from her current job and have it waiting for her, since she wouldn't be gone very long.

Tell us again:
- why you feel you absolutely must file in the U.S. (just a hint, so people can help)
- why you don't mind waiting apart for a year, instead of being together a few months in Europe
- that you know you're applying for an immigrant visa that classifies her as a legal permanent resident
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-03 08:17:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIs this possible?
GA86, sounds like both of you are posting with the same ID. The original post says she wants to work as soon as possible after coming to the U.S. That would be the I-130, which could take approximately a year. She'd be waiting in the Netherlands after getting married here and immediately going back to Europe. Are you ready for the long distance honeymoon?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-01 07:17:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshubby called USCIS

Suffering, loss and pain are all parts of our human existence. We can either accept it and find peace with knowing what is reality, or we can agitate ourselves and exhaust energy in an attempt to prevent the unpreventable. When we become aware of the true nature of things, it is actually much easier to be happy because our minds have accepted what is and have ceased in seeking after things that are not true.


Libersolis, I enjoyed re-reading your post, because after all the "dialogue" on the tenents of Buddism, you pointed to a truth about the visa process: the government is not obliged to issue visas simply because we married foreign folks.

This is the root of much frustration for couples here and their families. There's an underlying expectation that marriage automatically gives you a free pass, and tout suite! It doesn't. And why should it, since roughly half of marriages fail?

Beyond providing the facts, this site offers something equally valuable: support from others in the same boat. We all need hand holding at times to remind us to be patient, flexible, and somewhat detatched. It's the best way to survive a process that's uncertain at times but often happy at the end.

We help one another make the choice about how we want to emerge from all this : an intact personality who's good to be around? Or a bitter, argumentative grump, incapable of enjoying their own life?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-01 08:08:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshubby called USCIS
Sorry you're in a foul mood, godsavethequeen. Better to be kind to yourself. The turkey reference (intended to be humourous) was for desperatewife, who'd hoped to have her husband back for Thanksgiving. Lighten up. We're all trying to support one another during a difficult time. After all, what's the alternative?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-30 06:38:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshubby called USCIS

how do you know you got touched at NVC????

Don't know about the National Visa Center, Isabel, only USCIS. You seem to be chugging along nicely and have good reason to crack a bottle of champagne. To keep yourself distracted, why not start taking side bets on which one of your applications will get the visa quicker?

Guys, life is full of peaks and valleys, my father used to say. So if you're in a valley, be patient, because a peak is coming up. It doesn't hurt to have a sense of humor, either. But if you insist on grousing, it gets you nothing but grey hairs and high blood pressure. What good will that be when you're finally reunited?

Hey, we could start a Before-And-After photo gallery! This is me before K3: thick hair, shining eyes, wide smile on my wedding day. Then, this is me after K3: overweight, unkempt, smoking and swearing like Denis Leary, popping antidepressents and washing them down with Irish Whiskey. Yeah, that's something to aspire to.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-28 15:51:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshubby called USCIS
Everyone's who's in K3 Limbo is wondering if it will be better to pursue the CR-1 if it's approved quicker. There are advantages, because the foreign spouse will be a legal permanent resident right away and eligible to work. Look, there would have been waiting no matter what, because entering on K3 means waiting for the greencard. So it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

There's no sense being mad about what we can't control. We have to be like Buddhists and have no expectations, which are the source of disappointment and misery. We can look at the silver lining, which is this: I married a great guy who loves me, we're on the visa train, and there will be a point at which we're together again, and turkeys can stay frozen for months.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-06-28 11:44:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPost RFE approvals ...anyone ;-)
timesnap, we each have our IMBRA RFEs out of the way and it may be time to take a mental break from all this, before we turn into worried old hags. We've done all we can, so now it's time to enjoy the summer. Hope you keep a journal of your travels in India. We want recipes!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-04 10:05:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresvery Unique Situation (born USA, raised Pakistan, currently in UK)
birdyconfused, I don't know where you'd file. But am wondering how you'd qualify. Do you have a U.S. passport? SSN? Have you ever filed U.S.income tax? Not that these are pre-conditions, but would help establish your eligibility to petition and sponsor. You may be able to use Direct Consular Filing in Pakistan or England, depending on your (and your husband's) official residence. Your case, which will include 3 persons, is complex and may be worth a visit to an immigration lawyer.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-05 07:43:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany k3 progress?imbra rfe,approval ?after march 5
Hi khattak. The best way to guesstimate your journey is to update your timeline and add that information to your signature. Comparing yourself to me may not be terribly helpful. The site collects statistics that help posters gauge wait times based on couples with the same Service Center and country where the foreign partner resides.

To build your timeline : Homepage > Immigration Timelines > Edit/Add My Entry
To do your signature : Homepage > My Controls > Personal Profile > Edit Signature

Being touched means some sort of action has been taken on your file. You'll know because you'll set up a customer account at https://egov.immigra.../jsps/index.jsp Watch the dates. If they change, you've been touched. You can also choose to get an email alert when this happens.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-04 19:29:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany k3 progress?imbra rfe,approval ?after march 5
Hi sudhirbathija. If the I-130 is approved first, I'll continue with the K3 as well. It's not clear yet if K3 will still be faster. I'd like to think that IMBRA did not add a great deal of time, but it remains to be seen. As hafiz30 says, it's a personal decision.

Personally, I'd like to have my husband here sooner, even though he would not be eligible to work. There would be more waiting, but at least we'd be waiting together. We understand that the CR-1 (I-130) is more valuable, and the ultimate goal, but it might mean being apart about a year instead of roughly 6 months.

Hey, I'm not getting any younger, and it was never our plan to be celibate during the first year of marriage!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-04 09:59:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany k3 progress?imbra rfe,approval ?after march 5

Leaving it blank could look like I just didn't address the question.

The instructions were to check anything that applied. There wasn't any place to check off No or N/A. Your signature may be enough to swear you're telling the whole truth.

FYI, I was touched an received an email AFTER I returned the form!

Edited by Jersey Girl, 03 July 2006 - 04:31 PM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-03 16:29:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany k3 progress?imbra rfe,approval ?after march 5

Jersey girl I am so happy that you got yours..You are probably only few of the people who have retained their sanity in this turmoil ;-)And by the way what was yr notice date ?

To elaborate, my 2-page RFE came from Missouri. It was dated June 28 and postmarked June 30. It had an A-Number, which is new, as well as the MSC Number. I simply checked the No box asking if we'd met through a broker, then signed and dated. I left the convictions blank because none apply.

timesnap, I work hard to keep my sanity, and picked up St. John's Wort on my way to the Post Ofice today. It helps guard against mild depression, which would be easy to fall into, since I've been unsuccessful in my job search for two months now. I talk to my husband in Toronto every day and he is my rock, reminding me that all will be well in the end, so I'd better make sure I'm well, too.

It's a big lesson in patience, taking one day at a time, and understanding what we can't control. Having a sense of humor helps because we get so anxious and ridiculous. It's also a big test of a marriage, since we're each called upon to do our part and support the other one. I'm glad I had a long relationship with my husband before we married because it's helping us weather this storm.

Hey, what a honeymooon phase we're all having! I've got a drawer full of red lacey lingerie and no place to wear it!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-03 16:11:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany k3 progress?imbra rfe,approval ?after march 5
Yes, I received and returned my IMBRA form today. There was no email or touch before it came. Hang in there. Your patience will be rewarded.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-03 12:24:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresEmail RFE for I-129F
Have not received anything yet but need to ask: do you send back the RFE by itself? Or submit the entire I-129f package again? (I thought that was the procedure for RFEs.) Anybody get any instructions?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-01 20:00:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFINALLY MADE IT HOME
Congratulations. Hope she enjoys the "bangers" in Hog Heaven. Have a great Fourth of July!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-01 07:24:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLetter of invitation a good idea or not?
I agree with Cygnet. Once you apply for K3, the spouse should be waiting in her own country. Your wife needs to better understand the process you've embarked upon as a couple, and be ready for the inevitable wait. Think of it this way: if it were possibe to hang out in the States on a tourist visa while waiting for an immigrant visa of some kind, we'd all be doing it!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-07 10:09:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIm confused......
It's all very interesting, and perhaps a more experienced poster (or lawyer) has the answer. But the spirit of K3 is clear: the foreign spouse waits in their own country. The quicker you comply, the better. Protect your K3. Don't try to use an older tourist pass to circumvent the intent of the immigration laws. (That's just one opinion from someone who's relatively new.)
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-07 09:25:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMSC/NBC do all K-3's?
Here's how aussiewench put it to me in an IMBRA topics thread:

Hi Jersey

The service center for your I-130 is Vermont. The NBC in Missouri is the center for all I-129Fs for spouse.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-08 15:08:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNot fair ! K1 are getng approved ..
timesnap, take a chill pill and stop trying to predict how the government, in all its wisdom, operates. Don't you have better things to do before your holiday? Everything will evolve and we'll all eventually have a resolution. Relax. Everything will work out for the best.

zizi, the International Marriage Brokers Regulation Act is designed to filter preditors who pay for fiancees (or brides) who meet with abusive treatment once in the States. Yes, K3s who petitioned after March 6 are being asked to supply additional evidence. It's a simple letter. New K3s have an updated form that captures this information.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-07 09:34:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresstill translating
We just paid a professional translator in Toronto for vaccination records and a birth certificate (booklet) from Portuguese to English. It was $100 Canadian (about $90 U.S.). We just wanted it done and done right and considered the cost to be one of many in the process.

sparkofcreation, if you created a signature showing your capabilities/credentials, you might save some people here from hunting all over (or working with wonky software).
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-09 16:17:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresstill translating
Why are you using it? Don't you have to use a professional, certified translator?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-09 14:13:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK-3 in Toronto/Vancouver/Montreal/Ottawa?
sobby, are you a Toronto-Connecticut couple? If so, Montreal isn't far from the U.S. by car. It's even a hot vacation spot (with a casino) for those in the Tri-State area. For the Torontonian, Montreal's a 5-hour drive or a pleasant train trip from Union Station. Better bone up on your 10 French phrases if you file for K3!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-10 08:22:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK-3 in Toronto/Vancouver/Montreal/Ottawa?
Your K3 is "processed" at your U.S. Service Center (for the I-130 part) as well as the Missouri Service Center (for the I-129f part).

All interviews for Canadian spouses are done in Montreal or Vancouver. No Toronto interviews. (Not sure if you can do Direct Consular Filing in Toronto, though, or for which visa.)
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-09 16:05:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAdvice needed for K3 application US/Canada
ernie, ernie, ernie. Did you read the guides?

First up, you need a domicile, that is, a place where you live, officially and legally. That would not be Canada, since it looks like you're only a tourist there. What, pray tell, is the condition that you leave Canada by December 28? Is that self-imposed? In any case, you are not "living in Canada."

For the purposes of petitioning for a visa, it would probably be best for you to have a proper U.S. address, a job, and paystubs. You'll need a decent income to sponsor an immigrant. You are the sponsor. A co-sponsor is only your back-up.

Alternatively, you could leave the U.S. and become an official resident of Canada as a Landed Immigrant. This takes some time, and you'll have to file income tax returns in Canada and the U.S. Then, you could use Direct Consular Filing. But this is a long, convoluted, and expensive proposition. It means getting official permanent resident status for yourself in Canada just so you could get the same thing for your wife in the U.S. May not be the big idea.

If you two want to eventually live and work in the States, it's probably best for you to be domiciled here, working here, and applying through the right Service Center. You can visit Canada for short periods, and may even be able to telecommute to your job without triggering Canadian taxes.

But if you're contemplating a one-year tourist visa to Canada (I didn't know there was one) and applying with no U.S. address, no decent income, and no official status in Canada, it won't work.

Edited by Jersey Girl, 12 July 2006 - 10:55 AM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-12 10:50:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAdvice needed for K3 application US/Canada
What's the plan again? Hanging out in Canada as a tourist while you file for your wife using your U.S. address? Or fulfilling the residency requirements there in order to use Direct Consular Filing?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-10 20:36:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshow long it take bt ap to go to invc
Hang in there, you've come a long way! You already have a general estimate of time. Maybe some K3s from your area have specifics. Be kind to yourself and enjoy all the good things in your life until the visa comes.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-14 07:24:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresTouched -- post RFE reciept
Yup, got that one, too. Hope it means IMBRA was just a bump in the road and not a complete detour. We all have our fingers crossed.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-14 07:54:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHow long are Spouse/Non-Immigration Visas Taking?
Hi newhampshire, I started K3 in April and the only thing that has happened is an RFE (IMBRA). K3 folks imagined this would be the shortest route, but didn't count on the extra wait IMBRA created. Now, there's a distinct possibility our CR-1s may be quicker, or only marginally longer, so we have to seriously consider pursuing that visa instead. Even though it takes roughly a year, its benefits may tilt us in that direction, especially since the hoped for 6 months with K3 is fast becoming an impossible dream. But no one knows the actually timing yet, so perhaps your K3 gamble may have been a good one. Hope so.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-14 07:47:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview Scheduled !!!!!!!!!!!
Yipee! So glad to hear the French in Montreal don't take vacation for the whole month of August like les Parisiennes!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-14 20:16:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany K3's approved yet?
Hi chris&o, I received the same email and touch today. Consider it a good sign that they're getting what they need to proceed and are keeping us informed. Be grateful for small miracles.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-11 10:24:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany K3's approved yet?
Wow, Isabel, you're the awesome one! Taking matters into your own hands and having a clear plan for the next while. You'll make a great teacher and come out of this a sane woman, with a visa, a diploma, and some chinchillas (?)

Looking at your timeline, it seems the I-130 chugged along fairly quickly. But you dropped the K3 fairly quickly. Did you base this on any anecdotal evidence? Or did you simply decide you'd had enough angst? What's your esimated time of arrival now?
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-10 08:32:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany K3's approved yet?
There's nothing like helping others to pull yourself out of a self-absorbed state of worry and waiting. I just spent half a day shopping for a shut-in and visiting her. I didn't think of the visa once.

Some smarty pants should figure out a way to harness the untapped potential of visa petitioners who need something to do to take their mind off things. What a city we could build!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-09 13:39:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany K3's approved yet?
Isabel, you make me laugh. Just a couple of days ago, you agreed people should relax. May I quote you?

.. considering the fact, that some of us already received their RFE's per mail and returned it (two days ago??), how can you expect that they already work on that? Give them at least a week or two to sort things out. Remember there are only humans working on these cases, no gods.


Keep your pants on, girl!
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-09 08:02:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSo Essentially everyone is waiting for NOA 2?
Yes, we're all stuck in the Waiting Room where we've already read every magazine twice. Now we're counting on our fingers to see if the I-130 will be a better pursuit, since it's not embroiled in IMBRA, and may be only a marginally longer wait.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-16 14:31:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 process is lagging...
chris&o, you're probably still passed out, but when you wake up, and brush the sand out of your nether regions, tell me what you think about making Diversion Day a weekly event. You know, having regularly scheduled mindless fun with people who are sympathetic to our insanity.

The beer, though, needs to be limited, since alcohol is a depressent and we're all flirting with that already. I was thinking about branching out into chocolate fudge cake but was too lazy to go to the store. I consider this evidence my Guardian Angel hasn't given notice yet.

Humor is the only medicine that will save our asses, bony, Brazilian, and otherwise. So let's be clowns. Let's laugh at ourselves because we are ridiculous, spending our days being wildly indignant over doube-letter clerical errors for which no one is responsible and no heads will roll.

We all met through the miracle of the Internet and have forgotten to be grateful for friends. The kind who understand our plight. The kind who'll give you a shoulder to cry on. The kind who'll buy you a beer when you need one. chris&o, you don't need one. You've had too many already. So quick like a bunny, Fed Ex me what's left in that case of Heiniken.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-16 08:15:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 process is lagging...

They've been partying like animals over there since stopping work last 05 March, and they haven't sobered up yet...

Obviously, you haven't heard about Diversion Day. It's the best kept secret about the immigration process, and something government employees have known for years: Fun and games will keep you sane!

It starts with playing hookey, going to a museum or park, eating a Chinese Lupper (late lunch or early supper) and watching Napoleon Dynamite. That's the movie that proves the American Dream is still possible, even for geeks and illegals.

So stop driving yourself loony trying to predict the future based on patterns in bird droppings, and give yourself one helluva Diversion Day. (report back)
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-15 08:12:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNo approval yet Guys ?
timesnap, get away from the computer and go buy us some saris. It was 103 degrees and humid today in parts of northern New Jersey. We need the kind of clothes they wear around the equator.

I just snail mailed my duplicate RFE for IMBRA. Haven't seen any NOA2s. Go have fun. Fill your face with curry. Buy bangle braclets. Take a break from the visa obsession. By the time you come back, there's bound to be some encouraging news.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-17 16:05:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSo mad!
Hi becca. Sounds like you could use a Be-Kind-To-Me Event. It's something I do when the universe is not cooperating, everything is turning to rat poop, and I've used up my sense of humour.

Do whatever you can to pamper yourself. Because after a dinner of comfort food, a shower with soap from Paris, a large brandy and soda, and and a mindless movie, you'll feel the stress subsiding. You'll know you're okay again when you say in your best Scarlet O'Hara voice: "Fiddle dee dee, tomorrow is another day!"

Don't worry about your husband not being plugged into all the forms because it's a natural division of labour in many marriages. But if he's volunteering instead of earning a paycheque, he needs to understand his financial obigations as a sponsor. But not today. Today is for you.
Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-20 16:00:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 APPROVED! [NOA-2]
Belize, this is great news and we all needed to hear some. A few others may be following your lead, pursuing CR-1 instead of K3 as originally planned. The stress is killing us. Now you see a clear path and hopefully, a better one. Godspeed!

Edited by Jersey Girl, 19 July 2006 - 11:52 AM.

Jersey GirlFemaleCanada2006-07-19 11:51:00