What's the significance of approval notice validity date?

[maxbertha 0]

Hi. Can someone help me understand the significance of the validity date in the USCIS I-797 Approval Notice? The petition is for K1 fiance visa. I received an approval notice from USCIS for K1 visa and it has a validity date until Jan. 2012. What does this mean? Does the validity date mean that my petition will be terminated or expired in Jan. 2012? Does it mean that if I do not get an approved visa by Jan. 2012 I have to refile the K1 visa all over again from scratch to USCIS? Thanks.

[dukeandduchess 141]

They automatically extended mine for me but I emailed them and made sure they gave me a straight answer about it before I stopped worrying.

[maxbertha 0]

So this means that I have to e-mail USCIS or NVC?

They automatically extended mine for me but I emailed them and made sure they gave me a straight answer about it before I stopped worrying.

Edited November 24, 2011 by maxbertha

[dukeandduchess 141]

I emailed the Vancouver Consulate (I am the beneficiary).

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

If you do not apply for a visa at the consulate by the expiration date OR receive an extension the approved petition expires and you start over. SOME consulates extend petitions in 4 month ncrements automatically, SOME do not and you must request the extension. A consulate is nt required to grant an extension but most will. Check with the consulate website for deatils or call the consular visa section.

[maxbertha 0]

Thank you duke and gary for your help. I will send a fax to the embassy to request for the extension of the validity of the approval notice that was sent by the USCIS. Better to send a fax than just talking to an agent at the embassy.

If you do not apply for a visa at the consulate by the expiration date OR receive an extension the approved petition expires and you start over. SOME consulates extend petitions in 4 month ncrements automatically, SOME do not and you must request the extension. A consulate is nt required to grant an extension but most will. Check with the consulate website for deatils or call the consular visa section.

[dukeandduchess 141]

Thank you duke and gary for your help. I will send a fax to the embassy to request for the extension of the validity of the approval notice that was sent by the USCIS. Better to send a fax than just talking to an agent at the embassy.

It is very simple to e-mail the consulate *in my case, anyway*. My advice is to keep it VERY simple because it took me 3 e-mails (the third e-mail being about 1 sentence long) to get the correct response. Here's what I sent (I followed their format for how to communicate with them via e-mail though it may be different for other consulates):

Hello,

Thank you for the information. I booked my interview for October 7, 2011 and would like to confirm that my application will be extended automatically. Our letter says that it expires September 29th, 2011.

Thank you very much for your time!

XXXXX

Case Number: VAC############

Name (P): XXX, XXX XXX

Hope this helps! I felt a lot more secure with a written confirmation. I brought it with me just in case they tried to say it expired but I didn't have any problems