K-1 Visa Approved, sent passport back but no envelope?

[whattheduck 0]

Hello! Hope I am posting to the right place, was just wondering if anyone had ever encountered something similar...

My fiance went for his visa interview back in September of 2013 and was conditionally approved; we had to send in more paperwork regarding my and my co-sponsor's financial background. Around mid-October, we found out that our visa had been approved for good and that his passport and entry packet would be sent to him in 4-6 weeks. This never happened. He called again to see what the hold-up was, was told again that his passport and packet would be sent to him in 2 weeks. Mid-December, they sent him his passport back with a stamp, but no entry packet. He called the London Embassy again to be told that they would send him his entry packet within a week's time, that it would be okay to book his flight out within a two week window and that it would certainly be there within the week period. This was two weeks ago. My fiance called the London Embassy again today and was told that they had tried to contact him a few days ago and that it was urgent he go to the embassy in person. He has an appointment this coming Tuesday, and we are both freaking out because we have no idea as to why they need him to go again to the embassy by appointment and why they didn't just send out his packet like the person he'd spoken with said would happen.

Tried researching this myself, but really couldn't find any situation that matched. Has anyone else ever received their stamped passport separately from their entry packet and been asking to go back to an embassy by appointment...? Am really hoping there is not some bad news just waiting to be relayed to us on Tuesday...

[lost_at_sea 995]

Hello! Hope I am posting to the right place, was just wondering if anyone had ever encountered something similar...

My fiance went for his visa interview back in September of 2013 and was conditionally approved; we had to send in more paperwork regarding my and my co-sponsor's financial background. Around mid-October, we found out that our visa had been approved for good and that his passport and entry packet would be sent to him in 4-6 weeks. This never happened. He called again to see what the hold-up was, was told again that his passport and packet would be sent to him in 2 weeks. Mid-December, they sent him his passport back with a stamp, but no entry packet. He called the London Embassy again to be told that they would send him his entry packet within a week's time, that it would be okay to book his flight out within a two week window and that it would certainly be there within the week period. This was two weeks ago. My fiance called the London Embassy again today and was told that they had tried to contact him a few days ago and that it was urgent he go to the embassy in person. He has an appointment this coming Tuesday, and we are both freaking out because we have no idea as to why they need him to go again to the embassy by appointment and why they didn't just send out his packet like the person he'd spoken with said would happen.

Tried researching this myself, but really couldn't find any situation that matched. Has anyone else ever received their stamped passport separately from their entry packet and been asking to go back to an embassy by appointment...? Am really hoping there is not some bad news just waiting to be relayed to us on Tuesday...

It's probably to collect the envelope. It's pretty important that he has it on his person when he POEs, and perhaps the person he spoke to on the phone on one of the occasions incorrectly thought he'd be coming in to collect it, rather than mailing it, or they believe he's travelling very soon (so they're doing the most expeditious option by having him come and get it in person). I wouldn't freak out too much. It could be that they mislaid something and need him to re-do something like sign a form or re-do his fingerprints.

I've heard of people getting just the passport (with visa) and not the envelope from London before.

Does he live in/near London at least?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I have never heard of your situation and I've been reading the UK forum for 5+ years. It could be they lost it and need your signature again on some documents. I doubt it is another interview, but more of a paperwork session to clean up their mistake. Not too many months ago, they sent the wrong guys paperwork and he wasn't aware he had somebody else's until it was opened at his POE airport. They have done some weird things lately.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Nich-Nick

[Anna Grant 169]

When you say that he received his 'passport back with a stamp', do you mean that the K1 visa is stuck to one of the pages of his passport? If so, then he should be okay and he just needs to pick up his package.

[whattheduck 0]

It's probably to collect the envelope. It's pretty important that he has it on his person when he POEs, and perhaps the person he spoke to on the phone on one of the occasions incorrectly thought he'd be coming in to collect it, rather than mailing it, or they believe he's travelling very soon (so they're doing the most expeditious option by having him come and get it in person). I wouldn't freak out too much. It could be that they mislaid something and need him to re-do something like sign a form or re-do his fingerprints.

I've heard of people getting just the passport (with visa) and not the envelope from London before.

Does he live in/near London at least?

My fiance does live in London but wow.

It is so messed. So my fiance called the London Embassy about it again, they said there was nothing they could do or say until his appointment; they redirected him to The Department of State; they told him our visa had been cancelled months ago, like way before his visa interview back in late August of 2013 because of some paperwork issue that they couldn't clarify on. Instead, they told him that he should have me contact the National Visa Center. I did this, then was redirected to USCIS, and then called NVC again to ask them what in the heck was happening. I have written to the London Embassy by e-mail as well because I am so confused as to when our visa would've been cancelled, or like what paperwork it is that expired or something during this time. No one has given me answers yet...

I am hoping to call the DOS again on Monday myself for more answers or hoping the London Embassy will give us some sort of guidance on what the heck to do. I am just like, "for real?" My fiance just left his job, took out his savings and was ready to take off. Like, I can't even believe life at this point and time. It's been almost two years since we've seen each other. 2014 is a great one so far.

I have never heard of your situation and I've been reading the UK forum for 5+ years. It could be they lost it and need your signature again on some documents. I doubt it is another interview, but more of a paperwork session to clean up their mistake. Not too many months ago, they sent the wrong guys paperwork and he wasn't aware he had somebody else's until it was opened at his POE airport. They have done some weird things lately.

That sounds like a terrible situation to have been in! I'm really not even sure what the embassy will do at this point with the way that things have gone so far. I am hoping for the best but right now, it is pretty hard to have high hopes.

[lost_at_sea 995]

What's the expiry date on his visa? It must be what, Feb sometime?

I dunno... It's all speculation until he gets there.

Edited January 4, 2014 by lost_at_sea

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

That is truly weird. I can't even guess. But I am surprised that he even spoke to somebody on the phone at the embassy. That is next to impossible. And if you get a live human, it is likely not the person in the IV unit who actually knows what's going on. A visa can't be cancelled before an interview. Maybe the petition?? Or maybe after the interview.

NVC would be pretty useless for a K1 because no processing happens there. It's a short pit stop. That's why the phone person who said ask NVC doesn't sound knowledgeable.

USCIS has nothing to do with issuing or canceling visas. They deal with petitions that allow you to apply for a visa. if there are any notes made by London, then DOS will have that information. They are the parent agency over the embassy and the NVC. Maybe you can ask a LOT of questions and get an answer. You don't have a long wait until Tuesday, so not long before he is face to face with a person who has the answers.

[whattheduck 0]

Just to resolve my own post...

I was incorrect in thinking the stamp he recieved with his approval letter was actually a K-1, so that was a noob mistake! It was just a stamp.

However, my fiance was told at his appointment that our visa had been cancelled a year ago due to "no contact" during a certain period of time (though this was untrue, we had called during the timeframe they gave us but there was no way to prove that as they keep no record of phone calls) and stated that there was nothing we could do, save start over and submit a new I-129f. Still not really sure how this was never communicated to my fiance or I during the last year that we have spent continuing the K-1 process, and how it is he managed to finish and obtain an approval when our initial petition had supposedly expired long before...