K1 - timelines - Do they vary by country?

[YingYang 0]

Hi there

This is my first post so forgive me if this has already been answered (I did a search and didnt find anything useful on this)

Does the timeline for K1 vary by country? I see that some of the K1s from CSC (for India) have already been approved for Feb 08 and I havent heard anything yet. I know Vermont is faster - but does this also take into account the country where your fiance is from?

I also see that some of the people have posted times for when their App was "touched" - what does that even mean?

Thanks!

[BRIAN AND ISA 0]

Yes, timelines vary as well as processing times for K-1 Visa depending on the country. Go to the processing time section or find others from the country where your fiance lives and look at their time lines to get an idea of what time you are going to be looking at. Keep in mind that this could change if you get an RFE or forget to send something in or if policy changes. When we started the process the guides said 3 months for applicants from Peru and it ended up taking 6 months because of policy changes here in the USA. Good luck with everything.

[YingYang 0]

Yes, timelines vary as well as processing times for K-1 Visa depending on the country. Go to the processing time section or find others from the country where your fiance lives and look at their time lines to get an idea of what time you are going to be looking at. Keep in mind that this could change if you get an RFE or forget to send something in or if policy changes. When we started the process the guides said 3 months for applicants from Peru and it ended up taking 6 months because of policy changes here in the USA. Good luck with everything.

Thanks. I saw the difference in timelines for applicants from other countries and so your answer confirms what i was thinking. Do you know what "touched" means? How do people know their application was viewed by the service center? I am assuming thats what "touched" really means.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Touched just means that USCIS has handled your file. You can track it on the USCIS website by creating an account, then referencing the case number on your NOA1. Good luck!!

[YingYang 0]

Touched just means that USCIS has handled your file. You can track it on the USCIS website by creating an account, then referencing the case number on your NOA1. Good luck!!

Thanks - just did register and now I see what it means. Unfortunately the application hasnt been "touched" in a while - but I at least know what that means

[Brad and Vika 129]

Touched just means that USCIS has handled your file. You can track it on the USCIS website by creating an account, then referencing the case number on your NOA1. Good luck!!

Thanks - just did register and now I see what it means. Unfortunately the application hasnt been "touched" in a while - but I at least know what that means

My pleasure - and welcome to the world of USCIS status checkers (some more compulsive than others).

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Just as an added consideration - not all files get 'touched' when they are handled and there are cases where someone's file is reading a last touched date of months before with the same previous message - and they have already received their approval. So, consider it a useful - but not always accurate - tool for monitoring the progress of your case.

Edited July 13, 2008 by Kathryn41

[YingYang 0]

Just as an added consideration - not all files get 'touched' when they are handled and there are cases where someone's file is reading a last touched date of months before with the same previous message - and they have already received their approval. So, consider it a useful - but not always accurate - tool for monitoring the progress of your case.

Thanks - I wouldnt have known that.

[Anjelika81 0]

Hi,

Where can I see difference in timelines for applicants from different countries??

Yes, timelines vary as well as processing times for K-1 Visa depending on the country. Go to the processing time section or find others from the country where your fiance lives and look at their time lines to get an idea of what time you are going to be looking at. Keep in mind that this could change if you get an RFE or forget to send something in or if policy changes. When we started the process the guides said 3 months for applicants from Peru and it ended up taking 6 months because of policy changes here in the USA. Good luck with everything.

Thanks. I saw the difference in timelines for applicants from other countries and so your answer confirms what i was thinking. Do you know what "touched" means? How do people know their application was viewed by the service center? I am assuming thats what "touched" really means.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Hi,

Where can I see difference in timelines for applicants from different countries??

Yes, timelines vary as well as processing times for K-1 Visa depending on the country. Go to the processing time section or find others from the country where your fiance lives and look at their time lines to get an idea of what time you are going to be looking at. Keep in mind that this could change if you get an RFE or forget to send something in or if policy changes. When we started the process the guides said 3 months for applicants from Peru and it ended up taking 6 months because of policy changes here in the USA. Good luck with everything.

Thanks. I saw the difference in timelines for applicants from other countries and so your answer confirms what i was thinking. Do you know what "touched" means? How do people know their application was viewed by the service center? I am assuming thats what "touched" really means.

At the top of the page, click on Immigration Timelines. They break down by country and type of visa.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Yes timelines can vary by country but this is usually at the embassy level, not the petition level. I've not seen any evidence that the country of the beneficiary affects how long it takes for your petition to be approved by the two service centres. The delays occur later; some embassies take a while to set interview dates, and certain countries are much more likely to place you on AP than others.

[YingYang 0]

Yes timelines can vary by country but this is usually at the embassy level, not the petition level. I've not seen any evidence that the country of the beneficiary affects how long it takes for your petition to be approved by the two service centres. The delays occur later; some embassies take a while to set interview dates, and certain countries are much more likely to place you on AP than others.

True - nowhere does it say that this varies by country. But I do see that some visas from Europe get approved sooner than those from Asia as an example. I am not sure if this is because of volume of applications or some other reason.