September 08 K1 fillers

[scandal 951]

I sent packet 3 in last week to the Bangkok embassy and I basically just sent a copy of the tax return I filed with the IRS. Got an interview, so that must have been ok.

Sounds good. thanks.

Also just an FYI on the interview schedule you will need to complete the checklist for the Bangkok embassy and send in all documentation (except evidence of relationship), prior to getting an interview date. Also if you didn't know, the Bangkok embassy requires a you get a verification of unmarried status if she has never registered a marriage before, she can only get this in her home town. We were delayed a week, cause we had to make the trip there to get it.

Hmm. We're still at NVC (just called tonight, they confirmed that they got it and are processing it). So I don't have BKK Packet 3 yet to compare notes with you. But I've been organizing everything according to the checklist they have on the website: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/k_visa_packet3.pdf

Perhaps they've updated the instructions since then, and this is out of date. But according to the online checklist they only want us to mail in:

DS-230 Part I, photocopy of passport photo page, and 2 passport photos. All the rest (I-134 etc) is supposed to be READY but brought to interview, not mailed in.

Can you confirm if the Packet 3 you got is different than the online checklist?

Also, we are aware of the need to get verification of unmarried status. She is doing this literally as I write these words at the amphur with her two brothers right now as witnesses that she's never been married. In her case it's easy since she lives in Bangkok, doesn't need a long trip to Isaan or other far off village.

One thing that does have me worried - the checklist asks for:

Marriage Certificates: Both Petitioner and Beneficiary should submit a certified copy of all marriage certificates. If either Petitioner or Beneficiary was previously married, please provide proof of termination of that marriage (e.g. death certificate of spouse, final divorce decree or annulment).

Gulp. I was married in 1990, divorced in 2008. I've already provided the certified final divorce decree with our I-129F petition (mailed in a copy, the original is with my fiancee to show at interview). But I do not have the marriage certificate to a marriage 18 years ago in 1990 which has failed and I kept no records. I don't know why they would need that old marriage certificate since I have the divorce decree to prove it's over. I'm thinking I should post this in a Thailand forum where others who have been through BKK interviews can comment on whether they really mean it about needing ancient marriage certificates.

They received packet 3 (checklist and doucments) on the 21st of Jan, and our interview date is Jan 29th After NOA2 everything has moved lightning fast compared to the first 4 months.

WOW! Glad to hear the interviews are getting scheduled that quickly. That's amazing. Good luck!!!

[AaronLV 12]

Hmm. We're still at NVC (just called tonight, they confirmed that they got it and are processing it). So I don't have BKK Packet 3 yet to compare notes with you. But I've been organizing everything according to the checklist they have on the website: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/k_visa_packet3.pdf

Perhaps they've updated the instructions since then, and this is out of date. But according to the online checklist they only want us to mail in:

DS-230 Part I, photocopy of passport photo page, and 2 passport photos. All the rest (I-134 etc) is supposed to be READY but brought to interview, not mailed in.

Can you confirm if the Packet 3 you got is different than the online checklist?

Yes the checklist that comes with the packet 3 email now requires all documents to be sent in, except for the evidence of relationship. Apparently the packet 3 online does not reflect this. I am not sure about the marriage certificate.

[scandal 951]

Hmm. We're still at NVC (just called tonight, they confirmed that they got it and are processing it). So I don't have BKK Packet 3 yet to compare notes with you. But I've been organizing everything according to the checklist they have on the website: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/k_visa_packet3.pdf

Perhaps they've updated the instructions since then, and this is out of date. But according to the online checklist they only want us to mail in:

DS-230 Part I, photocopy of passport photo page, and 2 passport photos. All the rest (I-134 etc) is supposed to be READY but brought to interview, not mailed in.

Can you confirm if the Packet 3 you got is different than the online checklist?

Yes the checklist that comes with the packet 3 email now requires all documents to be sent in, except for the evidence of relationship. Apparently the packet 3 online does not reflect this. I am not sure about the marriage certificate.

Thanks! Can you also confirm if you were able to do the Police report and Medical report prior to getting the Packet 3?

Where did you do Medical - at Bumrungrad? (My honey works there, hope she'll get a discount )

[AaronLV 12]

Hmm. We're still at NVC (just called tonight, they confirmed that they got it and are processing it). So I don't have BKK Packet 3 yet to compare notes with you. But I've been organizing everything according to the checklist they have on the website: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/k_visa_packet3.pdf

Perhaps they've updated the instructions since then, and this is out of date. But according to the online checklist they only want us to mail in:

DS-230 Part I, photocopy of passport photo page, and 2 passport photos. All the rest (I-134 etc) is supposed to be READY but brought to interview, not mailed in.

Can you confirm if the Packet 3 you got is different than the online checklist?

Yes the checklist that comes with the packet 3 email now requires all documents to be sent in, except for the evidence of relationship. Apparently the packet 3 online does not reflect this. I am not sure about the marriage certificate.

Thanks! Can you also confirm if you were able to do the Police report and Medical report prior to getting the Packet 3?

Where did you do Medical - at Bumrungrad? (My honey works there, hope she'll get a discount )

Once you have the NOA2 you can get the police report, I think the medical can be done anytime. We had ours done at BNH, and was about 12K baht with the vaccinations.

[Chuck and Grace 0]

Hmm. We're still at NVC (just called tonight, they confirmed that they got it and are processing it). So I don't have BKK Packet 3 yet to compare notes with you. But I've been organizing everything according to the checklist they have on the website: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/k_visa_packet3.pdf

Perhaps they've updated the instructions since then, and this is out of date. But according to the online checklist they only want us to mail in:

DS-230 Part I, photocopy of passport photo page, and 2 passport photos. All the rest (I-134 etc) is supposed to be READY but brought to interview, not mailed in.

Can you confirm if the Packet 3 you got is different than the online checklist?

Yes the checklist that comes with the packet 3 email now requires all documents to be sent in, except for the evidence of relationship. Apparently the packet 3 online does not reflect this. I am not sure about the marriage certificate.

Thanks! Can you also confirm if you were able to do the Police report and Medical report prior to getting the Packet 3?

Where did you do Medical - at Bumrungrad? (My honey works there, hope she'll get a discount )

Once you have the NOA2 you can get the police report, I think the medical can be done anytime. We had ours done at BNH, and was about 12K baht with the vaccinations.

Yeah, it is strange. Japan's US embassy website says bring everything in, but letter says to mail it in advance. it didnt request anything additional for me (US) though except I-134F and supporting documents. In Japan, passport photos still need to be brought in.

[Chuck and Grace 0]

i found this on another site. Thought it might be helpful for others preparing for the interview. It is about preparing the documents for interview at embassy.

The Filipino interviewer and the consul were very happy with the organization of my documents, and I do think that it helped show them I meant business. In fact, the consul told me that he’s giving me a gold star for the way I organized them. LOL

I only gave them what’s needed, nothing extra. And all papers were bound in flexible plastic folders. Please note “FLEXIBLEâ€. As Ate G explained before my interview date, “imagine a glass between you and the interviewer. The bottom of the glass touches the table, so it’s a flat surface.†In the middle of that table divider, there is a foot long slot where the papers would go through. It slopes 2-3 inches down, and 2 inches inside and out, except upwards.

Only papers and flexible plastics would go through. The hard side binders, spirals and covers will NEVER go through. So rule of thumb: stack your documents less than an inch, or even half an inch together. DO NOT use hardbound covers for your photo albums and document covers.

I’ve noticed that some interviewers got annoyed at applicants who took forever in submitting their documents and photos, as these applicants had to take out the photos from the albums one by one. It was time consuming. I followed the advices here and taped my photos in bond paper, and put captions below them.

How to Get a Gold Star

In clear plastic separates for easy access: the Filipino interviewers and personnel will take these papers one at a time:

A. Appointment Letter and valid ID

(will be shown to the guards before you enter the embassy)

B. DS Forms

(staple 2 sets of DS 156 and DS 157. DS 156K alone)

- Use the DS 157 form that the bank gave you (if the form is still valid: 2005–2007 version) in set A. The validation numbers are at the back of this paper. And a downloaded version in set B. Detach the pink slip or bank receipt from the form. You won’t need to submit that.

- Handwritten or typed-up forms are both ok. Mine are combination typed up and handwritten. I even had white-tape erasures, and they were ok. If you must correct something, make it neat.

- Paste/glue the pictures beforehand.

- In Nationality, put “Philippines.â€

- Answer the “Do Not Write Below This Line†part with your fiancé/e’s name, your signature and date. Do not write on anything that pertains to the consul’s part – his signature and date.

- Do NOT skip any lines. If any of the numbers are not applicable to you, write N/A or None. In number 40, if you yourself have filled out the forms, put “SELF†and N/A on succeeding lines.

- Failure to do above things will result in more delays. A couple of people have been asked to step aside because their forms were incomplete, and they were put at the back of the line.

C. Identification papers and police clearances

(only the first 3 were asked from me, and they were all together in one plastic separate)

- NSO Birth certificate

- NBI Clearance

- Police Certificate/s from the countries you stayed in for 6 months or more.

Other identification papers that were asked from other applicants

- Baptismal Certificate

- Divorce decrees

- Death certificates

- Annulment papers

In flexible plastic folders with plastic fillers, color-coded for easy reference as well. I took out the spiral side binders of the plastic folders and in its place, I bound the plastic fillers with button fasteners. I was afraid that the long fasteners would not be flexible enough to slip through the slot.

--D. Affidavit of Support

--E. Proof of Engagement

--F. Other Documents for Proof of Continuous Relationship

--G. Proof of Meeting Prior to Application

From me, they only asked for folders D and E. The papers were inserted one by one in plastic fillers, back to back.

D. Affidavit of support papers

Folder 1

- Notarized Form I-134

- Tony’s Employment Letter

- 2004 Tax Copies (Tax Transcripts and E-filing)

- 2004 W2 Copies

- Sample Recent Pay Stubs – Copies

(Originals were available for reference, but they did not ask to see those)

(Those are all I submitted. The 2002-2003 forms were in a separate folder, as I have read that some Filipino interviewers only glance at those to make sure your fiancé pays taxes, and has a stable job, then gives them back to the applicant. I did not want to clutter the folder with unnecessary papers, just in case she was just going to glance at them and return them to me.)

The Filipino interviewer asked me for the 2003 OR 2004 tax files and W2’s. So I assumed she wanted the most recent year. I showed her my folder’s front cover that has the above listed documents. She took the whole folder, and did not ask for the other previous years’ documents. I believe my “packaging†paid off.

Folder 2

- Tax transcripts, e-file reports and W2’s for the last 3 years (I had 5 years included just to make sure. Plus I had it anyway, so why not?)

In clear plastic separates, I also had the following optional papers, JUST IN CASE they asked for it. In my case, they didn’t ask for these. But some applicants were asked for the following:

- Bank letter/statements

- Insurance papers

- Stocks/Bonds, etc.

E. Proof of Engagement Documents and Photos

(in flexible plastic folders, stacked back to back)

- Renewed Letter of Intent to Marry

- Engagement Ring Receipt

- Engagement Photos (with Captions)

- May’s Wedding Dress Design

- Wedding Rings Design

- More Photos (with Captions)

F. Other Documents for Proof of Continuous Relationship

(in plastic separates)

- Snail mails, cards and postal envelopes and waybills (they vary in sizes and bulky when stacked together)

- Electronic Correspondences (bound in folder, with button fasteners)

---> Sample Yahoo! VIDEO Chats (Screen dump, 7 pages)

---> E-mail Correspondences (5 of his, 5 of mine)

---> Screen Shots of Yahoo! Messenger Archive - Everyday Conversations

---> Sample Yahoo CHAT Logs (one per month)

- Money Transfer Receipts (In plastic separates)

- Sample Phone Bills –Tony (In plastic separates)

- Sample Phone Bills – May (In plastic separates)

G. Proof of Meeting Prior to Application

(In flexible plastic folder, stacked back to back)

- Immigration Stamped Passport Page

- PAL Receipt for Tony’s 2 Day Extension

- Tony’s Itinerary from the Travel Agency

- Tony’s Original Boarding Passes

- Tony’s Airline Tickets

- Hotel Receipts during Tony’s visit

***NOTE: Folders F and G are optional! As some interviewers ask for snail mails, emails and chat logs. In my case, my Filipino interviewer did not even ask for anything else, except for our photos, since she said, “Your initial application papers are complete, and is already very thick with your documented proof. So I will only ask for some pictures.†I handed her Folder E and she was very happy with it.

***Another NOTE: They do look at all the pictures closely, and may even ask you about them. So be sure you know the stories behind the pictures. Submit the cheesiest ones you can find. LOL

TIPS in organizing your documents:

1. Make your documents look very presentable and clutter-free. Your organization will make it easy for you and the consul. You may even win some smiles from the grumpiest Filipino interviewers and consuls!

2. Use side tabs for easy reference.

3. Use color-coding, but avoid neons!

4. Use button fasteners, instead of long fasteners.

5. DO NOT stack your papers too thick. They will not pass through the slot. Maximum thickness should be half an inch. And make sure that the stack will be flexible enough, as they will be bent when passing though the slot.

6. DO NOT use hard-bound covers, hard side binders, and thick photo-albums. In fact, drop the idea. You might earn the ire of a grumpy Filipino interviewer if your documents and photos are in hard covers, and you would find yourself taking them out from the binder one at a time.

7. Use paper clips if you don’t have plastic separates. Plastic separates are ideal for thick stack of papers like affidavit of support papers (if you don’t want to put them in folders), snail mails and cards, identification documents, and other papers that you need to take out in haste.

8. Know where your documents are! Don’t mix your proof of relationship documents with the financial documents.

9. Most importantly, your documents should be COMPLETE! Some applicants left the embassy in tears, and were put in AR because they lacked important documents.

These are only tips and suggestions. I may have gone overboard with my document organization (you think? ), but these worked for me. Prettiness and neatness may only be icing on the cake, but the cake sure did look more appetizing with it. I was sure the cake inside it was good enough! But with this icing, I put the interviewer and consul in good moods, and left them smiling. A smiling interviewer is always a good sign. Plus, you might even earn a gold star! LOL

[Karri 0]

Thank you Chuck and Grace! I think you saved the day. I was already working on clear labeled folders for interview however I had no idea about the glass window and the small slot to submit things through! That totally changes my thoughts on how to approach this.

[cakana16 0]

Good morning! So I have been playing around with the dhl website for quite a whole, but every time I searched via shipper's reference, it would never allow me to choose my country. If I did, then it wouldn't work. I would receive a message that said something like "Tracking by shipper's reference is currently not working." Anyway, yesterday I tried again, and this time it worked! My package left NVC on Friday and is already in Germany! Which means it should be at the embassy by Tuesday at the lastest! This is terrific!

Also, Chuck and Grace, your documents look fantastic! I sent mine on Wednesday to my SO via DHL and they were similarly organized. I also left room for him to insert certain documents (birth certificate, police certificate, etc).

Quick question: does anybody know how long it takes to receive Packet 3 one the petition arrives at the embassy? I am currently pregnant and would like to make the interview as soon as possible so that my SO could be here for my next doctor's appointment. I'm going to call them on Tuesday and see what I can do about that.

[adiiann 163]

I was amazed by the fast moving of our cases. When my fiance called NVC last friday, he was told that our case was already sent here in Manila embassy. I thought it will take 2 weeks upon our approval. Though, one of my worries is I might be still in crutches during the medical examination as well as in my interview.

Well, anyway, I heard in Philippine forum that the appointment for interview will depends now with beneficiary. I wonder, how long it should take to get an appointment for interview when my case is already receive by the consular office here in the embassy? Can I schedule my interview a month after they receive my case?

Thanks for any reply.

[cakana16 0]

I don't know abou thte Phillipines, but I have friends who went through the K-1 process in Bosnia who called the embassy and were able to schedule an interview within a week of them receiveing the packet from NVC. It is an easier process, though. I say just call the embassy and ask them yourself.

[Chuck and Grace 0]

Quick question: does anybody know how long it takes to receive Packet 3 one the petition arrives at the embassy? I am currently pregnant and would like to make the interview as soon as possible so that my SO could be here for my next doctor's appointment. I'm going to call them on Tuesday and see what I can do about that.

I think it depends on the embassy, but you can probably call to see if they have it and if you have enough information, you can probably begin scheduling the medical and even the interview. Some embassy's have on-line appointment for interview. Some embassy's are requiring some documents sent in advance, but youi should still be able to move forward. Good Luck!

[probablyamerican 0]

I AM DOING THE APPROVAL DANCE, OH GOD, FINALLY, I GOT A LETTER IN MY MAIL BOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT AN OFFICIAL LOOKING LETTER AND I OPENED IT TO FIND MY APPROVAL LETTER!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!!!!!

[probablyamerican 0]

Hey all! So how is everyone doing? I just mailed off a binder of information to my SO. I am hoping NVC forwards our petition soon so that he could schedule an interview ASAP. I have a quick question, though: how often does NVC update their case status? Every time I call the automated system, the guy tells me that they haven't received my case. This is driving me crazy!!! I know it's only been a week, but do we know how often the automated system is updated?

I called NVC for a week and everytime received the same message you are referring to. Finally, last Friday I called and got a live voice on the phone. I asked about my case and the lady at NVC told me they had received my case and forwarded it on to the embassy in Moscow two days prior. I found that it is best to talk to someone rather than rely on their automated system.

Dogspot...How long before you called the NVC? I was approved and I am very excited to know, so I am kind of following you. Thanks

[dilbert30 0]

Karri - i agree with you. When I press option 1 for english and then option 2 for K visa. I get directly connected to the operator. Mine has been forwarded today to the embassy. Thanks.

[dogspot 90]

Hey all! So how is everyone doing? I just mailed off a binder of information to my SO. I am hoping NVC forwards our petition soon so that he could schedule an interview ASAP. I have a quick question, though: how often does NVC update their case status? Every time I call the automated system, the guy tells me that they haven't received my case. This is driving me crazy!!! I know it's only been a week, but do we know how often the automated system is updated?

I called NVC for a week and everytime received the same message you are referring to. Finally, last Friday I called and got a live voice on the phone. I asked about my case and the lady at NVC told me they had received my case and forwarded it on to the embassy in Moscow two days prior. I found that it is best to talk to someone rather than rely on their automated system.

Dogspot...How long before you called the NVC? I was approved and I am very excited to know, so I am kind of following you. Thanks

Congratulations! I knew y'all would be approved soon. If you received your hard copy, there is a chance your case has already been sent to NVC. I would call them today or in the next couple of days.