Need help please!

[MARM 7]

My fiance is a Pakistani citizen, has been in the UK for the past 4 years on student visa. He is currently in the UK as a student as well, so he will be interviewing for his K-1 at the London embassy.

Our concern is this:

When we initially filed the I-129F, we did not know how long the processing would take at USCIS, naturally. Thankfully, we have received our NOA2 last week . My fiance's UK student visa was about to expire, so he reapplied for an extension to it a few months ago. We are expecting the approval for his UK student visa extension by the end of this February, or even sooner. But our concern is, if he for some reason either does not get his UK student visa extension successfully OR if the processing of his UK student visa is delayed for some reason, will be still be able to interview in London for his K-1 visa? Our understanding is that he will be interviewing at the US Embassy in London, so they will not be concerned with his UK student visa status as that is a UK issue, not a US one, so he will still be able to interview through the embassy in London for his K-1 even if his UK student visa extension is delayed or not granted to him successfully. But we don't know for sure if we are correct in thinking this.

***Note: In the case his UK student visa processing is delayed, he would have to ask for his Pakistani passport back from the UK Home Agency so that he could submit it to the US Embassy for the K-1 visa application at the time of interview. If he asks for his passport back from the UK Home Agency BEFORE they make a decision on his extension, his application will be closed for his request of extension, so he would be going to his K-1 interview at the US Embassy in London with his Pakistani passport, but without a UK student visa extension.

Please advise what we should do!!!

Would he be able to interview at the USE in London for K-1 without an extension to his UK student visa?

[Rob&Dawn 1]

At the USE there concern is with the K1 application. It will be of no concern to them if he has a student visa because as you say that would be a UK Home Office issue.

Can he not speak to a student advisor or Citizens Advice Bureau , as i am sure there is an option to stay in the UK for a 'holiday' after he has finished his studies.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Can he set aside a day to go down to Croydon to do the renewal of his UK student visa in person? I don't know if they still do that (they used to), but I'd investigate if it was an option.

Edited February 10, 2009 by rkl57

[MARM 7]

Thanks so much for your advice!

My fiance is in Croydon, but the issue with the coming in person and applying for an extension does not apply to him anymore as he already sent in his application a few months ago. He has his biometrics appointment for his extension (now that they have established mandatory ID cards for non UK citizens) this Thursday, so we are just praying hard that he gets his extension immediately after his biometrics.

Rob&Dawn: I will relay your suggestion to my fiance, and let's see what we can do. On a separate note, I wanted to ask if you experienced any problems submitting the packet 3 response without getting packet 3 in the first place, as I see from your time line in your signature , you sent in the response before they sent out the request letter to you. How did that work? And do you suggest it is a good idea?

[Rob&Dawn 1]

Thanks so much for your advice!

My fiance is in Croydon, but the issue with the coming in person and applying for an extension does not apply to him anymore as he already sent in his application a few months ago. He has his biometrics appointment for his extension (now that they have established mandatory ID cards for non UK citizens) this Thursday, so we are just praying hard that he gets his extension immediately after his biometrics.

Rob&Dawn: I will relay your suggestion to my fiance, and let's see what we can do. On a separate note, I wanted to ask if you experienced any problems submitting the packet 3 response without getting packet 3 in the first place, as I see from your time line in your signature , you sent in the response before they sent out the request letter to you. How did that work? And do you suggest it is a good idea?

no problems at all sending pkt3 in before they sent it out, def sped up getting an interview date!

i think it is a good idea to do if you want to get ahead of the waiting game! i have the IV-15 checklist as a word doc if you need it PM me.

[MARM 7]

no problems at all sending pkt3 in before they sent it out, def sped up getting an interview date!

i think it is a good idea to do if you want to get ahead of the waiting game! i have the IV-15 checklist as a word doc if you need it PM me.

So I think I will make sure with DOS once our file gets to the US Embassy in London, we should send out our packet 3 response. And thanks, but I also have a copy of the IV-15 checklist (as a JPEG). Thanks a bunch!

Oh and I just emailed the US Embassy in London (Consular Unit) asking about this situation we have. I will post back here once I get a response from them.

Edited February 10, 2009 by MARM

[Boiler 45,514]

Do not forget AP/AR.

[MARM 7]

Do not forget AP/AR.

AP/AR is NOT something we could just "forget". We know that he will be in AP after his approval, but we know for a fact it will only be a couple of weeks, 2 months at the most, and that is just what we have to deal with, but it is London afterall, not like Pakistan, where they put one on AP for AGES....MONTHS...even YEARS...

Thank you God that our case is in London!

Thanks for the reminder though!