K1 Visa Dismay

[Other 0]

I had been very happy to see that my visa process was going faster than expected and that the consulate received my documents at the end of March even though I had filed in January. I sent the consulate documents to my fiancee in April after my taxes were filed and I returned from a trip to Turkey. My fiancee was supposed to fill out her 3 forms and put everything together to send to the consulate. This is where everything took a turn.

My expectation was that my fiance could read and understand the consulate documentation that was in her native language and once she received everything it would be sent via UPS to the consulate. However what happened was a friend of her aunt said that she needed to do other stuff. Then the friend said that they sent the documents. After that she said the interview is next week and said that for 4 weeks while I was trying to convence my fiancee that something was wrong especially when this friend also said that they were waiting for the doctor to call them back to schedule a doctors appointment.

Anyways, now we are many months later with an NOA2 that says it is only valid until July 10th and I was layed off at the end of May. The consulate said that they will get back to me in 5 days to let me know if they have received my documentation however the last time they wanted the UPS tracking number. Since this friend was the one that sent the documentation in I'm not sure if they used UPS or if they even sent the documentation in.

My questions are:

1) Does the NOA2 actually expire, or is that just the expiration before it makes it to the NVC?

2) If the NOA2 expires does the consulate care?

3) If the consulate cares that the NOA2 expired how do I extend my time?

4) Is there a need to worry about a co-sponsor, or will the consulate just believe the documentation I sent? I had a notorized letter from the owner of the company saying I worked there.

Needless to say this is why I usually do everything myself, but during my trip in March my fiancee convenced me that she understood everything and it wouldn't be a problem. If we get an interview date I expect it to be sometime in October.

Other

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I had been very happy to see that my visa process was going faster than expected and that the consulate received my documents at the end of March even though I had filed in January. I sent the consulate documents to my fiancee in April after my taxes were filed and I returned from a trip to Turkey. My fiancee was supposed to fill out her 3 forms and put everything together to send to the consulate. This is where everything took a turn.

My expectation was that my fiance could read and understand the consulate documentation that was in her native language and once she received everything it would be sent via UPS to the consulate. However what happened was a friend of her aunt said that she needed to do other stuff. Then the friend said that they sent the documents. After that she said the interview is next week and said that for 4 weeks while I was trying to convence my fiancee that something was wrong especially when this friend also said that they were waiting for the doctor to call them back to schedule a doctors appointment.

Anyways, now we are many months later with an NOA2 that says it is only valid until July 10th and I was layed off at the end of May. The consulate said that they will get back to me in 5 days to let me know if they have received my documentation however the last time they wanted the UPS tracking number. Since this friend was the one that sent the documentation in I'm not sure if they used UPS or if they even sent the documentation in.

My questions are:

1) Does the NOA2 actually expire, or is that just the expiration before it makes it to the NVC?

2) If the NOA2 expires does the consulate care?

3) If the consulate cares that the NOA2 expired how do I extend my time?

4) Is there a need to worry about a co-sponsor, or will the consulate just believe the documentation I sent? I had a notorized letter from the owner of the company saying I worked there.

Needless to say this is why I usually do everything myself, but during my trip in March my fiancee convenced me that she understood everything and it wouldn't be a problem. If we get an interview date I expect it to be sometime in October.

Other

1. NOA2 does actually expire. You can request an extension from the consulate

2. Yes, they care! They send it back to USCIS as an unclaimed visa and they clse the case and you start over (or try to get the case re-opened)

3. Contact the consulate and request an extension, they are given in 4 month increments

4. Better have a co-sponsor available. While they may believe it they may ask for updated information, particularly if it has been many months since submitting it

5. Never leave you case or the decisions in the hands of a friend of the aunt....or even your fiancee. DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

I had been very happy to see that my visa process was going faster than expected and that the consulate received my documents at the end of March even though I had filed in January. I sent the consulate documents to my fiancee in April after my taxes were filed and I returned from a trip to Turkey. My fiancee was supposed to fill out her 3 forms and put everything together to send to the consulate. This is where everything took a turn.

My expectation was that my fiance could read and understand the consulate documentation that was in her native language and once she received everything it would be sent via UPS to the consulate. However what happened was a friend of her aunt said that she needed to do other stuff. Then the friend said that they sent the documents. After that she said the interview is next week and said that for 4 weeks while I was trying to convence my fiancee that something was wrong especially when this friend also said that they were waiting for the doctor to call them back to schedule a doctors appointment.

Anyways, now we are many months later with an NOA2 that says it is only valid until July 10th and I was layed off at the end of May. The consulate said that they will get back to me in 5 days to let me know if they have received my documentation however the last time they wanted the UPS tracking number. Since this friend was the one that sent the documentation in I'm not sure if they used UPS or if they even sent the documentation in.

My questions are:

1) Does the NOA2 actually expire, or is that just the expiration before it makes it to the NVC?

2) If the NOA2 expires does the consulate care?

3) If the consulate cares that the NOA2 expired how do I extend my time?

4) Is there a need to worry about a co-sponsor, or will the consulate just believe the documentation I sent? I had a notorized letter from the owner of the company saying I worked there.

Needless to say this is why I usually do everything myself, but during my trip in March my fiancee convenced me that she understood everything and it wouldn't be a problem. If we get an interview date I expect it to be sometime in October.

Other

Strange, everything we received from Ankara was in english, not turkish.

This is the instructions they want you to follow: Ankara K-1 instructions

It states you have to use UPS to send in the forms.

To process a K-1/K-2 visa file and complete the visa interview on the same day, beneficiaries are required to courier their documents via United Parcel Service (UPS) to the American Embassy in Ankara.

To make the medical appointments, you call the hospital (listed in the instructions) and make the appointment, usually after the embassy accepts your initial package you sent them and they give you an interview date.

(they recommend 3-4 days before the actual interview)

When we called for the appointment, they gave it, and Umit went to it - no call backs.

Answers:

1. Yes it expires, but the embassy can extend it if you ask them, and/or they need to due to other issues.

2. Yes. You have to request an extension (if it's their fault, they will normally extend it, but you would want to make sure)

3. You contact them - they seem to prefer email (i've contacted them several times this way)

4. I would have a co-sponsor ready, just in case. They may, small chance, call your employer listed on that letter.

You can check on the Ankara site (with the number from the NVC letter ANKXXXX) to see if they scheduled your interview.

[Other 0]

Here is the instructions in Turkish. It is available on the Turkish version of the US Embassy website.

I have already checked the website for the interview, but our case number isn't on there. Which is why I believe that the person who was helping didn't do what she said she did. I'm not sure how they sent the documents, but I do understand that the instructions said to use UPS. If you understand Turks then you will understand why they would go to the consulate and drop it off even though the documentation says not to do that. Many times the family has tried to game the system to make things go faster. At this point it has only caused more problems.

I will be making a phone call to the consulate at 1:30am tonight, so I can get an extention on the Approval Notice stating that the documentation must have been lost and I am working on getting them another set. If this is the case then I will have to just resubmit it with a co-sponsor and DO IT ALL MYSELF.

Other

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Here is the instructions in Turkish. It is available on the Turkish version of the US Embassy website.

I have already checked the website for the interview, but our case number isn't on there. Which is why I believe that the person who was helping didn't do what she said she did. I'm not sure how they sent the documents, but I do understand that the instructions said to use UPS. If you understand Turks then you will understand why they would go to the consulate and drop it off even though the documentation says not to do that. Many times the family has tried to game the system to make things go faster. At this point it has only caused more problems.

I will be making a phone call to the consulate at 1:30am tonight, so I can get an extention on the Approval Notice stating that the documentation must have been lost and I am working on getting them another set. If this is the case then I will have to just resubmit it with a co-sponsor and DO IT ALL MYSELF.

Other

The amount of unadulterated BS that foreign fiancees hear is beyond comprehension. The worst part of our journey was when Alla has her visa in hand and then everyone wanted to jump in and tell her she would be able to leave unless she did.....blah, blah, blah....all BS. I was wishing I could have confined her to her apartment and turned off her phone until she left. Every day was another rumor to quash.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Oh - I understand Turks all right, and my Turk followed the instructions to the letter

The timing right now from the embassy is 3-4 months after receipt of the package for an interview. (ours was 3 months).

But they listed our interview date almost the same day they granted it (within 2 days of receipt of the package). Your fiancee should of received a letter from them (via UPS) telling you of that. (I also received an email (which was listed on the forms we filled out).

And don't forget - the instruction pdf has two forms that need to be filled in and sent with the package.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Bobby_Umit