awaiting k1 interview and uncertain what we must do to get it scheduled

[DAAG 1]

I originally posted this as a comment on a related post,"how long does it take to get an interview" then discovered that post was a year old, and mostlikely no longer being looked at, being unable to remove it there I reposted it as a new, question with amplifying information that has largely been a mystery to many of us.

I tried a k-1 visa several years ago and things did not work out for my fiancee at the time and I. I brought her over but it seems she had other plans that she came over for instead of marrying me. but at that time the Manila Embassy sent an actual physical packet of forms and list of doccuments your filipina fiancee needed for the interview, and detailed instructions,to her along with the notification she was eligible for scheduling, and then scheduled the medical appointment and interview a week apart a couple of months in the future, to give her time to get all the papers together prior to her interview. so all we had to do after the packet arrived was complete the forms gather the necessary supporting documents and wait. thats what the talk about recieving a packet is about. some of us didnt realize they'd stopped sending packets. Thanks from all of us playing catch up to the new way of doing things, for the heads up. The embassy is very closed mouthed about it. too bad they didnt say on thier website.

In any case I now have a new fiancee, a really good woman i love dearly and miss very much. we spent last summer, the most beautiful of my life, together, on her beautiful island basking in the sun. and want to be together again soon. we were worried about the same issues, of when will we have our interivew scheduled, as the whole process went really fast UP TO TO THE LETTER FROM THE EMBASSY 9 july 2010, stating my fiancee was eligible for scheduling an interview, then all stopped, dead in the water, like an aircraft carrier with all but one mmr dead and the rudder stuck in a hard right turn. we were waiting for the packet to arrive and to be told an interview was scheduled,and checking the website where you can enter your case number to see if you have an interview, for 4 months, til the other day it stoped opening when clicked. we had no idea what had happened to our case. because up to that point it'd been just like the first time i did it, only much faster. now we were very lost and disappointed. we did eventually download and complete the online packet,and somone told us that case number check site hadn't worked since 2008. but the Embassy could save everyone a lot of heartache, panic, and unnecessary research by prominently posting big procedural changes like this on thier website. those of you who now know the embassy no longer sends a packet, are you saying they no longer schedule the medical exam and interivew anylonger either, without us calling them on thier toll line? that line existed the first time too but then just to accelerate the process. now it seems like were being told how long before the interview we need to schedule the medical exam, as if were the ones to do the scheduling, instead of being told when its scheduled. if thats true its ok but we need to know these things, in order to be doing them, in a timely fashion, instead of just sitting idly waiting for something that isnt comming.

one site also says we should complete and send some of the papers back to the embassy. I just saw that today. the first time the embassy said dont send any papers, just bring them all to the interview. So are we supposed to send any papers, now or just bring them all to the interview, like before?

is it now a necessity for us to call the toll number in order to get an interview? I have also seen mention of a ds-230. is that something we now do for what is technically a nonimmigrant visa?

someone asked me the other day if military retirement and social security are sufficient for income as long as they meet the poverty guidelines, and i didnt know the answer, so id like to ask that too.

I looked at hundreds of timelines today on other peoples cases, and the time from NOA2 to interview ranged from 3 weeks (extremely short) to 5 months (very long) normally most were between 2 and 3 months, so i guess the answer to how long is between 3 weeks and 5 months, now that were pushing 5 months we got worried, because we saw little hints here and there that we may need to call. and the downloaded poacket seems very different from what many people say is required. also since its been soo long waiting for interview, some of our papers are becomming old. i did the affidsavit of support, I-134 when i first started the process and its now 8 months old. does anyone know if thats ok?

Daag and Jane timeline: 9 Apr 2010 submitted petition, NOA1 13 Apr 2010, NOA2 15 Jun 2010, letter from NVC 24 Jun 2010 sending package to Manila US Embassy, 9 July letter from Embassy stating fiancee eligible for scheduling of interview. then silence for 4 1/2 months. thats the last we heard.

[Ken y Leidys 20]

I tried a k-1 visa several years ago and things did not work out for my fiancee at the time and I. I brought her over but it seems she had other plans that she came over for instead of marrying me. but at that time the Manila Embassy sent an actual physical packet of forms and list of doccuments your filipina fiancee needed for the interview, and detailed instructions,to her along with the notification she was eligible for scheduling, and then scheduled the medical appointment and interview a week apart a couple of months in the future, to give her time to get all the papers together prior to her interview. so all we had to do after the packet arrived was complete the forms gather the necessary supporting documents and wait. thats what the talk about recieving a packet is about. some of us didnt realize they'd stopped sending packets. Thanks from all of us playing catch up to the new way of doing things, for the heads up. The embassy is very closed mouthed about it. too bad they didnt say on thier website.

In any case I now have a new fiancee, a really good woman i love dearly and miss very much. we spent last summer, the most beautiful of my life, together, on her beautiful island basking in the sun. and want to be together again soon. we were worried about the same issues, of when will we have our interivew scheduled, as the whole process went really fast UP TO TO THE LETTER FROM THE EMBASSY 9 july 2010, stating my fiancee was eligible for scheduling an interview, then all stopped, dead in the water, like an aircraft carrier with all but one mmr dead and the rudder stuck in a hard right turn. we were waiting for the packet to arrive and to be told an interview was scheduled,and checking the website where you can enter your case number to see if you have an interview, for 4 months, til the other day it stoped opening when clicked. we had no idea what had happened to our case. because up to that point it'd been just like the first time i did it, only much faster. now we were very lost and disappointed. we did eventually download and complete the online packet,and somone told us that case number check site hadn't worked since 2008. but the Embassy could save everyone a lot of heartache, panic, and unnecessary research by prominently posting big procedural changes like this on thier website. those of you who now know the embassy no longer sends a packet, are you saying they no longer schedule the medical exam and interivew anylonger either, without us calling them on thier toll line? that line existed the first time too but then just to accelerate the process. now it seems like were being told how long before the interview we need to schedule the medical exam, as if were the ones to do the scheduling, instead of being told when its scheduled. if thats true its ok but we need to know these things, in order to be doing them, in a timely fashion, instead of just sitting idly waiting for something that isnt comming.

one site also says we should complete and send some of the papers back to the embassy. I just saw that today. the first time the embassy said dont send any papers, just bring them all to the interview. So are we supposed to send any papers, now or just bring them all to the interview, like before?

is it now a necessity for us to call the toll number in order to get an interview? I have also seen mention of a ds-230. is that something we now do for what is technically a nonimmigrant visa?

someone asked me the other day if military retirement and social security are sufficient for income as long as they meet the poverty guidelines, and i didnt know the answer, so id like to ask that too.

I looked at hundreds of timelines today on other peoples cases, and the time from NOA2 to interview ranged from 3 weeks (extremely short) to 5 months (very long) normally most were between 2 and 3 months, so i guess the answer to how long is between 3 weeks and 5 months, now that were pushing 5 months we got worried, because we saw little hints here and there that we may need to call. and the downloaded poacket seems very different from what many people say is required. also since its been soo long waiting for interview, some of our papers are becomming old. i did the affidsavit of support, I-134 when i first started the process and its now 8 months old. does anyone know if thats ok?

Daag and Jane timeline: 9 Apr 2010 submitted petition, NOA1 13 Apr 2010, NOA2 15 Jun 2010, letter from NVC 24 Jun 2010 sending package to Manila US Embassy, 9 July letter from Embassy stating fiancee eligible for scheduling of interview. then silence for 4 1/2 months. thats the last we heard.

This may be a good place for you to start:

http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Philippines&cty=Manila

[marriedtomrg 141]

You mean your fiancee received the letter but did not schedule her interview? Oh boy...

From your NOA2, the petition is forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC), where it is assigned a case number...it doens't sit there very long, only a few days. Then your petition is forwarded to the U.S. Embassy. Once they have it, they are supposed to contact the beneficiary, your fiancee, to instruct her to schedule her visa interview through the US Embassy Call Center. You may also schedule the interview date through calling a toll-free number. (Using either number requires a fee.) The Embassy doesn't schedule the interview...you guys do.

Once the interview is set through the call center agent, they send her this checklist of documents to prepare for her interview and the medical examination:

English: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/301443/pdf-files/Revised%20K1%20Instruction%20Packet_001.pdf

Tagalog: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/301443/pdf-files/K1instructionTag_rtf3_001.pdf

You will need to prepare a new I-134...the one you have is no longer current, in terms of reflecting current income.

Ideally your fiancee should have her medical done a month before her interview...just to make sure no other problems arise. If both of you are confident there are no medical problems, she can do the medical 1 to 2 weeks before the interview. But she will have to make sure she has all the forms, fees and supporting documents needed before her interview date.

I'm sorry you have lost so much time waiting, but the instructions for her to call were on that letter she received.

I originally posted this as a comment on a related post,"how long does it take to get an interview" then discovered that post was a year old, and mostlikely no longer being looked at, being unable to remove it there I reposted it as a new, question with amplifying information that has largely been a mystery to many of us.

I tried a k-1 visa several years ago and things did not work out for my fiancee at the time and I. I brought her over but it seems she had other plans that she came over for instead of marrying me. but at that time the Manila Embassy sent an actual physical packet of forms and list of doccuments your filipina fiancee needed for the interview, and detailed instructions,to her along with the notification she was eligible for scheduling, and then scheduled the medical appointment and interview a week apart a couple of months in the future, to give her time to get all the papers together prior to her interview. so all we had to do after the packet arrived was complete the forms gather the necessary supporting documents and wait. thats what the talk about recieving a packet is about. some of us didnt realize they'd stopped sending packets. Thanks from all of us playing catch up to the new way of doing things, for the heads up. The embassy is very closed mouthed about it. too bad they didnt say on thier website.

In any case I now have a new fiancee, a really good woman i love dearly and miss very much. we spent last summer, the most beautiful of my life, together, on her beautiful island basking in the sun. and want to be together again soon. we were worried about the same issues, of when will we have our interivew scheduled, as the whole process went really fast UP TO TO THE LETTER FROM THE EMBASSY 9 july 2010, stating my fiancee was eligible for scheduling an interview, then all stopped, dead in the water, like an aircraft carrier with all but one mmr dead and the rudder stuck in a hard right turn. we were waiting for the packet to arrive and to be told an interview was scheduled,and checking the website where you can enter your case number to see if you have an interview, for 4 months, til the other day it stoped opening when clicked. we had no idea what had happened to our case. because up to that point it'd been just like the first time i did it, only much faster. now we were very lost and disappointed. we did eventually download and complete the online packet,and somone told us that case number check site hadn't worked since 2008. but the Embassy could save everyone a lot of heartache, panic, and unnecessary research by prominently posting big procedural changes like this on thier website. those of you who now know the embassy no longer sends a packet, are you saying they no longer schedule the medical exam and interivew anylonger either, without us calling them on thier toll line? that line existed the first time too but then just to accelerate the process. now it seems like were being told how long before the interview we need to schedule the medical exam, as if were the ones to do the scheduling, instead of being told when its scheduled. if thats true its ok but we need to know these things, in order to be doing them, in a timely fashion, instead of just sitting idly waiting for something that isnt comming.

one site also says we should complete and send some of the papers back to the embassy. I just saw that today. the first time the embassy said dont send any papers, just bring them all to the interview. So are we supposed to send any papers, now or just bring them all to the interview, like before?

is it now a necessity for us to call the toll number in order to get an interview? I have also seen mention of a ds-230. is that something we now do for what is technically a nonimmigrant visa?

someone asked me the other day if military retirement and social security are sufficient for income as long as they meet the poverty guidelines, and i didnt know the answer, so id like to ask that too.

I looked at hundreds of timelines today on other peoples cases, and the time from NOA2 to interview ranged from 3 weeks (extremely short) to 5 months (very long) normally most were between 2 and 3 months, so i guess the answer to how long is between 3 weeks and 5 months, now that were pushing 5 months we got worried, because we saw little hints here and there that we may need to call. and the downloaded poacket seems very different from what many people say is required. also since its been soo long waiting for interview, some of our papers are becomming old. i did the affidsavit of support, I-134 when i first started the process and its now 8 months old. does anyone know if thats ok?

Daag and Jane timeline: 9 Apr 2010 submitted petition, NOA1 13 Apr 2010, NOA2 15 Jun 2010, letter from NVC 24 Jun 2010 sending package to Manila US Embassy, 9 July letter from Embassy stating fiancee eligible for scheduling of interview. then silence for 4 1/2 months. thats the last we heard.

[DAAG 1]

I originally posted this as a comment on a related post,"how long does it take to get an interview" then discovered that post was a year old, and mostlikely no longer being looked at, being unable to remove it there I reposted it as a new, question with amplifying information that has largely been a mystery to many of us.

I tried a k-1 visa several years ago and things did not work out for my fiancee at the time and I. I brought her over but it seems she had other plans that she came over for instead of marrying me. but at that time the Manila Embassy sent an actual physical packet of forms and list of doccuments your filipina fiancee needed for the interview, and detailed instructions,to her along with the notification she was eligible for scheduling, and then scheduled the medical appointment and interview a week apart a couple of months in the future, to give her time to get all the papers together prior to her interview. so all we had to do after the packet arrived was complete the forms gather the necessary supporting documents and wait. thats what the talk about recieving a packet is about. some of us didnt realize they'd stopped sending packets. Thanks from all of us playing catch up to the new way of doing things, for the heads up. The embassy is very closed mouthed about it. too bad they didnt say on thier website.

In any case I now have a new fiancee, a really good woman i love dearly and miss very much. we spent last summer, the most beautiful of my life, together, on her beautiful island basking in the sun. and want to be together again soon. we were worried about the same issues, of when will we have our interivew scheduled, as the whole process went really fast UP TO TO THE LETTER FROM THE EMBASSY 9 july 2010, stating my fiancee was eligible for scheduling an interview, then all stopped, dead in the water, like an aircraft carrier with all but one mmr dead and the rudder stuck in a hard right turn. we were waiting for the packet to arrive and to be told an interview was scheduled,and checking the website where you can enter your case number to see if you have an interview, for 4 months, til the other day it stoped opening when clicked. we had no idea what had happened to our case. because up to that point it'd been just like the first time i did it, only much faster. now we were very lost and disappointed. we did eventually download and complete the online packet,and somone told us that case number check site hadn't worked since 2008. but the Embassy could save everyone a lot of heartache, panic, and unnecessary research by prominently posting big procedural changes like this on thier website. those of you who now know the embassy no longer sends a packet, are you saying they no longer schedule the medical exam and interivew anylonger either, without us calling them on thier toll line? that line existed the first time too but then just to accelerate the process. now it seems like were being told how long before the interview we need to schedule the medical exam, as if were the ones to do the scheduling, instead of being told when its scheduled. if thats true its ok but we need to know these things, in order to be doing them, in a timely fashion, instead of just sitting idly waiting for something that isnt comming.

one site also says we should complete and send some of the papers back to the embassy. I just saw that today. the first time the embassy said dont send any papers, just bring them all to the interview. So are we supposed to send any papers, now or just bring them all to the interview, like before?

is it now a necessity for us to call the toll number in order to get an interview? I have also seen mention of a ds-230. is that something we now do for what is technically a nonimmigrant visa?

someone asked me the other day if military retirement and social security are sufficient for income as long as they meet the poverty guidelines, and i didnt know the answer, so id like to ask that too.

I looked at hundreds of timelines today on other peoples cases, and the time from NOA2 to interview ranged from 3 weeks (extremely short) to 5 months (very long) normally most were between 2 and 3 months, so i guess the answer to how long is between 3 weeks and 5 months, now that were pushing 5 months we got worried, because we saw little hints here and there that we may need to call. and the downloaded poacket seems very different from what many people say is required. also since its been soo long waiting for interview, some of our papers are becomming old. i did the affidsavit of support, I-134 when i first started the process and its now 8 months old. does anyone know if thats ok?

Daag and Jane timeline: 9 Apr 2010 submitted petition, NOA1 13 Apr 2010, NOA2 15 Jun 2010, letter from NVC 24 Jun 2010 sending package to Manila US Embassy, 9 July letter from Embassy stating fiancee eligible for scheduling of interview. then silence for 4 1/2 months. thats the last we heard.

[Retscpo 5]

then all stopped, dead in the water, like an aircraft carrier with all but one mmr dead and the rudder stuck in a hard right turn.

hahaha! sounds like you know a little bit abour being a snipe! MMCS(SW/AW)(Ret) here!

I believe you have to schedule the interview with the USEM...

[DAAG 1]

I originally posted this as a comment on a related post,"how long does it take to get an interview" then discovered that post was a year old, and mostlikely no longer being looked at, being unable to remove it there I reposted it as a new, question with amplifying information that has largely been a mystery to many of us.

I tried a k-1 visa several years ago and things did not work out for my fiancee at the time and I. I brought her over but it seems she had other plans that she came over for instead of marrying me. but at that time the Manila Embassy sent an actual physical packet of forms and list of doccuments your filipina fiancee needed for the interview, and detailed instructions,to her along with the notification she was eligible for scheduling, and then scheduled the medical appointment and interview a week apart a couple of months in the future, to give her time to get all the papers together prior to her interview. so all we had to do after the packet arrived was complete the forms gather the necessary supporting documents and wait. thats what the talk about recieving a packet is about. some of us didnt realize they'd stopped sending packets. Thanks from all of us playing catch up to the new way of doing things, for the heads up. The embassy is very closed mouthed about it. too bad they didnt say on thier website.

In any case I now have a new fiancee, a really good woman i love dearly and miss very much. we spent last summer, the most beautiful of my life, together, on her beautiful island basking in the sun. and want to be together again soon. we were worried about the same issues, of when will we have our interivew scheduled, as the whole process went really fast UP TO TO THE LETTER FROM THE EMBASSY 9 july 2010, stating my fiancee was eligible for scheduling an interview, then all stopped, dead in the water, like an aircraft carrier with all but one mmr dead and the rudder stuck in a hard right turn. we were waiting for the packet to arrive and to be told an interview was scheduled,and checking the website where you can enter your case number to see if you have an interview, for 4 months, til the other day it stoped opening when clicked. we had no idea what had happened to our case. because up to that point it'd been just like the first time i did it, only much faster. now we were very lost and disappointed. we did eventually download and complete the online packet,and somone told us that case number check site hadn't worked since 2008. but the Embassy could save everyone a lot of heartache, panic, and unnecessary research by prominently posting big procedural changes like this on thier website. those of you who now know the embassy no longer sends a packet, are you saying they no longer schedule the medical exam and interivew anylonger either, without us calling them on thier toll line? that line existed the first time too but then just to accelerate the process. now it seems like were being told how long before the interview we need to schedule the medical exam, as if were the ones to do the scheduling, instead of being told when its scheduled. if thats true its ok but we need to know these things, in order to be doing them, in a timely fashion, instead of just sitting idly waiting for something that isnt comming.

one site also says we should complete and send some of the papers back to the embassy. I just saw that today. the first time the embassy said dont send any papers, just bring them all to the interview. So are we supposed to send any papers, now or just bring them all to the interview, like before?

is it now a necessity for us to call the toll number in order to get an interview? I have also seen mention of a ds-230. is that something we now do for what is technically a nonimmigrant visa?

someone asked me the other day if military retirement and social security are sufficient for income as long as they meet the poverty guidelines, and i didnt know the answer, so id like to ask that too.

I looked at hundreds of timelines today on other peoples cases, and the time from NOA2 to interview ranged from 3 weeks (extremely short) to 5 months (very long) normally most were between 2 and 3 months, so i guess the answer to how long is between 3 weeks and 5 months, now that were pushing 5 months we got worried, because we saw little hints here and there that we may need to call. and the downloaded poacket seems very different from what many people say is required. also since its been soo long waiting for interview, some of our papers are becomming old. i did the affidsavit of support, I-134 when i first started the process and its now 8 months old. does anyone know if thats ok?

Daag and Jane timeline: 9 Apr 2010 submitted petition, NOA1 13 Apr 2010, NOA2 15 Jun 2010, letter from NVC 24 Jun 2010 sending package to Manila US Embassy, 9 July letter from Embassy stating fiancee eligible for scheduling of interview. then silence for 4 1/2 months. thats the last we heard.

[DAAG 1]

Yea I'll tell you Senior, i feel like i've been steemin' in a tight circle for 4 months, in blue water with no port in site, and the water all full of JP-5 and no aircponditioning and 140f in the shade. i couldn't even go forward into the AIMD tunnel to cool off. actually i was a brown shoe, keeping planes borin' holes in the sky, and making a lot of noise on the roof, and having the ordies clankin bombcarts around on your overhead, but its soo good to hear from a fellow sailor.

Anyway back on topic, i thank everyone here for the information. and for bringing me into this decade. back when i tried the k-1 visa process the first time, they had toll phone numbers on the letter then too but they were just incase you wanted to speed up a process that would work anyway whether you called or not. we just had to wait a really really long time inbetween stages and they were using windows 95 to process our papers in USCIS. and i think in the embassy it may have been done on paper with a balpoint. and my hair was still blond. but after 22 years in the Navy i was used to waiting, and after the first time expected it. it took us a year then.

im sad that jane and i wasted the entire summer waiting for something that was never going to happen, and hearing that is what occured was painful, but since its true i needed to know, so i can fix it. if everythings still ok and we can be together soon, well be happy. thanks to Ken and Leidys for the good links, and to marriedtomrg for the answers to my questions. i will do another I-134 as you suggest, kasi eventhough somehwere in the system it says they're good for a year, like you, i know a consular officer can decide its too old anyway and i couldnt argue the fact, kasi it is old.

Has anyone done an I-134 once retired when on Navy pension and Social Security, vice the a real job? if it still puts you over the poverty level for 5 and ther'll only be the two of us, is it ok so recieve all your pay from the govt and use it to prove she wont?

now I just hope our package is still alive and well in manila, and not filed some where in a back room and forgotten, so that we can call and get an interview.

How do we schedule the medical exam? and is it fairly certain the interview can be scheduled soon after we call so the medical exam wont expire?

I did eventually look up download and do the papers from the english version of instructions, thinking i was ahead of the game, and since we already redid the Cenomar and NBI i think all our other papers are in order. except that i've seen some mention of ds-230 forms. but since the k-1 is technicsally a non-immigrant visa, do we need the immigrant visa paper? also on the siminar on overseas filipinos, that only happens, according to an obscuer post on the embassy website, in cebu or manila, is it a requirement? i read they put a stamp on the filipina fiancees pasport allowing her to leave the country, and yet it isnt mentioned in the required papers or forms. and are there any other hidden requirements that are little known? i dont want to leave anything out this time. my fiancee lives on a small island 600 miles from Manila and 250 from Cebu, so that siminar could be tough to schedule.

Daag and Jane timeline: 9 Apr 2010 submitted petition, NOA1 13 Apr 2010, NOA2 15 Jun 2010, letter from NVC 24 Jun 2010 sending package to Manila US Embassy, 9 July letter from Embassy stating fiancee eligible for scheduling of interview. then silence for 4 1/2 months.

[marriedtomrg 141]

Yea I'll tell you Senior, i feel like i've been steemin' in a tight circle for 4 months, in blue water with no port in site, and the water all full of JP-5 and no aircponditioning and 140f in the shade. i couldn't even go forward into the AIMD tunnel to cool off. actually i was a brown shoe, keeping planes borin' holes in the sky, and making a lot of noise on the roof, and having the ordies clankin bombcarts around on your overhead, but its soo good to hear from a fellow sailor.

Anyway back on topic, i thank everyone here for the information. and for bringing me into this decade. back when i tried the k-1 visa process the first time, they had toll phone numbers on the letter then too but they were just incase you wanted to speed up a process that would work anyway whether you called or not. we just had to wait a really really long time inbetween stages and they were using windows 95 to process our papers in USCIS. and i think in the embassy it may have been done on paper with a balpoint. and my hair was still blond. but after 22 years in the Navy i was used to waiting, and after the first time expected it. it took us a year then.

im sad that jane and i wasted the entire summer waiting for something that was never going to happen, and hearing that is what occured was painful, but since its true i needed to know, so i can fix it. if everythings still ok and we can be together soon, well be happy. thanks to Ken and Leidys for the good links, and to marriedtomrg for the answers to my questions. i will do another I-134 as you suggest, kasi eventhough somehwere in the system it says they're good for a year, like you, i know a consular officer can decide its too old anyway and i couldnt argue the fact, kasi it is old.

Has anyone done an I-134 once retired when on Navy pension and Social Security, vice the a real job? if it still puts you over the poverty level for 5 and ther'll only be the two of us, is it ok so recieve all your pay from the govt and use it to prove she wont?

Not sure how to answer this one, but I am pretty sure someone in the same boat will come along and provide some answers for you.

now I just hope our package is still alive and well in manila, and not filed some where in a back room and forgotten, so that we can call and get an interview.

Don't worry; while the I-129F NOA2 is good for 4 months (within that time you guys should have scheduled the interview), the Embassy automatically extends its life for another 4 months, and contacts the petitioner to confirm that s/he is willing to continue on with the process.

How do we schedule the medical exam? and is it fairly certain the interview can be scheduled soon after we call so the medical exam wont expire?

No need to set an appointment for the medical examination. As soon as you schedule the interview, your fiancee can go to St. Luke's Medical Extension Clinic any time. You may want to call the National Visa Center (NVC) to get her case number (Which starts with MNL) in case you have not received a letter from them; a letter with the case number and a bar code is usually mailed to both the petitioner and the beneficiary. There is a topic pinned here on the board which will give you an idea on what to expect at the medical.

I did eventually look up download and do the papers from the english version of instructions, thinking i was ahead of the game, and since we already redid the Cenomar and NBI i think all our other papers are in order. except that i've seen some mention of ds-230 forms. but since the k-1 is technicsally a non-immigrant visa, do we need the immigrant visa paper? also on the siminar on overseas filipinos, that only happens, according to an obscuer post on the embassy website, in cebu or manila, is it a requirement? i read they put a stamp on the filipina fiancees pasport allowing her to leave the country, and yet it isnt mentioned in the required papers or forms. and are there any other hidden requirements that are little known? i dont want to leave anything out this time. my fiancee lives on a small island 600 miles from Manila and 250 from Cebu, so that siminar could be tough to schedule.

If you read the link I sent you (Manila doesn't send Packet 3 or Packet 4 anymore, just those K1 interview instructions), she doesn't need to fill out a DS-230. What she does need to fill out are the DS-156, DS-156K and DS-157.

Ideally you obtain the CENOMAR and the NBI Certificate close to the interview date so that the information is current, same with the I-134.

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) guidance counseling for fiancees of US citizens and the CFO sticker are mandatory before she leaves the country. She can fulfill this requirement through CFO (they have an office in Cebu), PRISM (Metro Manila only) or St. Mary's (SMEF-COW, they have an office in Cebu).

CFO: http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=329&Itemid=78

SMEF-COW: http://www.smef-cow-phil.org/

Daag and Jane timeline: 9 Apr 2010 submitted petition, NOA1 13 Apr 2010, NOA2 15 Jun 2010, letter from NVC 24 Jun 2010 sending package to Manila US Embassy, 9 July letter from Embassy stating fiancee eligible for scheduling of interview. then silence for 4 1/2 months.

[Filipinawife0210 15]

Wow...the thing that sucks is that you need to meet 125% of the poverty level for 5 now that you are no longer Active Duty. Good luck!

[BB & MJ 3]