The Fear

[minkthecat 6]

What to do?

We applied for our K1 in September. We have a wedding planned on May 1st. We are waiting for NOA2 having received NOA1 on 13th September. Radio silence since.

Will May 1st happen or do we need to cancel?

Your thoughts please....

[patient2010 93]

If I were you I would cancel and wait until you get your NOA2. Once you get that you can better gage everything....Just my opinion Good Luck

Edited December 20, 2010 by patient2010

[ameribrit 37]

What to do?

We applied for our K1 in September. We have a wedding planned on May 1st. We are waiting for NOA2 having received NOA1 on 13th September. Radio silence since.

Will May 1st happen or do we need to cancel?

Your thoughts please....

It very much depends on September filers getting approved on on before the 5 month mark. If they start adjudicating these petitions in any great numbers then a backlog will start building at the London Embassy. So in short i wouldn't like to say whether or not you will make your wedding date, but as things are it is looking tight. NVC to london interview and passport with visa in hand takes between 2-3 months

[minkthecat 6]

Ameri brit. Hello.

Tight is indeed the word.

It is a complete nightmare. We were advised that we were applying with plenty of time....

I n your opinion, if you had to pick a date, by which point one would know it definitely isn't going to happen in time, when do you think that would be?

[YuAndDan 153]

Never make wedding plans before getting a K-1 visa, delays are unpredictable.

I have seen time and again where people make plans only to have to adjust them sometimes at great expense when they do not get the visa in time.

[minkthecat 6]

Not the most helpful post Yuanddan. Quite obviously, with hindsight a wedding date would not have been fixed but this isn't the situation we are in!

[Aztec&Taino 144]

Ameri brit. Hello.

Tight is indeed the word.

It is a complete nightmare. We were advised that we were applying with plenty of time....

I n your opinion, if you had to pick a date, by which point one would know it definitely isn't going to happen in time, when do you think that would be?

NEVER make any plans which depend on the uncertainty of getting the visa! So many things could delay the process, could go wrong, etc. Even if you are not denied you could be put in Administrative Processing, they might mispell the name on the visa, the service courier could take forever to deliver, etc.

As of late, both service centers have been hitting the 5 month mark (and even longer) to adjudicate petitions. I do not know whether the consulate in London schedules interviews fairly fast or not after receiving the petition, but again, it would be risking it. So many things can go wrong!

You are going to have to think long and hard about this one. If I were you, I would definitely cancel. Actually, I have made no plans whatsoever (even as it is annoying that EVERYONE asks me routinely, "when is the wedding?"). You just cannot make plans with the uncertainty of this process!

Best wishes!

[pushbrk 12,883]

Not the most helpful post Yuanddan. Quite obviously, with hindsight a wedding date would not have been fixed but this isn't the situation we are in!

Actually, Dan's post was THE MOST helpful for two major reasons. One, others will read this later and learn from your mistakes. Second, you now can face the fact ONCE that you made this mistake, cancel the wedding plans, then make no more plans that require non-refundable deposits until the visa is in hand. This inconvenience is part of the territory when planning to marry a foreigner after obtaining a K1 visa. Join the club. Every other member here either went through it with a fiancee or spouse.

[baron555 934]

Not the most helpful post Yuanddan. Quite obviously, with hindsight a wedding date would not have been fixed but this isn't the situation we are in!

Actually a very helpful post. The OP should cancel and understand what they mean by the statement "Never make any plans or buy the plane ticket until the visa in the hand."

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Actually, Dan's post was THE MOST helpful for two major reasons. [...]

Three thumbs up to pushbrk, as usual, and to Dan for being the first to post the correct advice. The visa path can run the gamut between (at one end) quick, smooth approval & interview to (at the other end) administrative processing, a 221g at the consulate, or outright refusal of the visa.

Just as one example: Even if you think that your beneficiary will be interviewed at an "easier" consulate where visas are seemingly handed out like candy (and no VJ Embassy Review indicates any actual or potential problem), consular personnel can be rotated out and new people brought in, with far different standards and policies -- NONE of which you'll have any clue about until you're blindsided. Make no plans whatsoever until the visa is granted and it's in hand.

[YuAndDan 153]

Actually, Dan's post was THE MOST helpful for two major reasons. One, others will read this later and learn from your mistakes. Second, you now can face the fact ONCE that you made this mistake, cancel the wedding plans, then make no more plans that require non-refundable deposits until the visa is in hand. This inconvenience is part of the territory when planning to marry a foreigner after obtaining a K1 visa. Join the club. Every other member here either went through it with a fiancee or spouse.

Yep, K-1 here, NO plans until after we had visa in hand. Especially in our case, the consulate we dealt with LOVES to hand out denials for the NON-Bonafide Relationship excuse.

[ameribrit 37]

Ameri brit. Hello.

Tight is indeed the word.

It is a complete nightmare. We were advised that we were applying with plenty of time....

I n your opinion, if you had to pick a date, by which point one would know it definitely isn't going to happen in time, when do you think that would be?

Hi.

I am afraid what the others have said is accurate, and to the point. My fiancee and I have made no plans beyond getting packet 3 ready.

This process is far too unpredicatable to make any plans, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Know that you are not the first and are sure not to be the last.

As pushbrk stated, others will learn from your mistake. And that is the whole point of this forum.

What you do now is yours and your fiancee's choice.

[minkthecat 6]

Thanks for the advice.

[jrmejia 31]

Like many already said "Just wait"

[thelastpetitioner 218]

couldnt agree more with dan,even in packet 3 instruction they always print it with bold font,DO NOT MAKE ANY ARRANGEMENTS.

its alright,youll learn it in the long run and dealing with USCIS,NVC and pretty much the immigration system