Is K1/AOS process really bad?

[san diego 407]

I would like to start unusual topic and would like to invite people to post POSITIVE EXPERIENCES. Due to the fact that most posts are cry for help, people that read posts see only horror stories about K1 USCIS/NVC/Embassy journeys. This freaks everyone out. I would like to start topic so that people can post only positive experiences:

1) I129F August 25, 2010-January 22nd, 2011. USCIS at the time of application clearly stated that processing time is 5 months. Yes, it was a stressful, depressing time. However, they did send us our I129F approval 3 days before 5 months mark. Now people complain about 3 months! However, USCIS never promised less than 5 months! I don't think people can complain about how ineffective USCIS is! We all just need to be patient and understand the process. We submitted all the docs necessary and did not have RFE or any problems. We all need to understand that USCIS and DHS just protecting us from fraud and terrorists!

2) NVC - our documents spent 3 days at NVC. I called NVC early in the morning and operator was extremely nice with me, and provided NVC number immediately, together with NVC receive/send date. 5 mins call.

3) Embassy. Yes, it took 3 months between NOA2 (I129F approval) and actual interview (April 22nd). Every single e-mail that I sent to Moscow embassy was answered in less than 24 hrs on the business days. Very much to the point and informative. Never had problems that people claim to have with Moscow embassy.

4) Interview April 29th: I flew to Moscow to support my fiancee without hope of being let in, they allowed me to be present at the interview even though it was against the rules. ALL the embassy personnel was extremely friendly and helpful. TRULY. CO was extremely nice and right to the point! I purchased tickets ahead of time to fly back together 1 week after the interview. CO was even nice enough to tell exactly when to pick up visa from DHL after my fiancee told him that we already bought tickets. He took his time to look at the bill and told her that documents should be at DHL on Wednesday (we were flying back on Friday same week). The documents DID arrive on Wednesday and we flew back on Friday, April 29th.

5) AOS. took them 2 days to send us NOA1 after we sent package via FedEx. No hick-ups. NOA1 date - May 25th, Bio appointment notice arrived 2 days later, scheduled for June 17th. Interview notice arrived a week after bio appointment for July 28th.

6) EAD card arrived this week.

Overall I can say only positive things about USCIS, Department of State, and DHS. I would like to invite more posts on positive experiences to encourage all the people at VJ that this process is not that bad and in fact all the horrors we see are either real fraud, self-inflicted problems, or exceptional misfortunes, not THE RULE. All we need is to understand that the process does take time and be patient.

[wissnan4ever 10]

I agree wholeheartly although I haven't started the process but will be next month. It's true all you do is most of the time not only on VJ but in general is the negative stories and I will be watching this post just to see that their all happy ever afters after all.

[Ironman140 45]

I only hope ours goes as well

[san diego 407]

I only hope ours goes as well

It will! The problem is that all you read here are BAD STORIES. This is awful! Hopefully, we can read more good stories...

[ryna 132]

Honestly, it's not that bad.... once it's over.

VJ can be great because it helps answer questions and generally makes things go more smoothly but... it also lets you see when others who filed well after you get approved and human nature makes you question your own filing even when there is no indication that you did anything wrong (i.e., an RFE.)

I know that if I had never found VJ and couldn't see some cases fly through the approval process, I wouldn't think twice about our cases until they were officially late. But, I do see those other cases and can't help but question what they did right and what we did wrong (if anything) and wonder why our approval always seems to be on the slow side...

Edited July 21, 2011 by ryna

[san diego 407]

Honestly, it's not that bad.... once it's over.

VJ can be great because it helps answer questions and generally makes things go more smoothly but... it also lets you see when others who filed well after you get approved and human nature makes you question your own filing even when there is no indication that you did anything wrong (i.e., an RFE.)

I know that if I had never found VJ and couldn't see some cases fly through the approval process, I wouldn't think twice about our cases until they were officially late. But, I do see those other cases and can't help but question what they did right and what we did wrong (if anything) and wonder why our approval always seems to be on the slow side...

As you may see from my timeline, I did not fly through the process. It took me total of 5 months to get I129F approved and 3 more months to get K1.. People just need to make sure that they understand the process, how long it takes.

[Inky 1,110]

I-129f was approved in 5 days from NOA1 date.

Moved to the USA in August on K-1

Married after I got there.

AOS was approved in 2 months and 8 days without interview.

ROC is going to be sent off Sept 3rd.

[ryna 132]

As you may see from my timeline, I did not fly through the process. It took me total of 5 months to get I129F approved and 3 more months to get K1.. People just need to make sure that they understand the process, how long it takes.

We fell within the 5 months for 129F by a couple of weeks. Then, 2 months to the interview (Not bad. We got lucky on the timing of Packet 3.) For AOS, we still have another 10 days until it's officially late. Logically, I understand that.

My only point was, without VJ, I would never have given those timeframes a second thought... Seeing 8 day(!) I-129F approvals and 1 month AOS approvals here on VJ, it's only human nature to think maybe, just maybe, things will move faster than the stated timelines. On the other hand, VJ definitely helped as the whole process has been without an RFE (so far) in our case. Not necessarily in a time sense but in a fewer headaches sense.

I was the last VJer out of the April 2010 VSC K-1 filers forum and I think today we became the last March 2011 AOS filers still waiting as well. There may be one, maybe 2 others, but I haven't seen them in a while and my experience here is when people disappear, it's because they were approved and didn't bother to come back with an update...

Either way, it's definitely easier on the AOS side because the waiting takes place together.

I-129f was approved in 5 days from NOA1 date.

Moved to the USA in August on K-1

Married after I got there.

AOS was approved in 2 months and 8 days without interview.

ROC is going to be sent off Sept 3rd.

5 days makes the 8 day approval that I saw look like an eternity!

[Inky 1,110]

5 days makes the 8 day approval that I saw look like an eternity!

lol I have seen some less than 5 days approval floating around on VJ.

[Andy and Pui 16]

San Diego, I like this post. I have not done AOS yet but I have finished the K1 part of it. We had the good and the bad.

1. In my case we waited about 5 month and 2 weeks to get our NOA2. I know from looking at the timeline's from the month we applied that people's cases were being looked at and the weekend before we were approved I was telling people I think we will be this week and we were approved that Monday night.

2. NVC was quick and easy about 2 days.

3. The embassy was both good. They answered all of our questions in a day or two of emailing and most within a day. The embassy was good because we made a mistake on I-129F and we just had to submit a copy of Pui's passport info page when we sent packet 3. For Thailand you send in that passport page with packet 3.

4. The interview was not good and I will leave that out. The important part is Pui got the visa.

5. AOS we still have to get married next month. I see no problems so far.

6. EAD we still have to do. I see no problems so far.

I will say this site has helped me out a lot especially the people here who have answered my questions or the posts I have read and learned a lot.

Sorry I am not exactly done with the process but will be soon.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Okay, I'll join in. Filed the K-1 petition May 11, 2010. Received the NOA May 28th. Received NOA2 August 11, 2010. It spend two weeks at NVC then sent off to the Embassy in Almaty. Interview scheduled for Sept 7. Medical would not be done by then so rescheduled for Sept 15th. OOPPS. Only do interviews on Tuesdays. Rescheduled for Sept 21st. Visa approved. Fiancee then spends the next two months getting permission to leave Kazakhstan--they work as fast as the USCIS . POE is Denver on December 22nd. Very smooth and easy. Wedding on December 30th at courthouse. Apply for SSN on January 10th. Go back on January 31st as no card--found out USPS had returned SSC because her name, maiden, was not on mailbox--got printout of SSN. Received SSC at local office February 18th. Filed for AOS February 28 and received NOA March 14th. BIO appointment for March 31st. Person had a hard time getting Roza's finger print so it took about 45 minutes. Filed joint tax return April 15th. EAD/AP card arrived April 28th. AOS interview May 26th. Very very easy. GC arrived June 4th. Now we have 585 days before we have to deal with the USCIS again.

So I will say we have had a good journey so far and every step has been as promised and for us taken less than the expected 5 months. The waiting was hard, but it was well worth it.

Dave

[san diego 407]

I-129f was approved in 5 days from NOA1 date.

This is awesome!

[Messybrownhair 251]

Good Post!

I also feel like I have been lucky in this process so far.

I-129F was approved in a whopping 23 days (can't quite beat Inky's 5 days though!) We were expecting to wait 5 months so we were really taken aback when it was approved that soon and we were not ready at all (Hence, the 4 month wait to schedule interview/medical as you can see in my signature)

I passed my medical and interview with no problems..

AOS was done in less than 3 months and despite them losing my medical, I feel like I still got really lucky because it still went by pretty fast

Hopefully the next two steps will be just as good for me!

[ryna 132]

" in fact all the horrors we see are either real fraud, self-inflicted problems, or exceptional misfortunes, not THE RULE"

Luck of the draw and factors beyond your control (i.e. your name(s), workload at the service center your city/state has to send the app to, etc.) play a large part, too.

[ms.becca 2]

We're only a fragment of the way through, but so far it hasn't been that hard of a journey thanks to VJ. (who needs a lawyer when you have these great online resources!) I have to admit that I got a little impatient while our packet was at the NVC, but I was just very excited, haha!!! I hope the rest flies by just as smoothly!

I was reminded of this quote today and just felt that it was appropriate for this thread... "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around" ~Willie Nelson