Help Me Understand the K1 Processing Times

[MU193340 1]

Hello Everyone:)

First time posting but I have been following this wonderful site for the past couple months. On January 23, 2013 my fiancee and I turned in our K1 visa packet. On January 30th, I was notified on the UCSIS website that on January 30, 2013, our Alien Registration Number was changed relating to your I129F, PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). We have not received any additional updates since January 30th. Is this normal? Is no news good news?

When we submitted our paperwork, the California Service Center, indicated the wait time was 5.5 months... Then last month, I noticed it was listed as July 18th. A few weeks ago, I saw it was 6.6 months and today I saw it shows 7.5 months. Can someone PLEASE explain which date applies to our specific case? Are applications that are received as of now, apply to the 7.5 months or all of ours now? Thank you so very much for your response and help! Best wishes!!

[Bayareaguy 156]

Well, the short answer is yes, that is normal. I have not received an update since my NOA1, August 14.

The 7.5 months is as of January 31. It is longer as of today.

It will get even longer in the future, unless CSC starts processing more applications than they receive, which they have not done since August, I believe.

If you want to know why, there are several posts in the K1 and USCIS service center forums.

[MU193340 1]

So, basically that indicates if I submitted in January, the earliest we would hear our NOA2 is late July? Am I understand correctly? Sometimes I wonder if I should just move to her country, where not as strict to enter, etc. Does consulting with a lawyer help with the process going quicker, or make exactly no difference. Thanks again for anyone's help!

[vbtwo 54]

So, basically that indicates if I submitted in January, the earliest we would hear our NOA2 is late July? Am I understand correctly? Sometimes I wonder if I should just move to her country, where not as strict to enter, etc. Does consulting with a lawyer help with the process going quicker, or make exactly no difference. Thanks again for anyone's help!

Fill in your timeline here at VJ and it will tell you approximate date that you should hear from them based on the trends of everyone else filling out the timeline. But yes, you probably won't hear anything until then. Lawyers will not make any difference, they can't speed it up.

[Inky 1,110]

So, basically that indicates if I submitted in January, the earliest we would hear our NOA2 is late July? Am I understand correctly? Sometimes I wonder if I should just move to her country, where not as strict to enter, etc. Does consulting with a lawyer help with the process going quicker, or make exactly no difference. Thanks again for anyone's help!

Lawyers have no power what so ever to make anything faster, they often actually slow it down by making errors on your papers. They also charge so much money for something you yourself can do using the guides and example forms found on this website.

[Boggy1974 124]

Consulting or hiring a lawyer will not help speed up your case. Others would even tell you lawyers delayed or didn't help in their case. Hiring a lawyer makes no difference IMO, unless one has a tenuous case.

I think it will be worth unleashing your plan B - the idea of you moving to her country, all things being equal.

ETA: Did not see post #5 before posting , but they're right on the button!

Edited April 8, 2013 by Boggy1974

[EegyptA 41]

sit back and take a seat....its' gonna be a long wait...i got noa1 august 6th,still waiting for 8 months now for noa2........uscis website said 5 months when we started, said 5 months the whole 5 months then it literally changed to july 18th date the day i was official over 5 months....depressing to say the least

and i have a lawyer (regret it, wasted money).......he can't do squat

[MU193340 1]

Hi Everyone:

I called the UCSIS customer service today and inquired about the K1 Fiancee Visa processing times and thus became even more confused at the moment.. The woman indicated that the processing times for when I submitted in late January is July 18th, 2013. When I entered this information on their website, it shows 7.5 months now. Which is the correct date to get the NOA2? How long does it take afterwards for final approval form the consulate?

My fiancee is coming to the States in late May and I will be visiting her in July. We thought we had everything timed perfectly in terms of vacation time, etc and that everything would be completed no later than August, 2013.

Finally, what are people's thoughts on this idea. My fiancee is contimplating quitting her job and giving up her apartment in either August or September and coming here to stay with me on a 3 month holiday visa. Thus, it would allow her to stay here with me until December 1st. If we were approved during those three months while she was on holiday, she could fly back, complete the paperwork, stay at her parents house and then once approved, fly back here. Overall, it would be 10 months or so, since the K1 visa was submitted. Does this sound possible or too risky? Thoughts? Thank you for your responses!

Edited April 8, 2013 by MU193340

[Pitaya 2,577]

Hi Everyone:

I called the UCSIS customer service today and inquired about the K1 Fiancee Visa processing times and thus became even more confused at the moment.. The woman indicated that the processing times for when I submitted in late January is July 18th, 2013. When I entered this information on their website, it shows 7.5 months now. Which is the correct date to get the NOA2? How long does it take afterwards for final approval form the consulate?

My fiancee is coming to the States in late May and I will be visiting her in July. We thought we had everything timed perfectly in terms of vacation time, etc and that everything would be completed no later than August, 2013.

Finally, what are people's thoughts on this idea. My fiancee is contimplating quitting her job and giving up her apartment in either August or September and coming here to stay with me on a 3 month holiday visa. Thus, it would allow her to stay here with me until December 1st. If we were approved during those three months while she was on holiday, she could fly back, complete the paperwork, stay at her parents house and then once approved, fly back here. Overall, it would be 10 months or so, since the K1 visa was submitted. Does this sound possible or too risky? Thoughts? Thank you for your responses!

Welcome to the forum.

Take a look at the K-1 flow chart to get a "very fluid" idea of processing times. I say "very fluid" because there are so many variables that can, and do, affect the processing times. Trying to plan anything with these very fluid processing times and variables is next to impossible. Look at our timeline, getting our K-1/K-2 visas was basically an eight-month process. However, since then the service centers have been inundated with more work and no concomitant increase in adjudicators, resulting in very extended processing times for everything, including K-1 petitions (NOA2).

Just a thought, but you may be better off getting married and filing for a spouse visa.

Good luck.

[His karma 20]

Finally, what are people's thoughts on this idea. My fiancee is contimplating quitting her job and giving up her apartment in either August or September and coming here to stay with me on a 3 month holiday visa. Thus, it would allow her to stay here with me until December 1st. If we were approved during those three months while she was on holiday, she could fly back, complete the paperwork, stay at her parents house and then once approved, fly back here. Overall, it would be 10 months or so, since the K1 visa was submitted. Does this sound possible or too risky? Thoughts? Thank you for your responses!

The only concern is that if she doens't have strong ties to her home country, the visa may not be approved. Quitting her job and not having her own place to live leaves her with little to ease fears that she is trying to immigrate before the visa is approved.