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mpheonix

How many of you were "required" to go to the interview?

By mpheonix in K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures

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mpheonix Contributor

mpheonix   7

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Argentina
 Timeline
Posted

I've been trying to slowly put together a help guide for those who are just starting their journey. It's supposed to be informative, but also cover the most common scenarios.

Someone informed me that their foreign beneficiary's consulate required the US Citizen to go to the interview, even though the USCIS/Immigration does not require it, and a seasoned VJ'er confirmed it happens with certain consulates.

Who else has this happened to, what consulate did you go through and in what country? I'm going to try to put together a list of these to help save someone else the agony and frustration in the future.

Thanks in advance.

2013-03-29: Paid for a service through RapidVisa & began to prepare paperwork.
2013-04-11: Sent all the necessary documents to RapidVisa for review.
2013-04-12: Signed my application in red ink, so I had to overnight RapidVisa my application signed in BLUE ink.
2013-04-15: RapidVisa reviewed my application, found no fault and sent the I-129F Application to the Texas Lockbox.
2013-04-17: Electronic notification that the application was forwarded to the VT Service center.
2013-04-19: NOA-1 Received (snail mail) with the wrong country of birth for the foreign Partner. Notice date was 2013-04-15.

2013-04-19: Electronic Notification Received that an Alien Registration Number (ARN) was assigned to Foreign Partner.
2013-04-22: Called USCIS and corrected the typographical error on the NOA1.
2013-04-30: Received notification that the typographical error on the NOA1 has been corrected in the electronic system, but the error was minor and will not affect my application, as it is still valid.
... Waiting ...

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fantonledzepp Community Regular

fantonledzepp   159

Posted
Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Ecuador
 Timeline
Posted

Guayaquil is a dangerous consulate. One minute they say something and at the last minute, they'll change it around. As you said, even if USCIS says that it's not necessary that the petitioner accompany the beneficiary, in Guayaquil it seems that the petitioner being there is a requirement. Mind you, this was a few years back. The consulate has approved several people without their petitioners in recent months. But given the consulate's track history, it's best not to test it. I went last year with my fiancée, and we had no problems.

Our very own Ambassador TBoneTx can attest to it. His was one of the cases that demanded that the petitioner be present at the interview.

Fernando & Michelle

12/05/2011 - Mailed I-129F
12/09/2011 - Received NOA1
12/21/2011 - Last updated by USCIS
04/12/2012 - Approved!
05/08/2012 - NVC received
05/09/2012 - Left NVC
05/14/2012 - Received at Consulate
06/25/2012 - Interview at Consulate, APPROVED!!!!
07/07/2012 - POE at JFK, easy.

09/28/2012 - Mailed I-485
11/09/2012 - Appointment for Biometrics
12/08/2012 - EAD and AP Card arrived in mail. No updates to USCIS website.
07/26/2013 - Approved, no interview.

04/30/2015 - Mailed I-751

06/03/2015 - Appointment for Biometrics

02/29/2016 - Approved, no interview.

03/14/2016 - Received 10-year Card

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thebigman2377 Explorer

thebigman2377   5

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Timeline
Posted

Does it have to be a petitioner who has to accompany the beneficiary to the interview (which I understand is not a requirement but it adds some kind of credibility) or can it be beneficiary's own sibling who is a US citizen and who happens to be petitioner's son?

Petitioner is the father, beneficiary is the daughter (who is well over the age limit) but the petitioner is in the US while the daughter is outside of the US awaiting her interview, petitioner's son or beneficiary's brother (who is a US citizen) happens to be with her..

Hope this makes sense.

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mpheonix Contributor

mpheonix   7

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Argentina
 Timeline
  • Author
Posted

Does it have to be a petitioner who has to accompany the beneficiary to the interview (which I understand is not a requirement but it adds some kind of credibility) or can it be beneficiary's own sibling who is a US citizen and who happens to be petitioner's son?

Petitioner is the father, beneficiary is the daughter (who is well over the age limit) but the petitioner is in the US while the daughter is outside of the US awaiting her interview, petitioner's son or beneficiary's brother (who is a US citizen) happens to be with her..

Hope this makes sense.

I'm referring to a K1 or Fiance(e) visa, which I doubt applies to this situation.

But from my understanding of your scenario, the Petitioner is a US Citizen who is applying for a IR2/CR2 visa for their foreign national child. You're asking if the US Citizen that is petitioning for the Foreign Beneficiary, has to be present during the interview or if the Petitioner's other child (a US Citizen), may be present for their sibling's interview as a surrogate. Is this correct?

2013-03-29: Paid for a service through RapidVisa & began to prepare paperwork.
2013-04-11: Sent all the necessary documents to RapidVisa for review.
2013-04-12: Signed my application in red ink, so I had to overnight RapidVisa my application signed in BLUE ink.
2013-04-15: RapidVisa reviewed my application, found no fault and sent the I-129F Application to the Texas Lockbox.
2013-04-17: Electronic notification that the application was forwarded to the VT Service center.
2013-04-19: NOA-1 Received (snail mail) with the wrong country of birth for the foreign Partner. Notice date was 2013-04-15.

2013-04-19: Electronic Notification Received that an Alien Registration Number (ARN) was assigned to Foreign Partner.
2013-04-22: Called USCIS and corrected the typographical error on the NOA1.
2013-04-30: Received notification that the typographical error on the NOA1 has been corrected in the electronic system, but the error was minor and will not affect my application, as it is still valid.
... Waiting ...

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mpheonix Contributor

mpheonix   7

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Argentina
 Timeline
  • Author
Posted

Sorry for the confusion. I posted this in the K1 Forum, so I didn't think to specify!

2013-03-29: Paid for a service through RapidVisa & began to prepare paperwork.
2013-04-11: Sent all the necessary documents to RapidVisa for review.
2013-04-12: Signed my application in red ink, so I had to overnight RapidVisa my application signed in BLUE ink.
2013-04-15: RapidVisa reviewed my application, found no fault and sent the I-129F Application to the Texas Lockbox.
2013-04-17: Electronic notification that the application was forwarded to the VT Service center.
2013-04-19: NOA-1 Received (snail mail) with the wrong country of birth for the foreign Partner. Notice date was 2013-04-15.

2013-04-19: Electronic Notification Received that an Alien Registration Number (ARN) was assigned to Foreign Partner.
2013-04-22: Called USCIS and corrected the typographical error on the NOA1.
2013-04-30: Received notification that the typographical error on the NOA1 has been corrected in the electronic system, but the error was minor and will not affect my application, as it is still valid.
... Waiting ...

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thebigman2377 Explorer

thebigman2377   5

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Timeline
Posted

Sorry for the confusion. I posted this in the K1 Forum, so I didn't think to specify!

It is my fault, I didn't see that this thread was started under K1 Forum and therefore you did not need to specify, I apologize.

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TBoneTX Grand Master

TBoneTX   45,284

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
 Timeline
Posted

Guayaquil is a dangerous consulate. One minute they say something and at the last minute, they'll change it around. As you said, even if USCIS says that it's not necessary that the petitioner accompany the beneficiary, in Guayaquil it seems that the petitioner being there is a requirement. Mind you, this was a few years back. The consulate has approved several people without their petitioners in recent months. But given the consulate's track history, it's best not to test it. I went last year with my fiancée, and we had no problems.

Our very own Ambassador TBoneTx can attest to it. His was one of the cases that demanded that the petitioner be present at the interview.

Si, man. And, PDXbicycleboy got hosed worse than anybody, sigh man:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/180306-guayaquil-consulate-administrative-process/

After you read his reports in that short thread (you can ignore page 2), click on his "timeline" link and read his review of Guayaquil.

These reports of his should be required reading for anyone who's not dealing with a VWP country or the Philippines.

M., Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) is another place where it's pretty clear that the petitioner needs to be.

Bear in mind that even an "easy" consulate can turn "#######" in a hurry, when a new section chief of the Immigrant Visa Unit is transferred in and the policies & procedures change overnight, without warning. It NEVER hurts and surely CAN help when the petitioner is on the consular premises during the FIRST interview.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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