I need urgent advice on my K1 application please

[Oyindamola Adu 0]

My fiancé in the US just got an approval for K1 visa for me. There seems to have been some slip-up in processing my application documentation. According to him, my documents were supposed to be handled Vermont (VSC) but somehow ended up at Texas (TSC) However because Texas TSC has not typically deal with this kind of issue before they sent back Vermont instead of National Visa Center (NVC). So what normally takes 1 week will now take 4 weeks.

So after 2 weeks following approval we're yet to receive Package no. 3 which I will use to file.

Meanwhile because we're running out of time (I only have 3 months to file), my fiance advised that i write the US embassy in my home country Nigeria quoting my USCIS case number so that this can be fast-tracked.

Can anyone advise me further please?

Edited July 25, 2013 by Oyindamola Adu

[redamber 0]

The only way to fast track is to call your congressperson and have them contact USCIS/embassy ...

Once you have the 129F approval it takes another month to send it to Department of State then another month for embassy interview then 2-4 weeks to have the visa stamped

3 months from today is possible

Good Luck

[Allanah and Chris 8]

My fiancé in the US just got an approval for K1 visa for me. There seems to have been some slip-up in processing my application documentation. According to him, my documents were supposed to be handled Vermont (VSC) but somehow ended up at Texas (TSC) However because Texas TSC has not typically deal with this kind of issue before they sent back Vermont instead of National Visa Center (NVC). So what normally takes 1 week will now take 4 weeks.

So after 2 weeks following approval we're yet to receive Package no. 3 which I will use to file.

Meanwhile because we're running out of time (I only have 3 months to file), my fiance advised that i write the US embassy in my home country Nigeria quoting my USCIS case number so that this can be fast-tracked.

Can anyone advise me further please?

Going to try and clarify/answer for you:

1. The VSC to TSC transfer was apparently due to case loads at VSC, not due to a "slip-up".
2. TSC does not routinely handle K1's.
3. It is not actually known if the documents went back to VSC before the NVC, but for some of us they went direct to NVC.
4. Yes it is taking about 4-6 weeks from NOA2 to Case Number assignment at NVC (for us it was 5 weeks).
5. You will not receive Packet 3 until probably 1-2 weeks after your Consulate/Embassy receives your physical case, which is after your case number is assigned (this will vary by consulate/embassy).
6. You are not running out of time. The "expiration" on your NOA2 can/will be extended by the consulate/embassy as necessary.

If your NOA2 was 2 weeks ago, you can probably start calling the Department of State (+1 202 663-1225) each day to ask if your K1 has been received and assigned a case number. They are very polite and have been a lot more helpful than the National Visa Center. You likely will not receive a case number until at least 4 weeks from your NOA2.

You can start working on your Packet 3 now!

You just won't be able to send it back to your consulate/embassy until you receive your case number.

To recap: your case was not handled normally, but it was also not alone in its handling (ours was a VSC-TSC transfer). You will likely get a case number 4-6 weeks after your NOA2. You should call the DoS instead or in addition to the NVC to find your case number. Meanwhile, work on acquiring the Packet 3 documentation as required by your consulate/embassy.

You should definitely check the Nigerian embassy details on VJ.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Why do you "only have three months to file?" If you are talking about the expiration date on the NOA2, the embassy will extend that for you. No reason to get an expedite.

[TJandJR 69]

You can download packet 3. But be careful getting anxious and getting your medical or police clearance too soon. I think the police clearance is only good for 3 months and once you get the medical I think you only have 6 months to enter the US. But you can fill out the forms. Has your fiance mailed you copies of everything that was submitted with the petition and additional evidence of an ongoing relationship? Don't worry about the 3 months on the approval. It took us about a month to get our case number from nvc. We were approved in April, our petition was set to expire Aug 10 and our interview is scheduled for Sep 20. The embassy extended our expiration date til our interview.

[Oyindamola Adu 0]

Thank you all. You all have been helpful.