Extension of K-1 visa

[Coffee-addict 0]

Hi everyone,

So me and my fiancé just got our NOA2!!!! We’re beyond excited / shocked since I thought it would take 6 montsh… and we’re pretty lucky it happened earlier. My work is offering me a rotation to the UK jan-july of 2014 so we want him to move to the US in july at the earliest. (I cant turn down the work offer for 6 months)

My question is, how long do you think it would take for my fiancé to get his visa at the London embassy (NOA 2 date it oct 28^th)? If needed, and my fiancé gets his visa would they be able to grant us an extension until july?

If someone has any information please let us know J!!!

[emyardy 11]

Hello! I am not so sure your July plan will work out.. The NOA2 has a validity date that stands for four months after the date of NOA2. For example, my NOA2 was July 17, and was set to expire on November 17th.

So, even if you waited as long as possible to fill out the next set of paperwork, which would be February time, they would, most likely, have an interview for you by April. However, that being said, you'd have some time to enter the US after actually receiving your visa.. So, even though it might be risky to try to stretch it to July, it might not be totally impossible.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Ejjett

[Coffee-addict 0]

i thought you got 6 months after you got the K-1 visa to enter the US?

do they not grant extensions?

Hello! I am not so sure your July plan will work out.. The NOA2 has a validity date that stands for four months after the date of NOA2. For example, my NOA2 was July 17, and was set to expire on November 17th.

So, even if you waited as long as possible to fill out the next set of paperwork, which would be February time, they would, most likely, have an interview for you by April. However, that being said, you'd have some time to enter the US after actually receiving your visa.. So, even though it might be risky to try to stretch it to July, it might not be totally impossible.

[Not a user 0]

I am interested on this same subject too, i don't particularly have experience on this but i was reading over NOA2 and while it does expire 4 months after receipt, i read on consulate website that it is possible to request an extension.

By the way, you are looking for an I-129F extension, not K1 extension.

[Dave&Roza 748]

The visa is typically valid for 6 months after it is issued. There are cases where it is tied to the medical and then it expires 6 months after the medical--that appears to be the case more times than not in the PI which is most likely due to TB. So you would want to get an interview for some time in teh January/February timeframe. The approved petition can be extended by the Embassy, but I have not heard about the K-1 visa being extended. You can drag your feet and give them the information they request by late November early December and get an interview by maybe January with the holidays and all. Just make certain that when the visa is issued that you check the expiration date as that is the date the beneficiary must enter the US by or the visa is not valid.

You just got teh NOA2. Now the packet must go to London which will take 2-4 weeks and then you submit your information. You can delay this a few weeks. We are now in the late December or early January timeframe. Interview will be scheduled, but I am not sure how fast London is. I think you actually have a good chance of getting the visa in February which should be good until August.

Good luck,

Dave

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hi everyone,

So me and my fiancé just got our NOA2!!!! Were beyond excited / shocked since I thought it would take 6 montsh and were pretty lucky it happened earlier. My work is offering me a rotation to the UK jan-july of 2014 so we want him to move to the US in july at the earliest. (I cant turn down the work offer for 6 months)

My question is, how long do you think it would take for my fiancé to get his visa at the London embassy (NOA 2 date it oct 28^th)? If needed, and my fiancé gets his visa would they be able to grant us an extension until july?

If someone has any information please let us know J!!!

Here's two FAQs on the LONDON embassy website that will clear up some questions

http://london.usembassy.gov/faq-imm-proc.html#iv062

Timing--

If you worked really hard to get a visa by getting everything ready in advance it would probably be the end of January before he got the visa. So slow it down by not rushing to get everything done and submitted as quickly as you can. Steps to a K1 in London--

1) Wait for London to send a letter of instruction to him (aka packet 3)

2) complete the online I-160, but don't do that for 3 weeks after getting the letter. (stalling)

3) Start gathering all the documents needed. London figures this might take you some time. Don't expedite the police certificate. Don't order it early because you are stalling.

4) Book the medical after police certificate is in hand. Take something 3 or more weeks out. (Stalling)

5) Last bit is telling them you have finally gotten all you documents gathered, had a medical and are finally ready to interview. This is done by submitting an online form DS-2001. They might not assign an interview letter for 4-6 weeks. Then the date of interview is 3-4 weeks off.

You have the 6 months from the medical to use the visa. So the medical date kinda determines when you have to travel. If six months passes and you haven't interviewed yet, you pay £160 to have bloods and chest x-ray renewed before they will issue the visa in London.

What about expiration of the i-129F petition approval (date is on your NOA2)? Easy! London requests in their instruction letter to bring a notarized letter of intent from the US fiancé ( that she still wants to marry and intend to marry within 90 days of the fiance's entry), to the interview. That's all it takes to re-validate an expired petition.

So crunch the numbers and work out a plan. It is doable.

[Coffee-addict 0]

Thank you i really appreciate you help!!

yea i think thats what we're going to do

The visa is typically valid for 6 months after it is issued. There are cases where it is tied to the medical and then it expires 6 months after the medical--that appears to be the case more times than not in the PI which is most likely due to TB. So you would want to get an interview for some time in teh January/February timeframe. The approved petition can be extended by the Embassy, but I have not heard about the K-1 visa being extended. You can drag your feet and give them the information they request by late November early December and get an interview by maybe January with the holidays and all. Just make certain that when the visa is issued that you check the expiration date as that is the date the beneficiary must enter the US by or the visa is not valid.

You just got teh NOA2. Now the packet must go to London which will take 2-4 weeks and then you submit your information. You can delay this a few weeks. We are now in the late December or early January timeframe. Interview will be scheduled, but I am not sure how fast London is. I think you actually have a good chance of getting the visa in February which should be good until August.

Good luck,

Dave

[Coffee-addict 0]

wow thats for a great break out of the next few steps thanks alot!!

i see the medical is the date of the date of 6 months starts ticking...yea we're not in a rush and i dont forsee any problems with the documents we need to get so we will just wait to do everything as it comes from the embassy.

one last random question - would the US mind if he enters the US with a k-1 visa thats about to expire super soon?

Here's two FAQs on the LONDON embassy website that will clear up some questions
http://london.usembassy.gov/faq-imm-proc.html#iv062

Timing--

If you worked really hard to get a visa by getting everything ready in advance it would probably be the end of January before he got the visa. So slow it down by not rushing to get everything done and submitted as quickly as you can. Steps to a K1 in London--

1) Wait for London to send a letter of instruction to him (aka packet 3)
2) complete the online I-160, but don't do that for 3 weeks after getting the letter. (stalling)
3) Start gathering all the documents needed. London figures this might take you some time. Don't expedite the police certificate. Don't order it early because you are stalling.
4) Book the medical after police certificate is in hand. Take something 3 or more weeks out. (Stalling)
5) Last bit is telling them you have finally gotten all you documents gathered, had a medical and are finally ready to interview. This is done by submitting an online form DS-2001. They might not assign an interview letter for 4-6 weeks. Then the date of interview is 3-4 weeks off.

You have the 6 months from the medical to use the visa. So the medical date kinda determines when you have to travel. If six months passes and you haven't interviewed yet, you pay £160 to have bloods and chest x-ray renewed before they will issue the visa in London.

What about expiration of the i-129F petition approval (date is on your NOA2)? Easy! London requests in their instruction letter to bring a notarized letter of intent from the US fiancé ( that she still wants to marry and intend to marry within 90 days of the fiance's entry), to the interview. That's all it takes to re-validate an expired petition.

So crunch the numbers and work out a plan. It is doable.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

wow thats for a great break out of the next few steps thanks alot!!

i see the medical is the date of the date of 6 months starts ticking...yea we're not in a rush and i dont forsee any problems with the documents we need to get so we will just wait to do everything as it comes from the embassy.

one last random question - would the US mind if he enters the US with a k-1 visa thats about to expire super soon?

You can use the K1 visa as long as it's valid. They don't deal with emotion really as far as "minding". It's either valid or not valid. Then you have 90 days to marry. They won't "mind" if you wait until Day 89.

And yes, the medical starts the 6 months in London. Didn't used to be that way. Somebody just posted in the UK forum the £160 fee because his medical expired. He called Knightsbridge yesterday and was told that, so it's very current info.

Edited October 30, 2013 by Nich-Nick