Please Help w/ Advice: Upcoming K-1 interview one Semester of University Remaining

[Abigail.et.Nathan 3]

Abby is a french education major and the requirement of the school is that she complete her schooling by teaching French during the spring term. If she doesn't complete this spring she will have to wait a year and complete then. Either way, I am 35 and she is about to turn 30. We would like to begin our lives together. Postponing for another year doesn't seem to be very helpful.

[Bugs 455]

I just checked. When we got approval status on August 6th, 2013 from USCIS for our 129F petition it said that the approval expires December 5th.

Our interview is December 5th. Does the USCIS expiration mean that if the visa interview cannot be postponed?

Most embassies will extend it if you request it. I'd call them, explain your situation, and cancel the interview for a later date. Remember, too, that she will have 6 months from the visa date to actually have to enter the U.S.

[Abigail.et.Nathan 3]

Can the visa interview be postponed if the uscis deadline has been reached?

Edited November 16, 2013 by Abigail.et.Nathan

[Bugs 455]

Can the visa interview be postponed if the uscis deadline has been reached?

There have been cases, when someone scheduled an interview past the USCIS deadline, and the embassy just automatically extends it to accomodate the interview on that day.

Call the embassy.

[SparklePony 238]

I agree, with all you've explained, maybe you can work things out with the embassy. Call them or email them explaining the situation and ask for the interview to be postponed. See what they say.

[Togbega II 25]

I just checked. When we got approval status on August 6th, 2013 from USCIS for our 129F petition it said that the approval expires December 5th.

Our interview is December 5th. Does the USCIS expiration mean that if the visa interview cannot be postponed?

No worries> The embassy always extend the expiry date.

[Togbega II 25]

Dear VJ friends,

A year ago my fiancee and I started this K-1 fiancee visa application process. Finally, after 12 months we have received an interview (Dec 5th). If she successfully gets her visa, the she will be able to come to the US this December so that we can get married.

However, the big question for us will be how long she is able to stay. She has only one semester of University remaining which begins in January and will end in August. If she comes and we get married and then she goes back to after a month, will she be able to return to the United states easily or will we have to process a separate application for a spousal visa?

I know how much this degree means to her, but at the same time the average amount of time to process a spousal visa is around 14 months and I don't want to have to go through this again! Does anyone know if she come, marry me, go back and complete her degree, and the enter the US again when she is done???

thanks in advance for you answers!

I perfectly understand your situation. I was in the same situation. i was left with a semester to complete a 2-year degree but after realising there wasnt much i could do to salvage the situation, i let my school go. Checking some of the colleges in the US and then take it up from there.

Hoping and praying you find a solution to yours but she coming for you to marry and going back to continue her education will be a suicidal mission for your journey.

[Bill & Ivy 6]

Once that dates comes, they will extend it automatically if she does not have her Visa yet. The only way that I can personally see to do want you want, would be to delay her interview, until she graduates, or come here, get married, go back and graduate, then start the whole process all over again as a K-3. I was told,(dont know how reliable the info is, you will need to check into it more) that you have up to one year to complete the visa process from the time it was received at USCIS. We are going to have to delay our interview, for 3 months because because of complications with getting my fiance her annotated certificate of marriage papers from the Philippine govt. who it seems is even more screwed up than our Congress, if thats possible. Since you are responsible for choosing the date avail. for the interview from whats available, we will just reschedule it a couple times, and still stay in the line.

[Justine+David 218]

With the Christmas holidays coming up, I seriously doubt that she would be able to get AP in time; they take time off for the holidays too.

I personally would post pone the interview until February so that she can leave by August because she is so close to getting her degree and a few months extra time to get a bachelor's degree stacked up against a 30 year marriage is completely worth it to me. But if it's not for you guys, then that's your choice.

Is she likely to be in Administrative Processing since she is from Ghana? I know most people from African countries go through this, but I don't know the specifics about Ghana. In that case, it might be months after the interview, rending the marriage plans in December moot anyway.

[PearlyLemons 13]

I would get married, and have Abby complete her degree here in the U.S. I would especially recommend this route for you two because it's quite hard to get a teaching job with a non-U.S license (this is what I've heard). I have a degree in Early Childhood Ed. and I've been told that if I want to teach in schools in the U,S, I have to have or be willing to get my U.S teacher's license. I'm sure she can transfer some of her credits over from her university, so she may only have to complete a year or two.

Good luck!

[Abigail.et.Nathan 3]

With the Christmas holidays coming up, I seriously doubt that she would be able to get AP in time; they take time off for the holidays too.

I personally would post pone the interview until February so that she can leave by August because she is so close to getting her degree and a few months extra time to get a bachelor's degree stacked up against a 30 year marriage is completely worth it to me. But if it's not for you guys, then that's your choice.

Is she likely to be in Administrative Processing since she is from Ghana? I know most people from African countries go through this, but I don't know the specifics about Ghana. In that case, it might be months after the interview, rending the marriage plans in December moot anyway.

I just talked with Abby about the situation. I agree with you that a few extra months doesn't matter that much compared to a 50 year marriage!

I think that she should complete her degree in Ghana. I personally lost time by transferring during undergrad schools and then again when I switched schools for graduate school. She has completed a 3 year teachers trainer college program and got something similar to an associates degree. Then she taught french in middle school for 4 years and saved money before starting afresh in a bachelor's degree program at University. She is now in her fourth and final year at University and has just one semester there to finish. Seven years of college is enough for a bachelor's degree. If she transfers to a US school she will likely lose many of her credits and most school have a 60 credit (two-year) minimum residency requirement for granting degrees. Then there is the huge amount of cost to study at US schools to consider. To me this means that the best option is for her to complete in Ghana.

I have no idea whether she will be in administrative processing. If we do get stuck in administrative processing and her x-mas break passes by then we could try to postpone things until August when she completes. I think that after talking with Abby again that we should decide whether we either postpone the interview, OR, we go through with the interview have her come to the US to get married and run the risk of not getting the Advanced Parole in time. Then we have to start the process over by applying for a CR-1 visa.

To me the later option seems best simply because I have know her for four years and I want my friends and family to get to meet her! Plus the idea of x-mas together with her in the US sounds great. Her first time flying, first time seeing snow, first time sledding, and showing her my home, and finally being married and and and ...

Edited November 16, 2013 by Abigail.et.Nathan

[Justine+David 218]

Best of luck whatever you guys decide

[Aya_P 17]

i think u can get married after receiving visa, apply for AP right away, try to have it expedited, wait for AP to come, she may seek permit from school to report late, so she has time to receive AP.

i dunno which university she's in, but from knust and legon, most student who travel return late, they have their friends process the registration and make the necessary payments, some come half way in the semester, i dunno which school she's in and can't say the same applies for sure, but it can surely be considered.

-Tony

[christeen 966]

I vote for postpone the interview if it were me... The odds of getting advance parole in 1 month over the holidays is slim to none... So...if she comes now and you get married... After you get married and she goes back to Her country, you will have to refile for the CR1.. Which right now is taking 12-15 months due to backlog...

So yes, she will be here this Christmas... But next year, while she is waiting for ANOTHER visa, think, do you really want to be separated for your first Christmas as a married couple? That is the risk you are taking.... Personally, I would rather suffer it out now for a few months rather than be apart for my first holiday as husband and wife...

[JayJayH 546]

Why is this process so inflexible and inhumane?

I spent three years going in and out of her country at will. I served my country as a Peace Corps volunteer for over two years, have waited one year for my fiancee to be able to come over and marry me. And it seems, that as my wife, she still won't be able to come visit me without first waiting for over another year. Sometimes I really hate the US government!

Ghana doesn't have 11 million illegal aliens living within its borders, nor does it have a large amount of American citizens attempting to immigrate there. It's a bureaucratic process, yes, but given the amount of new immigrants applying, and arriving each year it's amazing that the system even works.

I agree with other posters. Postpone the interview. Getting advance parole granted within one month during the holiday season is not going to happen.