Any Finnish/American Couples?

[Lenny&Sanna 114]

4 hours ago, JCB86 said:

For those who might be waiting on K1 from Helsinki. The response I got inquiring about the application of the NIE to our case.

 

Finally, progress. It feels like a dream. 

Yay!!! That's really great news to finally hear about! Fingers crossed that everything continues to move forward!!!

[molehills 67]

We have an interview scheduled for May 27 in Helsinki. 🤩

 

We're not plaintiffs in Milligan or otherwise, just regular folks. If there's any K1s out there waiting on Helsinki, I'd email them for confirmation and scheduling of medicals, certifications, etc. For as much headache and heartache this process has been, it seems as though actual people respond to emails with a good turnaround time, comparatively. 

 

 

[Kaljukotka 5]

18 hours ago, JCB86 said:

We have an interview scheduled for May 27 in Helsinki. 🤩

 

We're not plaintiffs in Milligan or otherwise, just regular folks. If there's any K1s out there waiting on Helsinki, I'd email them for confirmation and scheduling of medicals, certifications, etc. For as much headache and heartache this process has been, it seems as though actual people respond to emails with a good turnaround time, comparatively. 

 

 

Thank you for posting an update here! I found this thread by chance when I was looking into the timelines of Finnish folks and I am glad to see that people have interview times booked. So sorry you had to wait for so long. I've only been away from my fiance for 4 months and it is killing me.

Our I-129F was approved on March 30 but I guess the NOA2 got lost in the mail... In any case, we have requested a new one and our case has arrived to NVC. I don't know what day it got there, I just got the case number for it when I was changing my address through their inquiry form. Hopefully our case will be sent to the embassy soon. It seems like some people (not from Finland though) who received their NOA2 on March have already gotten their interview times booked. I should probably start gathering all the needed documents soon :D 

[molehills 67]

2 hours ago, Kaljukotka said:

Thank you for posting an update here! I found this thread by chance when I was looking into the timelines of Finnish folks and I am glad to see that people have interview times booked. So sorry you had to wait for so long. I've only been away from my fiance for 4 months and it is killing me.

Our I-129F was approved on March 30 but I guess the NOA2 got lost in the mail... In any case, we have requested a new one and our case has arrived to NVC. I don't know what day it got there, I just got the case number for it when I was changing my address through their inquiry form. Hopefully our case will be sent to the embassy soon. It seems like some people (not from Finland though) who received their NOA2 on March have already gotten their interview times booked. I should probably start gathering all the needed documents soon

In my experience, the consulate requested the case pretty much as soon as NVC was done with it. 

 

Every consulate is different. I find ourselves fortunate that Helsinki does like 5 K1s a year, thus giving us an "early" date. Someone I know who's in Frankfurt, had the visa in her passport, but everything shut down before she could fly to the US. She's been waiting since March 2019 for word if she has to interview again, etc. 

 

[TiiaChris 0]

On 5/10/2021 at 4:55 PM, JCB86 said:

We have an interview scheduled for May 27 in Helsinki. 🤩

 

We're not plaintiffs in Milligan or otherwise, just regular folks. If there's any K1s out there waiting on Helsinki, I'd email them for confirmation and scheduling of medicals, certifications, etc. For as much headache and heartache this process has been, it seems as though actual people respond to emails with a good turnaround time, comparatively. 

 

 

We have a interview on the same day as well! Well we were supposed to have it on the 20th but then I got exposed to Corona and I was put in quarantine! I will be also going to  Texas! 

[Lenny&Sanna 114]

That's great that things are starting to move for you all finally. I'm hoping things continue to get better so we can continue opening up more and more in the states and put all of this COVID stuff behind us. Let us know how your interviews and such go!

[Kaljukotka 5]

A bit of a specific question but after the NVC has processed the case and sends it forward to the embassy, should I just wait for the packet 3 from the embassy before doing anything? I have already filed the DS-160 but I'm unsure if I have to wait for a letter from the embassy before paying the fees. 

[molehills 67]

6 minutes ago, Kaljukotka said:

A bit of a specific question but after the NVC has processed the case and sends it forward to the embassy, should I just wait for the packet 3 from the embassy before doing anything? I have already filed the DS-160 but I'm unsure if I have to wait for a letter from the embassy before paying the fees. 

Not sure if we ever received the letter, tbh. We got a few emails but everything was contingent upon Covid. 

[Kaljukotka 5]

12 hours ago, JCB86 said:

Not sure if we ever received the letter, tbh. We got a few emails but everything was contingent upon Covid. 

Thank you! My Finnish friend who went through the process couple of years ago said she only received emails as well. Hopefully the backlog isn’t bad and I will hear from the embassy soon!

[molehills 67]

3 hours ago, Kaljukotka said:

Thank you! My Finnish friend who went through the process couple of years ago said she only received emails as well. Hopefully the backlog isn’t bad and I will hear from the embassy soon!

In my experience Helsinki is very responsive. I'd get emails back sometimes 10 minutes after sending them lol. 

[Kaljukotka 5]

2 hours ago, JCB86 said:

In my experience Helsinki is very responsive. I'd get emails back sometimes 10 minutes after sending them lol. 

I had sent them an email earlier asking about something and they responded the same day. However, I had another question which they then did not answer to but maybe you guys here know. So do I understand correctly that K1 visa holders are allowed to enter the US from Schengen Area without having to spend the 14 days somewhere else where there are no travel restrictions to the US? 

[molehills 67]

Just now, Kaljukotka said:

I had sent them an email earlier asking about something and they responded the same day. However, I had another question which they then did not answer to but maybe you guys here know. So do I understand correctly that K1 visa holders are allowed to enter the US from Schengen Area without having to spend the 14 days somewhere else where there are no travel restrictions to the US? 

That is true. Valid K1 holders are granted an automatic NIE. CBP should be able to roll with it. You might have some push back at airports, so print out and have everything you can have. 

[Kaljukotka 5]

1 minute ago, JCB86 said:

That is true. Valid K1 holders are granted an automatic NIE. CBP should be able to roll with it. You might have some push back at airports, so print out and have everything you can have. 

Thank you so much! That makes this process a bit easier! 😅

[Kaljukotka 5]

Are there any other Finns who have received their NOA2 this year and are waiting for the interview? I wonder how fast the embassy would be contacting the applicants once they receive the case from NVC. Tomorrow it will be a week since the case got there and the case status has been "Ready" since Tuesday. I know that in the past people have been contacted quite soon so I wonder what the backlog is like now... 👀

[molehills 67]

26 minutes ago, Kaljukotka said:

Are there any other Finns who have received their NOA2 this year and are waiting for the interview? I wonder how fast the embassy would be contacting the applicants once they receive the case from NVC. Tomorrow it will be a week since the case got there and the case status has been "Ready" since Tuesday. I know that in the past people have been contacted quite soon so I wonder what the backlog is like now... 👀

We never were contact by them, I always contacted them. During the shutdown, I'd email just about monthly regarding K1s. If the case status is ready, I would follow up asap. Get medical, vaccines, police certifications in the mean time, at least.