I129f letter of intent due to expire & I haven't been contacted for an interview yet!

[Rigor_noughtis 0]

Hi, everyone. -long time listener, first time caller...

I'm a citizen of the UK, Who's fallen in love with an American girl & am hoping to marry and reside with her in the US, so I'm applying for a K1 visa.

I've submitted my DS-160 & the Notification of Applicant Readiness, & have been waiting for the letter from the US consulate in London regarding scheduling an interview.

However, my Fiance's Letter of intent (or I-129f) is due to expire on the 17th of this month!

What happens now?

Does one of us have to reapply?

My fiance called her branch of the USCIS, and they told her I had to call the London Embassy.

The London embassy told me I had to refer to the websites london.usembbasy.gov, usvisa-info.com, and/or travel.state.gov.

Well, the only thing I can find on ANY of those sites is this:

"The I-129F petition is valid for four months from the date of approval by USCIS. A consular officer can extend the validity of the petition if it expires before visa processing is completed."

'CAN' Not 'WILL' with no info on what, if anything I have to do.

And hell, usvisa-info.com doesn't even seem to deal with K1 visas! no one on the operator lines can even decide whether the k1 is immigrant or non-immigrant!!!

I've seen people here saying that the fiance's letter automatically renews, while others say I have to send a letter, or my fiance does.

So... what do I need to do, if anything?

Thank you for reading this!

-Jonathan.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Get a new letter of intent signed by your fiancé and take it to your interview. Your letter of instruction that you got from the embassy saying they received an approved petition on your behalf and telling you the link for how to proceed should tell you that. Read it again.

London will easily revalidate her petition, but since they specifically give you the instruction to get a new letter of intent, then do so. Each embassy has different procedures. London says bring a letter, but some lately have said the didn't bother to ask for it.

Have you also had your medical exam? London won't give you an interview date until they receive the results, plus the two forms you mentioned above.

[Rigor_noughtis 0]

Get a new letter of intent signed by your fiancé and take it to your interview. Your letter of instruction that you got from the embassy saying they received an approved petition on your behalf and telling you the link for how to proceed should tell you that. Read it again.

London will easily revalidate her petition, but since they specifically give you the instruction to get a new letter of intent, then do so. Each embassy has different procedures. London says bring a letter, but some lately have said the didn't bother to ask for it.

Have you also had your medical exam? London won't give you an interview date until they receive the results, plus the two forms you mentioned above.

Hi, and thank you for responding!

I have indeed done the medical -pretty the day before I submitted the notification of readiness.

Until I'd checked the I-129f's 'expiration date' all I'd had to do was to prepare for the interview while I waited for the letter to arrive.

There was a brief panic over whether I'd paid all the fees I owed, but apparently I take care of all the remaining fees when I go for the interview.

It's a shame, but much of the information on the official websites is either vague or contradictory.

[C-ma'am 684]

**Post moved from K1 to UK. Question is embassy specific**

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hi, and thank you for responding!

I have indeed done the medical -pretty the day before I submitted the notification of readiness.

Until I'd checked the I-129f's 'expiration date' all I'd had to do was to prepare for the interview while I waited for the letter to arrive.

There was a brief panic over whether I'd paid all the fees I owed, but apparently I take care of all the remaining fees when I go for the interview.

It's a shame, but much of the information on the official websites is either vague or contradictory.

You will pay in advance online once you get an interview date assigned. See this post explaining how to do it. (It is Post 5 in the London guide in case the link doesn't put you to the correct post). http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/474161-london-k1-a-complete-guide/?p=6741239

Follow the steps exactly in that order. Pick a depot before trying to pay. Also make sure you are in "Immigrant" and do not enter the "Non-immigrant" section.

[landr 126]

Follow the advice in the London Guide, which Nich-Nick linked to (and also wrote!). If you have done the medical, submitted the readiness form and the DS-160 then you all you can really do is wait. That said, if it's been three weeks or more since you completed/submitted all three items and you are feeling very impatient, try submitting a query via their online contact form, asking about your interview date:

http://london.usembassy.gov/niv/visa_contact_form.html

Give all the dates when the three items were submitted/completed as well as your LND number. Ask them to confirm that they have everything they need to assign a date.

Bear in mind that you might get a stock response and they will say that you will hear something in the next six weeks. If you don't receive an appointment letter in the next 3 weeks after you contacted them, respond to their email and ask that they confirm your interview date by email as well as by post.

With regard to the letter of intent, my petition had "expired" (priority date+4 months) and I took updated letters of intent with me (my interview was a couple of weeks ago). The lady at the document check window didn't ask for updated letters and I had to mention them myself - she happily took them though. As Nich-Nick said, take an updated one with you, since they ask for one in the Packet 3 letter.

Edited July 3, 2014 by landr

[nobbie 105]

Does the updated letter need to be notarised or have they stopped that now? I am not sure but OP may need to know

[landr 126]

My Packet 3 letter (dated in February 2014) did not ask for the updated letter of intent to be notarised, so I didn't get my updated letters notarised. This wasn't an issue at the document check window or the interview. They happily accepted non-notarised letters of intent.

[Rigor_noughtis 0]

Hello, there!

Well, I got new letter of intent from my fiance, and have an interview date & everything! (11th August)

Just a few issues left (!)

Followed link provided by letter, and got MRV fee paid to send to my home address, but no option to pay the courier & visa interview fee is on the site. It's a K1 visa; don't i pay the interview fee on the day of the interview?

Also, when I check my stautus, it's refering to a DS-260 instead of a DS-160. -Has the ds-160 replaced to ds260 & they just haven't updated that part yet?

Thanks,

Jonathan

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hello, there!

Well, I got new letter of intent from my fiance, and have an interview date & everything! (11th August)

Just a few issues left (!)

Followed link provided by letter, and got MRV fee paid to send to my home address, but no option to pay the courier & visa interview fee is on the site. It's a K1 visa; don't i pay the interview fee on the day of the interview?

Also, when I check my stautus, it's refering to a DS-260 instead of a DS-160. -Has the ds-160 replaced to ds260 & they just haven't updated that part yet?

Thanks,

Jonathan

A K1 pays in advance and the application form is the DS-160. Did you get the wrong letter perhaps? IV-18 is a spouse visa letter. (Look in the footer for the form number) Fiancés use IV-19 here http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/IV019_fiance_appt_letter.pdf

[Rigor_noughtis 0]

Well, I don't mind paying in advance, but there's no way to do it on the website they linked me to!

I'm thinking of calling the embassy tomorrow, even if up to now all they've done is told me to look on the internet :/

Hmm... I should probably post this as a seperate topic, now..

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Well, I don't mind paying in advance, but there's no way to do it on the website they linked me to!

I'm thinking of calling the embassy tomorrow, even if up to now all they've done is told me to look on the internet :/

Hmm... I should probably post this as a seperate topic, now..

They will still take your money on the day of the interview. There is a cashier still, as there always has been, but they save time by collecting in advance. 100% positive of that. Once you get in that payment system, you can't go back and do it over. It has been a mess for others. Somebody just last month paid on the day, but I forgot the name or where they posted, so you just might have to take my word for it.

If you call the embassy, you most likely will get somebody who is not informed on the Immigrant Visa Unit and will give you wrong info. The IVU doesn't talk on the phone. Just go to your interview with a credit card.

[Calikitkat 16]

Hi, Rigor! Check the K1 guide for London. It's the first topic in the United Kingdom forum. They provide the link of where to pay the interview fee

Edited July 29, 2014 by anapetcu