K1 - buying the plane ticket?

[Greenmind 0]

Our interview appointment is the 17th of April. I'm planning to get there on the 15th and travel with her to the interview. I'm then hoping to then return to the states on the 26th of April. The Turkish embassy says it takes between 2-3 days to have the visa delivered via UPS. Do you think my schedule is safe? Are there any reasons I should avoid buying her ticket now? I've found a great price which is nearly $250 cheaper than anything else I've been able to find.

[motu 6]

You are probably Ok, but some people do get denied. How sure are you of your documents, especially support papers? If you buy the cheaper ticket, you may still be OK - I think they charge you $100 to reschedule most of them. Good Luck

[zyggy 9]

Our interview appointment is the 17th of April. I'm planning to get there on the 15th and travel with her to the interview. I'm then hoping to then return to the states on the 26th of April. The Turkish embassy says it takes between 2-3 days to have the visa delivered via UPS. Do you think my schedule is safe? Are there any reasons I should avoid buying her ticket now? I've found a great price which is nearly $250 cheaper than anything else I've been able to find.

Yeah.. if they put her on AR and it takes months to get you visa...

If you do get a ticket... make sure it's 100% refundable or transferable...

[Peter Miami 1]

If you bought it from a mayor airline (like American) you can buy the ticket and then pay a $50 change of secluded fee if they have seats for that date. I bought my fiancée airfare ticket a while ago and she comes this Friday.

If you feel you have everything they requested and you feel good about the interview go ahead and purchase the ticket. I do not know how hard your Embassy is to get a K-1 visa. How does your fiancee and you feel about the interview?

Good luck,

Peter Miami

Edited March 8, 2006 by Peter Miami

[Greenmind 0]

What does the acronym AR mean?

I'm really not worried about the visa. I make almost 3 x the $$$ that is required and have provided everything necessary in regards to supporting her. We've sent the letter from the bank, tax forms, pay stubs, and letter to employer already. With Turkey they ask for everything prior to the interview.

I really can't think of a reason they would deny her. We're pretty much a perfect match. She doesn't speak the best english but we have hours/days of chat logs to show our ability to communicate. The only thing that could perhaps be a problem is the fact that our relationship is't really documented until the point I actually met her in September.

By the way, a 100% refundable ticket costs almost 3 x as much as a non-refundable ticket. I'm looking at her ticket for about $780 right now. The cheapest refundable one was $2100.

[zyggy 9]

What does the acronym AR mean?

I'm really not worried about the visa. I make almost 3 x the $$$ that is required and have provided everything necessary in regards to supporting her. We've sent the letter from the bank, tax forms, pay stubs, and letter to employer already. With Turkey they ask for everything prior to the interview.

I really can't think of a reason they would deny her. We're pretty much a perfect match. She doesn't speak the best english but we have hours/days of chat logs to show our ability to communicate. The only thing that could perhaps be a problem is the fact that our relationship is't really documented until the point I actually met her in September.

By the way, a 100% refundable ticket costs almost 3 x as much as a non-refundable ticket. I'm looking at her ticket for about $780 right now. The cheapest refundable one was $2100.

AR= Administrative Review... If they have doublts about your relationship, they'll put her case in AR... which could be relatively easy or relatively hard to get out of...

[ChristinaM 0]

Sounds like everything is good to go, but all they have to do is ask her to return in a couple of days with additional evidence of something and your flight will have to be changed - possibly winding up costing you as much as you're saving by buying the cheaper ticket if you're really unlucky.

It's generally not recommended to purchase the ticket before you have the visa in hand, or at least approved and on its way, but at the end of the day it's your call!

[Greenmind 0]

Is it possible for them to cancel everything and deny her visa completely at this point or is it just a matter of time and what evidence we have if we get sent to AR? What kind of things typically set off flags for AR anyways? We don't have a huge ammount of evidence since the decision to do this was rather sudden and the process went by so fast it only allowed for one trip and tons of online chat. I have about 2-3 hours/day of chatlog from the last 5-6 months that I plan to selectively print out portions of. I have some photos from my webcam printed off. I have a few phone records as well as credit card charges. Ring receipts... A card or two. A few email. I just dunno what else I could bring to prove it's real.

[scy 0]

Is it possible for them to cancel everything and deny her visa completely at this point or is it just a matter of time and what evidence we have if we get sent to AR? What kind of things typically set off flags for AR anyways? We don't have a huge ammount of evidence since the decision to do this was rather sudden and the process went by so fast it only allowed for one trip and tons of online chat. I have about 2-3 hours/day of chatlog from the last 5-6 months that I plan to selectively print out portions of. I have some photos from my webcam printed off. I have a few phone records as well as credit card charges. Ring receipts... A card or two. A few email. I just dunno what else I could bring to prove it's real.

Personally, I wouldn't be so sure of obtaining a visa from a Middle East country. Since 9/11, most ME applicants go through extra security checks, even female applicants. Check out this link for security clearances at Ankara.

Note the dates on the case numbers. Some of them date back to 2003. So depending on how lucky you are, your fiancee might be in for a very long wait.

http://ankara.usembassy.gov/immigrant_security.html

[Greenmind 0]

Is it possible for them to cancel everything and deny her visa completely at this point or is it just a matter of time and what evidence we have if we get sent to AR? What kind of things typically set off flags for AR anyways? We don't have a huge ammount of evidence since the decision to do this was rather sudden and the process went by so fast it only allowed for one trip and tons of online chat. I have about 2-3 hours/day of chatlog from the last 5-6 months that I plan to selectively print out portions of. I have some photos from my webcam printed off. I have a few phone records as well as credit card charges. Ring receipts... A card or two. A few email. I just dunno what else I could bring to prove it's real.

Personally, I wouldn't be so sure of obtaining a visa from a Middle East country. Since 9/11, most ME applicants go through extra security checks, even female applicants. Check out this link for security clearances at Ankara.

Note the dates on the case numbers. Some of them date back to 2003. So depending on how lucky you are, your fiancee might be in for a very long wait.

http://ankara.usembassy.gov/immigrant_security.html

I was told that the main security clearance was already taken care of while the visa was being processed by the NVC. Any additional security issues we would have would be a result of her or I having a police record there which she does not, or her name matching that of someone associated with a terrorist which due to the uniqueness of her name is a very small possibility. The K1 and K3 visas are different from other visas because it's an American citizen filing on behalf of a non-american citizen which is the main reason why they created the K1/K3.

Also, most people I know considered Turkey to be European, not middle eastern which is why they'll probably be the next member of the EU. They are muslim tho but on good terms with the US. Honestly maybe I'm just overly optimistic. I just don't see security issues being part of the equation since our i129 went through in about 2 months and only stayed at the NVC for a very short period of time which is where the security issues would have popped up.

[scy 0]

Is it possible for them to cancel everything and deny her visa completely at this point or is it just a matter of time and what evidence we have if we get sent to AR? What kind of things typically set off flags for AR anyways? We don't have a huge ammount of evidence since the decision to do this was rather sudden and the process went by so fast it only allowed for one trip and tons of online chat. I have about 2-3 hours/day of chatlog from the last 5-6 months that I plan to selectively print out portions of. I have some photos from my webcam printed off. I have a few phone records as well as credit card charges. Ring receipts... A card or two. A few email. I just dunno what else I could bring to prove it's real.

Personally, I wouldn't be so sure of obtaining a visa from a Middle East country. Since 9/11, most ME applicants go through extra security checks, even female applicants. Check out this link for security clearances at Ankara.

Note the dates on the case numbers. Some of them date back to 2003. So depending on how lucky you are, your fiancee might be in for a very long wait.

http://ankara.usembassy.gov/immigrant_security.html

I was told that the main security clearance was already taken care of while the visa was being processed by the NVC. Any additional security issues we would have would be a result of her or I having a police record there which she does not, or her name matching that of someone associated with a terrorist which due to the uniqueness of her name is a very small possibility. The K1 and K3 visas are different from other visas because it's an American citizen filing on behalf of a non-american citizen which is the main reason why they created the K1/K3.

Also, most people I know considered Turkey to be European, not middle eastern which is why they'll probably be the next member of the EU. They are muslim tho but on good terms with the US. Honestly maybe I'm just overly optimistic. I just don't see security issues being part of the equation since our i129 went through in about 2 months and only stayed at the NVC for a very short period of time which is where the security issues would have popped up.

You're too optimistic. When there is a name hit at NVC, and if NVC can't clear it, it will request that the consulate fingerprint the visa applicants. Then those fingerprints are sent to the FBI to be checked.

If you go to the link I posted, there is a little box on the right that says

"All non-immigrant and immigrant visa applicants (including 'K' visa and 'V' visa applicants) may require security clearances based upon their biographical and background information. While most security clearance procedures occur prior to the final immigrant visa interview, in some instances additional security procedures may be required after the interview. The security clearance process takes between four (4) and six (6) months and, unfortunately, cannot be expedited. Applicants should plan their schedules accordingly."

Don't count on Turkey being a "European" country to be forgiven of the security checks.

[Kajikit 65]

If I was you I'd be VERY wary of booking a ticket for your fiance so close to the interview... even if they decide to give her a visa on the spot you still have to wait for it to be delivered and there may be some kind of holdup... Seven days really a very short period of time - if you really do want to buy the ticket before the interview I'd leave at least a fortnight in case of delays.

[Fuzzness 2]

Buying a ticket before having the visa in your hand might not be so smart. I'm not buying any plane tickets to the US until I have the visa in my hand.

[Peggy 1]

I didnt either.

[j&js 0]

Remember Murphy's Law: If you don't buy the ticket, everything will go smoothly and you will wish you did. If you buy it there will be a delay to mess things up!

Good luck on your decision and interview!