Interview timing and visa validity

[br9k 23]

I have a few questions on timeframes of visa processing:

- After consulate in beneficiary's country receives documents from US and contacts beneficiary with checklist and required forms (steps 8/9 on the "flow chart") - is the interview date set at the same time? Or will embassy wait until beneficiary compiles and submits required forms back to them, and only then sets interview time?

- If the former - how long does beneficiary usually have from the point consulate contacts him until the interview?

- If the latter - how much time can beneficiary spend assembling documents and replying to the consulate (i.e. - if he takes a while, will the application "expire")?

- Once/assuming K1 visa is issued - for how long is it valid? How much time does beneficiary have to enter US? (I understand the requirement to marry within 90 days of *entry*)

Thank you all!

[Lainie B 465]

Which consulate?

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Approved I-129F petitions are valid for 4 months, but the consulate can extend the validity, if needed.

Look up the instructions for the consulate you will interview at.

You will typically have 6 months to enter the US using your K-1 visa, but sometimes the K-1 expires sooner than 6 months based on the medical. Just be sure to enter the US before the expiration date listed on the visa itself.

[br9k 23]

Thank you for the reply!

Sorry to be dense, but it's still not quite clear to me at what point consulate sets time for interview. Is interview time set as soon as consulate contacts beneficiary? Or is it set after beneficiary returns required documents to consulate?

[Al422 221]

Each consulate has their own rules. Some assign you the date while others wait for you to pick one. Some even have a hybrid of the two depending on the type of visa. Go to the web page for your specific consulate to look it up.

Generally you have 6 months from the date of the visa issuance to enter the United Statesl, but some, like Manila, start the 6 month clock ticking from the date of your medical. Again, there is no substitute but to read that consulate's rules.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Thank you for the reply!

Sorry to be dense, but it's still not quite clear to me at what point consulate sets time for interview. Is interview time set as soon as consulate contacts beneficiary? Or is it set after beneficiary returns required documents to consulate?

Which consulate? What do their instructions say?

[Zedayn 485]

Thank you for the reply!

Sorry to be dense, but it's still not quite clear to me at what point consulate sets time for interview. Is interview time set as soon as consulate contacts beneficiary? Or is it set after beneficiary returns required documents to consulate?

You need to be clear about which consulate you are referring to. Some consulates do not schedule your interview, you are the one to schedule it. Some consulates also have their own procedures on how you should prepare for the interview. Some require you to send things to the embassy first before you can have your interview scheduled, and others just want you to bring all your documentation to the interview.

If you want a more direct answer, specific to your country, you need to say which consulate you need more specific information about.

[br9k 23]

I see - didn't realize procedures differed between consulates.

The consulate is in Bangkok, Thailand.

Edited August 27, 2014 by br9k

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Moved from K1 Process to Thailand Regional Forum~

~Inquiry about process at embassy phase, instructions/requirements are often embassy-specific~

[Thane 8]

Bangkok is pretty quick about scheduling interviews once you send in the readiness form (e.g. completed packet 3). Ours was scheduled two weeks after we sent the packet in. The unfortunate thing that we had is that they never actually sent out packet 3 to us, we ended up contacting them after 2-3 weeks of our packet arriving from the NVC and they did confirm that it was okay to compile all of the documents on the beneficiary side to send in.