Timeline? Just Ballpark It For Me.

[Haltech007 10]

Hi Everyone. I am just trying to get some idea of roughly how long everything will take. I am flying to the PI at the beginning of September. We plan to sit down together and work on the paperwork to make sure that everything is correct (I will be asking a LOT of questions on the forum at that time I am sure!).

Should we visit the Embassy while I am there? Is there anything I need to do while I am there, or just enjoy ourselves? We want to be able to start the paperwork process right away. How do the first steps work?

We are both gov't employees, so the background check process should be fairly quick and easy. I work for the State of Florida and she works for the PI Gov't. She has never been outside the PI and has never been married and has no kids. I am long-since divorced.

Given these factors, ROUGHLY how long do y'all think it will be before she is able to come here? I was hoping for January. Is that a realistic goal?

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

there is about 6 to 9 months.

sorry the ballpark figure is about 6-9 months

[soulstriker 274]

well u didnt really mention when you would submit your petition , but as of 2016 it takes 4-6 months , if you want to hit January 2017 i would file either this month or august , you said u were visiting PI in September so im guessing when u come back ull submit the petition if you submit it september/ october 2016 your looking at Feb/March 2017 time maybe if your case is a breezy straight forward case and if you dont get any RFEs

just giving you a estimate based on 2016 trends , ppl filing in 2017 could be completely different FYI

[Haltech007 10]

I cannot submit it until AFTER we have met in person, right? If there is anything I can do now to get the ball rolling, pleas enlighten me.

[Teachers 12]

Photos together are a standard part of the application. But you can everything ready to send before you go, and then send the day you get back to the U.S. Getting the packet together before you go has the advantage that your fiance can gather everything needed on her end and give it to you when you are together.

Also, I think it is VERY important to meet before either of you fully commit to the other. I've had a couple of very bad experiences domestically where once one meets one finds there is zero chemistry, regardless of how well things went online. Don't put the cart before the horse.

While you are together, relax, but get several pictures. Pictures with her family can be useful. Stories of interviews are quite varied - sometimes photos are examined in some detail, other times they are ignored. But just having them in the file helps convey the authenticity of the connection.

As to timeline, it can be quite variable. You can get a sense by doing a search on K1 timelines, sorting by approval date, and then counting backward to submission date. I just did a quick check of the last 50 interviews for Philippine applications, and the range was 4 to 9 months, longer if you get an RFE.

If you visit in September, you might well plan to visit again in Dec.-Jan. Photos from a second visit, which you could show during the interview, could substantiate an ongoing and deepening relationship. It can also keep your spirits up (both of you) while going through the wait. Also, it can help convince her family and friends how serious you are. My experience is that my mother-in-law doubted my seriousness over multiple visits, and did not believe her daughter would leave until we had the CFO sticker in hand and the departure plane tickets.

Best of luck to the two of you for your visit (s), and the maddening wait of dealing with USCIS.

[teddy k 35]

Hi I would wait until you have got to know her a little more while you're there in person to see how you feel about her. So you can think better about this journey throughout don't want to make a mistake to cost you in the long run

Plus dealing with USCIS to which would drive you crazy at times

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Hi Everyone. I am just trying to get some idea of roughly how long everything will take. I am flying to the PI at the beginning of September. We plan to sit down together and work on the paperwork to make sure that everything is correct (I will be asking a LOT of questions on the forum at that time I am sure!).

Should we visit the Embassy while I am there? Is there anything I need to do while I am there, or just enjoy ourselves? We want to be able to start the paperwork process right away. How do the first steps work?

We are both gov't employees, so the background check process should be fairly quick and easy. I work for the State of Florida and she works for the PI Gov't. She has never been outside the PI and has never been married and has no kids. I am long-since divorced.

Given these factors, ROUGHLY how long do y'all think it will be before she is able to come here? I was hoping for January. Is that a realistic goal?

The process is usually 6-9 months based on many many variables. Some you have control and others you don't. Since your processing through the Philippines. I have a website that will walk you through step by step on the Philippines process. It's free to use. I list the steps, documents and other pertinent information so that you avoid the "gotchas" that are presented while processing. Gotchas can cost you time and or money. I help you avoid those.

The link is http://tinyurl.com/ob9xoa8

This is the place to ask questions if you don't understand something.

[Haltech007 10]

Since your processing through the Philippines. I have a website that will walk you through step by step on the Philippines process. It's free to use. I list the steps, documents and other pertinent information so that you avoid the "gotchas" that are presented while processing. Gotchas can cost you time and or money. I help you avoid those.

The link is http://tinyurl.com/ob9xoa8

I am not processing thru the PI (or at least I do not think that I am), I will be coming back to Florida to do the processing. I am assuming that I will be sending all of the paperwork off to Texas and processing thru there. Is there something that I need to do with the PI gov't or our embassy there? Am I missing something? I really want to have all of my ducks in a row before I head over there next month.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

When you complete your timeline it allows others to see where you are in the process.

I'm assuming you have not submitted your 129f and that is what you'll work on in the trip in September. Most of the paperwork to initiate the 129f is done by you since you will need to submit the 129f. When your application is approved then she is going to do most of the paperwork for the interview. It's easier for you to start before you go since you need most of the documents related to you from your files from city, state or federal agencies.

Again, spend some time reading the steps from my website as its going help you understand the process.

The website will answer most if not all your questions.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Greenbaum

[denali1022 26]

Since you have not met in person yet and are already planning to marry i would suggest hiring an investigator first. Just some advice and something I wish i had done. I hope thats not too far off of the subject.

Right now it seems to be around 5 months for processing but it seems to fluctuate a lot. My experience is limted as im going through it rigt now but thats my take on it having followed everyone else here.

[Haltech007 10]

Since you have not met in person yet and are already planning to marry i would suggest hiring an investigator first. Just some advice and something I wish i had done. I hope thats not too far off of the subject.

Honestly, I had thought about that up front, and I understand your question. I am an ex-cop and I still work in law enforcement, so I am a bit less than trusting than most folks. However, she is a friend of a friend. One of my best friends here is married to her best friend. She comes highly recommended. hahahaha I did a cursory background check with friends and former colleagues in the PI when we were first introduced nearly 2 years ago. Everything checked out, so I decided to move forward with getting to know her. She is educated, never married, and works for the PI gov't. as a professional. Her family seems to like me, and my daughter gets along really well with her. It SHOULD go well for both of us.

[denali1022 26]

Honestly, I had thought about that up front, and I understand your question. I am an ex-cop and I still work in law enforcement, so I am a bit less than trusting than most folks. However, she is a friend of a friend. One of my best friends here is married to her best friend. She comes highly recommended. hahahaha I did a cursory background check with friends and former colleagues in the PI when we were first introduced nearly 2 years ago. Everything checked out, so I decided to move forward with getting to know her. She is educated, never married, and works for the PI gov't. as a professional. Her family seems to like me, and my daughter gets along really well with her. It SHOULD go well for both of us.

I noticed from your picture that you were likely in LE. It sounds like you should be ok but then again all the rest of us that have been duped said the same thing Im sure. The only thing that stands out about your story is that she already has a friend here in the US. That would worry me a bit. We have an agreement that there won't be any filipinos involved in our lives except for family once she gets here. A lot of times it creates huge problems. It sounds like you are going in with open eyes so thats really good. With that said I'd still hire someone over there. LOL. Good luck to you both.

On another note it seems to me that filing during the fall/winter months gets faster results. Maybe less petitions at that time? I could be wrong but that was my observation.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

I forgot to add that you will send your 129f to Texas but she processes through the PI.

Hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy your trip. Let her do the bargaining for transportation. They have a Filipino price and a Kano price. Lol.

[denali1022 26]

I forgot to add that you will send your 129f to Texas but she processes through the PI.

Hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy your trip. Let her do the bargaining for transportation. They have a Filipino price and a Kano price. Lol.

I meant to mention this little tip before but forgot. UBER is your friend in Phil!!!! Learn it, use it, love it!!! Cheaper, safer, cleaner, and far far lest sketchy. The cars are usually really nice also. Just plan out your travel needs because you can end up waiting for your car if its busy. Oh and I'm assuming you are in the Metro Manila area.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

I didn't know that Uber was in the PI. Good to know.