Turning in Passport at Interview?

[MickeyB 15]

When my fiancé goes to his interview in London, is it true that he must leave his passport and then they send it back to him? Asking because he is a soccer player and could possibly be playing for a team in another country and would need his passport to return to that country.

Anyone have any insight?

[jeessgb 57]

It is true. They will keep his passport and send it back with the visa. He better not make traveling arrangements without it as the time could vary greatly with the "administrative processing". From a week to months.

[MickeyB 15]

It is true. They will keep his passport and send it back with the visa. He better not make traveling arrangements without it as the time could vary greatly with the "administrative processing". From a week to months.

Dang wow. Thank you for you help

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

When my fiancé goes to his interview in London, is it true that he must leave his passport and then they send it back to him? Asking because he is a soccer player and could possibly be playing for a team in another country and would need his passport to return to that country.

Anyone have any insight?

They have to keep the passport to issue/print the visa and finish up the files which will all be delivered to him to turn in at POE. If he absolutely has to travel the next day or something, he can take his passport (which pauses the visa issue process) and courier it back to them when he can be without it.

To see how long between interview and getting the passport back, you can look at this UK thread http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/550974-interview-date-to-visa-in-hand-how-long-2015-data/?p=8230228

At some point he's going to have to end the soccer travels because he won't be able to leave the US for a few months after he moves. I f he does before receiving advance parole, you will have to start over fresh from scratch.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Nich-Nick

[MickeyB 15]

They have to keep the passport to issue/print the visa and finish up the files which will all be delivered to him to turn in at POE. If he absolutely has to travel the next day or something, he can take his passport (which pauses the visa issue process) and courier it back to them when he can be without it.

To see how long between interview and getting the passport back, you can look at this UK thread http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/550974-interview-date-to-visa-in-hand-how-long-2015-data/?p=8230228

At some point he's going to have to end the soccer travels because he won't be able to leave the US for a few months after he moves. I f he does before receiving advance parole, you will have to start over fresh from scratch.

Yeah we are well aware of the conditions on AP, but he won't just end his soccer all together, it is his profession and what he does to make a living. When he arrives in the US, he will be playing professionally here.

Thanks for the first suggestion, that might be something for us to consider. It's not definite that we will have to do that, but it at least gives us that option.

Edited August 16, 2016 by MickeyB

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I didn't mean to suggest that he would end his career. I was thinking more that international travel wouldn't be an option for several months.

[2ndMessiah 184]

Yeah we are well aware of the conditions on AP, but he won't just end his soccer all together, it is his profession and what he does to make a living. When he arrives in the US, he will be playing professionally here.

Thanks for the first suggestion, that might be something for us to consider. It's not definite that we will have to do that, but it at least gives us that option.

Football = profession = work. Nope he cant work in the US until he gets work authorization... I have made the assumption he is coming in on a K1 Visa as you said fiancé.

[TBoneTX 45,266]

*** Country-specific thread is moved from the K-1 Process forum to the UK regional subforum. ***

[Tom169 54]

Football = profession = work. Nope he cant work in the US until he gets work authorization... I have made the assumption he is coming in on a K1 Visa as you said fiancé.

K1 visa grants employment authorization for the 90 days. The problem is that you can't prove it to a US employer.

It depends on the nature of the work. For example, working for a British employer would be fine.

[MickeyB 15]

Football = profession = work. Nope he cant work in the US until he gets work authorization... I have made the assumption he is coming in on a K1 Visa as you said fiancé.

Not sure why you broke it down that way. We are well aware that football is a profession and his work and he can't work until he gets work authorization. I never suggested anything different.

[JFH 12,190]

Not sure why you broke it down that way. We are well aware that football is a profession and his work and he can't work until he gets work authorization. I never suggested anything different.

I think it was a case of misunderstanding with the other poster because you said "when he arrives he will play professionally here". That could be taken to mean "as soon as he arrives here" as well as "after we are married and he has his EAD". I think the other poster was just trying to be helpful in pointing out that he will need his EAD before he can work, just in case you weren't aware (many aren't, surprisingly enough).

[JFH 12,190]

K1 visa grants employment authorization for the 90 days. The problem is that you can't prove it to a US employer.

It depends on the nature of the work. For example, working for a British employer would be fine.

Correction - the I-765 grants work authorisation, not the k-1 alone. A K-1 visa without an I-765 would not be enough to work legally. The problem is that the I-765 cannot be applied for until after arrival in the USA and is only valid for 90 days and by the time it arrives (given the current turnaround times at USCIS) the 90 days are all but over. Hence people wait until AOS. Edited August 19, 2016 by JFH

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

A K1 is legally allowed to apply for work authorization based on their visa and as a stand alone application without AOS. You have to pay the application/biometric fees of $465 to do it that way.

So...it takes 60-90 days to be approved and receive the authorization. A K1 is only authorized for an admission of 90 days. By the time that $465 authorization arrives, you have few or zero days left of your 90 days to actually work. Any authorization received based on visa alone would expire when the 90 day admission expires.

If you apply for work authorization based on being an AOS applicant, the application is free and the authorization is for one year.

[2ndMessiah 184]

Not sure why you broke it down that way. We are well aware that football is a profession and his work and he can't work until he gets work authorization. I never suggested anything different.

Clarity...... Not everybody is as "on the ball" ( was that a football pun, I hope not) as you are.

Edited August 19, 2016 by 2ndMessiah