Scandinavians Part 2

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

7 hours ago, LizM said:

@Paul & Mallory, or anyone else on this forum who's recently had their 129f petition approved and sent to the embassy recently: when you scheduled the embassy interview, what date was it, and when was the next available interview date? I'm trying to figure out an estimate of how much time we need after NoA2. I know it varies for everyone because of other factors as well, but it'd be nice to at least know the approximate waiting times for the interview. Thanks  

Our NOA2 was 12/1/17, but our case wasn't received by NVC until 1/17 (I think the delay was partially due to the holidays and people being out). Paul received his information on 1/24 and had already scheduled his medical for 2/15 since we had the case number after I called NVC on 1/18. As soon as he got his info on 1/24, he went and completed the DS160 (I think that's right ) and scheduled his interview for 2/22! That was actually the latest date available when he checked; they gave him the option for 2/8, 2/15, or 2/22, and since his medical isn't until the 15th, he picked the 22nd. We didn't expect the window to be so narrow, or for it to happen so quickly. My opinion - once you hit NVC, things start moving VERY quickly!

[Bikerbride 20]

3 hours ago, Paul & Mallory said:

Our NOA2 was 12/1/17, but our case wasn't received by NVC until 1/17 (I think the delay was partially due to the holidays and people being out). Paul received his information on 1/24 and had already scheduled his medical for 2/15 since we had the case number after I called NVC on 1/18. As soon as he got his info on 1/24, he went and completed the DS160 (I think that's right ) and scheduled his interview for 2/22! That was actually the latest date available when he checked; they gave him the option for 2/8, 2/15, or 2/22, and since his medical isn't until the 15th, he picked the 22nd. We didn't expect the window to be so narrow, or for it to happen so quickly. My opinion - once you hit NVC, things start moving VERY quickly!

What do you think you got your time for the interview so quickly? Does it have anything to do with the kind of visa? I am a CR1. 

[Scandi 4,154]

8 hours ago, Bikerbride said:

What do you think you got your time for the interview so quickly? Does it have anything to do with the kind of visa? I am a CR1. 

For the K-1 you get to schedule your own interview, we just log onto the website and pick what date we want. Sometimes the earliest date is 8 weeks away, sometimes only 2 weeks. When I chose my date there was available appointments 2 weeks down the road but I wasn't ready so I took a date 4 weeks away instead.

[Katri 236]

Would be interested if there is any finns out there also struggling  😅

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 11:08 AM, Bikerbride said:

What do you think you got your time for the interview so quickly? Does it have anything to do with the kind of visa? I am a CR1. 

I'm not sure; perhaps we just moved quick enough. I don't know if it has anything to do with when he scheduled his medical or not.

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

On ‎2‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 4:23 AM, LizM said:

Oh okay, so after receiving case number on 1/18 he was able to schedule his medical within a month (he's in Gothenburg if I remember correctly? So the medical waiting times in Stockholm may differ a bit I guess, but still) and his interview just past a month. Good to know. In our best case scenario we get approved right around our VJ estimated date (27th-31st of March) and then have the medical and interview all done with in the first part of May. If I knew that to be true, I'd have so many things to do right now haha. But we might as well also be outliers. 

 

Congratulations by the way! When is he planning his POE?  

Yes, correct. I believe he looked into scheduling his medical the week after we got the case number. And it's my understanding as long as you have that case number, you can go ahead and scheduled the medical before receiving Packet 3 or anything.

 

And YES me too! There's a handful of things I'd have done differently if I knew then what I know now! But it's all a learning experience. Not that I plan to ever go through this again, LOL.

 

Thank you! We don't have a POE expectation yet; we're waiting to see how the interview goes and when he gets approved/gets his visa. We hope it'll be within the next couple of months, though! I don't expect him to come back with me next month when I come back from visiting, because I imagine he'll want to spend some time with his family and whatnot before leaving. I'm sure we'll talk more about it once I'm there, which will ALMOST be this time next week! I'll be laying over in Germany right about now this time next week! I'm getting so anxious!

 

And the end of March is not far away, my friend - it's just around that corner! Things seem to have picked up quite a bit more lately, so I think you guys will be fine and hopefully within the timeframe you're expecting. Just take the downtime till then to gather everything you know you need to, because once it starts moving, it definitely goes pretty fast. Much faster for us, at least, than we expected, lol. BTW, yes you were correct, Paul is in Gothenburg  

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

Anyone who's already completed an interview in Stockholm before - did the USC travel with you? If so, where did they go/wait? Since Paul lives in GOT, we'll be going to Stockholm by train and staying in a hotel for a couple of nights. I know I can't actually go inside with him, so looking for ideas or places to go nearby to occupy my time while he's having the interview.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

16 minutes ago, Paul & Mallory said:

Anyone who's already completed an interview in Stockholm before - did the USC travel with you? If so, where did they go/wait? Since Paul lives in GOT, we'll be going to Stockholm by train and staying in a hotel for a couple of nights. I know I can't actually go inside with him, so looking for ideas or places to go nearby to occupy my time while he's having the interview.

 

Mind you this was 5 years ago, but we both went into the embassy.  I, the USC, just sat in the waiting area which was chairs near the interview windows.  

[Bikerbride 20]

26 minutes ago, Paul & Mallory said:

Anyone who's already completed an interview in Stockholm before - did the USC travel with you? If so, where did they go/wait? Since Paul lives in GOT, we'll be going to Stockholm by train and staying in a hotel for a couple of nights. I know I can't actually go inside with him, so looking for ideas or places to go nearby to occupy my time while he's having the interview.

There is a nice walk not far from the ambassad. It is Djurgarden. There are some nice coffee shops there. 

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

12 minutes ago, N-o-l-a said:

 

Mind you this was 5 years ago, but we both went into the embassy.  I, the USC, just sat in the waiting area which was chairs near the interview windows.  

Ah.. I wondered if there wasn't a waiting area just inside. We'll have to see what they allow when we arrive I suppose. I'd rather wait there, even if it takes a couple hours or longer, so I'll be there when he comes out.

2 minutes ago, Bikerbride said:

There is a nice walk not far from the ambassad. It is Djurgarden. There are some nice coffee shops there. 

Noted! Thank you!

 

[Filip and Alix 42]

Hi everyone! I live in South Carolina and my fiancé in Norway, we are looking to settle together in NYC. It is so helpful to read about everyone else's experiences. Thank you all for sharing. We are October filers, watching our NOA2 time get pushed back 6 weeks and now slowly improving. As we await the next step, does anyone have any tips about what things they would've done differently? Or wish they had known to do? Thanks again!!! All the best to everyone on this forum  

[Scandi 4,154]

It just struck me how useful it is that we type in English in here, it would be hard for the US spouses/partners to learn anything from our posts if we did like the Germans - only posted in our native tongue. 

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

24 minutes ago, Scandi said:

It just struck me how useful it is that we type in English in here, it would be hard for the US spouses/partners to learn anything from our posts if we did like the Germans - only posted in our native tongue. 

Yes, as I only understand about a handful of words/phrases in Swedish, it is GREATLY appreciated  I'm learning, but not that fast LOL

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

42 minutes ago, Filip and Alix said:

Hi everyone! I live in South Carolina and my fiancé in Norway, we are looking to settle together in NYC. It is so helpful to read about everyone else's experiences. Thank you all for sharing. We are October filers, watching our NOA2 time get pushed back 6 weeks and now slowly improving. As we await the next step, does anyone have any tips about what things they would've done differently? Or wish they had known to do? Thanks again!!! All the best to everyone on this forum  

Welcome to the club! And YAY another SC native  I'm in SC and my fiancé is from Sweden.

 

It is beginning to move along much faster so far this year since we first began last summer, I can definitely attest to that. Just take this time to plan anything necessary, tie up loose ends, etc. Until you guys reach  the NVC, that's about all you can do right now. One thing I wish I'd done differently, but would've been back in the very beginning, was automatically make 2 or 3 copies of EVERYTHING, including our original petition packet. Ideally, a copy that gets sent off, and then a copy for me and one for my fiancé. They say bringing a copy of your original I-129 packet isn't required at the interview stage, but can be helpful, so I wound up recreating the whole thing a couple months ago to include in my financial support paperwork/documents to provide my fiancé.

 

As the USC, there isn't much you can do right now. A lot of what you need to provide post NVC (Affidavit of Support, financial evidence, etc.) is best to be dated as close to the interview as possible, so there's not much point in going and collecting all of that until you've at least passed NVC stage. Don't want to take the time to do it, then get to that point and things be possibly outdated and you have to get it all again. Waiting on NOA2 was the hardest part for us, so just hang in there - once you get there, things start moving a lot faster.

 

[blenheim 243]

@Paul & Mallory Hi!! How is the wait for an interview at Stockholm looking? I'm hopefully getting our NOA2 for our K1 visa soon and am wondering what the current interview wait time is looking like