February 2017 I-129F Filers

[FindHerKeepHer 244]

5 minutes ago, ChisolmTrail said:

Finally K1/K2s visas on hand...being here in Manila only 15 minute walk from embassy really helped push things through

was visa ready before today? or was it issued today?

[GInAustin 164]

5 minutes ago, ChisolmTrail said:

Finally K1/K2s visas on hand...being here in Manila only 15 minute walk from embassy really helped push things through

Would you recommend any nice hotel close by?  My fiancé will be staying there for their medical up through the interview time.  I'm hoping to find a nice place that is close by.  TIA

[KonE 13]

Approved in less than 10mins they didnt even ask for affidavit of support

[ChisolmTrail 75]

4 minutes ago, FindHerKeepHer said:

was visa ready before today? or was it issued today?

Interview 7/25 

K1 visa issued 8/4

K2 visas issued 8/14

Visas at MOA 2go today at 6pm local

[ChisolmTrail 75]

7 minutes ago, GInAustin said:

Would you recommend any nice hotel close by?  My fiancé will be staying there for their medical up through the interview time.  I'm hoping to find a nice place that is close by.  TIA

Really depends on your budget. Most hotels in Malate are about 4000php or 80USD per night. You will find better and cheaper using airbnb. We got a condo 15 minute walk from USEM and SLEC for 2000php or 40USD per night....discounts for weekly and monthly rates. Also depends on how long she intends on staying. 

 

I moved my fiance to Malate to avoid having to travel back and forth with two kids

[JeffreyElla 60]

I thought I would share my experience of attending Ella's medical and interview in Moscow.

 

I went with Ella to her medical on Monday, July 31st.  The medical was generally fine.  The administrative work is done in one location (payment, checking vaccination records, pictures).  Then they send you to another location with instructions on which bus to take.  We just took a taxi which seemed much easier.  Once we got there we checked in (make sure you have your NVC Case # ready) the process took a few hours, hopping between different floors and rooms for various tests.  She had a chest x-ray which revealed a shadow which can be an indication of tuberculosis.  She has never had tuberculosis.  She had chest x-ray 1 year ago and it was clear.  But regardless they ordered an additional sputum test (3 separate days of coughing to collect a sample).  Luckily we had planned to stay in Moscow until Friday before heading to St Petersburg.  This testing is done in a separate facility that we had to take a train to each of the 3 mornings. in the basement of a run down building.  It was an 'interesting' experience. It takes 5 weeks to get the results.  After a bit of searching, it seems like this additional test is quite common.

 

The interview was on Thursday, August 1st.  That went absolutely fine.

 

We checked in and had everything they needed.  The woman almost seemed surprised.  Then we sat down and after us, there were 3 other K1 visa woman applicants attending the interview alone.  We could overhear their conversations when checking in and almost all them were missing something critical from the list of required documents, which I guess explains why she was surprised by someone actually being prepared.

 

The person that interviewed us was extremely friendly.  He told us not to worry about the sputum test and that it is common.  Even if she has inactive tuberculosis, they would simply issue the visa with a shorter window (3 months instead of 6) for entry to the US.  The one thing I would mention that was surprising is that he said that USCIS has recently stopped sending copies of the K1 application materials.  He asked for evidence of an ongoing relationship.  I had all the evidence from after we applied for the K1, but not from before.  In our case, because I attended the interview which helps a lot he said, that was enough.  So I would say that you might want to plan to bring all of your original application materials because if what he said is true, they will not have seen any of it.  At the end, I asked him if the medical is good if we are approved, and he said he can't officially say that, but yes.

 

So we will have to wait another 4 to 6 weeks from now for Ella's visa.  It will probably mean she will come in early October instead of early September like we had hoped.  So, once again, we need a little more patience.

 

Following the medical, interview, and sputum testing we left for a fantastic 8 days together in St Petersburg.

 

[GInAustin 164]

17 minutes ago, ChisolmTrail said:

Really depends on your budget. Most hotels in Malate are about 4000php or 80USD per night. You will find better and cheaper using airbnb. We got a condo 15 minute walk from USEM and SLEC for 2000php or 40USD per night....discounts for weekly and monthly rates. Also depends on how long she intends on staying. 

 

I moved my fiance to Malate to avoid having to travel back and forth with two kids

Thank you. 

[Alya and Joe 130]

39 minutes ago, JeffreyElla said:

I thought I would share my experience of attending Ella's medical and interview in Moscow.

 

I went with Ella to her medical on Monday, July 31st.  The medical was generally fine.  The administrative work is done in one location (payment, checking vaccination records, pictures).  Then they send you to another location with instructions on which bus to take.  We just took a taxi which seemed much easier.  Once we got there we checked in (make sure you have your NVC Case # ready) the process took a few hours, hopping between different floors and rooms for various tests.  She had a chest x-ray which revealed a shadow which can be an indication of tuberculosis.  She has never had tuberculosis.  She had chest x-ray 1 year ago and it was clear.  But regardless they ordered an additional sputum test (3 separate days of coughing to collect a sample).  Luckily we had planned to stay in Moscow until Friday before heading to St Petersburg.  This testing is done in a separate facility that we had to take a train to each of the 3 mornings. in the basement of a run down building.  It was an 'interesting' experience. It takes 5 weeks to get the results.  After a bit of searching, it seems like this additional test is quite common.

 

The interview was on Thursday, August 1st.  That went absolutely fine.

 

We checked in and had everything they needed.  The woman almost seemed surprised.  Then we sat down and after us, there were 3 other K1 visa woman applicants attending the interview alone.  We could overhear their conversations when checking in and almost all them were missing something critical from the list of required documents, which I guess explains why she was surprised by someone actually being prepared.

 

The person that interviewed us was extremely friendly.  He told us not to worry about the sputum test and that it is common.  Even if she has inactive tuberculosis, they would simply issue the visa with a shorter window (3 months instead of 6) for entry to the US.  The one thing I would mention that was surprising is that he said that USCIS has recently stopped sending copies of the K1 application materials.  He asked for evidence of an ongoing relationship.  I had all the evidence from after we applied for the K1, but not from before.  In our case, because I attended the interview which helps a lot he said, that was enough.  So I would say that you might want to plan to bring all of your original application materials because if what he said is true, they will not have seen any of it.  At the end, I asked him if the medical is good if we are approved, and he said he can't officially say that, but yes.

 

So we will have to wait another 4 to 6 weeks from now for Ella's visa.  It will probably mean she will come in early October instead of early September like we had hoped.  So, once again, we need a little more patience.

 

Following the medical, interview, and sputum testing we left for a fantastic 8 days together in St Petersburg.

 

Jeffrey, thank you so much for sharing the information! but why you should wait that long for visa? usually they issue it within 3-4 days...what questions did they ask during the unterview?

[JeffreyElla 60]

38 minutes ago, Alya and Joe said:

Jeffrey, thank you so much for sharing the information! but why you should wait that long for visa? usually they issue it within 3-4 days...what questions did they ask during the unterview?

Without getting too scientific, the 3 samples from sputum test for tuberculosis requires 5 weeks of incubation to see if something grows from the sample.  If nothing grows, then you don't have tuberculosis.  If tuberculosis bacteria is present, it will grow from the sample.  The medical is complete until these results are ready and the visa cannot be issued until then.

 

The questions were really simple:

1. The first question was funny:  "What is Kabardian?"  (He really didn't know what it was.  It is the language of the Circassian people, which Ella also speaks)
2. "How and when did you meet?" (Online, 13 months ago)
3. "Show me evidence of your relationship."  (We provided WhatsApp and video call screenshots since our application, but we should have had the evidence from our original K1 application too)

After that, it was really just a friendly conversation.  I suppose there might have been some other questions, but mostly they were part of an easy conversation.  Ella told him the story about how I proposed and how we communicate.  She talked about me meeting her brother and that she has had video calls with my family.

Edited August 16, 2017 by JeffreyElla

[belle4310 72]

Finally received a case number today after 28 days of NOA2, I tried to check it online, "tacker is saying your search return no data" anyone with similar experience?

[Alya and Joe 130]

1 hour ago, JeffreyElla said:

Without getting too scientific, the 3 samples from sputum test for tuberculosis requires 5 weeks of incubation to see if something grows from the sample.  If nothing grows, then you don't have tuberculosis.  If tuberculosis bacteria is present, it will grow from the sample.  The medical is complete until these results are ready and the visa cannot be issued until then.

 

The questions were really simple:

1. The first question was funny:  "What is Kabardian?"  (He really didn't know what it was.  It is the language of the Circassian people, which Ella also speaks)
2. "How and when did you meet?" (Online, 13 months ago)
3. "Show me evidence of your relationship."  (We provided WhatsApp and video call screenshots since our application, but we should have had the evidence from our original K1 application too)

After that, it was really just a friendly conversation.  I suppose there might have been some other questions, but mostly they were part of an easy conversation.  Ella told him the story about how I proposed and how we communicate.  She talked about me meeting her brother and that she has had video calls with my family.

ah, i got it..so the delay is because of sputum test(( 

but the most important that you are approved))) thank you for sharing your experience about the interview, now im not that much scared)))i will prepare all documents that possible and will come to embassy with the suitcase of papers , proofs of relationship and photos)))  hope you liked Moscow and St. Petersburg in summer)))

 

[PRC Rabbit 40]

We were hanging in the January group but it got way, way  depressing so we joined the February group. Our NOA1 date was February 1 and we are still waiting for NOA2.  We got an RFE with an Aug 14 deadline.  Everything requested was submitted by early August.  The waiting is terribly stressful but we take some  comfort / solidarity with others still waiting like us. neil

Edited August 16, 2017 by PRC Rabbit
remove duplicate text

[Liudmyla 21]

205 days....

[RaptureSongbird 533]

Medical was completed today with no issues.  My fiance said that everyone was very nice at Knightsbridge, they didn't even bother to ask about the GP Summary and it wasn't an issue that he didn't have one, took about an hour total, and they told him that his results would be to the embassy in 3 days.  Next step is the interview a week from tomorrow.

 

We had to push back our planned entry date by 3 weeks due to a few issues.  Right now, assuming everything goes okay next Thursday, I will fly into London on October 20th and we'll fly back together on October 27th.  Just have to make it through 9 more weeks...

[afikam 9]

We received an rfe Aug 15 according to the website but I'm currently traveling abroad. Is the a way to read what they requested without the physical piece of mail? I'm excited and nervous I have no idea what they would ask for!