K1 visa

[kimmykimmydora 15]

Hi! i just recently joined here.. my fiance received a that say's the NVC will now forward the petition to the US embassy here in manila.. Should i start requesting for the cenomar and other requirements? and also, if i need to attend seminar for pdos?  and how long usually it takes for me to schedule for an interview?thank you so much!. 

[Chris and Tin 135]

1 hour ago, kimmykimmydora said:

Hi! i just recently joined here.. my fiance received a that say's the NVC will now forward the petition to the US embassy here in manila.. Should i start requesting for the cenomar and other requirements? and also, if i need to attend seminar for pdos?  and how long usually it takes for me to schedule for an interview?thank you so much!.

yes.  you should request for the cenomar and all other documents needed to support your petition.  you should also start filling up the DS-160.  you can also check the status of your case.  you can do both at https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/.  you should also schedule your medical with st. lukes.  here's the link http://www.slec.ph/us-visa-applicants.shtml.  you can attend the CFO seminar before or after the visa approval.  but they recommend that you attend once you receive your passport with the apporved K1 visa.

 

good luck and have fun in this journey.  you are almost there!

[kimmykimmydora 15]

Thank you so much Chris and tin! by the way my passport will be expiring next year April 2018.. so I've got and schedule for passport renewal next Saturday, ans saw that the DS 160 form is asking some of the details in my passport.. should i renew first prior filling up the form? Thank you so much for the help! 

 

[kimmykimmydora 15]

1 hour ago, Chris and Tin said:

yes.  you should request for the cenomar and all other documents needed to support your petition.  you should also start filling up the DS-160.  you can also check the status of your case.  you can do both at https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/.  you should also schedule your medical with st. lukes.  here's the link http://www.slec.ph/us-visa-applicants.shtml.  you can attend the CFO seminar before or after the visa approval.  but they recommend that you attend once you receive your passport with the apporved K1 visa.

 

good luck and have fun in this journey.  you are almost there!

Thank you so much chris and tin!  By the way my passport will be expiring next year april 2018 to be exact but i need to renew it this year.. I have schedule next saturday for renewal of my passport. Should i fill up the DS 160 form after i get my new passport? i really don't have anyone to ask regarding with this process.. so thank you so much!

[Chris and Tin 135]

20 minutes ago, kimmykimmydora said:

Thank you so much chris and tin!  By the way my passport will be expiring next year april 2018 to be exact but i need to renew it this year.. I have schedule next saturday for renewal of my passport. Should i fill up the DS 160 form after i get my new passport? i really don't have anyone to ask regarding with this process.. so thank you so much!

yeah, you can wait.  but you can always fill up your DS-160 now and just save it, not submit it yet.  once you have your new passport, just update that part where they ask you for the passport number and submit the form.  also, you can set you interview with the embassy as soon as you pay the fee either in BDO or BPI.  but set it right after when you receive your passport.  so if you know when you should be getting your passport, schedule the interview maybe a day or a week after.  

 

just wondering though.  why do you need to renew your passport now anyway?  if you will be leaving for the US before october 2017 (6 months from expiration), your current passport should be ok. 

 

also, you can read this blog. http://www.mrspresson.com/immigration/129f-fiancee-petition-process/.  it'll help you know the next steps in this journey.  

Edited July 1, 2017 by Chris and Tin

[kimmykimmydora 15]

2 minutes ago, Chris and Tin said:

yeah, you can wait.  but you can always fill up your DS-160 now and just save it, not submit it yet.  once you have your new passport, just update that part where they ask you for the passport number and submit the form.  also, you can set you interview with the embassy as soon as you pay the fee either in BDO or BPI.  but set it right after when you receive your passport.  so if you know when you should be getting your passport, schedule the interview maybe a day or a week after.  

 

just wondering though.  why do you need to renew your passport now anyway?  if you will be leaving for the US before november 2017, your current passport should be ok. 

 

also, you can read this blog. http://www.mrspresson.com/immigration/129f-fiancee-petition-process/.  it'll help you know the next steps in this journey.  

Our first plan is i'll be going to CA with them after their vacation here in the PH this coming December with some of his relatives. They going to stay here for a month,so by January my passport will not be valid. I've read somewhere that the passport for should still valid for 6 months after you've entered the US. Is the information right?

Then our 2nd plan is ,If my visa will be approved quickly, i'll be flying alone to CA and be wed so that by December i can come with them for the Christmas vacation. So i think i should renew my passport. 

How long usually it took for the visa application here in ph? do you have any idea? 

[Chris and Tin 135]

24 minutes ago, kimmykimmydora said:

Our first plan is i'll be going to CA with them after their vacation here in the PH this coming December with some of his relatives. They going to stay here for a month,so by January my passport will not be valid. I've read somewhere that the passport for should still valid for 6 months after you've entered the US. Is the information right?

Then our 2nd plan is ,If my visa will be approved quickly, i'll be flying alone to CA and be wed so that by December i can come with them for the Christmas vacation. So i think i should renew my passport. 

How long usually it took for the visa application here in ph? do you have any idea? 

oh i see.  if that's the case, then just get your new passport and set your interview date on the dates after you receive your passport, just to be on the safe side. as for passport validity when you leave the philippines, there should at least be 6 months validity.  When you return to the Philippines, it should not matter if it's less than 6 months as long as it is not expired yet, as far as i understand the rules.  

 

anyway, K1 visa, according to the posts in the forums, should take about an average of 6 months from the time that you sent your petition.  in your case, since it has passed through the NVC already, perhaps you can complete everything maybe in a month.  it all depends on your medical results and your interview with the consul.  if you pass all medical tests and if the consul approves your application, then you can have your visa maybe within a month.  if you fail the medical, especially the TB test, you have to wait for 2 months before you can be cleared up; only then you can set for interview.  if the consul asks you for more information or documents during your interview, then that could also delay your visa approval.

Edited July 1, 2017 by Chris and Tin

[kimmykimmydora 15]

2 minutes ago, Chris and Tin said:

oh i see.  if that's the case, then just get your new passport and set your interview date on the dates after you receive your passport, just to be on the safe side. as for passport validity when you leave the philippines, there should at least be 6 months validity.  When you return to the Philippines, it should not matter if it's less than 6 months as long as it is not expired yet, as far as i understand the rules.  

 

anyway, K1 visa, according to the posts in the forums, should take about an average of 6 months from the time that you sent your petition.  in your case, perhaps you can complete everything maybe in a month.  it all depends on when your medical results and your interview with the consul.  if you pass all medical tests and if the consul approves your application, then you can have your visa within a month.  if you fail the medical, especially the TB test, you have to wait for 2 months before you can be cleared up; only then you can set for interview.  if the consul asks you for more information or documents during your interview, then that could also delay your visa approval.

thank you so much for the information and links that you've share!

[Chris and Tin 135]

2 minutes ago, kimmykimmydora said:

thank you so much for the information and links that you've share!

you are most welcome.  good luck on your application.   i hope everything goes perfectly.

[geowrian 22,338]

13 hours ago, kimmykimmydora said:

Our first plan is i'll be going to CA with them after their vacation here in the PH this coming December with some of his relatives. They going to stay here for a month,so by January my passport will not be valid. I've read somewhere that the passport for should still valid for 6 months after you've entered the US. Is the information right?

Then our 2nd plan is ,If my visa will be approved quickly, i'll be flying alone to CA and be wed so that by December i can come with them for the Christmas vacation. So i think i should renew my passport. 

How long usually it took for the visa application here in ph? do you have any idea? 

If everything goes perfectly, you can have your visa in hand in about 1.5 months from NOA2  - about 4 weeks from NOA2 to NVC then to embassy, then the interview, then about a week to get the visa, then you should book the US flight. So about 2 months from NOA2 to POE is an optimistic timeframe (and about 1.5 months very optimistic). However, plenty of things can happen...it could take up to 6 weeks to get the NOA2 to NVC. They are pretty strict with the medical as well, especially the chest x-ray (TB-concerns). That can add 2 months for testing (sputum culture). If you watch for an open appointment date closely, you can probably pickup something fairly early...when i was watching it recently, I saw dates quickly open up for the following week. Otherwise, about a month out is common.

 

Once you enter the US, marry (within 90 days!), and then file for AOS + AP + EAD, you cannot leave the US until you get AP (or the green card if that somehow comes faster). That's currently taking 3-4 months for approval. So if you get the visa and enter within 2 months, enter, marry, and file for AOS ASAP, then sometime around Dec. would be when you could leave the US. If goes any longer than that, you're unlikely to be able to leave for Christmas (and you shouldn't book non-refundable tickets until you have AP).

Edit: I just noticed that you said the petitioner got the letter from NVC (not the NOA2 from USCIS). So he's a few weeks ahead of where I thought he was.

 

Yes, you will need to go through the seminar and get the CFO stamp. If you do the seminar before you have the visa, you will need to return afterwards to get the stamp. Just getting the stamp if you already had the medical only takes like 30 minutes from what I've read from others, but it's still something to do.

 

15 hours ago, Chris and Tin said:

you should also schedule your medical with st. lukes.  here's the link http://www.slec.ph/us-visa-applicants.shtml.

There is no "scheduling" of the medical with SLEC. You can register online beforehand, but the medical exam is walk-in....first come, first served.

Edited July 2, 2017 by geowrian

[Chris and Tin 135]

2 hours ago, geowrian said:

There is no "scheduling" of the medical with SLEC. You can register online beforehand, but the medical exam is walk-in....first come, first served.

Good catch on the medical.   thanks for the correction.

[kimmykimmydora 15]

5 hours ago, geowrian said:

If everything goes perfectly, you can have your visa in hand in about 1.5 months from NOA2  - about 4 weeks from NOA2 to NVC then to embassy, then the interview, then about a week to get the visa, then you should book the US flight. So about 2 months from NOA2 to POE is an optimistic timeframe (and about 1.5 months very optimistic). However, plenty of things can happen...it could take up to 6 weeks to get the NOA2 to NVC. They are pretty strict with the medical as well, especially the chest x-ray (TB-concerns). That can add 2 months for testing (sputum culture). If you watch for an open appointment date closely, you can probably pickup something fairly early...when i was watching it recently, I saw dates quickly open up for the following week. Otherwise, about a month out is common.

 

Once you enter the US, marry (within 90 days!), and then file for AOS + AP + EAD, you cannot leave the US until you get AP (or the green card if that somehow comes faster). That's currently taking 3-4 months for approval. So if you get the visa and enter within 2 months, enter, marry, and file for AOS ASAP, then sometime around Dec. would be when you could leave the US. If goes any longer than that, you're unlikely to be able to leave for Christmas (and you shouldn't book non-refundable tickets until you have AP).

Edit: I just noticed that you said the petitioner got the letter from NVC (not the NOA2 from USCIS). So he's a few weeks ahead of where I thought he was.

 

Yes, you will need to go through the seminar and get the CFO stamp. If you do the seminar before you have the visa, you will need to return afterwards to get the stamp. Just getting the stamp if you already had the medical only takes like 30 minutes from what I've read from others, but it's still something to do.

 

There is no "scheduling" of the medical with SLEC. You can register online beforehand, but the medical exam is walk-in....first come, first served.

Thank you so much geowrian!! Thank you for the information! i'm going to inform my fiance regarding with this..

and yes the letter is from NVC.. as i remember, around last day of May he received the NOA2,. He told me that the expected approval from NVC is by august so, when he received the NVC letter informing that the petition will be forwarded here in manila, he came up with the plan 2.