South African K1 Visa applicants

[vistawateraz 28]

@Mozam,

 

Still waiting on the Unabridged Birth certificate so we are postponing the interview until Jan 2019. 

[Mozam 147]

Just now, vistawateraz said:

@Mozam,

 

Still waiting on the Unabridged Birth certificate so we are postponing the interview until Jan 2019. 

Shame. I hate that for you both! Did they let you go ahead and schedule your interview since you've previously had an appointment?

[madameMaison 204]

51 minutes ago, Mozam said:

From what I understand, you have to have your interview scheduled first. However, we haven't even tried to schedule our medical yet because we need them (interview & medical) to happen close together since we are traveling in from a different country. We can't afford to make two different trips into SA. I know this is how it typically happens anyways.

 

Did you try to call and get your medical scheduled? 

Oh good question because I had no idea that's an option? ... I thought I firstly have to wait for the case to actually be at the consulate before I can call and ask about interview dates and medical appointments. At the moment, the case tracker says my file is still in transit, it officially left the NVC on the 27/11 .

 

I have completed the DS-160 , and I do check the appointment website for appointment dates, at the moment it is stuck on the "Make Payment" step because it says no available dates yet in JHB.

 

And if they do happen to issue a medical appointment date, won't the medical documents and results expire ? *sigh. . 🙈

[Mozam 147]

3 minutes ago, madameMaison said:

Oh good question because I had no idea that's an option? ... I thought I firstly have to wait for the case to actually be at the consulate before I can call and ask about interview dates and medical appointments. At the moment, the case tracker says my file is still in transit, it officially left the NVC on the 27/11 .

 

I have completed the DS-160 , and I do check the appointment website for appointment dates, at the moment it is stuck on the "Make Payment" step because it says no available dates yet in JHB.

 

And if they do happen to issue a medical appointment date, won't the medical documents and results expire ? *sigh. . 🙈

From what I understand it isn't an option. You do need to wait until your case arrives. 

 

Your visa (provided you are approved) will expire six months from your medical date. *This is what I've read around the forums. 

[Cords&Morgs 4]

Hi guys,

 

I just wanted to post here to give my story. 

We began the process in early Feb, and received NOA2 right at the end of the 7 month period in August. Not much happened after that but I called the NVC regularly after the first week or two. I eventually received a case number and we used that to fill out DS160 and then the moment we saw "ready" on CEAC we booked our interview date for November 1. I visited Cape Town shortly before this and would've wanted to go for the interview but we had not received either police clearance or UBC yet. 

 

Cords made a plan to get it sorted, calling often as he could while I was there and the police clearance came in time, so he had his medical on the 19th of October, and I departed a couple days before the interview. A day or two before the interview, after calling, and digging through contact lists of people who knew people at home affairs, Cords UBC was available for pick up. He got the UBC and finished putting stuff together for the interview. The interview ran smoothly, not much to say, it was really short, not too many questions and he was approved. He flew in the day of the interview and flew out that evening as well. He was told they had not received his medical yet, so we had to wait again. 

 

We checked the site every day and after a week, with a few phone calls we were told the medicals were received, then more calls and holidays and weekends and the status changed to AP and then updated until on the 16th it was 'issued'. 

 

The courier contacted Cords on the 19th, it was delivered the 20th and flight was booked after it was delivered for the same day (we were rushing to make the Thanksgiving holiday)

 

Cords arrived the 21st and has been here since. 

 

It was pretty arduous and taxing, but we made it through to the end regardless I guess. 

I can try to answer any questions you may need help with. 

 

Thanks for all the help along the journey so far, onto whatever comes next.

 

Morgs (and Cords)

[JS5220 67]

20 hours ago, pretendthisisfun said:

Congrats to all of you who are in transit.  Looks like they will arrive on Monday.  Unfortunately, the At NVC status leads me to believe that we didn't make the shipment even though we had a case number since 11/23 and NOA2 of 10/17  Now it will be 12/11.  This process can be so frustrating at times, the eight week estimate looks to be pretty accurate in our case.  The only comfort I had is that we were not expecting her to come over until April, but now @JS5220 is telling me there aren't interviews until March?  Where did you hear this?  I hope that changes and they add more dates.

I'm sorry I'm sorry, I probably used poor wording there. This whole process has just been making me more and more negative around when my fiance will actually be able to come back ... Some of the posts before here have said that there were no more interviews in January (dont know if thats true or not just based on what the posts said), so I assumed that if i can't get into January, then february will probably be gone by the chance i get to schedule an interview, therefore March would be my time.

 

So ignore me for now just kinda bracing myself for the worst.

 

Also my fiance told me she was on the phone with (Useless) Home Affairs for 10 minutes today and no one ever came so she hung up and went back to work....I told her she needs to stay on hold longer if she wants any chance to get through. She's been sending them emails as well but those seem to be going into a black hole seeing as we havent gotten a response yet and its already been a couple weeks.

 

I swear if the Birth Certificate holds up this whole process (like what happened to @vistawateraz) I will be so 😡

[vistawateraz 28]

I half expected the UBC to be the big factor. We're pushing forward and will make it!!!

[kemm360 144]

On 11/27/2018 at 10:21 AM, Confusedtinybird said:

Unless it's changed the Embassy opens up at 1PM for the interviews. There will be a huge line of people waiting to get in the Embassy. I think everyone had a 1PM appt time. But again this was a couple years ago.

You’re right! It’s Still the same. 

[LuFlolady 881]

Has anybody had any luck getting an interview date? I'm so frustrated yet again!

[Mozam 147]

1 hour ago, LuFlolady said:

Has anybody had any luck getting an interview date? I'm so frustrated yet again!

 

Nope. I check all. the. time. About to hit 2 weeks of it saying no appointment time available. I'm afraid I'm going to log on one day and not realize appointments are actually available since I've been seeing the same screen for so long. 

 

However, I definitely plan to share the news if I see some open up. I'd want someone to do the same for me! Surely since it is the end of the month and about to be a new month some will open up soon? To me that makes the most sense, but I know this process doesn't always go like we think it should. 

Edited November 30, 2018 by Mozam

[Mozam 147]

7 hours ago, Cords&Morgs said:

Hi guys,

 

I just wanted to post here to give my story. 

We began the process in early Feb, and received NOA2 right at the end of the 7 month period in August. Not much happened after that but I called the NVC regularly after the first week or two. I eventually received a case number and we used that to fill out DS160 and then the moment we saw "ready" on CEAC we booked our interview date for November 1. I visited Cape Town shortly before this and would've wanted to go for the interview but we had not received either police clearance or UBC yet. 

 

Cords made a plan to get it sorted, calling often as he could while I was there and the police clearance came in time, so he had his medical on the 19th of October, and I departed a couple days before the interview. A day or two before the interview, after calling, and digging through contact lists of people who knew people at home affairs, Cords UBC was available for pick up. He got the UBC and finished putting stuff together for the interview. The interview ran smoothly, not much to say, it was really short, not too many questions and he was approved. He flew in the day of the interview and flew out that evening as well. He was told they had not received his medical yet, so we had to wait again. 

 

We checked the site every day and after a week, with a few phone calls we were told the medicals were received, then more calls and holidays and weekends and the status changed to AP and then updated until on the 16th it was 'issued'. 

 

The courier contacted Cords on the 19th, it was delivered the 20th and flight was booked after it was delivered for the same day (we were rushing to make the Thanksgiving holiday)

 

Cords arrived the 21st and has been here since. 

 

It was pretty arduous and taxing, but we made it through to the end regardless I guess. 

I can try to answer any questions you may need help with. 

 

Thanks for all the help along the journey so far, onto whatever comes next.

 

Morgs (and Cords)

Congrats on you approval! Wow that is a fast flight. I would love for us (I currently live in Moz with my fiancé) to be able to have that quick of a turn around time, but we have to travel back and pack up before we leave. 

 

Would you mind to give more detail about the interview and the questions they asked? 

[madameMaison 204]

My case status just changed to " READY" , but I know that doesn't mean much if there are no interview dates yet ... 

 

 

I guess I will call on Wednesday for appointment dates IF they haven't sent me an email by Monday or Tuesday.

[Cords&Morgs 4]

@Mozam Sure! There was a group of about 5 of us, everyone was kinda nervous and anxious, we brought way too much by way of proof. I had actually only brought a set of photos which he annotated with dates and places, and that seemed to go over well. First, he went through the security room, then onwards to the interview area. It was simply a row of seats with 'bank teller' type windows across from it. He was helped by a friendly guy who effectively put his packet together. Mostly it was making sure the UBC, police clearance, medical, proof, Affidavit of Support etc were all there. He bundled the form and asked some questions like where I would be staying, when last we saw each other, how many times we were together etc. Then I was told to wait for my number to be called.

 

Once called, I had to make a declaration. Admittedly I thought the woman was a little crappy, she mostly barked at me and didn't offer any niceties. She asked who my fiance's mom was, where they stay in relation to us. And then while looking at my packet the following was asked.

 

"How did you guys meet?"

"Online. On a forum. Which bit by bit led to more talking and then facetime and then first visit and so on."

 

"So she visited you most recently?"

"yes, during October"

"When did she return?"

"A  couple days ago"

"have you been to the US"

"Yes, twice, in November and again in March"

"And you stayed a while"

"Yes, as much as I was permitted to"

"So you barely spent any time in Cape Town this year" 

"I spent as much time as I was allowed to in the US to be with her"

 

Then she looked through more documents, scratched out my B1 and said she would be issuing a k1 once the medical arrived. 

 

I barely remember the interview when looking back but yeah, I was not really asked anything substantial. It was basically, how we met, when we spent time together and when last we saw each other. A couple questions also about her parents. But that was that. 

 

Other than the interview I thought the embassy was great and did fantastic work. 

 

[JS5220 67]

1 hour ago, Cords&Morgs said:

@Mozam Sure! There was a group of about 5 of us, everyone was kinda nervous and anxious, we brought way too much by way of proof. I had actually only brought a set of photos which he annotated with dates and places, and that seemed to go over well. First, he went through the security room, then onwards to the interview area. It was simply a row of seats with 'bank teller' type windows across from it. He was helped by a friendly guy who effectively put his packet together. Mostly it was making sure the UBC, police clearance, medical, proof, Affidavit of Support etc were all there. He bundled the form and asked some questions like where I would be staying, when last we saw each other, how many times we were together etc. Then I was told to wait for my number to be called.

 

Once called, I had to make a declaration. Admittedly I thought the woman was a little crappy, she mostly barked at me and didn't offer any niceties. She asked who my fiance's mom was, where they stay in relation to us. And then while looking at my packet the following was asked.

 

"How did you guys meet?"

"Online. On a forum. Which bit by bit led to more talking and then facetime and then first visit and so on."

 

"So she visited you most recently?"

"yes, during October"

"When did she return?"

"A  couple days ago"

"have you been to the US"

"Yes, twice, in November and again in March"

"And you stayed a while"

"Yes, as much as I was permitted to"

"So you barely spent any time in Cape Town this year" 

"I spent as much time as I was allowed to in the US to be with her"

 

Then she looked through more documents, scratched out my B1 and said she would be issuing a k1 once the medical arrived. 

 

I barely remember the interview when looking back but yeah, I was not really asked anything substantial. It was basically, how we met, when we spent time together and when last we saw each other. A couple questions also about her parents. But that was that. 

 

Other than the interview I thought the embassy was great and did fantastic work. 

 

This is great information! Perhaps copy and paste into the Consulate reviews?  

 

https://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?cnty=South Africa

 

Also my packet is "Ready" as well!! This makes me super excited! It's literally there just waiting for my fiance to interview and then she can come back. We're at the end now! Just a matter of getting UBC, Get an interview date and get the medical done!

[pretendthisisfun 107]

I just had the startling realization that we have a vault birth certificate for her, not an unabridged.  We got the vault because that is what is required for the UK passport.  Can anyone tell me with any certainty that a vault copy will work?  It actually takes longer to get and is more official than the unabridged, but I know how particular they can be for things being a certain type of way.  Or should we send for the unabridged with a service straight away?

 

The NVC states:

You and each family member immigrating with you must obtain an original birth certificate or certified copy.

• Send a photocopy of each birth certificate to NVC.
• Bring the original birth certificate plus a photocopy to your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

 

So surely the vault copy is considered an original birth certificate.  

Edited November 30, 2018 by pretendthisisfun
Added NVC info.