When to start K1 for late 2019 Wedding?

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

Just now, DrewCinWA said:

 

I fully understand that we can not marry under her tourist visa.  What I meant to say is that she can"visit" in August for up to six months. Once the K1 visa is granted she would leave the country and then renter using the K1 and than we would marry.

 

 

That is fine to do if allowed to enter and stay that long. Immigrations has final say on amount of stay allowed but again that is fine.

[Unlockable 7,315]

2 minutes ago, DrewCinWA said:

 

I fully understand that we can not marry under her tourist visa.  What I meant to say is that she can"visit" in August for up to six months. Once the K1 visa is granted she would leave the country and then renter using the K1 and than we would marry.

 

OK. Thanks for the clarification. We sometimes get people who think they can marry or have a wedding ceremony prior to receiving the K1.

[Roel 7,193]

It's valid 6 months from medical. 

[debbiedoo 2,339]

File NOW. hope you have EVERYTHING ready to go and dont need to collect more documents and stuff

 

you wont be approved in 6 months time. not gonna happen. you can delay the interview and have... 6 months or so to move anyways? plus 90 days to get married.

 

 

[Jojo92122 1,924]

1 hour ago, DrewCinWA said:

Ok so what happens if it approves in 6 months - can we delay it for 10 months?

Others are still waiting after a year.  Worry about this if you get the K1 in 6 months.  

You should worry about whether she will have a visa in 14 months rather than having it too early.  The former is a problem.  The latter is not.  You should have filed already if you are concern about a wedding in September 2019.

Edited July 10, 2018 by Jojo92122

[javadown2 308]

2 hours ago, DrewCinWA said:

I just got engaged to a lovely Ecuadorian woman in Ecuador. I live in Vancouver, WA. We have been dating for 1.5 years with several trips back and forth. We are planning the wedding for Sep/Oct of 2019 in Washington. When should we start the K1 process? My concern is that the approval will come too soon before she can move to the USA. She is currently finishing a medical degree program in Ecuador.

Good luck with trying to time anything, everyone will tell you not to plan anything ahead of time. 

[Sandy05 24]

We applied Nov 2017 and still have not received our NOA2 approval yet. Still waiting on security clearance or so they said. Even if we get approved now we still have a few months to add between transferring it to NVC then from there to the embassy and god only knows when the embassy will have available interview dates. Even if he is approved at his interview they could always put us in administrative processing that could be days-months. This process sucks, and it's not getting any better. Not to be a downer but just to give you some realistic expectations. Apply now and make sure your paperwork is complete and correct. Hope for the best but plan for the worst. And whatever you do, do not make any deposits for the wedding until you that visa in your hand. 

[lilit829 368]

Look at it this way...using current times (it may get faster--unlikely--and it may get slower--more likely) if you send the I-129F right now it will take about 6 to 7 months to get NOA2. You would get NOA2 in January or February 2019. As said before the NOA2 is valid for 4 months in order for you to schedule your interview so you can schedule it in May or June of 2019. Then, if approved at the interview and given the K1 visa you have 6 more months to enter the United States which means she can enter any time between May/June 2019 and November/December 2019. After that you have 3 months to get legally married in the U.S. so that is anytime between November/December 2019 and February/March 2020. 

So, as many have been saying it is best to send ASAP because you can make the process go slower but you cannot speed it up. 

Edited July 10, 2018 by lilit829

[TNJ17 1,329]

There is no way a K1 would take only 6-9 months. If you wanna get married in the fall of 2019 you need to send your paperwork now and hope you get it by then. If you get it before, lucky you, just wait until you can travel. K1s are valid for six months from issuing date. 

[TNJ17 1,329]

1 minute ago, LizM said:

I mean, it's possible. I entered after roughly 8 months. Unless I'm delusional 

 

But yes your point is correct, it should not be expected, nothing should be expected, all cases are different.

You were lucky. One out of millions. It’s better to expect longer processing than faster.

[wasp8898 58]

1 hour ago, TNJ17 said:

You were lucky. One out of millions. It’s better to expect longer processing than faster.

 

yours got approved in 9 months haha! I think saying his is one out of millions is already incorrect. Sorry, with this process being stressful the last thing we need is this negativity. 

[Humberto Afonso 2]

I started my process in December of 2016 and I got married in December 2017. Things take time and they are not getting faster. 

[EmmNM 180]

4 hours ago, debbiedoo said:

File NOW. hope you have EVERYTHING ready to go and dont need to collect more documents and stuff

 

you wont be approved in 6 months time. not gonna happen. you can delay the interview and have... 6 months or so to move anyways? plus 90 days to get married.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, lilit829 said:

Look at it this way...using current times (it may get faster--unlikely--and it may get slower--more likely) if you send the I-129F right now it will take about 6 to 7 months to get NOA2. You would get NOA2 in January or February 2019. As said before the NOA2 is valid for 4 months in order for you to schedule your interview so you can schedule it in May or June of 2019. Then, if approved at the interview and given the K1 visa you have 6 more months to enter the United States which means she can enter any time between May/June 2019 and November/December 2019. After that you have 3 months to get legally married in the U.S. so that is anytime between November/December 2019 and February/March 2020. 

So, as many have been saying it is best to send ASAP because you can make the process go slower but you cannot speed it up. 

 

2 hours ago, TNJ17 said:

There is no way a K1 would take only 6-9 months. If you wanna get married in the fall of 2019 you need to send your paperwork now and hope you get it by then. If you get it before, lucky you, just wait until you can travel. K1s are valid for six months from issuing date. 

As stated. File now. December 2017 cases are still only about half approved at the USCIS level. Then it has to go to the NVC then to the embassy. Then she needs her interview. She can travel up to 6 months after her medical exam. Then she has 3 more months to get married when she enters the US.

[Highmystic 234]

7 hours ago, DrewCinWA said:

I just got engaged to a lovely Ecuadorian woman in Ecuador. I live in Vancouver, WA. We have been dating for 1.5 years with several trips back and forth. We are planning the wedding for Sep/Oct of 2019 in Washington. When should we start the K1 process? My concern is that the approval will come too soon before she can move to the USA. She is currently finishing a medical degree program in Ecuador.

I would say start now and not delay.  How many weeks will it take to actually fill out things, get your pictures together, all your info,  passport photos etc.  Keep in mind, that a K1 is good for up to 6 months after it is approved, for your fiancée to get POE .  Also, keep in mind, the possibility of delays from  RFE's that could  add on few weeks... or more.   Even simple things like filing on an expired form, or 1cent off on your check payment,  A pertinent line or paragraph missed, and the whole thing gets sent back.  Take your time, do it right, cross all your T's and Dot all your i's,   but don't delay too much.

[Rocko20 159]

On the USCIS government site where you download the petition, there should be caps lock big bolded words that say "petition processing times atleast 5-7+ months" that way more people are aware of just how long this takes.

 

Many people like the OP, myself included, vastly underestimated the K1 timeline process when we first filed.

 

OP,  don't start now, but right now. As a man who has been waiting for 8 months and counting for approval, this is a very long process.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Rocko20