Best Time of year to submit K-1 Visa?

[Vizaguy123 9]

I heard that certain times of year the US embassy is much slower in processing K1 fiance visa applications than other times of year. For example, I heard they really take their time if you submit your application during the Summer months. So what times of year are the best if I want my k1 visa application processed the fastest? Would now (November-December) be the best time or should I wait until January?

Edited November 4, 2019 by as1996

[Loren Y 2,755]

K1 Visa's have sped up quite a bit from what they were. I have seen people getting NOA 2 in 4 months. The best thing is to submit it as soon as possible. The sooner the better, waiting 2 months to submit it thinking you might save 2 months in time doesn't usually work. The processing times change so much there is no way to know. What is taking 4 months now, could be taking 6 months come January. I would get in line ASAP, don't wait if you have everything ready. Who's to say come January 1st they decide to stop issuing K1 Visa's, Doubtful but who knows. If you have the documents, get it done. This is a long, tedious expensive process, did I say expensive process, just thought I'd reiterate that. But I would file tomorrow if you are ready.

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

ASAP 

[Soon To Be Mrs. T 150]

There is no time like the present. There isn't really a seasonality when it comes to the immigration process. Yes, there are times--such as the past few month to the present--where the processing times have been faster than usual. However, there isn't really a pattern to it.

 

Due to the possible changes in the immigration process, I think that it would be unwise to wait. If you are ready to submit now, then submit now.

[aaron2020 11,651]

What you heard is false.  There is no "best time of year to file" where it's faster. 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

1 hour ago, as1996 said:

I heard they really take their time if you submit your application during the Summer months. So what times of year are the best if I want my k1 visa application processed the fastest? Would now (November-December) be the best time or should I wait until January?

This is not valid information and processing rate is not “seasonal”

[ledingham 68]

3 hours ago, as1996 said:

I heard that certain times of year the US embassy is much slower in processing K1 fiance visa applications than other times of year. For example, I heard they really take their time if you submit your application during the Summer months. So what times of year are the best if I want my k1 visa application processed the fastest? Would now (November-December) be the best time or should I wait until January?

I'm not sure if there is a best time to be filing but the sooner the better I always say. Although I am sure that there are people who look at the average wait times from time of submitting to interview to plan their travels accordingly. I am sure people would rather travel to their interview and move to the US in the summer rather than the winter time and thus plan their filing accordingly. That's what I am doing and I cant be the only one.

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

Just file the thing. I don't understand the logic. The sooner you file, the sooner you'll get approved. 

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

The best time to file is as soon as you meet the legal requirements and are confident you want to go through the K-1 process (a K-1 is not a "try out living together" visa, it's a fiance(e) visa, and if you don't want to have to rush to meet AOS filing deadlines or have an extended period where the beneficiary has no health insurance because he or she can't get on your insurance until you marry, then it's best to marry fairly soon after entering the US on a K-1).

 

Processing times go up and down all the time, and no matter when you apply it's a virtual certainty that couples that filed after you will be approved before you. But the sooner you start, the sooner you finish.

 

[FreyandRyan 330]

6 hours ago, as1996 said:

I heard that certain times of year the US embassy is much slower in processing K1 fiance visa applications than other times of year. For example, I heard they really take their time if you submit your application during the Summer months. So what times of year are the best if I want my k1 visa application processed the fastest? Would now (November-December) be the best time or should I wait until January?

ASAP. Although July has been the longest wait this year so far.

[Lebanese23 303]

DO IT NOW! we submitted ours in Dec 2017, took up about 8 months to hear something. Since Trump came into office there were so many people applying for Visas so they got backed up and we got super unlucky. now it's so much faster. I also think they got more staffing now, but the # of applications is unpredictable, just do it!!

[SalishSea 17,827]

7 hours ago, as1996 said:

I heard that certain times of year the US embassy is much slower in processing K1 fiance visa applications than other times of year. For example, I heard they really take their time if you submit your application during the Summer months. So what times of year are the best if I want my k1 visa application processed the fastest? Would now (November-December) be the best time or should I wait until January?

This makes no sense.  How could waiting two months make the processing "faster"?  They process petitions in (roughly) the order received.  In January, they will still be processing applications with receipt dates months earlier.

[Jared&Roxy 20]

I would recommend just sending it now and disregarding the season. We submitted in May 2019 and it took about 3 months for NOA2 but some more recent applicants are getting in 2-3 months.

[payxibka 10,045]

I129f processing can slow down during the end of the first calendar quarter as they sometimes redeploy resources to review h1b applications 

[SalishSea 17,827]

OP,  recent VJ data would suggest that the USCIS part of the process is much faster currently.  When we did ours last year, it took 185 days to get NOA2. Now it seems to be more like 90-ish days.

 

After NOA2, our process was lightning-fast, and we were married 8 weeks later.  Seems like now the post-NOA2 (NVC, transit, some consulates) portion is taking much longer.

 

Processing times for each step fluctuate.  It is normal.  It isn't possible to predict how those processing times will speed up or slow down.