K1 Petition Expiring, seeking extension - Taiwan - Confusing response from consulate

[Cory S. 2]

Hello, first time poster here.

My fiancé and I have an approved K1 petition and will be having our interview at AIT it Taipei, Taiwan.

However, the four month expiration date listed on our NOA2 is 1/27/21 and is approaching fast.  I heard that we can request for an extension for another for months, which we will need.  So I wrote an email to the consulate, following a format listed in some of the other posts on this website.  It explained we still intend to get married and that we are gathering the required documents and scheduling a medical exam.

 

However their response confuses me.  In their reply email, they stated:

Quote

 However, a consular interviewing officer can extend the validity of the petition for additional periods of four month from the date of revalidation if it expires before visa processing is completed. As of that, the interviewing officer will determine whether to extend the validity of petition on your visa interview date.

We hope that you will find the above information of use.

  

Regards,

Immigrant Visa Unit

This looked like they were saying we should let it expire, and then schedule the interview for after it is expired, and the officer will determine whether or not to extend it at this time, during the interview.  I called to get clarification, and this is pretty much what they told me on the phone as well.

 

It scares the bejesus out of me to LET IT EXPIRE and then schedule an interview.  Does this seem correct to other people?

Has anyone specifically had to extended the petition expiration from AIT in Taipei before?  Do they extend it automatically?  Do we let it expire?

We are not sure what to do!

 

Thanks for your help!

Cory and HsinYa

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

The consulate will automatically extend once they restart processing... given the pandemic heaps, have been delayed and are being extended... 

 

keep an eye on your local consulate to see when they recommence processing of k1’s... then try schedule the interview, I would hold off on doing my medical until it’s been scheduled since the medical only lasts for 6 months

[Cory S. 2]

3 minutes ago, Duke & Marie said:

The consulate will automatically extend once they restart processing... given the pandemic heaps, have been delayed and are being extended... 

 

keep an eye on your local consulate to see when they recommence processing of k1’s... then try schedule the interview, I would hold off on doing my medical until it’s been scheduled since the medical only lasts for 6 months

They are currently processing and they have interview dates available.  But our k-1 petition approval from USCIS will expire before we can get the medical exam and gathering all the paperwork.  The question is about how to extended the validity of the K-1 petition approval for another four months.

[HRQX 4,145]

2 minutes ago, Cory S. said:

The question is about how to extended the validity of the K-1 petition approval for another four months.

It'll be done at the interview: "the consular officer may revalidate the petition any number of times for additional periods of four months from the date of revalidation, provided the officer concludes that the petitioner and the beneficiary remain legally free to marry and continue to intend to marry each other within 90 days after the beneficiary's admission into the United States." https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM050207.html

[Cory S. 2]

22 minutes ago, HRQX said:

It'll be done at the interview: "the consular officer may revalidate the petition any number of times for additional periods of four months from the date of revalidation, provided the officer concludes that the petitioner and the beneficiary remain legally free to marry and continue to intend to marry each other within 90 days after the beneficiary's admission into the United States." https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM050207.html

This is really helpful, thank you!  The link is great.

I just feels so strange to let it expire before the interview... but I guess that is how some consular offices handle it

[Greenbaum 12,259]

4 hours ago, Cory S. said:

This is really helpful, thank you!  The link is great.

I just feels so strange to let it expire before the interview... but I guess that is how some consular offices handle it

This is the new norm. Hundreds if not thousands will have their NOA2 expire before they have an interview. We have not heard one person opine that they were turned away or that they found themselves denied and had to reapply. The embassies are taking the pandemic in stride and shifting what was once "normal" policy to something else to accommodate those with expiring NOA2's. Be prepared to submit another letter from each of you that you are still committed to each other and wish to marry once in the US within the prescribed 90 days. Good luck and stay engaged in the process. 

[OlgaA 67]

Hello. Our petition was expired last July so we emailed to embassy they said to bring a letter of intend to marry to interview and CO will extend it. Don't worry!