Rio - K1 interviews

[Kelbets 14]

5 hours ago, IanD said:

Quick update: just got the package today. Exactly 30 days after the interview in Rio.

Congrats, looks like our process is going to last 60 days!

 

Keep us posted on how everything goes. 

[Gauchos 52]

We just received our K1 back (again) today. Some random facts for anyone that might find this helpful:

 

• If you send them an e-mail and they need to act in any way then you should expect a response in about 7 days - sometimes longer, and sometimes never. See point below if never. If they don't need to do anything then expect a response much faster (e.g., if they send you somewhere else).
• If you absolutely need the consulate to respond quickly then have the US Citizen Petitioner call the consulate and beg a consular officer to reach out to immigration. You won't be able to talk to anyone in immigration, but you will get a response from immigration within 24 hours.
• If you stupidly open the K1 packet (like we did) they will have you send it back to the ASC/CASV. It will take them about 2 weeks to reseal and a few more days to get it to the CSC and finally the courier. There will be no way to check your status until it has actually shipped.
• We used Correios for shipping. I don't know why this is, but tracking began with the package in Porto Alegre (we are in Rio Grande do Sul). I don't know what the CSC does with it between their receipt and it appearing with the courier. This happened for both K1 deliveries.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Gauchos
Clarify the stupd party

[dfmag 45]

On 1/13/2022 at 2:11 PM, Gauchos said:

We just received our K1 back (again) today. Some random facts for anyone that might find this helpful:

 

• If you send them an e-mail and they need to act in any way then you should expect a response in about 7 days - sometimes longer, and sometimes never. See point below if never. If they don't need to do anything then expect a response much faster (e.g., if they send you somewhere else).
• If you absolutely need the consulate to respond quickly then have the US Citizen Petitioner call the consulate and beg a consular officer to reach out to immigration. You won't be able to talk to anyone in immigration, but you will get a response from immigration within 24 hours.
• If you stupidly open the K1 packet (like we did) they will have you send it back to the ASC/CASV. It will take them about 2 weeks to reseal and a few more days to get it to the CSC and finally the courier. There will be no way to check your status until it has actually shipped.
• We used Correios for shipping. I don't know why this is, but tracking began with the package in Porto Alegre (we are in Rio Grande do Sul). I don't know what the CSC does with it between their receipt and it appearing with the courier. This happened for both K1 deliveries.

Congrats on finally getting your K1 visa and package!

[dfmag 45]

Here is an update on my experience. 

 

I got my medical exam done in Belo Horizonte on December 9th, 2021. On December 22nd, I got an email from the medical exam office with a copy of my vaccination record. The doctor informed me they would send me an email with that once they had submitted my medical exam to the US Consulate, but made no promises on when she would actually do it.

 

On January 5th, 2022 I went to CASV and got my biometrics and pictures taken. Nothing hard, just a long line in Rio and lots of people near you. It took around an hour and a half.

 

On January 6th, 2022 I had my interview. Contrary to what the embassy's website says the petitioner was not allowed to go to the interview with me. They said they are not allowing the petitioners to go inside due to COVID, but my fiancé could go inside if the consular officer requested him to.  That was not necessary in my case, but I did see them call someone else's fiancé. The whole process took about 3 hours, the interview itself only took a few minutes.  The officer asked me how I met my fiancé, if we had been married before and when was the last time I had seen him in person. I wasn't asked to provide any additional proof other then the required documents (police certificates, Affidavit of Support and so on). Then the officer told me we were approved! Yay!!

 

On January 10th, 2022 my online status changed to issued. And today, January 19th, 2022 I got my visa and sealed package!!! I requested my passport to be sent to my home via Correios.

 

I was a little upset when I went to schedule my interview on October 2021 that there were only January 2022 dates available. But I think being able to do my medical exam weeks in advance to my interview made a difference in the end. It seems like when the Consulate has everything (medical exam) prior to the interview and there is no additional documents requested, the process can go (surprisingly) quick. I wish all of you going through this process a quick turnaround as well! Good luck!

Edited January 19, 2022 by dfmag
Forgot to add passport delivery method.

[clarkster 6]

@PaulaRegina94,

Post any additional questions to this thread so that the larger community can help provide info!

[clarkster 6]

On 11/9/2021 at 10:28 PM, Ana & TJ said:

When you schedule your interview, you select the delivery method. I believe you can pick it up at the Consulate in Rio, have it delivered to your home or pick it up at one of the ASC (Applicant Service Centers).  We chose to pick ours up at the ASC in Sao Paulo.

@Ana & TJ how long after going into ISSUED were you able to pick up your visa from the ASC? Did you receive an email notifying you that it was ready for pickup?

[Ana & TJ 25]

15 minutes ago, clarkster said:

@Ana & TJ how long after going into ISSUED were you able to pick up your visa from the ASC? Did you receive an email notifying you that it was ready for pickup?

We received an email about a week after the status changed to issued. We thought that we could go to the ASC and pick it up once they received it, but the email had instructions to schedule an appointment with them to pick it up. The first available appointment was a week after they received it. So from issued to in hand was 2 weeks.

[ori8 24]

Hi Rio friends, feeling kind of crazy right now. Did you schedule your ASC appointments online along with your interviews? If so, did you receive a I-797C notice in the mail confirming the date you'd scheduled? How did this get handled at your ASC appointment? My fiance has his ASC appointment in about 2 hours (and his interview tomorrow) and we're only just now realizing that the I-797C biometrics interview scheduling is a separate form and isn't his email confirmation of his appointment, so we're a bit panicked.  

[clarkster 6]

37 minutes ago, ori8 said:

Hi Rio friends, feeling kind of crazy right now. Did you schedule your ASC appointments online along with your interviews? If so, did you receive a I-797C notice in the mail confirming the date you'd scheduled? How did this get handled at your ASC appointment? My fiance has his ASC appointment in about 2 hours (and his interview tomorrow) and we're only just now realizing that the I-797C biometrics interview scheduling is a separate form and isn't his email confirmation of his appointment, so we're a bit panicked.  

The I-797C is the Approval Notice that you received from the USCIS for your I-129F Petition. My fiancée only needed her DS-160 Confirmation along with her passport for the biometrics appointment at the ASC.

 

The confirmation for the biometrics appointment at the ASC and the interview appointment at the US Consulate can be found here under Print Instructions after signing in and clicking Continue.

Edited February 7, 2022 by clarkster
Added detail for printing appointment confirmation

[IanD 6]

40 minutes ago, ori8 said:

Hi Rio friends, feeling kind of crazy right now. Did you schedule your ASC appointments online along with your interviews? If so, did you receive a I-797C notice in the mail confirming the date you'd scheduled? How did this get handled at your ASC appointment? My fiance has his ASC appointment in about 2 hours (and his interview tomorrow) and we're only just now realizing that the I-797C biometrics interview scheduling is a separate form and isn't his email confirmation of his appointment, so we're a bit panicked.  

The stuff here is all you have to bring for the ASC appointment: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-br/iv/information/asc

 

The confirmation page is simply the email you get when you confirm the appointment through that website listing the date and location of your interview and biometrics appointment.

[Kelbets 14]

Finally went to administrative processing today, 2.5 months after the interview!

[Kelbets 14]

On 2/11/2022 at 6:43 PM, Kelbets said:

Finally went to administrative processing today, 2.5 months after the interview!

And finally went to issued today. Let's see how long it takes to get a tracking number and appointment to pick the visa up.  

[MLGood 9]

On 1/19/2022 at 7:56 PM, dfmag said:

Here is an update on my experience. 

 

I got my medical exam done in Belo Horizonte on December 9th, 2021. On December 22nd, I got an email from the medical exam office with a copy of my vaccination record. The doctor informed me they would send me an email with that once they had submitted my medical exam to the US Consulate, but made no promises on when she would actually do it.

 

On January 5th, 2022 I went to CASV and got my biometrics and pictures taken. Nothing hard, just a long line in Rio and lots of people near you. It took around an hour and a half.

 

On January 6th, 2022 I had my interview. Contrary to what the embassy's website says the petitioner was not allowed to go to the interview with me. They said they are not allowing the petitioners to go inside due to COVID, but my fiancé could go inside if the consular officer requested him to.  That was not necessary in my case, but I did see them call someone else's fiancé. The whole process took about 3 hours, the interview itself only took a few minutes.  The officer asked me how I met my fiancé, if we had been married before and when was the last time I had seen him in person. I wasn't asked to provide any additional proof other then the required documents (police certificates, Affidavit of Support and so on). Then the officer told me we were approved! Yay!!

 

On January 10th, 2022 my online status changed to issued. And today, January 19th, 2022 I got my visa and sealed package!!! I requested my passport to be sent to my home via Correios.

 

I was a little upset when I went to schedule my interview on October 2021 that there were only January 2022 dates available. But I think being able to do my medical exam weeks in advance to my interview made a difference in the end. It seems like when the Consulate has everything (medical exam) prior to the interview and there is no additional documents requested, the process can go (surprisingly) quick. I wish all of you going through this process a quick turnaround as well! Good luck!

Hello! I'm happy to know that you finally finished this hard process! God bless you and your fiance! 

I read that in October you scheduled your interview for January. How does it work? I thought they would schedule the interview for you. How long after DQ  at NVC were you able to schedule your interview? 

Is it hard to get a medical appointment? Did you schedule your medical appointment in October also? And were able to do so only in December? 

Another question: Even if they don't allow the spouse to be in the interview room, is it a good idea for the spouse to at least be present at the embassy? Can it help somehow?  

The information that you shared is helping a lot! Good to know that we are not alone! 

My husband and I are still waiting for the NVC to review our documents. 

 

Thank you!! I wish you all the best!

[IanD 6]

1 hour ago, MLGood said:

Hello! I'm happy to know that you finally finished this hard process! God bless you and your fiance! 

I read that in October you scheduled your interview for January. How does it work? I thought they would schedule the interview for you. How long after DQ  at NVC were you able to schedule your interview? 

Is it hard to get a medical appointment? Did you schedule your medical appointment in October also? And were able to do so only in December? 

Another question: Even if they don't allow the spouse to be in the interview room, is it a good idea for the spouse to at least be present at the embassy? Can it help somehow?  

The information that you shared is helping a lot! Good to know that we are not alone! 

My husband and I are still waiting for the NVC to review our documents. 

 

Thank you!! I wish you all the best!

Hey there. This thread is regarding the K-1 visa process, the Fiancé(e) Visa.

 

K-1 doesn't need to send any documents or anything to the NVC, we simply wait for the NVC to send the petition to the appropriate embassy where the beneficiary will be interviewed.

 

After it is sent, we must schedule the interview through their AIS website.

 

CR-1, which is your case, is completely different, the NVC will schedule the interview and send you guys a notice after you're DQ'ed. It may take a while, but we do recommend going to that section of the forum if you have any more questions: https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/110-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-process-amp-procedures/

[dfmag 45]

21 hours ago, MLGood said:

Hello! I'm happy to know that you finally finished this hard process! God bless you and your fiance! 

I read that in October you scheduled your interview for January. How does it work? I thought they would schedule the interview for you. How long after DQ  at NVC were you able to schedule your interview? 

Is it hard to get a medical appointment? Did you schedule your medical appointment in October also? And were able to do so only in December? 

Another question: Even if they don't allow the spouse to be in the interview room, is it a good idea for the spouse to at least be present at the embassy? Can it help somehow?  

The information that you shared is helping a lot! Good to know that we are not alone! 

My husband and I are still waiting for the NVC to review our documents. 

 

Thank you!! I wish you all the best!

Hello!

 

As @IanD mentioned earlier, I applied for the fiance visa so the process and the time frame is different in your case (spouse visa). But I wanted to respond to some of your questions that, in my opinion, might be applicable to both visa types.

 

Is it hard to get a medical appointment? Did you schedule your medical appointment in October also? And were able to do so only in December?

I only tried to schedule the medical appointment in Belo Horizonte, so I can only speak from my experience with them. I could not get in touch with them through the phone they provided and my e-mail to them went to their spam. So I ended up physically going there to make the appointment, since I'm from Belo Horizonte. But I do believe e-mail is the best way to reach them. If you don't here back after a couple days, I would e-mail them again to follow up. Once I got a hold of them, it wasn't difficult to schedule the exam. I scheduled the exam in October for December, but I could have scheduled it for November.  The reason I didn't is because of my interview in January. At least for the fiance visa, they want the medical exam close the interview. Since the visa validity for K1 is 180 days from the day of the medical exam.

 

Even if they don't allow the spouse to be in the interview room, is it a good idea for the spouse to at least be present at the embassy? Can it help somehow?  

I think it is still a good idea to have the petitioner present in the embassy for multiple reasons: 1) peace of mind; 2) if there is an issue with anything they can request that the petitioner goes inside the Consulate; 3) it is supporting evidence of a strong/real relationship. One of the questions in my interview was "when was the last time you saw your fiance?" and I responded he was there outside the consulate, he just wasn't allowed inside. The covid rules are changing constantly so I don't know how long these restrictions for the petitioner will stay in place, but I think if the petitioner can go it's always a good idea. But if it's really difficult for them to go to the interview, it might not be that necessary.

 

Glad to help people going through the process and wish you both the best of luck as well!