Should I be worried about the K-1 Visa backlog?

[vivster 9]

My partner and I just sent away our i-129f and got our NOA1 in August. I have been seeing people concerned about the backlog from COVID and expecting delays for up to two years. Should I be worried; should I be discouraged? I was not sure if this is only for specific countries or embassies, but if you possibly know he is from the UK. Let me know anything that you know! 

[RO_AH 1,659]

13 minutes ago, vivster said:

Should I be worried; should I be discouraged?

What would the resolve? It takes as long as it takes. Getting hung up over how long, is only self torture.

[Boiler 45,516]

K1 is an unusual choice

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

21 minutes ago, Boiler said:

K1 is an unusual choice

How's that? Many are still applying for it so why is it suddenly unusual?

[Lynxyonok 316]

3 hours ago, vivster said:

My partner and I just sent away our i-129f and got our NOA1 in August. I have been seeing people concerned about the backlog from COVID and expecting delays for up to two years. Should I be worried; should I be discouraged? I was not sure if this is only for specific countries or embassies, but if you possibly know he is from the UK. Let me know anything that you know! 

Two years? I'd say towards three soon.

 

But.

 

It's that or not being with your loved one at all - unless you emigrate yourself.

 

Time does fly.

[JEANDBR 32]

11 hours ago, Boiler said:

K1 is an unusual choice

Why? My partner and I didn’t want to be married but living apart for potentially years. If you don’t need to work as soon as you arrive (I’m lucky that I don’t) what’s the benefit of going down the CR1 route? This is a genuine question btw we’re about 6 months in to the K1 process and unless one is significantly faster than the other to get us to be together, the rest is immaterial to us and maybe others, but would there still be a benefit to changing beyond being able to get a job the day you land? 
 

[JEANDBR 32]

8 hours ago, Lynxyonok said:

Two years? I'd say towards three soon.

 

 

Can you point me in the direction of the data that shows the process taking up to three years soon please? I’m 6 months into a K1 but if it’s going to take 3 years we might consider him moving here in the interim. 
thank you 

[Chancy 6,241]

*** Moved from K1 Process & Procedures to K1 Progress Reports ***

 

12 hours ago, vivster said:

My partner and I just sent away our i-129f and got our NOA1 in August.

 

Join this thread to be with others who filed in the same month as you --

 

[Lynxyonok 316]

29 minutes ago, JEANDBR said:

Can you point me in the direction of the data that shows the process taking up to three years soon please? I’m 6 months into a K1 but if it’s going to take 3 years we might consider him moving here in the interim. 
thank you 

Sure, here you go.

 

Uscis.gov

 

Home --> Tools --> Reports and Studies --> Immigration and Citizenship Data

 

Q2 2022 processing time (January - March 2022):

- 12,021 I-129F forms received

- 6,424 forms processed

- Added backlog: 3 months

 

Q1 2022 processing time (October - December 2021):

- 11,287 forms received

- 5,006 forms processed

- Added backlog: 3.5 months

 

Q4 2021 processing time (July - September 2021):

- 10,965 forms received

- 8,549 forms processed

- Added backlog: 0.5 months

 

Q3 2021 processing time (April - June 2021):

- 12,637 forms received

- 7,390 forms processed

- Added backlog: 2 months

 

And so on...

[JEANDBR 32]

14 minutes ago, Lynxyonok said:

Sure, here you go.

 

Uscis.gov

 

Home --> Tools --> Reports and Studies --> Immigration and Citizenship Data

 

Q2 2022 processing time (January - March 2022):

- 12,021 I-129F forms received

- 6,424 forms processed

- Added backlog: 3 months

 

Q1 2022 processing time (October - December 2021):

- 11,287 forms received

- 5,006 forms processed

- Added backlog: 3.5 months

 

Q4 2021 processing time (July - September 2021):

- 10,965 forms received

- 8,549 forms processed

- Added backlog: 0.5 months

 

Q3 2021 processing time (April - June 2021):

- 12,637 forms received

- 7,390 forms processed

- Added backlog: 2 months

 

And so on...

Thanks, my NOA1 was April 2022, does this mean our application could take three years or that the more recently you submit the longer it’s going to take? I’m really panicking now! 

[Lynxyonok 316]

Just now, JEANDBR said:

Thanks, my NOA1 was April 2022, does this mean our application could take three years or that the more recently you submit the longer it’s going to take? I’m really panicking now! 

Why panic? It's not going to change anything.

I'd work on developing mutual hobbies. Watching movies together, at the same time. Reading to each other. Etc.

 

And having candid respectful chats with your elected officials.

[JEANDBR 32]

4 minutes ago, Lynxyonok said:

Why panic? It's not going to change anything.

I'd work on developing mutual hobbies. Watching movies together, at the same time. Reading to each other. Etc.

 

And having candid respectful chats with your elected officials.

Because if the CR1 process is faster than 3 years then it might be worth abandoning the K1 progress so far so I’m worried we’ve made the wrong choice. We travel to eachother as much as possible and we’re very very lucky in that we see each other every 12 weeks or so, we’ve known eachother 17 years and have been together for 7 so there isn’t a lot of getting to know eachother left to do in the meantime ha! Just wish we’d started the whole thing sooner but circumstances were very different pre covid. 

[tartpief 12]

12 hours ago, vivster said:

My partner and I just sent away our i-129f and got our NOA1 in August. I have been seeing people concerned about the backlog from COVID and expecting delays for up to two years. Should I be worried; should I be discouraged? I was not sure if this is only for specific countries or embassies, but if you possibly know he is from the UK. Let me know anything that you know! 

I am a September 2021 filer so quite close. But the backlog is growing. The speed of growth has decreased. But it is still growing. I see USCIS amping up their effort, but it has not been enough to reduce the backlog. The processing rate has been around 145-150 cases per day recently. It is better than a few months ago. But still, this just is not enough. Yes. It may improve in the future but we equally don’t know if the processing rate is gonna take another hit.

K1’s only advantage was that it had shorter processing time. But that is gone. Their priority seems now in CR1. I was misinformed by my lawyer that a legal marriage is not enough to do CR1 and we have to prove we lived together as a married couple (My USC fiancé can’t relocate to my country because of job). So we chose K1 and we found our mistake too late to jump ship. 

I would wait a few more weeks to see if the processing rate goes up or not. Maybe new fiscal year starting Oct 22 may bring some improvements. If it stays 140-150 cases per day level, I would consider other means. e.g., CR1 if I were you. But there are other factors to consider too. 

[biscoito1r 73]

On a more hopeful side of things, they have hired a bunch of people and are also working on updating their tech. So once they get everything sorted out we might see faster times.

[Boiler 45,516]

5 minutes ago, tartpief said:

I am a September 2021 filer so quite close. But the backlog is growing. The speed of growth has decreased. But it is still growing. I see USCIS amping up their effort, but it has not been enough to reduce the backlog. The processing rate has been around 145-150 cases per day recently. It is better than a few months ago. But still, this just is not enough. Yes. It may improve in the future but we equally don’t know if the processing rate is gonna take another hit.

K1’s only advantage was that it had shorter processing time. But that is gone. Their priority seems now in CR1. I was misinformed by my lawyer that a legal marriage is not enough to do CR1 and we have to prove we lived together as a married couple (My USC fiancé can’t relocate to my country because of job). So we chose K1 and we found our mistake too late to jump ship. 

I would wait a few more weeks to see if the processing rate goes up or not. Maybe new fiscal year starting Oct 22 may bring some improvements. If it stays 140-150 cases per day level, I would consider other means. e.g., CR1 if I were you. But there are other factors to consider too. 

Dependents 18 to 21

Some same sex situations

 

Like I said it is unusual but it can be logical