GHANA-Specific K-1 Questions [merged threads]

[Sha-Lee88 26]

Greetings all,

 

I'm currently awaiting a NOA2 for my fiancee and I. Our filing date was 12/20/21. When we filed, she was in South Africa. Now, she is in Ghana. I submitted a letter to the USCIS to inform them of the address change. No idea if it will work or not.

 

I see the timelines, flowcharts, etc., but still have some questions about the process:

 

1. What documents do we need to start gathering once we have a NOA2?

 

2. When do we submit the DS-160? While the petition is with the NVC? After the NVC sends it to the embassy?

 

3. Who schedules the visa interview? The NVC? The embassy? When do we find out when it is?

 

4. When do we submit documents like the police clearances, divorce decrees, birth certificate, etc? I've read some are submitted to the interview, some you submit to CEAC online. Which ones go where and when?

 

5. How long are the police clearances good for? My fiance will have 3 of them to submit as she's moved a bit since the age of 16.

 

6. When do I send the copy of the I-129F petition to my Fiancee? What else do I send her? The Affidavit of Support? When does she need it by?

 

7. Are people getting Packet 3 by snail mail or email typically?

 

8. What is in Packet 3? Is anything in there something we can prepare beforehand? If so, what?

 

9. What is in Packet 4?

 

10. How do we know if both parties can attend the Visa Interview?

 

11. When do we know which embassy the visa was sent to? How are we notified? Snail mail? DHL? Email?

 

12. If the DS-160 is filed after the NVC sends the petition to the embassy, how does the NVC know which embassy to use if it is referenced on the DS-160?

 

13. What does my fiancee pay for at her interview?

 

14. Do I upload anything to CEAC? Affidavit of Support? Birth Certificate? Police Clearances?

 

15. What fees do we pay and when?

 

16. When do I gather my financial documents? How long are they good for? Which do I need? Are tax returns enough? Where do I send it?

 

17. Has anyone here done this process via Ghana? What were your experiences? What went wrong?

 

18. How will we know if we get an RFE? How do we respond? Do we get notice via email?

 

 

Thank you all for the help.

Edited January 24, 2023 by TBoneTX

[Mike E 11,741]

Each consulate has their own procedures.  Roughly 
 

 

1. original Birth certificate of beneficiary. 

 

2.   NVC will contact the beneficiary with instructions and hand off to consulate . You can start to prepare the DS-160.  The embassy will contact beneficiary to submit ds-160 and get the medical. 

 

3. when the medical is done and in hand,  the beneficiary asks consulate  for an interview.  With some   Consulates the medical is sent directly to the consulate 

 

4. varies by consulate 

 

5. not all cases require all police certificates. If it is expensive to get them, it is best to wait for the consulate.  In our case the consulate first said to get a bunch.  Then when the interview was set, told her to bring just one. That wasted thousands of dollars in travel costs.  Because K-1 is a non immigrant visa, all these police certificates are not legally required and so the consulate has discretion. 
 

6. now

 

7. the packet 1, 2. 3 thing varies by consulate. It can be email, post, courier, or an online portal 

 

8. varies by consulate 

 

9. Ditto 

 

10.  Some consulates publish  this in advance. Each consulate has their own policies. The interview appointment will say who can and must come. 
 

11.  NVC and/or consulate  tells you. 

12.  Fairly Simone software programming problem a first year CS major can handle. 
 

13.  The visa fee. The timing and method of payment varies by consulate. 
 

14.  Note unless the ds-160 or consulate tells you. 
 

15.  See 13. Plus medical. Varies by consulate and clinic. 

 

16.  Varies by consulate 

 

17.  Not me 

 

18.  RFE for I- 129F is by post. For K-1, Email, post, phone call, courier, portal and Varies by consulate. 

 

[Sha-Lee88 26]

Thank you for the prompt responses.

 

Seems like there really isn't a uniform way in which much of this is handled. "Varies by consulate" is an answer, but I think I need something a bit more specific.

 

Does this sound pretty typical to anyone else? I'm a bit worried about how random the process seems to be. Any advice?

 

Further, has anyone done a K-1 via Ghana who can perhaps shed some light on their experiences? I would much appreciate it.

 

Thanks again.

[Mike E 11,741]

There aren’t enough K-1 applications for NVC to invest in forcing a uniform process. 
 

Believe what you want. I’m out. 

[Sha-Lee88 26]

I'm sorry, I wasn't contradicting anything you said. I was simply saying that based on your information it sounds like there isn't a uniform process; confirming your account. I wasn't aware of the lack of uniformity until you mentioned it, so thank you.

 

I'd also like to know more about the range of experiences people have had. Perhaps there is some more information I can render from other experiences.

 

Thank you for your responses.

[SalishSea 17,987]

15 minutes ago, Sha-Lee88 said:

I'm sorry, I wasn't contradicting anything you said. I was simply saying that based on your information it sounds like there isn't a uniform process; confirming your account. I wasn't aware of the lack of uniformity until you mentioned it, so thank you.

 

I'd also like to know more about the range of experiences people have had. Perhaps there is some more information I can render from other experiences.

 

Thank you for your responses.

You may get more info for Ghana on the Sub-Saharan Africa forum here on VJ.    Seems to me it is one of the consulates that is glacially slow/nonmoving for K-1s.

[Sha-Lee88 26]

Thank you. I will try to locate it and take a look.

[Sha-Lee88 26]

Greetings all,

 

I'm currently awaiting a NOA2 for my fiancee and I. Our filing date was 12/20/21. When we filed, she was in South Africa. Now, she is in Ghana. I submitted a letter to the USCIS to inform them of the address change. No idea if it will work or not.

 

 

 

I have some specific questions for any of you who have done a K-1 in GHANA.

 

1. Who schedules the visa interview? The NVC? The embassy? When do we find out when it is?

 

2. When do we submit documents like the police clearances, divorce decrees, birth certificate, etc? I've read some are submitted to the interview, some you submit to CEAC online. Which ones go where and when?

 

3. How long are the police clearances good for? My fiance will have 3 of them to submit as she's moved a bit since the age of 16.

 

4. Are people getting Packet 3 by snail mail or email typically?

 

5. What is in Packet 3? Is anything in there something we can prepare beforehand? If so, what?

 

6. What is in Packet 4?

 

7. Can attend the Visa Interview?

 

8. When do we know which embassy the visa was sent to? How are we notified? Snail mail? DHL? Email?

 

9. Do I upload anything to CEAC? Affidavit of Support? Birth Certificate? Police Clearances?

 

10. If you have done this process via Ghana, what were your experiences? What went wrong?

 

 

 

Thank you all for the help.

[TBoneTX 45,668]

Two country-specific threads have been merged; general questions were answered when the first thread was in the K-1 Process forum.

 

Reminder to all:  Please avoid starting duplicate threads on the same topic.