When to file the DS-160?

[Elmo1203 0]

Hello all,

My fiancé and I have recently had our I-797 approval notice for the fiancé visa. We have not heard back from the NVC yet.

 

When should we submit the DS-160? The earlier the better? Or, do we have to wait to receive a letter from NVC first?

Also, do we schedule the interview on our own? Or does the NVC reach out to the embassy and schedule it for us?

 

 

Ever since receiving the I-797 approval form, we haven't really done anything and I am just wondering whether we should be doing something.

[powerpuff 6,697]

 

[Elmo1203 0]

30 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

Okay, so from this I am understanding that we should start the DS-160 now basically?

[jp1000 25]

I can't be 100% sure but I think I filled mine out after getting the NOA2 and before hearing anything from the London embassy to schedule an appointment.

[powerpuff 6,697]

Just now, Elmo1203 said:

Okay, so from this I am understanding that we should start the DS-160 now basically?

Personally, I chose to fill out the DS-160 when the CEAC status said “Ready”. 

[Elmo1203 0]

Just now, powerpuff said:

Personally, I chose to fill out the DS-160 when the CEAC status said “Ready”. 

What is the CEAC status and how do I check what my status is?

[powerpuff 6,697]

Just now, Elmo1203 said:

What is the CEAC status and how do I check what my status is?

In other words NVC case status

[Elmo1203 0]

1 minute ago, powerpuff said:

In other words NVC case status

I dont have an application ID or case number yet from the NVC. Will I be alerted when I get it?

Does the DS-160 request it? And lastly, how do I book an interview date? For travel visas, the interview date is so far out. I was told that K1 interviews are much quicker.

[powerpuff 6,697]

1 minute ago, Elmo1203 said:

dont have an application ID or case number yet from the NVC. Will I be alerted when I get it?

I answered that in the thread I linked

 

1 minute ago, Elmo1203 said:

Does the DS-160 request it?

Can’t remember if it does, it’s been a while 

 

2 minutes ago, Elmo1203 said:

And lastly, how do I book an interview date?

If you consulate does allow self-booking then after the NVC case status is “ready” you make an appointment through the UStraveldocs website specific to the country you’re interviewing in 

[Elmo1203 0]

1 minute ago, powerpuff said:

I answered that in the thread I linked

 

Can’t remember if it does, it’s been a while 

 

If you consulate does allow self-booking then after the NVC case status is “ready” you make an appointment through the UStraveldocs website specific to the country you’re interviewing in 

Thank you. 

 

The I-797 said to wait 30 days before contacting the NVC. 

 

"You should allow aminimum of 30days forDepartmentofState processing before contacting the NVC. If you have not received any correspondence from the NVC within 30 days, you may contact the NVC bye-mail at NVCINQUIRY@state. gov. "

 

You had mentioned that the NVC wont contact us or anything, but this excerpt from I-797 is saying they will?

[powerpuff 6,697]

You have to understand it’s a generic notice that is sent to a myriad of other petitions including the one for spousal. NVC does send a welcome letter to spousal visa applicants soon after the approval 

 

NVC will generally only contact you after the case is sent to the consulate from NVC, not when they receive the case from USCIS 

[EatBulaga 315]

18 hours ago, Elmo1203 said:

Thank you. 

 

The I-797 said to wait 30 days before contacting the NVC. 

 

"You should allow aminimum of 30days forDepartmentofState processing before contacting the NVC. If you have not received any correspondence from the NVC within 30 days, you may contact the NVC bye-mail at NVCINQUIRY@state. gov. "

 

You had mentioned that the NVC wont contact us or anything, but this excerpt from I-797 is saying they will?

It would help visajourney stat pages and others to help you if you fill out your Timeline so we know which consulate you want to schedule the interview. 

 

When to fill out the DS-160, when to schedule the interview and what to prepare for are usually consulate-specific and can be different from consulate to consulate. 

Edited February 11, 2023 by EatBulaga

[Mike E 11,739]

 

19 hours ago, Elmo1203 said:

 

 

When should we submit the DS-160? The earlier the better? Or, do we have to wait to receive a letter from NVC first

We filed DS-160 immediately after the embassy told us to file.  
 

At the time my questions to VJ about the process were mostly if not entirely in vain. I later figured out this was because:

 

* K-1 process varies widely and wildly by consulate and embassy 

 

* few K-1s are processed at Rangoon. So few people on VJ who are both interested in posting and know Rangoon will post replies to questions 

 

Quote

 

Also, do we schedule the interview on our own? Or does the NVC reach out to the embassy and schedule it for us?

 

The only consistent rule for K-1s is that NVC never schedules your embassy interview. The rest of the process is embassy specific.
 

You’ve not disclosed your embassy or consulate, as is your right. But until you do the quality of the advice you receive will be low. That’s ok. You will be in the  same  boat I was in and I managed to figure it all out myself. 
 

Quote

 

 

Ever since receiving the I-797 approval form, we haven't really done anything and I am just wondering whether we should be doing something.

 2 weeks after I-129F approval, contact embassy for next steps. If you get no response after a week, file DS-160, and contact embassy every week thereafter until it responds.
 

After DS-160 next steps should be:

 

* police certificates. Ideally the embassy tells you which ones to get.  IME the embassy just lies and lies.  I wish we had known the first lie was a lie. It would have saved thousands of dollars. If your beneficiary has lived in foreign countries, depending on the cost of getting police certificates you might wait until the interview is scheduled and the embassy gives a final list of certificates.  My fiancée had to travel thousands of miles to get several certificates and in the end Rangoon said she only needed the police certificate of the town she was currently living in.  Remember that because K-1 is a non immigrant visa, the embassy is not required to require you not get police certificates. It’s just that most do, most of the time. 
 

* medical examination. In our case the embassy would not schedule an interview until the sealed results  were in the hands of the beneficiary. Other embassies have a different process completely. 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Mike E