When to actually file the DS-160 in the K-1 process?

[JimmyX 11]

* The point of this post is to provide encouragement for someone in the future who may feel like this whole convoluted process is convoluted. It is! But it's okay. Hang in there.

 

Background: Our case was received at the embassy and marked READY March 28th; upon email inquiry, the embassy told us to wait to submit the DS-160 until my fiancée receives a welcome email (presumably packet 3)

 

It has been 47 days now and she has not received a welcome email. I spent all weekend souring the USCIS/NVC/embassy website documentation and could not find a step-by-step guide that included "submit the DS-160 before/after the embassy contacts you". I have searched Facebook groups and this website and have read reports of people filing before being contacted, and getting the interview scheduled as soon as they submitted, whereas others have been reprimanded by the embassy for submitting. Some comments indicate "if you get packet 3" and indicating that many embassies don't send it, and others send packet 3 and packet 4 together after the interview is scheduled. The CEAC status gives instructions that direct me to a site explaining the interview process, but the same workflow has a place to submit the DS-260, but not the DS-160. 

 

Needless to say, it's all overwhelming and confusing. 

 

No worries, just check and see what other timelines look like for applicants from our embassy. Great! Somehow I don't think the last three cases from this embassy (who had interviews in 2018, 2014, and 2014 respectively) bear too much resemblance to the current situation.

 

So today I placed an international call, waded through the various touchtone response menus and finally spoke with a person. I was told to be patient and continue waiting.

 

That's it. The clear answer of when to file the DS-160 is, IT ALL DEPENDS. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

 

So as we close out Day 47, we continue waiting.

 

** I will update this thread as things progress because EESH! It's a mess.

[Moses2 1]

Update? I am in the same boat, almost 90 days waiting for the mysterious interview letter/ email from the embassy on when the interview is scheduled for. Needless to so, a very frustrating process.

[JimmyX 11]

On 7/6/2024 at 9:20 AM, Moses2 said:

Update? I am in the same boat, almost 90 days waiting for the mysterious interview letter/ email from the embassy on when the interview is scheduled for. Needless to so, a very frustrating process.

No progress yet. I'll update my timeline as things move.

[ScarletWitch6x 66]

Have you tried contacting the embassy directly? I wasn't sure who you contacted by phone.

 

If your case has been delivered you should be able to inquire there for the next steps. They also might be able to let you know what timelines look like for K1 interviews. Does your embassy/consulate have a website? I'm UK and I found their website the best source of information. 

 

[Moses2 1]

We have inquired from the embassy and they have given us conflicting information. They have our info for over 90 days now but can't tell us anything about next step or process, just to "wait." Very frustrating 

[JimmyX 11]

1 minute ago, Moses2 said:

We have inquired from the embassy and they have given us conflicting information. They have our info for over 90 days now but can't tell us anything about next step or process, just to "wait." Very frustrating 

Yes. When I called the embassy, I was told that I need to be patient. So I'm being patient.

[Moses2 1]

I can be patient if they could just say

1. We have your case

2. We are working on it

3. It takes an average of x months for these visas

4. The next step is Y

5. We will notify you through z when ready.

 

If they just said that, I would sleep like a baby and have all the patience in the world. But I have no such assurances or even clarification that they have our stuff, as it clearly status on the NVC side. I think Yoga and meditation were invented for these very situations but somehow they forgot to tell include a part that actually calms be down when.I have zero information:)

[Bronha 0]

They can not tell you over the phone, it takes about 2/3 months for the letter,

Edited July 9 by Bronha
Wrote on the wrong post

[PokuPoku 24]

I don't think my fiancee received anything from the embassy. The embassy instead emailed me what they wanted. We then submitted the ds-160 after I received the email. Now we're just waiting for the medical stuff to process since we can't schedule the interview until we get the medical stuff done first.

[JimmyX 11]

2 hours ago, Bronha said:

They can not tell you over the phone, it takes about 2/3 months for the letter,

Thanks! Which embassy is this? You haven't filled out your timeline and it's hard to tell.

[JimmyX 11]

38 minutes ago, PokuPoku said:

I don't think my fiancee received anything from the embassy. The embassy instead emailed me what they wanted. We then submitted the ds-160 after I received the email. Now we're just waiting for the medical stuff to process since we can't schedule the interview until we get the medical stuff done first.

I thought that might be the case and obviously I continue checking my email all the time. They have told me they will email her, so I have no reason to doubt that, but I do continue checking in periodically to see if maybe we've missed something.

[Moses2 1]

13 hours ago, JimmyX said:

Thanks! Which embassy is this? You haven't filled out your timeline and it's hard to tell.

Definitely past the 2/3 timeframe now.

[nautilus808 4]

same boat