Misunderstood approval notice dates, is there any way to salvage this?

[jabberwockgee 0]

My I-129 was approved for my fiance on 6/25/2024 and the approval notice I received is valid from 6/25/2024 to 10/24/2024.  I submitted my DS-160 today, I had seen that your NVC application will be deleted if no action is taken on it within 1 year (so I figured the approval notice dates were the time you should complete your DS-160 by), but now I see that my fiance expected to arrive in the US within 6 months of the approval date of the I-129.  I don't understand how these things are both true and the conflicting information is making me unsure of whether I should proceed with this or submit a new I-129 or something else (is there an extension form?).

 

Can anyone give me some clarification?  Thank you, everyone.

 

[jabberwockgee 0]

Sorry for not searching before posting, everyone, I see that the expiration date can be extended by taking action, does submitting the DS-160 count as taking action?  Or will paying the fee?

[MalloryCat 482]

the approval from USCIS is valid for 4 months. an officer at the embassy can extend a I-129f petition 4 months at a time for up to one year. but it is expected that you will schedule the interview and everything else within or close to that time frame.

 

the beneficiary (the foreign fiance) would have gotten notice from the NVC stating that they received the petition and were forwarding it to the embassy that was listed on the I-129f

the foreign fiance would have then received notice from the embassy a few weeks later regarding next steps for scheduling the interview.

 

are you the foreign fiance? you say you submitted your ds-160 but you also submitted the I-129f?

the US citizen is the one that files the I-129f and the foreign fiance is the one that submits the DS-160.

 

at this point you need to contact the NVC to see if they have forwarded your petition to the embassy

you can do that here https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html

 

or you need to contact the embassy to see if they have your petition and what steps you need to take next to continue pursuing it.

[Lil bear 4,397]

  On 10/14/2024 at 7:35 PM, jabberwockgee said:

My I-129 was approved for my fiance on 6/25/2024 and the approval notice I received is valid from 6/25/2024 to 10/24/2024.  I submitted my DS-160 today, I had seen that your NVC application will be deleted if no action is taken on it within 1 year (so I figured the approval notice dates were the time you should complete your DS-160 by), but now I see that my fiance expected to arrive in the US within 6 months of the approval date of the I-129.  I don't understand how these things are both true and the conflicting information is making me unsure of whether I should proceed with this or submit a new I-129 or something else (is there an extension form?).

 

Can anyone give me some clarification?  Thank you, everyone.

 

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Entry must be within  6 months from visa approval not I 129f ( the petition) approval. And the 6 months will actually be from the date of the medical so the visa itself will be valid for less than 6 months 

[MalloryCat 482]

  On 10/14/2024 at 7:49 PM, jabberwockgee said:

Sorry for not searching before posting, everyone, I see that the expiration date can be extended by taking action, does submitting the DS-160 count as taking action?  Or will paying the fee?

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no, submitting the DS-160 does not count towards extending the petition

only an officer at the embassy can do that

[jabberwockgee 0]

  On 10/14/2024 at 7:50 PM, MalloryCat said:

the approval from USCIS is valid for 4 months. an officer at the embassy can extend a I-129f petition 4 months at a time for up to one year. but it is expected that you will schedule the interview and everything else within or close to that time frame.

 

the beneficiary (the foreign fiance) would have gotten notice from the NVC stating that they received the petition and were forwarding it to the embassy that was listed on the I-129f

the foreign fiance would have then received notice from the embassy a few weeks later regarding next steps for scheduling the interview.

 

are you the foreign fiance? you say you submitted your ds-160 but you also submitted the I-129f?

the US citizen is the one that files the I-129f and the foreign fiance is the one that submits the DS-160.

 

at this point you need to contact the NVC to see if they have forwarded your petition to the embassy

you can do that here https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html

 

or you need to contact the embassy to see if they have your petition and what steps you need to take next to continue pursuing it.

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I am the U.S. Citizen, my fiance received the notice from the embassy almost 2 months after it I received the notice of action I-797.  

 

My fiance did receive the notice about the next steps.  

 

I submitted the I-129F, and he submitted the DS-160 today.  I was just checking into it today to see when he should be signing up for the interview (I heard horror stories of it taking months to schedule an interview, another reason I thought that this process could and/or should take longer).  

 

Should I contact the embassy, or should he?

[MalloryCat 482]

  On 10/14/2024 at 7:59 PM, jabberwockgee said:

I am the U.S. Citizen, my fiance received the notice from the embassy almost 2 months after it I received the notice of action I-797.  

 

My fiance did receive the notice about the next steps.  

 

I submitted the I-129F, and he submitted the DS-160 today.  I was just checking into it today to see when he should be signing up for the interview (I heard horror stories of it taking months to schedule an interview, another reason I thought that this process could and/or should take longer).  

 

Should I contact the embassy, or should he?

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ahh ok, you're wording in the first post was a little confusing lol

 

what embassy is he going through? every embassy is different as far as timelines go, for example my fiance was able to schedule his interview at the Germany embassy very quickly.

the information he received from the embassy should have told him how to schedule the interview, how and when to schedule the medical, and what documents he needed to bring to his interview.

 

he should contact the embassy if he does not have these instructions anymore

[jabberwockgee 0]

  On 10/14/2024 at 8:03 PM, MalloryCat said:

ahh ok, you're wording in the first post was a little confusing lol

 

what embassy is he going through? every embassy is different as far as timelines go, for example my fiance was able to schedule his interview at the Germany embassy very quickly.

the information he received from the embassy should have told him how to schedule the interview, how and when to schedule the medical, and what documents he needed to bring to his interview.

 

he should contact the embassy if he does not have these instructions anymore

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Sorry, I'm also a little confused and a little stressed at the moment.  

 

He will be going through Guangzhou in China, I will ask him to call them tomorrow, I have also found the number to call from the US, so at least I know the next step.  Hopefully they can extend the expiration date due to some extenuating circumstances (the embassy is rather far from where he lives but is the only one in China that processes K1 visas, and he recently had a medical procedure that may limit his ability to fly/sit for long periods). 

[MalloryCat 482]

  On 10/14/2024 at 8:09 PM, jabberwockgee said:

Sorry, I'm also a little confused and a little stressed at the moment.  

 

He will be going through Guangzhou in China, I will ask him to call them tomorrow, I have also found the number to call from the US, so at least I know the next step.  Hopefully they can extend the expiration date due to some extenuating circumstances (the embassy is rather far from where he lives but is the only one in China that processes K1 visas, and he recently had a medical procedure that may limit his ability to fly/sit for long periods). 

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typically they extend petitions during the actual interview, but most embassies are pretty ok with extending them since it is a very short timeline.

calling embassies can kind of be hit or miss, a lot of them don't answer their phones

it looks like the Guangzhou embassy utilizes the visa navigator to help people who have questions. it is just a microsoft form that you click through, you don't submit anything through it but it will tell you who to contact

U.S. Consulate Guangzhou Immigrant Visa Unit Navigator

 

https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/visas-immigrant-visas-contact-us/

[jabberwockgee 0]

  On 10/14/2024 at 8:17 PM, MalloryCat said:

typically they extend petitions during the actual interview, but most embassies are pretty ok with extending them since it is a very short timeline.

calling embassies can kind of be hit or miss, a lot of them don't answer their phones

it looks like the Guangzhou embassy utilizes the visa navigator to help people who have questions. it is just a microsoft form that you click through, you don't submit anything through it but it will tell you who to contact

U.S. Consulate Guangzhou Immigrant Visa Unit Navigator

 

https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/visas-immigrant-visas-contact-us/

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Thank you for the info, I feel better now that I at least know what can be done to see if they are receptive to extending the expiration and/or able to schedule an interview quickly.

[Ryan H 3,849]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.

[Legal Alien 142]

I had the same, my petition approval was extended without me doing anything other than sending in my DS-160 and make an appointment for my interview. I believe I had to send in some stuff also (short memory not working right at the moment I guess) but your fiancé should also have had a letter from the embassy. My USC husband got an email that had instructions also. Did you get any of that?

[jabberwockgee 0]

  On 10/15/2024 at 7:04 AM, Nous Eb said:

I had the same, my petition approval was extended without me doing anything other than sending in my DS-160 and make an appointment for my interview. I believe I had to send in some stuff also (short memory not working right at the moment I guess) but your fiancé should also have had a letter from the embassy. My USC husband got an email that had instructions also. Did you get any of that?

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He did get a letter from the embassy but we thought the DS-160 was required before any of that.  I now know that he is somewhat responsible for the next section.  He has sent in the required materials and they should be arriving at the embassy today.  I'm not sure if he can make an appointment yet because I think your case has to be 'created' or 'acknowledged' by them first?

[MalloryCat 482]

  On 10/16/2024 at 12:16 AM, jabberwockgee said:

He did get a letter from the embassy but we thought the DS-160 was required before any of that.  I now know that he is somewhat responsible for the next section.  He has sent in the required materials and they should be arriving at the embassy today.  I'm not sure if he can make an appointment yet because I think your case has to be 'created' or 'acknowledged' by them first?

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using the case number provided by the NVC or the embassy, it should be listed on the letter your fiance received from the embassy, it would read as GUZ or GZO followed by a string of numbers. You can use that to track it. it should say "Ready" on the tracker. Just meaning the embassy has received it. If you do check, make sure you switch the drop down to immigrant visa.

https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?App=NIV

 

since every embassy is different, their processes aren't always the same. More than likely if the embassy requested documents be sent to them, they will either email or send your fiance another letter telling him how to schedule his interview as well as his medical exam. so he probably cant make any appointments until then

[jabberwockgee 0]

  On 10/16/2024 at 12:05 PM, MalloryCat said:

using the case number provided by the NVC or the embassy, it should be listed on the letter your fiance received from the embassy, it would read as GUZ or GZO followed by a string of numbers. You can use that to track it. it should say "Ready" on the tracker. Just meaning the embassy has received it. If you do check, make sure you switch the drop down to immigrant visa.

https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?App=NIV

 

since every embassy is different, their processes aren't always the same. More than likely if the embassy requested documents be sent to them, they will either email or send your fiance another letter telling him how to schedule his interview as well as his medical exam. so he probably cant make any appointments until then

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It currently says refused.  Does that just mean they haven't received the information my fiance sent yet?  It says I should have received instructions from a consular officer, but I have not.