Bh_sarah

Sharing this to whoever is confused if Missouri lets you have a DL under K1 visa. For start, I always thought I was not going to be able to drive here under my K1 visa. I researched this topic a lot on VJ and other immigration forums and groups and only heard of one successful story when it comes to obtaining a limite-term DL in MO and managing to extend it after the I-94 expired (MO doesn't accept AOS NOA1/receipt as proof of lawful status). I didn't think I would be successful, but guess I was lucky and I am glad I tried – I ended up never being unable to drive in Missouri. I already have a driver's license from my home country (Brazil) and a driver's license from Canada (I lived there for a few years). Before my arrival, my then fiancé contacted the Missouri Department of Revenue about it and they pointed him to the Missouri Highway Patrol. The highway patrol stated that I could drive with my Brazilian or Canadian license for the first 30 days, and I would need to also carry my passport and visa with me. On day 5 after my arrival, we went to the best rated license office nearby with the list of documents that the MO Department of Revenue provides for one to get a non-real ID/DL. I had a foreign passport with unexpired visa/I-94 (that counts as both ID and proof of lawful status) and a proof of residence (the receipt the SSA gave me saying I applied for a SSN). But they needed the SSN card as well (I still had not received the card). I was glad they didn't say right away I wasn't able to get one under K1. Once I got my SSN in the mail, I went back to the license office. They told me they would issue me a state ID so I could go to highway patrol and take the written and road tests. Once they gave me the temporary state ID, I went straight to the highway patrol. They made me take a vision test and a written test, and I passed both. For the road test though, there is no scheduling, and they told me it was pretty busy so I would need to get there early. 2 days later, I arrived there at 6:30 AM and... I was the 9th in line! They opened at 8 am and then told me my test would be at 11 am. I went back there at 11 am, passed the road test, and then went straight back to the license office with the test results. They finally were able to issue me a limited-term driver's license that same day. My license expiration was the same as my I-94. During the validity of this license, I also went there to update my license to my married name. All worked well. One week before my limited-term license expired, I decided to try my luck and ask for a renewal with only the AOS NOA1/receipt. It was not listed on their documents accepted for proof of lawful status. They tried inserting my case number in the system, passport, expired I-94, etc, and nothing worked. I thought I would be unable to drive while adjusting status, but they called the state to check on my situation and, out of the blue, the state faxed the license office a 30-day "temporary driving priviledge" in my name. It's a piece of paper saying I am allowed to drive for 30 days even though my license was expired. I counted that as a huge win. During those 30 days, I received the approval notice/NOA2 for my combo card (EAD/AP). Since my 30 days were about to expire, I went back to the license office with the NOA2 trusting that was enough as proof of lawful status. Their own checklist of documents says that I-797 notices of approval are accepted. They didn't accept it, I still do not understand why, but my guess is that the system checks the case status with USCIS and that was showing it as "case is being actively reviewed" even though I had my approval notice with me. They said they needed the card and then told me to call the state. After an hour waiting, state told me there was nothing they could do when it came to the NOA2, but I should go back to the license office the next day that they would issue me another 30-day driving privilege. That same day, late in the evening, my AOS was approved and my EAD status changed to "card was produced". I went to the license office in the morning the next day and thought that I would get a license now since the online status had changed. No deal. They wanted the card. And then I got the privilege paper again, more 30 days. I decided then to only go back there with my GC since it was a good timeframe, between the 30 days. 2 weeks after approval, I got my GC in the mail and that same day, went to the license office and finally was able to get a 6-year driver's license in Missouri. It was the 7th time I went there, the agents even knew me by name. Glad that I won't have to go back there for 6 years! And even more glad that I was never unable to drive here. Hope that helps anyone looking for info on MO DL's under K1/AOS. TL;DR With unexpired K1 I-94: - Found the best rated DMV/License office nearby - Went there with my SSN card, proof of residence, passport with visa, I-94 - They issued me a state ID (not proper for driving) and redirected me to the highway patrol for testing - I went to the highway patrol, did the written and vision test on that same day, passed - I was told I would need to be back for a road test. There is no scheduling, first come first serve - I went there super early and stayed in line, told I needed to take a road test, they asked me to come back in a certain time, I did, took the road test, passed - Went back to the license office with all the original documents + the proof from higway patrol I passed the tests - Got a 90 day Missouri DL (same expiration date as my I-94) With AOS NOA1/receipt: - Tried my luck and one week before my license expired, went to the license office with my AOS receipt/NO1 - They couldn't insert me in the system due to no expiration date on NOA1 - Agent called the state to see what was possible - They issued me a 30 day "temporary driving privilege" that I needed to carry along with my license With EAD NOA2/approval notice: - They didn't accept my combo card/EAD NOA2/I-797 notice of approval even though the DOR says they accept it as proof of lawful status - They said the system still showed as pending (the case status was still as case being reviewed) - They told me they needed the actual EAD/combo card - They called the state and issued me another 30 day "temporary driving privilege" that I needed to carry along with my license With GC: - Conditional green card was accepted as my proof of lawful status - They issued me a 6-year Missouri Driver's License

Hi, all! Good to see some familiar faces here. Just sharing my timeline as my AOS was approved today. Married: November 8th, 2023 Sent in AOS packet (via UPS to Elgin lockbox): December 11th, 2023 3 receipt/case #s received via text: December 15th (noting case was received Dec 12th) 3 NOA1’s received in the mail: December 22nd, 2023 Biometrics (St Louis): January 8th, 2024 I-131 Case Closed: January 20th, 2024 Combo card approval notice on account: January 21st, 2024 Combo card NOA2 received by mail: January 31st, 2024 EAD Card Produced: February 1st, 2024 AOS Approved: February 1st, 2024 (51 days after case received, 24 days after biometrics) Wishing good luck to those waiting!

Yeah, the fiancé got a resident permit from Serbia, they're on NVC stage now and sent it to them requesting the case transfer. I think they're still waiting for the acceptance of the transfer/case number.

@Darko-Emily I see you had your interview and was approved! Congratulations! I have a friend whose Russian fiancé is interviewing in Belgrade. Any tips on what documents were required to show at the interview? Did you need to wait for P3, had to submit any documents beforehand? You can DM me if you like as well. Thank you!

Haha I have two weeks to go! Waiting for my passport to be delivered. Congratulations to you!!!

Thank you! I wrote a review with my questions, you can check it on my timeline. In Brazil they request: passport, DS-160, passport picture, beneficiary birth certificate, police certificates (state, federal and international if applicable), medical exam/vaccine sheet, sworn statement (specific to Brazil, kinda like a intent to marry letter), I-134, US citizen passport copy and tax transcripts. No relationship proof was requested. It's issued! Waiting for it to be delivered next week.

Thank you! Hoping you get out of AP limbo soon!!! Let us know.

Don't want to add to the noise here but historic median times now say 13.9 months for I-129F this fiscal year. We are seeing this way more accurately than what the USCIS processing times say with many people getting approved in less than a year. Cases processed 6 months ago (the 80% of cases USCIS considers on the processing times page) indeed took 16 months or more. On the matter of having a symbolic ceremony, be on the safe side and don't jeopardize your process. I really understand and agree that the ceremony is the "real" wedding to the couple and not the civil act of signing papers, but I would just not do anything to risk a long process like that.

NOA1: Feb 22, 2022 NOA2: May 12, 2023 Interview approved today! Hopefully they will issue the visa this week. Good luck to everyone still waiting! And congratulations!!!!! So well deserved after so long!!! Congratulations!!!

Resurrecting this thread to say I was approved today at the interview! Just waiting now for the CEAC to show approved and then issued!

I-134A isn’t I-134. The A form is for humanitarian programs and visas, nothing to do with K1. This is I-134: https://www.uscis.gov/i-134

Congrats to everyone that was approved! Join the next thread here for NOA2, NVC and embassy. It's still pretty empty.

Most embassies should accept a clear/legible scanned and printed version. You'll need to fill it, sign it, scan it and have fiancé print it and take with them to the interview. Check with yours if they accept scanned ones (most should but we never know). Always check if USCIS didn't upload a new version of the form. You'll see that the current expired in July but as long as the edition date is the current one (January I think), you can use it with no issues. I waited until near my interview date to fill/print I-134 because of this.

The petitioner will get an email called K1-FTP when the case goes in transit (when NVC ships the case to the embassy). Some countries receive a mailed letter (Netherlands and Italy are two that I know of), but it's an addition to the email, received weeks after it's been shipped.

Yes. Fill the Ask NVC fields as applicable: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html You don't submit the I-134, it's taken with the beneficiary to the interview.

The K1-FTP email is sent when NVC ships your case to the embassy. Comes through email to the petitioner (and lawyer if applicable).

Yup, that is your case number. You can check the status here (yes, it's immigrant): https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?App=IV It will probably say "At NVC". No need to create an account on CEAC for anything.

I don't even know why NVC sends out IDs if they are useless to us. Case number starts with 3 letters representing your embassy + 10 numbers. You didn't get that? I am not used to K2s, but I think it's one case number for them all, but you'll need to fill out one DS-160 for each applicant.

I assume you have your case number, right? You don't need invoice IDs for K1. No need to have them for DS-160 or to check your case on CEAC.

Public inquiry form: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html or email NVCResearch@state.gov, attach your NOA2, WAC as a subject, write your full name, DOB, your fiancé's full name and their DOB (this one is just for received, no case numbers are given)

@Bh_sarah the K-1 FTP letter is separate from the case number email, right? yes! It’s when they ship your case to the embassy. It has your case number but it’s a whole different email that comes from another NVC email account too

Wow, case number in about 30 days is amazing!!!!! Things are getting back to normal at NVC.

You will get more answers on the threads I linked here before. Some people at Mumbai embassy there that can help.

You won't get any voluntary information from NVC until they ship your case to your embassy (50-70 days now). All you can do is inquire NVC using the public inquiry form (or NVCResearch@state.gov, but they only can tell you if they received your petitions. Case numbers come from the public inquiry). With the case number, you'll be able to track your case on CEAC. You don't need to stalk your mailman, nothing will come through the mail now.

Interesting. Maybe they need to contact you first to let you know you can schedule it on AIS. Have you tried just by chance making an account there using your NVC case number? I've seen some people try and get a message like "this case isn't ready" (though the CEAC said it was). Maybe the embassy will let you know when it is indeed possible for you to go there and schedule it yourself. Just thinking to myself here, honestly no idea! Even though Mexico seems like a busy spot for K1, I don't seem to see many filers from there here or online.