smilingstone

A mix of KLM and Delta. How about you?

First red flag. She is already trying to pursue a life outside of her home country. I'm not saying she is being dishonest with you, but these overseas dating apps are rife with people attempting to garner "relationships" with USCs in an attempt to move to the US, nothing more. Is it possible that she wants that and just so happened to meet you via this app and fall in love? Yes, but this isn't always the case. Second red flag. You're pursuing the relationship because you don't like the concept of her working as a maid? Marriage should be grounded on a desire to spend your lives together, dedication and companionship, not to rescue someone from a situation you deem unfortunate. Third red flag. You're sending money regularly but have only met once, recently, and are now suddenly committed to marriage? Noting back to the first red flag, do you think your relationship would sustain should you suddenly not be able to make these payments anymore? Personally, I would advise that you slow things down and try to get some more trips in to spend more time together. I do not wish to pick apart the relationship between you and your partner, as I do not know you, but the description you provided of your circumstances raises some concerns. On the face of it, your case seems perfectly DIY'able but I wouldn't be surprised if you receive scrutiny due to your short timeline and circumstances meeting.

Eee! We are flying the same day! Safe travels!

As others advise, please make sure this is all in line with the requirements of the VWP. Check things with the organisation to ensure both you and them are able to arrange this. Tourism is for tourism, which isn't voluntary work. Last thing you want is to lie at the POE or to be denied entry.

You don't have a lot of time? You've been given a whole 6 months! Our approval came a month earlier than yours and we only have until 30th Nov...

We're now at the embassy stage and I am due to travel out next week (on an ESTA) for a 2 week trip - I've submitted my DS-160 and paid the interview fee, so this trip is incredibly close to the final hurdle. Over the past couple of months I've been gradually collating all the docs I intend to take incase I get any hassle at POE (Atlanta). My list is: Flight itinerary (which includes return flight). Full copy of I-129F petition. All subsequent notices (NOA1, NOA2, NVC - I'm unfortunately yet to receive anything from the embassy). Evidence of employment (original contract, letter from my manager detailing the dates I am away and when I am expected to return). Tenancy agreement and email correspondence between myself and agent. Bank statements for Sept + Oct (acting as both proof of address and showing rent payments). Does anyone think I should also include a copy of my DS-160 confirmation and the payment receipt for the fee? Is there anything else recommended to take? My last trip was March (again for 2 weeks), so I'm not too concerned about any red flags around that. My only concern is having enough to show that I will return. I'm hoping that having 2 previous, relatively short trips where I didn't overstay and that were 4 - 6 months apart will say something too... I will post an update after I have flown out!

You're right. Me and my fiancé discussed it and the reasons I was holding off weren't really reasons at all. I've submitted my DS-160 and paid the fee. I'll just have to let them know I travelled since submitting (but isn't an issue from what I read). The date booker is showing slots up to 14th Nov, which is unfortunately a little too soon for me due to work implications. I'll be keeping an eye on it and hoping they start releasing for the back-end of Nov soon. Thank you again!

So be thankful that you got lucky. Just because your experience was (positively) different, that doesn't make all previous stories "untrue".

@ScarletWitch6xthankyou! So does London only release slots during the current month? I did seemingly half register by providing the DS-160 number despite not submitting it. I got to the point it asks for payment but could see the soonest available date, no sort of calendar view. I'm hoping to schedule Nov/Dec so am wondering if it's worth just waiting until I return from my trip on early Nov to do the next steps. Do you think that's sensible?

Yes, it can wait for update until the DS-160. A lot can change between filing the petition and DS submission, such as address, employment, travel, etc. Don't worry about it. 😊

But not everyone shares the same perspectives as you or people you know.

My thoughts are that you were already approved and established as a non-risk, but I can also see people using employment as a tie and then quitting to abscond. Can you get confirmation in writing from your previous employer that you were laid off, and didn't quit?

You detail a lot of unfounded concerns about the legitimacy of your relationship. It's normal to feel anxious going through this process, but you are so focused on this in particular that it reads as rather strange. If your relationship is legitimate, then evidence what you can and take the leap. Plenty of incredibly valid advice here to follow from people who have gone and are going through this process. Boundless' only concern is profit. The difficulty of your situation now is that VJ will tell you ABC is fine, but Boundless will say it isn't and won't proceed your case until they tick all their boxes. I'm guessing you are in too deep to cancel their "services" so your hands are tied.

Yes, get ready to wait! For us, it took 108 days from NOA1 to approval. We did receive an RFE which may have delayed things for us, but also I read that processing times have slowed since May/June. I went into this assuming approx. a 12 month total wait, give or take - 6 months for I-129F, 6 months for K1. I think when all is said and done (married) that will be a pretty close estimate. You can search VJ timelines and filter by country. It will give you a good idea of things.

Photos are great to include, but are ultimately secondary for evidencing meeting. It's very easy to say a photo was taken on X date, when it wasn't. Primary evidence for meeting is flights, accommodation, passport stamps, I-94, etc.

Your ties to each other's family/friends are irrelevant. None of our documents nor evidence mentioned anyone but ourselves. Specific to our relationship evidence, we included a single image together, a selection of text messages and a 2-page statement of how we met/how our relationship developed. Alongside this, we included all other required evidence of meeting. We did get an RFE, but it was because we missed a question on the form, nothing to do with our relationship. All that matters in terms of I-129F is evidencing: You have both met within the past 2 years and; are both legally willing and able to marry. All that matters in terms of K1 is evidencing that: Your USC can support you or that them and co-sponsor(s) can support you and; are both still legally willing and able to marry. I had the same worries as you when we first filed. I was scared that what we had wouldn't be enough, and some faceless entity was deciding if our relationship was real without even knowing us. Ultimately, they know the red flags to look out for and they know what to query. You are from a low-fraud consulate, so although it is not a given, you generally do not need to worry about having a thoroughly documented relationship. Nothing you mentioned (not knowing family, becoming engaged after 18 months) would be much of a concern to USCIS.

I hear processing times have slowed since May/June. Take your friend's advice and relax, give it more time.

I wouldn't recommend this. ^ Better advice here.

I came across a great free app called "Civics Test" which I would recommend looking into. I got it on the Google Play store. I am a long way off that point in my own journey, but from what I've experienced on the app so far, it's worth checking out.

Personally, I felt that both VJ and TMVN were pretty much equal in terms of estimates. I opted for TMVN Pro. If I recall correctly, VJ estimated August/September from the very beginning, and TMVN estimated a little bit sooner. We did get an RFE in June that delayed things, but we ended up with approval in early August. But as people here note, it varies wildly case-to-case. I became obsessive with TMVN too, checking it nearly daily, but in a way it provided me with some comfort being able to see all the graphs and numbers getting smaller over time. How accurate it all is is hard to say, but I feel it did help me mentally somewhat (even if it wasn't in a particularly healthy way). FYI if you get an RFE, and have the Pro sub, they automatically take it down to basic as your place in the queue is effectively paused, making all the graphs redundant. Once USCIS updates you that they're reviewing your case once again, you can upgrade to Pro again to get access to more detailed stats. I think if you're able to pay the monthly fee comfortably, and are interested in a (potentially) more detailed insight into your progress, then it won't do any harm. Just don't go making any sort of travel/wedding plans based on the timeframes that either VJ or TMVN give you. Treat them both explicitly as broad estimates that are subject to change.

Can anyone suggest a fix for the DS-160 timing out when being filled out? I am trying to fill out my previous work history, but between going back and forth between various docs to get the dates and info I need, the session keeps expiring - and I can't save my progress on a section without completing the full section! I'm stuck in a loop of filling out all the info, having it time out and expire, logging back in to the same page, to just have the same problem again... I saw a previous thread here suggesting to use Firefox, which I am now doing, but this still doesn't resolve it. I've also tried Brave and Edge browsers previously. How do they think 1 - 2 min per page is sufficient time to complete a page that is asking for 5, 6, 7 or 8 lines of information per item?????

Just checked the CEAC tracker and my case number now says "Ready"! From what I understand, I'm now able to complete/submit my DS-160 but I am aware that on this form I will need to provide travel history. My issue here is that I'm due to take a trip to see my fiancé in a little over 2 weeks, and know that I can't provide dates of trips waiting to happen. Would you advise I hang fire on the DS-160 til I return, or complete it now and bring up the more recent trip at interview? Am I correct in thinking that I can't schedule a medical/interview before submitting the DS-160? Or can I now start to explore possible dates in advance of that? Additionally, can anyone tell me how long the DS-160 is valid for after submission? If I submit it in October, will it still be valid til Nov/Dec/beyond? FYI, I am still yet to receive any direct contact from London (in case this factors into things). Wow, it feels like everything I've been reading for 6+ months immediately left my head now that it's crunch time! Thank you!

Do you want us to tell you "yes, he will be denied"? You've been given relevant info here and should take the time to read it.

Yes, you will get an update on the USCIS tracker that states they have received your RFE response.

When did you receive approval? Are you able to share what the RFE requested? It may be that you received an approval in error and your inquiry triggered a revision on your petition. Generally speaking, expecting a response to an RFE within 5 days is way too soon. For us, it was approx. a 2 month wait, but depending on the nature of their request it could be longer.