ScarletWitch6x

My fiance is the one who attended his interview and then had to call visa medicals to remind them to send the medical to the embassy. Did you end up attending your medical? They should still see you for your interview and issue a 221g if needed.

How are you planning to transfer funds over? I know my fiance is planning to use Wise (sp?) and he got a debit card that goes with it. I know for wedding expenses he and I have sent money back and forth through Paypal as well. That would help you avoid fees while helping cover expenses.

I actually secured our K1 passport photos in a ziploc bag stapled to a letter size piece of paper at the back of the packet.. That way they weren't stapled (and they didn't have to mess with the staples) and less likelihood of them falling out and getting lost.

I second this. Every embassy is different. NOA2's are form letters though and should have the A-number for everyone.

Ahh - fair point. Thank you for the correction!

PIP required longer-term residency (10 years w/ proof) and for the marriages to have been in place prior to the start of the program. Unless they had a crystal ball they would not have had the foresight to get married prior to the deadline. I understand it is somewhat of a moot point but wanted to call it out. They also had to pay a fee to file (which they will now presumably forfeit). Not denying that they entered illegally or overstayed - but this post caught my eye and wanted to add some information.

For proof of address: Is your fiance planning to add you to car insurance? There's a proof of address there I already added my fiance to one utility and will be adding/transferring another to him. Once you have your SSN you can be added to your USC fiance's credit card as an authorized user (please make sure this is the best option for you before pursuing it). Credit card statements will come with both names on and depending on the statement layout can be used for proof of address. Once married is your fiance adding you to their health insurance? They should mail you your medical card - proof of address! Some states will allow you to have the USC spouse execute an affidavit swearing that you live at the address with them, this can help you get a state-issued ID or driver's license. Then you have more proof of address. I would contact your state's BMV for guidance as its so much easier that trying to piece together policy by yourself. As someone else mentioned - the letter SSA sends you with your SSC is proof of address as well. If your non-US bank allows you to use a foreign (US) address, them generating a statement with that address is now proof of address. *please please please make sure you will not be penalized for this. Some banks will allow this and others will not. In the US banks are governed by federal regulations but depending on their risk profile may have stricter rules around non-citizens opening accounts. I would recommend calling the bank your fiance uses and starting there. They can tell you what you may need in order to open an account there. That way you have a checklist to work off of when you go in. Smaller banks typically have stricter policies as they are low-risk. Bigger banks may be more well-versed in immigration matters and will be willing to take (what they see) as a risk as they will understand your documentation. Not a hard and fast rule but something to keep in mind. Some smaller credit unions are willing to be more helpful than big banks because they don't always have the corporate overhead that chains do.

My fiance had his in about a week - and that included him delaying it by one day on their website, having an issue with his medical that had to be resolved, and a weekend.

I second this.

You just moved to an entirely new country. Even if it is to be with the one you love, it is okay to take your time to settle in. Depending on what you are struggling with, some may be able to help you feel less alone in your adjustment.

Thank you - everyone!

Hi there, I have a potentially stupid question. My fiance is coming here on his K1 Visa in December. I am trying to get everything in order that I can before he is here in order to make everything a bit easier for him. Most banks and other agencies will require a proof of address, and I believe the easist is going to be adding him to a utility bill. I'm hoping/thinking I can get him added to at least one without a SSN. My question is....is there an issue with adding his name to utility bills too early? Would it have a negative impact somewhere along the line? Thank you!

I can't speak to opening an account before you get here - my fiance and I are waiting until he's here to get him added to accounts and getting new accounts open. He's planning to use Wise (sp?) to transfer funds. I know some banks are pickier about proof of identification - and this is made easier by having a social security number. In terms of buying a home I can offer a few tips, though. Start building credit as soon as you have your SSN. Easiest way to start is to be added as an authorized user on your spouse's credit card (IF they are a responsible credit user). That will help you get a credit file started - which will help you get your own credit card and other LOCs down the road. This is important because when buying a home mortgage lenders will take the lowest credit score of both of your scores - this is used to price your loan and will determine how much you can borrow from the bank and with what downpayment. Ensure you engage in traceable transactions and money moves. Yes - some lenders want to see a banking history, however this is most impactful when it comes to the funds being used for your downpayment. Bascially - if you have funds you are bringing over that you want used for a portion of the downpayment, ensure that you have a paper trail for the funds. Cash transactions do not create a paper trail. I hope this is helpful.

I think a lot of people do it this way

We left 11 days between the two and on interview day it was discovered that VM never sent the file over to the embassy. He had to call VM and they sent it over within 24 hours - visa went from rejected/refused (due to needing medical) to approved about a week after intial interview (it was over a weekend as well) Worst case scenario - they don't have the medical results on interview day and put you in temporary AP until received and reviewed. Then they will proceed as normal so long as their are no other issues uncovered at the interview, ofc.

As someone who lives in the United States and has a music and journalism Bachelor's degree - and works in a completely unrelated field - you'll be alright You may have to explain your education to prospective employers if they do not understand, but they should accept it. There are jobs out there that I didn't even know existed that I have come to enjoy, and they didn't even require a university degree. With art related fields you will find that the art itself is more heavily weighted than the degree so long as you can get people to give you a chance to show it off. There are also a lot of "gig working" type jobs and platforms that can be good for creatives or flexible working opportunities.

I would set up as much as you can now...they may start opening November appointments mid to late October. Better to have it all set up and to be prepared than not. I'm not sure exactly when they release appointments...we did our paperwork in July and got an end-of-August appointment.

Correct - you need the confirmation # to access the scheduling site. I believe one year. We scheduled his medical and interview before the embassy reached out. Once it says ready I would recommend getting your ducks in a row. We got lucky and stumbled across an appointment that opened up in the month we wanted...had we not it would have meant waiting until they opened the next month's up. The DS160 is what they look at before your interview to determine questions, eligibility, and concerns. You can always mention you had another visit in the interview.

They just send those through the normal post.

UK here - I do believe the I-134 was retained by the embassy. It is always a good idea to keep copies of every single thing you send through this process, whether it is to USCIS, NVC, or handed directly to the embassy.

This all makes me feel so much better! We are going to be getting married a few days after he gets here so it leaves little to no time to get the SSC beforehand. After the holidays it will be easier for me to get time off work to go to the SSA offices, so it will still be done within the first two weeks of him being here. We want to make sure he's able to get added to everything as soon as possible

I think it also helps that you included the proposal photo, which is dated after the formal photo. In my opinion, people live their lives and do various things. My fiance and I are musicians and have done photoshoots as well. The most important takeaway here is that you already sent your petition and until you receive the NOA2 or an RFE you should let it go. You'll drive yourself absolutely bananas if you keep looking at it. Easier said than done, I know!

Yes! It is very disheartening to see 'refused', ours was the same due to waiting for the medical to arrive (Visa Medical's error, for the record). My fiance was thankful that the CO explained that is what would happen because it can be so staggering to see that when checking CEAC. Ours went from 'refused' to 'approved' to 'issued'

It will now show "approved" and then "issued". My fiance just interviewed in London last week. He was told "I have no concerns about the validity of your relationship". The officer then outlined what would happen next. I wasn't celebrating until it said issued and then that visa was in his hands, which it is now Definitely could just be normal processing. It is also possible that they are trying to get the COs away from saying 'approved' or 'denied' at the end of the interviews.

I believe you'll address in the interview, but I am not 100%