Edward and Jaycel

I know it's a little different as Jaycel and I went through the I-129F / K-1 process... A couple of weeks after our NOA2 arrived, I used the public inquiry form on the website for NVC to ask for our case number and I also gave them both of our email addresses and asked them to update our case file to be sure they had the correct ones. They replied with our case number and that they had updated both of our email addresses. From that point forward, both Jaycel and I received emails for every update in the case, wether it be from NVC with our K1/FTP welcome letter, to the Embassy in Manila with the welcome/packet 3 email to the email saying that the visa was issued and instructions on what to do when she received the yellow packet and how to get her passport out, etc.. To me it's worth taking the time to be sure they have your correct email addresses

And indeed the USPS was correct, her SS Card arrived in the mail today. Six days after the appointment at our local SSA office

No signature, it is coming via regular mail

No worries! 🙂 And if the USPS Informed Delivery email I got this morning is accurate, we should have Jaycel's SS Card this afternoon which would make it 6 days since our appointment at the SSA office. Not bad for a Federal Agency. LOL

We have not married yet... our wedding is on 10/25/2024. We will file the AOS the 3rd week in November to give time for us to get our marriage certificate registered with the county clerk and get certified copies, to add her as a joint owner on bank accounts, credit cards, added to my company health insurance, beneficiary on my life insurance, etc. and be able to get all that screen shot, printed and included as proof for the I-485

You may as well. Then when you file your AOS and EAD applications, fill in your SSN on the form and check the box requesting an updated card from SSA.

It's because when you request it via the I-485, USCIS doesn't send it to the SSA for processing until they approve the AOS.

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home then click on "Get most recent I-94"

Took us all of 10 minutes... we did it just a few days after she arrived because we knew it would take at least a week to get an appointment

I highly recommend filling the application out online and then booking an appointment. Our local office called us to the window exactly at the time of our appointment and since we filled out her application online, the whole process took us less than 10 minutes for them to make copies of her passport & Visa, and complete the application. Also bring the I94 with you too. After filling out the application online it should give you the option to book an appointment

I've been told to wait for 10 days after entry for the CBP & SSA systems to "sync up" and 13 days just happened to be when we got the appointment at our local SSA office after we filled out her application online.

Agreed... that's why it is best to get it before you are married and then request updated cards through the I-765 & I-485 applications

I filled out the I-134 for my fiancee to take to her interview at the embassy. It is not required for the I-129F filing with USCIS. You are correct that the I-864 is required for the AOS after you are here and you file your AOS. They did not ask Jaycel for the I-134 at her interview (common at the USEM in Manila from what I understand) but I hear a lot of other USEMs will ask for it. And for the AOS they will want to know your fiancee is working.

We just did Jaycel's session in Cebu a few weeks ago and we were able to schedule one within a week of getting her visa. They also had sessions available every weekday except Fridays (and holidays of course).

We just applied for my fiancee's SSN last Thursday, which was about 13 days after her entry to the country on the K-1 visa. I'll let you know how long it takes once we receive it.

We both did separate letters of intent of the I-129F and wrote updated ones for her embassy interview. Signed and scanned is preferred but a photo will probably be accepted.

Jaycel and I just went through this successfully and she arrived here on her K-1 visa just a couple weeks ago. I took the philosophy that I have always taken with the US Government when asking for them to approve something, which is give them so much evidence that they almost "have to" approve you. I can't speak to the embassy requirements in Frankfurt but as far as USCIS, our I-129F package was 109 pages altogether. We sent about 3 dozen pictures (inserted into a word document with captions), most focusing on time we spent together with her family, pictures of our engagement, pictures of us on our first vacation together, etc.. I sent copies of the entry and exit stamps I received when visiting Jaycel in the Philippines. We also included scanned copies of the boarding passes for my flights to and from the Philippines and also for the flights we took together while I was there, hotel reservations and receipts with our names on it, receipts for gifts I gave her, receipts for the engagement ring, and we did include a sample of our messenger chats over the course of our time together. You will see from my timeline that we did get an RFE but that was stupidity on my part as I had a run-in with the law when I was young and got a conviction. I thought I just had to provide the details, but if you have something like that in your past you have to provide certified copies of the court records, which I did not know. However, since our application was so complete, once they received our RFE response giving them my official court disposition, we got our approval a week later. The embassy gets a copy of your I-129F and we had so much info included that Jaycel's interview lasted about 4-5 minutes total and her visa was issued within 3 days of the interview. Give USCIS enough good proof that they feel no hesitation in approving the application.

I couldn't agree with this more... I rented a car on my second trip to the Philippines so that we could go to Tagaytay and back to Manila and it was one of the most stressful things I've ever done. I've been driving for 37 years I've driven in Houston, Miami, NYC, Boston, Dallas, etc. and nothing compares LOL

Congrats!!

If you already have an interview scheduled, it does not affect you. This is only for those attempting to schedule a new interview on or after 9/28/2024.

I just flew my fiancee to the US via Philippine Airlines a couple of weeks ago. It would be the US that issued the Visa and then after that it should ask for the visa number. As far as expenses, don't forget she will have to pay the travel tax there at the NAIA on the day she flies out. I believe that is 1,620 Pesos. Philippine Airlines feeds them pretty well on the plane, but I made sure Jaycel had a couple hundred US dollars for her layover in LAX.

That's usually an automatic approval for an expedite on the I-129F. I'm sorry you had to get your congress person involved. God bless and thank you for serving our country! Hope everything goes quickly for you guys!

Just curious... What reason did you give to request expedited processing? (If you don't mind sharing)

I can't emphasize enough @AlaMike comment about using either Grab or metered taxis.... I lived in CDO for 13 months and I made the mistake of using a "flat-rate" taxi from the airport there to our condo once and it was 4 times the cost of a metered taxi or Grab trip. In CDO, eat at the Fat Chef restaurant (there's one downtown and one uptown). They have great bulalo!

My fiancée just entered the US on her K-1 visa at LAX 9 days ago and she said that the CBP officer was super nice, respectful and processed her entry there at the initial interview station, did not even make her go to secondary inspection. She said that once she got to the immigration officer, she was processed in about 5-6 minutes. Don’t let it worry you too much