Edward and Jaycel

Things changed during the pandemic and have not changed back... My fiancee just had her K-1 visa interview in August. Partners are no longer allowed to attend the interview. It is not up to the consular officer anymore, it is consulate policy that there are only two exceptions for accompanying persons. This is from the US Embassy Manila website for interview prep...

Here's a screen grab of the (redacted) RFE cover letter I included under the original RFE notice that I returned with the evidence they requested.

Yes the ORIGINAL RFE notice they sent you with the RFE notice number/barcode must be returned with your response, with it on top (Kind of like a cover letter). For our RFE response I also created my own cover letter detailing what I was returning to them and put that under the original RFE notice

Our I-129F was approved within 3 days of USCIS receiving our RFE response, however our RFE was a simple one, we were just missing one document. It all depends on the nature of the RFE on how quickly they will approve your case after receiving the response.

Please take my words here with the care I mean to impart with them. The part of your comment where you talk about your "partner dragging their feet" is what concerns me, regardless of being overwhelmed or whatever. I know everyone is different, but once Jaycel and I decided to go the K-1 Visa route (for various reasons and circumstances), learning about the Form I-129F, the petitioning process, what is involved, what Jaycel would have to do, etc. not only became my "Second Job", it became my passion because I would go to any length, get past any hurdle and obtain every scrap of information possible that would give us any advantage so that we could get her the visa and start our lives as husband and wife as soon as possible. Please don't take this as disparagement of your partner, maybe just a conversation starter for the both of you to dig into why the "dragging of feet" and not "diving in with both feet" into this process. I also am with everyone here in the recommendation to get rid of Boundless if it's not too late... I have read nothing but bad reviews of them. Just me here, a 2nd generation Irish-American trying to look out for my "cousin" 🙂

Just an FYI.... My fiancee had her medical exam at St. Luke's this past August and after her vaccinations, at releasing, they gave her a brown envelope marked "DO NOT OPEN" to hand carry with her to her USEM interview. She was asked for it at the document intake stage of her interview appointment where the Filipina consul opened it and placed the documents with all of her other civil docs, etc.

Having just gone through this year long process to get my fiancee here, I can empathize..... But I will tell you that when you are together in the US, finalizing your wedding plans and spending every day together, all the troubles to get the visa fade into the background noise of it all. I wish you both well and speedy resolution!

Not too early... there is no expiration for a Form I-134. I would just wait to sign it, scan it and email it to your fiancee until you have a case number from NVC, then you can put that case number on a cover sheet for the I-134 packet you send

I got my case number using the public inquiry form at the link below. Tell them that your NOA2 is a month old now and you are requesting your case ID. I would also in that same inquiry ask them to be sure they have the correct emails for you and the beneficiary and give them the correct email addresses. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html

I get the waiting part man… if I could put my two cents in, I would wait until the visa is in her hands. We did this with Jaycel and we were able to book a flight for 10 days later from Manila to Denver for like $1,000. This gave her time to book her CFO (we booked it for 2days before her departure as we were not worried about that part) and wrap up things at home. There are so many delays that can happen to delay the delivery of the visa. We set it for pickup at the Mall of Asia LBC branch and there were so many stories of people that did that and got it in 3 days, but Jaycel’s took a week. You just never know with the federal government, the State Department especially.

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.