Bunninuts

Consider how many people you want to attend first. This will decide your next options. If you want to just have you and your partner or you two and a couple friends/family, your options are limitless. You don't have to have a big space and catering and all that extra planning isn't necessary. In my state you can have an ordained minister marry you. Many can get this and if one of your friends has this, may marry you for free. That means only having to buy the marriage license. For me and my partner, we will likely be married by a friend who is ordained in a forest away from trails and with a beautiful view. I live in the PNW so I am hoping he arrives when we have some good weather. I have been told there are eloping businesses that can have a place ready for you and your partner and a few guests to have a ceremony and take pictures. Depending on how many people you want to invite, you might be able to reserve a suitable spot with a few months notice. You have 6 months from the time of the medical exam to travel to the United States. That means you could technically try to time things just right to make a reservation after the interview and after a time when it is assured everyone will be in the US. Consider what you can plan and take care of now. Decide how many guests and what you can and are willing to pay for like food, venue, photography, etc. Get the attire picked out as that can be done now Wishing you all the best in your planning and next steps 💜

@txvl66 You have plenty of info to move forward with reporting her and making sure your brother is cleared from being responsible. I wanted to tell you and your brother that I wish you both well in this endeavor. I'm sorry this happened to him. It's awful and I send my condolences to your bro. If you could update the thread with the results if possible, that would be great. Many read these posts for many years on what to do if they should find themselves in similar situations. 💜

My case is moving along and getting closer to the embassy interview portion. I am reviewing the other documents to bring outside of the I-134. What are some items others brought with them? Those that wrote a second Letter of Intent, do you have an outline of what you included? How much was a repeat from the first letter? Hoping for those who have already interviewed and have good feedback to offer Thanks in advance!

@Edward and Jaycel "1. In about 2 weeks, if you have not heard from the NVC, use the public inquiry form at the link below to request your case number." Where is the link listed? I happen to need to do the same as I never received any emails from them and I worry with my name they may have spelled my email wrong. Thank you for your continued help

@lacuuna I would follow Crazy Cats suggestion of awaiting the proper document to arrive before traveling but I would also recommend obtaining your Dl or ID from the state you are living in, if they offer that to migrants. I live in Oregon and we will allow folks to gain a drivers license no matter of immigration status because we want drivers to be covered and safe. Other states may do the same. Having an ID or DL that is of the Real variety (a new one needed for national travel in the US) would be helpful as well. Keep your eye on the Executive Orders and the laws to be sure nothing is changing before you travel. Boarding a plane is a bit more risky than a local honeymoon, albeit a little less tropical. Consider filling out your timeline as it is helpful for the data we all look at for timing PS: Congrats on your marriage 💜

@Erly Ernest You may want to check the list of required documents to be sure which you need. A certified copy is usually what is needed, not just a copy of the original.

@Rollie New New I'm glad they were able to get a new interview date so soon! How did it go? Also, I'm sorry that happened to you. In future, always read for yourself what is necessary so the next step of AOS goes smoothly for you and your partner 💜

@Mark24 My NOA1 was on July 22 and I just got my NOA2. Some are approved quickly while others take longer. You won't know when yours will get approved. I see the country of the beneficiary is the Philippines. This isn't a country on their no-no list, yet. They haven't made any changes to the K-1 process as of yet. You can sign up for updates from the USCIS. I did and was emailed when they updated the I-134 this past Dec. They won't accept the old form after March of this year. I recommend reading the Executive Orders on the www.whitehouse.gov site that involve immigration. Know you are not alone in these feelings. A lot of us that don't have our partners here yet are feeling the same. ❤️

@ddcontrol This sounds like your letter of intent was on the shorter side. I was recently approved and both of our letters were 2-3 pages. We explained how we met, activities that led to falling in love, what we did in between like vacations and activities with family, and then closed with statements that said we wanted to spend our lives together and what that entailed. As far as what language for the supporting affidavits from family and friends, it needs to be in English and they need to sign it. My fiance's sister typed hers using translator, signed it, and emailed it to me. With evidence, you give them so much that there is no question that it is legitimate. I also had 4x6 pics developed with 6 pics on each 4x6 and included 5 of those. I didn't include our communication messages because I felt that was a bit private but I did print out our relationship status update on FB and included that. I also kept our engagement post public so it was accessibly for them if they peaked. Reading the list of items that count as evidence they sent you, do you have any social media posts about your engagement? Did your fiance take a picture of her ring and post it? You could include how you proposed. Yes, a letter from her parents or any family and friends would be very helpful too. People that have seen you two together and can honestly say, they look at each other lovingly and truly care for each other, or something similar that shows you two truly want to be together forever. I would recommend gathering as many of their list provided and satisfy them the best you can.

I would be cautious of trusting anything other than the USCIS requirements. Meaning, if a change is made, it could take time to implement. Whatever stage you are in, be sure to read all documents from USCIS and comply accordingly.

The only thing I will add is that the timing of both of these processes may be different/longer. We cannot gauge what will happen with either process as the new administration in the US can make significant changes.

@luvbirds Please fill out your timeline It is very helpful not only so others will know your timeline but VisaJourney uses the data to see how long each piece of the process takes.

https://www.uscis.gov/i-134 A new form edition was put out Dec 12, 2024. You can use the old one from Nov 09, 2023 until March 13, 2025. There are significant differences where the information is being asked for on the form however all very similar information. The biggest catch: Part 2 is about the person financially supporting the beneficiary and part 3 is about the beneficiary. This is opposite the way the form was previously from Nov 2023. Be sure to use the correct form edition even if your process is already begun. They decline a bunch of requests because the person didn't use the correct form. Don't forget to sign as well Any other updates we all should know about? Please share!

If you have a current petition that was put on hold, you would want to withdraw that application before requesting a new application with another person. The responders above don't have enough information for your situation to give you a serious and honest answer. Can you elaborate on your situation? When was the first petition submitted? What are the reasons it was put on hold? Did USCIS put that on hold, or is this a personal decision? There isn't anything preventing you from submitting another application for a different person however you shouldn't have any pending petitions in the system. Be aware submitting a second petition for someone else may have more scrutiny in reviewing the evidence and documentation.

The interview is the final step in the visa approval process. Your friend will be asked questions while the interviewer will review the evidence to make a decision. If there is new evidence, that should be brought to the interview as well as a copy of all previously submitted evidence and applications. Your friend will want to be overly prepared and dress nice. Many are approved and some are denied during the interview even after the case was pushed forward up to this point.

Argenta2623, we may be able to help you further if we know which State you are in. I'm sorry you are experiencing this. Different States have different laws for divorce and what help you can obtain.

I wish we could use historical timelines but I stress to you that the timelines cannot be trusted. This year has been so very different from one month to another. The beginning of the year there was a big backlog. Then they hired a bunch of temporary staff to help with the backlog, but what happened was new cases submitted were approved in record time. They have since let go all of the temps and processing times are slowing way down. They do not process in order as well. As OldUser above noted, some that were submitted at the same time are quicker then others. Another important note is the new administration can change how things are currently done. USCIS is not funded by the government but by their fees but are told what to do by our government. They can be told to stand on their heads and they will do it while it makes all of us wait longer while they practice for the feat. If you want a real possible timeline, I would say it could be 1-3 years because of so much uncertainty. Best wishes on your journey 💜

Based on reading feedback from a previous USCIS worker on Reddit, it probably isn't that they are trying to make their numbers look better. They also had a move from one building to another this year (I think in June?). All of the files are real paper, not electronic. This can lead to all sorts of organization problems where files are in a box/s and put in a place out of sight or on the bottom when they should have been on the top. They do not go in order. I've watched numerous around my number be approved while mine still sits waiting. Do they separate by country? By difficulty of case? Mine is very straight forward with no criminal background or conflicts yet is still waiting 6 months now. Some that submitted their request this month have been approved while others from Feb are still waiting. They also have a high turnover rate while it is very difficult and takes a lot of time to hire new workers. There are so many variable that we don't know about how this agency operates other than they give approvals, denials, and RFEs. We can speculate why these things happen but truly, they are a rogue, on their own type of agency where not any outside entity like congress, governors, senators, can urge them to do anything. They are a necessary agency that is very important while also treated as subpar without resources to do what they need to. We are all stuck in the middle just hoping to be with someone we love. Try to keep your spirits positive and hope for the best so we are all putting positive energy out. Wishing all their happily ever after 💜

Thank you so much for sharing! You are very organized. This will be helpful for myself and others that want to do this in future, assuming the process doesn't change when I am able to apply for my partner 😁 @OldUser Thank you for mentioning about paying with a check over a cc. Although my first payment was handled well, I won't risk it for future payments. 💜

Although the timeline I have been following is for a k-1, the time from when NVC received it and the interview scheduled and embassy received it was a little over 2 months. This timeline was updated just a week ago and for the Embassy in Panama. The time to wait for having interviews scheduled and NVC sending it on is getting longer. I'm sorry you are having to wait longer. I hope you get this through before the process might change. Keep an eye on any changes and documents that may be needed if the interview lands after Jan 20, 2025. Best wishes to you and your partner 💜

@Dashinka Thank you for sharing how many times you had spent time in person! @yulia g Many say more time is better, and it is, but so many are approved with only a couple visits. You passed the first approval so there is a good chance of passing the second. The time spent together seems to have a bigger impact on how many visits. Wishing you and your partner good luck and wonderful future 💜

I wish I had gone the CR1 route. I am already deep into the K-1 and wish I could switch but time is already invested. There isn't a reason to do the K-1 when you both live in Brazil. The CR1 is a better avenue as you both are living together currently. Thoroughly read what is necessary paperwork wise for the CR1 and have a translator chosen to translate any documents into english. There are some online translators that are inexpensive and all electronic. The timeline someone else gave regarding the K-1 isn't reasonable. All have to have an embassy interview before coming to the US. I'm 4 months into a K-1 without the first approval. There are multiple approvals with the K-1 and touches many hands before they are given the ability to come to the US. A couple on here that I follow their timeline because they too are going through Panama, had their K-1 approved 2.5 months ago and the NVC only just now received it. They are suppose to receive the file within approx 2 weeks. That isn't happening. The wait times are getting longer every day and the backlog is growing exponentially as they have more requests submitted than they process. This couple will have to wait for the NVC to transfer the file to the Panamanian Embassy where they will then review and schedule an interview with the beneficiary. This process can take months if not longer. Side note: The process may change after the US President changes in Jan. This may alter how the process is completed and what is necessary document wise. It can also make the processing times longer. Consider if it would be possible and in your situations best interest to get the request filed before Jan 1. Best wishes to you and your partner 💜

@vivian57 Have you canceled the I-129 already? If not, when did your fiance file? If you haven't withdrawn the application yet, don't. You can lengthen the time to be perfect with your school completion. It would be in your best interest to lengthen the application time within each of the steps over canceling and reapplying. The cost alone should encourage you to not cancel. The fees are not refunded and would have to be repaid. I also must echo what Marieke H said above. You both should know how this process works by researching on the USCIS website and read through everything. Also research how long it actually takes from start to finish without lengthening the time. The timelines for others currently is a year from submitting the first application to their fiance coming to the US to finally be married. Side note: I don't blame your fiance for being a bit upset. Waiting to start your life isn't comfortable or desirable for most folks. We don't know how much time we are given to live and so much can change month to month, let alone year to year. I wish you the best outcome for your and your partner 💜

I found the easiest way for my partner and I to choose a new last name is for me to change my last name before we get married. When we marry, he takes my last name which is an option in the US. I'm not sure how this would work in Panama and finding information on name changes in Panama is proving challenging 🙃

@Lemonslice To make sure I am understanding you correctly, it doesn't matter if the person is here from another country, we can still change both of our last names in your states example? @Family Do you mean it went well for everything after their marriage and obtaining a green card but couldn't renew because of the name change? Did they change names before applying for the green card? @Dashinka Naturalization is not the same as a green card, right? I'm in Oregon and will sleuth what is needed in my state and then of course for the green card process/consulate. Thank you everyone for your helpful input. I'm hoping someone that has done this themselves may surface for more questions answered 😁 I have read that it can be different for a male to change their last name during marriage than the female so being sure this can really happen for my partner and I. 🥰