qwerty1974's US Immigration Timeline
Immigration Checklist for D & A:
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USCIS I-129F Petition:
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Dept of State K1 Visa:
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USCIS I-485 Petition:
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USCIS I-765 Petition:
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USCIS I-131 Petition:
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USCIS I-751 Petition:
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USCIS N-400 Petition:
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K1 Visa
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Vermont Service Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
London, United Kingdom |
| I-129F Sent : |
2011-05-25 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2011-06-01 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
None yay!! |
| RFE Reply(s) : |
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| I-129F NOA2 : |
2011-10-07 |
| NVC Received : |
2011-10-21 |
| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
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| NVC Left : |
2011-10-24 |
| Consulate Received : |
2011-10-26 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
2011-10-29 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2011-11-01 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2011-11-16 |
| Interview Date : |
2011-12-02 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2011-12-06 |
| US Entry : |
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| Marriage : |
2012-03-03 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 128 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 184 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
December 3, 2011 |
| Embassy Review : |
Ok, lots of fine reviews already exist on this list, as avidenced by the fact that the information does not vary much from experience to experience. That said, I found it immensely helpful to read each one. However, a few things happened at our interview which I had not noticed before on any reviews (we were very unlucky in one respect) so i'll concentrate on those things as they differ and might set someone else's mind at rest if the same happens to them.
I'll start out though by noting that we WERE approved and I cannot WAIT to be with my Darling after Christmas 
So, we arrived at the embassy EARLY only to find despite feeling tremendsouly organised we had neither the DS160 forms on us nor the digital photos required with them. We were infuriatingly sent straight to Gould chemists to fill out the forms. the chemist seemed more like an extended office of the Embassy with tables lined up down one side with laptops and a guy working a camera. More like a mini Embassy which just so happened to sell plasters and vaseline?! LOL wWE were charged ten pounds for each photo and £6 for the first half hour usage of the laptops to do the DS100's. It was really irritating to have been stalled this way, but no doubt was my own fault....I thought I had everything covered and hadn't read anywhere on the list 'have your DS160'. The forms took an hour and with the photographs cost me another £44.
Once these were printed we walked the three minute walk straight back to the Embassy and were let straght in upon showing our passports, interview letter and MRV fee receipt (keep those handy and out tucked into your passport).
The next few steps are the same as everyone elses experience, same room, same layout, same routine. we had an I number not an N number (the N numbers being non immigrant visas) and yes, the I numbers are SLOW. About fifteen N's to every one I is called.
We were seated by nine thirty and the hall was full (about the size of a decent school gymnasium). At eleven we were called to hand documents in and then told it may be a couple of hours wait as ten people were in front of us.
The children and I were getting very hungry and edgy at this point after only a couple of hours sleep the night before (from nervous excitement!). My daughter and I are vegetarians and would warn that there were in total only about five packs of sandwiches available.....they were all meat so we went hungry, trying to fill up on crisps instead.
At twelve my actual name (not number) was called to a desk. A nice American lady apologised profusely and told me my file was 'stuck in the computer.' I began to worry, this didn't seem likely to me! She said perhaps it'd be best if we left the Embassy to get lunch and got back at two thirty as many embassy staff would soon be on their lunchbreaks and unable to fix the problem with my file. There wasn't much else we could do and my children were hungry so we agreed. We left the embassy and ordered some dinner from one of the frankly Many numerous restuarants dotted about. However, the longer we sat, the further into my mind crept the doubt at what they had said. I started imagining all kinds of negative things, wondering if they were doing further checks, going to say no (I had complex child custody questions and one former arrest, despite being cleared and also as I had not signed up for my PhD this term, hoping to start it in TN, had no current income). None of us felt happy or content enough to even eat our meal and then dropped the realisation that our train tickets were booked for three p.m (formerly as our appointment was at 9am we thought six hours would be more than enough). So, we went straight back to the Embassy by five past one to explain our travel arrangements and find out what was going on. When we returned (being let straight through), there were only a tail end of about five people waiting to have their number called and all of the 'I' numbers had been seen and cleared. As these other people cleared it became soon enough that it was just me and my two children left. My eldest got it into her head that this was a bad sing and started to feel a bit sick. the embassy staff were very friendly though and sympathised about the train situation. I myself began to worry immensely.
Finally at two thirty (too late anyway for the train) my number was called. They asked me about my arrest....I gave them paperwork. They asked me how I met my fiancee, had our shared children met (they haven't but I added they had spoken via mail etc), what did he do for a living and finally why had I changed my name when I was eighteen. The only question asked to my children was had they been present during a violent break in (one had one hadn't, the break in helped explicate my onw arrest for an alleged by unfounded event). After about ten minutes of questions he said he was pleased to approve our visas and that if we rsuhed we could make our train (we couldn't, but I wasn't about to argue having just been given the best news in the world!). We paid for our visas and got on our way. they say currently the wait for the courier is up to and about two weeks. I don't know if this is regular or just due to Christmas mail. I asked if I could have it expedited but they said no. You can pay extra to have it delivered by a certain time (8am) any day, but not to have it sooner. I paid the £16 (for three to be sent) on the usual 'anytime between 8 and 6' rotation.
All in all the experience was gruelling as we were there nearly six hours and that comes with a LOT of stress and negativity starts to creep in. On many occasions I thought something had/would go spectacularly wrong, but in the end it was all worth it. The staff were as friendly and heloful as I could expect them to be and I d do it all over again in a heartbeat. However, next time I'd pack my onw food, take my digital photos and DS160 forms and try not to be such a pessimist when things go awry!! |
| Rating : |
Moderate |
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Timeline Comments: None yet, be the first!
*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the
USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.
** Not all cases are transfered
ver 5.0
