Lynkali's US Immigration Timeline
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Petitioner's Name: Nancy
Beneficiary's Name: Mikko
VJ Member: Lynkali
Country: Finland
Last Updated: 2024-02-13
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Immigration Checklist for Nancy & Mikko:
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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 : |
California Service Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
Finland |
| I-129F Sent : |
2012-11-06 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2012-11-09 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
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| RFE Reply(s) : |
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| I-129F NOA2 : |
2013-05-17 |
| NVC Received : |
2013-06-03 |
| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
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| NVC Left : |
2013-06-06 |
| Consulate Received : |
2013-06-10 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
2013-06-18 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2013-06-25 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2013-06-28 |
| Interview Date : |
2013-07-24 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2013-07-29 |
| US Entry : |
2013-09-13 |
| Marriage : |
2013-10-25 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 189 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 257 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
San Diego |
| POE Date : |
2013-09-13 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
No |
| Biometrics Taken : |
Yes |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
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Adjustment of Status
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
San Diego CA |
| Date Filed : |
2013-11-19 |
| NOA Date : |
2013-11-22 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2013-12-17 |
| AOS Transfer** : |
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| Interview Date : |
2014-02-27 |
| Approval / Denial Date : |
2014-02-27 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Greencard Received: |
2014-03-06 |
| Comments : |
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Employment Authorization
Document
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Chicago National Office |
| Filing Method : |
Mail |
| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2013-11-19 |
| NOA Date : |
2013-11-22 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2013-12-17 |
| Approved Date : |
2014-01-24 |
| Date Card Received : |
2014-01-30 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your EAD was approved in 66 days. |
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Advance Parole
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Chicago National Office |
| Filing Method : |
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| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2013-11-19 |
| NOA Date : |
2013-11-22 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Date Received : |
2014-01-30 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your AP was approved in 66 days. |
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Lifting Conditions
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
California Service Center |
| Date Filed : |
2015-12-03 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-12-04 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2015-12-31 |
| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2016-06-16 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Green Card Received : |
2016-06-22 |
| Comments : |
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Citizenship
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Online |
| CIS Office : |
San Diego CA |
| Date Filed : |
2023-09-14 |
| NOA Date : |
2023-09-14 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2023-09-14 |
| Interview Date : |
2024-02-13 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Oath Ceremony : |
2024-02-13 |
| Comments : |
Same-day oath at San Diego office! |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: Finland
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
August 1, 2013 |
| Embassy Review : |
The K-1 interview was very painless, and somewhat anti-climactic since we were so well prepared and had waited so long (260 days between filing I-129f and the interview). It seems like July is a vacation time for them, since although we notified the embassy we were ready for the interview on June 25, they scheduled the interview for a month later, July 24.
The interviews are not held at the actual consulate, but rather at an annex very close to the main train station in Helsinki, on Kaisaniemenkatu 3 B/C. It's a strange place for an "embassy" -- there are hotels and cafes and shops on the ground floor, and a buzzer to let you in the door where you go up to the 5th floor for the interview process. I'm the US citizen fiance, and I was able to be in Finland during the interview (my choice, just moral support), but I wasn't allowed into the building at all -- I waited downstairs at a cafe for the whole time. (We had emailed in advance requesting permision, but the response was "she can wait downstairs at a cafe" so we didn't push it!)
We arrived 15 minutes before the interview time, and Mikko was buzzed in and went up the elevator. There he had to wait in the stairwell area with other candidates, until his name was called and he was let through security. He waited about 20 minutes before security let him in, with no chairs, just standing in a stairwell area. After going through security (papers were separated even from pens, and he'd already left his cell phone with me, so no electronics allowed), he went through the normal process of document intake. They asked for various documents by name (medical, police, birth certificate, DS forms, I-134) and he passed them under the window to the officers, who must have looked through them fairly quickly; there weren't any problems anyway. I do think it was a mistake that they did NOT ask for any new passport photos -- he had them but never gave them to anyone, so we were a little concerned that they had forgotten to ask. I've since read that they may ask for them at POE, since they won't be in the envelope with everything else. They did not ask for any further evidence of relationship, or any photos of the two of us, although we had some extra things along just in case they wanted them.
Then a bit more waiting before he was called to have his fingerprints taken.
After more waiting (after security, there was a waiting room with chairs, couch and tv), he was eventually called to a window for the 5-minute interview with an American woman, who had him sign the form, then asked a few basic questions. Nothing that was intended to trip him up, so a very straightforward process:
- When and where did you meet? (online 2006)
- Have you been to the USA? (yes)
- Have you met her family? (yes)
- Has she been to Finland? (yes)
- Has she met your family? (yes)
- What does she do for a living? (...)
- What do you do for a living? (...)
- Do you have any children? (no)
- Does she have any children? (no)
- Do you have any children together? (no)
- What are you going to do in the USA? (he answered "marry and live with her and find a job after I have employment authorization", good answer I think!)
There weren't any questions about the financial support forms, so there must have been no issues there, even though I (USC) was a little concerned about meeting the requirements with two part-time jobs. But they accepted the paperwork with no comments and no questions, and no need for the co-sponsor paperwork which we had held in reserve if it were necessary (never even took it out to show them, though).
After the questions were over, the lady said something along the lines of "everything seems to be in order, and you'll get your package/visa in the mail in about a week" -- and that was it! There was no need for any purchased envelope: the embassy sends the visa packet using postal registered mail (kirjattu kirje) at no charge to the applicant.
The entire time spent inside was just under an hour, most of which was waiting. Mikko thinks he was the only K-1 that day: the other applicants were student and tourist visas, at least for the morning interviews.
We had the interview on Wednesday morning, and by Thursday night our CEAC online status had changed to VISA ISSUED. Friday morning he received a notice from the post office that he had a registered package to pick up, and he picked it up on Monday with the visa and "do not open" packet inside. Overall, very easy experience and no hassles.
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| Rating : |
Very Good |
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POE Review: San Diego
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| Event |
Description |
| Entry Date : |
2013-09-13 |
| Embassy Review : |
The British Airways flight from London (UK) to San Diego is always a nice way of getting to the Southern California area, and San Diego is a pretty easy POE for K-1 (or any other visa), it turns out. Certainly nothing bad to report, just a bit of a wait until all the regular non-visa passengers had been cleared out.
Arrived at 6:40 p.m. on the flight direct from London, and went through the normal customs area. Entered the "visitors" line but eventually the US citizens line had cleared and all the visitors were processed by the same officers. Got to the main window, did fingerprints and passport control, then the officer took the sealed packet, called over a security guard, said "here's another visa package". Was led by the guard back to the back of the hall to sit on some benches until most of the normal arrivals had cleared out. Waited about 10-15 minutes, then a lady came and asked to verify the local address (that's IT, no questions about fiancée or relationship or marriage or anything else!). There were 3-4 other visa people, probably student and possibly another K-1/CR-1. More waiting (10-15 minutes again), then the lady brought back passport and said "you're good to go!". Then exited normally through the luggage/customs area.
Total wait time was about 40-50 minutes from when the plane landed -- walked out into the airport at 7:45 from the 6:40 arrival!
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| Harassment Level : |
Low |
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Local US CIS Office Review: San Diego CA
Review Topic: cis_topic
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
February 13, 2024 |
| Embassy Review : |
My husband had his N-400 citizenship interview at the San Diego office. Staff were professional and mostly friendly; interview was long and very thorough, stressful due to a name mix-up in the background check (they thought my husband was someone else with the same name), but otherwise efficient.
Some particulars about the San Diego office: applicants have to wait OUTSIDE the main door in the cold (or hot) weather, and a uniformed officer will eventually come and open the door and let only the applicant inside. Don't arrive too early, they won't let you in more than 30 minutes in advance. Any family members have to find someplace else to wait, they aren't allowed in - there is a small waiting area in the building adjacent to the south, but no restrooms or vending machines or anything. Made for a slightly unpleasant long wait. As I wasn't allowed in, I ended up walking a few blocks to the south to a café near the courthouse.
Check-in for the applicant, once through the outside doors, is on the 3rd floor, then the waiting room and interview on the 4th floor. We were lucky and got a same-day oath ceremony - that was on the 5th floor, but only the applicant can attend: no spouses or family members allowed in. They will offer to use your cell phone to take a photo after the oath, definitely do that! You'll need to wait just a little while for the oath: they wait until there are 4-5 applicants to swear in together; seemed to be about a 30-minute interval between oath ceremonies.
Parking: lots of pay parking lots, of varying prices and sketchiness. We chose the Ace Parking ramp structure (many stories tall) at 110 West C Street - good parking, moderate price (with 15-minute intervals) and an actual person at the exit to pay, so no worries about machine malfunctions or security. |
| Harassment Level : |
Good |
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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
