K1 Visa
|
| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
California Service Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
Algiers, Algeria |
| I-129F Sent : |
2016-06-10 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2016-06-16 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
|
| RFE Reply(s) : |
|
| I-129F NOA2 : |
2016-08-18 |
| NVC Received : |
2016-09-05 |
| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
2016-09-06 |
| NVC Left : |
2016-09-12 |
| Consulate Received : |
2016-09-15 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
2016-09-19 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2016-10-01 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2016-10-01 |
| Interview Date : |
2016-11-28 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
|
Second Interview
(If Required): |
|
| Second Interview Result: |
|
| Visa Received : |
2017-01-23 |
| US Entry : |
2017-02-01 |
| Marriage : |
2017-03-04 |
| Comments : |
The Date Received by NVC, Date Case#, IIN, and BIN assigned, and Date Received by Consulate are all estimates. The NVC confirmed they sent the packet on 9/12/16 and gave me the Case# and IIN via a phone call I'd made to them.
I actually got the NVC letter on 9/20/16, stating they had sent our packet to the US Embassy in Algiers; the letter was dated 9/13/16. I wish I had been calling the NVC daily, as some others have, so I would have known when they received it and would have started getting things ready sooner.
We received packet instructions by the US Embassy in Algiers via email on 9/19/16 (to my email; I forwarded to my fiance). To note, per instructions for Algeria (from the website we were sent a link to in this packet instructions), it says that the filing fee for the DS-160 is paid on the day of the interview in cash (in local currency, equivalent to the US fee of $265). However, when we tried to schedule the interview online, it says you must have a receipt number for the payment; so we couldn't schedule it (we tried the case number and other numbers, but they failed--must be the payment receipt number). We ended up calling the customer service number given on the website (different from the call center number given in the packet info, though I image you can call either number), and a nice lady scheduled the interview and sent a confirmation email to my fiance. That email shows all the interview details and has a bar code they will scan, when you bring this to the interview.
My fiance's interview is scheduled for 11/28/16, a little under a 2 month wait from the date we scheduled it.
I would recommend submitting the DS-160 and scheduling the interview at the embassy as soon as possible; per the instructions, it sounded like he needed to conduct the medical and receive all the files I'm sending him, prior to scheduling; but if we had waited, we would have gotten an even later interview date.
My fiance received the packet of documents I sent him (via UPS from east cost of USA to the Kabylia region in Algeria) in just under a week from the time I sent it. It cost $214 to send the packet, which was just under 3lbs! I'd had 2 nice, zipping folders in there, about $15 to buy here, and these 'retail items' had bumped up the price to $425, so of course, I removed them! I sent the package as fast as it could ship, but they told me that once it gets to Algeria, they have no control over how long it will take. They did not deliver to his home (though that was the delivery address), but to a city a little over an hour from his home (since he lives in what they call a 'remote' region). UPS had a very hard time locating his address, at first. When we finally found it, they added instructions to 'telephonez' his cell number. They called him when they were ready for him to meet the courier to pick up the packet. We also signed up for email notifications of delivery points for the packet. So it all worked out okay, and it arrived in good time. In contrast, when he'd sent something to me from Algeria to the USA, it took over 2 weeks to arrive.
Today (10/11/16), my fiance took a 3-hour trip to Algiers to go get his interview scheduled. The clinics would never answer their phones! We read that this has happened to others, too. He told me he needed his DS-160 confirmation number to get the appointment. His appointment is scheduled for 11/14/2016, 2 weeks before his interview, but over a month from now. We are so glad he didn't wait to schedule it, as you must have that appointment prior to the interview, of course!
Update 11/28/16 - My fiance just had his interview and was approved! We have now posted our review.
Update 12/27/16 - Just wanted to report that we are still waiting for the status on the CEAC site to be changed to ISSUED, a month after the approved interview (though my fiance was told it would take about 10 business days to get his visa). It seems like everything has slowed down, due to the holiday season; I see others are also waiting, some longer than us.
After 16 days of waiting, we went through a process to call a customer service number they'd given us to ask about the status. The person I spoke with made me recheck the CEAC site https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx which was not helpful, then he gave me an odd email address to write to, which I could find nowhere online. So I ended up calling the NVC. The person I spoke with there said she could see that we had a successful interview, but had no additional information. She gave me the embassy's email address for correspondence about our type of visa (which does appear on the embassy website). I wrote to that email address; however, we got an automatic reply that there will be delays in getting a response, as they get so many emails, and not to resubmit our question. Not helpful, either!
Our 'Status Updated Date' did change from the interview date to 22-Dec-2016, so someone must have touched our file. We hope it means that they will work on it this week, but there are no guarantees.
It appears to just be a waiting game, once you are approved. So don't worry too much if it takes longer than they tell you it should take to get the visa issued. If they needed more information, they'd send an email request (RFE). But otherwise, they are just busy. Also, this shows why they say not to book plane tickets until your visa is finally issued and your passport is back in hand! (SEE UPDATE 1/12/17, below; it turns out this was not normal!!)
I also wanted to correct what I mentioned in the embassy review about getting notified that the passport/visa is ready (I can't find a way to edit the review, itself). The status will change from "READY" to "ISSUED" after briefly showing it is in Admin Processing (AP); it may even go back and forth from READY to AP. For K-1 Visas, you can check under IMMIGRANT VISA (IV) with the Case Number (e.g., ALGXXXXXXXXXX), as well ask under NONIMMIGRANT VISA with the DS-160 confirmation code (in our case the IMMIGRANT one usually updated first). It's confusing because in some places they call K-1 a nonimmigrant visa, but they treat it like an immigrant visa, since that is the ultimate goal. When it goes to AP the message will show that it is a non-immigrant visa (even under the IMMIGRANT section).
Also, in the case of the embassy in Algiers, once the status changes to ISSUED, there is still a wait to get an email that the passport is now with VFS Global http://www.ustraveldocs.com/dz/dz-niv-passporttrack.asp#CheckStatus and ready to be picked up. I believe the email will be sent to my fiance, but I will also be checking in case it comes to me as the petitioner, instead.
UPDATE 1/12/17 - On 1/8/17, we FINALLY got updated to from READY to Admistrative Processing. But after 3 days, we still had NO STATUS CHANGE. This meant 44 days after being APPROVED at interview (with a letter showing the approval given to my fiance at the interview), we still had NO visa issued, though were were told it would take up to 10 business days. I had called NVC several times, written the embassy a month earlier (with only an automated reply not to ask the question again and that there would be a delay in getting a response), and there seemed ZERO ways to get a status update.
On 1/11/17, because something was really wrong with our case - not just typical seasonal delays - I finally called my Congressman's office (searched on Google and got the number to the Congressman in my district). Within 1 hour they had spoken to the Consular officer who approved our case and wrote to us confirming we were approved and there was some 'unforeseen administrative issues' but that my fiance would have his visa in hand within the next 10 days. Today, 1/12/17, the visa status changed to ISSUED. We have to still wait to hear from the courier and track the passport on the ustraveldocs site. But this was such a relief!!!! :)
UPDATE 1/19/17: After getting good news with the help of the Congressman's Office and getting the visa ISSUED, we are again feel so much stress, because the embassy has not yet, after 7 days, sent my fiance's passport to the courier (VFS Global) for pickup. There is still No Status on the ustraveldocs site, when it should have changed to 'origination scan' at least, indicating it is being sent to the courier. I've emailed the embassy (back into the black hole inbox where you never get a reply), and I have emailed the Congressman's Office lawyer who helped us before. She had said to contact her if it takes longer than 10 days to have it in hand, but we are now waiting to hear back from her as well. At this point, with the embassy closed from Friday to Saturday, they won't be working on it until next week. Monday will mark 56 days without a passport/visa back, after an APPROVED interview (with written approval) and a visa in ISSUED status for 11 days. We are struggling with this process, which seems so random and unfair to some people (maybe most people). I know we should be grateful for the stages we've gotten through, and we are, but for them to sit on this approved visa for seemingly no reason while delaying us from reuniting week after week is having a heavy impact on us!
UPDATE 1/23/17 - We finally got the visa/passport back! It took 10 days. The US Embassy never updated the status on ustraveldocs that it was being sent to the courier. We both had tried to write the embassy for an update to see if they were sending it to the courier, with no reply. My fiance wrote the courier (VFS Global) once with no reply. But he wrote again yesterday, and they finally reported that they had the passport from the embassy. Moments later, the status was changed from 'no status' to 'ready for pickup' on ustraveldocs. My fiance was able to travel to Algiers and get it, today.
Today marks 56 days of waiting to pick up the visa/passport, after written approval at the interview, when they told us it would take 10-15 days. This process has really been something! But, thankfully, this long wait is now over and we can be reunited soon!!!! '
UPDATE 2/2/17 - My fiance arrived in the US on 2/1/17. He had to wait about 30 minutes to meet with the boarder protection agent, who took about 30 seconds to just let him know that he had to be married within 90 days :) |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 63 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 165 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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