Slowing down the K1

[A & D 0]

I realize this is probably not a concern that gets addressed on here a lot, as most people want the problem we are having. But I am wondering how much control we have and how we would go about slowing down the K1 process. I obviously did not do my due diligence when researching timelines, and assumed it would be a normal 2-6 month process. So with that in mind we filed in mid-July, hoping to have my fiance come over some time early next year. And now we are on the fast track here, having just received our NOA2, like a lot of others at the CSC, after not even a month. I know everything has an expiration date (the I-29f, the medical, the actual visa), but how much time can we take advantage of, and is there any way for us to drag our feet a bit here?

And for anyone wondering why we want to wait and not have him here immediately like most normal people, it has to do with money and living arrangements mostly, though he did want to be home for Christmas, as he doesn't know when he would be back. So, that was our plan. That is now falling apart. As things do when you involve the government.

[Darnell 8,478]

you have some control over when to schedule the interview at the IV Unit.

usually the duration of validity on the I-129F petition is 4 months, but if you check in with the IV Unit (email, postal letter, fax) they will auto-extend the duration of validity for your beneficiary. you usually have 1 year to get it done, once the casefile hits the IV Unit and they log it. but to get that 1 year, you have to check in with the IV unit. Not just 1 time, either.

HTH !

[nitsirk7562 82]

Once the k-1 is issued, he has 6 months to use it. He can slow it down before the interview as well by just delaying the medical/packet 3. Have him contact his consulate for an extension, if needed--I think they give you 4 months to complete packet 3. (I would probably call them and ask about deadlines, too). You don't want your case to be abandoned.

[Umka36 781]

My wife ran into this problem, since she was a teacher and didn't want to leave until the end of the school year. As others have stated above, she just delayed turning over the documents to the embassy for the interview. It was delayed by an additional month for her interview. YMMV.

[Shauneg 762]

I had to google "ymmv"

[Darnell 8,478]

I had to google "ymmv"

oh no ! acronyms and abbreviations abound - there's all sorts from IRC, then all sorts from SMS, then all sorts from the twitter/twatter.

Go Get Em, and Good Luck ! fwiw, ymmv! bohica obstcr !

[aaron2020 11,651]

Hi,

There are plenty of ways to slow things down.

Take your time to file the DS-160.

Reschedule the medical and interview for latter dates.

Take advantage of the up to 6 months window to use the visa.

If he takes the medical in October 2015, the visa he receives will be valid until April 2016.

[A & D 0]

Great! I had a few numbers mixed up in my head and was starting to get a little panicky. Thanks for all the responses!

[Pennycat 880]

I realize this is probably not a concern that gets addressed on here a lot, as most people want the problem we are having. But I am wondering how much control we have and how we would go about slowing down the K1 process. I obviously did not do my due diligence when researching timelines, and assumed it would be a normal 2-6 month process. So with that in mind we filed in mid-July, hoping to have my fiance come over some time early next year. And now we are on the fast track here, having just received our NOA2, like a lot of others at the CSC, after not even a month. I know everything has an expiration date (the I-29f, the medical, the actual visa), but how much time can we take advantage of, and is there any way for us to drag our feet a bit here?

And for anyone wondering why we want to wait and not have him here immediately like most normal people, it has to do with money and living arrangements mostly, though he did want to be home for Christmas, as he doesn't know when he would be back. So, that was our plan. That is now falling apart. As things do when you involve the government.

This actually does get asked quite a bit around here (I've seen it at least a dozen times in the 6 months I've been waiting for NOA2).

Even if you had every other stitch of paperwork complete right now this moment, with your medical tomorrow and got the visa the day after, you have 6 months from the date of the medical exam to use the K1 visa. That's February 7, 2016. He'll be able to choose to stay home for Christmas for sure, even if you fly along at breakneck speed getting the visa itself. You don't need to try to slow things down at all of you don't want to. You have all the flexibility you need right now. Not falling apart in the slightest.

[GreenPaddy 3]

Hi, all good advice out there.

I've read a post in VJ about a member who had postponed the interview for a year because of job-related matters. He asked the embassy to extended the validity of his approved I-129F three times. Usually the embassy can extend it only 4 months at a time.

When you ask for an extension, they'll email you almost immediately that your I-129F was extended for another 4 months counting from the request date.

Not in your case, but even after the K-1 was issued and expired, you can start again from the embassy stage. That requires re-submitting the embassy health-checkup and any other docs expired.

Good luck !!

[rukus2009 5]

wow you got approved fast, i hope my approval is quick

[raven52 233]

My best friend just got the extension, without asking, in the Philippines, while his fiance' was waiting for a police report.

A year is no problem, as far as I know.

Good luck with your timing.

[TBoneTX 45,304]

Two posts have been removed, one for a Terms of Service violation and another for apparently responding to it.

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[redstripe54 42]

Just take your time arranging the medical and interview

Edited August 7, 2015 by redstripe54