K-1 Visa Approved in Montreal

[bec128 44]

Hi everyone,

Thanks to VJ, my fiancee's K-1 was approved yesterday! I have posted a full review here: http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/view-dos-cis-reviews.php?entry=18429

If anyone has any questions about what to expect at the interview, please post them here and we will do our best to answer them

I forgot to mention that the officer did ask us how we met, but it was at the very end, and I'm pretty sure he already was holding the "Welcome to the USA" letter at that point

Edited November 24, 2015 by bec128

[Ontarkie 14,226]

Congratulations!

[sarah035 0]

Hi everyone,

Thanks to VJ, my fiancee's K-1 was approved yesterday! I have posted a full review here: http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/view-dos-cis-reviews.php?entry=18429

If anyone has any questions about what to expect at the interview, please post them here and we will do our best to answer them

I forgot to mention that the officer did ask us how we met, but it was at the very end, and I'm pretty sure he already was holding the "Welcome to the USA" letter at that point

Congratuations!! I just finished reading your full review and I had one quick question about it.

You mentioned that the officer said "we don't even accept a second i-134 for K1 visas..." Is this true?

My fiancee is a fresh graduate, has zero income for the last 3 years (we have included tax returns to prove it as well) and is currently just volunteering part time and his mother was going to be our co-sponsor for AOS as well for us. I have prepared an entire package of i-134 for her as well. I can't recall where but i know for sure i have seen it in several different posts that a co-sponsor is allowed for k1.

[bec128 44]

Congratuations!! I just finished reading your full review and I had one quick question about it.

You mentioned that the officer said "we don't even accept a second i-134 for K1 visas..." Is this true?

My fiancee is a fresh graduate, has zero income for the last 3 years (we have included tax returns to prove it as well) and is currently just volunteering part time and his mother was going to be our co-sponsor for AOS as well for us. I have prepared an entire package of i-134 for her as well. I can't recall where but i know for sure i have seen it in several different posts that a co-sponsor is allowed for k1.

Hi,

Honestly I'm not sure what to make of that, as I too had thought that a cosponsor was allowed. This review (http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/view-dos-cis-reviews.php?entry=18235) mentions that the petitioner was unemployed, and they were specifically asked for an I-134 for a second cosponsor after the original one did not satisfy the consular officer. Their timeline shows that they were approved after mailing a new I-134, so who knows!

I'm just speculating, but perhaps in that case (and yours), the officer would approve the visa based only on the second I-134, rather than on the one for the unemployed/student petitioner. This differs from the I-864 that you file with your AoS, for that the petitioner is always the primary sponsor regardless of income, and then you can have one or more cosponsors. Or possibly (and i'm still speculating) they just want to see that someone will be able to co-sponsor the applicant for AoS later.

Hope this was helpful, and that interview goes well!

[sarah035 0]

Hi,

Honestly I'm not sure what to make of that, as I too had thought that a cosponsor was allowed. This review (http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/view-dos-cis-reviews.php?entry=18235) mentions that the petitioner was unemployed, and they were specifically asked for an I-134 for a second cosponsor after the original one did not satisfy the consular officer. Their timeline shows that they were approved after mailing a new I-134, so who knows!

I'm just speculating, but perhaps in that case (and yours), the officer would approve the visa based only on the second I-134, rather than on the one for the unemployed/student petitioner. This differs from the I-864 that you file with your AoS, for that the petitioner is always the primary sponsor regardless of income, and then you can have one or more cosponsors. Or possibly (and i'm still speculating) they just want to see that someone will be able to co-sponsor the applicant for AoS later.

Hope this was helpful, and that interview goes well!

Thank you for your quick response. Yes it was helpful, and i hope my interview goes well too!!

Hope you have a safe and easy move to the USA.

[Ash.1101 1,756]

Well. Just as a note, Montreal allowed us to have two cosponsors.

So we had a total of three I-134's that we provided them. Originally at the interview, my own, our original cosponsor (who made 7k more than the Poverty limit), and then they asked for ANOTHER cosponsor. I'm unemployed though, which is why we came in with one sponsor, and most likely why they asked for a second.

Once they received the second cosponsors info we were approved within a week from them getting the paperwork.

[Ash.1101 1,756]

Also, I'm the one that made the review with two cosponsors.

People before and after me have used cosponsors, both employed and unemployed, you're the first that has said they only accept one so it may be a new thing or maybe something that CO personally does.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Ash.1101

[bec128 44]

Also, I'm the one that made the review with two cosponsors.

People before and after me have used cosponsors, both employed and unemployed, you're the first that has said they only accept one so it may be a new thing or maybe something that CO personally does.

Hi, thanks for chiming in Your review was the main one I had in mind about the situation, and I do recall seeing others too, so I was surprised when he said that. Though the scenarios I speculated about above would look to us like they were a "cosponsor", but legally they would be the only sponsor. I'm not sure if the CO said anything that would indicate that to you guys. He did not elaborate on it to us, and we were approved, so it doesn't matter too much... I would just suggest being prepared with a second I-134 and let the CO make the decision

[k_stacky 65]

Congratulations! and thank you for writing such a detailed review. My interview is next week so I'm checking daily for peoples experiences.

Do you know if she just handed over the whole i-134 packet or did they ask for only specific things? Also, the photocopy of the passport is just the biographical page, right?

[Ash.1101 1,756]

Hi, thanks for chiming in Your review was the main one I had in mind about the situation, and I do recall seeing others too, so I was surprised when he said that. Though the scenarios I speculated about above would look to us like they were a "cosponsor", but legally they would be the only sponsor. I'm not sure if the CO said anything that would indicate that to you guys. He did not elaborate on it to us, and we were approved, so it doesn't matter too much... I would just suggest being prepared with a second I-134 and let the CO make the decision

From what I had seen for about the past year, there were plenty of unemployed people with cosponsors that got through Montreal no problems, there's also been a few I know of here on VJ that actually didn't even meet the poverty guidelines that were approved no questions. There seemed to be one week where three of us here on VJ where all asked for either more financial proof or more cosponsors than the normal. It hasn't happened again since that week though, a lot of people I've talked to have said it was most likely a case of a new CO flexing his muscles per se as there are sometimes cases in other "first world" consulates that just have an off week were for some reason people are just halted for next to no reason.

In our situation, the CO told my fiance that he was pretty much approved, he just didn't feel comfortable with the finance side of things and if we could get another cosponsor that he'd have his visa within two weeks of sending them the documents. He didn't say "you're approved!" but it was HEAVILY implied he was approved once they had the papers, Which was very true because his visa was issued in less than a week of Montreal receiving our new cosponsors documentation.

All cases are subject to consular discretion, in our case, I think that since I am unemployed and my mother only made 7000 more than the 125% poverty line, the CO just felt it was too close. On the official paperwork for requested documents it said : "Affadavit of support I-134 from Joint Sponsor and support financial documents to meet HHS guidelines."

I also believe though that no matter what, even for K1 the petitioner is ALWAYS the primary cosponsor, in our case it gave them more insurance to know since I had no money, we'd have two cosponsors to back my fiance up if something happened.

But yes, if you're close to the financial line or your cosponsor is close to the financial line and you're unemployed DEF have a back up. A lot of VJ just says "Have a cosponsor that meets the MINIMUM and you'll be fine!" and that's not always the case as we have experienced first hand lol. The more the better.

Edited November 25, 2015 by Ash.1101

[bec128 44]

Congratulations! and thank you for writing such a detailed review. My interview is next week so I'm checking daily for peoples experiences.

Do you know if she just handed over the whole i-134 packet or did they ask for only specific things? Also, the photocopy of the passport is just the biographical page, right?

Hi there! I was doing the exact same thing last week, which is why I'm here answering questions

My fiancee handed over both of the I-134 packets in their entirety, but she was not asked for the photocopies of the packets. They did ask her separately for my income tax return (which I didn't have as per the circumstances mentioned in the review), and I saw on the checklist that the clerk fills out when you hand over your docs that the tax return was a separate line item, so I would keep it separate but close to the I-134. The photocopy of the passport is just the biographical page, yes.

Hope your interview goes well!

[bec128 44]

From what I had seen for about the past year, there were plenty of unemployed people with cosponsors that got through Montreal no problems, there's also been a few I know of here on VJ that actually didn't even meet the poverty guidelines that were approved no questions. There seemed to be one week where three of us here on VJ where all asked for either more financial proof or more cosponsors than the normal. It hasn't happened again since that week though, a lot of people I've talked to have said it was most likely a case of a new CO flexing his muscles per se as there are sometimes cases in other "first world" consulates that just have an off week were for some reason people are just halted for next to no reason.

In our situation, the CO told my fiance that he was pretty much approved, he just didn't feel comfortable with the finance side of things and if we could get another cosponsor that he'd have his visa within two weeks of sending them the documents. He didn't say "you're approved!" but it was HEAVILY implied he was approved once they had the papers, Which was very true because his visa was issued in less than a week of Montreal receiving our new cosponsors documentation.

All cases are subject to consular discretion, in our case, I think that since I am unemployed and my mother only made 7000 more than the 125% poverty line, the CO just felt it was too close. On the official paperwork for requested documents it said : "Affadavit of support I-134 from Joint Sponsor and support financial documents to meet HHS guidelines."

I also believe though that no matter what, even for K1 the petitioner is ALWAYS the primary cosponsor, in our case it gave them more insurance to know since I had no money, we'd have two cosponsors to back my fiance up if something happened.

But yes, if you're close to the financial line or your cosponsor is close to the financial line and you're unemployed DEF have a back up. A lot of VJ just says "Have a cosponsor that meets the MINIMUM and you'll be fine!" and that's not always the case as we have experienced first hand lol. The more the better.

Thank you for the additional details. It's very true that it is up to the discretion of the CO... At least in Montreal, we are not faced with the "guilty until proven innocent" approach that some other consulates are known for. So the best thing to do is to prepare well enough to make the CO's decision an easy one

[k_stacky 65]

Hi there! I was doing the exact same thing last week, which is why I'm here answering questions

My fiancee handed over both of the I-134 packets in their entirety, but she was not asked for the photocopies of the packets. They did ask her separately for my income tax return (which I didn't have as per the circumstances mentioned in the review), and I saw on the checklist that the clerk fills out when you hand over your docs that the tax return was a separate line item, so I would keep it separate but close to the I-134. The photocopy of the passport is just the biographical page, yes.

Hope your interview goes well!

Thank you!

And one last (probably obvious question, but I just want to cross my t's and dot my i's) the photocopies can be just regular photocopies? They don't have to be certified or anything?

[bec128 44]

Thank you!

And one last (probably obvious question, but I just want to cross my t's and dot my i's) the photocopies can be just regular photocopies? They don't have to be certified or anything?

Yep, just regular old photocopies are fine

[bec128 44]

CEAC is now saying ISSUED! Just waiting for the Loomis waybill number at this point.

Timeline of CEAC status, for those interested:

Monday 11/23: Interview. Status: Ready, Immigrant Visa. Updated Date changed.

Tuesday 11/24: Status changed to Ready, Nonimmigrant. Case creation and Updated date changed to 11/24

Wednesday 11/25: Still Ready, Nonimmigrant. Updated date changed.

Thursday 11/26: Thanksgiving holiday, no status change.

Friday 11/27: Status changed to Administrative Processing. Updated date changed.

Monday 11/30: Status changed to Issued!