Urgent question about extending I-129F Petition

[Joshua Kaufman 1]

I'm the process of filling out the "Request to Extend Approval of I-129f" on this page.

Everything makes sense except for "It is my understanding that pursuant to 9FAM 41.81 N3.1 (Period of validity)" What do I put in place of (Period of validitiy)? Does it really have to be notarized?!

Also, I didn't remember that the petition will expire until less than a week before it actually expires! If they receive the letter AFTER the official expiry date, can they/will they extend it? I'm so worried that it will expire and there's nothing I can do

[LaL 418]

Are you filling out this form because your petition is set to expire and you have no set interview date yet?

When I used this form (for the reason listed above) I did not have it notorized, and eliminated the "period of validity" statement. I added my own language stating the duration the petition is valid for.

We received a response back stating - the consulate would automatically extend the approval due to the circumstance (this was Montreal).

[pushbrk 12,814]

Are you filling out this form because your petition is set to expire and you have no set interview date yet?

When I used this form (for the reason listed above) I did not have it notorized, and eliminated the "period of validity" statement. I added my own language stating the duration the petition is valid for.

We received a response back stating - the consulate would automatically extend the approval due to the circumstance (this was Montreal).

Yep, the Consular officers routinely extend the validity. Skip the form unless you have a specific unusual circumstance prompting you to use it.

[1HappyGuy 45]

According to your timeline, your case is now at the embassy. You should contact the embassy directly by email, telephone or mail explaining the entire situation and why you need additional time. Be sure to include both names completely, the new case number and contact information. The embassy officials are usually pretty good about giving extensions. You should plan for at least a week before they can respond to an email request.

I wouldn't bother with the form.

[Joshua Kaufman 1]

Yep, the Consular officers routinely extend the validity. Skip the form unless you have a specific unusual circumstance prompting you to use it.

Just skip the form? Can you find an official resource that says the same thing? I mean, this isn't just a form we're talking about; the entire petition process would have to be repeated. I emailed the consulate and they explicitly told me that they need the aforementioned letter.

I was planning to rush to complete the form today, including notarization and sending by FedEx second day.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Do what the consulate asks for. They are in control now so follow their instructions.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Often the embassy officers will handle the extension based upon requests by letter (email included), but each embassy does things just a little differently. If your particular embassy wants the form filled out and received, then by all means do it. I think that Fed Ex might be a little more than you need, but you should do what you feel most comfortable with.

Extensions are common as the foreign individual may have circumstances requiring longer periods than the visa may allow, such as finishing college. The main thing is to make sure you are completely prepared and that the extension is for a valid reason.

Good luck.

[pushbrk 12,814]

Yep, the Consular officers routinely extend the validity. Skip the form unless you have a specific unusual circumstance prompting you to use it.

Just skip the form? Can you find an official resource that says the same thing? I mean, this isn't just a form we're talking about; the entire petition process would have to be repeated. I emailed the consulate and they explicitly told me that they need the aforementioned letter.

I was planning to rush to complete the form today, including notarization and sending by FedEx second day.

If you've communicated with the Consulate and they've instructed you to file the form, I would do it. It is well known that the visa process from NOA2 to interview/visa issue commonly takes more than four months and that Consular officers have the authority to extend the validity in four month increments, at their discretion.

This is not a "form". It is an example of a letter you could use.

Edited August 28, 2007 by pushbrk

[Kidayi 15]

On 8/28/2007 at 11:29 AM, LaL said:

Are you filling out this form because your petition is set to expire and you have no set interview date yet?

When I used this form (for the reason listed above) I did not have it notorized, and eliminated the "period of validity" statement. I added my own language stating the duration the petition is valid for.

We received a response back stating - the consulate would automatically extend the approval due to the circumstance (this was Montreal).

So does it need to be notarized? If so, does the petitioner have to get notarized or the beneficiary. We're 90% our case is at the Embassy because it says 'Ready' but we're gonna need a NOA2 extension 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Kidayi