How often did you?

[Muddy]

After you returned to the US and filed your fiancee's/wife visa papers how often did you return to visit her?

It takes along time now to process the visa applications

[Jack]

It takes along time now to process the visa applications

[/size]


I was under the impression most applications today were taking about 5.5 months with 6.5 months being considered on the long side. Am personally aware of a few applications going thru the Vermont service center in the past 120 days that took 3.5 months. I know, hard to believe, I thought the same, but it has happened to more that one applicant.

Any of you guys who have filed recently and received notice your applicant was being sent to Kiev or Moscow have any time lines you can share?

[AnastassiaAsh]

In my line of work practice shows the same numbers 6-8 months from the time of filing till the date of the interview.

i advise for men to visit at least once if not twice during this time. Maybe once in the middle and once to be with her at the interview.  Have to keep that fire in the relationship. 

[dispozo]

I will send my K-1 petition tomorrow.

I have been watching the VisaJourney board and I have the same impression as Jack.

I will be filing in Vermont, so I got my fingers crossed!! :-) I just got back from a visit and I will be there for her interview. So if it 5 or 6 months just one return.

Skype is a great way to keep the desire going!!!!!!!!!! 

[epdx]

I currently plan to see her 3 times with the final time being the interview. I have assumed the interview will take longer than 6 months from submitting the petition. If we get lucky and things move quick enough that could mean 2 times and the second would be the interview. I do not want more than 3 months to pass without seeing her. For me and for her that is too much as it is.

[ScottinCrimea]

I mentioned in another post that we recently filed an I-130 for her daughter at the California Center and the time from receipt to approval was 40 days. It is now at the NVC in Vermont so we'll see how that goes.

[dispozo]

Here is some timelines for K-1 for Ukraine out of Vermont Service Center from VisaJourney.com: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?cfl=&op1=&op2=&op3=1&op4=1&op5=5,6,7,8,10,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,21,22,23,25,26,27,28&op6=Vermont%20Service%20Center&op7=Ukraine&dfile=No

[Turboguy]

The impression I had was it slowed way down when the implemented the IMBRA regulations, raised the fees causing a big rush in applications, and changed from 4 centers to two.   The impression I also had is that things are smoothing out and speeding up and that 5-6 months might be the norm now. 

As far as how often I visited during the process.  I have done 2 K-1's in my life and both times tried to not go much more than 6-8 weeks without seeing each other.  With my first fiancee I made three visits during the K-1 process with the third being for the interview.   With my wife's K'1 we ran into processing delays and I had 4 visits or trips together that ranged from 10 days together on one trip to over 2 months spent together.  Actually our last two trips were to look at possible places to live together if we did not get the visa.  During the 9-10 months our visa application took we spent a total of about 4 months time together.  Probably most guys can not do that so I would not call it the norm.

[MaxxumUSA]

My first visit to her was in Feb of '07.  Second was late march - first 3 weeks of april 07.  Third visit in June '07.  Fourth visit was August 07 for her visa interview.   We returned together to USA Aug 30 2007.  Mailed K-1 on Mar 13 2007 through vermont service center.

Total time in russia:  2 months
Total visits in 7 months:  4

Not everyone can afford all this travel time (and expense) away from USA so I consider it a blessing I was able to do so.  Not sure this many is necessary but it sure was nice being together while we waited.  To be honest I would have spend much more time over there but I have sole custody of my son and needed to arrange care for him also.

Good luck with the visa process!

- Maxxum

[johnichka]

Muddy,
I understand your question, but do not understand the intent of it. I thought you had your Visa Interview at the US Embassy on August 13th.  How did it go?  Did you run into troubles about not visiting enough after filing the K1 Petition?

For what it's worth, we met in August 2007, I went back in November 2007, December 2007, to Egypt with her in March 2008, and met her for the Interview last week in Kiev.  The Embassy Officer had zero questions for her about our documents when she was called back to the interview window.  The only thing he asked was if she spoke English. (yes)

So, I hope you passed the interview and received the visa.  Ulyana's visa is ready and she and her daughter Anna will arrive in Chicago on September 6th.

Good luck
John

[Chicagoguy]

I first met my woman in Jan. 08 and again in June 08. The first was only 5 days but on the second it was 13 days with a 10 day trip together to Turkey.

Our K-1 has just been accepted in CA. Their web page indicates that filings have almost doubled in the past year and it will be at least six months.

Because I visited other friends in Jan. [ not women ] I am out about $9000 this year.
If I go again this year it will be another 2 -3000 $. Plus the $$ for her expenses if approved.

I am dying to go again but I am running short on funds. How important is this mid-application visit ?   Is it a make or break deal for the Interview ? She will wait. She has patience.

Once she is here my expenses will be manageble.

[dispozo]

As long as you can prove a real relationship, I think everything will be good.

Here is a link to some reviews about the Russian Embassy interview: http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?cnty=Russia

Good luck!!

[MaxxumUSA]

My wife noticed the woman in your avatar and asked if that is your fiancee?

I first met my woman in Jan. 08 and again in June 08. The first was only 5 days but on the second it was 13 days with a 10 day trip together to Turkey.

Our K-1 has just been accepted in CA. Their web page indicates that filings have almost doubled in the past year and it will be at least six months.

Because I visited other friends in Jan. [ not women ] I am out about $9000 this year.
If I go again this year it will be another 2 -3000 $. Plus the $$ for her expenses if approved.

I am dying to go again but I am running short on funds. How important is this mid-application visit ?   Is it a make or break deal for the Interview ? She will wait. She has patience.

Once she is here my expenses will be manageble.

[DKMM]

I visited my ex 5 times in 6 months and things went kaput.

Half a year is very long especially if you are "new"

[HiTech]

My current time line. Vermont is still slowing down.

Feb. 27 2008 Petition mailed to VSC via USPS
Mar 3 Delivered VSC
Mar 28 2008 2nd Petition mailed to VSC via USPS first one must be lost.
Mar 31 2008 VSC Received.

1 week with alyona in Punta cana march 30

Apr 9 Check Cleared.
Apr 9 NOA1
Apr 13 Touched.
Apr 14 Touched.
May 6 Touched
May 7 Touched
July 14 NOA2 (4 months 2 weeks 3 days after it was sent)
July 16 Received NVC.
July 18 Shipped NVC
July 21 DHL Received.
July 23 Delivered Kiev Embassy.
Aug 1 In embassy system, assume they sent packet, can schedule interview.
Aug 4 Schedule interview earliest date is Sept 22.

Aug 13 - 26 back to kharkov with alyona.
Sep 22 Interview Date

[johnichka]

I first met my woman in Jan. 08 and again in June 08. The first was only 5 days but on the second it was 13 days with a 10 day trip together to Turkey.

Our K-1 has just been accepted in CA. Their web page indicates that filings have almost doubled in the past year and it will be at least six months.

Because I visited other friends in Jan. [ not women ] I am out about $9000 this year.
If I go again this year it will be another 2 -3000 $. Plus the $$ for her expenses if approved.

I am dying to go again but I am running short on funds. How important is this mid-application visit ?   Is it a make or break deal for the Interview ? She will wait. She has patience.

Once she is here my expenses will be manageble.

A mid trip between filing your K1 petition and the Interview is not necessary for the Embassy.  You just need to prove that a valid relationship exists.  Phone records, text message logs, letters back and forth can do that.  That satisfies the embassy.

However, from a relationship standpoint, you just need to be prepared in case your petition sits in a cube somewhere. Mine was at the California Service center for 241 days before it got approved - almost 8 months - and it was tough enough waiting for 8 months even though we got together 3 times within that 8 month timeframe.

Good luck - Where in Chicago are you?  My Office is over by O'Hare.
John

[groovlstk]

Once she is here my expenses will be manageble.

You might want to do more research on this. My wife is very frugal and arrived w/her own money, but we burned through the equivalent of the $2-3k you're hoping to save within the first few months of her arrival.

Perhaps I was naive since I'd never been married before and the women I lived with years ago had their own careers, but I'd assumed that the money tap that seemed to be flowing freely during my search would slow down once my wife arrived, but I was wrong. Wedding, USCIS fees, new clothing, even such mundane things as your energy bill - can't turn off the heat when you leave for work if she's home all day - will put the squeeze on your wallet.

Don't count on your fiancee being able to work soon after her arrival, either.

[MaxxumUSA]

You might want to do more research on this. My wife is very frugal and arrived w/her own money, but we burned through the equivalent of the $2-3k you're hoping to save within the first few months of her arrival.

ONLY $2-3k in first few months?  Wow.  With wedding, some new house items, new this, travel to explore USA a bit, etc we went FAR beyond this number the first few months my wife was here in USA.

- Maxxum

[groovlstk]

ONLY $2-3k in first few months?  Wow.  With wedding, some new house items, new this, travel to explore USA a bit, etc we went FAR beyond this number the first few months my wife was here in USA.

- Maxxum

Maxxum, we married in Vegas a few weeks before the K1 expired, so it was a very inexpensive affair. We had no interest in arranging a bigger wedding during the 90-day period, we left that for after filing for AOS. We had a reception and party for 60 or so family and friends six months after Vegas, so that $2-3k figure covered living expenses + USCIS fees + a weekend in Vegas. We were also a bit slow on taking our honeymoon, we did that 1 1/2 years after marrying 

[MaxxumUSA]

We were also a bit slow on taking our honeymoon, we did that 1 1/2 years after marrying 

Heh...  By the time we married we were so tired of traveling and partying together that we just wanted to go home and relax after the reception.  No honeymoon.  Of course we had about 5 honeymoons before we even got married.  LOL

She always wanted to see niagara falls...  I think we'll visit there for 1st anniversary which BTW is coming in a couple months.

- Maxxum

[DKMM]

My girl loves Walmart, even gets excited when we see the ads on TV.  Simply because they have cheap things.  I never ever thought in a million years I'd be buying clothes there for a girl but she insists.  Then she makes me drop half a grand on a new outfit for me at Macy's.  How do you get them to be cheap about you too?  She wants me to get a better car for myself and leave her my old one too.  How can you spoil a woman who won't let you??

[kievstar]

DKKM, it is important that you look good for your woman.  Most woman want there man to be the best so they can show them off to there friends.  She just cares about you.  This is good.

You can always buy two new cars if you want to spoil her.  Be thankful she acts this way and I would not change it.

[DonAz]

For us it was a total of three trips. This was back in 2003 and 2004 so I imagine it’s a different world, in reference to visas.

I wrote my first letter to Yulia July 4, 2003 and receive my first letter from her on July 7th.

My first rip was from Sept 16 through October 2nd 2003. Second trip was one month later; November 4th through the 17. Third trip was from February 2nd through the 27th.

We filed the K-1 on October 22, 2003 and Yulia arrived August 27th 2004. We were married on November 11th,  2004

DonAz

[Chicagoguy]

For MaxxumUSA    -    The picture is not my fiance. It was lifted from the web page:

http://rtemes.livejournal.com/10062.html

I asked her if she would dress like this for our wedding in the U.S. and she looked at me like I was crazy. But strangely this woman is a duplicate of my daughter.

For Jhnichka  -  I live in Flossmoor

[Enot]

We met 1 time in Bulgaria between filing and approval.  Varna was a great place to visit, my favorite place in Europe.

I talked to someone that just got their K-1 visa, it took 7 months.  I'm not sure which center he used but I think it was the California one.