kwallocha

Hi everyone,

i am new to this board but I have been active in other boards as well. Some of you might recognize me. lol

I have another question concerning the embassy in Frankfurt.
I have read that some of you already have passed the interview there or already have an interview date set up.

I will explain my situation now. Todd sent the petition I-129F to the TSC at the beginning of February. The TSC received it on February, 6. Well, most of yall know that we were really "lucky" to be able to go through TSC. lol
We finally received the 2NOA on July, 23 (online). Todd and I actually planned the whole process pretty good and we thought we wouldn't get a problem with setting up the wedding day for October, 11. We also depend on this date because this is the only time when my parents will be able to travel to TEXAS. They are both teachers so they are only off at certain times of the year. Well, but the TSC changed its processing time and we were pretty much screwed. Due to the big effort of the

http://us-family-visa-advocacy-group.com/index.html

the TSC improved a lot the past two months. This is really appreciated by all the members of the advocacy group.

Now I am waiting for pack 3 from the Frankfurt Embassy. Todd already received a letter from the NVC that the file had been sent to Frankfurt. I am sure yall understand that I am worried that it all won't work out. I already have all the documents and information they need from me in Frankfurt. I basically could go to the interview next week. I also plan to do the medical examination here in Berlin as soon as I have the information for it from the embassy. Needless to say, I am scared that they give me an interview date which would be to late for me, let's say the end of September because there is a big chance that they won't issue me the visa the same day. I think Kariml fiance had to wait 3 weeks to get the visa in the mail.

Now my question: Siddartha and Kaneda, you've said that you requested a leaving date. Don't you do that on the DS-156 (nonimmigrant visa application) form? And if so, do I have to return this form together with the Checklist (OF-169) and the DS-230 part 1 (application for immigrant visa and alien registration)?
I thought I just have to return the DS-230 I and the Checklist?

Do yall think it would be a good idea to explain in a letter (which I would enclose with the DS-230 I) how my situation is and that I am ready to go to the interview and I am really flexible because I am out of College right now and I could be in Frankfurt the next day or would they laugh at me? I know that nobody should be treated differently then the other. And I wouldn't really care so much if my parents could be there any time of the year. But they are only off for two weeks. I am their only daughter and it is already hard enough for them to loose me to a different country. They would be hurt too much if I get married without them being there. Todd and I have already been together for almost 5 years now. Don't we deserve to have the happiest wedding day?

By the way, thanks Duckie for sharing your experience. Without you I wouldn't know that they need the pink form concerning the exchange year in 1998/1999. Somehow I kept it and I will send a copy of it to the embassy together with the checklist and the DS-230 I.

Well, this is my little story. I know I worry and complain a lot in here but I am just sooo scared that it all won't work out and I have to get married without my parents.

I hope some of you can give me a little advice how to handle the situation. I would really appreciate it.

Big hug to all of you

Katja

Duckie

sorry if i shortened the quote some. lets get to the answering:

that is 2 months til wedding. if the packet 3 arrives within the next week or two it might be possible to have the wedding 10-11.

you just return ds 230 part i and checklist, correct. but the checklist has a anticipated leave date - you should but something in october before wedding in.

as for the letter, it might work, and it might not. give it a shot - they can either ignore it or not. they wont laugh at you. so explaining when the wedding is (if the visa comes in time) and that parents wont have other time to come. but they might give a damn about it - but then they are very friendly at consulate.

sending in the iap-66 (or ds-2019) the pink thingy wont help at all, imho. they will need the iap-66 and a copy of the visa. but they also need you to fill out a form which basically says that you did not use government funds and dont have no debt no more concerning your stay. you probably read about that when you found my other posts.

good luck

Railway Of 2000

Hello Katja
I also have to go through Frankfurt, I am married already and wait for my K3
Visa.
I called them today to find out about the Interview date, they told me when I
am lucky I could get one in 3 till 4 weeks.
May be you don´t have to wait that long because you wait for the K1.
I also had to send them this pink form what of course I don´t have anymore. You
where smart to keep it.
well I cross my fingers and hope you and your parents will make it.
Halt die Ohren steif wird schon werden.
Please post when you know something.
Thanks Valerie

kaneda

Just FYI: I received packet 3 from the consulate one day after that letter.
No, that is done on the checklist.
Like Duckie I would say can't hurt to try.

I wish you good luck.

tenni

valerie - would you mind posting your timeline here:
www.mediabrew.com/list.php

i am also going through frankfurt for a k3 visa and would be very interested in seeing your timeline.

kwallocha - i am in a situation similar to you. we planned a wedding reception in november - booked the site, dj, photographer, invitations, etc. before we realized my husband can't come on a tourist visa while we have a k3 visa pending. family and friends have already made travel arrangements as well. i included a letter to ask/beg for a speedy process... but i don't think it really help. but like duckie said, it doesn't hurt to try.

--tenni

Siddartha

Hi Katja,
sorry for not being up to date here. I check in this forum very infrequently.
I will give you my timeline so far:

--> July11 packet 3 from embassy in my mailbox (note that they send packet 3 and 4 from the states obviously, because they have an American postal stamp on those letters all the time)
-->July12: I sent the requested stuff back to F'furt
-->July18: I sent the "I've got everything" and requested 7th of August as interview date, I wrote a little paragraph on that sheet explaining that I was going to have the medical done here in
Leipzig
--> July22: I received an RFE because I did not fill in one form properly: ooops! - definitely my fault (I oculd have saved a week)
--> July29: medical exam (I had the tests done already in the middle of July, so it was just the final appointment)
--> August 5: I received packet 4 (I had called the embassy on July 30 requesting information if my case was processed already and my stuff was complete or not, they told me yes, everything was complete and that they had sent off the appointment letter "today", being July 30, it took a week for the letter to get to Leipzig, the letter was stamped 30 of July in the States)
-->August 15: interview scheduled

I leave for Frankfurt tomorrow, as I will stay overnight there. I have the interview scheduled at 8 in the morning, it is that early, because I don't need to go to the doctors any more. Let's see.

I have - frivously so - already booked my flight for Sept. 4. Our wedding is scheduled for Sept 20. Sooooo, long breath.

I will keep you updated.
Much love,
Siddartha, aka Hanna

kwallocha

Good luck to both of you. I bet yall are really excited. I will keep my fingers crossed for you that everything goes well in Frankfurt.

Hug

Katja

Duckie

technically the embassy or consulate is us territory. not sure if they can put us stamps on there - but it is cheaper. when they put us stamps on a letter to me it was 30 something cents. that is not enough postage to send from continental usa (80 cents). but still cheaper than the 55 euro cents they charge in germany.
advice - as you are in frankfurt already, get up early and be at the consulate at 0730 or earlier. the 30 minutes wait til the consulate opens are worth it. when i went to consulate, i was there 0745 about (after a 2 hour ride to frankfurt) - and it took til 0824 til i was through the first gate. the waiting was the long queue in front of me. remember, most ppl waiting are not for k-1 but for other visas. and the consulate only has one door - and til you inside building you went 3 times through pass and security checks ...


good luck on your timeline

Siddartha

Thanks for all your best wishes, Katja and Duckie.
Everything went extremely well. I was at the first "checkpoint" at 7:40 and was inside the consulate at 7:50, the waiting was not that bad because I had the invitation letter from the appointment packet in my hands and they (the security guys) seem to distinguish between people who got an invitation and the ones who come for other purposes. So I had to wait in the short queue - 4 people in front of me. In all the time I spend in the consulate was 1 and half an hour. So not bad at all.

The people were really friendly and the actual interview was fun. It really was. The lady who interviewed me was really cute in commenting on my photos and told me that it was really fun getting to know my story. And of course she approved the visa. :-)

She also told me that the visa will be sent to me withing the next three weeks and I was given a telephone number to pester them - hum, hum - to call them and see if the visa had gotten printed, so I can check up on them each week. In the worst of cases I have to reschedule my flight slightly (with some not cheap cost involved) because the three weeks are over exactly on the day when I want to fly out. Let's see.

So, this is my consulate story. I also had found a very good accomodation within three walking minutes from the consulate.

And to calm my nerves after the interview I went to the Palmengarten which is right behind and next to the consulate. Definitely worth it: relaxing and interesting and I had many deja-vus with plantsand trees that I had seen so far on my travels, and I also found plants that they have brought over from the Carolinas where my husband to be and I are going to live. That really made my day!!

Well, enough of that. I wish you all good nerves and many happy moments throughout your remaining days in Germany.

Siddartha, aka Hanna

Duckie

good to hear that they now have 2 queues in frankfurt consulate. when i went they only picked out us citizen to go in without witing long.

and my days are counted in germany already. so no happy moments needed to do there no more.

Endymion

Hi, Siddartha-

GREAT to know that everything went fine with you- time to spread your wings and make it over !

Well- all I wanted to say is

**************CONGRATULATIONS!!!************ !!!

Greetings,

Rebecca!

P.S.: guess I owe you an email

Siddartha

Good to hear that! :-)

Maybe I missed it in your other posts, but how long did the consulate take in your case to send you the visa? (how many days exactly from the interview to you getting the visa in the mail, I mean)

Cheers,
Hanna

kwallocha

Hi Siddartha

I am glad that everything went so smooth for you in Frankfurt. I am still waiting for pack 3 and more and more I think that I can forget getting married in October.
However, could you please tell me the name of the accomodation you stayed at while you were in Frankfurt. I will have to take the train to get there so I am planning to leave one day in advance as well. Berlin is pretty far away from Frankfurt. Thanks for your help. Hopefully your passport will be in the mail soon.

Katja

Siddartha

Hi Katja,
I have sent you a private message. Have a look. :-)
Hanna