aaronjamie

hey guys
so after mailing our initial application for the k1 visa on about january 10th, my fiancee received the acceptance letter letter on around july 20 confirming the i129f was accepted and that the next step would be my embassy (london) contacting me

two questions:
1)is this done by telephone or do they send me a letter?
2)how long does it usually take for contact to be made?

thanks!

jeffreyhy

Letter.

A month, plus or minus. Plan on plus due to vacation season and the olympics.

Your fiancee should also receive a letter from the NVC telling her that it has received the approved petition from USCIS and has sent it on to the consular section.

aaronjamie

haha, yeah she did
and funnily enough, i just got home and my letter is here, with the case number and everything at the bottom

so what's the next step?

and actually..question. we're going to be using my fiancee and a co-sponsor as affadavits of support- does that mean if by the time i go into the interview, and as long as that all checks out, it's okay if i have zero savings?

i'd really prefer to go in there with a few thousand pounds saved up, and i won't be in that position til september-ish,as we've just paid practically all our wedding costs

Noorah101

Does the letter not specify what to do?

There is no co-sponsor for the I-134. Only one person can be your financial sponsor and do an I-134 for you. If your fiancee does not have enough income/assets, she can get someone else to do an I-134. If that person has enough income and/or assets, it will be accepted. You do not have to have anything in your own savings.

A few thousand pounds probably wouldn't be enough to alleviate the need for an I-134 anyway.

Rene

Noorah101

Hopefully you didn't book a date that can't be changed, and you didn't pay any money that can't be refunded....just in case.

Rene

aaronjamie

nope, we already changed it once, from september to november, it can be changed again with no charge

thanks for the help guys

the letter provides a web address with the next steps- but from history, i don't think the guidelines are always that clear

are all these 'forms' online? or do we mail them?

jeffreyhy

The next step is to read the letter. Actually, you'll be using one or the other. And yes, it's OK if you're destitute - that's why the sponsor. As 'septemberish' is only a month away, you should have your few thousand pounds by the time of your interview. Regards, JEff

Noorah101

The next step is to go to that website, read those instructions, fill out those forms, collect any data/paperwork needed, and send back whatever is required to the consulate in order to get your interview date. Now that you have your case number, you can book your medical exam. The consulate will not give you an interview date until they receive your medical results. If you have not done so already, you'll need to get your police report and bring a copy of it with you to your interview. So judge the timing accordingly.

The forms are all on line. You can fill them out online (I believe they are fillable forms). You'll print them out and either mail them in or bring them in person, depending on what the consulate instructions say to do.

Rene

aaronjamie

thanks for the help

i looked on the website, it looks pretty clear

so do i schedule my medical appointment and then wait until that's done til i schedule my visa interview? how quickly are both of these arranged?

Noorah101

You can't schedule your visa interview, the consulate will do that for you. If you have your police report in hand, you can go ahead and schedule your medical (you need to take a copy of your police report to your medical exam appointment). The consulate won't give you an interview date until they receive the results of your medical.

How quickly the medical is arranged depends on how soon their first available appointment time is. Sometimes it could be within a few days, or could be several weeks. You won't know until you call to book the appointment. Make sure you have your police certificate in hand before going to the medical, they need a copy of it.

It takes about a week for your medical results to reach the consulate. You might have to send in a "ready" checklist to the consulate so they know you're ready for your interview (i.e., you have everything on the checklist ready to go). I'm guessing the consulate will book your interview somewhere between 4 to 8 weeks later.

Rene

aaronjamie

also one more thing. affadavit of support. could it be my fiancee's mother?

she doesn't have a job, but through benefits - retirement stuff i guess you can - her husband was in the army all his life and she gets paid by them - and she receives just under $40000 a year - could we use her? or does it have to be someone in employment?

aaronjamie

thanks noorah.

so for the medical i need the police report. and the money for the fee. anything else?

Noorah101

Yes, it can be anyone living in the USA who qualifies financially.

Does the income come in her own name? If so, and she can document the amount she receives, then that should be fine.

Income is income, whether it be from employment, retirement income, rental income, etc.

Rene

Noorah101

Hmmm...maybe proof of vaccinations you've had. If you've ever had any medical issues, bring some proof that you no longer have those issues...a letter from your GP, for example.

Rene

aaronjamie

thanks noorah. you're wonderful. can we use her mother in law even if she doesn't get tax returns?

also - more on the medical interview. once that's complete do i get a receipt to send in with all the forms? or do they just send it on to the embassy themselves? and you say it takes a week or two - does that mean i should wait a week or two before i send in all the forms? and finally - this checklist - is this the ds-2001> or something else?