Between the months of June and September 2024 we slowly started to fill in the I-129F form together via facetime, as well as gathering supporting documents to prove our relationship is real. We thought it was best to slowly fill the I-129F in as this gave us plenty of time to flick back and notice any mistakes well in advance

After spending a few weeks together, we spent time going over, finalising and putting our I-129F filing packet together. We then went to our local post office, sent our petition and supporting documents off to the USCIS Dallas lockbox. 

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It's very important to use a secure, trackable delivery method. USCIS recommends using a courier or postal service that allows you to track your package and confirm delivery. We used the United States Postal Service. Other options include FedEx, UPS and DHL. 

The USCIS Dallas lockbox received our case.

On October 1st the my partner (the petitioner) received the NOA1 in the mail. The NOA1 confirmed that the USCIS had received our petition, who the petition was benefiting and gave us a tracking number (receipt number). 

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We recommend downloading Trackmyvisanow (the PRO version gives you insights straight from the USCIS website),  Case tracker app and Lawfully app.  These app enable you to track the progress of your petition using the receipt number shown on your NOA1. There are a lot of tracking apps avaliable but we found these one to work the best. They're clear, concise and are filled with additional tips and future help. 

Also keep copies and originals of all documents received regarding your K1 visa. 

Our 1-129F form was approved and we received a NOA2/I-797.

NOA2 app screenshots. 

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You can start to prepare some of your documents for your medical and interview appointments.  Documents such as Police certificate records, vaccine records, valid passport and birth certificates. 

The I-797 Notice of Action (NOA2) is only valid for 4 months from the date of approval. However, if your case is delayed and you are unable to attend your visa interview within that time, you can request an extension.

To do this, email the U.S. Embassy in London at LondonInfoUnit@state.gov with your case details and explain your situation. They can revalidate the petition, allowing you to proceed with your K-1 visa application without starting over.

Our case was sent to the department of state (DOS).

Extra screenshots from various tracking apps. 

NVC received our approved I-129F.

My fiancé (the petitioner) received this email stating that the NVC has received our approved I-129F from the USCIS.. We were able to track the progress with the new Immigrant case number, using the Visa Status Check website. 

Case is showing ready.  

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The next stage for the petitioner to fill in the adavit of support and the beneficiary is to fill in the DS160 form, book medical and interview appointments. We waited to fill in these until I (the beneficiary) received the Welcome pack in the mail. As you need this paperwork to take to your appointments at the embassy. 

I (the beneficiary) received the welcome pack in the mail.  

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The welcome pack will include instructions on how to proceed into the next stage. Keep this paper work safe as you need to bring this to you medical and interview appointments. 

Filled in the DS160 form online. 

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The DS-160 website can be extremely frustrating to use, as session timeouts happen frequently—in our experience, it happened over 50 times. Each time, we had to retrieve our application to continue. 

To avoid losing your progress:

1. Save your application after completing each page.

2. Make a note of your Application ID (retrieval number) right away, this allows you to return to your form without starting over.

This is a very common problem with the site, but here are a few tips to help reduce it:

-Refresh the page regularly if it seems slow or unresponsive.
-Switch browsers if issues persist (Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox all behave differently).
-Restart your device if you're experiencing consistent issues.
-Use a stable, strong internet connection.
-Try completing the form on another device if possible.

I booked my medical and interview appointments.  

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When I tried to book my visa appointment, no availability was showing, and I kept getting an error message that said: "System is busy. Please try again later." To work around this, we refreshed the website every hour throughout the day until the booking feature finally worked. Persistence is key—keep checking regularly, as new appointment slots can appear at any time. 

Once your visa interview is scheduled, you can contact the approved medical centre to book your medical examination. Appointments are only available Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Important: You must attend your medical exam at least two weeks before your embassy interview to allow time for your results to be processed.

The I-797 Notice of Action (NOA2) is only valid for 4 months from the date of approval. However, if your case is delayed and you are unable to attend your visa interview within that time, you can request an extension.

To do this, email the U.S. Embassy in London at LondonInfoUnit@state.gov with your case details and explain your situation. They can revalidate the petition, allowing you to proceed with your K-1 visa application without starting over.