Visa processing times

[owenkrout]

Cut and pasted at the request of a member whose computer skills where not up to the task. I did it this time as there is an interesting note about why the processing times seem to vary up and down. This has the ring of truth about it to me.

 

From: Apex Visa Service

To: XXXX XXXX

Sent: Friday, March 21, 2003 12:19 AM

Subject: Re: Visa

 

XXXX,

 

Processing times change with the phase of the moon. The main problem is that mandates on the BCIS keep changing with political desires of congress or some interested political faction. It's driving the BCIS nuts. One day they are mandated to process TPS cases. They can't hire more personnel because it's only temporary. So they pull people off K1 processing which causes K1 delays to soar. When the TPS cases are done, they get back to K1 cases again and the processing time goes from 180 days to 60 days. Then they get a mandate to process I-765 cases, etc. So if anyone tells you they can get a visa through in XX days, they're lying!!

 

If you filed for a fiance visa, the major delays would be the Nebraska Service Center (running 150 to 180 days at present) plus about 30 days to clear security check and about 60 days to get through Guangzhou. If you live in the New England area and can process a K1 visa through Vermont. Then you would be looking at about the same as the Relative/K3 combination below.

 

If you filed a Relative/K3 combination of petitions, the K3 would clear Missouri in about 90 days, plus 90 days going through Guangzhou. These times are based on what was filed about six months ago - or - what's been coming out of Guangzhou today.

 

If you didn't file the petitions correctly, supplied wrong evidence, overlooked something on the petition, or omitted something, you could be looking at a lot more time and not discover the problem until she went for her interview. Such things can also cause security checks to take a lot longer too.

 

Gerry Gannon

Apex Visa Service

www.hervisa.com

[JoeLiyan]

Owen, great post...yes, I agree it makes sense what this guys saying; I disagree with those K3 numbers though as that's not what I've heard is normal - more like 2 years.

 

That was two years BEFORE 9/11...that would only increase the length with security clearances.

 

Also important is to have those "i's" dotted and "t's" crossed before sending in the initial paperwork.

[chinadave2001]

What this is saying is that the security check and the processing of the visa in GZ will take 90 days? Haha. It took them 106 days just to "find it" let alone process it.(NOA2 to P3) Give me a break. And, if it really takes some service centers up to half a year to process the initial petitions, those people could be looking at timelines even longer....

[tparrent]

It seems to me that the only responsible answer to "How long does it take to get a K1 or K3 visa?" is "Nobody knows!"

 

However, if pressed, I'd tell a newbie to expect between 1 and 2 years total time. Some will be sooner, many will be near a year and others...well, everyone should be preapred for the long possible wait.

[Jerry]

You guys really make me worried; K3 takes 2 years! I don't believe this. Most of the normal timelines on K3 have been around 1 year and many are below 1 year. Am I right?

[chinadave2001]

You guys really make me worried; K3 takes 2 years! I don't believe this.  Most of the normal timelines on K3 have been around 1 year and many are below 1 year.  Am I right?

Jerry - Yes, it seems to me that you are right - some less than a year, most around a year, yet many way beyond a year. there is no rhyme or reason as to which ....what is most frustrating of all is that there is no relaible way to predict either. Some believe that things are improving -

Dave