THE K PACKET
Once we receive a K nonimmigrant (fiancé) visa applicant’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)-approved visa petition (I-129F) from the State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC), the applicant will be notified in writing that he/she is eligible to be scheduled for a visa interview at the Embassy. Alternatively, if an applicant received notice from NVC that his/her case has been forwarded to Embassy Manila, the applicant may call the Immigrant Visa Unit’s inquiry line at 301-2000, extension 5184 or 5185, during regular business hours to confirm if the case has already been received by the Embassy.
Once an applicant has confirmation regarding the status of the case, he/she should visit our website (http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph) or contact the Embassy’s Visa Information and Appointment Service at (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930 to schedule a visa interview appointment. The Visa Information and Appointment Service is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Manila time), except on Philippine and U.S. holidays. Callers in the U.S. should call (214) 571-1600 between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
Applicants should have their case number, passport number, and passport expiry date ready when requesting a visa appointment.
It is important to note that K applicants must pay the visa application fee of $350 (per applicant) before they can request a visa appointment via the online appointment website or the Embassy’s Visa Call Center. For K visa payment instructions, you may visit a link to our website at.
For additional information regarding K visa scheduling, payment, and required documentation, please visit our blog post “K1: Know Before You Go.”
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I Fill out that accidentally i mistaken for my DS-230 it is the reason to be error?please help me about this?
In order for us to be more responsive to your inquiry, we request you to send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov, with your complete name, case number and current contact information clearly indicated.
good day. how long does it take for the NVC to release the Visa Instruction packet? been waiting for it almost a month now. is there any reason to be bothered? thanks
The State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC) will forward the case to the Embassy as soon as an applicant has submitted the required documentation. We will process the case upon receipt of the petition and send the applicant instructions regarding interview scheduling. To check the status of the petition, you may wish to contact the NVC by telephone at (603) 334-0700 or by email at NVCInquiry@state.gov.
hello ma’am/sir admin,i just want to ask that i have a problem true my online interview appointment theres an error about filing it insted of philippines in without my knowing i was in russia filing. how can i cancel this matter. and to go filing for my online appointment interview i used another new email to enter again to philippines.but the problem is, its says that AN APPLICANT WITH THIS INFORMATION ALREADY EXISTS WHOSE EMAIL STARTS WITH THIS_____________its my old email account. and bec. i can’t get my interview appointment online, can i call us embassy services to get my schedule a visa interview? thanks Mr./Miss admin.
In order for us to be more responsive to your inquiry, we request you to send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov, with your complete name, case number and current contact information clearly indicated.
Does K2 applicants need to receive a notification of eligibility from the US embassy or the notification of the parent K1 enough?
For more information, see our blog posts “K1 Visa FAQs: Who Should Attend the Interview?” and “The Fiancé(e) Visa Applicant’s Child”
Hi,
I have a question because my partner was a immigrant last 2010, What procedure he need to get me in the shortest time? Can I apply for tourist to be with him and will return here in Philippines? Thanks in advance
Hello, My fiance has finished her interview. The consulat noticed there was a problem with her nbi report. He told her after she corrected the problem he would approve her k-1 visa. She went to window X and they gave her an envelope for the carrier to send back her nbi report. She got the nbi report corrected and sent it back to the embassy. It has been more than 3 weeks now. This is at the Philippine Embassy.
Do you think there is a problem? He didn’t say anything about her having to go to a Administration Review.
Thank You
Thank you for posting a comment on VISAtisfied Voyager, U.S. Embassy Manila’s visa blog.
In order for us to be more responsive to your inquiry, we request you to send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov, with your complete name, case number and current contact information clearly indicated.
hi Good Day..! Pls answer me anybody here. I applied for K1 visa and I made an appointment on Feb but I wasnt able to appear at the interview and didnt reschedule the appointment before the interview day. And now i want to schedule an appointment again online but they wont accept my MRV payment receipt this time.. what’s the problem? Maybe I can only use it once? And i have to pay $350 again for another interview? Pls if anyone has knowledge about this..pls answer me. thanks…
Thank you for posting a comment on VISAtisfied Voyager, U.S. Embassy Manila’s visa blog. For specific questions related to your case, please send an e-mail to IVMNLAppointments@state.gov with your complete name and case number clearly indicated.
HEY…thank you for taking time to reply but I already called USEM and they said they will make a report about my case and will just let me know when I can reappoint again after I didnt appear for the interview. This site is really really a big help.! If I encounter another problem again, I’ll ask u guys. TYVM.
Can a K-1 visa interview be scheduled before the physical case file arrives at the U.S. Embassy Manila (USEM)? This question assumes that the K-1 visa applicant received their MNL case number from the National Visa Center (NVC) before the physical case file left the NVC, that the visa applicant has paid their visa fee at BPI already, and that BPI has had an adequate amount of time to inform the USEM that the visa fee has been paid. In other words, is it possible for an interview to be scheduled as soon as the USEM has an electronic confirmation from the NVC informing the USEM that the NVC has assigned an MNL case number to the case. Does the USEM even receive an electronic confirmation of that type from the NVC?
By the way, the K-1 visa application fee is no longer $350 (as stated above by VISAtisfied Voyager) . Currently, the K-1 visa application fee is $240.
Although the Embassy may have received an applicant’s electronic record from the State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC), an applicant cannot be interviewed without the physical file.
Visa applications are adjudicated based on the interview and the documentation available in support of the said applications. In this regard, it is best to wait for notification from the Embassy that you are eligible to schedule a visa interview appointment. You may also wish to check the status of the case by sending an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov, with your complete name and 10-digit case number clearly indicated.
Thank you for your response. After reading your response, I believe I didn’t adequately explain my question.
I’m not asking whether an applicant can be INTERVIEWED before the physical file reaches the Embassy. I realize the consular officer needs the physical file in order to conduct an interview and to adjudicate the case.
I’m simply asking whether an interview appointment can be BOOKED before the physical file reaches the Embassy. Since the actual interview is usually two to five weeks out from the time that it’s booked, that should leave the Embassy plenty of time to receive the USCIS-approved petition from the NVC.
As an example:
Day 1: The NVC assigns an MNL case number to the USCIS-approved K-1 petition, and forwards the physical file to the Embassy.
Day 2: The petitioner or the beneficiary calls the NVC and gets their MNL case number. The visa applicant then pays their visa fee at BPI.
Day 3 or Day 4: The visa applicant or their petitioner goes online and books an interview date for Day 24.
Day 5: The Embassy receives the physical file from the NVC and enters it into their system.
In this scenario, is it possible to BOOK on Day 3 or Day 4 for an INTERVIEW which will take place on Day 24?
If it’s possible to book under this scenario, then clearly the physical file does not have to be at the Embassy in order to book. Therefore, booking is possible based upon the Embassy receiving an electronic file from the NVC.
What sayeth you?
You are correct that if an applicant schedules an interview before the physical case file has arrived at the Embassy, but the interview takes place after the case file has arrived, we would accept that application. However, due to the fact that we cannot guarantee how long it will take for us to receive the physical case file, the Embassy’s preferred method is for applicants to wait until they receive notification from us in order to avoid any problems with their applications. We cannot interview an applicant without the physical case file. Below is a guide posted on our appointment website to further assist our applicants in booking their appointments:
If you meet ANY of the following conditions, you should NOT schedule a visa interview appointment:
A. You have been interviewed and refused an immigrant or a K visa.
B. You are the principal beneficiary and have failed to reschedule your visa interview appointment within a year from the original appointment date.
C. You are the principal beneficiary and have failed to contact or communicate with the Embassy for more than a year from the time you were informed that your case is ready for final processing.
D. You are a K2 derivative applicant and have failed to apply for a visa within a year from the time of the Principal Beneficiary’s visa issuance.
E. Your case is not current for processing based on the current cut-off dates.
F. You have yet to submit the required documents either to the Embassy or the National Visa Center.
G. You have yet to receive a notification from the Embassy or the National Visa Center regarding your eligibility for scheduling an interview.
If you schedule an appointment, and any of the above conditions apply to you, you may not be interviewed, even if you present yourself at the Embassy on the scheduled date.
If you are not certain whether or not you are eligible to schedule an appointment using this system, you may speak to our representative at the call center who will assist you with your scheduling concerns.
good day! just wanna ask if i have to wait to be notified by US embassy manila that i’m eligible for interview before i can pay and schedule appointment? I already have case number from NVC. what should i do next?
thank you..
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager.
All immigrant visa cases processing for Manila – including appointment scheduling – is generally done at the State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC). It normally takes NVC three to four months to schedule a visa interview appointment from the time that a case is documentarily complete and a visa number becomes available for use. NVC will schedule an appointment with a consular officer and send the appointment letter to every valid address associated with the case record before forwarding the case file to an overseas consular post.
We will process the case once the visa petition is received here at U.S. Embassy Manila from NVC.
If a case has been current for over three (3) months and no visa appointment letter has been received, you may contact the NVC for a status update. NVC’s mailing address is 31 Rochester Avenue, Suite 200, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801-2909 (Attention: WC), telephone number (603) 334-0700. Case inquiries can also be made by e-mail at NVCInquiry@state.gov.
Hi kit,
Because this thread is about K-1 fiancé(e) visa interviews, I’m thinking that your question is regarding scheduling your K-1 fiancé(e) visa interview.
If you want to schedule a K-1 fiancée visa interview, and you already have your MNL case number, then you need to pay the $240 visa fee at BPI. After you pay the visa fee, wait 24 hours and then schedule your interview either online or by phone.
I don’t know why VISAtisfied Voyager gave you advice on scheduling an interview for a spousal visa because that process is very different than the fiancé(e) visa process.
VISAtisfied Voyager, apparently you overlooked my question above regarding K-visa scheduling, so I’ll ask again: Does a K-1 physical case file have to be at the Embassy before an interview appointment can be set, or is an electronic file from NVC sufficient?
Fiance(e) K1 visa applicants must wait for notification that they are eligible to schedule a visa interview appointment so as to ensure that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services-approved visa petitions have been received by the Embassy.
For specific information regarding your visa case, you may wish to send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov. Please indicate your complete name and the 10-digit visa case number.
I have to disagree with you.
Because of my involvement over the past four years with a popular immigration website, I can tell you that I know of hundreds and hundreds of K-1 fiancé(e) visa applicants who didn’t wait for notification that they were eligible to schedule a visa interview appointment. My wife is one of those.
On that website, it’s common knowledge that you shouldn’t wait for a notification because that will cost a month or more of your precious time waiting for an Embassy that works at a glacial pace and an unreliable PhilPost who sometimes doesn’t bother to deliver the notification.
Nearly everyone books an appointment as soon as they get their MNL case number from the NVC.
Why are you saying they “must wait” when clearly that’s not the case?
Hello everyone,
I paid the visa application fee for K1 July 20, 2012 then made an appointment schedule online. I was shocked that the earliest possible date that was availabble is only August 30,2012. I was so very disappointed because i really thought it is just 1 week. i was sad.
I dont why why it took so long and all other dates are already filled in. i wonder how many K1 applicants they cater in one day. i was really disappointed because i waited for this for so long now and i was exctited. the NVC forwarded the approval at US embassy manila July 9, 2012, i was supposed to wait for the letter from the embassy but now it seems that they were very slow so i called them and the woman i talked to told me i can pay the visa fee and schedule for appointment. my gosh, so i need to call them before i know the status of everything?
Hi Meann…
I’m glad you made an interview appointment and did not wait for the eligibility letter from the Embassy, because the letter takes a long time to be delivered. Sometimes it never arrives.
You can try to schedule an earlier interview by emailing the Embassy at this email address: IVMNLAppointments@state.gov.
i mistaken i send my passport at nvc supposed they asked to send the biographic page only.They CAN send back again my passport or can I get back my passport? Just worried.i hope you immediate responce, gob bless
You may contact NVC at telephone number (603) 334-0700 to get your passport back.
Dear Maam/Sir,
I did applied online visa appointment for my k_1 interview but they wont accept my MRV receipt number ,Been wondering why? On my receipt no idicates SBA 112GKAY1 what should i type then? I paid the amount of $240 visa fee at BPI Tacloban city last June 25, 2012 Please help me about this problem coz I badly want to schedule my interview as soon as possible .Thanks!
Thank you for your interest in VISAtisfied Voyager.
Aside from scheduling your appointment online, you may also contact the Embassy’s Visa Information and Appointment Service at (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930. The Visa Information and Appointment Service is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Manila time), except on Philippine and U.S. holidays. Callers in the U.S should call (214) 571-1600, from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
You must have the case number, passport number, and passport expiry date for each applicant (principal applicant and derivative family members) ready when requesting for a visa appointment.
You may also check on the embassy website for more information on K visas: http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwh3224.html
Hi Melchora…
When booking an interview appointment online, the receipt number is your passport number. Don’t forget to include the letters in your passport number. Good luck with your medical and your interview.
hi,
i read the thread specifically about scheduling the interview with the embassy. we already received a notification 2 weeks ago from nvc that they’ll b sending our papers to the embassy and called the call center but was advised to wait for the eligibility notice. the agent advised me that i can already schedule the interview but mentioned that i need to wait for the eligibility notice since i have to present that on the day of the medical exam and the interview. how long does it normally take for the embassy to send the eligibility notice? im hoping to schedule an interview by the 2nd week of september
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager. For privacy reasons, the Embassy does not address specific case concerns publicly on this blog. For specific information regarding your visa case, please send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov, with your complete name, date and place of birth, and the 10-digit visa case number.
hi!
I would like to ask how long does it take to get your k1 fiance’ visa after being interviewed? I’m worried because the only available date for interview is on November 8, my petition will expire on November 30. pls help
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager.
The time required to process a visa application varies by case and depends on its complexity and the number and intricacy of other cases awaiting review. Since many factors may affect visa issuance, we are unable to predict if and when an applicant would qualify for visa issuance
An approved K nonimmigrant visa petition is originally valid for four months from the date of its approval. However, it may be revalidated by a consular officer for an additional four months. This revalidation is routine as long as the petitioner and beneficiary remain legally free to marry and plan to do so within 90 days after the beneficiary enters the United States.
can i pay visa and after that book schedule online for interview.. even i didnt received yet the packet data?please reply tnx
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager.
If your case has been received at Embassy Manila, you may proceed in paying your visa processing fee and schedule your visa interview appointment afterwards.You may want to send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov to determine if Embassy Manila has received your visa petition.
Hi.Can I have the link to print out the papers will be use to pay at the bank?thanks
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager.
The deposit slip can be downloaded from the online appointment website: http://ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-paymentinfo.asp.
My fiance called the NVC and they told him that they already sent our approved petition to the embassy last Oct. 5, 2012. They gave him our MNL case number. I checked the internet to get more info about the whole visa thing and I read that some didn’t wait for the appointment letter from the embassy coz it will take a few months to arrive and they just paid and call the embassy to set their interview appointment. My question is, can I already pay my visa fee and call the embassy to set my interview date even if I haven’t got the appointment letter from them?
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager.
To enable us to address your concerns regarding your visa case, we request you to send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov. You need to indicate your complete name and case number when sending your inquiry.
Hey,can someone help me. My case was approved on the 21st September 2012,I was told to contact NVC 2 weeks after,its over a month and I haven’t receive any acknowledgment that it was approved and forwarded to embassy. Can someone please tell me how long NVC takes to approve case.
Thank you for posting a comment on VISAtisfied Voyager, U.S. Embassy Manila’s visa blog.
Once a priority date becomes current for processing and the case becomes documentarily qualified, NVC will send the applicant and the petitioner appointment packets and will subsequently forward the case to Embassy Manila as soon as an interview slots becomes available. If the priority date is current for over three (3) months and have not received an appointment letter, applicant or the petitioner may wish to contact NVC by telephone at (603) 334-0700 or by e-mail at NVCInquiry@state.govto ascertain the status of the case.
Hello mam/sir. My Mom and I and my step dad interviewed last October 29, 2012. And my step got a problem about hi police clearance in Singapore. So he’s passport returned to him. And they said he need to get the requirements. But my mom is the principal. They told us if we want, we will go first. And my step dad will follow until he submit the police clearance. And he ask me and mom to make a letter. So we make a letter. And I’m turning 21 this Nov. 30. Is it possible that me and my mom’s visa are coming or being processed since Oct 29? Thank you so much!
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager.
In order for us to respond to your inquiry, please send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov clearly indicating the principal applicant’s complete name and case number.
hello .. my US Citizen fiance received an approval letter for our k1 visa petition last Nov 2 , i just want to know if i can pay the US VISA fee for me to be able to set an appointment for my interview ? .. or should i wait for the eligibility letter .. hope to hear from u soon . thank you
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager.
Your approved I-129F visa petition must be first received from NVC before we can send your instructions regarding visa processing fee payment and visa interview appointment scheduling.
hello, May I ask how does it take for the embassy to inform me if they already received our petition from NVC. NVC emailed my fiancee and told him that I will receive a notification from the USEM about additional papers and how to process my paper after 5 days but its been 2 weeks and I havent received any. I tried calling the embassy but its taking forever for them to answer the phone.
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager. For privacy reasons, the Embassy does not address specific case concerns publicly on this blog. For specific information regarding your visa case, please send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov, with your complete name, date and place of birth, and the 10-digit visa case number, clearly indicated.
i have a question lang po i have interview this coming january 10-2013 and they put time there on my confirmation letter 7:30 it makes me confused if they mean am or pm please help
Thank you for posting a comment on VISAtisfied Voyager, U.S. Embassy Manila’s visa blog.
You may come in for your interview at 7:30a.m. We are very sorry for the confusion.
GOOD DAY
I would like to inquire about k1 visa,my fiance in US just recieved the NVC letter containing about this MNL etc,is’nt this MNL is the only requirements to pay in BPI,? I would like to ask also if i can already set an interview in embassy,or should i wait for the PACKET before getting an appointment.?
THANK YOU
Thank you for posting a comment on VISAtisfied Voyager, U.S. Embassy Manila’s visa blog.
If the applicant has already received a notice from NVC that his/her case has been forwarded to Embassy Manila, the applicant may call the Immigrant Visa Unit’s inquiry line at 301-2000, extension 5184 or 5185, during regular business hours to confirm if the case has already been received by the Embassy.
Upon confirmation, the applicant should visit our website (http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph) or contact the Embassy’s Visa Information and Appointment Service at (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930 to schedule a visa interview appointment. The Visa Information and Appointment Service is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Manila time), except on Philippine and U.S. holidays. Callers in the U.S. should call (214) 571-1600 between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
Please note that the applicant should have his/her case number, passport number, and passport expiry date ready when requesting a visa appointment.
For additional information regarding K visa scheduling, payment, and required documentation, please visit our blog post “K1: Know Before You Go.”
You may wish to send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov with the applicant’s complete name and case number, clearly indicated to ascertain the status of your visa application.
Hi,
We already received noticed from NVC on Dec. 13 2012 that our case has been forwarded to USEM, We wonder if we can make an appointment for interview already?
please reply. thank you!
Thank you for posting a comment on VISAtisfied Voyager, U.S. Embassy Manila’s visa blog.
If the applicant has already received a notice from NVC that his/her case has been forwarded to Embassy Manila, the applicant may call the Immigrant Visa Unit’s inquiry line at 301-2000, extension 5184 or 5185, during regular business hours to confirm if the case has already been received by the Embassy.
Upon confirmation, the applicant should visit our website (http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph) or contact the Embassy’s Visa Information and Appointment Service at (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930 to schedule a visa interview appointment. The Visa Information and Appointment Service is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Manila time), except on Philippine and U.S. holidays. Callers in the U.S. should call (214) 571-1600 between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
Please note that the applicant should have his/her case number, passport number, and passport expiry date ready when requesting a visa appointment.
For additional information regarding K visa scheduling, payment, and required documentation, please visit our blog post “K1: Know Before You Go.”
You may wish to send an email to IVManilaReplies@state.gov with the applicant’s complete name and case number, clearly indicated to ascertain the status of your visa application.
hi there,
I just wanna ask how long it will take to get the approval for the k1 visa petition. we already received the notification from USCIS that they open the petition packet.. Its been 4 months now still we didnt receive any confirmation or notification..Thank you..
To check the status of your visa petition, you or the petitioner may wish to contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-800-375-5283.
Good day Sir/Madam, i just have question regarding my visa delivery it really takes so long i already sent a mail to the embassy i got a reply after 6 days and it says – we are please to inform that your visa was issued today, January 31 2013 the visa packet will be deliver to your designated address with guaranteed courier but i am worried coz till now i still don’t receive any notice from them that my visa was ready to pick up i already wait almost 3 weeks when i check the consular website it seems no problem it says my visa status is “Issued” updated date was January 15 and my interview was last January 10 when i try to reach the embassy they keep saying no time frame for the visa delivery what does it mean how long was the longest wait for the visa delivery but my fellow k -1 (fiancee )applicants same date we interview they got their visa just 6 days from their visa was issued i wanted to know whats the problem of the delay for my visa my fiancee and i are so worried now we really miss each and hope as soon as possible i can travel to be with him please help i need answer with my question thanks for the patience reading my post.
Thank you for your interest in the VISAtisfied Voyager.
You may direct visa delivery inquiries to the 2GO service hotline at (63) (2) 528-7136.