Our Visa Process

Who knew that when we filed our K-1 visa petition in August we would be done so quickly? This Entire process has been crazy and moved from one step to the next fast enough it was hard to keep up at times. We do want to thank all the hard working people at RapidVisa that have helped us on this journey to getting the K-1 visa.

In the middle of August 2016 we got all our papers together to file the K-1 visa petition. On August 20th we received the NOA-1 (Receipt Letter) which means the government has received the petition and was starting to work on it. The next few weeks where anxious as we waited to see what would happen next. This step usually takes 5-6 months to process but we prayed everyday for a quick response.

On October 7, 2016 I received a text saying the petition was approved and the NOA-2 (Approval letter) was in the mailbox a few days later. We where very thankful that it arrived so many months early. One month later the NVC letter was with me meaning our petition was being sent to the USA Embassy in Manila, Philippines.

We planned to do the next steps in January that way I could get time off work and join her in the Philippines. On January 11 and 12, 2017, Maricel went to do her medical interview as required by the USA. Thankfully she passed all the medical screening. I landed in the Philippines to join her on January 16 and it was the 19th when we did our visa interview at the embassy. We had a 6:45am appointment and arrived 30 minutes early as required. We spent a few hours going through the process and with a happy heart the interviewer told us the visa was approved.

The next week we were able to pick up her passport with the visa and all the documents we need to bring with us to the USA Immigration officer. We spent some time with her family after that.

On February 8, 2017 we completed the CFO requirement by attending the mandatory GCP (Guidance Counseling Program) as required by the Philippine government. She passed that process and it allows us to go the the USA.

As I am writing this post we are sitting at the airport here in the Philippines waiting for our flight home together. The next step of this process is to go through Immigration in the USA and get married before we can move to filing the next set of paperwork to get her green card. To God be the Glory.

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