HELP - I need to change my fiancee visa to spuse visa

05-09-2007, 04:11 AM

I applied for a visa for my fiancee in December 2006 with I29F. We
have received an interview date for June 18 at the the U.S. embassy in
Manila.

However, we were married in the Philippines on April 28, 2007. I would
like to change this application from a FIANCEE visa to a SPOUSE visa.

Can anyone tell me what I have to do. Thanks in advance.

Jim K.

05-09-2007, 07:16 AM

> I applied for a visa for my fiancee in December 2006 with I29F. We
> have received an interview date for June 18 at the the U.S. embassy in
> Manila.
>
> However, we were married in the Philippines on April 28, 2007. I would
> like to change this application from a FIANCEE visa to a SPOUSE visa.
>
> Can anyone tell me what I have to do. Thanks in advance.
>
> Jim K.

Hi Jim,

Congratulations on your marriage. Unfortunately, you can't convert from
the fiance to the spouse visa mid-way. Now that you're married, you'll
need to start over with the spouse visa. You'll need to file an I-130
in the USA and wait for it to process at the Service Center and NVC in
the USA. Then it will be sent to the US embassy in the Philippines.
They will send your wife her visa application paperwork, she will have
her medical done and then go to her visa interview. If she gets
approved, she'll enter the USA using her Immigrant Visa (CR-1), and
become a PR upon entry to the USA. You can expect this process to take
6 months to a year to process.

The process is very similar to the one you are in the midst
of....i.e., you file the petition in the USA, it goes to the PI, she
goes to the interview and gets the visa. I'm happy you've tied the
knot, but at the same time it was a shame to do it so close to the end
of the K-1 journey. In one more month she could have had her visa to
enter the USA.

Now you have to start all over.

Best Wishes,
Rene

05-09-2007, 07:17 AM

> Hi Jim,
>
> Congratulations on your marriage. Unfortunately, you can't convert
> from the fiance to the spouse visa mid-way. Now that you're married,
> you'll need to start over with the spouse visa. You'll need to file
> an I-130 in the USA and wait for it to process at the Service Center
> and NVC in the USA. Then it will be sent to the US embassy in the
> Philippines. They will send your wife her visa application paperwork,
> she will have her medical done and then go to her visa interview. If
> she gets approved, she'll enter the USA using her Immigrant Visa (CR-
> 1), and become a PR upon entry to the USA. You can expect this
> process to take 6 months to a year to process.
>
> The process is very similar to the one you are in the midst
> of....i.e., you file the petition in the USA, it goes to the PI, she
> goes to the interview and gets the visa. I'm happy you've tied the
> knot, but at the same time it was a shame to do it so close to the end
> of the K-1 journey. In one more month she could have had her visa to
> enter the USA.
>
> Now you have to start all over.
>
> Best Wishes,
> Rene

It would be a good idea to also contact the embassy and let them know
she will NOT be appearing for her K-1 interview scheduled in June, so
they can give that appointment time to someone else. Also, so your K-1
case isn't just hanging out there with no conclusion.

Rene