Garvey

Application Procedures for the K Visa



STEP 1: File the Petition. File the I-129F petition with the Bureau of
Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) office that covers your
permanent place of residence. The Form I-129F is available at the
Embassy’s Department of Homeland Security office or Window 35 in the
Immigrant Visa waiting area of Embassy Manila. The petition must be
filed in the United States.



STEP 2: BCIS approves the petition. Once the petition is approved, BCIS
sends it to the National Visa Center (NVC). NVC forwards the petition to
the Embassy in Manila. This process generally takes 4-6 months.



NOTE: Approval of a visa petition does not necessarily mean a visa will
be issued. Only a consular officer at the Embassy may determine a
person’s eligibility to receive a visa.



STEP 3: The applicant is notified. When the Embassy receives the
approved petition, it schedules the applicant for medical examination
and visa interview. The applicant will be notified of the appointments
and will be provided instructions on how to apply for the visa. NOTE: It
is important that the petition has the beneficiary’s correct address and
contact number, otherwise the Embassy will not be able to send the K
packet, the medical and visa interview appointments to the beneficiary.
The NVC and the Embassy must be informed of any change in the
beneficiary’s address.



STEP 4: Apply for the visa. After the applicant pays the non-
refundable application/processing fee and completes the required
medical examination at St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic,
he/she appears at the Embassy for the scheduled visa interview with
all the required documents. Interviews of K applicants are scheduled
only on Fridays.



The consular officer adjudicates the application based on the visa
interview, documents submitted by the applicant and any relevant
information available to the Embassy, and determines the applicant’s
eligibility to be issued the K visa. If the application is approved, the
visa will be delivered to the applicant's residence by a guaranteed
courier service in 7 to 10 days. If the consular officer determines that
the applicant is not eligible for visa issuance, this will be explained
to the applicant who will be provided a written refusal sheet that
informs her/him:



1) how the visa refusal may be overcome with additional documentation or
information;



2) to await notification from the Embassy if the case will require
further review; or



3) the basis for the determination of visa ineligibility under U.S.
immigration law and if a waiver of ineligibility is available.