The K1 Visa immigration process is extremely tedious and frustrating. There are tools available to assist you in tracking your documents and get ready to enter the United States from a chosen point of entry location.
The embassy instructed us via email to send the passport for visa stamping. However, we did not get any advice when our passport will be ready to be collected from the post office where I sent my passport. As soon as the status of your visa application in CEAC website change to “ISSUED” you can visit the following website https://ais.usvisa-info.com/ to monitor the status of your passport. You will need your login credentials.
There will be two courier number that will be shown. The first will be the one when you send passport to the US embassy and the second one will be the courier number to track the documents if ready to pick up. In the UAE, sending and receiving the documents to and from embassy is done through the Emirates Post Office and just like a normal package, it can be tracked from their website.
The post office will send you a text message informing you that the passport is ready for pickup. It requires a valid ID to retrieve it.
I immediately went to the post office and collected my documents. Dubai Central Post office in Karama, Dubai – UAE is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday except holidays. I cannot explain how I felt when I got the documents. We have waited for it this long and finally; we got our visa issued.
The package contains the passport showing the visa stamp and an envelope that is marked “DO NOT OPEN”. The first thing I did is to check if my details in the visa are okay and it was. However, my fiancé first name was wrong. I got nervous but my fiancé said it was totally okay, what matters is that my details are all correct because I am the one entering the US. If you notice a minor discrepancy on your fiancé name, don’t panic, its ok. No need to contact the embassy and made amendments. I entered the US, and they did not question about it whether my fiancé name was correct. Another thing that gave me sudden fear was when I saw the envelope with a cut in the corner. I was so devastated because the envelope should be opened only by the immigration officer upon entry in the United States and I wonder why the envelope has a cut. The same was not an issue. We assume that this is only to show that there’s no prohibited or illegal items inside the package.
IMMIGRATION PROCESS – UNITED STATES ENTRY
My United States point of entry was in Miami Airport. The immigration process was easy and smooth. First, the immigration officer scanned my passport. He then asked for the reason of my visit or entry to the US and I simply answered that I am going to marry my fiancé. When the officer identified that I am on K1 visa, I was assisted to another officer and sent to a separate room. As I see, it was the Bureau of Customs and Ports department. They took my passport and asked for the package from the embassy along with the medical report I had prior my visa interview. Both should be sealed and should be opened only by the officer.
When the officer finished checking all my documents, they called me in the counter and verified the address I’ll be staying in the US. Officer gave back my passport along with a piece of paper with further instruction and I am good to go.
