From I-129f how long does it take?

Question

I Got married in Germany in may2008, when i came back to the states i filed the I-130 i have not received a reply letter yet, but what i really wanted to know is if anyone has experience with the I-129f and the Frankfurt Germany consulate. Would it be ok for my wife to come here on a tourist visa and then go back to germany for her interview? how long can we expect it to take once frankfurt gets the paperwork before she gets an interview date? does anyone know if the translations for the interview have to be certified? My wife is an interpreter and she has many interpreter and translator friends but they are still students, could they translate the german documents? How long after the interview does she get the Visa? I know these are a lot of questions, but when i call the Visa Center or USCIS they give me very vague replies.

Answer 1

It normally takes 6 months to simply process the I-130, and then another 2-6 months to process it through the National Visa Center and then send it on to Frankfurt.  At this point, they probably haven't even data entered it yet, which means there's no record of it in their computer systems, so there's nothing they really can tell you. She can certainly apply for a tourist visa or try to come over on Visa Waiver, but she would have to convince the interviewing officer that she intends to return after a short trip, and she'd have to convince the airport inspector as well. If she does convince them, she can visit you. As for the I-129f, it's not likely to speed things up much, if at all.

Answer 2

It can take up to 6 months