I dont think it is worth the time to try this one. I received the actual fee bill one week after generated and I just got off the phone with NVC and told them I was concerned about the IV fee because I had mailed it over 2 weeks ago and it still had not been cashed, should I stop payment on that one and send another? they first told me that it was sent back because the barcoded sheet was missing (it was there just not with the bottom barcode). I told them I sent it, the operator said just a moment and when she returned she said it is ok, it wasnt sent back and to call back in 2 weeks. I clarified that it would be processed and I should hear something on the automated system in a week or 2? she confirmed yes.
This has been a very unsettling 2 weeks for me but I am thankful to know that the payment was kept and will be processed, but I think they are making me wait to continue because of the missing barcode. But I have to also say it didnt slow down my process because we had some unexpected paperwork issues to deal with, I have to wait for maybe 2 weeks for that to be ready and I am sure I wont need to try the last DS-230 shortcut either, I will have the barcode from them by that time .

Yeah, today was the day to start inquiring more seriously about it.

Probably your payment will post this week, now that they know you are following up on it. If so, you didn't really lose any time for trying this, though I agree trying an experimental shortcut like this can be an unsettling time.

Your experience evidences that automated processing did not occur on this type of defective payment coupon. Without automated processing, it is not a shortcut! I will add a comment into the proposed shortcut thread shortly about your approach that did not work and how you resolved the matter (when you finally get the payment posted).

I will post as soon as the check is cashed...I will be calling the bank again tomorrow and the day after that ect...till I hear it has cleared. and of course I will be checking automated system on friday night/saturday morning and tuesday morning as usual (maybe inbetween times too ).

Just saying thank you for trying.
Sorry it didn't work.
Good luck to the rest of your process.

what i am thinking, if anyone trying to do this experiment is post the different payment coupon
so that we can see that different in the number at the end of the case number.

if we can crack that number i believe the payment will process.

hi,

Shortcuts are costly my friend, there is always a fear. Short cuts dont click for all. I will pray you get out of this mess.

Jigi

We should all give a big thanks for having the guts to give it a try. +1 to you man (or lady ).

Hopefully, they won't take forever with your processing.

Yeah I dont think its worth it but I thank you for trying. I know you just took one for the team.

I thought of this, and I am a person who had the opportunity.
No one would want to post their case numbers on a public forum, but I applied for my wife and daughter at the same time.
Their USCIS numbers were 26 apart, and their NVC number were only 2 apart.
Sadly when they barcode for IV bill came, the extra number had no correlation.
I tried summing, subtracting, computing crc, many different algorithms, and nothing matched.

I really think the 4 digits are just some number they tack onto the end.



I thought of this, and I am a person who had the opportunity.
No one would want to post their case numbers on a public forum, but I applied for my wife and daughter at the same time.
Their USCIS numbers were 26 apart, and their NVC number were only 2 apart.
Sadly when they barcode for IV bill came, the extra number had no correlation.
I tried summing, subtracting, computing crc, many different algorithms, and nothing matched.

I really think the 4 digits are just some number they tack onto the end.

I am sure there are many before us that have questioned what those mystery numbers are, and from what I have read it was decided that they were random, it may have to do with the number of bills printed on that day in that month(?????) I dont think there is anyway to really find out.
I thought about the risk I was taking and talked with my husband at length before undertaking this. we both decided that some times we have to stretch the limits in order to achieve better results (shortcuts are not always a bad thing, you have to use a little common sense in deciding if the risk outweighs the benifit). I think all of us are tired of being seperated from our loved ones and if there is a way to make the wait shorter without jeapordizing everything we would do what it takes. Some people are more conservative and thats ok for them. I dont judge anyone for wanting to take the safe road.
If it only takes a week for the IV fee bill to arrive after being generated all the time then there is no reall reason for a short cut on this one. But I do know that my method was not a good one(nothing ventured nothing gained).
I didnt lose anything by trying this, as I said we are waiting some unexpected documents anyway.

We discussed that number in the original thread, when Chris was thinking about making the IV fee bill.

Indianheart good for you for giving it a go! Anyway, I used an RFE shortcut that didn't pan out, not sure why, but my advice to to you would be to wait a week - then get a supervisor at NVC involved. To do this you just have to be firm, don't need to give the original operator many details, just let them know that your IV fee bill is taking a ridiculously long time, if you are firm they will put you through.

The operators at NVC told me to ignore the message that another RFE was being sent (for the piece of information that I sent using a shortcut) - my file sat there doing nothing for 5 weeks. Now whether I should have ignored the second RFE or not I don't know, I ended up sending the info again when I got that 2nd hard copy RFE.

In my case I believe they actually sat on our file because I used a shortcut. (no relation to James's shortcuts btw).

Anyway, good luck to you!

I got the impression that it was being sat on just as you say. I asked if I should cancel the check and send another and they said just a min and put me on hold, when they returned they first said it was sent back because they didnt get the barcoded paper with the check and I said I sent the barcoded paper with it. They again said "just a min", when they return to the line they said it is ok no need to send another. I am assuming from that they are going to process it and I asked specifically if I would hear that change in the automated system and they said yes. so I feel like it is going to be processed but I will keep calling the bank for varification of the check to clear and of course I have NVC phone number memorized...I will be giving the system a call tomorrow and sat, if no change a call to operator monday.
thanks for the kudos, someone has to step out occasionally and if not for the brave souls that have gone before we would all be waiting years to get through this.

It could have been a case of:

"Hmm, this person isn't using an attorney yet they know what's going on ... suspicious......."

Knowing too much can be a double edged sword at times.

the numbers on the IV bill, which follow the NVC case number are sequential, not random. we have two applicants who have NVC case numbers one digit apart (e.g. 123 and 124). the mystery numbers on the IV bill were also one apart.

btw did we really need 3 (three) threads about this? i thought it'd make more sense to put everything in C. Parker's original thread on the topic. also, to me it seems a bit early to deem this experiment a failure but whatever..

Finally the check was cashed on the 21st of march....nearly 6 weeks later. What a relief finally to be back on track again

WOO HOO...