We emailed the NVC a few days ago asking to be told when they receive our file, when they send it on to London, and to be told our new case number when they get it. Just got this response:


(Subject: CASE # LNDXXXXXXXXXX)Dear Sir,

Once the approved 129F petition filed for a fiancé of a US citizen is received at the National Visa Center it is processed in approximately 2-4 weeks and forwarded to the appropriate US Embassy/Consulate General. The Embassy/Consulate General may or may not request additional information before interviewing the applicant for a K1 non-immigrant visa.

Regards,
National Visa Center


Hmm... so, that means they've received it, right? They wouldn't allocate a new case number before the file had got to the NVC, would they? The email itself just sounds like some vague 'FYI' type response, with no mention of actually having our file - but I'm guessing the fact that they've put the new case number in the subject line means that they must have done? I've been looking through this forum and can only see emails people have received confirming that their files have been, or will shortly be, sent on to the Consulate...

Oooohh, I'm so tempted to call. But I'm merely the beneficiary, they probably wouldn't talk to me!

Fantastic question. I'm wondering the same thing.

Hmm... When I inquired about my approved petition, I called and emailed them. They emailed me back in 2 business days (same day I finally got through to someone in person).

This is the message I got and my case was only at NVC for a day.

They assigned you a case number so they have record of your petition somewhere. Maybe they get an electronic transfer before they receive the hardcopy?

Good Afternoon,

Your inquiry has been received at the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC has completed its processing of the visa petition you mentioned in your letter and has forwarded the petition to the assigned US Embassy/Consulate General for further processing on January 12, 2007.

Any further inquiries should be directed to the assigned US Embassy or Consulate General.

The correct case number is shown above.

Regards,
National Visa Center
NKC

ETA: On thinking about it, they received your case but haven't finished processing it. They do some security checks there too and whatever else is involved in their processing. Perhaps the first thing they do is assign a case number.

Also, you can definitely call! I'm the beneficiary and I called and they were very very nice and helpful on the phone.

If you have been assigned an NVC case number that means they do have your file.. so you are good to go! Once they have assigned a case #, they'll do a quick review before sending it to London. Normally 1-2 weeks. You'll not get any updateds on the NVC automated phone system (applies only to K1-K3 visa's) so you'll have to call or e-mail the NVC to determine when the case was sent to London.

Good luck

Thanks, Misa & Devbit! I was guessing that they wouldn't reply at all, let alone assign a case number, unless they'd actually received our file, but was also wondering why they didn't just say so. So I'm glad to hear that my guess was right, and that it must be there... and even gladder to hear that they might just speak to me if I call, even though I'm the non-USC. Hah... there's one out of the two of us who has the patience (or 'slightly uhealthy obsession with the exact status of our case at any given minute', whichever way you want to put it - I'm calling it patience, cos that sounds *much* better ) to spend forever trying to get through to a real live human being at the NVC, and that person is not my lovely USC fiance!

Thanks again - it's getting exciting now that we're nearly nearly nearly on our way to London!

I've always been lucky when calling the NVC and talking to a live person.. normally it's no more than 5 minutes. Best time to call them is mid-to-late in the week around 10-11am Eastern Standard Time or 3-4pm London time.

Good luck.

I called their automated phone line, entered the CIS receipt # and got the NVC case # (this tells me they received it).
Then you get a message concerning the latest "action" on your petition.
Then I called the local Embassy and gave them the NVC case # and they gave me some additional information.