Hey everyone,

I had a question about who will receive the DS-230? Does the agent receive it or will the beneficiary? After all, it is the visa application. And if the agent (which would be me, the petitioner) receives it then does my husband (the beneficiary) have to sign it? I guess I would have to mail it on over to him and then have him send it to NVC from there?

As you can see there's some confusion. Another thing though, if the DS-230 didn't need his signature, then could I, the agent, fill it out for him? (and then he could send to me whatever is needed along with the DS-230).

Thanks for your help!

Megan,

The choice of agent will be getting all correspondence from the NVC. The DS-230 DOES need to be signed by the beneficiary, only part I though because he will sign part II at the time of interview.

Diana

Thanks Mononoke! That is what I thought but was not sure. So since my husband will have to sign the 1st part, then I will just send it to him so he can sign it and then have him mail it to the NVC from there? Or could he send it back to me and then I can fax it to NVC?

Unless . . . Could he fax it to me or scan it and send it to me by email that way, or does the NVC need the original?

Thanks!

Is it possible for him to download the form, fill it out, sign it and send it to you now? That will save considerable time ...

Of course, he can mail it for himself from Honduras, but he'll need the barcode from the NVC (or from self-generating)

I don't know about faxing or scanning, though

Hi Megan,

I am doing as others suggested.

My wife filled out and signed the DS-230. She also made a photocopy of her biographic data page on her passport. I went through that link on James' shortcut to make sure Australia was still "standard NVC processing".

It's already on it's way and will probably arrive at the same time I get the IV Bill.

I recommend having your hubby pre-fill / pre-sign the form and have him mail it back to you (along with a photocopy of the biographic data page from passport).

Good luck!

Thanks everyone!

You have to send DS 230 part I original to the NVC. DS 230 part I does need the visa applicant's signature. Yes, you can fill out for him, but he must sign it. After that, he can mail it to you and then you can mail it to NVC. That way, you will be able to track your mail from USA. Your husband can also mail it to NVC from abroad, but that way, he may not be able to track the mail.

Megan,

My husband dowloaded the DS-230 and filled it out, signed part I and mailed be both parts for me to submit to the NVC along with all the other documents that need to be submitted with it. That's easiest.

Diana

Thanks everyone! That is exactly what I'll have my husband do. Sign it, send it to me along with whatever other documents are needed, and then I'll fill it out for him.

Thanks again!

It's a great that you're already looking into it because some of the documents that need to be submitted, such as the police certificate, take a while for them to get in their countries. This will give you plenty of time to have them ready.

Yes, I know! I figure the more we get done now the more prepared we'll be when the time comes. I remember a while back you wrote to me saying that with Tegucigalpa, Honduras my husband just needs his bio page from his passport, but I checked on the NVC site today and saw (I believe this is correct) that he will need to send a birth certificate, marriage certificate, police certificate, copy of bio page from passport and other things if needed. Wasn't it just a few months ago it just said that just a copy of his bio page from his passport needed to be sent?

I get SO confused when they change things lol! I hope the police certificate doesn't take too much time to get over there in Honduras.

As for the marriage cert and birth cert, they have to be originals right? Or can they be copies that are notarized?

I know, I remember! The NVC has been changing things around for some of the embassies, Colombia included. But it's a good thing your husband will take care of it now.

Every certificate that you send to the NVC has to be an original or certified copy, which are copies that are notarized, at least that's what they are in Colombia. Also, don't forget that each one needs to be translated as well.

Also, I noticed that you're wondering about the I-864. The automated message won't say when it was generated, you need to speak to a customer service rep to find out if it has or not.

Diana

Meg,

Also find out from the NVC if it has to be US notarized or is a notarized copy from the foreign spouse's country is ok.

I had that issue when applying for my wife's ITIN. She got it notarized in Australia but they wanted the notarized US copy of her passport. It was so frustrating because it wasn't obvious and they kept mentioning under the Hague convention notaries in those countries would be acceptable.

I don't know what the NVC will require but just make sure to avoid any delays.

My husband's paperwork are certified copies straight from Colombia. He had them notarized there.

Thanks guys! Yes, vylex I will check into that.

I talked with a woman at NVC today and asked her exactly what had to be sent with the DS-230. She told me everything that was on that list online. I mentioned to her that when I sent my I-130 petition to USCIS that I sent in the original marriage certificate and my husband's original birth certificate. I WANTED to do copies but my husband said "take no chances" lol and he's usually right so... lol anyways, I asked her if I had to re-submit those again and if NVC had them in my file. She said that within 10 business days she would contact me and let me know what was in the file.

I hope that she does and it doesn't take longer. I was thinking about calling up USCIS and discuss it with them and see if I could get answers about what was sent to NVC. If it was just the petition then maybe USCIS would be kind enough to send back my originals?

Anyone else have the same problem? I doubt it, you all were smart and sent copies in probably, right? I really regret not sending in copies. I do have another original marriage certificate here with me but as for my husband's birth certificate, he doesn't have it due to the flooding they had weeks ago.

I'm sure everything will work out though. Ah one more question: All the things he will be sending to NVC are going to be needed for his interview as well...so is that ALL going to be sent to the embassy, or does he need to get an extra birth cert., marriage cert., etc. for the interview? I wondered about that one!

And Mononoke, yes I have been checking with a customer service rep about that I-864. Nothing yet. My AOS fee hasn't even been entered into the system yet. She said give it 15 days from when it was delivered, which was 7/12, to Missouri. I will check back with NVC next Monday. Surely, it should be in the system by then!

Meg, I did the same thing and called about AoS fee payment (about 6 days after it was supposedly delivered). Guess what? Not in the system. Call again tomorrow. I bet it will be there then hehe.

Thanks Vylex, yes I will call tomorrow lol. I hope it will be there.

Megan,

I sent the original marriage certificate with the I-130 but my husband and I requested several certified copies from the Notary when we got married. He also got several certified copies of his birth certificate just in case.

Diana

Yes, we did the same thing. I have another certified copy of our marriage certificate here with me (the other original one was sent to USCIS) but as far as his birth certificates, one is with USCIS and the other two that he had, well are completely damaged. They had terrible rain and there was flooding in his home that damaged a lot of papers...so I'm hoping that NVC already has his birth certificate since I did send it to USCIS. Maybe they passed it on to NVC along with the petition and everything? If not, I'm sure they could send it back to me so I can then pass it on to NVC. That would save us some money and then all we would need to get is the police certificate since NVC would already have the original marriage certificate and birth certificate.

Something tells me though that with NVC, it might not be that easy.

Oh that's too bad, Megan.

I also forgot to mention that all documents you send to the NVC will be sent to the embassy, so they will have all that stuff at the time of the interview. Also when he gets his visa, he will get that stuff back.

Diana

Oh I see, so whatever is on the interview checklist, if the NVC already has it then we don't have to worry about it since his embassy would be sent it and have it at the time of interview. Whew. I was worried about that all day but thought to myself that immigration wouldn't make it THAT complicated would they lol?

Yes, I know that he will get all that stuff back. It's in that manila envelope that cannot be opened until he gives it to someone at the POE, right?

Now all I have to find out is if our original marriage certificate and his original birth certificate is already in our NVC file from USCIS.

Thanks Mononoke!

Well, the embassy is "supposed" to have all those documents at the time of the interview. But it would be good if you could make copies of everything you send the NVC just in case.

Diana

Oh most definitely I will make copies. I have so many copies already from what I sent to USCIS! Just as long as we don't have to buy 2 police certificates, etc. then that's fine lol!