F2A - Inquiry on DS-261 (Online Choice of Agent and Address)

[RHG 0]

I'm applying for an immigrant visa. My husband who's a US permanent resident petitioned for me. Our papers are now with NVC, AOS is paid already, the next step required of us is to choose the agent and address.

Initially, NVC emailed me to say that I have to send the DS-3032 (Choice of Agent and Address). So I sent them the soft copy of my DS-3032 via email and I also sent a hard copy of my DS-3032 via regular mail about a week ago.

Now, I received an email from NVC saying that the form they've received is INVALID and that I have to submit a new DS-261 (Online Choice of Agent and Address) by going to ceac.state.gov to complete and submit the form.

So, I did the following:

1. I went to ceac.state.gov, clicked on "DS-261, Online Choice of Address and Agent"

2. Logged in as the PRINCIPAL APPLICANT and logged in using my NVC case number and IIN.

3. When I successfully signed it, all that I can see is the Summary Information page. I can not click on the "IVAgent" tab or any other tab. It's not clickable at all..

So now, I don't know where I can access DS-261. Bummer. Has anyone of you encountered this problem? How did you go about it?

Thank you in advance for the help!

[nilx25 18]

Try as petitioner because i filed it today as petitioner and we were able to fill out .

[Dothgar 0]

I'm facing the exact same problem when filing for my wife. I filed DS-3032 by mail, paid the AOS fees online, then mailed the AOS forms (i-864). A few weeks later I asked the NVC why we were not being charged for the IV fees yet, and they replied that the form I had filed was invalid; I should file DS-261 on ceac.state.gov.

When I log on the site, I face the same issue you have; I only see the summary of the fees (saying AOS is paid for), and all the other links either cannot be clicked (payment of the IV fees, IVAGENT and IVAPP) or link to missing pages ("contact the NVC to change address").

I have tried using different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and IE10), all with the same results. IE10 seems to be the most compatible sadly. I've also tried logging in using each of the four available options (Principal Applicant, Attorney, Petitioner, and Third-Party Agent), all with the same result.

I've emailed the NVC about this again and I hope we'll find out soon how to proceed from here.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Dothgar

[nilx25 18]

https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ Please try this website. If you go on fee page you wont see form. Its two different things. One for iv fees and one for ds261 or ds 260 forms. Select relevent form from this. Edited September 8, 2013 by nilx25

[Dothgar 0]

Thanks for the input Nilx25, but no matter which link I use (DS-261 or DS-260, both link to https://ceac.state.gov/iv), I still end up at the fee summary page.

• https://ceac.state.gov automatically refreshes to https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/
• Clicking on the DS-261 link, takes you to https://ceac.state.gov/iv, which is a page about browser requirements. Clicking continue takes you to:
• https://ceac.state.gov/IV/Login.aspx, which is where you choose user type and enter the NVC number and invoice ID, which lead to:
• https://ceac.state.gov/IV/summary.aspx which is where we are getting stuck, as described above.

As you can see in the attached image, this is the page I'm stuck on. (IVAGENT and IVAPP are both unclickable; even the source code doesn't contain a URL). Clicking on Fees takes me to https://ceac.state.gov/CTRAC/Invoice/Invoice.aspx, which has a different top menu (SIGN IN, INVOICE, and RECEIPT). Clicking on "National Visa Center" to change the Address or agent links to http://travel.state.gov/VISA/IMMIGRANTS/INFO/INFO_3177.HTML, which returns "Page not Found".

Even after logging in , If I visit https://ceac.state.gov to try to click on the DS-261 link, it goes through the same steps above, including requiring me to log on again. I've made quite sure to enable cookies and all the other browser requirements, so I am baffled as to why I'm stuck at this dead end.

[RHG 0]

I'm still stuck with this problem. It's been 20 days since we had our AOS paid. It's such a bummer.

Anyway, I emailed NVC regarding this and I also asked my husband to call them for me to ask how I can access the DS-261 form. I'll let you know of any updates. Thanks!

[RHG 0]

I just received an email today from the NVC with the following message:

We received the principal applicant's DS-261 (Online Choice of Address
and Agent) form designating an address and agent. Instructions for
paying the immigrant visa application processing fee and all future
correspondence will be sent to the agent at the address selected on the
DS-261.

Weird thing is, I have not seen the DS-261 form. So, I don't know - maybe they got the details from the DS-3032 that I sent via regular mail and email..

[RHG 0]

NVC has just confirmed that all my details for the choice of address and agent are with them. They must have referred to the DS-3032 form I sent via regular mail (sent August 28, 2013) and manually inputted it as DS-261. That's just my guess.

The NVC agent did mention that DS-3032 will no longer be accepted by September 2 and that DS-261 is the current valid form for choice of address and agent. You may want to call them to confirm this.

I hope your problem with DS-261 get solved quickly too!

[sokkariyah 0]

I am also having the same problem, I tried to call NVC to figure it out and they were very rude and told me that it's under "document collection" but I'm seeing is a receipt for me AOS payment. Please somebody help! I'm stuck and I'm seriously about to cry! I tried everything!!!

[Hems 1]

NVC has just confirmed that all my details for the choice of address and agent are with them. They must have referred to the DS-3032 form I sent via regular mail (sent August 28, 2013) and manually inputted it as DS-261. That's just my guess.

The NVC agent did mention that DS-3032 will no longer be accepted by September 2 and that DS-261 is the current valid form for choice of address and agent. You may want to call them to confirm this.

I hope your problem with DS-261 get solved quickly too!

Hi RHG,

how much time it took for IV fee to be enabled once you got an email from NVC regarding DS-261 ?

Thanks

Hems

[RHG 0]

Hi RHG,

how much time it took for IV fee to be enabled once you got an email from NVC regarding DS-261 ?

Thanks

Hems

It took two weeks.

[RHG 0]

Hi RHG,

how much time it took for IV fee to be enabled once you got an email from NVC regarding DS-261 ?

Thanks

Hems

Wait, let me correct that. The two week waiting period was when I sent my DS-3032 (hard copy version of DS-261) and when they emailed me that they've approved my DS-261. (I assume that they just referred to details from my DS-3032)

The IV fee was enabled 2 days after I received an email from NVC regarding the approval of my DS-3032.

[Hems 1]

Wait, let me correct that. The two week waiting period was when I sent my DS-3032 (hard copy version of DS-261) and when they emailed me that they've approved my DS-261. (I assume that they just referred to details from my DS-3032)

The IV fee was enabled 2 days after I received an email from NVC regarding the approval of my DS-3032.

Thanks for the info. I got an email yesterday so I am hoping that IV fee will available to me tomorrow.

Thanks

Hems

[Krispy K 1]

up

[Nette_Valdi 4]

HOW MUCH IS THE FEE?