matywan's US Immigration Timeline

Petitioner's Name: Maggie Beneficiary's Name: Matthieu VJ Member: matywan Country: France Last Updated: 2015-09-28 Add Comment to Timeline Register or log in to follow this timeline

Immigration Checklist for Maggie & Matthieu:

USCIS DCF I-130 Petition:       Dept of State IR-1/CR-1 Visa:     USCIS I-751 Petition:   USCIS N-400 Petition:

IR-1/CR-1 Visa Event Date Service Center : California Service Center Transferred? No Consulate : France Marriage (if applicable): 2011-12-18 I-130 Sent : 2012-05-10 I-130 NOA1 : 2012-05-16 I-130 RFE : I-130 RFE Sent : I-130 Approved : 2012-07-16 NVC Received : 2012-08-17 Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : 2012-08-17 Pay AOS Bill : 2012-08-17 Receive I-864 Package : Send AOS Package : 2014-01-09 Submit DS-261 : 2012-08-17 Receive IV Bill : 2012-09-04 Pay IV Bill : 2012-09-05 Send IV Package : Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter : Case Completed at NVC : 2013-10-09 NVC Left : Consulate Received : Packet 3 Received : 2014-02-13 Packet 3 Sent : Packet 4 Received : Interview Date : 2014-03-27 Submit Review Interview Result : Approved Second Interview (If Required): Second Interview Result: Visa Received : 2014-04-09 US Entry : 2014-08-29 Comments : So our application process was long and epic mainly because of us ! We filled from France but by the time we got the first approval NOA2, I (the french beneficiary) got a very good job here in France. So we decided to let it drag on purpose. The NVC is quite clear that we must not let 1 year pass between our last contact (by phone or email) with the NVC. Reversing it meant that we had 1 year to send in the documents required or so we were hoping. We resumed the paper work in the summer 2013 as my mission was coming to an end. Once we sent in the documents and the I864 they were fairly quick to get back to us. The affidavit of support (I864) was a little bit of a pain to fill out since we had to use my wife's father's income and of course we made mistakes we had to do it again. We got it back a couple of months later in November and we waited until christmas to fix it. So we ended up sending it in January after we sorted all out with my in-laws over Christmas (we went to the us for the holidays, I entered on the visa waiver program no questions asked). We got the appointment to the embassy in Paris not too long after that. We got the Affidavit of support back in the mail because they said it was still incomplete (learnt at the embassy that they needed my wife income taxes for the two years she was in France with no income!) Consulate Process: I have to say that the biggest pain was the doctors appointment. We live in Grenoble so I was blessed to have friends to house me for the week I had to spend in Paris and I took the low cost train called Ouigo. I got my physical appointment for march 25th, and it was a day's work and expensive (consultation 180euros + X-rays 30euros + blood test 35 euros + vaccinations 15euro) turns out having all three of the measles, mumps and rubella when I was an infant is not proof enough that I have the enty-bodies in me. So to make sure I had them I had to get the shot (or wait a week while they search for them in my blood which would overshoot my appointment 2 days later). At the en of the day, you get a sealed envelope with the blood test in it which you have no access to (not even a copy) and the X-rays back which you need to bring to the us when you enter for the first time. At the embassy... note that it was the fourth time I had to go there for a visa (J1,F1,R1 and now IR1) so thinking I was on conquered land (no pun intended) I came to the interview a little over confident and turns out ill prepared. Here are the mistakes I made : - the chronoposte envelope was the wrong one ! for every other visa it the basic 500g enveloppe since they only send the passport back but for immigration they sent the sealed enveloppe back with it and it fits just barely in the 500g so that's why they ask for the 1kg one. They were nice though and simply told me to be super careful when I open it and to make sure I don't open the sealed enveloppe with it. - second : the us income taxes for my wife for the last too years when she was in france not working were missing (we were advised to not file any taxes since she had no income) But I did have a signed letter explaining why they were missing. The consul was apparently not too bothered by it, she just told me to make sure we file taxes for these years so that the IRS does not freak out on us. - last but not least, my birth certificate was not recent enough! I learnt that in france when you get married (or divorced which is actually what they look for) it is added on our birth certificate ! I guess the one I had had not been updated yet and truth be told I didn't expect my certificate partaking to my birth to change throughout the course of my life, silly me! As a consequence I was given a temporary refusal letter that I had to return to the embassy with the updated birth certificate once I got it, after what they will send back my passport with the visa in it. Despite all of that at the end of the interview the very nice consul lady told me that my interview went well and that I was approved. So all is well! One last thing, the doctors certificate that is in the sealed envelope is only good for 6 months so you only have 6 months form the doctor's appointment to get to the US ! (He told me that it has happened that some people came back to see him because they took too much time to immigrate.) Processing Estimates/Stats : Your I-130 was approved in 61 days from your NOA1 date. Your interview took 680 days from your I-130 NOA1 date.

Port of Entry Review Event Date Port of Entry : Washington DC POE Date : 20140829 Submit Review Got EAD Stamp : Yes,EAD Card Biometrics Taken : Yes Harassment Level : 0 Comments :

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*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
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Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
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rely on them for planning. As always you should check the USCIS processing times to see if your application
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