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phillamb168's US Immigration Timeline

blank avatar   Petitioner's Name: Phillip
Beneficiary's Name: Tiphaine
VJ Member: phillamb168
Country: France

Last Updated: 2017-04-27
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Immigration Checklist for Phillip & Tiphaine:

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 : Nebraska Service Center
Transferred? Texas Service Center on 2016-10-20
Consulate : France
Marriage (if applicable): 2008-10-20
I-130 Sent : 2016-06-01
I-130 NOA1 : 2016-06-09
I-130 RFE :
I-130 RFE Sent :
I-130 Approved : 2016-12-14
NVC Received : 2017-01-05
Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : 2017-01-10
Pay AOS Bill : 2017-01-12
Receive I-864 Package :
Send AOS Package : 2017-01-13
Submit DS-261 : 2017-01-10
Receive IV Bill : 2017-01-14
Pay IV Bill : 2017-01-14
Send IV Package : 2017-01-13
Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter :
Case Completed at NVC : 2017-02-24
NVC Left : 2017-02-24
Consulate Received : 2017-03-01
Packet 3 Received :
Packet 3 Sent :
Packet 4 Received : 2017-03-09
Interview Date : 2017-03-22
Interview Result : Approved
Second Interview
(If Required):
Second Interview Result:
Visa Received : 2017-04-07
US Entry : 2017-04-21
Comments : Expedite requested 19 January 2017

Expedite under review 23 January 2017

Expedite "accepted once we submit all fees and paperwork" 24 January 2017

Second expedite requested ~mid feb

Second expedite approved end of feb

Interview took all of two minutes. I guess being married for ~10 years and having four kids and a stable income was enough for them.

Visa entered Administrative Processing 24th March

Visa status changed to "Issued" 27th March

Posted 6 April: it had been almost two weeks since my wife’s visa status changed to ‘issued.’ We were getting concerned, so I contacted the (outsourced) contractor company who handles visa logistics. A rather abrupt fellow who sounded Romanian told me that I should read all of the emails that were sent to me before calling them next time. I dug around a bit and found a couple different email addresses hidden in various FAQs, and sent off a few emails asking what was going on with the visa issuance. In what I’m _certain_ is coincidence, I received a tracking notice an hour after sending those emails (although another coincidence, the label print date was today). We receive her visa tomorrow!

POE on 21 April at JFK. Zero issues, took all of two minutes and some stamping. Thank GOD this is done.
Processing
Estimates/Stats :
Your I-130 was approved in 188 days from your NOA1 date.

Your interview took 286 days from your I-130 NOA1 date.


Port of Entry Review
Event Date
Port of Entry : JFK
POE Date : 2017-04-21
Got EAD Stamp :
Biometrics Taken : Yes
Harassment Level : 0
Comments : Super easy.


Member Reviews:

Consulate Review: France
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Event Description
Review Date : March 28, 2017
Embassy Review : the NVC stage could last up to 20 weeks ( 8 weeks renewed twice) so my husband requested to work remotely so we could spend time as a family after 6 months of living apart (minus a christmas visit).The hardest part of that whole process was the unknown time factor. I went from rental to rental dragging my four kids (including a newborn, growing into a crawling baby) and ended up back at my parents house because we couldn't afford to save up for plane tickets and keep renting all over the place for short term leases.

anyway I was back at my parents' house near Paris when my husband arrived to spend a month together. The following day we received the interview date!
It was March 9th, interview set for March 22nd. (we had requested an expedite so there was no choice of date).
we were supposed to leave on the 11th for a rental some 400km away!
I went to the ONLY place in France that does the medical (Levallois Perret) on the 10th, for the blood test and chest x-rays.
We booked online the only doctor appointment available before the interview at the ONE doctor's office approved by the embassy, for the 17th of March.

then we tried to figure out the logistics of going back and forth to paris for those 2 appointments (doctor and interview) considering also that they are morning appointments so I would need to spend the night close to Paris to account for the possible strikes, technical problems etc. on the train.

it was a pretty stressful time, and I'm thankful to have friends to lend me a bed/couch in or near Paris.

the doctor appointment went fairly well until she told me I was missing a vaccination 'rappel' .
I think she realizes what people go through before they get to her office because she kindly offered to write me a prescription and for me to come back in between patients when I told her I would have a hard time coming back in between the 17th and the 22nd (week end in the middle).
I ran to get that vaccine! lol
I was back within 20min and I was all done after an other hour

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
the interview itself

my interview was at 10am
I arrived at 9:15am

you have to wait on the other side of the street. there is a park with benches right across.
about 30 min before your interview you can wait on the side walk in front of the embassy. Prepare your passport and appointment letter.
I went there at 9:30 am.
Because I had a baby with me (I breastfeed so I couldn't leave her home) they let me in right away.
The lady in the 'screening' tent asked me for my passport, DS 260, bulletin de casier judiciaire and CD with the chest x-ray.
I couldn't find my DS260. I 'm not sure what she was talking about because we sent it to them, so I just showed her the copy of our ds260 file in my stack of paperwork. She said I should keep the B3 (casier judiciaire) and the chest x rays in my hand lugage when I go in the USA

then I got to the metal detector room where they kept my phone and charger.

into the embassy I went to the visa area, there was a decent line, I estimate about 12 cases/families.
the security had me cut the line (again because I had a baby in a baby carrier)

I went to a first window where some very nice lady took my finger prints, then she asked for my passport, casier judiciaire, birth certificate, marriage certificate and tax returns. She also confirmed my address in France. She talked to me but I don't think she asked any questions, just for paperwork and she made some nice comments or remarks.
then she told me I would go to one of the other windows for the interview itself where they would ask me more personal questions. She said the person would tell me right then whether it's approved or not and that if it is I would later receive my passport in the mail, with the visa, and a letter NOT TO BE OPENED, for the POE.

at said window a guy asked for the same papers again: fingerprints (not on paper they take it on the spot) passport, casier judiciaire, marriage certificate and tax returns.
he circled some info on his files ( yearly income, number of people in the household) and asked me to swear that all information was true. there was no bible involved if you wonder
and then he paused for a minute. I thought he was going to start asking the personal questions. But he finished his paperwork and computer filing and said' your visa is approved, you will receive it by mail within 10-12 days with an orange envelope that you should not open even though there is your name on it, it's for the POE agent. '

that was it. he had to tell me ' you can go now' because I couldn't believe it would go so quickly.
I left the building at 10:10 am.

everyone was super nice at the embassy.
Rating : Very Good


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*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
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
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.

** Not all cases are transfered

vjTimeline ver 5.0




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