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mccartna

USC Residing Outside USA (Spain)

By mccartna in IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures

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mccartna Contributor

mccartna   19

Posted
Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Spain
 Timeline
Posted

Hello everyone,

I am in need of help! I am the USC filing the I-130 for my Spanish husband. We are having a really tough time understanding the conflicting information online. We are both currently living in Spain, but are hoping to go to the USA within the next year.

As for the filing information, first I found that we should file the I-130 at the Embassy in Madrid...then I found that the Embassy is no longer doing filing and does not have a USCIS counter, so we ought to file with the Chicago Lockbox. Can anyone verify that this is true???

Secondly, I want to confirm what documents we will need. This is the list I've compiled based on the info online and what the I-130 instructions says:

  • Form G-1145
  • Payment, $420
  • Cover letter (description of what we are applying for and the
  • I-130 Form
  • Copy of my entire US passport (my only birth certificate is in the USA)
  • Copy of husband's entire passport
  • Copy and translation of our marriage certificate
  • Form G-325A (one for each of us and a passport sized photo of each)
  • Copy and translation of our apartment lease
  • Copy and translation of our bank statement
  • Copies of about 6 photos from before, after and during our wedding

Have I got this all correct? I really am hoping I do! Any information will be appreciated! Thanks so much :)

Ashley

Our Relationship
11/06/2010: Met in Spain
11/21/2010: Officially became an item
08/12/2011: A moved to USA

09/09/2012: A moved back to Spain
01/26/2013: I proposed in Barcelona
07/19/2013: WEDDING DAY! (L)

USCIS
05/16/2014: I-130 package scanned

05/19/2014: I-130 NOA1 electronic copy received
05/27/2014: I-130 NOA1 hard copy received
05/23/2014: I-130 NOA2 ELECTRONIC COPY RECEIVED! :dancing:


NVC
06/03/2014: NVC received case
06/23/2014: NVC Case Number and Invoice ID Number assigned
07/09/2014: DS-261 completed online & accepted
07/10/2014: AoS bill invoiced & paid
08/05/2014: AoS package scanned
09/08/2014: IV bill invoiced & paid
09/10/2014: IV package scanned
09/28/2014: DS-260 completed online & accepted
10/17/2014: AoS checklist email received

10/21/2014: AoS checklist package scanned

12/13/2014: CASE COMPLETE! :dancing:
12/29/2014: Interview scheduled

12/30/2014: P4 email received

12/31/2014: Case file shipped to the Embassy (In-Transit)

Embassy

01-05-2015: Case file arrived (Ready)
02-10-2015: Medical appointment in Madrid
02-12-2015: Interview in Madrid: APPROVED! :dancing::dance:
02-13-2015: Visa issued

02-17-2015: Visa in hand

02-25-2015: POE

Abby&Mario Enthusiast

Abby&Mario   100

Posted
Filed: Lift. Cond. (pnd) Country: Colombia
 Timeline
Posted

Correct, no more DCF in Spain so send your I-130 to the Chicago Lockbox.

You do not need a copy of your Spanish husband's entire passport. This hasn't been a requirement for quite some time. I know it seems weird, but they don't need that or a birth certificate from him at this point. See #7 here: http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

Now is a GREAT time to file from abroad. If you're lucky like a bunch of us have been in the past month, they'll immediately transfer your case to the California Service Center, where it will be approved in less than a month if you did everything right. If you have residency (spouse or work visa, etc.) in Spain I'd suggest sending proof of that, too. Put your Spanish address, where you live now, down as your address on the forms, and use a courier service to send it from Spain.

Good luck!

USCIS (Priority date April 1, Approval April 17, no RFEs)

March 28, 2014: I-130 sent via FedEx from Bogotá to Chicago Lockbox

April 1, 2014: Delivered to Chicago Lockbox at 10:29 a.m. according to FedEx tracking; signed for by J. CHYBA (date confirmed by My Case Status)

April 4, 2014: NOA1 e-mail received at 12:17 a.m.; case accepted and routed to CSC for processing. Check cashed.

April 17, 2014: Changed mailing address with USCIS Tier 2 representative. He also confirmed that our case had arrived to the CSC and that our NOA1 date is April 3.

April 18, 2014: NOA2 e-mail received at 12:30 a.m. Case status online changed to post-decision activity; date of "last updated" changed to April 17. Change of address e-mail received at 3 a.m. Status changed back to initial review on e-mail and online. Date of "last updated" now April 18. Called and spoke to two Tier 2 reps; both were useless.

April 21, 2014: Approval confirmed verbally by Tier 2 rep. Order put in to send second NOA2 hard copy to new address. Instructed to ignore online case status.

April 25 or 26, 2014: NOA1 hard copy arrives to old apartment in Bogotá. Priority date actually April 1. (April 3 was the notice date.)

May 16: USCIS change of address e-mail received

May 19: USCIS e-mail received saying a duplicate notice was mailed on this date. Case status now set to "Acceptance."

May 22: NOA2 duplicate hard copy arrives to U.S. address

NVC

April 29, 2014: Case received

​May 22, 2014: Case number and IIN assigned. Asked operator about our move from Colombia to Argentina and received instructions.

May 24, 2014: E-mails about embassy change/address change sent to nvcinquiry@state.gov at 4:36 p.m. NVC time

​June 3, 2014: Payment portal message "This case is in the process of termination" appears. DS-261 appears, submitted. E-mails received from NVC concerning case number and AOS bill.

June 4, 2014: AOS payment invoiced, paid; DS-261 received by NVC

June 6, 2014: AOS payment shows as PAID in payment portal

June 17, 2014: Response received from nvcinquiry@state.gov. "The correspondence submitted is currently under review. An appropriate action will be taken once this review is completed."

June 24, 2014: AOS package sent via FedEx overnight shipping from Houston to NVC

June 25, 2014: AOS package delivered at 9:43 a.m. according to FedEx tracking; signed for by F.FNU

July 1, 2014: AOS package scanned

July 18, 2014: Checked payment portal and saw: "CASE NUMBER CHANGE: The applicant's case number, [bGT#], has been changed to [bNS#]." Called and confirmed. Also said today marked 30 business days since NVC received DS-261; operator said she would have that reviewed and make IV payment available ASAP.

August 5: E-mail sent to nvcinquiry@state.gov concerning changing our embassy BACK to Bogotá at 6:41 p.m. NVC time

August 6: IV invoice e-mail FINALLY received at 2:13 a.m. NVC time

August 7: IV payment made available on payment portal; paid

August 8: IV payment shows as PAID in payment portal; DS-260 becomes available

August 14: Checklist received; errors on sponsor's I-864 form and on joint sponsor's I-864A

August 15: DS-260 submitted

August 29: Checklist response and IV package sent via FedEx ground from Houston to NVC

September 4: Checklist response and IV package delivered at 11:21 a.m. according to FedEx tracking; signed for by GPETERS

September 8: Checklist response and IV package scanned

September 10: DS-260 accepted; false checklist received

September 17: E-mail response received from asknvc@state.gov (30 business days/43 calendar days later): Correspondence under review

September 26: Embassy change approved; new case number assigned

October 30: CASE COMPLETE

Embassy

Interview scheduled: Nov. 10 -- Medical: Nov. 25 -- Interview: Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m. APPROVED! -- Visa in hand: Dec. 5 -- POE: Dec. 29 in Houston

 
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