I-130 Address Question (Filing from abroad) NO DCF

[pushbrk 14,248]

If already approved before registering, there would be no emails at all.

[NikLR 13,235]

Ah I see. So, in the unlikely scenario where my petition was approved (NoA2) before I registered for email notifications, would they have sent an email for NoA2 soon after registering, or would the only way to know to be by checking the case status or waiting for the snail mail notice?

If already approved you'd note that when you sign up as you need your case number to sign up and you can easily check it.

Also just to note, an RFE will show up and you'll receive email notification that you have received and RFE but the RFE itself must be sent by mail. The USCIS operators cannot tell you what is contained in the RFE and the email will not have that information either. This is really the only time you need to have decent mail service. BUT if you send in everything correctly, chances of an RFE is slim.

[elvenshadow 19]

If already approved you'd note that when you sign up as you need your case number to sign up and you can easily check it.

Also just to note, an RFE will show up and you'll receive email notification that you have received and RFE but the RFE itself must be sent by mail. The USCIS operators cannot tell you what is contained in the RFE and the email will not have that information either. This is really the only time you need to have decent mail service. BUT if you send in everything correctly, chances of an RFE is slim.

Yea, I know. I just am a little concerned because people who applied from abroad from the same country and got the same service center recently have been approved for NoA2 in less time and I am past the estimate on my timeline so I am sorta wondering if an RFE is going to be coming soon.

I think I filled everything out OK but I am slightly worried because I sent my passport instead of birth certificate since my birth certificate has a spelling error on my first name. I heard in another thread that someone who has parents who were born in other countries got an RFE for sending passport only and my dad was not born in the US, so I am just trying to ease my mind a bit. Thanks for the information.

[NikLR 13,235]

You wouldn't have been granted the US passport if you were not a USC. Did you send all the pages of your passport?

[elvenshadow 19]

You wouldn't have been granted the US passport if you were not a USC. Did you send all the pages of your passport?

Yes, every single page, scanned and printed in color.

Edited May 15, 2014 by elvenshadow

[Dani&Juli_VE 1]

...you'll receive email notification that you have received and RFE but the RFE itself must be sent by mail. (...) This is really the only time you need to have decent mail service. (...)

Hmmm this is a big reason to depend on a decent mail service.

What about the NVC? Do they handle RFEs and any other notifications the same way?

[NikLR 13,235]

Nope. Their checklists are all by email.

[pushbrk 14,248]

Only if you call them to make sure they have your email address.

[Abby&Mario 100]

People are telling you no mail is required at the USCIS stage, but that is not my experience. I'm an abroad filer who has just requested that another hard copy of the approval notice (aka NOA2 on the forum) be sent because it still hasn't gotten to my parents' house in the U.S. This was my second request. We changed our mailing address to their address over the phone the same day our petition was approved (unbeknownst to us) two weeks after filing. The NOA2 hard copy will have the beneficiary's alien registration number on it. I was told yesterday by Tier 2 that there is no way they can give me the alien registration number over the phone. This number is needed for the forms at the NVC stage. We, at least, are dependent on a physical piece of paper at the moment. It's dumb because we've gotten a notice of change of address and a notice that says they sent the approval notice to this address, but for some reason getting the actual approval notice seems to be a problem.

The stuff people are telling you about RFEs is definitely something to consider as well. That's part of why we changed our mailing address to a U.S. address in the first place. (I referred to it as "the address where we want our mail to arrive" over the phone; no idea which address they actually changed.) Having it arrive to my parents and then having them FedEx it to us would have been far faster than hoping it arrived to where we actually live. The main reason was that we moved to Argentina, where you have even less of a chance of receiving mail than in Colombia. We just wanted to bypass any delays related to possibly not getting mail.

[Dani&Juli_VE 1]

(...) The NOA2 hard copy will have the beneficiary's alien registration number on it. I was told yesterday by Tier 2 that there is no way they can give me the alien registration number over the phone. This number is needed for the forms at the NVC stage. We, at least, are dependent on a physical piece of paper at the moment. (...) The stuff people are telling you about RFEs is definitely something to consider as well. That's part of why we changed our mailing address to a U.S. address in the first place. (...) We just wanted to bypass any delays related to possibly not getting mail.

Hmmm... solid points there. To sum it up:

1. Alien registration number: sent by regular mail along with NOA2 hard copy (no way of getting it by other means).

2. RFE contents: sent by regular mail (no way of getting it by other means).

3. Checklists: sent by email, no need to expect regular mail at all.

Now I'm leaning towards using a US address after all... I still got some days to figure this out. Still getting some papers ready, and I'm not in a rush at all.

I think It'd be very useful for the VJ community to make a detailed list of which correspondance/notices must be received by regular mail and which can be obtained by other means (email or phone).

Edited May 15, 2014 by dobleclickve

[Dani&Juli_VE 1]

Heres a more elaborate list:

1. (USCIS) NOA1: sent by email and regular mail. Status can be checked by phone. (No reason to wait for regular mail).

2. (USCIS) NOA2: sent by email and regular mail. Status can be checked by phone. (No reason to wait for regular mail).

3. (USCIS) Alien Registration Number: sent by regular mail ONLY along with NOA2 hard copy. There is no way of getting it by other means. You need this number at NVC stage.

4. (USCIS) RFE Notice: sent by email and regular mail. Status can be checked by phone. There is no way to obtain the RFE details/contents by email or phone.

5. (USCIS) RFE Contents: sent by regular mail ONLY. There is no way of getting it by other means.

6. (NVC) Checklists: sent by email and regular mail. (No reason to wait for regular mail).

Let's build this up!

I'll be great if all this proccess was completely electronic. Only requiring you to SEND some documents (for obvious reasons).

I'd be faster, less contaminating and more efficient with less stress and anxiety, etc.

Edited May 15, 2014 by dobleclickve

[Abby&Mario 100]

1. Alien registration number: sent by regular mail along with NOA2 hard copy (no way of getting it by other means).

2. RFE contents: sent by regular mail (no way of getting it by other means).

3. Checklists: sent by email, no need to expect regular mail at all.

Now I'm leaning towards using a US address after all... I still got some days to figure this out. Still getting some papers ready, and I'm not in a rush at all.

I think It'd be very useful for the VJ community to make a detailed list of which correspondance/notices must be received by regular mail and which can be obtained by other means (email or phone).

The NOA2 hard copy should have the alien registration number on it, right. I've seen some examples online that don't have it anywhere I can see, but this is what I was told on the phone. Our NOA2 e-mail did not include it. Many people get a case update e-mail before the approval comes that says the alien registration number has been changed. We never received this e-mail; however, I know from reading the forum that this e-mail doesn't include the actual number either.

The other option I was given over the phone by Tier 2 was to go in person to USCIS field office to get it. Too bad the only international office in South America is in Lima, and I am in Buenos Aires.

If I were you, I'd put down a Venezuela address and then call and change it later if you start to worry about not getting mail. Put any passport stamp, boarding pass and/or visa in with the evidence you include that proves your current presence in Venezuela (also goes toward proving a bonafide relationship). This may be enough to get you "auto-expedited."

Edited May 15, 2014 by Abby&Mario

[Abby&Mario 100]

3. (USCIS) Alien Registration Number: sent by regular mail ONLY along with NOA2 hard copy. There is no way of getting it by other means. You need this number at NVC

HEY, just found out you don't need the alien registration number for the NVC forms if it's an I-130. I am so, so sorry, take it off the list! I was wrong! You will see AOS (adjustment of status) forms asking for it, but other types of applicants use the same form, that's why it's there. I-130 people just put "none" if they don't have one. File this info away for when you get to that stage, and again, I'm sorry for the misinformation!

[pushbrk 14,248]

Heres a more elaborate list:

1. (USCIS) NOA1: sent by email and regular mail. Status can be checked by phone. (No reason to wait for regular mail).

2. (USCIS) NOA2: sent by email and regular mail. Status can be checked by phone. (No reason to wait for regular mail).

3. (USCIS) Alien Registration Number: sent by regular mail ONLY along with NOA2 hard copy. There is no way of getting it by other means. You need this number at NVC stage.

4. (USCIS) RFE Notice: sent by email and regular mail. Status can be checked by phone. There is no way to obtain the RFE details/contents by email or phone.

5. (USCIS) RFE Contents: sent by regular mail ONLY. There is no way of getting it by other means.

6. (NVC) Checklists: sent by email and regular mail. (No reason to wait for regular mail).

Let's build this up!

I'll be great if all this proccess was completely electronic. Only requiring you to SEND some documents (for obvious reasons).

I'd be faster, less contaminating and more efficient with less stress and anxiety, etc.

One false item on your list. While the Alien number is asked for, on NVC forms, if you don't have it, simply enter all zeros or NONE and all will be well. You never actually need to know your A number until you can see it on your green card.

The two actual needs for a good postal address are for the receipt notice and an RFE, if applicable. You do not need the approval notice, but if your receipt notice is returned to the service center, they stop processing on your case until you contact them with a good mailing address. Obviously, if there's an RFE, you're going to need that hard copy in the mail.

[elvenshadow 19]

I honestly would recommend just using your foreign address because getting auto-expedited (or at least a very high chance of it) seems worth the risk. If you are worried about not getting potential RFEs sent to your address by mail, I suppose you could call USCIS periodically to check if you have any RFEs for peace of mind.

I just got NoA2 yesterday and it only took 22 days since I filed from overseas with only my current foreign address listed on all forms.