Updated IR-5 Guide

[J_d_Petitioner 17]

I will give my complete guide soon also to you guys. And this will be for Morocco.

Farid petitioned for his mom also and we are near the end. I will let you guys know how interview goes next month. We are praying so hard for her to get approved. Interview is September 15th in Casablanca. I am losing my mind, thank you very much.

That would be great! We would love to see a most recent completed case timeline. Please tell her goodluck on her interview but i'm sure she will be fine.

[R and F 34]

Guess what guys? Momma Mezouari got approved today for her visa in Morocco. We are so thankful to God for this. Truly truly grateful to friends and family as well who were with us thorough the long haul first with Farid and now with Momma. I will post a timeline for everyones benefit once things are settled. She is coming to live here wohoooooooooooooooooooo.

[toyboxgang 1]

Thank you for such a easy to read and well laid out timeline.

I have been getting mixed messages on what I need and don't need to submit.

My son (born in the US) lives in Arizona and is starting the petitioning process for his Mom and I.

I have been told by other helpful people that we need to send in passport style pictures and a signed G-325A forms for both beneficiary and petitioner. Is this correct?

I have also been told to attach a cover letter to the entire package of papers. Is this correct?

I should add that both of these were told to me by individuals who petitioned for a spouse to immigrate.

Also, is it permissible for my son to drop off the paperwork at the Phoenix office because he works not far from there?

Thanks in advance

[J_d_Petitioner 17]

Thank you for such a easy to read and well laid out timeline.

I have been getting mixed messages on what I need and don't need to submit.

My son (born in the US) lives in Arizona and is starting the petitioning process for his Mom and I.

I have been told by other helpful people that we need to send in passport style pictures and a signed G-325A forms for both beneficiary and petitioner. Is this correct?

I have also been told to attach a cover letter to the entire package of papers. Is this correct?

I should add that both of these were told to me by individuals who petitioned for a spouse to immigrate.

Also, is it permissible for my son to drop off the paperwork at the Phoenix office because he works not far from there?

Thanks in advance

It's my pleasure to help.

Please take note that this is maybe an outdated process. A lot have changed since we started our application. So make sure you check USCIS and US embassy at your country often for changes in process and requirements.

To answer your question, G325A is not required for IR5 visa petition. There's quite some difference between spousal and immediate relative visa. Although, they go through almost similar process, the requirements are different.

Cover letter is never a requirement but most people include them, including me. I like using it to keep my documents organized and hopefully helpful to whoever's reviewing the documents when USCIS receives them.

Not sure about just dropping the package off. I think the packages goes through a PO BOX and it gets sorted and deliverer to individuals from there. He may have to call USCIS directly about that.

Good luck!

[Joe&Diane 0]

J_D

Hi, I really appreciate you posting the IR-5 Guide, it's very helpful. I'm just curious about one thing, and that's the DS-261 Choice of Agent or the next step. My wife is sponsoring her parents to come to the U.S. and we received NOA 1 stating they got the petition and the payment of $420 and that was back in November 2014. I have been checking on the status but it states they received the petition and the payment. Do we wait for another notice to proceed with the DS-261? I'm not sure if I can do more to speed up the process or just wait. Thanks in advance!

Joe & Dzung

[gwafuh_rn 0]

how much now is the aos fee? is it 120$ for both parents? hers the link where i found the info

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

[J_d_Petitioner 17]

J_D

Hi, I really appreciate you posting the IR-5 Guide, it's very helpful. I'm just curious about one thing, and that's the DS-261 Choice of Agent or the next step. My wife is sponsoring her parents to come to the U.S. and we received NOA 1 stating they got the petition and the payment of $420 and that was back in November 2014. I have been checking on the status but it states they received the petition and the payment. Do we wait for another notice to proceed with the DS-261? I'm not sure if I can do more to speed up the process or just wait. Thanks in advance!

Joe & Dzung

You are still at USCIS stage. Once the petition is approved, you will receive a letter in the mail. You can also check the status of it in this link: https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do

After the approval, USCIS will submit the case to the NVC. After some time (timeframe varies and it has changed since our case was at NVC), you can call them for the case and invoice # and provide them your email address to receive a notification once DS261 is ready for you to complete here: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ . Normally you will receive an email about it but it's not 100% of the time. Basically, it's just telling NVC who and how you want to receive the correspondence from them.

how much now is the aos fee? is it 120$ for both parents? hers the link where i found the info

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

The price increased from when we paid ours, but yes it is now $120 for BOTH parents. Just ONE AOS fee for both.

[akpman 3]

I see the following requirements for NVC porcess for the petitioner.

• Birth Certificate
• Certified-copy of Marriage Certificate
• Copy of my passport Biographic page
• Copy of Naturalization Certificate

I am only filing for my mother and there are no derivates or other immigrant applications filed by me. What is the need for filing my marriage certificate. I am planning to submit 864EZ form by showing my W2 income and joint taxes. Can you please answer ?

[gwafuh_rn 0]

is it possible that uscis already forwarded our case to nvc but we haven't received our noa2?

[OlenkaKyiv 3]

I see the following requirements for NVC porcess for the petitioner.

• Birth Certificate
• Certified-copy of Marriage Certificate
• Copy of my passport Biographic page
• Copy of Naturalization Certificate

I am only filing for my mother and there are no derivates or other immigrant applications filed by me. What is the need for filing my marriage certificate. I am planning to submit 864EZ form by showing my W2 income and joint taxes. Can you please answer ?

Here is what NVC web site says (http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/immigrant-process/documents/submit/documents-to-submit-to-nvc.html):

Exception: If you are the Petitioner for your parent (IR-5, Parent of a U.S. Citizen), you do not have to submit your marriage certificate.

I have submitted my marriage certificate, however, since my marriage certificate shows name change to ensure NVC officer is not confused with different names on a birth certificate/application etc.. Additionally, as you correctly pointed out, your marriage certificate can confirm that you are married to a person with whom you filed your joint tax return (although I think they do not care about it).

[OlenkaKyiv 3]

is it possible that uscis already forwarded our case to nvc but we haven't received our noa2?

How did you learn that your case has been forwarded to NVC? if online, then it is likely your NOA2 has not had enough time to reach you by mail (plus, as I understood from your another post, that you have been approved just recently - January 30th?). I received my NOA2 in about 1,5 weeks after an USCIS approval date (learned online on the USCIS website).

[J_d_Petitioner 17]

I see the following requirements for NVC porcess for the petitioner.

• Birth Certificate
• Certified-copy of Marriage Certificate
• Copy of my passport Biographic page
• Copy of Naturalization Certificate

I am only filing for my mother and there are no derivates or other immigrant applications filed by me. What is the need for filing my marriage certificate. I am planning to submit 864EZ form by showing my W2 income and joint taxes. Can you please answer ?

Here is what NVC web site says (http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/immigrant-process/documents/submit/documents-to-submit-to-nvc.html):

Exception: If you are the Petitioner for your parent (IR-5, Parent of a U.S. Citizen), you do not have to submit your marriage certificate.

I have submitted my marriage certificate, however, since my marriage certificate shows name change to ensure NVC officer is not confused with different names on a birth certificate/application etc.. Additionally, as you correctly pointed out, your marriage certificate can confirm that you are married to a person with whom you filed your joint tax return (although I think they do not care about it).

I am with OlenkaKyiv. It won't hurt to include one.

[gwafuh_rn 0]

Do i ask my mother and father in law to mail us the original paperwprks like marriage certificate, police clearance then we mail them to nvc? Pls clarify. Thanks

[summer30 0]

do we mail the document for i 864 to nvc?