how to obtain case number if I cannot contact NVC from abroad

[AmandaLane102 3]

Hi guys,

I have just received my NoA1 and am looking ahead a bit. After I receive NoA2, I see a lot of the advice is to call NVC to receive a case number before they send it to you and to give them an email address for future correspondence. My concern is that I cannot call NVC from my country (Namibia in Africa) and if they send us anything via snail mail, it will surely not get to us as our postal system is 100% unreliable. So how will I get my case number without calling (can my father in the US call on my behalf) and also how do I give them my email address for future correspondence without having to call? Will they have my email address on record and use it from the e-mail notification form I sent in with my I-130 to USCIS???

[Deagle 494]

you can NOT obtain a case number, NVC can NOT obtain a case number before your I130 is approved, once it is approved it will be sent from USCIS to NVC.

Yes your father can call but he have to provide the NOA2 receipt number and the petitioner and beneficiary name and date of birth

[Nick&Diane 32]

Hi guys,

I have just received my NoA1 and am looking ahead a bit. After I receive NoA2, I see a lot of the advice is to call NVC to receive a case number before they send it to you and to give them an email address for future correspondence. My concern is that I cannot call NVC from my country (Namibia in Africa) and if they send us anything via snail mail, it will surely not get to us as our postal system is 100% unreliable. So how will I get my case number without calling (can my father in the US call on my behalf) and also how do I give them my email address for future correspondence without having to call? Will they have my email address on record and use it from the e-mail notification form I sent in with my I-130 to USCIS???

USCIS will forward your email address to NVC.

NVC will email you your welcome letter when your case is activated on the CEAC portal. Although the advice on here is to ring every day to get your case number, this will not speed up your case. Yes you might know your case number a couple of weeks early, but your case isn't activated on the portal so you can't do anything with it.

Though if you do keep regular contact with NVC, you can have peace of mind that nothing has gone awry.

We never called NVC until we were expecting a case complete and interview date - 60 days after our AOS and IV packets had been received.

[AmandaLane102 3]

you can NOT obtain a case number, NVC can NOT obtain a case number before your I130 is approved, once it is approved it will be sent from USCIS to NVC.

Yes your father can call but he have to provide the NOA2 receipt number and the petitioner and beneficiary name and date of birth

Hi, I'm aware that I can't obtain a case number before the I-130 is approved, I was just looking ahead and worrying how I will get the case number without being able to call from Africa once my case is moved to NVC . . .

[Schulley 20]

Why can you not call the NVC from abroad? If you're worried about long distance fees, perhaps you could use Skype to make it not too expensive?

[AmandaLane102 3]

My phone plan doesn't allow me to make international calls and the fees would be outrageous if I used someone elses. Related to this though, I just received my e-notification of receipt and then I realized I will probably never get the hard copy of the NOA1 - is this a problem? Our postal service is unreliable. Will they also send an e-notification of NOA2?? I am so concerned about this!

[Nick&Diane 32]

Like Schulley said, use Skype, it's very reasonably priced for international calling. I use Skype for all my international calls.

[cloclo2 3]

I live in Mali with my husband. I use skype/google voice to call NVC. Also, USCIS passes along your email information to NVC. The first time I called up NVC, they already had my email address.

If I remember correctly, I didn't get NOA2 by email. I checked their website often and saw it there. Then my dad scanned me a copy of NOA2 (I had put my parent's address in the USA as my mailing address).

[AmandaLane102 3]

I live in Mali with my husband. I use skype/google voice to call NVC. Also, USCIS passes along your email information to NVC. The first time I called up NVC, they already had my email address.

If I remember correctly, I didn't get NOA2 by email. I checked their website often and saw it there. Then my dad scanned me a copy of NOA2 (I had put my parent's address in the USA as my mailing address).

Hi, thank you. Question though, when you say you put your parent's address in the USA as your mailing address - where on earth did it ASK for a mailing address on the I-130?????????????? It only ever asked for my address and for that I put my residential address here in Namibia with my husband as everything else I supplied shows that I live in Namibia with my husband and so I didn't want to provide conflicting addresses. Did you put your parent's address in the "information about you" section???? I didn't do this because I needed to show that I live with my husband (our lease was part of my evidence of a bona fide relationship) but nowhere did it ask for a mailing address.

Do you recommend I submit a "change of address" form online on USCIS and if I do that will it conflict with the information I have given about my living abroad?

[mofatsd 127]

Hi, thank you. Question though, when you say you put your parent's address in the USA as your mailing address - where on earth did it ASK for a mailing address on the I-130?????????????? It only ever asked for my address and for that I put my residential address here in Namibia with my husband as everything else I supplied shows that I live in Namibia with my husband and so I didn't want to provide conflicting addresses. Did you put your parent's address in the "information about you" section???? I didn't do this because I needed to show that I live with my husband (our lease was part of my evidence of a bona fide relationship) but nowhere did it ask for a mailing address.

Do you recommend I submit a "change of address" form online on USCIS and if I do that will it conflict with the information I have given about my living abroad?

Your mailing address is where you receive your mail at. Honestly I have received no hard copy information via NVC and I live abroad as well - it's not needed to complete the steps and get you the final interview date. Everything will be done online and through e-mail.

If you are worried about NVC not having your e-mail address or you are just curious - you have internet so I would just drop a couple of dollars (seriously, like $10) and call NVC when you think they have received the case (which will be around 4 weeks from NOA1 since you live abroad - if all your paperwork is correct).

You of course will know when you get your USCIS approval through e-mail so after that I would wait 2 weeks at least before you start calling NVC to check if they've received it.

[AmandaLane102 3]

Your mailing address is where you receive your mail at. Honestly I have received no hard copy information via NVC and I live abroad as well - it's not needed to complete the steps and get you the final interview date. Everything will be done online and through e-mail.

If you are worried about NVC not having your e-mail address or you are just curious - you have internet so I would just drop a couple of dollars (seriously, like $10) and call NVC when you think they have received the case (which will be around 4 weeks from NOA1 since you live abroad - if all your paperwork is correct).

You of course will know when you get your USCIS approval through e-mail so after that I would wait 2 weeks at least before you start calling NVC to check if they've received it.

Hi - thanks for the response. My question though is, where on the I-130 did it ask for a mailing address? Question B2 only asked for an "address" - which I assumed was my residential address because I figured they would use that to gauge where I am living, not where I want to receive my mail. If there had been opportunity to put a mailing address I would have used my dad's address in the U.S. I am wondering where other people have put their U.S. address since my entire I-130 was based on filing from abroad and showing that I live with my husband abroad and nowhere did it ask for a mailing address separate from a regular "address."

I'm not so concerned about the NVC information as I am about not being able to receive my NOA2 when it arrives or a possible RFE if it comes to that. So my question is should I submit an online change of address so that mail from USCIS comes to my father in the States?

[cloclo2 3]

Hi, thank you. Question though, when you say you put your parent's address in the USA as your mailing address - where on earth did it ASK for a mailing address on the I-130?????????????? It only ever asked for my address and for that I put my residential address here in Namibia with my husband as everything else I supplied shows that I live in Namibia with my husband and so I didn't want to provide conflicting addresses. Did you put your parent's address in the "information about you" section???? I didn't do this because I needed to show that I live with my husband (our lease was part of my evidence of a bona fide relationship) but nowhere did it ask for a mailing address.

Do you recommend I submit a "change of address" form online on USCIS and if I do that will it conflict with the information I have given about my living abroad?

So looking back at my I-130, I did put my Malian address. However, I had added a sticky note on top of it with my parent's address for my mailing address. I had also given it in my cover letter (and highlighted it).

I have no idea about submitting a change of address form. I feel like that might confuse things more. Hopefully someone with a better answer can chime in.

[AmandaLane102 3]

You of course will know when you get your USCIS approval through e-mail so after that I would wait 2 weeks at least before you start calling NVC to check if they've received it.

mofatsd, did you receive an NOA2 through e-mail? That would make me feel better as I have heard a lot of people say the NOA2 doesn't come through e-mail, but I suppose I can also check online and so will leave everything as is. If I do get an RFE, will I also be able to see this on the case status updates?

[TBoneTX 43,057]

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