no option to choose agent but

[TJandJR 69]

Today I got my case number and invoice ID number. I also gave the lady my email address. She said I had to go online and do the agent of choice thing. And she said about 7 days later I can pay fees. But when I logged in with my case number and Invoice ID number it took me to a page that said to fill out the electronic form for choosing an agent. I clicked on that. It took me to a page that says summary. It says contact NVC if I want to change my agent of choice. At the top of the page "agent of choice is greyed out". Pay fees is in blue. It is telling me to pay my AOS and IV fees and "Pay Now" is in blue but I didn't click it. No where on the page does it say that the agent of choice is complete. It just says pay AOS and Pay IV. Why won't it let me choose my agent (which will be me)? And what will happen if I pay the fees without filling out that agent form?

[MrsAzzi 1]

Did you have an attorney represent you when you filed the I-130 with USCIS? If so, then you do not need to select an agent (your attorney is the agent) and both the AOS and IV fees are available to pay at the same time. You can pay both fees at the same time, but with two different ACH transactions.

[FarrahIdir 46]

The first link in my signature may help you. It will guide you through nvc. Good luck

I picked myself as agent so I get the emails. ;-) once u pay aos fee, u can print out barcode and send in both packets to save time. This is what I did, the iv fee then opened , processed and I did ds260.

Edited March 12, 2016 by FarrahIdir

[FarrahIdir 46]

After you log in, should have a screen that u can click on ds261 pick agent. Under that will be pay fees and under that ds260 etc etc.

That's all done on second link in signature.

Today I got my case number and invoice ID number. I also gave the lady my email address. She said I had to go online and do the agent of choice thing. And she said about 7 days later I can pay fees. But when I logged in with my case number and Invoice ID number it took me to a page that said to fill out the electronic form for choosing an agent. I clicked on that. It took me to a page that says summary. It says contact NVC if I want to change my agent of choice. At the top of the page "agent of choice is greyed out". Pay fees is in blue. It is telling me to pay my AOS and IV fees and "Pay Now" is in blue but I didn't click it. No where on the page does it say that the agent of choice is complete. It just says pay AOS and Pay IV. Why won't it let me choose my agent (which will be me)? And what will happen if I pay the fees without filling out that agent form?

https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ try this

[TJandJR 69]

Did you have an attorney represent you when you filed the I-130 with USCIS? If so, then you do not need to select an agent (your attorney is the agent) and both the AOS and IV fees are available to pay at the same time. You can pay both fees at the same time, but with two different ACH transactions.

No I don't have an attorney. I plan to make myself the agent.

[TJandJR 69]

After you log in, should have a screen that u can click on ds261 pick agent. Under that will be pay fees and under that ds260 etc etc.

That's all done on second link in signature.

https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/ try this

Yes that's the link I went to. I have the process and wiki by my side. I did click on the link it gave me after I logged in that said ds261 form. But when I clicked on it it didn't take me to a form. It wants me to pay my aos and iv fees. I didn't think you pay those the very same day you get your case number. I would love to pay now and send in my package but I haven't because I'm scared if this is a glitch it will somehow delay us. Has this happened to anyone else?

[TJandJR 69]

I'll call nvc Monday. Just trying to figure out why it is doing this.

[annoj 13]

Well,it happened to us too, and we just went ahead to pay the fee, and it later brought the ds-261 out

[dwheels76 5,459]

I'll call nvc Monday. Just trying to figure out why it is doing this.

Why wait you have just been blessed with a gift. You're wasting precious time. If can pay both and get the AOS and IV package sent off this weekend for Monday or Tuesday scan date.

It's all about how fast or slow you want to be done.

If its available to pay it's available to pay.

However know this Just because it says PAY NOW doesn't mean its ready. Did you even click on on either to see if it takes you to the payment screen?

[FarrahIdir 46]

Yes that's the link I went to. I have the process and wiki by my side. I did click on the link it gave me after I logged in that said ds261 form. But when I clicked on it it didn't take me to a form. It wants me to pay my aos and iv fees. I didn't think you pay those the very same day you get your case number. I would love to pay now and send in my package but I haven't because I'm scared if this is a glitch it will somehow delay us. Has this happened to anyone else?

I paid my aos fee the same day. My iv fee didn't unlock so I had to review the ds261. You can send packets after u pay that aos fee to save time. I did this while I waited for iv to unlock and process. So I got through nvc really quick Edited March 12, 2016 by FarrahIdir

[TJandJR 69]

Thanks everyone. I'll go ahead and see if it lets me pay and call it a blessing.

[kris&me 572]

you do not need an agent if doing this yourself

[Cathi 5,609]

Did you have an attorney represent you when you filed the I-130 with USCIS? If so, then you do not need to select an agent (your attorney is the agent) and both the AOS and IV fees are available to pay at the same time. You can pay both fees at the same time, but with two different ACH transactions.

this is not true at all. Just because someone has an attorney does not automatically put anything in the system. If you do not know an answer to a question, please do not guess.

OP: Sounds like a glitch in the system, best thing to do is call the NVC. Good luck.

you do not need an agent if doing this yourself

Again, do not guess if you do not know the answer to a question.

OP: yes you do need to assign an agent. even if it's yourself

[NikLR 13,220]

Actually having an attorney attached to the case generally does bypass the choice of agent form and allows you to pay both fees at the same time.

[MrsAzzi 1]

Actually having an attorney attached to the case generally does bypass the choice of agent form and allows you to pay both fees at the same time.

Thank you, NLR. I was just going to ignore it to not cause an argument.

this is not true at all. Just because someone has an attorney does not automatically put anything in the system. If you do not know an answer to a question, please do not guess.

OP: Sounds like a glitch in the system, best thing to do is call the NVC. Good luck.

Again, do not guess if you do not know the answer to a question.

OP: yes you do need to assign an agent. even if it's yourself

mimolicious, I did not guess. I have seen it stated many places and having had an attorney represent my case, I know it to be true. When one petitions the I-130 with an attorney, another form, Form G-28, is filed along with the I-130. When the I-130 is approved at USCIS and passed along to NVC, the whole case, including the G-28 representation by an attorney, is forwarded to NVC and the representing attorney automatically becomes the agent. Therefore, no option to complete DS-261 is available on the ceac.state.gov website and both the AOS and IV fees are available to pay at the same time. I understand that things don't go perfectly for everyone and different scenarios arise and the representing attorney may not always be the automatic agent, that's why I simply "asked" TJandJR if there was an attorney present on the case. It was a question...and I even went on to explain that if this is the situation (that an attorney is on the case) this would be the most likely scenario why the DS-261 was not available. I never claimed it was the only reason.