how early can I start collecting the NVC's documents?

[JusticeWarrior67 3]

Hi everyone, my I-130 got approved a few days ago, but i still haven't received my case number from NVC (some people on here suggested that i should wait at least 2 weeks from the day of my petition's approval to call NVC about this info) but as of now, should i start collecting the required paperwork ahead of time? The IV documents shouldn't be a hassle but since my wife is a full time student and using her parents as sponsors, it might take some time for her to get the affidavit of support thing done... is there any deadline we're supposed to submit the documents to NVC by, what is the latest time for documents submission??

Plus, since I live in Israel, can anyone estimate when my interview might be scheduled?

[JFH 12,192]

I have started gathering documents and we only filed I-130 last month. We won't be approved until at least June but you can never be too prepared. Getting the police certificates seems to take several weeks here in the UK so I am starting that already.

There are no deadlines with NVC. You have a year to send everything but that can be extended. Most people like to rush though the NVC process to be with their loved ones quicker. You have no control over the I-130 timescale but at the NVC stage you can take it fast or slow. Some people need to delay for personal or financial reasons. Personally,I want to be done with this as quickly as possible which is why I've started getting my birth certificate, police record, translations, etc.

Edited March 18, 2016 by JFH

[rutabaga 209]

JusticeWarrior67: That's when we started collecting all our documents, when our I-130 was approved.

JFH: Just be mindful of the fact that if your police certificate is over a year old by your interview date that you'll have to get a new one.

Important: Police certificates expire after one year, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence and you have not returned there since the police certificate was issued. If at the time of your interview the following three items are all true, you must bring a new police certificate to your visa interview:

• You are more than 16 years old;
• The police certificate submitted to NVC was obtained more than one year ago; and
• You still live in the country that issued the certificate.

[Kastrs 723]

Hi everyone, my I-130 got approved a few days ago, but i still haven't received my case number from NVC (some people on here suggested that i should wait at least 2 weeks from the day of my petition's approval to call NVC about this info) but as of now, should i start collecting the required paperwork ahead of time? The IV documents shouldn't be a hassle but since my wife is a full time student and using her parents as sponsors, it might take some time for her to get the affidavit of support thing done... is there any deadline we're supposed to submit the documents to NVC by, what is the latest time for documents submission??

Plus, since I live in Israel, can anyone estimate when my interview might be scheduled?

Yes go ahead and start collecting everything, especially since it could be a week or two to get your police certificate. There is not a quick deadline to send your docs into the NVC, as long as you communicate with them once a year your case will remain active. It is just the faster you are able to move through the steps the sooner you will get to your interview. If you want to get an idea of when your interview might be after CC, then you should check out the April interview thread by DWheels. She has a very helpful spreadsheet that details length of time between CC and interview. And yes definitely wait at least 2 weeks before calling the NVC.

[NikLR 13,232]

I tried to have everything done before I even hit the NVC. My only snag was the AOS from my husband who never does anything until it's needed. It's certainly not too early yo make sure you have everything if you want a speedy trip through.

[rutabaga 209]

It pretty much entails preparing the financial documents on the petitioner's end and supporting documents on the beneficiary's end. You can also check out the DS-260 exemplar to see what the DS-260 form looks like.