expediting at NVC for CR-1

[rapan 0]

Hi all,

 

After going through the very painful process to get my wife to the US , I am finally at the NVC review stage. I am a US citizen applying for CR-1 visa for my wife, who is a foreign resident.

 

Our priority date is January 20, 2017, which is when our application was received by the USCIS. After being in the NVC stage for the last 3 months, I finally received a RFE where they asked me for my wife's native language birth certificate, even though a notarized translation was submitted. Now, I have to wait another 11 weeks just to get the birth certificate reviewed by NVC. I feel betrayed with the manner in which the US DOS treats it's own citizens, even when they are trying to bring their other half with them. Curiously enough, the application process to get a fiancee to the US is much shorter than for spouse! How can the visa priority for a fiancee supercede the visa priority for wife? For all legal purposes, commitment to wife is more legally bounded than commitment to a fiancee! 

 

Now, I have no other option but to rely on the good grace of the Consulate General reviewing my expedite request. I received a reply from nvc stating that the request was under review yesterday. I was wondering - has anyone been through the expeditious processing of their case at NVC. If yes, could you please share your experience and advice on how to get the process expedited for your spouse?

 

 

[Ryan H 3,856]

Moved from Process & Procedures to Progress Reports.

[BuiQuang 95]

u don't understand different process between wife and fiancee.  ur wife gets automatic green card when she come to US.  she can work and go home.  fiancee have to file AOS and EAD.  5 months no can work or go home.  must wait almost 1 year for green card.  take longer for ur wife to come to US but she get green card almost 1 year before fiancee.

[BuiQuang 95]

u also mess up.  NVC need copy of original language birth certificate.  RFE and delay is ur fault for not follow instructions not NVC.

 

what ur reason for expedite?  

 

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

the process is longer as CR1have greee n cards ( 2 year or 10 years if married over 2 years upon entry)  

as you can gues  some come, receive the card and leave the spouse (it does happen) so the checks and balances are more as the spouse is LPR

what upset me was being born in the US and a dv lottery person getting new wife here faster than me

i had to prove my husband studied English / the DV lottery man's wife could not speak English

i had to prove i owned a house. / he lived with 4 other men in rooming house

and the reason they ask for it in native language is sometimes the paper size is different and it is proof of being real/  i am sure they see a lot of fake documents and need to verify all / we are told in instructions send in native language with a translation in English 

if you happen to be from a high fraud country like we were you better send original not copies to USCIS with the application

but you will make it

just need a lot and i mean a  lot of patience and remember the most important thing u learned in kindergarden was to stand in line and wait

good luck and God bless your marriage

 

[Springrain22 427]

Why should you be expedited? Is there any severe loss or damage that happened to your wife while you're under process? If no, then I'm afraid your request will be denied. NVC needs a serious reason for expedite. Even pregnancy is not considered an expedite, so you know.

 

In terms of fiance visas being approved faster than spouse visas, this is just how it works. Those visas are different and have totally different outcome and pricing too. Wife is wife, spouse is spouse. Do not mix it over.

 

I suggest you reading docs about the process and also about difference between the K and CR visas in case you're interested.

[Springrain22 427]

And don't forget that you messed up so it's your fault that you're gonna wait 11 weeks and then another few months to get a visa for her. I sent my package just once but I spent a lot of time before sending it to actually check if everything is clear there.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Springrain22

[MattBo 2]

CR1/January 2017 filler-

Submitted with all required documents including the biometric forms (1 for myself and 1 for my wife along with passport sized photos of each of us and a payment in the form of a personal check for processing). These 2 documents were on top of the stack of the other REQUIRED documents I had assembled and sent in.

 

The check was cashed 2 weeks later and I received my noa1 stating all correct forms had been recieved and were sent for processing... 

6 months after Noa1, I received an RFE for the biometric form for my wife... Resent the same form and now 3 months later I got my noa2... YAY! 

Edited October 1, 2017 by MattBo

[Dianalorena 1,153]

I know you're frustrated, but imagine that many applied months before you and are still waiting for their NOA2, I just applied 2 weeks after you did, and I haven't gotten mine, let alone started the NVC stage. The process is more broken than you think. It's going to take us 1-2 more months just to be approved (10 months at USCIS) and reach NVC and then spend 2-3 months there, (12-13 months) plus embassy (15-18 months) This is not considering any RFEs, which would put us closer to the 2-year mark. Talk about painful, huh? 

 

I'm sorry you have to wait again, but It is stated that not only notarized copies have to be submitted, but copies of the originals as well. 

 

I used to get angry at the idea of the K1-fiance VISA, but the truth is, it's not easy for them either. They do arrive faster but they can't work for months, they pay way more fees and undergo AOS and ROC, they're not immediate green card holders, hence the delays we experience. I wish they still had the K3 since they allowed people to arrive at the US for the NVC stage with their husbands or wives, which to me makes more sense. 

I am also curious what the reason for expedite was? 

My point is, try not to let this bring you down, you're almost at the final stage. Feel lucky that you're done with USCIS, and almost over with NVC as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

I forgot to say make sure all the documents you return to NVC have the case #, both names and both DOB's in upper right hand corner or they could get lost in the shuffle

[Scandi 4,266]

The whole process for a spouse is often shorter than the whole process for a fiance.

 

A fiance visa doesn't give you anything more than a simple visa, and that visa takes between 6 and 10 months to get on an average. After that you still need to file for AOS when in the US, you can end up having yet another interview and it's very common that it takes around 1 year to be approved for the greencard.

So that would be 6-10 months for the visa and then another year for the AOS.

 

With the spousal visa you get the visa AND the greencard in only 14-16 months.

 

[kris&me 572]

you must not have gone thru the Nebraska office as that is taking a lot longer 

and be lucky it went to NVC this year

to let u know some here have taken 5 or 6 years to get a visa

[geowrian 22,339]

4 hours ago, rapan said:

Our priority date is January 20, 2017, which is when our application was received by the USCIS. After being in the NVC stage for the last 3 months, I finally received a RFE where they asked me for my wife's native language birth certificate, even though a notarized translation was submitted. Now, I have to wait another 11 weeks just to get the birth certificate reviewed by NVC. I feel betrayed with the manner in which the US DOS treats it's own citizens, even when they are trying to bring their other half with them.

Betrayed because...? Everybody goes through the process. You forgot to include a document. It happens to many people...not the end of the world.

 

Quote

Curiously enough, the application process to get a fiancee to the US is much shorter than for spouse! How can the visa priority for a fiancee supercede the visa priority for wife? For all legal purposes, commitment to wife is more legally bounded than commitment to a fiancee! 

Yes. As others noted, the K-1 visa is inferior to a CR-1/IR-1 in every way except it takes slightly less time for approval. A fiancee doesn't supersede a spouse or vice versa for immigration. While the K-1 is great in some circumstances, there are many who wish they did a CR-1 instead because of all the drawbacks and the pain it opened up in their relationships (not being allowed to work or travel for months destroys some people and can cause financial problems...plus all the issues trying to get an SSN and/or not even being able to get a driver's license in some cases).

 

The grass is always greener on the other side.

 

Quote

Now, I have no other option but to rely on the good grace of the Consulate General reviewing my expedite request.

What's the basis for expedite?

Edited October 1, 2017 by geowrian

[Crazy Cat 43,742]

We also received a checklist from NVC......Yes, the "time clock" was reset......and it took another 12 weeks to get a "case complete".......That's how the process works....

and as others have stated, a K-1 is NOT faster from filing to Green Card in hand......it's actually a lot slower  in total.

[HK12 273]

In fact, back when I applied for a K1 visa, the process for both (K1 and spousal) took approximately the same amount of time - 9 to 12 months. The CR-1 however had a Green Card right away upon entering, while the K1 had to go through another lengthy process to receive the Green card. It added another 8 months to the process for me. K1's are currently faster but the process speeds up and slows down over time, so you might want to keep that in mind when you say the processing times are unfair.