I-130 Visa Application: No letter from Manila Embassy

[GHGT 1]

Hi,

I'm from the Philippines. My wife and I got married in the US early last year and filed our petition last May 2017. After going through the infamous RFE, my wife finally received  a Notice of Action Letter from USCIS last March 3, 2018 informing us that our petition has been approved. So yay! The notice date on the letter is February 22, 2018, while the status of our case on the USCIS website says that our files were forwarded last March 7, 2017.

 

The NOA advises to wait 30 days before contacting them if no correspondence has been received by the beneficiary (in this case, me). First question, from what date do we start counting, February 22 or March 7? Second question: I haven't received any letter or any sort of notification from Manila Embassy, and reading several threads here it seems that you don't have to wait for the packet to arrive? All we have to do is wait 30 days (in some cases even as early as 3 weeks) then have the petitioner contact NVC in the US to ask for the Manila Embassy Case Number to get everything started, is that true? 

I'm getting really stressed out coz the postal system here can be very unreliable, I've lost several packages/letters over the years and I'm worried that the packet from the embassy has gotten lost somehow. Or delayed and this could have an impact on our application process. 

So what I'm really trying to clarify is if that letter from the embassy is vital in the application process, or can it be skipped since the rest of the processes can be accomplished online once we get our case number from NVC? Is there anything in that packet that is required to be shown during the interview and/or medical?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. We're getting really lost in the process  Thank you in advance! 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

9 minutes ago, GHGT said:

Hi,

I'm from the Philippines. My wife and I got married in the US early last year and filed our petition last May 2017. After going through the infamous RFE, my wife finally received  a Notice of Action Letter from USCIS last March 3, 2018 informing us that our petition has been approved. So yay! The notice date on the letter is February 22, 2018, while the status of our case on the USCIS website says that our files were forwarded last March 7, 2017.

 

The NOA advises to wait 30 days before contacting them if no correspondence has been received by the beneficiary (in this case, me). First question, from what date do we start counting, February 22 or March 7? Second question: I haven't received any letter or any sort of notification from Manila Embassy, and reading several threads here it seems that you don't have to wait for the packet to arrive? All we have to do is wait 30 days (in some cases even as early as 3 weeks) then have the petitioner contact NVC in the US to ask for the Manila Embassy Case Number to get everything started, is that true? 

I'm getting really stressed out coz the postal system here can be very unreliable, I've lost several packages/letters over the years and I'm worried that the packet from the embassy has gotten lost somehow. Or delayed and this could have an impact on our application process. 

So what I'm really trying to clarify is if that letter from the embassy is vital in the application process, or can it be skipped since the rest of the processes can be accomplished online once we get our case number from NVC? Is there anything in that packet that is required to be shown during the interview and/or medical?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. We're getting really lost in the process  Thank you in advance! 

So your the beneficiary and not the petitioner right? If you are the beneficiary then YOU will not receive anything in the mail at all. The petitioner will receive the letter and he/she can send it to you by snail mail or electronically. Once you have the MNL# you can go ahead and do medical. 

Edited March 22, 2018 by cyberfx1024

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

14 minutes ago, GHGT said:

Hi,

I'm from the Philippines. My wife and I got married in the US early last year and filed our petition last May 2017. After going through the infamous RFE, my wife finally received  a Notice of Action Letter from USCIS last March 3, 2018 informing us that our petition has been approved. So yay! The notice date on the letter is February 22, 2018, while the status of our case on the USCIS website says that our files were forwarded last March 7, 2017.

 

The NOA advises to wait 30 days before contacting them if no correspondence has been received by the beneficiary (in this case, me). First question, from what date do we start counting, February 22 or March 7? Second question: I haven't received any letter or any sort of notification from Manila Embassy, and reading several threads here it seems that you don't have to wait for the packet to arrive? All we have to do is wait 30 days (in some cases even as early as 3 weeks) then have the petitioner contact NVC in the US to ask for the Manila Embassy Case Number to get everything started, is that true? 

I'm getting really stressed out coz the postal system here can be very unreliable, I've lost several packages/letters over the years and I'm worried that the packet from the embassy has gotten lost somehow. Or delayed and this could have an impact on our application process. 

So what I'm really trying to clarify is if that letter from the embassy is vital in the application process, or can it be skipped since the rest of the processes can be accomplished online once we get our case number from NVC? Is there anything in that packet that is required to be shown during the interview and/or medical?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. We're getting really lost in the process  Thank you in advance! 

You will need it for the medical and paying for the embassy interview. 

[GHGT 1]

10 minutes ago, cyberfx1024 said:

So your the beneficiary and not the petitioner right? If you are the beneficiary then YOU will not receive anything in the mail at all. The petitioner will receive the letter and he/she can send it to you by snail mail or electronically. Once you have the MNL# you can go ahead and do medical. 

Yes, I am the beneficiary. But the NOA says that, "the NVC will contact the beneficiary of this petition with further information about immigrant visa processing." So that means me right? :/ 

[j&ana 380]

  you do not need the welcome letter it has a document check list but you can print that from the portal where you pay the fees you do not have to wait 30 days but it usually take that long or longer for them to assign you a case number. you or wife can call the NVC now  you will need Your NVC Case Number or USCIS receipt number The applicant’s name and date of birth and the petitioner’s name and date of birth

to see if you have a case number yet. I call a lot when my wife was going thru the NVC process, 

While you are waiting for the NVC to assign your case and invoice number. you should start gathering require documents. The US citizen will need financial documents (AOS packet)

 you will need copies of your documents (IV packet)

PSA copy of marriage certificate

 PSA  copy of birth certificate

NBI clearance in all names use

Police clearance from any other countries live.

Photocopy of the biographic data page of your valid passport

Court and prison record

Marriage Termination Documentation

Military Records

 and any other documents that is applicable to your case.

After you have receive the case number and invoice number,you can go to CEAC ( Consular Electronic Application Center) website and log in

your first step will be to fill out the DS-261 form.

It designate who will receive notices from the NVC regarding case status. It is best to make the US spouse the designator . However  it really  does not matter. The Philippine spouse can be  it or a third party can be. One thing to remember   Do not click back on the Ds-261 form after you have completed it, as it will restart the 30 days the NVC  state that is needed for reviewing of the DS-261

after you  fill out the DS-261 form you can pay the AOS fee . the fee must be paid thru a US bank account. an alternative way to pay is thru the mail.

After you paid The AOS fee you

 you should send in both the AOS and the IV packets. As it will take them another 30 days to review the documents The date the NVC receives your document is the scan date  

You will need a bar code cover sheet. you can use the one included with the  NVC welcome letter or you can print one from the AOS  payment portal  on your  CEAC account. Also include the document check list that comes with the NVC welcome letter. (You do not have to wait for the IV fee to be paid or the Ds-260 form to be fill out before the packets are sent.)

There are Two processes involve with the NVC one is the payment of fees and filling out the two forms, the other is reviewing of the documents. After you send in documents you will want to call the NVC  to see if they receive your documents. The date they receive your documents that will be your scan date. If the NVC is not backlog. It normal takes 30 days for them to review documents. For my wife case it took 42 days as we sent our document in Feb 2015. The NVC was close several times due to snowstorms.

another reason you need to keep calling NVC is you will want to call is that you will want to see if they can review your DS-261 form on the phone  as your IV fee will not show until the Ds-261 choice of agent has been review. If an agent tells you it is  not ready yet then you could probably wait another  week to call back . If an agent tells you that he/she can not do that you should call back  and speak to another agent, as some agents can not or will not do that. It took me 4 calls. I call once a week for first and 2nd week after I sent in my documents. The third week I call twice. An  agent  finally review the DS-261 over the phone for me.

After your Ds -261 form has been review ,you will then be able to pay the IV fee 

the fee must be paid thru a US bank account an alternative way is to pay thru the mail

If you decide to pay the fees by mail it will delay your case. So if possible  You should pay the fees online

After you paid the IV fee then you will be able to fill out the DS-260 immigration form. On the form it will ask about your medical record. Some people worry about that question. If you do not have, or can not get medical record check no and write will have for interview.

your case at NVC should be close to complete at NVC now once approve the NVC will schedule an interview at the US embassy in Manila you will need the interview letter to schedule your medical  

sorry this is long but that was the process at the NVC  when my wife went thru it

 

 

Edited March 22, 2018 by j&ana

[GHGT 1]

2 hours ago, j&ana said:

  you do not need the welcome letter it has a document check list but you can print that from the portal where you pay the fees you do not have to wait 30 days but it usually take that long or longer for them to assign you a case number. you or wife can call the NVC now  you will need Your NVC Case Number or USCIS receipt number The applicant’s name and date of birth and the petitioner’s name and date of birth

to see if you have a case number yet. I call a lot when my wife was going thru the NVC process, 

While you are waiting for the NVC to assign your case and invoice number. you should start gathering require documents. The US citizen will need financial documents (AOS packet)

 you will need copies of your documents (IV packet)

PSA copy of marriage certificate

 PSA  copy of birth certificate

NBI clearance in all names use

Police clearance from any other countries live.

Photocopy of the biographic data page of your valid passport

Court and prison record

Marriage Termination Documentation

Military Records

 and any other documents that is applicable to your case.

After you have receive the case number and invoice number,you can go to CEAC ( Consular Electronic Application Center) website and log in

your first step will be to fill out the DS-261 form.

It designate who will receive notices from the NVC regarding case status. It is best to make the US spouse the designator . However  it really  does not matter. The Philippine spouse can be  it or a third party can be. One thing to remember   Do not click back on the Ds-261 form after you have completed it, as it will restart the 30 days the NVC  state that is needed for reviewing of the DS-261

after you  fill out the DS-261 form you can pay the AOS fee . the fee must be paid thru a US bank account. an alternative way to pay is thru the mail.

After you paid The AOS fee you

 you should send in both the AOS and the IV packets. As it will take them another 30 days to review the documents The date the NVC receives your document is the scan date  

You will need a bar code cover sheet. you can use the one included with the  NVC welcome letter or you can print one from the AOS  payment portal  on your  CEAC account. Also include the document check list that comes with the NVC welcome letter. (You do not have to wait for the IV fee to be paid or the Ds-260 form to be fill out before the packets are sent.)

There are Two processes involve with the NVC one is the payment of fees and filling out the two forms, the other is reviewing of the documents. After you send in documents you will want to call the NVC  to see if they receive your documents. The date they receive your documents that will be your scan date. If the NVC is not backlog. It normal takes 30 days for them to review documents. For my wife case it took 42 days as we sent our document in Feb 2015. The NVC was close several times due to snowstorms.

another reason you need to keep calling NVC is you will want to call is that you will want to see if they can review your DS-261 form on the phone  as your IV fee will not show until the Ds-261 choice of agent has been review. If an agent tells you it is  not ready yet then you could probably wait another  week to call back . If an agent tells you that he/she can not do that you should call back  and speak to another agent, as some agents can not or will not do that. It took me 4 calls. I call once a week for first and 2nd week after I sent in my documents. The third week I call twice. An  agent  finally review the DS-261 over the phone for me.

After your Ds -261 form has been review ,you will then be able to pay the IV fee 

the fee must be paid thru a US bank account an alternative way is to pay thru the mail

If you decide to pay the fees by mail it will delay your case. So if possible  You should pay the fees online

After you paid the IV fee then you will be able to fill out the DS-260 immigration form. On the form it will ask about your medical record. Some people worry about that question. If you do not have, or can not get medical record check no and write will have for interview.

your case at NVC should be close to complete at NVC now once approve the NVC will schedule an interview at the US embassy in Manila you will need the interview letter to schedule your medical  

sorry this is long but that was the process at the NVC  when my wife went thru it

 

 

Thank you so much for the detailed reply. Highly appreciate it!