9-Week Delay Between NOA2 and NVC, Second NOA2 Received

[scootabug 40]

I wanted to start a thread to detail my experience, in case anyone else is going through this.

 

11/15/2018: We received our NOA2, 177 days after we received our NOA1. This was in accordance with the average time frames for other users on VJ.

 

12/6/2018 (21 days since NOA2): I submitted our email addresses to the NVC via their online form to receive email updates for our case. I was thinking that surely they must have gotten our case by now. I asked for a status update while submitting our email addresses.

 

12/14/2018 (29 days since NOA2): I received a response to my 12/6 submission saying:

Quote

 

Thank you for your inquiry. We do not have a record of receiving your petition.

 

It can take at least six weeks for the National Visa Center (NVC) to receive an approved petition from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and enter it in the U.S. Department of State's database system. If it has been less than six weeks since USCIS approved your petition, you don't need to take any action at this point.

 

If USCIS approved your petition more than six weeks ago, please send us a scanned copy of your I-797 or I-171 Notice of Action - Approval Notice. You can attach the scanned copy to an email, and send it to nvcresearch@state.gov.
 
In the subject line of your email, please type the original receipt number from your I-130 Approval Notice. If you have more than one petition, send a separate email for each petition. Once we receive the copy of your approval notice, we will contact USCIS to find your petition.

 

Before you send us an email, please check your Notice of Action and make sure it says your petition was approved. If it says that USCIS kept your petition, or if it is a notice other than an approval, you should contact USCIS for more information. You can contact them on their website at uscis.gov, or by telephone at 1-800-375-5283.

 

 

Later the same day, my fiance received an email from NVC:

Quote

 

We recently received your visa petition. We will send NVC processing instructions within 8 weeks. Please resubmit your inquiry if you have not received any information after 8 weeks.

 

 

We assumed they had just received our petition and would be assigning it a case number and forwarding it on as normal.

 

1/9/2019 (55 days since NOA2): The holidays came and went, and we hadn't heard anything further from the NVC. So I called them, and the agent said they had no record of receiving our petition from USCIS. Since it had been nearly 60 days since NOA2, I was advised to submit a research request containing a photocopy of our NOA2, so I did that. I also forwarded them the 12/14 email we'd gotten saying that our petition HAD been received.

Later that day, I got a response from NVCResearch:

Quote

 

The National Visa Center received your inquiry and the attached I-797 Notice of Action - Approval Notice. Unfortunately we do not have a record of receiving your approved petition from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

NVC will work with USCIS to determine the location of your petition. We will let you know when we have more information. You do not need to take any action at this time. Thank you for your patience as we work with USCIS to ensure your case is moving forward.

 

 

I called USCIS and the agent looked up my case and told me that it can take up to 90 days from NOA2 for the NVC to receive my case from them... And to call back after it had been 90 days.

1/17/19 (63 days since NOA2): I sent another email to NVCResearch asking if our case had been received by them. It had been 63 days since our NOA2. Later that day, I got this response:

Quote

 

We recently received your visa petition. We will send NVC processing instructions within 8 weeks. Please resubmit your inquiry if you have not received any information after 8 weeks.

Beneficiary: [fiance's name]

Case Number: [our case number] 

Thank you for your patience; we look forward to working with you.

 

So this was the same canned response as before, but also included our information and a friendly "thank you" at the bottom. This seemed more legit to me.

 

1/18/19 (64 days since NOA2): I called the NVC to make sure the agents also had record of receiving my case. Luckily, they did! The agent said that they received my case yesterday and that we would have a case number soon. We were so excited that our case was finally moving forward.

 

1/19/19 (65 days since NOA2): Strangely, I received another NOA2 in my mailbox. We're calling it our "NOA2, 2." This one had new dates:

• Approval - 1/16/19
• Expiration - 5/15/19

I have yet to see another experience on VJ like mine, although I'm sure they exist. I have so many questions.

1. Why did we receive the 12/14 email stating that they had received our case if they had not? Did they actually receive our case in December, but misplaced it and requested that USCIS resend? Or had they not actually received it and it was a mistake? Was the holdup USCIS, or the NVC?
2. Is the NOA2 simply a notice that they've forwarded the case to the NVC? We already had approval, I was surprised to see another one in the mailbox.
3. Was the second NOA2 simply to extend the expiration date for us, due to our case being lost/mishandled?
4. How severely will this affect our timeline? Does this really put us back by 2 months?

 

Luckily, we aren't having a wedding ceremony so this doesn't ruin venue plans and etc. But we were so looking forward to finally being together in late February, and that is most likely not in the realm of possibility now.

 

I know that most of my questions won't have definitive answers. I think this process would be so much less frustrating if USCIS and NVC were more transparent rather than giving conflicting "wait 60 days and call back," "wait 90 days and call back" non-answers.

 

I very much appreciate the work that they're doing for all of us, but this would have been so much easier if I really knew what was going on.

 

My plan now is to call the NVC daily and ask if we've been assigned our new case number yet. I feel like all my calls and emails are the reason why our case was finally located and moved forward. My takeaways from this experience are to stay on top of things, and that emailing can be just as effective as calling. If the time frame doesn't seem right, start contacting USCIS and NVC by both phone and email!

 

Some info I used to contact USCIS/NVC:

• Here is the Ask NVC online form I used to contact them by email: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html
• The research request I sent to: NVCResearch@state.gov
• The NVC phone number for K1 visas is: 603-334-0888
• USCIS online inquiries: https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/Intro.do
  • I selected "Case outside normal processing time"
  • FYI I haven't yet received a response to the inquiry I submitted here
• The USCIS phone number is: 800-375-5283
• USCIS recently changed their phone menus and made it VERY hard to get an agent on the phone. I used the advice on this site to get through to a person: https://gethuman.com/phone-number/US-Citizenship-Immigration-Service-USCIS
  • Get to a live person fastest: Press 1 for English, then 1, then 2, then 2. After the final 2, press # each time it prompts you to enter a number. You will need to do this three times.

 

I'll continue to update this thread as our case progresses. I hope this can help others who might be experiencing abnormalities with their case process. Thank you all for your support and information, it's been an amazing help for us on this journey. Couldn't have done it without VJ!

Edited January 20, 2019 by scootabug
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[scootabug 40]

Paging almighty wizard @Greenbaum to see if they have any insight 😊

[Meisha&Jake 869]

Wow that sounds like a nightmare! Id be pulling my hair out 😩

 

Good luck with the rest of your journey! I hope the rest of the process sails smoothly for you

[Greenbaum 12,258]

26 minutes ago, scootabug said:

Paging almighty wizard @Greenbaum to see if they have any insight 😊

She is caught in the "go ask your father" and he says "go ask your mother". It's a loop that you will eventually get out of but it is going to take exactly what she is doing. She just needs to continue to stay on top of this and in my opinion she is close to getting her second case number.

[scootabug 40]

9 minutes ago, Meisha&Jake said:

Wow that sounds like a nightmare! Id be pulling my hair out 😩

 

Good luck with the rest of your journey! I hope the rest of the process sails smoothly for you

Thank you so much. I have been pretty stressed about this and have definitely referred to it as a "nightmare" when people have asked how our case is going.

 

Luckily, I have a ton of hair 

[scootabug 40]

1 minute ago, Greenbaum said:

She is caught in the "go ask your father" and he says "go ask your mother". It's a loop that you will eventually get out of but it is going to take exactly what she is doing. She just needs to continue to stay on top of this and in my opinion she is close to getting her second case number.

Thanks a ton for your insight! Your advice is invaluable for many of us.

 

I will stay on top of this! Calling NVC bright and early on Monday!

[Wuozopo 4,285]

20 minutes ago, scootabug said:

Why did we receive the 12/14 email stating that they had received our case if they had not? Did they actually receive our case in December, but misplaced it and requested that USCIS resend? Or had they not actually received it and it was a mistake? Was the holdup USCIS, or the NVC?

12/14 said they had not.  It mentioned I-130 so maybe they weren't looking for an I-129F. Second email said they had received. My guess is confused or error, but the reason why doesn't really matter. Getting a new case number and off to London is what counts and hasn't happened. 

 

28 minutes ago, scootabug said:

Was the second NOA2 simply to extend the expiration date for us, due to our case being lost/mishandled?

Yes I think that is the reason.

 

28 minutes ago, scootabug said:

How severely will this affect our timeline? Does this really put us back by 2 months?

Yes because until you get that new LND case number and the file sent to London, you can't get on with the medical and interview.

 

29 minutes ago, scootabug said:

We will send NVC processing instructions within 8 weeks. Please resubmit your inquiry if you have not received any information after 8 weeks.

That's from their email. There is no NVC processing instructions for a K1, which makes me think this is somehow related to the email referring to your I-130 (spouse) petition. Spouse visas get NVC processing instructions. K1s don't. They just get a new case number. I would disregard that email as a mistake.

[Cryssiekins 976]

You really have to be your own advocate during this process. 

 

To me, the NVC stage was the worst.  I had to call almost daily bc I kept getting conflicting answers.  

 

Someone said above that you’re caught in a loop and that’s honestly the best way to describe it.  You will get through it, it’s just a tough process on its own, never mind factoring in emotions.

 

Just know it will be soon.  Keep thinking about how great it will be when you are together with your love.  The positive thoughts will keep you going until you have visa in hand

[scootabug 40]

6 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

12/14 said they had not.  It mentioned I-130 so maybe they weren't looking for an I-129F. Second email said they had received. My guess is confused or error, but the reason why doesn't really matter. Getting a new case number and off to London is what counts and hasn't happened. 

 

Yes I think that is the reason.

 

Yes because until you get that new LND case number and the file sent to London, you can't get on with the medical and interview.

 

That's from their email. There is no NVC processing instructions for a K1, which makes me think this is somehow related to the email referring to your I-130 (spouse) petition. Spouse visas get NVC processing instructions. K1s don't. They just get a new case number. I would disregard that email as a mistake.

Really appreciate your help shedding some light on what's going on!

 

You're absolutely right that the reasons do not matter, I suppose I just felt like having some idea of what happened would ease my mind 😵

 

I am thankful that they did extend the time frame for us, that is something we'd been worried about after waiting for so long. 

 

I did think that "processing instructions" line was strange, but we've gotten that in a couple of emails now so I think it must just be part of their copy-paste responses to all case types.

 

Here's to hoping that we get a case number soon and things move faster now.

[scootabug 40]

3 minutes ago, Cryssiekins said:

You really have to be your own advocate during this process. 

 

To me, the NVC stage was the worst.  I had to call almost daily bc I kept getting conflicting answers.  

 

Someone said above that you’re caught in a loop and that’s honestly the best way to describe it.  You will get through it, it’s just a tough process on its own, never mind factoring in emotions.

 

Just know it will be soon.  Keep thinking about how great it will be when you are together with your love.  The positive thoughts will keep you going until you have visa in hand

I plan on calling daily until they can give me a case number. As a software engineer, it's amazing to me how much more streamlined this process would be with some good software involved. I really hope that they can move to modernize this whole system soon. If people could easily track their case status accurately online, through each step of the process, they'd have to answer a lot less of our calls! Easier for everyone involved.

 

Thank you for your kind words. I'm trying to stay on the logical side and keep my emotions focused on being able to live our best lives together soon. ❤️

[Wuozopo 4,285]

1 hour ago, scootabug said:

I am thankful that they did extend the time frame for us, that is something we'd been worried about after waiting for so long

 

That isn't really a worry because all you have to do (for London) is take a new letter of intent (from the American fiancé) to your interview if the petition is expired. Nothing else prior to interview. The petition is extended. If a long time has passed, London just wants to make sure she is still planning to marry you. 

 

I think your file got got lost in the shuffle somewhere and maybe several were looking for it and sending emails, perhaps unaware of somebody else also making excuses via email. The NOA2.2 is an indication that USCIS is on top of it now and v2.2 is the one on track now. It's good you got on their case about it.

 

Concerning modernization of the system...you would not believe how many improvements, and online processes have come about since I did K1, especially the Dept of State part (embassy, visa application, interview date).  We just waited for snail mail basically so we could snail mail paper forms back and wait again to receive snail mail. Ugh!  I would say the Dept of State has improved more than USCIS. 

Edited January 20, 2019 by Wuozopo

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,078]

1 hour ago, scootabug said:

Thanks a ton for your insight! Your advice is invaluable for many of us.

 

I will stay on top of this! Calling NVC bright and early on Monday!

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Day, so they're almost certainly closed. So Tuesday might be better. 

[scootabug 40]

46 minutes ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Day, so they're almost certainly closed. So Tuesday might be better. 

LOL thanks for the heads up, I did not even think about that!

 

Tuesday it is!

[NicoleS 189]

It took exactly 6 full weeks for the NVC to receive our approved i129f petition from USCIS, so I totally understand your panic, I was starting to freak out as well. Mostly because I could see online here with most other members on JV, they were moving WAY faster then us to the NVC stage. Totally sucks. Glad we are both able to move forward now! We are at the same stage

 

Our case # was created within 24 hours of the NVC receiving it (just last week!). So I bet you'll have your case # when you call on Tuesday!!

[Shiran 1,134]

We can speculate on what happened to first NOA2, but I strongly suspect the reason for 2nd one is to give your time back, as NOA2 approvals expire in 4th since the day of being issues by USCIS. It is fairly typical for USCIS to NVC to Embassy dance eat up one month or so of this time line, but in your case it was over 2 months, so they issued 2nd NOA2. Doesn't seem like it was your flaw in any way shape or form just cracks (chasms) in bureaucracy and inter departmental process.