*** K-3 May and June 2007 Filers ***

[pkewl 0]

Got my NOA1 And you were right, there was a 1 number difference between the number behind the check and the actual number on the NOA1.

btw is it normal that my case is pending at the NBC ? Shouldn't it be at the CSC ?

Hi Catou

As of today, my I-129F has also been pending at NBC for about last 10 days or so but its my understanding (and upto a small extent - a guess) that eventually it will get moved to CSC... but I m not 100% sure about it.. Can someone else please chime in to share what they saw in their application process..

Hope this helps... have a great weekend

Regards

Pkewl

[Divine Mercy 0]

SUPERNOVA: Welcome!

ROXANNE: YAYYYYYYYYY congrats!

I sent out my I-129F today (for your records G&A)

[RocksAnne 0]

RocksAnne, Awesome. Some might wonder why even pursue the K-3 if your I-130/CR-1 is doing good. In your case (Vancouver conculates), there is a big reason. CR-1 will go to Montreal and it take up to 4 month to get an iterview. K-3s go to Vancouver and interview takes weeks to be scheduled. Wanted to see if you are on the same page...

PS It is so interesting how the NOA1 and NOA2 and so close to each other.

I think I should change my screen name to Dazed & Confused now. I need to find out what I should do next. I wasn't expecting the I-130 to get approved this fast, and as I understand it from these forums - now that I've filed the I-129F they will hold my approved I-130 unless I file a I-824 and lob some more money at them? I wonder if the I-130 will keep going along so speedily or will it all grind to a halt once it gets to Montreal?

I should probably start a new thread asking for advice on what to do next, because I also have another interesting little twist to my situation.

It actually is REALLY possible that some may get their I-130 approved(NOA2) in about a month or so timeframe

Well, count me in as shocked! They haven't even cashed my check on the I-129F yet.

So, one question I have is, is this NOA2 receiving time difference really due to different service centers (and their workload I guess...) or is it totally random depending upon individual cases?

I don't know about dgv's situation or if this made any difference; but I've had a green card before, and no complications (that I know of!) in my case.

[edp333 9]

Got my NOA1 And you were right, there was a 1 number difference between the number behind the check and the actual number on the NOA1.

btw is it normal that my case is pending at the NBC ? Shouldn't it be at the CSC ?

It is strange that your case is pending at NSC. From my experince it takes around eight days for the I-129F to arrive at CSC and show a pending status.

Edited June 23, 2007 by edp333

[RocksAnne 0]

I've been doing more research and from what I've read, filing that I-824 petition to keep our I-130 going to Montreal would be a waste of time and money.

So I'm sticking with the K3!

[Divine Mercy 0]

I've been doing more research and from what I've read, filing that I-824 petition to keep our I-130 going to Montreal would be a waste of time and money.

So I'm sticking with the K3!

What did you find out?

[G&A 1]

OK folks. We have decided to file the I-129F without the I-130 NOA1. Reading the application instructions again, we decided to take that risk with the hope that we can save a few weeks...

I-129F section 10:

In addition, U.S. citizens petitioning for K-3 visas for their alien spouses must also include evidence that they have filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of the alien spouse listed on this form, and a marriage certificate evidencing the legal marriage between the citizen and alien.

[davejaz42107 1]

Still waiting for the check to clear... I hope the NOA1 comes soon, I'm itching to send the I-129.

[Urge To Race 2]

I've been doing more research and from what I've read, filing that I-824 petition to keep our I-130 going to Montreal would be a waste of time and money.

So I'm sticking with the K3!

Congrats on that speedy approval of your I130

You are actually fortunate, since it appears that your I129F isn't even in the system (i.e. they haven't receipted your case yet), the USCIS will orward your approved I130 to the NVC, and you will get an IV visa fee bill and AOS bill and the choice of agent form. If you want to pursue the CR-1, you have to follow up on these, and you should read up on the CR-1 guides and poke around the CR-1 threads, and you may even want to consider using James' shortcuts through the NVC.

This doesn't stop your K3 either, which they will continue to process once they receipt it. If that gets approved quickly you will have to make a decision. You can even let them both play out for a while to see if the approved 130 gets through the NVC and gets a scheduled interview or you get the K3 interview first. Of course there are financial considerations to take into account... do you want to pay the Cr-1 fees if you eventually settle for the K3, and have to pay more for AOS?

The stuff you read about needing to file the 824 to move the 130 and abandon the K3 is for people who get their 130 and 129f approved at the same time (or pretty close to the same time). If they are approved at about the same time USCIS stops the 130, and hold it for AOS and proceed to send the 129F to NVC and make you pursue the K3. Then you need to send the 824 and $200 to move it along.

Best of luck

[RocksAnne 0]

What did you find out?

DivineMercy1676,

From what I've read on the various forums, even if you file the I-824, it takes them so many months to process it - if they even approve it at all - that the K3 would be approved and an interview scheduled before it would get sent to (in my case) Montreal anyway - where it would then sit around for another length of time. So a lot of people on here seem to think it's a waste of time and money.

OK folks. We have decided to file the I-129F without the I-130 NOA1. Reading the application instructions again, we decided to take that risk with the hope that we can save a few weeks.

G&A,

Go for it! I read the instructions the same way - it doesn't specifically say you have to have the NOA paper, just 'evidence'. I was about to do that myself, but the NOA1 showed up on the same day I was going to mail the I-129F so I got lucky. I suppose the worst that could happen is they send you an RFE for the NOA1?

[RocksAnne 0]

before it would get sent to (in my case) Montreal anyway - where it would then sit around for another length of time

Just to clarify - "it" meant the I-130 petition - which would get sent to Montreal and then sit around - not the K3....

[RocksAnne 0]

Congrats on that speedy approval of your I130

You are actually fortunate, since it appears that your I129F isn't even in the system (i.e. they haven't receipted your case yet), the USCIS will orward your approved I130 to the NVC, and you will get an IV visa fee bill and AOS bill and the choice of agent form. If you want to pursue the CR-1, you have to follow up on these, and you should read up on the CR-1 guides and poke around the CR-1 threads, and you may even want to consider using James' shortcuts through the NVC.

This doesn't stop your K3 either, which they will continue to process once they receipt it. If that gets approved quickly you will have to make a decision. You can even let them both play out for a while to see if the approved 130 gets through the NVC and gets a scheduled interview or you get the K3 interview first. Of course there are financial considerations to take into account... do you want to pay the Cr-1 fees if you eventually settle for the K3, and have to pay more for AOS?

The stuff you read about needing to file the 824 to move the 130 and abandon the K3 is for people who get their 130 and 129f approved at the same time (or pretty close to the same time). If they are approved at about the same time USCIS stops the 130, and hold it for AOS and proceed to send the 129F to NVC and make you pursue the K3. Then you need to send the 824 and $200 to move it along.

Best of luck

Thanks for the additional info - it's getting hard to keep it all straight in my head! I will have to wait and see if the I-130 makes it to the NVC before they get the I-129F into the system. But we did a (maybe) stupid thing, since we didn't know they were holding back petitions in these cases when we filed it we mentioned in our cover letter that we would also be applying for the K3, so I wouldn't be surprised if they just now sit on the I-130 in Vermont.

[Divine Mercy 0]

OK folks. We have decided to file the I-129F without the I-130 NOA1. Reading the application instructions again, we decided to take that risk with the hope that we can save a few weeks...

I-129F section 10:

In addition, U.S. citizens petitioning for K-3 visas for their alien spouses must also include evidence that they have filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of the alien spouse listed on this form, and a marriage certificate evidencing the legal marriage between the citizen and alien.

I read it the same way you do, they want evidence, they don't specify that the evidence is the NOA. You can always include a letter stating that your receipt no. is XXXXXXX and you will forward the NOA immediately after you receive it. I'd send it. (now you know you will come home from the post office to find it in your mailbox.... )

[ms. brunette 0]

OK folks. We have decided to file the I-129F without the I-130 NOA1. Reading the application instructions again, we decided to take that risk with the hope that we can save a few weeks...

I-129F section 10:

In addition, U.S. citizens petitioning for K-3 visas for their alien spouses must also include evidence that they have filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of the alien spouse listed on this form, and a marriage certificate evidencing the legal marriage between the citizen and alien.

Hi G&A,

I am with you here. I think I am going to do the same and send my 129F in on Monday with a note. Waiting for the NOA1 for the I-130 is bumming me out!

[Urge To Race 2]

Thanks for the additional info - it's getting hard to keep it all straight in my head! I will have to wait and see if the I-130 makes it to the NVC before they get the I-129F into the system. But we did a (maybe) stupid thing, since we didn't know they were holding back petitions in these cases when we filed it we mentioned in our cover letter that we would also be applying for the K3, so I wouldn't be surprised if they just now sit on the I-130 in Vermont.

RocksAnne,

What you wrote on the cover letter of your I130 will have no impact really. Your I130 will be forwarded to the NVC. If you get a similar quick approval of the 129F, this will probably make it through NVC quicker. At that point you would have to tell NVC that you want to pursue the K3 (via letter), so that they can return it to USCIS to hold for AOS.

The other thing to note, I have seen other members who get these super quick NOA2s then wait much longer than usual to get their approved petition sent to NVC, so that is another thing to watch out for. Like I said earlier, you are in the fortunate position of being able to pursue both paths for a little while until you can see which petition is winning the race (of course that is if you don't mind paying some of the fees that will be lost and not refunded like the IV visa fee, AOS fee, etc.).

Cheers