I-130 Petition - NVC

[D and L 1]

Hi all, i'm filing a I-130 petition for my parents in Vietnam and the file was just approved and we received a letter that it will be moved to NVC.  I check the status on NVC website but still no record of it yet so i'm assuming that it hasn't gotten there yet.

 

Can you guys let me know on average how long for I-130, petition for parents, to be process in NVC before sending the file back to the consulate in VN in Saigon?

 

Thank you so much for your help.

[Liam2021 583]

Wait around 4 weeks and you can call NVC to see if they received it or not. For the time frame, how long it stay with NVC depend on how you submit your documents, so be patient.

[zzmr_qzz 24]

I’m going to go through this process very soon. Can i ask when did you submit your paperwork to uscis? 

 

[D and L 1]

Just now, zzmr_qzz said:

I’m going to go through this process very soon. Can i ask when did you submit your paperwork to uscis? 

 

I submitted the paperwork to USCIS since July 6, 2018.  But my paperwork take a little longer outside of normal time.  

[D and L 1]

13 minutes ago, H&T said:

Wait around 4 weeks and you can call NVC to see if they received it or not. For the time frame, how long it stay with NVC depend on how you submit your documents, so be patient.

I believe my paperwork is pretty detailed so i think it should be ok.  Hopefully.  But I was just wondering on average how long on average it'll be in NVC assuming they do not need anything else.  

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

35 minutes ago, D and L said:

But I was just wondering on average how long on average it'll be in NVC assuming they do not need anything else.

I did it for my mom last year also from VN. I-130 was approved Mar 1st. It was transferred to NVC within 2 weeks but NVC took until April 24th to input the data and create the case. You will receive an email from NVC with a case number and invoice number to start the NVC process and pay a fee. At this stage, all you can do is wait untik NVC assign you a case number. You can start gathering (if you haven’t already) all the civil documents from your parents such as their birth certificates, their police clearances (Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2), ... and your documents related to the I-864 (you can start filling this now) such as tax transcripts, returns, W2s,.... ) Do not do the medical until the interview is scheduled. Her timeline is below just for reference:

April 24: case created and NVC welcome letter

Around late July, early August: case documentarity qualified and sent to HCMC.

Sep 5th: Interview scheduled for Oct 2nd

Oct 2nd: Interview

Oct 16th: visa issued

Nov 11th: entered the US and became a LPR

Edited June 28, 2019 by USS_Voyager

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

P.S: she hire a “service” to do the paperwork for her and prep for the interview. I don’t think it was necessary but she wanted it.

[D and L 1]

15 minutes ago, USS_Voyager said:

I did it for my mom last year also from VN. I-130 was approved Mar 1st. It was transferred to NVC within 2 weeks but NVC took until April 24th to input the data and create the case. You will receive an email from NVC with a case number and invoice number to start the NVC process and pay a fee. At this stage, all you can do is wait untik NVC assign you a case number. You can start gathering (if you haven’t already) all the civil documents from your parents such as their birth certificates, their police clearances (Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2), ... and your documents related to the I-864 (you can start filling this now) such as tax transcripts, returns, W2s,.... ) Do not do the medical until the interview is scheduled. Her timeline is below just for reference:

April 24: case created and NVC welcome letter

Around late July, early August: case documentarity qualified and sent to HCMC.

Sep 5th: Interview scheduled for Oct 2nd

Oct 2nd: Interview

Oct 16th: visa issued

Nov 11th: entered the US and became a LPR

Very informative.  Thank you very much for this information.  Now I have a range of time of what I can expect.  This seems like it's a lot longer than the K1 Visa but given that they're getting the GC at POE, it make sense that they needed a little more time to process the paperworks.

[D and L 1]

38 minutes ago, USS_Voyager said:

 

Sep 5th: Interview scheduled for Oct 2nd

 

For the interview with I-130, do they give us a scheduled date or do we set it up ourselves like K1 process?

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

1 hour ago, D and L said:

For the interview with I-130, do they give us a scheduled date or do we set it up ourselves like K1 process?

This one they set it up. So unlike K-1, with this one, you have to submit a lot of documents at the NVC. After you receive your case number, the first thing you will do is to log into CEAC and fill in form Ds-261, which is to choose the beneficiary’s representative, which 99% of people will choose the petitioner (you). That way, you get everything they will get. Then you pay 1 fee. Then you wait a few days or week, then you pay another fee, and then fill in the DS-260 which is the main form. At this point, you also have to send in all the documents like I mentioned above (police certificate, birth certificate, copies of passport, your affidavit of support I-864, tax transcripts, all that good  stuff...). The NVC will have to review all that and when they say everything is good, then they will schedule the interview in Saigon. They won’t review until you have completed the DS-260 AND sent in all the documents. Then they say it takes 4-8 weeks to review, could be faster. So you save time if you start having all those documents ready now and ready to go. The other thing is try to send everything in and not miss something, because if you miss something, they will ask you to submit or resubmit, then it will take them another 4-8 weeks to review. Good luck!

 

Edited June 28, 2019 by USS_Voyager

[D and L 1]

On 6/28/2019 at 2:03 PM, USS_Voyager said:

This one they set it up. So unlike K-1, with this one, you have to submit a lot of documents at the NVC. After you receive your case number, the first thing you will do is to log into CEAC and fill in form Ds-261, which is to choose the beneficiary’s representative, which 99% of people will choose the petitioner (you). That way, you get everything they will get. Then you pay 1 fee. Then you wait a few days or week, then you pay another fee, and then fill in the DS-260 which is the main form. At this point, you also have to send in all the documents like I mentioned above (police certificate, birth certificate, copies of passport, your affidavit of support I-864, tax transcripts, all that good  stuff...). The NVC will have to review all that and when they say everything is good, then they will schedule the interview in Saigon. They won’t review until you have completed the DS-260 AND sent in all the documents. Then they say it takes 4-8 weeks to review, could be faster. So you save time if you start having all those documents ready now and ready to go. The other thing is try to send everything in and not miss something, because if you miss something, they will ask you to submit or resubmit, then it will take them another 4-8 weeks to review. Good luck!

 

So the police report " Ly Lich Tu Phap # 2 ", once they're done with it in VN, then they send a copy over here so we can submit that to the NVC over here as well rather than submitting it to the consulate in VN?  Also, even right now they can start the process of getting the police report already?  I'm not sure if there's an expiration date of that police report or if you have to get it within a certain time frame or not.  

 

So what are the things that they need to do in VN?  I'm asking because i'm wondering if it's even worth it to hire someone to help with the process in VN or not.  Thank you so much for your help.  Your information is very detail and informative.  This is a lot different from K1 process. 

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

20 minutes ago, D and L said:

So the police report " Ly Lich Tu Phap # 2 ", once they're done with it in VN, then they send a copy over here so we can submit that to the NVC over here as well rather than submitting it to the consulate in VN?

Both. When submitting to the NVC, you have to include a certified translation. They bring the originals with them to the interview. 

 

20 minutes ago, D and L said:

Also, even right now they can start the process of getting the police report already?  I'm not sure if there's an expiration date of that police report or if you have to get it within a certain time frame or not.  

 

Yes. Get it done and out of the way. I told my mom to start getting stuff done as soon as the I-130 was approved, anything that needs translation, get it done and out of the way. The police report has no expiration date that I can see. The I-130 was approved Mar 1st and she got the police certificate Mar 22nd. She was interviewed Oct and they didn't say anything. I don't know if there is a time frame. Obviously if it was 5 years ago, they probably need new ones. But if they go and get one in the next month or so, probably no problem. 

 

Some people have lots of papers, some don't. Like for me, my Dad died long time ago, so I had to get the death certificate. My mom remarried and then divorced, so there's a divorce decree, ...

If somebody was in prison, convicted, in the military, ... They want those records... 

 

20 minutes ago, D and L said:

So what are the things that they need to do in VN?  I'm asking because i'm wondering if it's even worth it to hire someone to help with the process in VN or not.  Thank you so much for your help.  Your information is very detail and informative.  This is a lot different from K1 process. 

If you're fluent in English (which you are) and feel confident to do it, don't hire a service. All they're gonna do is take your money and ask you/your parents all in the info.

 

Here's the link for the process from NVC to Embassy from the State Department: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/after-petition-approved.html

 

Here is step by step instruction, it's for a CR1/IR1 process but essentially the same for IR5: https://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/LingChe_NVC_ShortCut

The only change is, I think you don't mail or email anything in anymore. You will be able to upload everything directly onto CEAC.

 

Good Luck! Do post back if you have any specific questions.

Edited July 1, 2019 by USS_Voyager

[D and L 1]

On 7/1/2019 at 12:50 PM, USS_Voyager said:

Good Luck! Do post back if you have any specific questions.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out with this subject.  It was very informative and very helpful.  I really appreciate that.

[nhatquynhle 0]

Quote

I did it for my mom last year also from VN. I-130 was approved Mar 1st. It was transferred to NVC within 2 weeks but NVC took until April 24th to input the data and create the case. You will receive an email from NVC with a case number and invoice number to start the NVC process and pay a fee. At this stage, all you can do is wait untik NVC assign you a case number. You can start gathering (if you haven’t already) all the civil documents from your parents such as their birth certificates, their police clearances (Lý Lịch Tư Pháp số 2), ... and your documents related to the I-864 (you can start filling this now) such as tax transcripts, returns, W2s,.... ) Do not do the medical until the interview is scheduled. Her timeline is below just for reference:

April 24: case created and NVC welcome letter

Around late July, early August: case documentarity qualified and sent to HCMC.

Sep 5th: Interview scheduled for Oct 2nd

Oct 2nd: Interview

Oct 16th: visa issued

Nov 11th: entered the US and became a LPR

Thank you for sharing and helping all of us.  Do you happen to recall the questions the CO asked your mother at the interview?  I am just a tad concerned because my mom first visited in 2016 as a tourist, re-applied for another tourist visa in 2018 and got rejected (still don't know the reason), and now she's a little nervous going into this interview.  Any input would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

8 hours ago, nhatquynhle said:

Thank you for sharing and helping all of us.  Do you happen to recall the questions the CO asked your mother at the interview?  I am just a tad concerned because my mom first visited in 2016 as a tourist, re-applied for another tourist visa in 2018 and got rejected (still don't know the reason), and now she's a little nervous going into this interview.  Any input would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

Yes, absolutely. I’ll remember the questions they asked that day until the day I die. But before we get to that, let me tell you, my mom’s background is much more complicated. My grandfather (her Dad) was a very high ranking official in the old South Vietnamese Government. She has 5 siblings, and three of them went to the US to study before 1975. Then 1975 happened, and they got “stuck” in the US. So by the 1980s, my mom’s whole family (her Dad, Mom, her brothers) were issued immigrant visas under the HO program. They refused to go. She met and married my Dad, had two children (including me). My Dad died in a car accident. She remarried a Vietnamese US citizen, went through the K3 process, only to get a denial on the visa. Then she ultimately divorced the guy. Meanwhile, her Dad (my grandfather) got a second immigrant visa through another refugee program in 2008 (thanks to John McCain), this time actually went to the US, got a green card, hated the US, lasted about 1.5 years and returned to Vietnam. While all that was happening, I was in the US under student visa, got my Master’s, got my H1B and eventually became a US citizen.  
 

Anyway, all of that to say that my Mom basically got an immigrant visa, refused to go, got a tourist visa in 1998, went to the US for 4 months and returned. Got denied a K3, then denied tourist visa 3 other times between 2009 and 2015, before finally got her immigrant visa again in 2018 when I sponsored her.

 

Now to actually answer your questions, they asked a grand total of two (2) questions:

 

1. What does your son do for a living?

2. How did your son get to the US? 
 

Then he said “Congratulations! Welcome to the United States!” And all I was thinking was: “that’s it? I took 10 days off work, traveled 10,000 miles, put on a suits and tie and waited 3 hours in an extremely hot waiting room (those cheapskates don’t have AC out in the waiting area of the Consulate) FOR THIS?”

 

Anyway, relax, you’re gonna be fine.

 

For the lunch celebration after the interview, highly recommend the sushi place (Hokkaido I think) on the top floor of Takashimaya downtown HCM. Great food, and AC is cold. 
 

Best of luck!