My I-130 file is stuck on the same status for 12 years

[neha143 0]

My brother have filed my I-130 form in 2008 and they had asked for the request for evidence, he had submitted all the documents 12 years ago but the case status online has not changed for the last 12 years, I have the same case number to check my status that was given when the case was filed, does the file number change with time and is it possible that the case status be stuck for the file to reopen on the specific time, 

[Crazy Cat 39,362]

I don't think there is a visa number vailable yet.  Do you have the NVC case number?

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[neha143 0]

Hi crazy kat,

 

The only thing I've is the receipt number, but I'll ask my brother if he has the nvc number,  my application is from Pakistan does that affect the process?

[Crazy Cat 39,362]

3 minutes ago, Neha143 said:

Hi crazy kat,

 

The only thing I've is the receipt number, but I'll ask my brother if he has the nvc number,  my application is from Pakistan does that affect the process?

Only cases filed prior to 22 March 2007 have visa numbers available. 

[neha143 0]

Hi crazy kat,

 

Thanks again for the swift response,  my case was submitted in October 2008 so still a long way to go I guess ???

 

[Crazy Cat 39,362]

5 minutes ago, Neha143 said:

Hi crazy kat,

 

Thanks again for the swift response,  my case was submitted in October 2008 so still a long way to go I guess ???

 

A year or two.....I guess.

[neha143 0]

Thank you so much crazy kat... really really appreciate it... 

[Mike E 11,723]

20 hours ago, Neha143 said:

Thank you so much crazy kat... really really appreciate it... 

 

start with https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2022/visa-bulletin-for-may-2022.html

 

There are two dates for F4:

 

Final action date: 22MAR07

 

Filing date (the date USCIS received an application): 01OCT07

 

If your filing date was on or before 01OCT07 then you would be able to start the process with NVC.  If you filing date was on or before 22MAR07 the embassy would be able to issue you a visa. 

 

Your filing date is xxOCT08

 

To get an idea of when you might be able to start the process with NVC, start with the visa bulletin from one year ago:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2021/visa-bulletin-for-may-2021.html

 

The F4 filing date in May 2021 was  01OCT07

 

The final action date was 08NOV06

 

So we have bad news and worse  news here.  
 

The bad news: The final action date improved from  08NOV06 to 22MAR07: it moved 4 months in 12 calendar months, a rate of 1 month per 3 calendar months.  Your filing date is xxOCT08 which is 19 months after 22MAR07.  19 * 3 = 57 months.  Thus optimistically you are looking at 5 more years.  
 

The worse news is that the NVC filing  date didn’t move at all in the last year.  It is 01OCT07 now and it was 01OCT07 a year ago.  
 

We can look at the May 2020 visa bulletin:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2020/visa-bulletin-for-may-2020.html
 

28JUL07 is the F4 NVC filing date from May 2020. 

 

I am going to call that 01AUG07.  So it improved 2 months (to 01OCT07) in 24 calendar months, a rate 1 month for every 12 calendar months. 
 

You filing date is xxOCT08 and the May 2022 current filing date is 01OCT07, a difference of 12 mihrab.   12 * 12 = 144 months or 12 years.  So realistically it might be another 12 years before you can file with NVC.  
 

Keep monitoring the visa bulletin and keep calculating the rate of improvement. Sometimes these dates more fast because the rate of when I-130s are filed isn’t the same each month or year. IOW some months  might see more applications than others.
 

 I used visa bulletins from 12 and 24 months prior to estimate your rates but I’ve seen the dates for some categories suddenly move fast (as in a rate of 2 or more months in one month) in the middle of the year. Covid has done some weird things.  So each month compare the current visa bulletin to the bulletins from a month ago, 3 months ago, and 6 months ago, as well as 12 and 24 months ago. 
 

I’ve seen people post on VJ  their I-130 receipt dates and had to be the one to tell them that their filing and visa issue dates have been current for years and some how NVC didn’t inform them or they missed a notification.  
 

So be your own visa officer for now.  

It is a shame that USCIS does not tell each beneficiary how many applicants are ahead of them. If we knew that then we could more precisely estimate.  It would also greatly improve the emotional health of petitioners and beneficiaries.