post-RFE response time

[appleblossom 5,675]

6 minutes ago, K Thome said:

I was looking at quoted times recently for people filing when I did and it seemed more like 1.5 years from start to finish, but of course however long it's going to be is what it is and no estimates or comparisons can change that.

 

Hard to say, as you've not completed your timeline - please do, as then your stats contribute to the quoted times, and it helps others going forwards. 1.5 years is possible if your I-130 is approved fairly soon, a lot depends on how quickly you do things at the NVC stage. If you're ready to go, submit your docs, pay your fees, etc, then it may well be late spring rather than summer. 

 

On the plus side, Stockholm is super quick, only 1 or 2 months wait for an interview letter - other countries are 2 years or more just for that stage. 

Edited yesterday at 09:11 PM by appleblossom

[K Thome 10]

3 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

1.5 years is possible, a lot depends on how quickly you do things at the NVC stage. If you're ready to go, submit your docs, pay your fees, etc, then it may well be late spring rather than summer. 

 

On the plus side, Stockholm is super quick, only 1 or 2 months wait for an interview letter - other countries are 2 years or more just for that stage. 

I don't know exactly what the things are they will ask for at the NVC stage, is it the same for everyone or is it personalized case by case? Would it be worth it do you think to look up, maybe ask AI or something, what is likely to be asked for and prepare it ahead of time and hope it matches what they do in fact ask for?

[appleblossom 5,675]

1 minute ago, K Thome said:

I don't know exactly what the things are they will ask for at the NVC stage, is it the same for everyone or is it personalized case by case? Would it be worth it do you think to look up, maybe ask AI or something, what is likely to be asked for and prepare it ahead of time and hope it matches what they do in fact ask for?

 

Never, ever use AI for immigration advice! All the info you need is on the official website, it's a step by step guide that tells you exactly what will be needed (make sure you look at the country specific guidelines too) - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition/step-2-begin-nvc-processing.html

[K Thome 10]

6 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

Never, ever use AI for immigration advice! All the info you need is on the official website, it's a step by step guide that tells you exactly what will be needed (make sure you look at the country specific guidelines too) - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition/step-2-begin-nvc-processing.html

Ah yes of course, thanks. I didn't mean to say I would rely on AI alone but rather use it as a tool to try to get some of my things ready ahead of time, and then adjust or add/change things as the real requests are presented to me when I get to NVC.

[appleblossom 5,675]

1 minute ago, K Thome said:

Ah yes of course, thanks. I didn't mean to say I would rely on AI alone but rather use it as a tool to try to get some of my things ready ahead of time, and then adjust or add/change things as the real requests are presented to me when I get to NVC.

 

Everything you'll need is on the website above, it also tells you what you'll need for the interview too. You'll just get a link to that website from NVC anyway, they don't give you a personalised checklist. 

 

Good luck. 

[K Thome 10]

15 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

Everything you'll need is on the website above, it also tells you what you'll need for the interview too. You'll just get a link to that website from NVC anyway, they don't give you a personalised checklist. 

 

Good luck. 

Ah ok so it is generic, that is good to know thanks.

[pushbrk 14,241]

1 hour ago, K Thome said:

Ah ok so it is generic, that is good to know thanks.

It's your own judgment you use to determine which things are applicable to you though.  When the time comes, ask your questions here.  The common problem with AI in these matters is that context is King.  Your specific circumstances are known to you, and not always considered in AI answers.

[K Thome 10]

11 hours ago, pushbrk said:

It's your own judgment you use to determine which things are applicable to you though.  When the time comes, ask your questions here.  The common problem with AI in these matters is that context is King.  Your specific circumstances are known to you, and not always considered in AI answers.

Now that you mention it, the affidavit of support section seems like a bit of a catch 22 to me. I'm living abroad and haven't had income in America for about 3 years. I guess I need to read closely about what is acceptable but I don't see why my income abroad would have anything to do with supporting my family in America since obviously I have to give up that income when I move. It would make more sense for me to be able to provide my IRS transcript from the last year I was living and working in the states, which was 2022, or a combination of that with my Swedish income information. Either way, it's a catch 22 because the main reason I want to move back is because I can much more easily advance my career in America, and I need to move in order to work there, but if I need to have American income in order to get this visa...
It's not a huge issue, I can provide assets etc, it just seems like a request that doesn't make sense for someone that is seeking a visa for their spouse specifically so that they can work again in their home country (America), that entire category of person would obviously not have income in America when applying for the visa to move. It just goes around in a circle

[appleblossom 5,675]

1 hour ago, K Thome said:

Now that you mention it, the affidavit of support section seems like a bit of a catch 22 to me. I'm living abroad and haven't had income in America for about 3 years. I guess I need to read closely about what is acceptable but I don't see why my income abroad would have anything to do with supporting my family in America since obviously I have to give up that income when I move. It would make more sense for me to be able to provide my IRS transcript from the last year I was living and working in the states, which was 2022, or a combination of that with my Swedish income information. Either way, it's a catch 22 because the main reason I want to move back is because I can much more easily advance my career in America, and I need to move in order to work there, but if I need to have American income in order to get this visa...
It's not a huge issue, I can provide assets etc, it just seems like a request that doesn't make sense for someone that is seeking a visa for their spouse specifically so that they can work again in their home country (America), that entire category of person would obviously not have income in America when applying for the visa to move. It just goes around in a circle

You’ve been filing your US taxes whilst living in Sweden? People who don’t have a job to go to in the US, or enough assets, use a joint sponsor. 
 

I would suggest you read up on this carefully now, as you may need it very soon and you don’t want to be scrabbling around and causing a delay. 
 

Good luck. 

Edited 9 hours ago by appleblossom

[K Thome 10]

1 hour ago, appleblossom said:

You’ve been filing your US taxes whilst living in Sweden? People who don’t have a job to go to in the US, or enough assets, use a joint sponsor. 
 

I would suggest you read up on this carefully now, as you may need it very soon and you don’t want to be scrabbling around and causing a delay. 
 

Good luck. 

Yes I have been filing taxes, I am just about to file my expat taxes for last year. I know I can use a joint sponsor, I was just commenting on the catch 22 of the issue. If you are living abroad, by definition, you don't have a job to go to in the US *right now*
It's just funny because I have a long history of employment well above the support level needed and have a terminal degree, a doctorate, in STEM, but I suppose I would be in the same category as a passport bro who backpacked around Europe or Asia for a couple of years and wants to now return with his new foreign wife so he can find a job in America and settle down, but any reasonable view of my situation vs that hypothetical situation would clearly put the as different potentials to support a family in the US.

[K Thome 10]

1 hour ago, appleblossom said:

You’ve been filing your US taxes whilst living in Sweden? People who don’t have a job to go to in the US, or enough assets, use a joint sponsor. 
 

I would suggest you read up on this carefully now, as you may need it very soon and you don’t want to be scrabbling around and causing a delay. 
 

Good luck. 

I just filled in some of my timeline. One thing I don't know how to find out is if/when/where my application may have been forwarded. It says Nebraska on the receipt document but I don't know where to look for any information after that for if it was moved to another processing center.

[Devarj 47]

My I130 RFE took @ two months. Needed petitioner birth certificate original. Odd since I provided other forms of US citizenship. Anyway < 2 months.

[K Thome 10]

24 minutes ago, Devarj said:

My I130 RFE took @ two months. Needed petitioner birth certificate original. Odd since I provided other forms of US citizenship. Anyway < 2 months.

Oof that's rough, thanks for the info. Was it that nothing happened and then all of a sudden there was an action that your petition was approved?

[carmel34 3,768]

6 hours ago, K Thome said:

Yes I have been filing taxes, I am just about to file my expat taxes for last year. I know I can use a joint sponsor, I was just commenting on the catch 22 of the issue. If you are living abroad, by definition, you don't have a job to go to in the US *right now*
It's just funny because I have a long history of employment well above the support level needed and have a terminal degree, a doctorate, in STEM, but I suppose I would be in the same category as a passport bro who backpacked around Europe or Asia for a couple of years and wants to now return with his new foreign wife so he can find a job in America and settle down, but any reasonable view of my situation vs that hypothetical situation would clearly put the as different potentials to support a family in the US.

 

You should read and re-read the I-864 and instructions, link here:

https://www.uscis.gov/i-864

It is clear that your income in Sweden will not count for the I-864, unless it continues after returning to the US.  With US-based income of zero for the last three years, the options with the highest probability of your wife's eventual visa approval will be 1) qualified joint sponsor, or 2) you return to the US before your wife to get a job and document the income on the I-864 which she needs at the visa interview.  Using assets, which is allowed on the I-864, has a very inconsistent track record of success and is embassy-dependent.  The final decision is based on the judgement of the consular officer conducting the interview, so for this reason, many VJ members do not recommend taking the chance with assets alone.  Good luck!

 

[K Thome 10]

33 minutes ago, carmel34 said:

 

You should read and re-read the I-864 and instructions, link here:

https://www.uscis.gov/i-864

It is clear that your income in Sweden will not count for the I-864, unless it continues after returning to the US.  With US-based income of zero for the last three years, the options with the highest probability of your wife's eventual visa approval will be 1) qualified joint sponsor, or 2) you return to the US before your wife to get a job and document the income on the I-864 which she needs at the visa interview.  Using assets, which is allowed on the I-864, has a very inconsistent track record of success and is embassy-dependent.  The final decision is based on the judgement of the consular officer conducting the interview, so for this reason, many VJ members do not recommend taking the chance with assets alone.  Good luck!

 

The Kafke-esque nature of this process continues. My mother has offered to co-sponsor so I think it's all good, but the irony that I actually need to move back to America to work yada yada