US Immigration from Kenya

Hi all,

I just spoke to a live chat agent at USCIS regarding our I-130 case being transferred this year. We started out in the Potomac Service Center. The live chat agent informed me our case was transferred to Vermont. I am thinking around early September. The Vermont Service Center has a processing time of 16 months. Our priority date is September 27, 2021. The earliest we can contact USCIS for inquiry on our case is June 21, 2023. This is a setback I feel for our case.

Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for next steps to take (besides waiting) for our case?

Thanks.

Diane

Hello VJ,

In 2007, my father was selected for the DV lottery to pursue the DV visa but was unsuccessful/denied due to some error in his application process. I was under 21 then and was a derivative in his application.

A few years later (2014) we were lucky again and my mother was selected to pursue the DV visa and was successful this time, dad as derivative. They have since immigrated and are now US citizens.

My mother petitioned for me as an adult child of LPR, case now at NVC DQd awaiting Interview. On the DS-260 form, there was a question on the 'Previous US travel' section regarding previous visa refusal (Attached) and I answered 'No' obviously because i thought the 2007 DV visa denial for my dad where i was a derivative did not apply to me as i wasn't the principal applicant.

Q: 1. Was that answered correctly?
2. If not, can that be corrected and explained to the CO at the interview?

3. Does the question mean refusal/denial of admission only at the POE as indicated or also at the Embassy?

Will greatly appreciate your clarifications and views.

Hello all,

Thank you so much for responding so quickly to my questions on the subject. I appreciate this forum already.

I have a question.

What is the AR-11?

Is it a form? Where can I find it?

Also, I believe there was another form called IR for my address? Not sure!

Thanks,

Diane

Hi guys. I need your help with insights to my case. Long story coming up

I did a F1 student visa interview in March 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya. During the interview, the interviewer asked me maybe 2-3 questions then told me the visa was approved. However, since the program was to start in August 2022, they could not issue the visa more than 120 days before the start of the program. I was asked to leave my passport and check back with them towards the end of April. 1 day later, I got an email with a supplemental questionnaire that in summary asked, in the last 15 years:

Where I have travelled to and why?

My email addresses, phone numbers & social media handles

My Spouse s & child s bio data

My residential and work history

I filled in the questionnaire and replied 2 days later. It s been over 180 days now and I m still in AP. They returned my passport after having it for about 2 months. Internet searches pretty much say I have to wait for the AP to be concluded.

A brief background I did my bachelor s in the states and left after graduation. I ve been home for about 10 years and I m now trying to go do a master s in Computer Science. I have a tourist visa that expires in 2023. I have been to the states twice as a tourist in 2021 and 2019. Both times I was selected for additional screening by CBP but eventually granted entry. I stayed for about 3 months during each visit but never beyond my I-94 duration.

A couple of questions:

Any ideas on what could have gotten me here? I ve travelled a lot cause of work within Africa, Middle East & Asia. Could something in my travel be causing the flagging?
Any other Kenyans who have gone through AP, how long did it take?
Should I have hope for this AP ever being concluded or should I move on with my life and forget about my master s in the US?

Thank you for reading through this and for the responses.

Hello all,

I am new to the forum.

I am a U.S. citizen who got married last August, 2021 to my husband in Kenya. I came back and found an immigration lawyer in St. Louis, Mo who filed our I130 petition in September, 2021. The case started in the Potomac Service center but according to the lawyer was transferred to the Texas Service Center. When I look our case up on the USCIS website, it says as of March this year it is under review. But it does not tell me the service center it is in. I sent a inquiry to USCIS last night to obtain this information. They will get back to me near the end of September.

Is there another way I track this and see the information? How long will it take for us to get our approval letter?

Next, the lawyer filed the I-485 application to register permanent residence or Adjust Status in December, 2021 after the I130 petition. My husband was denied obviously because he has never been to the United States.

Can we apply again for this application once he comes to the United States? Will this hurt our chances of him getting a Green card? Finally, because the lawyer started this process how long should I stick with this lawyer?

Thanks,

Diane