mugumogu

I just called USCIS and was told that they would look me up after 30 days from the date I filed. Will keep the thread updated as I find out more. We are currently at 20 days so I may be worried for nothing yet but most others who filed around the date we did looks to have received theirs.

Alright. It could just be a technicality, but it sounds like you will get some answers soon. Hopefully it's just a mailing issue and they will have already assigned a receipt number and everything. Let us know!

PS - Here is a helpful link for more information: Info. about Immigration Consultants

Basically, it says the main concern is that since immigration consultants do not need certification, anyone can call themselves one so you don't know how experienced they are. In my case, I was referred to my consultant by a recommendation and it was very clear to me as soon as I entered her office that she was experienced. While I was waiting, there were some people from Romania there that she was helping and she said they have been customers of hers for many years. She showed me their pictures and talked to me about how far they have come in the process. I was impressed that she knew them so well and that she dealt with people from so many different countries. She's also bilingual (English and Spanish) and I would think any good consultant would be. The good thing is that they don't charge too much so you actually can afford to shop around if you feel you need to.

When I started the process in April, I was wondering the same thing. I did some research on immigration attorneys in my area and wrote down some names and numbers. I realized after a few phone calls that most charge a consultation fee of around $100.00 - $150.00. That's just to meet with them for about an hour to see if they're even right for you. Out of frustration, I did have a consultation with one and paid $130.00. I didn't find the guy that helpful and was out of his office after 30 minutes. I wasn't going to keep paying this fee until I found someone; I would go broke! I even found a guy that has a business in Michigan and handles cases from all over the country. We emailed back and forth for a while and he answered a lot of my questions, but quoted $3000.00 to complete the whole process. From the research I did, this is about what you can expect to pay any immigration attorney for this process. Finally, my foreign fiancee's cousin recommended an immigration consultant that she had used for her husband. I called and met with her. She knows her stuff and it's only $50.00 a visit. I got more out of my first visit with her than I did from the $130.00 half hour visit with the attorney. She answers my questions, helps me fill out the paperwork, tells me how to put the packet together, tells me what to expect, what the next steps are, etc. She even helps with the Adjustment of Status after the visa is obtained. I'm very grateful for her assistance and for the recommendation that led me to her. Immigration consultants are cheaper than attorneys, very knowledgeable, and I would highly recommend using one to help you throughout this process. I'm sure if you do a Google search, you could find some in your area. Best of luck to you!

Ok so i am thinking of having the same passport photos printed of my fiancee that we sent in with the original I-129F packet for her to take to her interview. I know they want recent photos but she looks exactly the same will this be an issue and how recent is recent in the eyes of the U.S government?

I thought about doing the same thing and then I realized that the passport-style photos we sent of my fiancee with the I-129F were not quite 2x2 in size so we will need to get more anyways. Even if your fiancee looks the same, I think it would be worth it to not try to cut any corners. At the least, she will be wearing a different outfit or will have a different expression and it can be argued that they are more recent photographs of her.

That clears it up. Thanks! When should we complete the DS-260? Should we wait until we receive the consulate invitation?

Thanks again and good luck on your upcoming interview

We are coming up to 3 weeks (Friday-2days from now) with no NOA1. I am not questioning whether they received it or not. Obviously they have. I am concerned primarily because I use a post office box for mail. If they mail anything to my home address I won't receive it. This is a common problem for me no matter how obvious I try to be about "DON"T MAIL IT TO MY HOME ADDRESS!"

I've done a bit of research on this and I haven't found anything that would indicate USCIS having a problem with sending mail to a PO Box. If you haven't received anything yet, I would suggest calling them. I found them to be quite helpful when I had to call them once. Your lack of receiving anything could be an indication that they attempted to send mail to your home address in spite of you requesting otherwise. In any case, you haven't received a denial either so that's good news. Chances are, everything is being processed, but they are having difficulty reaching you to advise you of the progress. The good thing is that once you get the NOA1, you can use the receipt number to register your case on their website and sign up for automatic updates. I hope you find out soon!

We got our NOA2 june 3rd. Then my fiance got a notice from the NCV saying our case was foward to the consulate we got that one june 29 th (US address), and the firts of july we got the invitation letter from the consulate (packet3) . SO you should be getting your NVC letter sometime soon and about 2 weeks later your invitation letter MAYBE sooner good luck!

That clears it up. Thanks! When should we complete the DS-260? Should we wait until we receive the consulate invitation?

I honestly didn't know you could get a text or email when they receive the petition package! I mailed my I-129F April 29th and saw that the check had been cashed soon thereafer. I got the little green card back with the stamp on it showing they received it on May 3rd. My NOA1 is dated May 5th and I got it in the mail a few days later verifying that it has been received and is in process. I imagine you will get yours soon though you are involved with a different country. Either way, not getting a text or email is nothing to worry about!

It took a month for us to get our invitation letter (packet 3) my fiance got it in the us address

Thank you! You've been very helpful. I have just one more clarification. You say above that it took about a month to receive yours. We received our NOA2 July 18th and I was told now to wait for a letter from the NVC saying that they have sent everything to the consulate, which takes about a month. Is this the invitation you speak of or is that a separate letter sent directy from the consulate? If separate, then it seems like I should be waiting for 2 letters (one from the NVC and one from the consulate) that supposedly should be arriving at about the same time this month. Is this correct?

And from what I remember it will take about a month or two to arrive to the US address (chances are it will not make it to the Mexican address).

Do they send this letter to both addresses? I notice when viewing the timelines of most people, they seem to get an interview about 2 months after receiving the NOA2. Clearly, they must have received this sooner.

I would like to know what the process is after receiving the NOA2. I saw the K-1 Visa flowchart and it states that my fiancee will receive a packet (Packet 3?) containing a checklist and further instructions. I found a copy of this packet and checklist on Ciudad Juarez's consulate website. It mentions that police records are needed for any place that my fiancee has lived for more than one year since the age of 16. My immigration consultant says that they don't actually need police records AND that the consulate in Juarez does not even send a packet of information. I'm a little confused with all the conflicting information. I know presently that I am waiting for a letter from the NVC stating that they have forwarded everything to the consulate, but after that I'm not sure what to do. Can anyone help clear things up for me?

As soon as I got my NOA1, I was researching what to do next and only then did I realize that I forgot to include a certified copy of my divorce to show that my previous marriage had ended. I knew that was a required document and it bothered me to just sit there waiting knowing that my petition was incomplete and that I would get an RFE. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to avoid this. I called the USCIS (California Service Center) number on the NOA1 and spoke with a very nice representative. She said I could send in my divorce documentation with a brief letter explaining what happened and a copy of the NOA1. I wrote a letter apologizing for the mishap and asked nicely that they attach this to my original petition mailed earlier. I closed requesting that they provide some sort of confirmation when this is done and left my phone number. I mailed everything certified mail to the California Service Center address on the NOA1. I got confirmation back (the little green card) showing that they received it five days after I mailed it. After that, I didn't hear anything and knew that I would either get an RFE (indicating that the supplemental info. I mailed was not attached to the original petition package) or approval (meaning that it was). I was pleasantly surprised when I got notification that our I129-F petition was approved! No RFE. I had read a number of posts saying not to send anything in and to just wait for the RFE, but I figured I would give it a shot and I'm glad I did!