Athena June

I just wanted to say that I arrived in the US just over a week ago. Going through immigration was easy, but it took an hour and a half as I was taken to secondary inspection and had to wait there to be processed. When I finally got out, my 50 kilos of luggage were almost the only suitcases on the belt, and my husband the only person waiting in the arrivals area. I can't describe the feeling of seeing him at the airport and knowing that this time we would not be separated again!
My social security card arrived yesterday, but I am still waiting for the green card. I am not sure if the government shutdown impacts green card production at all? It doesn't really matter, I know the stamp in my passport is good for a year.
Good luck to everyone who is still waiting for their interview!

My passport with the visa just arrived

Thank you everyone! Here is the promised review of my interview - sorry if it's too long and detailed, but I wanted to write this as a souvenir for myself.
My interview was scheduled for 9.30 am yesterday morning. The tram stop closest to the consulate is closed at the moment due to construction work, and I had been advised that the replacement buses running on the route may take up to 15 minutes to arrive, so I left home early and ended up arriving at the consulate about 35 minutes before my appointment. There were two lines in front of the consulate, one for non-immigrant visas and one for all other services. The queue for non-immigrant visas had quite a few people on it, but I was the first in line for other services. There were two windows open for registration.
I showed my passport and appointment letter to the officer at window 2. After receiving a number, I proceeded to the security guards outside, and I was instructed to remove my belt and my watch and to place them in a plastic bag. The actual airport-style security check was then inside a small building. The consulate does not allow any electronics inside - and I can't tell you how much I hated leaving my phone at home as I would have wanted to text my husband as soon as I was done - but little did I know that apparently a compact powder case with a mirror is also a dangerous weapon. The guards checked my handbag and confiscated my powder, although I was given a receipt and told I'd get it back when leaving the building.
After the security check I had to go outside to the courtyard and continue to another building. Only once inside the second building was I allowed to put my watch and belt back on. A receptionist gave me a leaflet describing what would happen during the interview day and instructed me to go directly to window 22.
There was no line at window 22. A friendly officer activated the number I had received outside, took the DHL label I had brought with me (and it's entirely thanks to VJ that I had known to get one from the post office as nowhere in the interview letter did it say to bring one, and the consulate-specific guidelines on travel.state.gov just ask you to bring stamps), took my fingerprints and asked me to sit down and wait for my number to be called.
I waited for 5-10 minutes before my number came up. I walked up to the window and was surprised when the caseworker greeted me in Finnish. This was nice and made me relax somewhat, although only for a moment: She said the NVC had listed me as a spouse of a US citizen, and asked me if I had a copy of my husband's naturalisation certificate or his US passport. We had sent the certificate to the NVC, but according to her the consulate had not received it. At this point I was kicking myself, as I had brought five kilos of documents with me but it had not occurred to me to bring the naturalisation certificate! The lady explained that they would go through the interview, but we'd have to email the certificate to the consulate before the visa could be issued. I was happy they weren't going to send me straight back home, but upset that I had been preparing for the interview since July and forgotten to bring a copy of something so important.
She also asked me if Finland and Germany were the only countries I had lived in, whether this was the first marriage for the both of us, and when I was planning to travel to the United States. I was also given a leaflet on domestic violence and asked to read it while waiting for my number to be called again at the next window.
I sat back down and had just enough time to read the leaflet when I heard someone calling my name. My number had not come up yet and I could not see who was looking for me, but I figured I'd have to go to window 18 where a consular officer was browsing through a casefile which I assumed to be mine. I had to swear that the information in my DS-230 was correct and sign Part II.
The CO browsed through our casefile, and while waiting for him to actually ask me something, I saw that my husband's naturalisation certificate was right there in the file. What a relief!
The interview was easy. The CO only asked me the following:
- has either one of us been married before
- do we have any children
- what does my husband do for work
- if I am also working in Massachusetts (I don't know if this was a trick question or he was just absent-minded - I told him I work here in Germany but would like to find work in Massachusetts).
He looked up my husband's tax return, and commented that I was already in it (my husband filed "married filing separately"). For some reason he could not verify my fingerprints, and I was instructed to go to window 9, where a new set of fingerprints was done. When back at window 18, I saw the CO give my file to one of the colleagues. I wasn't sure what was going on, but he then turned to me and told me that they would authorise my visa "when the system allows it" and it would be delivered within 5-10 days. At this point it was 9.55 am and I couldn't believe I was done already! No relationship evidence was requested.
I walked out, got my powder back from security, and made my way home to text and call my husband and to book a flight for 21 September. We are both happy that the process is almost over, although it will be hard for me to leave my friends and family in Europe.
I want to thank everyone here who has been through this journey with me. VJ has been such a great resource over the past years and I wouldn't have made it without your help and support. I was devastated when we first learnt about the long waiting times for F2A visas, and it has been such a comfort to come in contact with people who are going through the same process.
Good luck to all of you who are still waiting for approvals, case completes and interview dates - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but can someone explain how adjustment of status in F2A category works in practice? How long does it take USCIS to process an I-485? Does filing I-485 in August (or whenever one's PD is current) automatically reserve a visa number for the beneficiary? If the I-485 is not immediately processed and the cut-off date retrogresses in the meantime, is the beneficiary still entitled to adjust status?

Since very few people (at least here on VJ) got an interview for August, there is an excellent chance that F2A will remain current in September. What happens in October is a big mystery to me.

The PD being current for all F2a beneficiaries has nothing to do with this case.
Although, the OP's wife can file to adjust based on a current PD, it will be rejected because of her overstay.
Visa overstays are forgiven for the spouse of a USC. Visa overstays are not forgiven for the spouse of an LPR.
The fact is, as long as the the OP is not a USC, then his wife's visa overstay prevents her from a successful adjustment.
If she was here on a valid visa, she could adjust with no problem.

Happy anniversary to both of you from me too - it was also our second wedding anniversary.

File now to get a place in the queue and upgrade the petition once you naturalise. There is no reason to wait.

I just did Interview on 28 August at 9.30 am. I am no longer in F2A category, but I've spent 99% of my time on VJ in this forum, and have had so much support, help and encouragement from all of you that I wanted to share the happy news here too.
Anyone else got interview? Good luck everyone!

I've been wondering the same thing. I am also reading the CR-1/IR-1 August interview thread, and no one there has received an interview either. Either all the consulates will be on summer holiday in August and they are not giving out any appointments, or, more likely, the NVC is just scheduling interview appointments a little bit later than usual.
Hang in there everyone, we have made it this far and can wait a couple of days longer!

btw whenever you feel like you're being lost in a shuffle or that you're being singled out for something not working
read the stats on here: http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/ois_lpr_fr_2012_2.pdf
Quick synopsis:
in 2012:
1,031,631 people became Legal Permanent Residents 273,429 were spouses of US Citizens You're not alone. At least you have this community to help you. We certainly do not have that many people on this board!

No you don't have to wait for an email from NVC,if you are able to print the cover sheet from the payment portal then just go ahead and send your package.

it means if your case has been completed by NVC, you are eligible for visa interview.

They still have to wait for NOA2. The case will not be forwarded to NVC without approval from USCIS.

I-485 is only for those adjusting status in the US. It is not for those who will undergo consular processing.
F2A will not be current forever. It will be current in the coming months as very few have completed their cases at NVC. Majority has just been approved by USCIS and will still go thru NVC.

You have to wait for your NOA2/approval from USCIS. Your case will not be forwarded to NVC unless approved by USCIS.

Congratulations!

Finally!!! I just called the NVC and got the news I have wanted to hear for so long: our case was completed today! I can't wait to celebrate with my husband, we are seeing each other tomorrow. This was a wonderful wedding anniversary present from the NVC .

I think i-485 is only for those F2A beneficiaries adjusting status IN the US. Not for those waiting to be interviewed at a US embassy.

Given that the CBP (airport guys) are under the Dept of Homeland Security and your visa interview at the embassy falls under Dept of State, I hardly see how they could know what you said. They are separate government bodies and don't share much. And they aren't that thorough. The London embassy is not the FBI tracking down every clue on crime case. Short easy interview. (The FBI is under the Dept of Justice, by the way and doesn't like to talk to the other two much either, hahaha )

The K1 visa was not approved. That would happen in London and you would be sending application forms to apply for the visa. Your fiance's petition was approved, allowing you to apply for a visa. The petition will expire in four months, so if you never apply for a visa, it dies. London will send you a letter of instruction on how to apply. If you don't respond with application, they will write you in about 6 months asking if you are still interested. At that time you can tell them you married your fiance and are no longer eligible for a K1 and you are working on a spouse visa.Does CBP know about your petition? I asked that question three times. Once I called CBP info number and had a long chat with the Information officer. He said no. On two other times, when arriving from the UK and going through the immigration line I asked, "so what's on that computer of yours about me? Do you know I have a fiancé in the UK? If he came through, would you know he had a petition in the works?" He said No. He said he had entries, exits, overstays, bad guys. I think he meant criminals and terrorists.
So that is my experience to answer your question. I have read another person on here that swears they know. Yes, I agree they may know you have a fiancé if you said before you were visiting a fiancé. It could be in the notes. Do they get every petition filed, approved, cancelled? I kinda doubt it, but who knows? And if you are the lovely, respectable English gentleman you seem, with a good job, I'm sure you could talk your way through any question they have with a reasonable, truthful explanation...petition took too long, we planned a wedding we can't afford to cancel, everybody has bought plane tickets, so I will return to the UK and start over on a new visa as that is the law. Just don't volunteer your life story until they ask. It is reasonable to visit on a summer holiday.

As of today, I am the wife of a US citizen .
I also modified the list to reflect the fact that it's my husband who became citizen, not me. I guess I am overly paranoid, but I hope to have my own immigrant visa interview this summer and I don't want the CO to think that I have claimed to be a US citizen on the Internet!
Thank you all for your help during this process, this thread really made it easier for my husband to get through the N-400 journey. I might be back on this board in a few years if I do get the visa and decide to apply for US citizenship myself at some point.
Best of luck to those of you who are still waiting for your interview or oath ceremony!
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N-400: February 2013 Applicants
=================================

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USCIS Dallas/Lewisville, Texas Lockbox
======================================
UserName............|Sent....|ChkCashd|NOA.....|Fprints.|InLine..|Int Ltr.|Intview.|Oath....|FieldOffice
TENZY...............|02/01/13|--/--/--|02/08/13|03/05/13|03/07/13|04/19/13|05/23/13|06/06/13|Queens, NY
FINDMELUCKY.........|02/02/13|02/05/13|02/07/13|02/15/13|03/25/13|05/09/13|06/13/13|--/--/--|Atlanta,GA
MRS D...............|02/02/13|02/07/13|02/13/13|03/01/13|03/05/13|04/10/13|05/09/13|--/--/--|Dallas, TX
CYCLING_GIRL........|02/02/13|02/08/13|02/11/13|02/20/13|03/29/13|04/04/13|05/03/13|--/--/--|Norfolk, VA (EB 2/15/13)
KAYLIE..............|02/02/13|--/--/--|02/20/13|03/04/13|03/22/13|04/20/13|05/23/13|--/--/--|Newark, NJ
AMBASEL.............|02/04/13|02/05/13|02/05/13|02/14/13|--/--/--|04/18/13|05/21/13|--/--/--|New York, NY
CORINAN.............|02/05/13|02/14/13|02/13/13|02/26/13|04/05/13|--/--/--|05/14/13|06/20/13|San Juan, PR
DND2009.............|02/06/13|02/12/13|02/11/13|02/26/13|04/05/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|New York, NY
JOSHUE .............|02/06/13|02/14/13|02/13/13|02/27/13|04/08/13|04/15/13|05/21/13|06/04/13|Brooklyn, NY
LAILUMINADA33.......|02/06/13|02/14/13|02/13/13|03/04/13|03/08/13|03/23/13|04/24/13|05/15/13|Brooklyn, NY
QUEUEDUP............|02/06/13|02/13/13|02/13/13|02/21/13|02/26/13|04/24/13|05/31/13|--/--/--|New York, NY (EB 02/21/13)
GHANAMADE88.........|02/07/13|--/--/--|02/08/13|02/25/13|03/02/13|--/--/--|04/18/13|06/12/13|Boston, MA
AJ911 ..............|02/07/13|02/13/13|02/12/13|03/06/13|03/08/13|05/03/13|06/12/13|--/--/--|Orlando, FL
ATHENA JUNEs husband|02/08/13|02/19/13|02/20/13|03/04/13|03/12/13|03/22/13|04/24/13|06/12/13|Boston, MA
ASIFH...............|02/09/13|02/14/13|02/14/13|02/21/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Washington D.C. (EB)
FORUMSUB............|02/11/13|02/15/13|02/21/13|02/25/13|04/08/13|04/15/13|06/03/13|--/--/--|San Antonio, TX
VABEAR..............|02/12/13|02/15/13|02/15/13|03/15/13|03/19/13|03/24/13|04/24/13|06/19/13|Norfolk, VA
JOAN >3 BOB.........|02/13/13|02/14/13|02/19/13|03/06/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|05/07/13|05/14/13|Charleston, SC
FIGHTER_ALWAYS......|02/14/13|02/22/13|03/01/13|03/13/13|04/08/13|04/16/13|05/21/13|--/--/--|Houston, TX (moved from Ithaca, NY)
CHOCOCHIBI..........|02/15/13|02/25/13|02/26/13|03/11/13|03/21/13|03/27/13|04/30/13|05/24/13|Memphis, TN
PETUNKA.............|02/19/13|02/26/13|03/02/13|03/12/13|03/13/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|New York, NY (EB 03/05/13)
MOON1982............|02/21/13|02/28/13|02/27/13|03/19/13|04/22/13|04/27/13|06/05/13|--/--/--|Tampa, FL
QQQUAKER............|02/23/13|03/04/13|03/01/13|03/12/13|03/28/13|04/11/13|05/23/13|--/--/--|Tampa, FL
ARUN+CATIE..........|02/25/13|03/01/13|03/08/13|03/21/13|03/25/13|04/18/13|05/22/13|06/06/13|Tampa, FL
AIRFORCE............|02/26/13|02/27/13|02/26/13|03/18/13|03/20/13|04/01/13|05/09/13|--/--/--|Dallas, TX


================================
USCIS Phoenix, Arizona Lockbox
================================
UserName............|Sent....|ChkCashd|NOA.....|Fprints.|InLine..|Int Ltr.|Intview.|Oath....|FieldOffice
AUTUMNAL............|02/01/13|02/04/13|02/06/13|02/27/13|--/--/--|04/01/13|05/15/13|06/03/13|Detroit, MI
STEVIEG2123.........|02/04/13|02/08/13|02/07/13|03/07/13|--/--/--|04/05/13|05/10/13|05/24/13|Phoenix, AZ
SCIENCENERD.........|02/04/13|02/11/13|02/08/13|03/05/13|04/04/13|05/13/13|06/18/13|--/--/--|Portland, OR
HEDI................|02/06/13|02/13/13|02/12/13|03/11/13|03/27/13|03/30/13|05/06/13|05/15/13|San Diego, CA
MONY88..............|02/06/13|02/11/13|02/14/13|03/07/13|04/08/13|04/20/13|05/23/13|--/--/--|Chicago, IL
MUM2LGANDC..........|02/14/13|02/25/13|02/22/13|03/18/13|03/20/13|03/25/13|04/30/13|--/--/--|Omaha, NE
MARKIEBOY...........|02/15/13|02/22/13|02/21/13|03/19/13|04/18/13|04/22/13|05/28/13|05/28/13|Seattle, WA
ROSELINDA...........|02/16/13|02/20/13|02/22/13|03/15/13|03/19/13|03/22/13|04/23/13|05/16/13|Indianapolis, IN
NIGERIAORBUST.......|02/16/13|02/25/13|02/22/13|03/13/13|04/01/13|04/25/13|05/29/13|06/18/13|San Bernardino, CA
SPYGAME.............|02/19/13|02/26/13|02/21/13|03/06/13|04/22/13|05/08/13|06/04/13|--/--/--|Los Angeles, CA (EB)
CHICAGOMAMMY........|02/20/13|02/27/13|02/26/13|03/25/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|06/10/13|--/--/--|Chicago, IL
SAIF9171............|02/22/13|03/01/13|02/28/13|03/27/13|03/29/13|05/06/13|06/11/13|--/--/--|Chicago, IL
CALYPSO.............|02/25/13|02/??/13|02/28/13|03/22/13|03/15/13|05/04/13|06/03/13|--/--/--|Los Angeles, CA (EB 03/13/13)
YEYI02..............|02/25/13|03/04/13|03/06/13|03/28/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Seattle, WA
YULECHKA42..........|02/25/13|03/04/13|03/01/13|03/28/13|04/22/13|04/25/13|05/28/13|--/--/--|San Jose, CA
MI.PI...............|02/25/13|03/04/13|03/18/13|04/09/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Detroit, MI
THAKROZ.............|02/28/13|03/07/13|03/06/13|03/27/13|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Denver, CO


===========================================================================
USCIS Lincoln, Nebraska Lockbox (Filing Under 319b, 328, or 329 of the INA)
===========================================================================
UserName............|Sent....|ChkCashd|NOA.....|Fprints.|InLine..|Int Ltr.|Intview.|Oath....|FieldOffice
ECG19...............|02/02/13|02/08/13|02/15/13|03/19/13|03/21/13|--/--/--|03/27/13|03/27/13|Sacramento, CA
INKY................|02/04/13|02/08/13|02/13/13|03/08/13|03/12/13|03/16/13|04/16/13|04/16/13|Omaha, NE


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No. If you do this, your wife can be deported at any time for misrepresentation. And yes, it has happened. There is a news story floating around about a guy and his Japanese wife who got married before they entered the country on K-1 and now she has been deported and banned.
Also, there are many more immigration steps AFTER K-1. K-1 is hardly anything, and will not give your fiance any legal status in the US.
If your friend did this, then it's just a matter of time before they get caught and banned. Can happen now, 2 years from now, any time, even after citizenship. All will be revoked for material misrepresentation.

Yeah, give it another week at least.

No, unfortunately not. After seeing the good news here we called the NVC today too, but instead of completing our case they requested more documents from me for the IV package. In my view it's a completely pointless checklist and hence I am pretty upset right now.
Congratulations to everyone else though!