StormHeraldEDM

I just wanted to thank all of you folks so much for your knowledge and support through this process.

I'm sure you get tired of seeing the same questions and frustrations over and over again...and yet you keep coming here to uplift and support others, even as you live your own (stressful!) lives.

*claps*

I, for one, am beyond grateful. Thanks for all you do.

It took me 30 minutes worth of attempts before I finally DIDN'T get a busy signal. And then, I was on hold for 28 minutes before I got a live human.

I'm thinking that everyone's calling...because NVC is backed up and we're all getting agitated. It's my theory.

Woooo!!

After 30 minutes of hitting a busy signal, than finally getting through and sitting on hold for 28 minutes....finally got the news that our case was received TODAY at NVC - yay!

Now for a case number. Operator said 15-20 business days for a case number. I'll take the rest of the week off and start calling them again next Monday

Woooo!!

After 30 minutes of hitting a busy signal, than finally getting through and sitting on hold for 28 minutes....finally got the news that our case was received TODAY at NVC - yay!

Now for a case number. Operator said 15-20 business days for a case number. I'll take the rest of the week off and start calling them again next Monday

Hooray for the good news today! Congrats to you happy people

Now if only I would get some good news too...but alas, another day where NVC has not received our file. Another fruitless call to USCIS this morning - they still are unwilling/unable to tell me if they have sent our case yet or if they are sitting on it and waiting for it to hatch a Chocobo or something.

Thank you, pushbrk! As usual, I can rely on you for accurate, timely advice

....Anyone??

In filling out the I864, I have a question regarding listing income for previous tax years.

For 2010 and 2009, my taxes were "Married Filing Jointly" with my ex-spouse. The I-864 asks for my Total Income for those years - do I list the number from those two tax returns (which is a combination of my income and the ex-spouse's income, as we filed jointly), or am I expected to attempt to separate my own income out from the ex's and attempt to tabulate it up based on my W-2s?

I don't mean to be dense - I am only concerned because I have seen RFEs be issued because the numbers on the I-864 do not EXACTLY match the numbers on file with the IRS for income.

Help/suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

Case still not received at NVC...this is making me nervous, I keep seeing others with priority NOA2 dates @ CSC days after us, and their cases have been received. Some of those folks even have their case numbers. ARGGGHHHHHH.

At least I got an operator at NVC today who didn't feel the need to make commentary on me calling before the 20 BUSINESS DAYS (God forbid). That was refreshing.

Hello again, all you fine people!

I expect to see substantially less of you by the end of the month...cause you'll be done (I hope!)!!

Still waiting for NVC to receive our case. Got a really NASTY operator today - told me there is no guaranteed time to receive it and that NVC will let me know when they need something from us, so please just quit calling!! SHEESH. If I treated my patients like that, I'd get fired so quick my head would spin

Good luck to everyone

Still waiting for NVC to receive our case as well...NOA2 date of May 11th. I call every day, and keep getting the "20 BUSINESS DAYS" response. Today, I asked what my recourse is if it's not received by 20 business days, and the operator...laughs. LAUGHS! What a putz.

USCIS won't tell me anything over the phone as to whether my case has actually left their hands yet or not - all they will tell me is the standard canned NOA2 parrot response...not helpful.

They get till June 10th, and then I'll be on the horn to my Congressman!

gosh! our case is not yet received by NVC..wow it's been 2 weeks now since our NOA2! pls hurry up CSC...school opening is Aug. 27.

Same here, we have a notice date of May 11th - "Rhonda" at the NVC line today said that they anticipate a 20 BUSINESS DAY time for file transfer from USCIS to NVC right now. Just keep calling!

*coughcough* Troll.

Have anyone got Case number yet? We were approved as of 5/2/12 and our case arrived at NVC on 5/7/12 but still waiting for case number to be entered in there system. Its taking forever long

NOA2 date of 05/11/12, but NVC still hasn't received our case yet. I'm told from a couple of NOA2 contemporaries that it can take up to 3-4 weeks to get a case number right now. Hopefully sooner, though!

Case still not delivered to NVC yet...another cheeky operator today: "It's just going to frustrate you to keep calling prior to 20 business days. Maybe try waiting till June for your next call". ARGH.

get used to "20 business days" talk hahah you will hear it every time you call NVC for any updates, but dont listen to them, call everyday for a case number!!! good luck but lately its been taking 2-3 weeks to get a case number, the rest goes a little faster! good luck

Cheeky critter that answered the phone last night told me it was currently "AT LEAST 28 BUSINESS DAYS" and that continuing to call could further delay processing of my file! Wow...someone must have spit in his morning Cheerios!

Nonetheless, I am undetered, and will continue to call daily

Finally, I'm able to join an NVC thread....yay!

NOA2 date says May 11th, and NVC has not yet received our file, so now patiently waiting. Ok, I lied...IMPATIENTLY WAITING!!

Good luck to all you fine folks!

Awesome. Thanks for the feedback.

So we finally got our NOA-2 yesterday....woooooo.

In preparing for the next step, my husband and I came across a question that we're not sure on.

I see that I, as sponsor, am required to provide my income for the last 3 tax years, which appears as such:

2011: $62k

2010: $9k

2009: $32k

I returned to nursing school full-time at the end of 2009 and was in through most of 2010, which is why my income was lower (I lived off financial aid ) I'm just worried that 2010 will be a deal breaker, as I didn't make above federal poverty for a family size of 3, which is what I have. Once I graduated with my RN, my finances have substantially improved and continue to do so.

So the question is - will NVC only care about what I've made for 2011 and going forward, or do I need to find a co-sponsor because of that 2010 number? Advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

A lot about this process seems daft. A lot of worker bees in government agencies ARE daft or lazy. What makes sense is to adapt YOUR behavior to make it as simple as possible for them to efficiently do their job. Looking at the back of a sheet of paper bound in a two hole punched government file is far from "easy".

Did your attorney not realize that the actual certified copy of the marriage certificate was going to be needed at the NVC stage?

Originals are REQUIRED for the actual government forms but not at the USCIS stage for supporting documentation. Did you read the I-130 instructions yourself?

I did read the packet and compiled it myself. I took the entire petition to the attorney for a look-through before sending it off, which is when he made me pull out all of my carefully-collated photocopies and throw them away, and go obtain original certified copies for each document instead - 2 sets. One to go with the petition, and one for use later in the process - I still have the second set of originals, ready to go.

So the question is - should I send them ANOTHER original...AND a set of single-sided photocopies of said original, in addition to the letter explaining the situation?

Yes, that's very clear now and that along with sending double sided ANYTHING was your first mistake. These folks build their own file, two hole punched and secured at the top. They probably didn't see the back of the document because they didn't want to stand on their head to do so. I would send a photocopy of both sides, with an explanation that Pima County has their own procedures. Perhaps you can find something online that officially explains this, if the county won't provide something on their own letterhead for you.

For the education of others, NEVER send two sided documents, copies or forms to USCIS.

I suppose that is what I get for listening to a vetted immigration attorney, who I had to pay $500 to consult with and wait 2 months to get an appointment. He stated, " NEVER send photocopies, always send the original instrument, or you will get an RFE". So I sent the originals...and still got one.

For what it's worth, I think the idea that USCIS would prefer to have a copy rather than the real thing, just so everything is on single sided pages....is daft. What kind of sense does that make?? Any one can doctor a photocopy - the presence of the raised seal PROVES that is is the genuine article. It would be easy to provide false proof by simply making multiple copies of the rear (with the raised seal only, since it does not reference the document specifically, just the date and name of the clerk), and attach that to a copy of any document of my choice. Voila! Instant proof. Having the physical raised seal should remove any doubt - not cause more.

So, did you provide a copy of both sides of the certificate or not?

I supplied *original* CERTIFIED COPY - not a copy of the certified copy!

Not sure how to make that more clear. I provided the exact physical piece of paper that I paid for, which had the copy on the front of Marriage Record (as on file with Pima County)and the raised County seal and deputy clerk's signature on the back. I was advised by an attorney not to send photocopies of any legal document, only certified copies with the raised seals, which is what I did.

None of my documents included with my petition packet consisted of single-sided documents - all legal documents (Birth certificates, Marriage Record, Divorce Decree) were all double-sided Certified Copies, with the raised seals and signatures.

Per the Pima County Recorder's office voice mail and website:

"Marriage and Divorce records may be obtained from Pima County Superior Court. The Office of the Recorder is unable to access or discuss these files." This is where the certified copy was obtained from. The immigration attorney I consulted with this afternoon indicated that Superior Court was the correct place to obtain the Marriage Record from, and that he has no idea why USCIS chose not to accept it - he postulates that whoever read my file was not familiar with how Pima County produces their documentation, as it is different that the rest of Arizona, which does not maintain state-wide marriage records, only on the county level. He also recommended getting the clerk to write a letter on county letterhead.

This is unbelievably frustrating.

I sent the ACTUAL certified copy, which is why I am annoyed. $280 worth of certified copies went with our petition, no photocopies of legal documents. Which is why I'm confused.

AZ Department of Health does not deal with Marriage and Death records - those are maintained by individual counties: http://www.azdhs.gov/vitalrcd/index.htm So Pima County is our only hope, Obi Wan.

I have been provided with the name and phone number of the director of Legal Records at the Pima County Courthouse, so I will speak with her on Monday. Hopefully she can help figure this out.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Ok, so we got the email on March 27th, and today I got the actual RFE form in the mail. It says:

"Submit a legible copy of the marriage certificate. The certificate must indicate that after the marriage ceremoney, it was registered or recorded by the county, state or province. The marriage certificate submitted does not show evidence of being civilly registered with the county clerk. The document must show the page and book numbers in which the event was recorded".

So what I sent them originally was a CERTIFIED COPY (that cost me $20 at the Pima County Courthouse in Tucson, Arizona) of our Record of Marriage, which the clerk stated was the only binding marriage certificate that this county uses. Physically, it is a copy of the certificate that was signed by myself, spouse, witnesses, and officiant at the time of the ceremony. It has the raised, imprinted Pima County seal on the rear of the document, with the deputy clerk's signature. It has the date and the marriage licence number, which the clerk informed me was the only thing Pima County uses to identify marriage certificates - they do not use book/page/file numbers, as there is no books such files are recorded in!

I spent 2 hours and 21 minutes back in the Superior Court building this evening, with my paperwork from USCIS in hand....and was told by the clerk supervisor there is nothing they can do for me, and that she did not believe that USCIS would refuse to accept a CERTIFIED COPY of a legal document. I asked if she could write a letter explaining this, and she said, "If this is good enough for the IRS, it is good enough for Homeland Security. I have nothing else I can do for you".

I am sitting here IN TEARS! over this. What do I do?? I've got 30 days to respond to the RFE, I can't exactly send them back the exact same document that the refused in the first place!

Any advice is appreciated.

-Stormie.