the.ronin

I was very worried.

When I got the RFE for evidence that I already submitted, I just resubmitted the evidence based on advice from the good people here and my friends who just went through the process. I thought maybe they deemed the evidence insufficient but for whatever bureaucratic reason, didn't convey that effectively in the RFE letter.

In particular, I included airline boarding passes from Avolar, a discount airline in Mexico. It was basically a small white sheet of paper not much bigger than a large Post-It note with our names, dates, seat assignment, and airport locations. No logos or watermarks - simply the words "BOARDING PASS" across the top. Something I could have done in photoshop in less than 1 minute. The only other evidence I provided aside from time stamped photos were two bus passes with our names and dates but they were very tough to read and everything in Spanish.

But all worked out well in the end. It's still sinking in right now. I chatted with my fiance on MSN with webcams last night and we both were like ... uuhhhhhh .... hahaha. We would never have guessed we would get approval in just less than four months!!! We are very excited but the reality of it all is quite profound! We've been together for a very long time (see below) and it has been culminating to this one piece of paper. Sick!

Approvalitious!!!!!

HAHAHAHA awesome word.

ME TOO !!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHA CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!

Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!

I keep going back and looking at it to make sure I didn't just hallucinate the wording.

No email, no website update ... just an ominous touch a few days ago and I come home to my mailbox to ...

... at first I was like ...

... then I was like ...

WOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!!!!1!!!1!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!1!!!!elventy!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haha yeah it seems like yesterday when you were complaining about not hearing anything from the USCIS. Oh wait it WAS yesterday hahaahaha!!

Congratulations man!!!!!!!!!!

I got a RFE and one thing they said was photo's with dates were needed claiming mine had none. After the final interview in Sigon I recover the photo's and confermed I had put date in large print on the back of every photo. So dating photo's on back may not help if the moron's the DHS hires to review your package are to stupid or lazy to turn over or read the back of the print.

My solution was to submit photo's on 8 by 11 photo paper from a color copier and then write the dates & place on the margins on the front, so if the iodiots can read you might have a chance.

I completely understand your frustration. One only wonders what the $175 fee was all about. How long does it take to turn a photo over??? Absolute morons. It's as if they do not realize it's people's futures they are dealing with here.

Agreed with most of the above but please note my friends were sent an RFE for, among a few other things, not having dates on their photos. Whether they expect it to be time stamped by the camera or simply written on the back, I don't know. I did both.

Holy cow, after posting above I checked the website to see that we just got touched again!!

Thank you so much.

I am just getting rather nervous that for whatever reason, they decide to decline the petition. Very frustrating.

Thank you.

There's so much going on right now between the job hunting and the K1 it's rather overwhelming. We are also closing on a deal I have been working on for over two years and may blow up at any second - two years work down the drain. Thankfully my fiance (I just deleted the word girlfriend haha) is very calm and composed and she always manages to bring me back down to earth. I can't wait to be with her for the weekend tonight.

Well I've recently been bickering about the website not updating and not having received any email updates despite having been touched and subsequently receiving a nice phatty RFE. Well lowa nd behold today, I get a notification in the email and notice that the status on the website has been updated to read:

On June 14, 2007, we received your response to our request for evidence. We will notify you by mail when we make a decision or if we need something from you. If you move while this case is pending, call customer service. You should expect to receive a written decision or written update within 60 days of the date we received your response unless fingerprint processing or an interview are standard parts of case processing and have not yet been completed, in which case you can use our processing dates to estimate when this case will be done. This case is at our CALIFORNIA SERVICE CENTER location. Follow the link below to check processing dates. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register.

I am a bit worried because the evidence I submitted was the exact same evidence I had already provided in the original application.

Recall that they thought the copies of the passport I submitted was my proof of having met but in fact it was proof of U.S. citizenship - which I indicated on the RFE response cover letter. I provided 5 originals of photos with time stamped dates and info on the back; copy of boarding passes for a vacation with names and dates; and copy of bus pass for a vacation with names and dates - all well within the past two years.

I am also concerned about the new job I will likely start next month ... assuming all goes well with the K1 application, I presume I will need to take a week off within three months of receiving approval?

Bah. Maybe I worry too much.

Ah so I should wait until my fiance's interview? Am I getting the process mixed up here ...

Interestingly, our friends went through the same exact process (same circumstances - he is U.S., she is Mexico) and when she had her interview in Juarez, they never even so much as asked for any of the tax returns, pay stubs, W2s, etc. ... although I intend on bringing everything. Just interesting to note.

Thanks you guys.

If I switch jobs and our I-129F continues to be processing, do I need to report that to the USCIS? How - just a form letter?

Additionally, how does that look when I provide evidence for the interview in terms of the letter from the employer? At best, I will have been at my new job for just a couple months. However I do keep every pay stub I have earned and am well well above the poverty limits indications for a sponsor.

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't People here have had every combination of email/not email possible. Touches, not approved message. Approved message, no touches. Letter from NVC without seeing a touch, email, or hard copy NOA2.

Annoying, but probably not much to be done about it.

I understand ... I guess I am a bit annoyed because it's not as if there was no fee associated with this application.

Are the fine folks over at the USCIS even bothering updating the online status anymore??

Much less bothering to send out email updates??

Am I the only one that finds this a bit annoying??

Congrats!! You guys must be so psyched!

Still says "received and pending" even now! I just don't think they are updating the site appropriately.

No they are not - at least not with me either. I realize it's the government we're dealing with here but I personally find it absurd that they can't update the website for the fees paid. Generally, I've found the overall level of competence rather wanting. And they want to more than double the fee?!

I never even got an email.

But if you look below you can see when I got the touch and when the RFE (for E already submitted) arrived by physical mail.

Well I basically just submitted everything that was originally submitted and sent it in the official RFE envelope. I am a bit worried that maybe they require more evidence of having met - even although all that was noted in their letter was that they thought the passport was meant as evidence. No mention of the actual evidence submitted.

I am just worried that they, for whatever reason, decide to decline the application since I just submitted what has already been sent.

Do you think it is worth calling them in a few days to follow up?

Ok guys and gals ... I'm about to head to the post office to send in my response to the RFE via certified & return receipt mail.

I plan on including exactly what I had sent with the original package:

- 5 original photos with time stamps (month, day, year) with our names, locations, and dates on back as well

- copies of airline boarding passes with our names and dates for our trip in Oct 2006 to Gauadalajara

- copies of bus boarding passes with our names and dates for our trip in Dec 2005 to Mazatlan

I also included a cover letter outlining the above and clarifying the purpose of the U.S. passport copy included in the original application was as proof of U.S. citizenship. Recall they had thought that was meant as proof of having met. For what it was worth, I also indicated that traveling to Mexico by land does not warrant an exit / entry stamp - that you don't even need a passport just a drivers license. I also mentioned that I live just 100 miles from the border and visit my fiance every weekend.

Please let me know if I'm missing anything here. Wish me luck!

Seriously nice organization. You are my hero

5th degree OCD.

I'm still curious as to why I never got an email update and why the status description on the site has not changed.

I understand they are doing the "best" they can but for $170, I truly do find this all rather disconcerting. And to think they are increasing the fees more than two-fold. Quicker turnaround ... yeah ok, right after I buy that bridge in Brooklyn.

Yes, and look at the new AOS fee. You can kiss a Grand goodbye there.

Would you have a link to the thread please?

From $170 to $455????

Wow inflation is really sucking.

I'll take a Heineken, if you please!

-P

Just one??

Wow so it's NORMAL to get RFEs for Es already submitted??? And I thought I had read through enough of these forums ... I guess not!!

Do you think it is worth my contacting the 800 number and referring to the evidence already submitted; just go ahead and submitting the evidence (again); submit the evidence and then some; or all of the above?

I feel SO much better now. Damn I really wish I could buy you all beers!!