danielleNJ

We filed for AOS in April of this year and our case was transferred to CSC on the 16th of May. He received his AP/EAD card in July. When can we expect his green card? Anyone with a similar timeline? Help, I'm starting to worry! Anything I can do to find out?

Thanks,

Danielle

what visa are you applying for? i've never heard of any sort of parent consent affadavit. you don't need parental consent, you're a legal adult once you're 18.

Anyone who had biometrics on May 30th hear anything back yet? All I've got is a case transfer to CSC. No word of EAD or interview letter! I'm starting to get so anxious!

Being transferred has nothing to do with biometrics. There is no rush to go do it now because it was transferred. If you want to rush and try to do a walk in you can, but no reason to.

I realize that, but I wasn't sure if it would speed it up at all since the case is already on it's way to CSC. Thank you!

hello VJ! good afternoon!

looking for a bit of advice!

seems like everything is happening backwards for us. we got our biometrics letter before our NOA1's, and as of yesterday, our case has been transferred to CSC before we've even gone for biometrics! my husband's biometrics is scheduled for may 30th in elizabeth, nj. i've heard that this particular ASC doesn't allow walk ins and i also know that a walk in biometrics appointment won't necessarily speed up our case, but under the circumstances of our case already being transferred - should we attempt a walk in? whether it be in elizabeth or elsewhere?

let me know what you think!

danielle

Thank you

Ok. So today I received another letter from USCIS stating that I needed to file form I-864 .... Any idea why or what that means? I filed I-864A because my father in law is my sponsor so I thought I had filed the correct one! Should i be worried or whats happening now? Any answers will be appreciated.

You still have to file the 864 even if you have a co-sponsor. The form your father filled out just states his information, not yours. Don't forget all the supporting documents!

Do a bit of reading on this site and you will have a better idea on what your options are.

Try downloading the attachment and saving it onto a disk or a jump drive. Then go to Kinko's/Staples/friend's computer/etc. and try to open it that way. I've never heard of this sort of problem. But I know you probably won't have much luck getting another email from the consulate (at least in my experience). Good luck!

My problem is; the check has been cashed, but no email or hard copies of anything yet. :bonk:

That's weird! Did you send the G-145 with it? I've heard of people never receiving the emails for NOA's. I would suggest logging onto uscis.gov and checking your case status that way, but you can't without a receipt number. You could try calling I guess?

I would not worry about it, the email with the receipt numbers is proof at this point. It took an additional 13 days before I got the hard copies in the mail, from the date of the email. Getting the biometrics appointment is a good thing, your AP is on track. Call them f you do not get hard copies they ill re-mail them to you

Gonna give it a few days and see if anything comes in the mail. Crossing my fingers!

Thanks

hello VJ!

hopefully someone can help ease my mind on this.

we sent in shannon's AOS/EAD/AP to the chicago lockbox on april 23rd. it was delivered on april 25th. we received NOA1 for all three applications via email/text on april 30th. on may 5th, we received our biometrics letter with an appointment scheduled for may 30th. thing is, we still haven't received our NOA1's in the mail yet. is this a cause for concern? are they lost in the mail? were they never sent? or should i just give it a few more days? also, what can i do if i don't receive them?

thank you for the help, as always

danielle

I had my employer date the letter a few weeks after they wrote it because I had an approximate date I knew we'd be sending off Packet 3. I'd wait til after NOA2 before you have your employer write the letter. After you get NOA2, you still have some time before Packet 3, so get it then an have your fiance send it to you!

I got NOA2 aprroved on April 4th and got letter from American embassy in Tokyo on 24th. It has my case number with it. I just follwed the guide line and sent DS-230 part I. I just got DS-230 back from American embassy in Tokyo and it says:

TO: my name

REF: I-129F petition (my case number...)

We are retuning your DS-230　Part I　since we no longer have your case at this office. The petition I-129F filed on your behalf has been requested to be sent back to the approving USCIS office.

Thank you

Regards,

Immigrant Visa Branch, Tokyo

I checked my case status on USCIS web site. It still says "On April 4, 2012, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E)."

Do I need Ref??

Does anyone know about my situation? I am very sad now...

Not sure if I'm quite understanding but to me it sounds like you sent your DS-230 to the wrong address and they simply returned it. Where and when did you send that to? Did you send anything off with it?

The USCIS website is just telling you it was approved (meaning...you got you NOA2).

Just sent off AOS/EAD/AP on Monday and it was delivered to Chicago today!

The wait begins! Hopefully it's not a long one...

Hi Shannon and Danielle,

I hope you find the answers to your first two questions in the link Inky sent you.

In answer to your third question I am not sure what you mean by "my name is not legally changed yet". Your name changed when you got married (if you chose to take his name) and your marriage certificate is legal proof of that. If you mean updating various agencies such as banks, SSA etc about your name change you don't have to wait, you can submit AOS under your married name now, if that is the name you are going to be using from now on, and update the various agencies when you feel like it. SSA won't let you change your name until you have your EAD or GC anyway.

Thank you for your response! My name did not

Legally change when I got married. We had no

Option for that. We applied for the marriage license, picked it up three days later, got married and we are picking up the certificate tomorrow. We need the certificate in order to make any changes to my name (ssa, DMV, banks, insurance, etc). This is according to the mayor who married us, the clerk at town hall, various web sources and my father (who is a lawyer). I am confused as to why I'm hearing differently now.

Hello VJ!

Hope everyone is well. Shannon and I got married on Wednesday and are now getting ready to file for AOS!

Just have a few questions!

1. How much is the fee to file for AOS? I'm reading different things everywhere. And who do I make the check out to?

2. Where do I mail the entire AOS packet off to?

3. Shannon (beneficiary) and I are married, but my name is not legally changed to his last name yet. Do I keep my maiden name on all the forms since that is what is on all my documents? We were planning on beginning the name change process this week as well. If we send off AOS with my maiden name, but while it's being processed my name changes to his last name will that affect anything?

Think that's all for now!

Thanks so much!

Danielle

Then, don't worry, or to make sure email the embassy.

I've done that! Hopefully I was just worrying for no reason. Darn DOS Thanks for the help!

Well then I'm pretty sure everything is fine.

Does Shannon have the tracking number from his Australia Post envelope that he should have left them when he had his interview?? If so - have you tried checking on that? That will at least let you know when the package has been sent.

Like I said - I had my interview on a Tuesday and got the visa on the Friday. I don't recall seeing it take longer than a week to ten days or so (I'm talking about in cases where everything was approved without further info required).

He does have the tracking number and has been checking it but it has not been sent yet!

We were hoping to get it by yesterday, but now praying it will come Monday or Tuesday!

Thanks again

Hi Danielle

I had my interview on the same day Tuesday 13th and was given a sheet of paper Refusal Worksheet which is to do with section 221(g). I didn't have a US Federal Return from my Petitioning Relative. So my Visa was put on hold until I can email a Federal Return to them which I have done. I haven't received a response from the US Consulate in Sydney regarding my matter.

The Sydney Consulate doesn't really respond to many emails, you just have to wait. I spoke to one of the security Guards after my interview emailing to the Sydney Consulate. He said they get 100's of them a day that they have to sort through. I'm not expecting to get a email response to say that my Visa has now been granted. It will just turn up in the mail. If and when it will come. It's a waiting game. My wife and I wanted to travel over to the USA next week, looks like we will be in Australia for another couple of weeks.

Getting to your situation. I believe you have been given the wrong information. If Shannon got the piece of paper that said "Congratulations you have been granted" then he has been approved. That's what I was hoping for but it didn't happen that way for me. At least I have hopefully sorted that out now. I reckon Shannon will have his Visa next week. Just give them more time. The US Consulate in Sydney have been busy of late. I guess everyone wants to move over to the US.

Good luck with your future

Darren

Darren,

Sorry to hear about your situation. I feel your pain with the embassy never responding to emails. It's just so frustrating! I hope it all works out for you and you and your wife can come to the US soon!

You're right. Just need to wait a few more days before I start to worry! I always get so worked up for nothing!

Good luck and thanks for the help

Danielle

I agree completely that DOS gives the wrong info, much too often. Calling again and speaking to another person, asking them to take the time to look into it a little more, might be the best bet

I agree. But I've given up on DOS.

I spoke to THREE different people yesterday who all gave me completely different information. Two of which seemed to not have a friggin clue what they were even talking about or what AP even is. And I had an issue with receiving Packet 4, and called DOS for help and they gave me different information every time as well.

Don't bother calling DOS - they have absolutely nothing to do with the case and usually give out incorrect information.

If you have concerns - they need to be directed to the Sydney Consulate - they are the ones in charge of approving and issuing visas.

Having said this - I think it's likely that you have been given incorrect info from DOS. It is rare for Australians to be put on AP (and by rare I mean I have never heard/read any cases where this has happened).

The CO's in Australia do not usually lie - if they say he's approved, then he's approved. Did they give him a slip of paper saying 'approved' at his interview? I got one at my interview on a Tuesday and had my visa on the Friday.

Just relax....he will probably get his visa in the next couple of days.

P.s. yes he did get a slip saying he was approved!

Don't bother calling DOS - they have absolutely nothing to do with the case and usually give out incorrect information.

If you have concerns - they need to be directed to the Sydney Consulate - they are the ones in charge of approving and issuing visas.

Having said this - I think it's likely that you have been given incorrect info from DOS. It is rare for Australians to be put on AP (and by rare I mean I have never heard/read any cases where this has happened).

The CO's in Australia do not usually lie - if they say he's approved, then he's approved. Did they give him a slip of paper saying 'approved' at his interview? I got one at my interview on a Tuesday and had my visa on the Friday.

Just relax....he will probably get his visa in the next couple of days.

That's what I'm beginning to think. The officer would not have lied. I'm just hoping for a response from the embassy at some point today. It's reassuring to know that it's extremely rare for AP to happen in Aus. Thank you! How long does it take most people to have their visas in hand after an interview in Sydney?

I just want to say that Egypt CO's all say yo will get your visa in 1-2 weeks..... and about 66% of males go thru AP there!! (that is my own personal VJ %)

I am glad your country is more truthful than Egypt.

They were honest with my husband and said check back in 14 weeks.

Was your man born in another country?

Did he travel out of his country?

Is he Muslim?

He was born in Australia and has lived there his whole life. He is not Muslim and has no criminal record.

Yeah it's common in some countries but not in Australia. The CO would have told him if he knew there would be AP.

Exactly. Not in Australia. Even the lady at DOS said. The officer would have told him if we were in review.

No it wouldn't make much sense at all. Someone is mistaken here, either the CO who said everything was fine when in fact the case had to be put in AP, or, most probably, the DOS.

Just wait for the embassy's reply. I'm sure eveything's gonna be alright.

I'm pretty sure the officer wouldn't have been mistaken. Especially after commenting on how organized we are. And confirming that he would finish the paperwork that day (or asap) and he would have his visa soon! Sydney embassy hasn't been the best at responding to our emails thus far but hopefully they can respond to us today. Why is everyone at DOS so clueless?

Did she say "administrative processing"? Or did she use another term?

I've read here a few times that after interview and by the time the visa is issued, DOS sees the case as administrative review, which is basically the embassy working on the case to print out the visa.

Better try to get in touch with the embassy.

This makes me feel a bit better. So what youre saying is that it's possible that this review or processing is simply because the visa has not physically been printed or issued yet. Doesn't necessarily mean it will be stuck there for weeks. The officer told him he would receive the visa by end of this week or early next week. Doesn't make sense why he would have told him this if we were going to be stuck in processing for weeks. Should I be worried? I've emailed the embassy. Thanks

EMAIL OR CALL the embassy

They will give you better information

DOS sometimes gives wrong information

Sorry. I hope they were wrong

They told me my husband was still in AP after the embassy had told me visa was issued...I asked her are you sure and she said yess. I said then why would embassy say visa is printed?

Then she said oh yes it says approved.

I do not even know if they look at a computer when they talk

That makes sense. Every time I've calle DOS they always seem clueless and give me different information every time. I did email the embassy though. Hope I hear back today. Thank you!

May be, call again and ask about what kind of AP is that? Is it related to background or name check, etc etc?

She couldn't give me much detail. I asked a million questions and all she could say was "it differs from case to case". What the hell am I supposed to do?

VJer's,

I'm frantic again. Shannon had his interview this Tuesday the 13th. The CO told him he was approved and even commented on how organized we were and how impressed he was that we had all our correct documents ready. The CO asked him when he was planning on traveling to the US, in which Shannon responded "next week". The CO noted this on his form and said he would receive his visa in the mail by the end of this week or early next week.

I just got off the phone with DOS because I wanted to call and see if it had been issued and sent yet so that Shannon can go ahead and book his flight. The woman told me that his case is under AP and "wasn't sure why he was told he was approved". What the hell does this mean and what am I supposed to do? She couldn't give me much other information. This doesn't make sense to me. HELP!

Danielle