Mozeze

Of course they won't pass the phone to their supervisor if you do not demand it. But that should not be a problem. Ask politely to speak with a supervisor. If that does not work, you may ask the petitioner to do the call and request to speak with a supervisor.

This narrative might help you. My younger brother was billed to attend an interview at the Embassy in Nigeria on an Immigrant Visa through the DV Lottery. He was unable to secure medical clearance before the interview date which was early September: only three weeks to the end of the issuance of visas for the year. So he had no option but to show up for the interview without the medical clearance. He was granted the visa subject to his providing the medical report before 30 September. At the interview, he was given a slip of paper indicating where to drop the medical report when it is ready. However, since your mother's visa category is not the same as his, I do not know if they will interview her without the medical clearance. What I would do will be to have her attend the interview without the medical clearance. She has got nothing to lose by doing so. Again, this happened in Nigeria and I do not know if the consulate in the Philippines follows the same procedure.

I have read some contradicting information in this forum about sending the DS-3032 form. Some have recommended to just email from the beneficiary's email account but some posts have also recommended to email first and then mail the papercopy as well. I would preciate any input from those who have gone through this process.

I am the beneficiary. All I did was to email the DS-3032 Choice of Agent from my email account and it worked for me, even though I was skeptical at first. You do not need to send both: send either. But I would advise you use the email option. It is faster, it works and it is not in anyway detrimental. Furthermore, you will receive an auto-generated response immediately you send the email. This serves to assure you that it has been received by the NVC while you await a further email confirming the choice of agent has been accepted.

Hi Everyone,

i won the visa lottery, which i played through apple choice (an agent). however, they didn't send me confirmation number on time . so because i didn't see confirmation on time i relent and look at it that i was scam but always had the believe that i was gonna win the visa lottery. i never knew the result was even out on till i got a call that till i got a call in second week of September from the agent the i won the us visa lottery. i actually confirmed and saw it that is was through via the www.dvlottery,gov.state. immediately i filled the forms (DSP-122:, Form DS-230, Part I and II) and sent it back to Kentucky. Going through the requirement which i read in www.travel.state.gov.

i really need everyone's help.

1. where do i process my birth cert. is it at the local govt where i was born or national population census.

2 do i need to get my primary school certificate.

3. where is i locate the three case number.

4 Above it all i will like u to enlighten me on the interview process and all.

thanks and god bless u all

Congrats! Jidex. Please see my responses to your questions.

1. where do i process my birth cert. is it at the local govt where i was born or national population census.

Answer: It is at the National Population Commission, if you never had a birth certificate issued you before.

2 do i need to get my primary school certificate.

Answer: No. You only need the Senior Secondary School Certificate. You may however have any higher qualification in hand just to pad it up.

3. where is i locate the three case number.

Answer: If by this question you mean the case number beginning with the three letters representing the consulate where the interview will take place for example "LGS" for Lagos, I do not think DV selectees get these kind of case numbers like other classes of immigrants visa applicants.

4 Above it all i will like u to enlighten me on the interview process and all.

Answer: Check reviews written by others at - http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?cnty=Nigeria&cty=&dfilter=5

at the interview, they want you to establish that indeed you have the minimum education qualification and that you are the selectee and not some other person. You only do your medicals as soon as you get your visa interview appointment letter. For now, the medicals take place at VI and Ikoyi. I had mine at Ikoyi: The Consultant's Place, Raymond Njoku Street. When it is time for your medicals, you must check to ensure there has been no change in the authorised place for medicals as they often change them. For the Police Clearance Certificate, I will advise you also wait and do it at the same time you will be doing the medicals. You will get to make your visa fees payment on the day of the interview inside the interviewing hall. If you do not have an international passport yet, now is the time to get one as you will need it for the medicals, police clearance and visa interview.

thanks and god bless u all

Hello VJ Family!

I know it has been a minute since I have graced the site but I have been busy battling and spending time with my husband overseas. We have flooded the Department of State with tons of evidences and photos of us living together as husband/wife with family and friends. it took them over a year to finally reaffirmed our case!!!! I have gotten so comfortable overseas that I was wondering if we should go ahead with the interview and of course my family and friends snapped me out of my foolishness!

We received word that my husband's interview is scheduled for December 20, 2012 at 12pm. We were a bit sad that it will take over two months because I want to bring my husband home for Christmas and a family member is getting married Saturday after Christmas.

We are happy that they have reaffirmed our case and schedule an appointment less than three months. I am not sure if anyone have been down this road but my husband and I would like to hear some experiences with reaffirmed cases and what to we need to do to prepare. Is it the same as the first interview or do we need to do another medical/fingerprint?

We are confused because we were just only told to show up at the appointment time. Maybe we misread the information? How can I update or start my timeline?

Thank you!

Congrats on the Reaffirmation. The Police Clearance Certificate issued in Nigeria is only valid for three months. The medical reports for six months. I have read on this forum of situations similar to yours, where they attended interviews and were approved for visas but were told this was subject to their presenting fresh medical reports. Why not play safe and get fresh police clearance and medical reports very close to the interview date and have your spouse arm himself with them for the interview. Come to think of it, I remember one or two instances where the VJ members complained that the embassy guys should have informed them to come with fresh medical reports for the interview.

To start your timeline, click on your name, a drop down menu will come up, next click on "My Timeline (Add/Edit)" and you are good to go.

Needed some advice and reassurance. I am from Canada and my husband is from the U.S. We filed for the i-130 in june. August 15th the uscis website stated that they sent our forms to a local office for additional processing. Does anyone know what that means? would it effect our case. My husband and I got married in the states in dec 2010. We had initially filed for a green card then.We were also given a date for our interview but something arised and we couldnt make it to our interview in 2011. Since then i have been in canada and this summer 2012 we re-applied. Since we are not living together and he just comes to visit what documents would i need that will help our case?

Hi, why not create a fresh thread with the appropriate heading. By placing your post under this heading above, you will not get maximum exposure as members generally are very willing to attend to request for help. I, for example, only saw your post because my I-130 was filed in October 2011. I am sorry I am unable to offer any further advice as Canada does electronic filing a process I am not familiar with at all. Good luck.

According to the information we received with our visa interview date, there is a requirement to obtain a certified copy of birth certificate from the National Population Commission. Does anyone know where this commission is located and the process of obtaining this copy? My fiance has a birth certificate, so we are confused about the "certified copy" thing. How long a process is this and is there a fee? Also for K1 visa, how many days should one plan to complete the medical and obtain police report? Can all these be accomplished in a 5 day work week or does it take longer?

Please respond soon

The National Population Commission (NPC) has an office in every local govt council headquarters in Nigeria. So, your fiance should go to the council secretariat of the local government area of his residence to find out the exact address of the NPC in his place of residence. They will have him get either of his parents to sign an affidavit of birth. It is quite a simple process, so relax. The birth certificate can be obtained in a day and cost should be something in the region of N3,000.00.

In Lagos, medicals currently take three days, baring any unforeseen health issue. In between the three days for the medicals, he can go to the Force CID at Alagbon and get the police clearance certificate in only a matter of two hours.

I'm trying to plan the logistics for a flight purchase and need to calculate my time on the ground.

I understand that the Embassy does not issue a visa the same day, how much longer are they taking currently?

Gowon, it takes about a week from the date of interview. For example, I did my interview on the 6th of August and was asked to pick up my passport on the 13th of August. Same too for others who were interviewed before me.

Hello forum, pls I need you help in filling some part of the i-864.

When my wife file the last tax return, she included two dependants. But now one of them is no longer dependant on my wife. Is it now okay to say in the form that she has only one dependant even though the last tax transcript will show otherwise? You kind reponse is highly anticipated in this matter. God bless you as you help

Hi Onye Uwaoma, please see an extract from the I-864 Instructions, which I clearly states she has to include both dependants on the I-864 since she included both in her most recent tax returns:

21e - Enter the number of any other dependents. You must include each and every person whom you have claimed as a dependent on your most recent Federal income tax return, even if that person is not related to you. Even if you are not legally obligated to support that person, you must include the person if in fact you did support that person and claimed the person as a dependent. Hope this clears any lingering doubt. Wish you guys God's help.

I have used DS 3032 email Template to assigned my wife as agent and am waiting for NVC to confirm it but my wife didnt know and she has also mail real ds 3032 form on my behalf to NVC to assigned her as agent.....i hope it doesn't matter or will delay our process

Your statement: "am waiting for the NVC to confirm it". Did you receive an auto-response email from the NVC after you sent in the template? If you did not, then it is most likely NVC did not get the email.

Once your case is completed at the NVC stage and your file sent to the consulate, you do not have anything to do with the NVC anymore. All subsequent communications should be with the consulate. So sending the co-sponsor documents to the NVC will not be the right step as your file is not with them anymore and so there is no place to put it. I think you should send it to the consulate where you are doing the interview. You may wish to confirm by calling/sending an email to the consulate to confirm. In my case, I sent an email to NVC concerning an RFE we got and they replied saying my case has been completed and the file sent to the consulate. They advised that all subsequent communications should be with the consulate. Good luck.

I have a similar situation. My police clearance certificate expires mid July and my interview has been scheduled for first week of August. My research on this forum indicates that, if I do not go for the interview with a fresh police clearance certificate, the issuance of the visa will be delayed. I have obtained a fresh certificate, the plan being that when the CO talks about the expired one, I will simply pull out the fresh one. I will advise you do same.

Thank you soo much Mozeze. I found everything I needed from that site. Good luck on your interview and i will pray for you and pls pray for us. Ours is July 30th. I am leaving for Lagos on the 27th so that I can be there with my husband for his interview.

Olami, you are most welcome. Thanks for the prayers. I will do the same for you guys. May God see us through and grant us our desire to be reunited with our spouses. All the best.

Does anybody know where to go for medical in Nigeria, cos the location has changed and my husband interview date is fast approaching. If anybody can tell me where to go or even who to contact, it would be greatly appreciated.

My interview comes up next month in Lagos. The letter notifying me of the scheduling of the interview directed me to the site: www.ImmigrantVisas.state.gov from where I got the address for the approved hospitals. They are:

Dr. Alexandra Anga

The Consultants Practice

The Children’s Practice

25 Raymond Njoku

Ikoyi

Lagos

Telephone: 01-893-0723, 01-461-1941

Cell: 0706-585-9845

Dr. Funmi Alakija

Q-Life Family Clinic

Plot 155A Prince Ade Odedina Street

Off Ajose Adegun,

Victoria Island Annexe

Lagos, Nigeria

Telephone: 01-804-2000, 01-726-2840

Cell: 0702-770-4055

CONGRATULATIONS. What a relief. August 6th that is fast approaching for sure.

Thanks dwheels76. You will get there too soon. Just hang on.

Congrats & Good Luck!

Thanks and Amen, LadySarabi.

Case completed on the 18th of June. Interview is for 6th August. God has been faithful as usual. Thanks all for your support.

You are right. We got a checklist too today asking for W-2 among other things. My spouse has been working in Nigeria until she went back to the US and started working January this year. Like you did, she submitted the F-2555 and 1040. When, she called NVC she was asked to give me the W-2s for the interview: odd.

Contact your senator or congress man on your own. Do not wait for the lawyer. I do not think the VJers who approached their elected representatives for help in scaling through USCIS did so through their lawyers. You have got to be stubbornly persistent. Wishing you God's help.

We filed in October too and got our approval 4th April, that is about two months ago. Since you are into the 8th month now, I will suggest you get your senator or congressman involved immediately. I know of several instances where the involvement of the senator or congressman has helped those whose petition like us had passed the five or six months processing time. Good luck.

Where the visa applicant does not have a birth certificate, secondary evidence of the birth is allowed. For the secondary evidence there must be a written communication from the relevant agency of government stating that the birth certificate is not available and the reason for the nonavailability and an affidavit of age declaration. What the National Population Commission (NPC) gives for those whose births were never registered is a Birth Attestation Certificate (letter). NPC will require an affidavit of age declaration made out by either parents or some other person old enough to be around at the time of applicant's birth. I will advise you send in the NPC letter and the affidavit of age declaration. We got a checklist from the NVC because we sent in the NPC letter and did not add the affidavit deposed to by mum. Furthermore, for the affidavit it might be best if your spouse goes to the NPC so they can help draft it properly. If the mum is the one who will depose to the affidavit, then her maiden must be stated. If you need any clarification please feel free to ask. Good luck.

No cause to be alarmed about the originals demanded at the embassy: before your interview, NVC would have sent your case file to the embassy along with the originals of the your certificates and upon conclusion of the interview the CO will hand over to you the original certificates while retaining their respective photocopies. So, relax.

Hi, I am currently residence abroad, but my sista is doing it for me. I will help u enquire about the price. The question i have is about birth certificate. I want to know if the American consulate accepts Birth attestations, which they give in place of original birth certificates. Mine went missing many years ago. Cheers

We are at the NVC stage for document submission and a few days ago, we got a checklist for the Birth Certificate Attestation from the National Population Commission. We sent in only the Birth Attestation and failed to send in the affidavit deposed to by mum, on the basis of which the Birth Attestation was issued. My spouse called the NVC to explain to them we spent in the Birth Attestation and the person she spoke to informed her that since the Birth Attestation was not a certificate, we should in response to the checklist prepare a statement of no birth certificate and add an affidavit deposed to by a close relative who was present at my birth. If we had known, we would have sent in the Birth Attestation and the Affidavit and we would not have had the checklist.

Dear VJ Members,

I need an urgent help, I am stuck I guess and extremely worried..my NAO2 was approved on April 2, 2012 and then NVC took so long to generate the bill on my continous calls after 45 days, on May 15, 2012 my husband in US (Citizen) paid the bill online; on the same day our lawyer mail the required forms like Affidavit of support and Form DS 230 but without my sign and with out my original documents; he said he did right while after a thorogh browsing I got to know that form DS 230 should be signed by beneficiary (myself) I do not why oour lawyer is saying that he is right and now I will get interview date most probably. I have called several time to NVC and they said they will take 20 business days to review the documents and then come back to us if any more thing required.

I have prepared my attested/notarized documents and prepared my poice certificate for the safe side and thinking to send the signed form DS 230 along with original birth certificate, police certificate and translated marriage certificate to my hubby so that if any query comes he will courrier NVC on the same day.

I feel I am losing my days due to lawyer because now NVC review in 20 days then after again submit the originals and then again NVC will take 20 more days, I feel so helpless and worried.

I have my first anniversary after 3 months, thought will celebrate with my hubby but the situation is just opposite thought my lovely hubby visited twice after wedding but it would not be possible again just after 3 months .

Sorry for being writing in details.

Hope to listen from you guys and your experiences if NVC accepts form DS withour beneficiary sign and without original birth, police and marriage certificate.

Regards,

SZ

You can be sure NVC will send you guys a Checklist for the civil documents not sent in. I will advise you wait to receive the Checklist before sending in the missing documents because while the DS-230 and accompanying documents go to "ATTN CMR" responses to Checklist are sent to "ATTN DR". The Checklist letter would advise you attach the checklist letter to the requested and send to the address on the cover sheet page included in the Checklist letter with a warning that failure to do so may cause a delay in processing the case.

Thank-you

I decided to contact a lawyer for help as it was all getting very confusing and I do not want any mistakes made and also want to get over there as soon as possible to start a new life and get my daughter into school.

I would advise you be careful with the help from the lawyers, they mean well, but some of them may not be up to date with the current immigration practices and most will not give your case the kind of attention and speed you would give if you were to handle it yourself. Some of the things you will learn from Visa Journey you may never get to learn from lawyers. One of such things we have found out is this: beginning from Augustus 2011, when the US citizen lives abroad with the spouse and the I-130 Petition is sent to USCIS it usually takes less than a month to scale through USCIS. This has already been pointed out to you by someone else.

Again from this forum, we have learnt short cuts such as the type of documentation for the NVC stage and to get the papers ready even before approval is secured from USCIS. If you study this site some more, you will learn loads of things that will surely help you. I can recall reading of the sad stories by VJers of how some immigration lawyers messed up their cases for them before they found VJ and the wealth of information it has and they wished they had known of this site before they started the process.

Except you have a potential red flag, you may not need to consult a lawyer: if you have the time, study, study and study this site again and again and I bet you you guys will have a smooth ride all the way. Use the search tool (at the top right corner of this screen for any issue) and you will get more specific answers to whatever questions you have.

The choice is yours. Good luck to you guys on your journey.

Gosh I am so sorry after reading Darnell's reply I was like huh (reading it in my email on hotmail).

Yes I meant laminated as in encased in a plastic cover permanent to preserve and keep it funky fresh. Or do they (NVC and embassy not like that.

Sorry for the misdirect I seem to be doing that a lot lately.

dwheels76 I do not know how NVC treats laminated documents but I do know for a fact that the embassies in Nigeria do not accept laminated documents as originals. So, I will advise you simply wait until you scale through NVC and the embassy before laminating. I know of a senior colleague - I am a lawyer by the way - who in ignorance laminated her marriage certificate and when she got to the embassy the certificate was rejected. She had to obtain a certified true copy (CTC) at the Marriage Registry where the marriage ceremony was contracted and the CTC is what she has been using ever since.