LunarStar

I'll also comment.Filed abroad and I too have received no indication that I will be transferred to a different office. I am at NBC like you as well Oriz,and I too can not check my status.

Hey Oriz, do you think us USC filer abroads really do get transferred to field offices? When I called to see if they were going to move me, and possibly where to, they said as of Oct 15th, my case was still at NBC(and this was on Oct24th, so 9 days after I got my NOA1). The person I spoke to also said that they were unsure if it would get transferred but said they would update me by email in 30days if they intended to. Dangit, using the link you posted,if it went to the Houston field office, I could possibly get my NO2 in 2-3 months...if they didn't mimic last years trend around Oct-Dec..

1.800.375.5283

This was the number I used. You have to play around with the menu, until you can get to a live representative.

Hi there,

Mind if I ask what number did you call to check for your NOA1? Because I have someone I met here on Vj that is wondering and waiting for her NOA1..and shes desperately asking for some help of where she can get in touch with the chicago lockbox to check on her application. So if u dont mind sharing it with me so I can pass the info to her aswell. Thanks in advance

congrads! So just a quick question. For petitioners who filed abroad, are we also being transferred to field offices where we intend to stay when we relocate to America? Cause so far when I got my NOA1 it said it was at NBC and there was no indication I was getting transferred to a local field office.

My husband bought the money order at the post office. No issues.

yeah,! I just got a hard copy for my NOA1

but when I did a search on the forum, someone from Cananda did a money order drawn on US dollars from there and they got an RFE!

I guess they were really hungry for my money order, so I'm good.

Aww you're wedding date was the same as mine!

Did you file from abroad to a lockbox in the USA or did you have a Direct Consular Filing?

And you already got you're NO2?! Or did you mean that you got a notice that your papers was transfered to NBC?

p.s. to coaltoasty:

Thanks for the tip! Before this whole ordeal change from Aug 15th and transfers, I already had my stuff ready for the NVC stage.

My mom keeps reminding me how she sent her w-2's,express mail, just to hear I will be back in the states so her $30 USPS express shipping fee was

futile =/

Hi,

I'm Clint and I met my wife in Kandahar (we're both military)

We Married august 22, 2012

We send the I-130 on September 24

NOA1: September 28, 2012 (Received and is in process)

NOA2: October 4, 2012 (Transfer Notice: USCIS-NBC, PO Box 648005, Lee's summit, MO 64064???)

that's it for now..

allright, so apparently they did cash the money order and I got my case number. I don't know why they didn't notify me by email as I specified(cost me 80cents to send that extra paper in!), but I shall recieve my hard copy NOA1 soon since they mailed it out on the 15th.

Im also at the MSC,and like you guys I can not see my case.

I also found out from the guy I spoke to on the phone hat this whole process should take 5-6 months, but he said it could take longer for some people.

What those deciding factors are? I have no idea.

was the money order drawn on US funds? It took me around a week to get my NOA1 text and email. Hopefully it will come!

Yes, my money order was made in US dollars. And when I called the USCIS to see if that was an issue, they didn't seem alarmed that I sent my filing fee by that method. They told me it takes 10 calendar days to get a NOA1 =/. So just gotta wait and see I guess ()

But now im freaking out cause doing a search, it seems I did have to use a check/or money order from a U.S. institution.....

Hmm, Okay I'am freaking out now..

sadly no, I can't check on my money order =/

hmm, im kind of worried now too.

I sent my I-130 to the chicago Lockbox last week and it arrived there Friday[10/12/2012]. I know it hasn't been a week yet businees days wise, but so far I haven't gotten an email saying I have a NOA1. You guys think since I used an international money order that could be a hold up? But I can't deem that to be a reason since its like a check anyways...

Me three! Mailed to Chicago Lockbox 10/10/2012

And here we go....

here ya go! Info straight from the USCIS website

I've been following this just like many other people here on this forum who are in the same boat as you.

canadian_wife: I was trying to show proof that I was living in a foreign country for 6 months+. I remember the website said I could only file from abroad if I lived in that country for that long.

dwheels76: was trying to show it for both

jasontnyc: ah I got it! Thanks for the advice. The only proof I have that I have domicile in the US is my family who I intend to move back in with =p.

I have my I-130 stuff almost done, but in terms of proving domicile that I am living abroad and with my husband I currently have

1)Our marriage certificate ofcourse(translated and notarized)

2)A document from city hall showing that we live together in an apartment.

and kind of off topic but should I have the translation of this document notarized as well?

3)A statement from our mobile phone company saying we are on each other's phone plan as husband and wife.

I was wondering if I should also send photocopies of my health insurance bill(my husband isn't on this), my residence card saying I am allowed to live in Japan up until 2015, as well as receipts for payments I would send to my mother from japan showing my current address as well.

I plan to file this week, and all of this transferring business seems to be slowing down that *un-spoken, expedited rule that a lot of filing abroad CR-1's were having between the NOA1&NOA2! I remember it took someone 11days to get both NOA1 and there NOA2, but now? That 2 week process seems to be a pipe dream now

le sigh

There's been posts about this a couple of pages back. Something about a back log at the main USCIS centers so they're evening out the load.

Just an update: Im legally married and just came back from a usa embassy to have my marriage certificate translation into English notarized and got some new information that left me confused

1) They said I still wasn't done notarizing my marriage or something like that. I know I should've asked them to be more clear(just got over some bad food poisoning for the 5th time this year), but I didn't press it further because I'm like "The USA embassy clearly listed the steps, and after I translated my marriage and had you guys sign the paper notarizing it, what else is there to do? As far as the site says, I'm done..." And when I did a search in the forum, I found a topic saying I needed 3 pages containing certain stuff which I clearly have

And a heads up to people who do this in Japan. On the USA embassy site for the translation forms for the marriage certificate, they are apparently wrong. The service lady today told me that the paper I printed from the USA Embassy website in Japan was actually a form for passport changes. That's nice to kn

2)They also said the hubs needs a police certificate from the US, since he lived there abroad for a year(technically 8 months). I did a forum search just now and a lot of people here said thats false, but this was from 2008, so any updates on that?

3)And lastly, that this whole process will cost $2,500(filing fee, getting documents, sending documents ) but that doesn't sound right...

yeah...this is all just new to me and different from what I read so far. But atleast the person who gave me this information today did say I could file from Japan. The last time I went, they said I'd have to wait to go back to America, and than I could file for the I-130.

Correction, you will have the real official wedding ceremony prior to your petition filing

Anh: Ah yes yes, that is true=)

thanks for the advice!

Thanks, thats good to know!! Okay stress towards filing too soon is away, and now stress towards the paperwork!

This isn't new, and I tried looking around but didn't really find a a particular topic to match mine.

So, I was recently engaged, and plan to go the spousal visa route for me and my fiance. I currently live with my fiance in his home country of Japan(been working here for 9months now, lived together for 6 months, and plan to leave by the end of November). After reading about how there seems to be an unspoken expedited service for petitioning the CR-1 visa when an expat lives overseas in America's case, We decided to get married by the middle or end of the month and have my I-130 out by then too. In your opinion, is that to soon to file for the petition?

I also don't plan to change my last name, I'll save all that paperwork change and stuff when I get back to the states..will that also raise some eyebrows?

I mean, yes we love each other...and we've been in a Long Distance Relationship for 5 years, but I wonder if they would think its a sham marriage...

We also don't plan to have a real official ceremony till 1 year later hopefully

I'm just nervous because we're hoping everything goes right and that he'd be able to join me in the states by late December or January.

Should I wait a lil bit after we're married before we file for the CR-1 visa?