Treva

remember - you must get an infopass appointment - y'all figure out the dates, aye?

see http://infopass.uscis.gov/

I just checked out the uscis site to see how to get an infopass appointment. For our situation, it says we can get an appointment if we had a service request that has not been responded to for more than forty-five days. What am I missing here, Darnell? I don't think any of us has put in a service request yet. Can we get an appointment anyway? It says we must bring the service request ID number.

Anyone have any idea what other forms/cases the ATL office processes and how long all those petitions and cases are taking to be approved? (like AOS, employment authorization, work permits, etc). I'm trying to see how long those files are taking.

a while ago, I came across post's from "tonio'swife" that showed she filed adjustment of status at ATL early december and got an RFE less than a month later... so somebody's working in that office, just not touching our stand-alone I-130's.

I also am in Alabama in Birmingham. Lets see what we can work out here. Bismark is game and so we need others on board. Arabianprincess? Treva? I know you guys are ATL transfers!

Oh for sure! I live less than fifteen minutes away. I'm definitely down. Let me know when you Alabama people can get here, and I will take the time off.

...If you are being processed at the NBC then congrats, you got yourself a short cut so be thankful and suffer a little more silently for the 56-90 days you are apart from your loved one...

Lol, have you not realized that posters tossing these numbers around is creating the problem? You're not helping, lol!!

When people see these posts that NBC is going to approve their petition in 90 or 60 days or less, of course they're going to get upset when it doesn't happen. Sure there were a lot of approvals under 90 or 60 days, but I think it was giving VJers false hope to say that will be the case in general. It's not. I can think of maybe a dozen off the top of my head who were transferred to NBC in August and still haven't heard anything. We're not all boohooing either.

You have to factor in local offices being involved and not say all of us Aug 15th and after filers will be processed in the same amount of time.

Thank you Treva Yes I will be sure to let you know what it says on the postmark. I'm sure it's a local office from NY since that's where I live. However I will let you know for sure. How is the visa process going on your end? Any news as of yet from them?

Thank you all for the congratz!!!! Best of luck to everyone =)))

No, I haven't heard anything since August... but I'm feeling like January is going to be our month (me, Memphis, and Abezyo, too)! Thanks for giving us the encouragement, and wishing you a speedy NVC process!

I am truly enjoying Ghana!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Good for you! Make the most of it! Happy New Year!

My I-130 Petition was approved on New Year's Eve. This is truly the best feeling ever. I can finally breathe hehe. Now onto the next step. Could anyone tell me what the next step is? Happy New Year to all! =)

On December 31, 2012, your I130, IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN was approved. You will be notified of the decision by mail. Please check our website at www.uscis.gov for further updates on your case, including when the approval notice is mailed. If you do not receive the approval notice within 30 days, please call customer service at 1-800-375-5283 for further assistance.

During this step the formal decision (approved/denied) is written and the decision notice is mailed and/or emailed to the applicant/petitioner. You can use our current processing time to gauge when you can expect to receive a final decision.

08/20/2012 - I-130 Petition sent to Chicago Lockbox

08/22/2012 - Petition sent to VSC and accepted (Priority date)

08/25/2012 - NOA1 received via mail

08/29/2012 - Petition transferred to NBC

09/12/2012 - Transferred to USCIS Local Office

12/31/2012 - NOA2 Petition Approved!!!

Congratulations! A new year's eve approval, how awesome! I was just wondering about you, lol, as I remembered you and I were one of the first ones tranferred to NBC. Please let me know if when you get the notice in the mail if the postmark indicates Missouri or New York. I'm curious about the local office factor.

my friend and i and our husband they submit our CR 1 at same month of JULY but only 5 days gap. But my friend, her petition was in CALIFORNIA and mine was in VERMONT! lately me and my friend were talking and she said she got her NOA2. got happy to her and got excited to checked mine but still INITIAL VIEW makes me sad . so when i can get our NOA2? i wish i can email or call the USCIS but i think Beneficiary is not allowed to call... :huh: :huh:

Grant your own wish. Call the USCIS. You can always say you are the petitioner, if asked...

I know how it can seem unfair when you compare yourself to some others, so best not to do so. We all accepted the possible processing times when we started out. Focus on how to make the best of your own wait. You shouldn't let other people's good luck change how you feel.

You know, the reason coolguy thinks this is probably b/c most people haven't changed their service center in their timeline. The way a lot of us check what's going on with our service center is by checking Igor's List here: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/monthly_filers.php?form=2&visa=3&scenter=4&option=3&sortby=2 if you scroll down to August you'll see that all August filers have been approved except for abezyo! So change the service center on your timelines, it'll give everyone a better picture of what's going on!

Hi Roosha!

You know, when the option for National Benefits Center was created for a service center, there was a post saying to change the service center in our timeline only if we have an MSC number. I have an EAC number, so I didn't do it.

You're correct in that there are a lot of us who did not change our service center to NBC even though we were transferred there. I really believe that if my file stayed at NBC maybe it would have been approved by now! I'm assuming my file was transferred from the NBC to my local office (Atlanta). Can you think of any other factor why other filers are getting approved so much faster other than the local office factor?? If all the petitions transferred to the NBC were adjudicated at the NBC, then the approvals should have been somewhat in order of first come first serve, wouldn't they?

If my file is in Atlanta, I'm not sure how changing my service center to NBC will help everyone. But OK, sure, I can do that!

Did they give you a good update on your case?

No, actually I did not get a good update. Sometimes when you get a tier two officer on the line they are rude as though you are bothering them by calling. Unfortunately, that's what happened to me. I'll try my luck again in a few days, and let you guys know, lol.

August filer filed to Vermont PD 08/28/12 and transferred to NBC the 09/4/12. still waiting on my NAO2. All August filers at the NBC were approved. I don t know what s wrong why mine still not approved

That's an interesting statement coolguy13 is putting out there. August filers who were transferred to the NBC have not been approved. I am just one more example who is still waiting.

Hello Folks, if you flying from Ghana to USA on Lufthansa making transit at Frankfurt do you require to have a transit visa?

Thanks

Hi, here's cut/paste from Timatic. Timatic is what the airline ticket agents use to verify visa requirements when you check-in at the airport. Transit w/o a visa is OK for Frankfurt if the Ghanaian is holding a valid USA visa.

National Ghana (GH) /Transit Germany (DE)

Destination USA (US)

ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW

Germany (DE)

- Passports must be signed by the bearer. Passports without

signatures For details, click here

Visa required, except for holders of a valid "D" visa issued

by another Schengen Member State For details, click here

TWOV (Transit Without Visa):

- ONLY IF ALL CONDITIONS BELOW ARE MET-

Visa required, except for Nationals of Ghana holding onward

tickets in transit For details, click here ONLY through Cologne/Bonn

(CGN), Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Hamburg (HAM),

Dusseldorf (DUS) and ONLY when arriving on flights operated by

Air Berlin at Berlin Tegel (TXL). *Note: TWOV is not possible

when arriving from a non-Schengen Member State AND departing

to a Schengen Member StateFor details, click here

See conditions per location: For details, click here

- applicable to holders of a valid visa issued by Bulgaria,

Canada, Cyprus, Ireland (Rep. of), Japan, Romania, or

United Kingdom; or:

- applicable to those returning from Bulgaria, Canada,

Cyprus, Ireland (Rep. of), Japan, Romania, USA or United

Kingdom after having used the visa; or:

- applicable to holders of a valid visa issued by USA; or:

- applicable to holders of an expired visa for the USA,

provided holding an I-797 notice of an extension applicable

to that visa.

OMG OMG OMG, our I-130 petition has been approveddddd, my heart is racing as I just found out, my husband just called me and told me that he received a text that our case has been updated and asked me to check online as he was driving home from work...with my hand shaking I logged in and saw that we have been approved as of yesterday.....we are both extremely happppyyyyyy....hang in there guys, it will happen....best christmas gift EVER!!!

Your NOA1 is Oct 25th? Wow, OMG, I can't believe it either!!

Very happy for you guys, congratulations!

Me too. I have no idea how to get a tier 2 on the phone. I can't wait to hear that one of us Atlanta cases has been approved so then I can truly believe they are actually processing cases there...haha. I just wish we knew how many cases have been processed there recently. The website still has Sept. data on it.

lol, I've been able to get a tier 2 on the phone pretty much by asking any question that you can't find out by looking up your case on the USCIS website which is all the tier ones are doing. If you have a legitimate question, they'll transfer you because they don't have a clue.

we got an email from USCIS.....They have approved our petition an hour ago!!!!For all those still waiting have faith it's coming :dance: :dance:

congratulations, Nick!

I called yesterday and I asked to speak to a tier 2. I waited exactly an hour until a African american officer responded. She was short with her answers. I asked her where is physically my file existing? is it still in the NBC office or was send somewhere else? she did not like that question and she told me is not an area of my concern to know where is my file at this period of time and she told me you can ask about the processing time. I told her yes I need to know when I should except something she said after a 5 months from your priority date. I told her the reason I asked that question to make sure my filed is not lost. She told me no it is not and everything is there and I have just to wait. and she asked me if they asked me about evidences I told her no and she said everything looks fine. I told her there are people who filed after me and already get approved. She said each case differ from each individual. I could not argue more than that. I said let me hang off before she get pissed off although she did not make sense in her last answer because what come first should be server first. but I guess that the us immigration. no sense.

Last week when I called USCIS, the tier 2 (Officer Taylor) was pissed off that someone would be calling before the five months was up. He was so rude to me even though I was very polite. I gave him the reason for wanting to know where my petition was is that I wanted to send in the beneficiary's BC. He got livid when I told him that I read online some offices are requesting beneficiary BCs. He said he adjudicates, and they're not required. He said that if I had an RFE it would show up in the system, and since he didn't see one I basically needed to shut up and sit back down! I honestly don't believe that even the tier 2 officers know that much now since the new transfer process. He then told me my petition is in Missouri, but it sounded like he was BSing to get me off the phone, so who knows.

Congratulations, Janelle!

Congratulations, aleigh!

OK, thanks!

Hey there VJers,

I've been noticing posts about some local offices requesting the beneficiary's birth certificate, and with english translation. Would you recommend we (folks who filed Aug 15th and after) go ahead and send it in? Could that make things go faster? or should we just hold on to it and wait and see if we get for RFE/NOID?

I just stumbled up on this post, and you're right. It is a tough situation. Why not stay on the continent? I'm sure there are nice upscale spots to vacation in another african country where he won't need a visa and would be much easier to get to, like Ghana? or Kenya?

Regarding Barbados, currently Nigerians are allowed to enter without a visa for six month maximum stay. I just checked timatic. Immigration may check for return/onward ticket, sufficient funds, etc but should allow him entry. Visa requirements can change just like politics can change, and timatic is always kept updated. The wise thing to do, if you can, is to contact Barbados immigration and try to get them to send you something in writing (even by fax) with hubbies name and passport number on official letterhead that states he should be allowed entry. Tell them you are requesting this letter to be on the safe side because of his "friend" who was detained, denied entry, and sent back. That letter would act like visa for him to carry and be able to present upon arrival in case of any problem.

Otherwise, I hear Turkey is nice this time of year, and there are nonstop flights from Lagos.

So the trend chart is finally updated and September is.definitly alot more i130s its about 3600 compared to August 2600

The numbers don't make sense at all.

It shows there are 3,553 pending I130s in Atlanta as of September 12th, it increased by 828 from August 12th yet it shows they only received 432 during that time period. Can someone explain how that can be possible? Files awaiting customer action are always shown to be zero every month. Something's not right.

the national average of 5 to 6 months , processing I-130 petitions,

just got decreased to being 60-90 days,

for those casefiles filed after 15 AUG 2012.

----

Really? Would you mind notifying the Atlanta Field Office about this?

Thanks,

Treva

Hey Navin, I'm in the same boat as you, but even though some people who filed after us have been approved, we shouldn't feel bad. Normally, before all this NBC/transfer business, the USCIS process would take 5-6 months. So, people who got NOA1s in July are still waiting, too! I'm sure it doesn't feel fair to them to see NBC/transfer folks get approved before them.

You will be fine in time. You already know that your situation will not stay the same for long. It makes sense that you are homesick and sad. One of the best cures for sadness is exercise. Do you live in a neighborhood where you can go for a walks or ride a bike? You need to meet more people, too. There is nothing wrong with talking to strangers, just use your instincts and be smart. If where you live is a little isolated, perhaps your hubby can drop you off in the city or at least drop you off at the metro station. Learning to find your way around on your own in the city will give you confidence. I'm sure there must be things to do for free or for little money like going to museums. You can look in the paper to find out about free activities. It sounds like you have a loving husband who should be understanding and give you a little spending money. You can also volunteer. That way you will be focused on other people's problems instead of your own. Also, volunteering can be a good way to make friends. A lot of women wish they had the free time you have. Take advantage of it now as much as you can, because once you start working and having kids you will miss it!

Best wishes,

Treva