Jasontnyc

Never thought it would be the February thread I would be posting this in but VISA approved today!

Hello,

I had thought we were home free as we made it to the interview stage with no issues whatsoever. The interview went ahead and although no questions were really asked, they just said that "Intent for Domicile" is not an option under any circumstances and we need a sponsor. I had a lot of paperwork to this effect included my signed US contract which well over the poverty line (I live abroad with my wife - getting moved back to the US for work).

So we got my parents to sponsor (The beneficiary's in-laws) and although retired, I believed they met the criteria without having to include assets.

The embassy ruled it wasn't enough - The reason was that once they applied their tax credits, they were under the threshold. Being retired they are entitled to a lot of tax credits (credits, not deductions) so it skews things on paper.

We are considering our next steps but have a few questions. My wife will be asking the embassy but it may be some time and it would nice to be prepared before.

1.) What number should they actually be using for assessment? I thought it was Gross but could they be correct that it is Gross - Tax Credits?

2.) The beneficiary mother in law (my mother) has new retirement income that started Jan 1st - Can this be included even though it wouldn't be on a tax return until April?

3.) They have cash assets (We were told stock holdings and property don't count)but they fall just under the 3X threshold. Can a combination of income and assets be considered? The embassy was unsure and thought it may be one or the other.

4.) The embassy said we also need an I864-A - Can anyone advise on the actual forms that should be completed when it is the in-laws of the beneficiary?

Thanks!!!!!

One question about the above.

The guy mentioned to my wife that she "shouldn't send in the turbo tax type one - use the other one" without mentioning any actual forms. I really don't know what that means. Could he be referring to using the I-864 instead of the I-864a?

I am nearly sure we should be using the I-864 anyway.

Thanks

Good luck!

Unfortunately we were not approved although if we get another sponsor, we can just send that in and we should be all set.

I don't quite get how the AOS can be approved but for the embassy to say no.

No actual questions were asked... We just had a 3 hour wait and then a 5 minute conversation for swearing to the truth and then mentioning the sponsorship.

The guy was new (he kept yelling back to another guy with questions like "Do they have to sign anything?") and insisted that under no circumstances can the USC be a sponsor if they live with the petitioner abroad. He didn't accept Intent for Domicile (not based on the evidence but in any case) and despite my letter from my work on continued employment at many many times the poverty level.

I'm sure I could fight it but I'm just going to try for the additional sponsor and get it sorted.

I hate the inconsistency but I suppose that is what it is all about.

Interview later today --- Fingers crossed

Joining the Nov thread a little late - Interview got moved to Dec 17th.

Hello,

Has anyone had any experience in contacting the Irish embassy? I need to move our interview date and when calling, it seems the right email to send the request to is DublinCons@state.gov - I sent an email on the 15th (5 business days ago) and have gotten no response.

The autoresponse says you will get a response within 2 business days and NOT to send another mail

The Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin has received your inquiry and will be working on a response shortly. You should receive a reply to your message within two business days. All inquiries are processed in the order received, although during times of high email volume we scan all messages to ensure responses to true emergencies are not delayed.

Unless you have a new question not covered by your initial email, do not send a second email inquiry, as this slows down processing for everyone.

Is there a way to just get someone on the phone?

Thanks

Got our interview date for late Nov just now - sorry to hear of the situation in El Salvador.

JL you may have one but I called last night at 9pm and was told they're done scheduling November.

What does that really mean though - it may be that they aren't sending the requests to the embassies anymore but if they hear back, you get your interview. My optimistic take anyway!

Just wait for the interview date notification then it's medical time

I am just hoping that the interview scheduling started back when they said I was case complete over the phone, not today.

Called the NVC and they said they are in the middle of scheduling for Nov right now - we all know the reality but basically they weren't able to say anything more.

Hmm, weird, you got it as a non-EP person. Did you email NVC at any point asking for a status update on your case?

No, here's the email:

Dear Sir or Madam:

The National Visa Center has received all documentation necessary to complete pre-processing

of your case. As soon as an interview date has been scheduled, the applicant, petitioner

and attorney (if applicable) will be notified.

The applicant should NOT make any travel arrangements, sell property, or give up employment

until the US Embassy or Consulate General has issued a visa.

The US Embassy or Consulate General may require additional documentation at the time of

the interview. Additional documentation requirements if applicable can be referenced at

the following URL: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3742.html

Sincerely,

Director

National Visa Center

****CASE DETAILS REMOVED*******

Just got an NVC email and thought, it the interview info - it was just the case complete email (that's a pretty good gap between actual case complete and notification).

If a particular embassy were booked for the month of November NVC would say so, right??

Because we STILL don't have an interview date, whereas everyone else (but Vietnam) does. And everytime I call NVC they say the same thing: "we're still scheduling for November. We're still scheduling." Last week it was "we're waiting on El Salvador" and this week it's "We schedule all embassies at the same time. We're still scheduling."

You get a different response with every person that picks up the phone. I have gotten both those responses and no interview date although you are a week or so ahead of me.

It will be two weeks tomorrow since my husband emailed the D3-3032. Does that seem long to you? I also sent the original in the mail with a note that it was emailed on September 27th. I already sent in my I-864 package and I am waiting to hear about that also. I check the payment portal nearly every day to see if I can pay the IV bill yet.

If you sent a physical copy, they can tell you if it was received. For me it they said it was received when I asked over the phone but not processed. At leastthen I knew it was being worked on.

How do u find out about interviews and deadlines? I hope we get a nov one..... good luck to u as well. I think imma call today.

The scheduling window for November is starting soon although for a lot of embassies they seem to schedule during the whole month. I just called the NVC and they told me they were just waiting to hear back from my embassy - which would seem to contradict the whole window theory.

To be more exact - it is impossible to tell.

advise is always welcome! unfortunately i don't have many of those things. we're renting now and staying with my sister while we find a place to live/jobs in NY and she has written a letter stating this.

one last question: i am working in ireland. when it asks for my current income in $$ should i put $0 (since it won't allow me type EUR). I understand that foreign income cannot be counted, and we have a join-sponsor, but at the same time, since it does say 'current income' putting $0 doesn't seem accurate.

I have a slightly different situation as I am keeping my job - just relocating to the US. However, for current income I converted it to dollars using the exchange rates provided by the IRS. These are the same exchange rates you use when filing your US taxes while living abroad (which I hadn't done for 10 years but was able to do so retroactively and met the requirement).

I included a printout of the exchange rate page from the IRS as proof of how I came up with the US dollar amount.

There are other options like getting a moving quote for your stuff from Italy to the US, a letter from your family stating you will be staying with them upon arrival and have agreed payment. Voter registration? You can even include correspondence with a US realtor to show you are seriously looking for property/long term rental.

I wouldn't rely solely on enrollment (although it helps your case).

What did you provide originally?

Omg! Im really goin crazy.i havent heard anything yet for case complete. And they are closed today.... its only been 7 -8 business days dosent it take a week for them to look over papers?

I wonder if they are still working even though the phone line is closed for the holiday...Someone in another thread said they got their interview email today.

Hope you get your case complete tomorrow when you call.

Yeah, that's what I'll do then - state my residence/mailing address as Ireland and domicile as USA. It's always nice to receive some reinforcement. Congrats on your approval and hope you receive a date soon!

Not sure if you want the extra advice but if you want to add a few possible things to your domicile list:

- Moving company quote

- US Credit Card with US address

- Any email correspondence indicating your intentions (I included some with a US realtor)

- Listing of your house for sale here (if you are selling it)

- Letter from whoever you will be staying with on arrival in NY stating you will be staying with them and have agreed to monthly payment (no need for amount)

You have a few things I didn't so it looks like you are going to be fine

So, would you advise I put 'Ireland' as country of domicile rather than 'USA' (question 15)?

confusing my forms...

I put the US address on that one based on advise here - It was approved but haven't done the interview yet. The reasoning was your domicile is the US and you lived abroad "temporarily". Proof like US license, voting card, credit cards, bank accounts are proof because they show you have always intended to return.

Domicile and residence are two completely different things.

Thanks Jason, that's really helpful info.

We have bills and lease agreements in both our names so that should satisfy them.

Also thanks for sharing your timeline in such detail in your sig, it's very encouraging.

You started your process in July and seem to be within a couple of weeks of completion already; all within 3 months!I had anticipated the process from application > Chicago Lockbox > NVC > Dublin Embassy to take closer to 8 months.

Is the NVC the same as a regional Service Centre (e.g. California, Texas, Nebraska, Vermont USCIS processing centres) - I'm a bit confused by some of the lingo surrounding all this!

One thing to note - there has been some weird going ons in the service centers so the time frames for those abroad may be a bit longer.

Basically you apply first to the USCIS via the Chicago lockbox and they then send it to a processing center. Recently it went to CSC (California) for those applying from abroad. Recently there has been an increase in the number of VISA applications (potentially due to new eligibility in the US) which has seen many applications transferred to centers that haven't been seen before. A quick search for NBC (Missouri) will give you an idea about it. This is completely different from the National VISA Center (NVC).

Basically you submit your I-130 to USCIS and when they approve it, it is sent to the NVC - You submit your AOS (Affadavit of Support) and IV packet (Beneficiary info) to the NVC. If they approve it (case complete), they work with the Embassy to schedule your appointment.

My advise would be to understand the stage you are at really really well and just look at the documentation requirements of the stages to follow. In your case, start thinking about your police certificate (really easy in Ireland - feel free to ask me more in a personal message), US domicile intent (perhaps the hardest), and vaccinations.

Its very hard to explain the process without making it seem overwhelming but it really is pretty straight forward if you read as much as you can here and ask lots of very specific questions.

I am a British Citizen marrying my American Fiance in the UK next September, after which we are planning to live in the USA. We are planning on apply for the Spouse visa, but I am very confused about the process and timescales, I've been given a lot of conflicting information about how it works. Can someone explain in plain English how it works. Thanks.

Where are you both living now (and where do you both plan to live during the application process)? This affects time frames.

Read the first two posts of this thread as they are very useful (especially look at the flowchart).

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/391875-nvc-filers-october-2012/

Also take a look at my signature to see some of the steps I took to do the same thing (Time frames are based on USC living abroad - add another 5-6 months to it if USC is living in US).

What do you mean "return address"? Do you mean mail is being forwarded (which won't work). Where did your NOA1 go?

Do you get an email when your interview date is set or is it via post only? Just wondering if I should be calling from time to time or just wait for the email.