floyd

Thanks a lot oohpartiv. This time I got it right. I've downloaded that before but didn't make it work last time. Thank you, this time I tried and made it work! It's pretty cool! Last time I accidentally side-downloaded Ask toolbar which was very annoying.

Thank you all for giving this link to Cute PDF. I also tried Fox It and that works as well.

This makes it so much easier.

Thank you again Saylin

I have another quick question for everyone around who have filled the DS-230 form. I tried to fill out all the information and save it so I can send it electronically to my wife and then she can fill up any remaining fields, print it out, sign it and send it back to me by mail.

But I am not able to save the file. Plus my wife does not have a printer so she will need to save it anyways.

Is there any way around this - to fill it out and save it?

Just a quick question. We download the DS-230 from the State Department's website right?

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3194.html

This is the link I found through a search which seems to have the latest DS-230.

There's a reason why I didn't reply the first time: I don't know

For SSI though, as the I stands for Income, I would assume that you could use SSI as income. You'd need to provide proof of it though.

You can only give the email addresses AFTER a case number has been assigned. Please go back and re-read the first two posts

Thank You Saylin - you are right - first thing is to get the case number

I was able to call and get in touch with someone today. A lady picked up (she was kind of rude) and she said that the case has arrived at the NVC and it is being entered into the computer and that NVC will get in touch with the beneficiary and the petitioner in 2 to 4 weeks.

I asked her if I can give her my email address so that they can contact me (petitioner) directly but she was very abrupt and said that she does not have any access to the information and IF I had provided an email address in my application then NVC will contact that email address.

Is there something I am doing wrong? Should I first get the case number and only then provide them with the email addresses?

Called multiple times and was on hold most of the time. I finally was able to speak to a person - he was polite and he said that my case has still not been entered into the computer and to call back on Friday. Does that mean the case has arrived but not entered or that it has not even arrived to NVC?

Should I keep calling every day or just wait till Friday since he mentioned very definitively that the case will not be entered till at least Friday

I HATE that! I have to call on skype, so while I'm waiting on hold I'll be doing something else (usually playing games on sporcle.com ) and the hold announcements always scare the bejesus out of me!

I asked this question about a week ago, since I only sent the email template (no scanned attachment) and I got a few replies from people who had very recently been approved with ONLY the template. I haven't heard back yet, but am hoping to this week.

My NOA2 got approved on Jan 30th and got the notice on Feb 1st. I waited for exactly one week and I started calling today. I called maybe 7 or 8 times and was on hold each time for several minutes. Probably spent about 2 hours on the phone but still could not reach anyone. Is that normal or is it more because it's a Monday and they were closed last Friday?

I will continue calling but just want to get a sense of how long it usually takes to get to someone and what are good times to call to get through quickly?

Silly NVC Glad the operator updated your address though. On your next call (for whatever reason), confirm that they have your most up to date address, just to make sure the operator updated it correctly.

Is everyone supposed to get this kind of a PDF from NVC - or is this for only people eligible for Electronic Processing?

Hello everyone! So happy to be here. Our I130 got approved on February 5, 2013. Waiting for NVC to receive our file.

Congrats - welcome to the Feb NVC filers thread - best of luck.

1. Exactly

2. You can give the email addresses on the same call as getting the case number and IIN. No need to request anything as it'll be sent automatically.

3. They send a copy of the DS-3032 INDEPENDENTLY of you sending the DS-3032 email. And they only send out one DS-3032. If you gave email addresses when the case number was assigned, then it's sent by email. If no email addresses were given, then it's snail mailed to the beneficiary. It's either or, not both.

Yes, if you want to be agent and not your lawyer, you'll need to tell them on the same call where you get your case number. Follow their instructions.

4. Yup. A few days after the case number is assigned, the AOS bill will be invoiced.

5. Yup again.

For a consulate/embassy change, you'll need to ask an operator once a case number has been assigned. They'll explain what to do. If one operator doesn't know, then just call up again. Some operators aren't that knowledgeable

Thank You once again!!!!!

Questions on next steps. I went through all the guides and just want to make sure that my plan of action is correct

1) Got my NOA2 approved and got the notice on 02/04/2012. As per Saylin's recommendation and other notes, I will wait for a full week and start calling NVC to check if my case has arrived and get the Case Number. In between I am working on the PCC for my wife, tax transcripts and other documents.

2) Once I get my case number, do we give them the email addresses so that they can send the choice of agent form and fee bill right away (on the same call) or do we call them back? In fact is it the same number or a different number we have to call to do this process?

3) Once they accept the DS-3032 form by email, they send a copy of the DS-3032 electronically by email (since we gave it above). I am confused about this because in the FAQ and links in first couple of posts, it says "NVC Generates and sends a copy of the DS-3032 (Choice of Agent form) to the petitioner and Sends the original DS-3032 (Choice of Agent form) to the beneficiary in the foreign country"

And somewhere around this time, I tell them I am going to be the agent and not the lawyer?

4) Then NVC invoices the I-864 and the only thing I need is the NVC Case Number and the INN . The rest of NVC process seems easy to follow - just want to make sure that this is where I send all the financial support documents like tax transcripts, bank letter, pay stubs, letter of employment etc.

5) As for the DS track, once the DS-3032 is completed then we get the IV Fee and pay it. And when sending the DS230 is when we send all the original documents.

And when both the tracks are ready then it goes to the final step - interview date setup and documents sent to the consulate.

Last question - sorry friends - too many questions - based on my lawyers recommendation, we put Abu Dhabi as the consulate (Iranians have to choose among a set of consulates) - but is there a time when you can request for a different consulate (since my wife is in New Delhi it would be much better for us to go there).

Good luck and no worries, just be yourself and you will get a wonderful result ! :)

Good Luck - you will do great!!!!!

Hello all,

I just got the NOA2 for my wife who is an Iranian but living in India for the past 6 years - We have already been apart for well over 2 years (because I had a green card when we got married). I am really hoping the process goes fast. Is there any information about whether women have a faster AP then men from these countries?

ask to have this moved to the India forum, I am sure someone there will be able to answer this question for you.

Not sure India forum will be appropriate because my wife is not Indian but maybe it's worth a try - mods, can you move it to the India Forum?

Hello everyone,

My wife has been living in India (New Delhi) for the past 6 years. She has an Iranian passport. When I looked up information on applying for her police clearance certificate, it notes that the certificate for Indian citizens come from the passport office but for non-Indian citizens comes from the regional district police station.

My wife when she went to check was told that what she needs is a clearance certificate from FRRO (Foreigner Regional Registration Offices).

Anyone have any ideas?

Hi everyone,

Saylin clarified a lot of my questions but I am still confused about one bit.

So I received what seems to be the NOA2 but I see in all of your signatures that you have one date for NOA 2 and another date for Case Transferred to NVC - my question is - after receiving my NOA 2 - do I expect another letter to tell me that the case was transferred or do I find out the date of the case transfer when I call NVC for my case number?

My plan is the following:

-- Wait for a week (as per Saylin's advice and other people's posts) and the start calling NVC to get the case number

-- Send an email to make myself as the agent and also tell them that they should communicate with me and not the lawyer (that I used to I-130)

Is that all for now? Nothing else to wait for till I call NVC?

Yeah, it seems like it's an unofficial copy and the official one has been sent to the lawyer. Although it's not really necessary, getting the NOA2 (and the rest of the copies of your documents) would be a good idea.

If you don't call NVC to get the case number asap and then give your email addresses, then yes, NVC will snail mail you and your spouse correspondence. But, like I said previously, as long as you give over both email addresses, as soon as a case number is assigned, they'll email you correspondence, the first one being a letter with your case numbers as well as other information.

Right now, take a week off and relax. Starting next Monday though, start calling NVC every single day. Once the case number has been assigned, get it along with the IIN. Then give over both email addresses. Mention you want to remove your lawyer and they'll tell you what to do (if anything).

Please read the guides in post 1 and the FAQ in post 2 as they explain in detail the NVC process.

Perfect - you are so helpful - thank you!!!!

I will get the documents from the lawyer - from what I have seen, you don't really need a lawyer for these steps - and definitely not the one I used because he is too slow.

I will definitely call the NVC and give my email address and email the DS forms as well

I will go back and read the posts but looks like at this time, I am not expecting NVC to send any sort of packet to my wife in India.

Thanks a lot once again

Thank you very much - I was so worried.

So this is the NOA2 but an unofficial copy and the official approval notice will be sent to the lawyer? So I need to go to the lawyer and collect it from him?

And yes I am not planning to use the lawyer but I hope after I tell him that I am not going to use him, he does give me the NOA2 official copy and does not mess around with me.

So now do I also get another letter from NVC? In one of the documents I read it says, we are supposed to get an official NVC letter (or is that only for K1 visas?)

Basically I am just confused on what is the next step. I need to wait for something from NVC or should I just begin calling in a few days to get my number and when I call, is that the time I have to tell them to remove him as an agent and send a DS-3032 with that?

Also, is there something that the beneficiary needs to wait for in terms of letters. The reason I am worried is that she is in India and is currently out of town for a few weeks - so if there is something that they are going to send to her, I better get her to tell her neighbors to keep the mail.

Thanks again for your quick reply. I am just a bit confused despite reading all the notes!!

Yes, that's the NOA2. Mine's very similar to what yours said. The first line is basically saying the official approval notice (NOA2 as we call it) has been sent to your lawyer. USCIS doesn't send anything more after the approval notice.

If you're not planning on using your lawyer for the NVC process, you'll have to tell the NVC operator about it, so they can remove him as agent. You'll also have to send a DS-3032 then.

Remember, as long as you give both email addresses over, all correspondence is sent by email. If not, it's sent by snail mail, which can take weeks to receive.

Received my NOA2 letter today but I am quite confused about the next step.

The letter I received in the mail says the following:

"This courtesy notice is to advise you of action taken on this case. The official notice has been mailed to the authorized representative. Any relevant documentation included in the notice was also mailed as part of the official notice"

"The above petition has been approved. We have sent the original visa petition to the Department of State National Visa Center (NVC), 32 Rochester Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801-2909. NVC processes all approved immigrant visa petiotions that need consular action. It also determines which consular post is the appropriate consulate to complete visa processing. NVC will then forward the approved petition to that consulate"

"The NVC will contact the person for whom you are petitioning (beneficiary) concerning further immigration visa processing steps."

"You should allow a minimum of 30 days for Department of State processing before contacting the NVC."

Questions:

So is this the NOA 2 notice?

What does it mean when they say that the official notice has been mailed to the authorized representative. I was using a lawyer for the I-30 but plan to do the NVC process myself as my lawyer is extremely lazy and non-responsive. Is there additional documentation that they mail out - either to me or to my lawyer?

Also, what do contact the beneficiary at this time for? My wife is in India so not sure if I should ask her to monitor her mail at this time?

Based on my reading on VJ, I figure that first the approval notice is sent (NOA 2) and then the case is assigned to an NVC after which I start calling them to get the case number. Is this letter the only one you all received?

So confused

Lastly, as for the lawyer, I don't want to use him any more (he took $1500 from me for the entire process but now he says that was only for the I-130 - I made a mistake trusting him - so I want to do the NVC myself. What should I do to essentially take over the process. I will ask him to give me all the copies that he has of the I-130 and other supporting documents but is there something else I need to do to let NVC know to contact me and not him anymore?

Hoping to clear this confusion.

Attached a snippet of my approval notice (NOA 2?) to the post.

Letter

Hello everyone,

I just got my I-130 approved yesterday - on 01/30/2013.

I am hoping the next stage goes fast. Right now I am reading up on all the process and forms that I need - it is a lot but thanks to all of you, it is organized and user friendly.

please read the guides and jan nvc thread.

do not wait for forms.

No wait on any forms btw congrats

.... And the wait continues for the rest of us

Thanks guys - I have subscribed to the Jan NVC thread and although I will most likely be a Feb NVC filer.

Hi everyone,

Today I got a notification from USCIS that my I-130 has been approved and the notice is in the mail. I am so happy. The receipt date of my application was October 10th 2012 so it took about three and a half month to get the approval.

I am now reading up on the NVC process. Looks like there is a lot of work now.

For the next step, what I got from the step by step guide was that now I will get an approval notice and then after a few weeks my spouse will get a packet of forms that my spouse and I need to fill out (My spouse is in India). Is that correct? What can I do in the meantime - can I have my wife start working on getting her police clearance certificate etc.?

I have a quick question for you and it probably applies to others in this forum

How do you know when your case was transferred to NBC and when it was sent to local office for adjudication?

I have the NOA1 receipt of 10/05/2012 and when I entered the case number in the USCIS site, it shows a last updated date of 12/12/2012 but does not give any reason for the update. Is that the date or is there a separate status?

Also, is there anywhere I can see the processing times for I-130?

y'all need to study a bit in the MENA forum... and know about mandatory AP and if it will apply to you or no.

I really hope that she does not have to go through AP. From what I have seen, AP is usually for men in the MENA region, not as much for women. And my wife has been studying in India for the past 6 or so years so hope that makes a difference too.

Best of luck and welcome. Is the Iranian process longer than other countries or the same?

Thank You

It is slightly longer than usual because there is no American Embassy in Iran (and Vice Versa) so there are one of either embassies that your application gets sent to. On top of that my wife is living in India for the past several years so I am not sure if that adds to the complexity or not but I hope things move fast - it's already been 2 years since we got married and it's getting hard for us