newbie101

Hi everyone. Sorry for being unable to get back to you. After several months of waiting. My visa had arrived just yesterday. October 18..Thank you Lord. Anyway,just a recap.

Aug 17. - Interview at USEM

Sept 28 - (Friday) Call from USEM to pick up of request..brought to NBI.

Oct 5 - (Friday) USEM picks up letters of explanations and makes all transactions every fridays

Oct 8 - (Monday) US holiday - Columbus day..no work

Oct 9 - (Tuesday)USEM called. they have already received the letter of explanation from NBI and asked if I can leave urgently once the visa is issued considering my Medical Exam expires on Nov 1. I replied "Yes". And she said she will put a note on it so the consul can consider the time frame.

Oct 12 - Ff-up made through phone. Sarcastic lady just asked me to wait since I just recently got a call from the embassy.

I sent another email to ivmanilareplies@state.gov giving my situation that I have to help out in taking care of my baby

in the US and I am requesting for my papers to be expedited since my medical exam is expiring.

Oct 15 - (Monday)Got an email reply. My visa was issued and will be sent soon.

Oct 18 - Visa Arrived

Anyway, I hope things will work out also for all of you guys.

@jmangalili - We do have to submit all the case resolutions before being an issued an NBI clearance which will appear as "NO CRIMINAL RECORD".

Although the US embassy recognizes such clearance. They don't have any concrete evidence of what kind of crime a person may have

been accused. So they would need a "LETTER OF EXPLANATION" from the NBI that would state your case since they are the ones who have

issued the clearance. In our minds, they have already received our documents that's why a clearance was issued. Another problem

lies with the DATA ENCODING process. So our cases may have not been entered in the database right now due to probably piles of data

that are still to be encoded. So the evaluator told me that to be able to hasten the process they would again interview the applicant

ask for supporting documents such as the case resolutions. But for an applicant to be interviewed by the NBI. He/She should receive that

invitation from the US embassy.

Based on experience, there is a really big miscommunication from both parties that may have not been resolved at this moment

which is why you're in the same boat as I was before. When you try to call the embassy, they will say they already requested a

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION from the NBI and they are waiting for their reply/RECOMMENDATION should an interview be needed or not.

Which, on the other hand, the NBI does not not recognize, in my opinion. Because if that was the case, then a formal letter of reply

should be made beyond their highlighted list of names which apparently does not seem to be recognized as well by the USEM.

I know, I have just been redundant with my story. The point is... a LETTER OF EXPLANATION is different from a LETTER OF

RECOMMENDATION. To be constructive, what I may suggest to you is go to NBI, main office, 4th flr IRD office, and ask the person who

manages/receives the USEM requests. Then politely state your case and what I have said in this forum. Then verify if they already have

the request from the embassy regarding your case. And if they do, then call the USEM and tell them that the NBI is also waiting for you

to come to be interviewed so they can make the letter of explanation. But such proceeding will not take place without a paper/invite

(whatever they call it) that will come from the USEM that the NBI is requiring you present. And such paper/invite is mailed to you,

which you will receive by regular mail according to the NBI personnel. So how long it takes, I'm not really sure. And in that instance,

ask for a resolution from them as well. Explain to them whatever the NBI will be telling you. Ask them if you can pick up that letter

of invitation at USEM instead.

In my case, it took me more than a month I guess. Sorry if replied late. Try to do these steps I told you. I hope it helps and that you

can also finish on time. My Medical Exam expires Nov 1. I hope yours is in the 3rd or 4th week of Nov so you can have ample time to

process. And also, Once you know that the USEM has already received you letter of explanation, try to also email

ivmanilareplies@state.gov if they can possibly expedite your case since your Medical exam is expiring. Without the NBI letter of

explanation in their hands, such request will not be granted.

Good Luck and God bless you all.

@snappy

Hi again everyone. So here's the update.

I got a call 8am today from USEM to come by their office before 10am to pick up the letter I was to bring to NBI. Today's a friday. There aren't so much operations probably on this day. So I went there. I was asked for an ID and my purpose and I was allowed to enter. I got there before barely before 10am. Luckily there's no traffic. There were really no lines inside. Got a number and was immediately brought in front of the counter. Then I waited for more than an hour. I was a handed a 1-page request letter and also my photocopied NBI clearance.

excerpts of the letter:

"To enable us to determine whether your case will have an effect on your eligibility to receive an immigrant visa, we require a written letter of explanation from the NBI indicating the resolution of the case....In this connection you will need to undergo an interview with NBI personnel. You may report to the Quality Control Section of the Identification and Records Division (NBI-IRD), 4th floor, NBI Clearance Center..open 8am-2pm.."

So I went there the same day. It's a 10 minute walk i guess going there. This is the same office where I inquired for my status, and the same person whom I have talked to the last time I went there. I told them how I found out that there was no letter to be expected from the embassy when I made a ff-up call on the following day from the time I was there at their office. I also told them that USEM told me that they are awaiting their reply from their letter that's why I wasn't mail any letters yet. The personnel told me that it was not their fault. He showed me again a list of names highlighted with green and yellow. He indicated that the embassy was notified based on that legend. Yellow - no interview needed. Green - for interview. I did not further ask. USEM does have a copy since its coming from them. The highlighted areas? I'm not sure if the NBI did furnish a list with highlighted names to the USEM. But judging from the NBI personnel whom I was speaking to, I guess it is fair to assume they do. He seems to be very knowledgeable about the operations. I do believe him. Well, its only because of his inputs that I have learned how to go about what to do with my case. Many thanks to him!

If you may have the same problems I'm experiencing right now and don't know anyone from NBI. I guess it's safe to just go directly to this office and ask for help; and just say you go the info from this forum. It's not really a busy area. I think.

He gave me a folded letter and was asked to bring it to the Quality Control Section at the first floor. There is no formal/actual interview that really transpired. I brought the court certificate of dismissal of my case along with the court resolution of my case. I gave them a copy. The personnel just verified the names in each of the certificates I handed if they are addressed to the same person (Me). Then viewed the resolution for a while. Actually the actual personnel in charge for those matters was absent. I'm not so sure if it were any different if she was present. Nonetheless, my court case is already dismissed, so I have no real worries. I was told that the letter of explanation will be made and finished before Friday next week, just in time for the embassy to pick it up the following week.

Assumingly, the embassy will pick it up next friday. I don't know how the long the review process will take but I pray it would be just in time before my medical exams expire on November first. This is still not the end of my story. I will update again probably in 2 weeks to allow their process to take place. Everyone, be persistent in making follow-ups with the embassy. Good luck again to all.

Hi madz. what's the status update of your mom's visa? How long did her visa took before it arrived? Thanks.

Hi everyone. Here's my experience that I would like to share so I hope you can have an idea how the process works.. This is how I understand it by the way...

I am currently in the process of my immigrant visa applications. I had my interview Aug 17. The US embassy told me I was approved of the visa. The last officer there that spoke to me was hesitant despite the consular officer's approval as I have an NBI clearance with a "NO CRIMINAL RECORD". Although I have given a certificate of dismissal to the consular officer, they said they have their own process of verification. Still, I was told my visa was approved.

So I waited. >1 week has gone by. My friend who was also interviewed the same day just messaged me at fb that she is already in Guam; and I have not even received my visa. So I called the embassy (301-2000). They said my visa was approved but still under review, as there was a need for a LETTER OF EXPLANATION from NBI (Aug 30). And that I need to wait. I called up a few times. No updates made. As far as they are concerned, they just told me the process. Every fridays, the US embassy will send the requests to the NBI and at the same time they will also pick up the letter of explanations from them. So as I was trying to account that picture, 1 friday for the request to be receieved by the NBI, another friday to be picked up by the Embassy. That would take more than 2 weeks before it would reflect on the data systems of the embassy.

Again, I called up the embassy (Sept 10). The personnel told me that a final decision was made just that day that a letter of explanation is needed. Whattttt? I thought all the while that my papers are already in NBI and that it is already in the process... I guess, every time I call. They seem to give me different responses. Anyway, if that's the case it would again take more than 2 weeks. So I called up a few times again. No updates. They don't even know exactly where my papers are, whether it was already sent to the nbi or it is still with them. I tried to make a ff-up with the nbi (Quality Control section-1st flr nbi clearance bldg). They don't know where it is. The personnel actually just tried to tell me the process that the embassy will bring it to them and that they send it back to the embassy. She said it will take several months. She actually never tried to ask the details of my situation. Just tried to say things so I can leave. That's how I perceive what she did to me. So I have to wait. Because I assumed it's not with them yet.

After waiting for another week and making ff-ups with the embassy. I'm still lost where my papers are. We seem to know someone in the nbi, so I asked for help to determine my status (I should have asked for help before, but I'm just shy enough to avoid the inconvenience for them and that somehow I believe in their system). (Sept 24)I went there. The person in charge who actually receives the documents from nbi is located in the 4th flr of the same building IRD office. But I guess if we could ladder up the process, you should start inquiring first with the quality control at the first floor. Maybe you could be received by a more approachable and knowledgeable personnel than the on I've had before proceeding to the 4th flr.

Anyway, so I inquired if they already received the request letter from the embassy for my case. They did receive it dated Sept 5. That's about 3 weeks ago. And so I was told that the process was: I will also be receiving a letter from the embassy by regular mail. Then I will bring that letter to them along with the necessary documents for my previous case that was filed. So Its another waiting game as I haven't received any letter yet. I called up the embassy again just awhile ago to ff-up on the letter I was to receive, to know when it was sent. Lo and behold, there was none sent. They are actually waiting for a recommendation from the nbi if i have to be invited for an interview for the letter of explanation...so, this is a waiting game!!! with me waiting in vain...waiting for something that will not arrive...and losing time in the process.

I may be confusing you so let me clarify. A LETTER OF EXPLANATION is needed by the US Embassy which will account for the NO CRIMINAL RECORD in your NBI CLEARANCE. It will be accomplished by the NBI only after you have received the letter from the embassy that you need to go to NBI. You will be interviewed and will be required to present the necessary documents. In my case, the US embassy sent a letter to the NBI, asking for a LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION with regards to my case if i should be required a letter of explanation. I think it was not read clearly by the NBI personnel that a letter of recommendation is needed by the embassy first before sending me the letter that I would be presenting to the nbi.

Resolution: They will make the letter (I don't know the name of the form/document)and they will call me to pick it up at the embassy so I can already bring it to NBI.

That's as far as i can share right now. But just so you know, you may me in limbo as well, and that's the reason why I wrote here so you can also be persistent with the embassy and nbi and not wait in vain. i'll update my story again...very soon I hope.