NYCbound

Checking in. For the rest of you with a Feb 11 NVC arrived date, I just called and still no case number...keeping fingers crossed we will receive before the weekend!

Hi everyone - I'm hoping to get my case number this week, and need some advice regarding the DS-261 (DS-3032) and I-864. My husband (the USC), finally found an apartment yesterday in NYC and the lease starts on March 22. Since we are doing electronic processing, do you think it's okay to put this new address on the forms since we probably won't get anything in regular mail until green card? Perhaps add an explanatory letter?

Or do you think that would result in a RFE, so we should use the address of his temporary housing/workplace address, then call (email?) and update the address after March 22? (For our I-130, we had all correspondence coming to Canada since we filed from abroad originally).

Appreciate any advice!

Hi guys,

Okay advice wanted....our case arrived at NVC on 11th Feb and we are still waiting ahem 'patiently' for our case number. Guy on Friday said we should get it this week, guy today sounded angry that I'd called before 20 business days. I'm hoping we'll hear good news soon. However, I'm thinking even if we got our case number this week the likelihood is that our interview probably won't end up being until June by the time we go through the NVC process and wait for an interview date. Does that sound about right?

Anyways, I'm missing hubby terribly (as we all are I'm sure) but have got the the point where I'm thinking I'd like to just fly over at the beginning of May on an ESTA and visit for a month and just fly back for my interview. Guess I'm just checking if this is a really unwise plan or if there are any hiccups I haven't considered. I mean other than the fact they might turn me away if they are concerned I'm entering with intention to stay. I'm hoping that won't happen though. Thoughts/advice?

Cat

My case arrived on the same date, and no case number for me either (woman also told me it should be this week). As flying down, the last time I went to visit my hubby a couple weeks ago, customs did ask me if I was planning/in the process of getting a green card (when I went last month, they did not ask this). They did not ask for my letter of employment or other documents showing ties to Canada (which I had), but DID ask to see my NOA2 and asked how long I was visiting and whether I had booked my return flight. Once I showed them the letter and booked return flight, they let me through. I think as long as you have the supporting documents and a return flight home booked (which may be tricky if you don't have an interview date), you should be okay.... But I welcome other thoughts/experiences of course.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND we have Case and Invoice ID Numbers!!! yaaaaaaay!!

Now I just need to hope and pray that my taxes have been processed on Monday! Which is what I'm worried about, I called the IRS a couple of days ago and they said that they still haven't processed it and that they need 4-6 weeks, maybe longer. What would happen if I sent in my returns with the AOS before the IRS finished processing? Keep in mind that financially we're totally relying on my father as joint sponsor since I'm overseas and therefore don't have any income that can be used to sponsor. Has anyone come across this problem?

Congrats Roosha!! So happy for you

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

YES!!!!!!! FINALLY! Case entered this AM and have my MNL #

Congrats!! Hope this means I get a case number soon too

After a 45 minute wait, found out my case arrived at NVC!! PROGRESS!! Hopefully, getting a case number won't take TOO long...

Keep trying! I'm currently on hold with the _{really quiet hold music} and the REALLY LOUD HOLD ANNOUNCEMENTS.

I swear, I have it on speakerphone and I almost fall out of my chair every time it blasts at me "ALL OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE STILL BUSY..."

I've been getting a busy signal since 12:30pm. After calling every 10-15min, I just got through and spoke with a very rude rep who told me my package has not yet arrived and not to call back until next week.

Same here!

On January 28, 2013, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I130 IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN. Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

For approved applications/petitions, post-decision activity may include USCIS sending notification of the approved application/petition to the National Visa Center or the Department of State. For denied applications/petitions, post-decision activity may include the processing of an appeal and/or motions to reopen or reconsider and revocations.

Update! I got a new email today explicitly saying it was mailed to NVC today:

Your Case Status: Post Decision Activity

On February 4, 2013, we shipped this approved or re-affirmed case to the Department of State for visa processing. For more information, please contact them directly.

Roosha is right. Mine never mentioned NVC or Dept of state but once I got the second text/email(next day) that said post decision activity I knew my file had been sent.

That's good to hear! I will definitely start the daily calling to NVC this week then.

Same here!

On January 28, 2013, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I130 IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN. Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

For approved applications/petitions, post-decision activity may include USCIS sending notification of the approved application/petition to the National Visa Center or the Department of State. For denied applications/petitions, post-decision activity may include the processing of an appeal and/or motions to reopen or reconsider and revocations.

Well, I hope this means that they also mailed it to NVC (I guess I will just start calling next week in any case!). No hardcopy of NOA2 yet either, so hopefully that comes next week too. sld, let me know if you get any new emails (I will do the same)

I think you're misreading the second email. I got one email saying approved, and then another that says this:

But I never got an email saying they mailed the approval to me...

So strange... My email did not say anything about sending to Department of State/NVC, it just said this:

Your Case Status: Post Decision Activity

On January 28, 2013, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I130 IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN. Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

For approved applications/petitions, post-decision activity may include USCIS sending notification of the approved application/petition to the National Visa Center or the Department of State. For denied applications/petitions, post-decision activity may include the processing of an appeal and/or motions to reopen or reconsider and revocations.

My NOA2 was Jan 18th, and the NVC didn't receive it until the 28th. It's probably on its way.

NO2 jan 24 and it was received on 02.01..no case number yet

Just curious - did you both of you get an email from USCIS that your case was mailed to NVC? I got the email for NOA2 approval on Jan 25, with an email on Jan 29 saying that the approval was mailed to me on Jan 28, but NO email saying it was mailed to NVC like others. Just wondering if I should wait for this email before I start the daily calling to NVC.. Thanks!

Just got the email from USCIS stating my file is being transferred to NVC. WOOHOOO!!

Hmmmm.... Did not get a similar email like you and Roosha, just saying I was approved - hopefully that will come soon!

Firstly, at this stage you can slow down the process by not submitting the 864 and 261 until you are ready. Or you can submit the 261 and wait until you have an apartment to submit the affidavit of support.

We did not have a US address when we submitted these but included other evidence of reestablishing domicile. We did not get an RFE but. as expected, this was the area that they were interested in at my interview and visa was granted based on confirmation of employment and they didn't seem interested in a house purchase that was in escrow but you never know if the two together made any difference.

Why doesn't your husband get a PO Box that can be used as a mailing address and then use the long term hotel as place of residence?

Thanks for the advice gad33! We do not want to slow down the process in any way, so I think we will get a PO Box to use as a mailing address.

Hi All - we recently just got our NOA2 and much quicker than expected (yay!). However, I'm now concerned about domicile as my husband only recently moved to the US (has never lived in the US before) and is staying in long-term temporary housing while trying find a permanent apartment in NYC. The apartment hunt has been very involved and stressful - he's probably looked at 20+ apartments without finding something suitable in our budget (I thought Toronto was bad!).

We want to take our time finding the right place, so may not have a permanent address for a couple months. Do people think it will be an issue if we don't have a lease before the interview? We can show the following:

1. Employment letter in the US (he started working mid-Jan)

2. Agreement with long-term hotel (currently paid until March 1)

3. Contracts/correspondence with various real estate brokers showing places viewed

4. Agreement putting our house in Canada up for lease

5. US bank account/credit card (no voter card and he does not want to get a NY drivers licence until we have a lease)

Also, for the affidavit of support, would you recommend using his US work address for the mailing address, and putting the long-term hotel as the domicile for now (or will this be a problem since this will change soon)? Same for the DS-261 - is it okay to use his work address, or does this need to match up with domicile? I really want to avoid and RFE!

Thanks in advance for any insights!

OMGOMGOMG - APPROOOVED!!!!!!!

Just got the following email:

On January 25, 2013, 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 uscis 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.

Visiting the hubby (USC) for the first time right now - couldn't have been any better timiing!!!! Wishing my fellow December filers similar luck.

FYI - we originally filed from abroad (hubby moved a few weeks later). Another December abroad filer (NVC) was also approved today.

Also JUST received text that we were approved!!!!!! I was also a fellow December filer from abroad.

Definitely cause to celebrate - and I happen to be visiting my hubby so that just made our weekend!

Did they ask you if you were in the process of i130 or immigrating and all. Also I'm assuming your husband must be a USC, so did they ask that, or they just asked why he was in the US.

Yes, he is the USC. And no, they did not ask anything at all about the i130 or immigrating. Just why he was in the US, when I would be returning, andd if I had anything to declare. That's it!

Let me know how it goes, they key is to answer promptly and short what they ask, but do not lie.

Made it through just fine! They asked the purpose of my visit. I said to visit my husband. They asked why he was in the US. I said he recently moved there for a job. They asked when I would be returning (3 days) and that was it - 2 minutes tops. Better to be prepared just in case though.

This is what I did,

I did not take a copy of my NOA1, as I didn't have it, I took the following to show ties with canada

1. Current Phone, internet, Cable bill copies

2. Copy of my employment letters

3. Copies of my last 6 months pay stubs

4. Copies of my apartment lease in Canada

5. Copies of my Car leases and agreement

6. Copies of my current credit card bills

At the border, I wasn't asked any specific question and i told I am going to see my family friends, which i actually was. He did not ask anything about my i130 process and neither did I mention. he checked my passport and let me in.

However, i was always prepared for secondary investigations and you shold be too as I did not lie.

I'm going to the US today for the first time since applying for the i130. I'm taking copies of all the documents you suggested, so I hope I will be able to breeze through customs as well! Wish me luck