Jematt

I'm in egypt the situation that's been going on here is the reason they expedite my husbands petition

Hey Luv...how's it going with getting out of there? Can you leave right away?

This is of no help to the OP, the beneficiary has to already be in the US for this to even be possible.

Thanks for clarifying that, Ryan. That's what I thought.

Yes from the time we sent it.. probably just got lucky. Good luck to our journey..

You did an I-129 in September. I read an article which I posted about a while back sharing what the article mentioned. The USCIS basically decided to catch up all I-129's for applicants until the end of September. So you picked a good time to apply. Congrats on a quick approval. As you can see, a lot of people here are struggling with what's looking like long wait times. It looks like you picked the right way to go. Good luck on the next steps! NVC is very slow right now....just be prepared for that...

I'd advice you to submit the I-485 if you have the 797C (receipt for the I-130). I did that in my own situation and they accepted it and processed it immediately.

I initially sent I-130 and it was pending but when I had the money to file for the I-485 I sent the application along with the I-130 receipt and they processed my I-485 based on my receipt. Here is a break down of my application:

March 2013: filed I-130 Alone

June 2013: File I-485, I-765, I-131 along with 797C (receipt of acceptance of I-130)

September 2013: Conditional Green card received.

Hope this helps you...

Banky, you must have been living in the US to do a I-485, right?

Thanks, the attorney told us that USCIS California service center takes a longer time because of the back logs. they said it will take 300 days or 10 mos. after the NOA1.

That was the case...but lately, California has been turning out approvals very quickly, for at least 2-3 people on here. Keep optimistic.

Processing and routing of I-129f/K-3 has been so inconsistent that it might not even be an option.

It might take just as long as I-130.

Approved I-130 cancels I-129f. So... even if we file it, it might not help us be together sooner. At all.

Well, that's just silly...

Goodluck

Congrats icedblu! I'm glad you got a quick approval. This is how it should be for everyone! Yours went to Texas? I didn't know there was a service center there. It seems like there and California are working quickly. All of the centers should be working at this pace, IMO.

Yep.. im sorry didnt realize its different.. my bad.. its too late when i noticed it.. and idk how to remove it.. again goodluck on your journey.. peace out anyone in here!

Don't feel bad. Congrats! Just be prepared for the next stage...there's still lots of waits ahead. I'm in NVC at the moment. You probably won't get a case number there for about another month...

Well, at least you'd be together which would be great! I'm sure you could find lots to do. How quickly would it allow you to be here???

How will the k-3 be different by the way? Just let you come but not work in the meantime?

Thanks Blueberry! I'm so happy about it...I'd love it to be done by Christmas, but, I think it might be too tight of a timeframe by the time we get this AOS package accepted, entered and then the IV invoice sent, paid & everything mailed in. Everything is a step by step process & takes a week or two in between, even at this stage, it seems... So, I'm trying to be patient (my poor hubby...coz I'm not.) I hope you're here with me soon! Did you decide to do the k-3????

this thread is almost impossible to follow...too much off topic personal stuff to read through..but i do appreciate the info blueberry has come up for us..it's just that this particular september members thread of ours is way too bogged down with off topic bs..i only come here as a last resort to find out the latest I-130 news/rumors/ect..

That is an offensive comment towards the people who are here for visa journey support. I appreciate the people who have been here to help and support myself and others on this page. If you want to start another thread, you can do so and invite others who agree with you.

Luv, did you get your hard copy yet? Let us know where it came from, please!

Come on, guys... September filers, obviously, just filed, so there isn't much to report here ... yet! Although we had one approval and one expedite already

If there is anything newsworthy that I found out or came across- I always post it in other threads as well for everyone to see

I agree, Blueberry. And you are an awesome person on this thread. I appreciate EVERYTHING you post. Personal and about visas.

hey blu my noa2 came from lee summit missouri

Congrats Luv! So happy for you!

On a positive note....my AOS fee was invoiced, so I was able to send in my AOS paperwork today. Can't believe it! My hubby also got his police certs...at LAST! One more step down. We just have a form and one more packet (IV packet) left...before it's all sent off to the consulate for the interview.

I agree 100%

Whereas, I disagree 100% with that remark.

Oh, thank you so much, fcat! They are reasonably priced! My hubby may be able to use them from Amsterdam, too. Did you choose air freight or sea?

I'll ask him to check on UPS in NL. He's had bad luck with FedEx and DHL there. FedEx didn't show up to pick up his items after he made an appointment and waited in for the 3-4 hour window they gave him...and DHL has all kinds of requirements of setting up an account, which seems silly for one package. I don't know why we didn't think of UPS!

We're just waiting to be invoiced now for the IV...and he's waiting for his police clearances to arrive. It's now one full month since he requested them. I have to breathe deeply. He keeps telling me European government time-frames are even slower than US ones....

Thanks for the link!

Just received IV bill and paid it within 3 minutes of getting it,lol

My AOS package was delivered on Monday to NH, 2 days from the UK.

WOW things do start moving fast don't they!

Congrats fcat!!! I paid my AOS within 20 minutes of it becoming available. LOL...this process is turning us all into web-stalkers, waiting for things to open up and pay, doesn't it? LOL!

That was FAST!!! Hopefully ours will go that fast. What/who did you use to mail the package--DHL/Fedex or something?

Thanks jenmatt! It's clear to me now.. ?

You're welcome, krispykreme! I didn't mean to instigate the tirade of nasty comments that ensued. But, just wanted to inform you what some of it was about...

Thank you, Jen

I-129f form is used for both K-1 and K-3 visa.

I-129f/K-3, in theory, is meant to shorten the physical separation between spouses. K-3 process has been very inconsistent.. and these visas are rarely granted anymore.

It can only be filed if there is an I-130 already pending.

Blueberry, you know you're more than welcome, girl! OK...then you should whatever you can to shorten the time you are apart!!! Definitely! If you think it has a shot of working.... I can't believe that this process is taking so long for people. My hubby and I were just saying...we are paying our fees..if we were not paying fees and relied on the good will of the government to do this, we could understand long delays...but when we are paying for slow service, that's just unacceptable. Argh! If you do the K-3, will it speed you up, according to the current processing times????

Hey guys got a email from uscis saying they sent my case to dept of state n not nvc is there a reason for that has anyone else had their's go to dept of state?

That's ok. Some of them are going to DOS. It might be a good thing since yours is being expedited. I have a feeling DOS is higher on the totem pole.

Yep. Pretty much dragging like a zombie at work and home, trying to keep busy to keep my mind off of it. It sucks that his cologne scent is still somewhat on the couch and on his pillow but I'll miss it when it's faded completely. Our fur babies already noticed he's gone and they go around the house looking for him which breaks my heart.

k.dlg, I can totally relate. When my hubby left me in September, I dragged...couldn't sleep well coz I missed him. I kept wearing his t-shirt to bed until it was just too gross...and when I washed it, I lost his "smell" and cologne. Totally lovesick. It's horrible. My 3-year old son keeps asking where he is and when he'll see him again. It's just hard. Last night, we were up on skype til 4am my time...coz I'm just having one of "those" weeks where I'm missing him. At least we know there's light at the end of the tunnel and this won't last forever. The in-between is horrible, though. My hubby's English too, by the way--just living in Holland.

Yes the DS-261 form "unlocks the IV Bill and gets you invoiced. Like Saylin said two totally separate tracks have nothing to do with each other.

Yes, they're independent of one another, but both need to be done for a case complete.

As I've said before, the IV fee is only invoiced once the DS-261 has been accepted and added to the casefile. The IV fee has absolutely NOTHING to do with the AOS fee.

Thanks dwheels and Saylin! I guess we're just waiting then. Thanks again.

Yes, there's two tracks: IV and AOS. Uh, confused about what you're confused about. IV is IV. It is the same thing.

The DS-260 only becomes available after the IV fee has been processed. The IV bar-coded cover sheet becomes available after the IV bill has been paid.

So they're two separate tracks, but we have to do both? Then maybe something is wrong here....coz we paid the AOS fees and we can not pay anything related to the IV. I was thinking maybe we had to wait for the AOS to clear before IV would unlock. Is there something I may have missed to unlock paying the IV fee?

Although it may seem redundant, NVC is a different agency than USCIS. So, even though some items are the same, don't think you don't need to send them. You still do. Otherwise you'll just get a checklist.

The AOS and IV are two separate, independent tracks that have nothing to do with one another. The IV fee is dependent on the DS-261 being accepted and added to the case file. Please go back to post 1 and review the flowchart I made as this should clear it up.

Thanks Saylin. So, I saw your flowchart and the notes you made today. I'm getting confused since there are two tracks, one is called IV, but yet, I have to pay IV Processing fees. The same letters, but obviously not the same thing. What I do need to do is have hubby do his DS-260 because he did the DS-261. He's not able to find it though. Do we need to wait for them to send that? (Just re-read your post and looks like we do need to wait.) We're kind of stuck anyway until his police clearances arrive...but I can't print the cover sheet yet. I guess that is going to take another few days...

Suing??? for what? the fact that his parents ( the ones who are RESPONSIBLE for him) made a dumbass decision to enter a country illegally? Crossing the border illegally comes with consequences and they all need to face it. All their illegal kids suck up the free lunches at the schools, suck up benefits meant for the USC's. UGHHHH DON't get me started.....

Yikes. Someone asked why immigration reform is happening. Was sharing some reasons why for education purposes. That's all.

Ok ok ok...this is not the place for this discussion. This is for SEPTEMBER 2013 I-130 FILERS and to talk about our experiences. Not your political beliefs... Thanks

I'll have to agree with Jeff here...

No, it doesn't necessarily mean the original/certified copies won't be returned back, but it's one less thing for them to scan and make a copy of. It's basically just eliminating one thing they need to do.

On that note---they are requiring certified translations of the documents again. Should I submit another copy of translations, even though they were submitted in my original application? It just seems redundant...but if it's required, I'll make more copies, of course. We only submitted copies of the divorce decree, for example, not an original--but the translation was submitted and has not/will not change.

Second question--I was able to pay my AOS fee and it now says, "In Process." But, I can not pay my IV fee? Am I now just in holding mode until I get some news from NVC? Is there anything I can be doing in the meantime?

Thanks!

My husband is coming to see me in December.

It will have been exactly 6 months since we last saw each other. (6/26-12/26)

6 months.

183 days.

4392 hours.

263,520 minutes....

Too long ago!!!

That's JULY filer.

My husband and I are probably gonna file I-129f/K-3.

Isn't the 129 for a fiancee though? Aren't you already married? Can you do that?

I'll have you guys in my prayers..

I actually have all VJ in my prayers. I always add "And all VJers. Please. Amen"

You're in mine, Blueberry!

Im not really a politics kinda person and i dont watch or listen to the news so pls correct me if im wrong or enlighten me somehow.. Isnt that immigration reform mainly about those 'undocumented immigrants' in the us..? I dont think it also has something to do with ir1/cr1, k3, k1 etc..? I may be wrong though

You're right. It's more about undocumented people...specifically, they're concerned with people who were brought here at a young age, for example, by their parents. If they're caught, they can be deported--even though they may have been here since the age of 2, gone to school, graduated, gotten degrees, etc. They can do all of that without being legal. Then they can be deported. It has happened in some high profile cases, including a young man who had become a lawyer. He is, of course, suing...

Be careful with some guides linked in the first post as they're outdated. Everything should be answered in the FAQ though, as I update that every month I post a new thread.

Are you using IE to log in? If not, switch. I don't recommend any browser except IE for the payment/online forms portal, as that's what the programmers designed the site to work in. Besides using IE though, it does still take some time usually from getting the email to actually being able to pay the bill.

Thanks Saylin. I think I must have looked at an old guide somewhere along the line. Hubby actually went into PC mode and went to IE to check the same thing you mentioned. (Techy guy that he is.) He was able to do the DS-261 & we got confirmation via email instantly. They said to wait 3-5 days, so we will check every day until we can pay. He's a bit delayed anyway, waiting for police reports from Holland and France.

Thanks for all of your help!

As already answered, that's a normal message (albeit terrifying to see!), so no worries.

Also, you shouldn't have sent the DS-3032, that's an old process. You need to submit the online version (DS-261). Please go back to posts 1 and 2 and re-read the information.

Thanks Saylin. Yes, I really was terrified for a few minutes. Got this picture in my head of no husband here for an eternity... Thank goodness for people on this site and sharing all of your experiences. It has helped a lot. I did re-read your notes and noticed that I used the old process. Oops. My hubby is going to do that tonight. I'm feeling a little confused at some points here.

Quick question for all of you...we did get our invoice via email today. We are able to log in again. But, when we click to pay the bill, it keeps sending us back to the same page. Is that a usual error? Is it just a "wait and it will go away" type thing?

Thanks!

Hey there again

This is an expected error message. It means they are preparing your invoice. Wait a day or so and you will see its ready to pay!

I think its mentioned in Saylin's guide to the NVC.

Oh wow, thank you Kaale & Dalli!!! I didn't see that mentioned. I already wrote them a message. I will tell my husband now. I really really really REALLY appreciate your response. Let me go re-read Saylin's guide. I had a bit of a panic. I never expected that.

Thank you again!

Hey Folks... I have a problem and I'm now freaking out. I just tried to log in to check the status of my invoice (which was fine last night) and here is the error I got:

This case is in the process of termination. Fee payments and online forms can no longer be accepted. If you believe you have received this message in error, or to resume processing of the case, please contact the NVC immediately.

My hubby just sent the email for DS-3032 today and we got the auto-reply notice. I am really freaking out. Anyone else gotten this??? I obviously believe I received this message in error...

Thanks!

Hi jenmatt ,

I promised myself i would come back to inform you when i am ready to do my dance too

I was always checking the website 2 times a day trying to hold on to my faith as one of the lucky California Petitioners until recently, I got fed up and stopped checking. So this morning, I couldn't resist the urge and had to check and ......voila i saw the message below

Post Decision Activity

On October 21, 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.

Right now I am still trying to contain the happiness so my colleagues don't take me as something else.

It took 42days from my PD

I know my PD is 09/09/13 and not current but nevertheless, I am still one of those lucky ones from California

Now the 2nd wait to be current begins

Shadowflex...CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I am going to do the happy dance with you now!!! Thank you, God!!! This is amazing news for you, too!!!! California has been good to us, it seems! That is such a fast approval...a little longer than mine, but not bad at all! I am so happy for you!

Thank you for coming back to keep me updated! Please stay in touch as this process unfolds. I wish you the best of luck as you make your way through NVC and the consulate phase! I will warn you...the NVC phase is quite slow at the moment. It took them 3 weeks to get my case to NVC and another week or more to get it into the system. It seems like forever. Then it's another process to get invoiced, etc. But, hopefully we can make it through by the new year, please God!!!! I am so so happy for you!!!! Congratulations again!

By the way...you have every right to be super excited!

Wow you were approved in 15 days and without the pictures ???? Your I-130 was approved in 15 days from your NOA1 date. Just read your timeline. Did I read this correctly? Good luck

I just filed my I-130 from California to the Phoenix Service center, they received it on Oct 18 and they have not cashed the check or replied. Just waiting.

I was approved very quickly, yes. You read that correctly. However, I did have the pictures in there, as it turns out. I realized later that the second set that I found was our duplicates that we took just incase. It has been really fast and I've been so lucky, to be honest! I am hoping the same for my friends on here...but as you see, another friend, Shadowflex, also got a very fast approval. If you only sent it in, give it another week or so before you would get your NOA1. Did you ask for the emails and texts? I hope so. That usually comes well before the letter! Good luck!!!

Thanks, Jen! Hope it will work!

We are about to send our Committee's Letter to Pres. Obama and others. And USCIS started transferring files to service centers. So.. there is hope

Fly through the NVC, girl! we'll need your help when we get there

Blueberry, I'm glad you guys are doing that...even just to make the point! I hope do fly through NVC! I will be able to help you when your time comes...which WILL be soon. I am DECLARING that!!!!

Congrats!!

Thank you Samni! Good luck to you too!!!!

congrats jen

Thanks Luv!!!

In case you guys haven't stumbled upon this yet...

It seems that they are finally taking some actions. As of 10/21 they began transferring I-130 files from NBC to other service centers because of the workload.

Hopefully we can see some approvals soon! ...

YAY! Thanks for sharing! AWESOME NEWS for a lot of my friends on here!!!!

Oh. My. Gosh. Some people are just on my last nerve today!

There is this one girl on another forum who filed in June and just recently got approved. I keep asking her to check her NOA1, if it came from OP, but she seems confused what I'm talking about. Ugh.

Also, yet another forum, I keep getting f'ing yelled at. For daring (sic!) to say there is a backlog and local offices suck. Really?! Gosh. Not going there anymore. If they want to be in denial, so be it. I will sniff for more info about OP and other things somewhere else. Whatever.

And, if I hear one more time, that VJ sucks, I will scream. At least we have super nice people here!

Blueberry, I'm so sorry. I've encountered a couple of nasties, but mostly nice people on here. You don't deserve that! Maybe the person just doesn't speak enough English to understand you or something. Just put it down to ignorance...it will make you feel better at least!!!

Well, sorry about that. I certainly do not mean to make anyone feel that way.

I'm only on this one, really. Just when I'm bored I may show up on another. I registered there only to post our letter and spread the word.

You rock!!! I enjoy your posts....don't stop them!

Yes! both super yummy

I don't complain to my husband about USCIS. Well, it does come up, of course

Of course our time will come!

So all our husbands don't know what to say to us anymore. Hah..

Blueberry, I complain to mine every day about it. LOL! Poor guy. <=== Me since this process began. LOL!

Yes, I hope the same. It would nice if they could understand what they put people through.

Yeah, but that's assuming our petitions are even at OP. A lot of people were saying that even though the NOA1 says OP, it has a case number of MSC, meaning our petitions might be at Lee's Summit and not at OP. If that makes any sense. Have you heard this as well? What do you think?

A better point I haven't read on the forums in a while. Very well said.

Isn't it kind of odd how they want us to provide evidence of a "bona fide marital union", yet the one thing that a married couple can do to prove they're in a "bona fide marital union", live with each other, is not allowed? How does that make any sense? So they expect us to be in a "bona fide marital union", but you don't let us prove that union by being a normal couple and doing what normal couples do, live with each other??? Huh? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here! Am I the only one that sees the complete illogic in this requirement?

That's true. They asked for a lot of "proof" that we can not provide. Like...joint bank accounts. We tried to start one on the phone and were told that they can't do it for several reasons, one being that we needed to "appear in the bank together." SERIOUSLY!!!! OYE OYE OYE!