Dave & Vika

Well thanks everyone for the input on this. It looks like the new norm for CSC -> NVC is about 6 weeks, and nobody seems to have any explanation about what takes so long for this step or why it takes so much longer for CSC than TSC, but the statistics are pretty clear:

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?cfl=0&op1=b&op2=d&op3=1&op4=1&op5=5,6,8,10,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,21,22,25,26,27,28,108,110,111,208,210,211&op6=California Service Center&op66=All&op7=All&dfile=No&adv=1

It will go to NVC, OURS NOA2 August 19,2013 , NVC got our case October 3, 2013 and they issued us new case number.

Wow, that's a blow to stomach! I mean, I'm happy for you that you're finally at NVC, but its discouraging to see people reporting 6+ weeks from CSC to NVC. What could possibly be taking the CSC so long to forward cases to NVC? TSC folks are reporting a week or two from TSC -> NVC.

Unfortunately, as you have seen, there's no rhyme or reason as to when and how USCIS sends the packet to NVC.. You are correct that the physical mail takes a few days, but the unknown is when they actually mail it.

In our case, they decided to accidentally send ours to our local USCIS instead of NVC while notifying us that it was going to NVC. Took 3 months to clear up. They are not the sharpest tacks in the box.

Wow, it sounds like you had it especially rough - nightmare scenario. I hope that kind of experience is the exception to the rule - the wait is rough enough when things go according to plan! Thanks for the feedback and congrats on finally getting though it all.

My case was approved (NOA2) on Sept 30,2013. I received a text update on 10/2/13 that it has been shipped to the dept of State. Texas was doing mine.

Yes, this seems to be what I'm hearing from a number of people. Although the Vermont -> Texas transfer has been a painful delay for many, TSC seems to be a model of efficiency and customer service that CSC could take a lesson from - especially when it comes to notifications and post-NOA2 action. Thanks for the info, and good luck!

Hello dave and vika

i saw that u got approved sept 17 and we were approved a day before you..

I really understand you bc last week my fiance called NVC and they said wait 8 weeks.

Im just puzzled bc before like months ago,

It does not take that long for csc to send the case to nvc

And honestly im really down now bc i though that by this time,

I would already be getting ready for my medical supposedly next week lol

My fiance and i got all the papers done now we are stuck b of waiting for NVC new case number.

Anyway, pls inform me if ever you got your new case number or ur case has been sent to nvc

Bc i have a feeling that our cases might be sent at the same time but not sure lol

Thank you much

Hi MissKaye,

I feel and share your frustration at this delay and apparent inconsistency in policy among the service centers. Just when I thought the pace of things was about to pickup and things would start happening, it seems my case is stuck in limbo on someone's desk or in the CSC's mail room waiting for who-knows-what. Its difficult to be patient while the indifferent wheels of government turn and information about what's happening (or not happening) and why is hard to come by.

I'll let you know and post here as soon as I hear anything. =)

Dave

I would suggest emailing csc directly. The reason why is because i emailed tsc a week before my approval. I didnr get a response email, but my case was approved a week later. After that, another vj member and friend emailed tsc also and hers was approved a week later as well and she had filed before me. Maybe if you bombard them with emails they will get tired of hearing from you and ship your case out.

Thanks for the advice - I did exactly that. I don't imagine it'll make much difference, but I suppose it makes me feel a little bit better to have done something. =) How frustrating after the 3 month information blackout between NOA-1 and NOA-2 to have my case held up at CSC with no explanation and for no apparent reason other than probably clerical or procedural indifference! I just saw another couple post an NVC received date that indicates it took their case about 6 weeks from NOA2 -> NVC. It'd be nice if they'd offer some kind of an explanation for this delay given that others are reporting NOA2 -> NVC times of only a few days!

I am having the same situation as you..We were approved Sept. 24 and on Sept 26, they said that they already sent our papers to NVC.My fiance called NVC yesterday and said that we can follow up after 8 weeks....how come they are saying it when the petition has an expiration too? Are they misleading us? Anyways, hope to get enlighten here as well.... Goodluck to us!

Interesting, I called NVC about a week after NOA2 and then again about 2 weeks after NOA2, and they didn't have my case. The first rep said it takes up to 8 weeks like you heard, and the second rep said it usually takes about 30 days. So, I called USCIS to see if it had been sent since 2 weeks seems to me like more than enough time for a shipment from one US location to another, and the USCIS told me that if I had NOA2 then it "will" be sent which is pretty vague language. She also told me that my case would be sent directly to the Embassy and not to NVC which seemed strange to me, and it sounds like that was bad info too since everyone here agrees it gets sent from USCIS to NVC. Anyway, thanks for your comments - it sounds like the CSC just sits on cases before sending them after NOA2 for some reason they're not prepared to explain to anyone (maybe to send them in larger batch shipments or something), and there's not much we can do but try to be patient. I'll join you in wishing us both good luck - I'd sure like to be able to have Vika here for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

The problem is with csc. There have been many topics that csc will not send a status update that your case was sent to nvc. So it can sit in csc for a month after noa2. I am at tsc, and they sent me an update that they shipped to nvc. Then i just started calling nvc on monday to see if they received it. They did. I got my case number and from now on i can check the ceac website. Today it said it was in transit to the embassy

Thanks for the into - that explains a lot. You'd think the various USCIS service centers would have consistent policies and practices with respect to visa handling and with respect to sending notifications to petitioners, but apparently not in this case. I suppose there's not much I can do but wait and hope CSC doesn't sit on my case too much longer before sending it on to NVC since it seems apparent that they still have it despite their claims to the contrary. Its clear to me now why the customer service rep I spoke with was careful not to specifically confirm that my case had been sent to the NVC and instead fell back to the script by saying that if my case has been approved then it "will" be sent. Well, thanks again for the information - its a painful and seemingly unnecessary delay in the process, but it feels a little bit better to have some idea what might be going on at this point.

Yes nvc because they assign you the case number for your embassy

Thanks for the reply. I noticed you have some recent and very specific details about your case:

Case shipped to NVC 9/23/13

Nvc received 9/30/13

In transit to consulate 10/2/13

Would you be willing to share how you found out these details? When I called the USCIS, the representative told me they don't have access to information like "Case shipped to NVC 9/23/13". Thanks in advance for any insight you're willing to share.

Hmm. Well you all seem to be confirming what I originally thought and contradicting what the USCIS customer service rep insisted on today. Okay, thanks for the insight - maybe she was just misinformed. Does anyone have any insight into why it takes so long from NOA2 -> NVC given that in my experience, shipping a package by ground mail from any one location in the US to any other location in the US never takes more than a week? There seems to be huge variations among VJ members in the time reported from NOA2 -> NVC - I've seen as little as a few days and as much as 7 or 8 weeks! Makes it tough to plan for the holidays. =)

I'm a little confused about the process followed by USCIS after awarding NOA2. My understanding from looking at the K1 Process Flowchart here at VJ was that USCIS (California) would send my case to the NVC in New Hampshire which would process my case and then forward it to the foreign Embassy (Kiev, Ukraine in my case). However, when I called the USCIS today to ask about the status of my case (since the NVC doesn't have a record of it yet), the USCIS customer service rep told me that they don't send cases to the NVC, but instead they are sent directly from the USCIS to the Embassy in the beneficiary's country. I pressed her on this issue a little since she seemed to be contradicting what's written here at VJ and what had been my understanding of the process, and she insisted cases are sent by mail directly from USCIS to the Embassy in the foreign country, and NOT to the NVC. Instead the NVC is notified of the case by the Embassy after receiving it.. If that's the case, it might explain why it somehow takes 3+ weeks after NOA2 before NVC has a record of the case. Anyone have any insight into how this really works and why it takes so long after NOA2 before NVC gets the case??

It was a long wait because I wanted to know. I was thinking that I might get a RFE. Thank god I didn't. It defiantly feels good to have the NOA-2. Congrats on your NOA-2. How long should it take to get to the NVC. I should call maybe next week sometime. I hope everything goes smooth for you and you will be able to spend Thanksgiving together.

Well, I've called the NVC twice now, first about 10 days after NOA2, and then again today ( about 2 weeks after NOA-2 ). NVC still hasn't received our packet. The first person I talked to said it takes up to 8 weeks, and the second person said it usually takes 30 days. I'm hoping these are worst-case numbers read from a script because that's an awfully long time just to send stuff from USCIS in California to NVC which I think is in New Hampshire. It looks like most people here on VJ are reporting 1-3 weeks for this transition, so I'm hoping to get an NVC case number sometime in the next week, but obviously I'm worried over the potential impact of the government shutdown. I think we're all going to need a little luck in the coming weeks because of that. Anyway, thanks for the well wishes, and I wish the same for you. =)

Congrats!! That long wait between NOA-1 and NOA-2 is tough huh? But it feels great to finally get NOA-2 doesn't it? We recently got our NOA-2 also, and now waiting on NVC. Called on Wednesday evening and they hadn't received it yet, but hoping it'll get there soon and no AP. With a little luck we'll get to spend Thanksgiving together. =)

I thought things were pretty straightforward last time I passed through Rome - I'd say its as good a choice as any.