senegal0123

thanks everyone for your support! it all seems do unreal that we'll finally be on our way soon!

Hubby got approved after a three hour wait inside the embassy. He said the lady was very severe but asked a few questions only -- how we met, details about me, etc. She looked at our albums and said he was approved. She did not ask for the 2013 tax info from me nor the joint sponsor. Also didn't need a new BC or police report....basically none of my months of preparing papers for the interview were necessary. My husband will pick up his visa on Tuesday inchallah. Hate to wait some more but a relief to finally be approved! Thanks to dwheels and Saylin for your help in this process!

I'm sitting outside the embassy right now waiting for my husband. He just made it through security and went out of view. Hardly slept last night and waited two hours to get inside the embassy this morning. They refused to let me in- well the guards said yes but the ticket giver refused....waiting anxiously!!!

Husband's interview is tomorrow! Kind of nervous and getting everything together. But I'm going with him so hopefully it will go well. We plan on getting there very early tomorrow. I heard from other people that you can get your passport back the same day and they give you your sealed packet the day after. School's out for me so we're hoping that we will get approval and passport back tomorrow, the packet back on Thursday and will go on Friday night... still waiting to buy tickets since you never know but dirhams any luck, that's the plan inchalla...Prefer to be immigrated before Ramadan starts!

We're finally at the doctor's office waiting for my husband's medical appt and then off to do pre departure shopping. t-4 days until his interview!

Just wanted to give an update on my husband's experience with the medical. He called in advance and they said to come in with his interview letter, no appt necessary. So he went in all the way into the city and then they said go get a blood test and the chert scan and then come back with your results. So he went and did all his tests on the same day, went home and then came back all the way back to town the next day to pick up his results... and then by that point the office for the actual exam was closed so he went hone again and waited till the next day to go back again. He was first in line, only to sit in the waiting room for 3 hours until the Dr got there finally...at which point the receptionist mentions he couldn't actually have his medical that day rather than sending him home right away...so they took his results and he has an appt finally the Saturday before his interview. So disorganized! but we are ob our way at least!

and just finishing up organizing all the docs, gave my notice at work, and been starting to buy gifts for family at home for our return. 12 days left!

I keep hearing about biometrics from you guys but haven't gotten any info on it from the interview letter or embassy. My country's embassy reviews say nothing either. Can I assume if needed this will be done at the interview?

I'm stressing about the tax extension thing. I don't want to get put on AP...for some background, my income is all foreign earned so it doesn't count for sponsorship. on taxes and on the AOS it will zero out. we have a joint sponsor and my hubby will have the sponsor's new AOS and 2013 transcript. So technically my info isn't important but I'm worried that if I send my husband with the extension form and approval, with a letter of explanation for my 2013 taxes, they will delay us until my taxes are filed. Thoughts? I emailed the embassy but no response yet.

I only see this one for your timeframe. Good Luck Waybill: 8851423103 - Monday, May 12, 2014

Thank you! I don't know why it never showed up for me, but the CEAC status shows it's there now so that works! Thanks

So do you have all your proof of domicile or reestablishing domicile paperwork all ready for interview?

So what did you send in to NVC to get accepted? You had a co-sponsor correct?

To get accepted, we had a co-sponsor and I sent in domicile info. I explained that I have a storage unit in the US and housing arrangements made, plus a car I've purchased. I gave my account, card, post box info. All of that went through fine and I plan on bringing copies of it all again for backup at the interview. So...I guess my question is, if I bring a new I-864 for my cosponsor and his transcripts, is just bringing the IRS acceptance of my extension enough?

So will you be bringings a new AOS or info about your revenue too?

Checking out your signature, and I'm sorry to see that the NVC gave you so many stupid problems!! I hope you get your case complete soon!!

I just filed for an extension as well, I'm going to bring a copy of that into the interview.

I'm preparing docs for my husband's interview and I need your help!

I, the USC, live and work abroad, so I have no W2s, no 1099s, etc. I did not give my 2013 taxes to NVC when I sent in the AOS packet. I understand that at the interview, my hubby will be required to give the 2013 transcripts from myself and the joint sponsor, along with new AOS forms. However, I filed an extension and have not yet done my taxes. I am wondering what all my hubby needs to bring so we have no problems with my part. I have an IRS proof of extension. Do I also need to bring the form that I originally turned in to get the extension? Do I need to bring information on my 2013 income (even though it's foreign-earned and when I file it will be $0 so it doesn't count anyway?) Do I make a new AOS and put 2013 income as 0 since it won't count when I file taxes eventually or can I just show the extension and not make a new AOS? Or should I bring all of that to be safe and a letter to explain it all? Sorry if this question is repeated. Thanks in advance for clarifying.

Thanks for your response, but I don't have W2s or 1099 because my income is foreign-earned...I am not working for a US company. I live abroad with my husband so I don't have hte normal tax forms.

You could also take I believe the 1099(s) the company you work for sends you.

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! Starting this week off good!!! :) :)

Dwheels, our case is READY as of today, so I will be contacting the embassy to check on a closer interview date! Thanks for the tip and wish us luck!

Quick question- so I, the USC, did not give my 2013 taxes to NVC. I understand that at the interview, my hubby will be required to give the transcripts from myself and the joint sponsor, along with new AOS forms. However, I filed an extension and have not yet done my taxes. I am wondering what all my hubby needs to bring so we have no problems with my part. I have an IRS proof of extension. Do I also need to bring the form that I originally turned in to get the extension? Do I need to bring information on my 2013 income (even though it's foreign-earned and when I file it will be $0 so it doesn't count anyway?) Do I make a new AOS and put 2013 income as 0 since it won't count when I file taxes eventually or can I just show the extension and not make a new AOS? Or should I bring all of that to be safe and a letter to explain it all? Sorry if this question is repeated. Thanks in advance for clarifying.

They said my package was sent the 8th, so I've been looking up all the dates 5th-8th and had absolutely no luck finding my package. I know it's not that the shipment hasn't been entered because there are plenty of others with the same date already listed, but there are no packages for Senegal. Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks in advance

Thanks for the tip! Does it work to check when the file is in transit on the CEAC or is calling necessary? With how far out the interview date is, I'm assuming they will take a few weeks to send our file so I don't want to call every day for 3 weeks if I can more easily look at the website

As soon as the interview letter comes, we'll get on the medical right away.

Congrats to everyone else who got interview dates!

Okay this is what you do. Now you will follow your casefile to embassy. Once it gets there than you request an earlier date. You may get it and it doesn't hurt to ask. But your file has to get there first. So Monday call NVC and ask has your file left yet and call until they give you date than you can track via DHL all the way.

Usually most these cases will be at embassy within the next 2 weeks. I would get medical done soon as possible so if they change there's no delay.

Called three times today, made it through 20 minutes on hold and then it cut out- SO frustrating!! Finally got through to a real person and got told the interview is scheduled for June 25th. Woohoo!!

Relieved that we are almost done with all this mess, but also wishing the date was sooner so we can go home! We want to leave in early early July but tickets will be super expensive if we wait until after the interview to get them! Hubby wants to take the risk but I'm too nervous. Decisions, decisions!

CASE COMPLETE!! Just called for an update and Rick said "Well, today's your lucky day! We finished reviewing your documents today and you have a case complete!" I was so ecstatic I didn't even ask about interviews in Dakar but will call back to do so tomorrow. Alhamdulilaahi!

Thanks everyone for your help, especially Saylin!

A few things for people who might be curious. We had no checklists, but lots of places where we thought we'd have problems:

-for the IV package, we sent in copies of the marriage translation and copies of the marriage certification (instead of originals with the bright red stamp) and we got no checklist, so maybe copies for translations are okay?

-The joint sponsor only gave last years taxes, and no proof of employment.

-The AOS forms of myself and the joint sponsor were full of blanks. I pretty much followed that example on VJ that has a bunch of blanks and had no problems.

-as a USC living abroad with only foreign-based income, I wrote my current income as 0, wrote a letter explaining it and sent no employment letter.

-The DS260 was full of strange addresses due to lack of street names, etc and we had no problems

...so whether we were a case that happened to squeeze by with errors or it's just NVC doesn't care, we don't know, but for anyone stressing over little errors, you might make it!

Good luck everyone!

CASE COMPLETE 4-14-2014 Thanks to Saylin I made it through NVC in 32 days from Case # to Case Complete.

God answers prayers Thanks to everyone on the NVC thread. You are my family.

Congrats!! Thanks be to God! I am on hold with them now and would love great news like that! So happy that you will be reunited with your wife and adorable son soon

Called NVC this afternoon and got no update...then just now got a Checklist email and my heart was pounding as I opened the checklist and scrolled through the pages...............and PHEW it's a fake one for the AOS, so I'm assuming that means IV has been accepted. It's in my signature below, but anyways, for those who want to know DS260 was submitted on the 27th and IV docs were offically in the system April 1st (arrived the 28th).

"______F - FINANCIAL EVIDENCE:______________________________________

We received your Immigrant Visa Application; however, we have not received an Affidavit of Support

form. You must submit an Affidavit of Support form before we can complete your case.

Please go to our website immigrantvisas.state.gov for instructions on how to obtain, complete, and

submit an Affidavit of Support form.

When responding to the National Visa Center, please include the bar code sheet that came with this

letter. Failure to include the bar code sheet may cause a delay in the processing of your case. The bar

code sheet should be placed on top of all documents being submitted for this case and mailed to the

address provided."

I am worried about getting the same checklist for contract...I thought about including mine but ended up leaving it out. When I put my income in as 0, I wrote a letter about my income that says: "I am currently employed at XXX in Dakar, Senegal, as a XXX. Since I intend to leave this position upon the receipt of my spouse's visa and this income will not continue in the United States, I have not counted this foreign income towards the sponsorship of my spouse. Thus, my eligible income is $0 and I have included the documents of a joint sponsor XXX".... I am hoping that works! If they give me a checklist for employment letter, that'd be pretty pointless!!! I also had included an end of contract questionnaire thing that I got from my work, indicating my intention to leave my job as proof of domicile.

I can't imagine why they would need our contracts since none of that income counts. With a joint sponsor too, it's really unnecessary. Fingers crossed to slide by check-list free this week...

Grrrr. Just called NVC and got a checklist for my AOS. They said my income for 2012 was wrong, even though I know I checked it like a million times to make sure I put total income for the 1040! Problem is I'm looking at the copy of my tax transcript and I just now noticed the freaking lady at the copy place didn't copy the backside of the paper, so I don't have the info to look at!

The NVC lady said you can't take "total income" off of the tax transcript, it has to come from the 1040. Which is weird, how could it be different? So now I'm trying to call my mom to see if she has a copy of my 1040, because I don't have it here in CR with me.

Also said I have a checklist for "proof of employment" when I obviously stated that I LIVE ABROAD and so it won't count. NVC lady said I need to send in a note saying "I didn't include proof of employment because I don't work in the USA"

Grr.

Just talked to Yvette...she informed me that they are still scheduling May interviews and that there is no set cutoff date for the interviews, but it depends on each embassy and their capacity. Sooo while we have no update on our case today, I am at least pleased to know that if the embassy is less busy than others, we could fit in for an interview in May.

We updated the address by email because the lady we talked to at NVC told us to do so. At the time, we didn't have I-864 or the DS-260 available so that's what she told us to do. You are required by law to inform them within 10 days of moving, if I am not mistaken, so waiting for the forms was not an option...I agree though, it's silly but we figured we'd just follow directions.

2 weeks is normally how long it takes for the NVC to answer emails.

Curious why you bothered to change addresses though as petitioner's current address goes on the I-864 and beneficiary's on the DS-260.

If you didn't file write "not required to file" and put a letter saying why.

For anyone curious about address change timelines, I sent an email to change the addresses on March 14th. They just got back to me today to confirm the change.

I just called to check on our expedite since it was under review on Monday and still haven't gotten an update. The lady said once they decide, the embassy will send a letter to me (the petitioner) by snail mail at my US address...that doesn't seem right since they have our emails? Anyone with expedite experience can clarify this?