nina.mb

Hi all - 

First of all, thanks so much for your insights on visitor visas leading up to my mother-in-law's interview. Great news - she was given a 10-year, multiple-entry visa! 

We have yet to fix travel dates for her first trip and were planning to take our time in doing so, given the duration of the visa. But we wanted to make sure that there are not any regulations that would require her to initiate travel within a certain amount of time after receiving the visa. For example, something that says that she must first enter the US within, let's say, 6 months of receiving the visa in order for it to remain valid for the full 10 years. 

Grateful for any feedback, thanks in advance!

Hi all - happy holidays! 

2 quick clarifying questions for those of you who have experience with visitor visas: 

1. how long and how many entries is the standard visitor visa good for? I've heard 10 years, multi-entry, but unclear as to whether this is the default or if the consulate can opt for different configurations? If the latter, is there somewhere in the paperwork to request the desired length, etc.?
    
2. Will a visitor visa indicate specific travel dates, for example valid April 1- May 1? Or is it open, for example good for entry up to 6 months any time after April 1? We don't yet have confirmed dates for the housewarming that we're hoping to have my mother-in-law attend, but would like to get a jump on the visa process. I realize that we'll have to provide a travel itinerary for the application, but wondering whether the visa will be tied specifically to the dates provided. 

Thanks in advance for your wisdom! 

Cheers

Hi KayDeeCee,

Thanks so much for your reply!

He arrives on Sunday, so I'll make sure he asks the immigration officer at POE. If that doesn't work, we'll look into finding a civil surgeon, as you suggested. Link's a good resource, as well - thanks!

You can ask if they will let you have a copy of the vaccination record for AOS, but they do not have to give you one.

If you are sure he had all the required vaccinations at the time of the K-1 medical, then you can put a note on your cover letter that says he had all required vaccinations and the documents can be found in the files he turned in at his POE. They should be in his case file that the USCIS has. Worry about finding a civil surgeon if you get an RFE and need to see one.

Read this post > http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/428381-i-693-report-of-medical-examination-and-vaccination-report/?p=6206232

Hi September filers!

It's been awhile - hope you're all doing well! Reading through recent posts it looks like most of you have already filed and, for some, received, EAD/AP/etc. My fiancé and I were on the slow track, if you remember, but he's finally arriving in the US in a few weeks!

We're in the process of gathering his AOS documents, and we're a bit confused re: vaccination records. He had his medical exam for the visa interview back in mid-April but didn't receive any results/records (except those turned into the Embassy in a sealed envelope).

This makes me think that the vaccination record is in the sealed envelope that he will present at POE when he arrives in the US in a few weeks. Is this correct? If so, will he be able to keep this copy after the immigration officer has looked through the packet, in order to submit it with the rest of the AOS packet?

Any insight from those of you who have already been through the AOS submission would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all,

My fiancé and I are in the process of gathering his AOS documents, and we're a bit confused re: vaccination records. He had his medical exam for the visa interview back in mid-April but didn't receive any results/records (except those turned into the Embassy in a sealed envelope).

This makes me think that the vaccination record is in the sealed envelope that he will present at POE when he arrives in the US in a few weeks. Is this correct? If so, will he be able to keep this copy after the immigration officer has looked through the packet, in order to submit it with the rest of the AOS packet?

Thanks in advance for the clarification!!

Thank you for taking down those last few postings - incredibly ignorant and offensive! Glad to move on to more constructive conversations about spousal visa process with partners from the MENA region : )

***Two posts not conducive to the discussion removed along with one post quoting; one member thread banned. Either post constructively or do not post in this thread. Additional thread bans at the very least will follow for any more non-constructive posts.***

Congrats, so so exciting! I found I had trouble believing it at first after allllllllll that waiting and uncertainty!

We've been approved, I can't stop crying.

I would say definitely start on it now!! There are a lot of support documents required and if there's an expiration on any of them it would be at least 6 months. You'll for sure have your interview by then! Also, don't underestimate the power of DHL...ours made it from NVC to Qatar in 2 days flat, so it could get there much faster than you expect!

Good luck : )

Do you all think it would be fine to go ahead and start gathering all of the stuff for the affidavit of support??? It's sent to the NVC, and tbh I'd rather just have him have the packet ready so that when Syndey emails him for all of it he can immediately send it in. Or should I wait until I get the word that it's swimming to Australia as someone said?

Good luck! I'm sure everything will go smoothly, but sending good vibes your way anyway : )

Interview is in 2.5 hours! Nervous! Hope everyone is moving along quickly too!

Just wanted to check in and see if you had any news?!? I sincerely hope that you've at least received a substantive update about the progress of your case, if not your NOA2?? I'm sure it can't be far off now...

Take solace in the fact that once you get over this hurdle, things should move MUCH faster. It was exactly 1 month from NOA2 to visa-in-hand for us! This was, I think, a little faster than average but still, nothing like the interminable NOA2 wait!

Keep us posted, and in the meantime, sending happy thoughts your way!

Hi nina.mb

So glad to hear things are finally moving along for you guys. Thanks for thinking of us. Unfortunately, we still have no good news to report...well, no approval anyway and the last check-in we did with USCIS they basically told us to buzz off and wait. They said there's nothing else they can tell us. So that's where we are. Sigh. Well, at least it's good to hear that the next steps move a lot faster because this is excruciating. We did fax a letter to our congressman, so far no response from him. I'll tell my fiancée to call his office this week instead. Thanks again for your encouraging words. All the best to you and your love. Please pray that we will hear something soon.

Yaaaay! Congratulations, so happy to hear the news! We were the next-to-last on our thread to get the NOA2, so I completely understand how painful it is to watch everyone else blowing by with approvals! But the wait is over, wohoo! Get ready for things to move much quicker now

I wanted to provide a more detailed update. I had submitted 2 service requests, the first one said to wait 90 days, but at 30 days I submitted a 2nd one online. The second one was never answered (said to expect a reply by may 18). I contacted my congressman's office 2 days ago, they were very helpful and said they would definitely look into it, but most likely would recieve the same response as I have - that there is a backlog and I need to wait my turn. Yesterday they called and requested more info, but I was on another call and was not able to give it to them. Then last night I got an email and shortly after a text notification. So I really can't say if contacting the congressman would have helped or not... I do find it interesting that both of my updates (A number changed and NOA2) were on the last day of the month, and I recieved the notifications way past normal working hours.

Probably so, yes! Ours made it to Qatar in about 36 hours...I was incredulous that it could be so fast, so I called to confirm. It was indeed there, and we were able to move forward with Packet 3 from there...

I would call the USEM to make sure, but looks like you're on to the next stage : ) Congrats!

Yup! I would think it shouldn't take to long to change to "in-transit" : )

I checked my case status on the CEAC site and it says ready. Does that mean they've already received the petition? It was just sent to the embassy yesterday.

Aw, Sparkle, really sorry to hear it's taking so long! Have they given you any indications re: the timeframe??

Thinking of you and sending good vibes your way. As you've told all of us so many times, hang in there and everything will eventually come together! You're obviously on top of your case, so I have no doubt that once this one last element clicks into place, you'll sail through the remainder of the process!!!

I still don't have any updates. Still waiting for a court date to be set - feels like I'm waiting for the NOA2 all over again.

Such an amazing feeling to be able to refocus on the real stuff after such a stressful period of waiting, right?!?!

Congratulations!!!!

Looks like our visa journey in nearing an end. My fiancé had her interview today and she was sooo nervous. She did well and passed the interview with no problems. She will have her visa in two weeks and we will plan the trip at that time. We are both very excited! She was all smiles and full of happiness. We can hardly wait until we are together again. Now we can finally relax and I can stop obsessing over this process and focus on other things. Hang in there everyone and best of luck!

Yup! I would think it shouldn't take to long to change to "in-transit" : )

go to https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx to keep up with the status of your case.

Usually for K-1s, that just means that they're prepping the package to be shipped to the appropriate Embassy. Usually only a few days, maybe up to a couple of weeks. Ours was in and out within about 4 days...

Do you know when exactly they received your file? Did they give you a case number when you spoke with them?

Good luck, but really don't think it should be to long!!

Called NVC today and was told our case has been received and is currently in AP? What does that mean!? Anyone have any experience with this?

Ah, just saw your post about the length of the relationship...I'd agree with Golden Gate, in that case, and recommend waiting until you have at least a year, maybe more, under your belt as a couple. Not only to improve the chances of approval, but, as other posters have suggested, to give yourselves more time to get to know each other and better understand your cultural differences. I lived in Morocco for 3 years and have been with my fiancé for 2 years since then; we still come across unexpected little cultural nuances everyday! This can be a beautiful thing that continuously pushes you to grow as a couple, but without enough time it can have a less positive effect...

f it helps at all, my fiancé (Moroccan) and I were just approved for our K-1 last week! So it can work However, I should make the disclaimer that we were processed through the USEM in Doha (he lives and works in Qatar), so we were lucky enough not to have to deal with Casablanca.

That said, happy to provide any insight we can as you move through the process and come across specific questions. Right off the bat, I would encourage you to submit your petition sooner rather than later, as processing times (especially for the Texas Service Center) have been increasing as of late. FYI, it took us 6 months and 1 week to receive our petition approval (NOA2), which was even slower than average since both his being Moroccan and my working in the region prompts a lot of extra security/background checks...

Good luck and keep us posted!!!

My fiancé and I were just approved at the USEM in Qatar using a co-sponsor, and co-sponsor proof of citizenship was listed as a requirement on the Packet 3 checklist (see below). We submitted a copy of my mother's (co-sponsor) passport.

Of course every Embassy has slightly different requirements, but I would definitely be prepared with all potential docs!

Hope that helps!

If the petitioner’s income doesn’t meet 125% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines

a Joint Sponsor must provide the following requirements:

Affidavit of support I-134, signed by the Joint Sponsor

Original current job letter from Joint Sponsor, to include effective date on company letterhead

(If employed)

Copy of tax 1040 for recent year

W2s for recent year, or proof of source of income if self-employed

(Include business licenses, rental and/or lease agreements as appropriate)

Proof of Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residency

(Copy of passport, naturalization certificate, U.S. birth certificate or green card)

Interesting. Can you show me to the official guidance on this please? I have not prepared for this with co-sponsor.

Don't read too much into it (easier said than done, I know!) There's very little rhyme or reason to the way USCIS works...if you look through stories of people here on VJ, cases have been delayed for things as silly as adjudicator's vacation schedule, a file buried on a messy desk, or somebody putting a box of April filers on top of one from October.

It takes some chasing and a lot of persistence, but you'll get to the bottom of it...from what I've read it's pretty rare that there's an actual substantive issue with the petition that can't be solved with a thorough RFE response!

Good luck!

Hi, thank you both so much for your response's. It defiantly is frustrating this long wait, I think we will try and contact the senator and see where is goes from there.

As far as anything standing out, I cant think of any. Never overstayed a visa, job wise nothing is complex and the only places we have been beside the US is the UK and Australia. We thought our case was so simple

Wow, I'm impressed, you've been really patient! I remember how hard that eeeeeendless NOA2 wait was - we got ours at 6 months, 1 week, and it felt like a damn eternity!

We received a similar response to one of our several service requests. I think part of the issue that you can't get more specific information when the case is undergoing security checks is that the file is not physically in USCIS' possession (not sure with which agency, but somewhere off site). This also means there will be some "transfer" time involved : /

I would suggest contacting your Senator/Congressional rep immediately, as you are well beyond the estimated processing times AND it will take someone higher up to be able to inquire after your case if it's outside USCIS. That was the only thing that seemed to jumpstart our case. Got an approval within a few weeks of the Senator's inquiry...

Good luck, and keep us posted with your progress...

Hi, so I am new to posting on here although i have been reading through everyone's comments.

So we received out NOA1 on the 9th Oct 2013 and our Alien reg number was changed around the 12th november. we submitted a service request a few weeks back and received an email saying something along the lines of

our case is on processing hold because the remaining security checks remain pending...

just wondering if anyone else has had this or know anything more about it?

thanks in advance!

Quick general update about my last post re: post-interview AP...

I was apparently getting myself all worried over nothing (haha, wouldn't be the first time during this process!) because my fiancé received a call from the USEM (Doha) yesterday, less than 24 hours after his interview, informing him that the visa had been issued!!

He's collecting his passport from the Embassy this afternoon!!

Also, for the rest of you who had interviews this week, how did things go?? Let us know!!

Whoohaa! That's a fast train all of a sudden haha! Good for you! ours went fast after noa2, but not that fast hahah! Sending good mojos for Tuesdays, send me some back on Thursday we have our interview ion Amsterdam then

Thanks so much, SparklePony!! We feel really lucky that things have gone so smoothly since the anxiety of the NOA2 waiting period...which your advice and kind words helped us push through, by the way, so thank you again!

Hoping that your court ruling comes through quickly (should be soon-ish, from what you've said, right?) and that the rest of the process is a breeze. Thinking of you with fingers crossed!

That is wonderful news, after all your waiting. Congratulations!!!!

We had our interview in Doha yesterday and we are......APPROOOOOOOVED!!!! Took us this long to pull ourselves together enough to post :PThe interview itself was absurdly simple*, just a few questions about where and when we met, when/how he proposed, if his family was supportive (he's Muslim, I'm Christian), and when/where we plan to get married. That was it. He told us Mbrok (congratulations!) and told us that my fiancé should be able to pick up his passport within the next few days!!!

Our CEAC status now reads Administrative Processing, which if I understand correctly means that they are in the process of prepping the entry packet and printing the visa (normal timeline ~ 2-3 business days).It still makes me nervous though, hearing horror stories of people that get stuck in AP for long periods without any updates.

With a verbal approval, there's no reason to think this would be the case, correct? I'd be especially curious to hear from others who had gone through the USEM in Doha, though I know there aren't very many...how long did their AP take?

I'm pretty sure this anxiety is largely due to the fact that I haven't yet rid myself of the neurotic habits developed during the NOA2 waiting period, so feel free to tell me to knock it off and celebrate!

Anyway, thank you to all of you thinking of us and sending good vibes our way yesterday

D&Wontheroad, shooting them back at you for tomorrow - good luck!!!!

*I, the petitioner, was in attendance, which I would encourage everyone to do if the Embassy allows it and you can swing it logistically. It was a HUGE stress-reducer to both of us and I think it really does help if the interviewer is able to actually see the dynamics between the couple.

Whoohaa! That's a fast train all of a sudden haha! Good for you! ours went fast after noa2, but not that fast hahah! Sending good mojos for Tuesdays, send me some back on Thursday we have our interview ion Amsterdam then

Mbrok, habibti! So happy to hear that you're approved! The longest, hardest wait is behind you and things should move much faster now! My fiancé and I had our interview yesterday and were approved, exactly 1 month after our NOA2! Fingers crossed that things go smoothly/quickly for you and yours, as well.

Congrats again!

Hi everybody ,my fiancé sent me this morning a message ,my fiance petition is approved .im so happy,Alhamdolillah .