BeatrixSA

Thanks so much Ryan! That was confusing me, the documents that NVC didn't request, whether or not they were needed at the embassy interview. This helps a lot!

...anyone??

Hi all,

For the people recently going through the interviews and the new process (where AoS and IV are bulked together) - how are you understanding the P4 letter? I'm so confused... We got the letter a few days ago, and it includes the interview date at the embassy. Here are the confusing parts:

You must bring the following items to the visa interview

• Any original documents the NVC requested that you did not submit (refer to the document list below)
• If the physician gives you your medical exam results, bring them to your interview in the envelope sealed
• by the medical office.
• Two passport photographs measuring 2 inches by 2 inches (5 cm by 5 cm) with a white background
• A valid unexpired passport
• Photocopies of all civil documents
• A new police certificate from your current country of residence, if you obtained the police certificate more than one year ago.
• Any additional documents listed in the U.S. Embassy or Consulate specific interview guidelines

The following table lists the documents requested by the NVC and whether or not you submitted them to the
NVC. Please note that even though you may have provided the NVC with a copy of a document, you are
still required to bring the original document to the visa interview.
1 - IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION PART 1 – done online, bring sheet w/ barcode
2 - PASSPORT – bring original to interview
3 - BIRTH CERTIFICATE – NVC sent this to embassy
4 - ADOPTION – not applicable
5 - MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE – NVC sent this to embassy
6 - MARRIAGE TERMINATION – not applicable
7 - COURT RECORDS – not applicable
F - FINANCIAL EVIDENCE – NVC sent this to embassy
9 - MILITARY RECORDS – NVC didn’t request this doc
10 - BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA POLICE CERTIFICATE – NVC sent this to embassy
FEE PAYMENT – payment received
PHOTOGRAPH – NVC sent this to embassy (so don’t need to take other photo?)
F - PETITIONER MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE – NVC didn’t request this doc
F - PETITIONER BIRTH CERTIFICATE – NVC didn’t request this doc
BIH COURT CERTIFICATES – NVC sent this to the embassy

What's the deal here? What should be brought to the interview? most docs were sent by NVC to the embassy, and they were all originals, we didn't send any copies. For example, the police certificate, it states in the letter to bring a new one if the previous one is more than a year old. It definitely is not, so by that logic, all docs that were sent by NVC should not have to be re-submitted. What about things that say "NVC didn't request this," like my birth certificate (I'm the petitioner)? Does that mean bring it to the interview? All the docs are followed by a letter code, which I 'translated' to make easier, but several letters have the same meaning, so why the different letters?

And finally, nowhere does it say to bring a payment for the actual visa. I've read from others' previous experiences that they were required to pay a visa fee before it was issued. Is that true, and if so, how much is the fee?

Thanks!!!

It'll happen ours took almost exactly 60 days. I sent in documents from Bosnia and they were received on December 11th, and my dad sent his I-864 from the US and those were received on Dec 17th. I got our notification on Feb 13th, with the interview date already set. Hang in there!

thanks! how's your case going?

hi all! we got our case approved at NVC and an interview date set for March 9 That makes almost exactly 6 months from the time we sent the I-130 packet to the interview date. wishing everybody a speedy processing!

hvala puno! ja sam se vec vratila u USA, tako da razdvojenost opet... ali sad se nazire kraj aBd!

pozz svima! nadam se da cete svi dobiti dobre vijesti uskoro nase iskustvo je malo drugacije od mnogih, jer smo dobili expedited processing u USCIS, jer sam se ja vratila iz amerike i zivjela s dragim, a i vec smo preko 2 god u braku tako da je dokazivanje veze bilo prilicno lako. dobra vijest je da smo DANAS dobili potvrdu da je NVC proces zavrsen, i u emailu sa obavijesti nam je dat datum intervjua u Sarajevskoj ambasadi. tako da ako neko ceka datum, ocito su poceli sa zakazivanjem

jel neko bio na intervjuu u skorije vrijeme? malo je zbunjujuca ova lista potrebnih dokumenata, ako ima neko first-hand iskustvo da podijeli, bilo bi super!

sretno svima!

Initially, they had to me not to send anything at all, and then the person at NVC I spoke to the last time said we do need to send records, which makes more sense since he is IN the military. Just goes to show that unique cases like ours are a challenge for all involved...

Thanks for all the advice! God-willing, it will be OK and not a cause for delay of our case

Witch country? I found under my country all the details on this gov page (change country on top) http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/fees/reciprocity-by-country/SZ.html#docs

There was also a email for me to order the record. Btw on the record is just in witch year i spend how many days in service. Not my rank, not my unit, not even the branch.

Bosnia-Herzegovina. This is what the website says: "As of January 1, 2006, obligatory military service in BiH has been discontinued (BiH now has only a professional army). All men who in the past completed their obligatory military service (including the service in the former Yugoslav People's Army, "JNA") are in possession of so-called "military record books" ("vojna knjižica"), which lists the dates of their mandatory service, reserve duty, participation in wars, etc."

I'd been there, and it basically doesn't help me. You're lucky your country makes it so simple, email order... But thanks for the info, I think his contract should then cover this, it has his start date in the service and I'll include the other sheet just to try and make up for lack of an actual record document.

@Frips I tried calling the embassy, and they told me to get this one document, but it's pretty useless, all it says is that my husband didn't serve because BiH doesn't have mandatory military service anymore. No use from that.

Is anyone having to send military records with their IV package? We have a fairly unique situation. Normally,our country is exempt from sending those since there is no mandatory military service. But my husband is actually employed with the military, so we have to send something, except they can't give us a concrete "military record" file, it doesn't exist as a single document. So we have to figure something out, send his contract and assignment sheet... and a letter explaining the circumstances. Just wondering if anyone is actually including this document, and what does it say on it? What info is included? Google isn't giving me an answer really. I'd hate for this to cause a delay in our processing :-/

Thanks you! Same to you, and a quick "case complete" for all of us inshaAllah

I was told that the IV fee takes about a week after the DS-261 is processed, and it's my own fault for messing with that... so hopefully by the end of next week that will be done.

Ds-260 can only be completed after IV fee is showed paid.there is a button which will appear automatically in IV row after showing IV fee is paid...u should better to call NVC abt dis IV fee.

Yes, I know about the DS-260, I'm just impatient.

I am on hold with them right now...

@LeavingPrague and @Loading (love that nickname btw ), thanks for your answers! At least the agent thing should be OK. As of yet, no IV fee showing up. Frustrating!

@LeavingPrague, that is the link I'm using. I've also tried logging in to the DS-260 website, but the first thing it says is that the fees aren't paid and to "pay now", but that just takes you to the original CEAC site where the IV fee is not invoiced yet.

Hi all. I am confused to no end with the stupid fees and waiting for the DS-260. To be fair, part of it is our mistake

Our AoS fee showed up all OK, was paid and credited from the bank account on 11/12. I filled out the DS-261 way before that, but the confirmation email went to my husband's address, and we didn't even know there would be a confirmation email... he didn't check it for two weeks so there was a delay confirming the choice of agent. But we finally did that about 10 days ago. The IV fee is still not showing up, and I also could've screwed that up logging in to the DS-261 a couple times after due to confusion, because the start-up site after logging in still says "no agent selected" but right next to it, it says "completed". WTH?!?!?! What is it supposed to say, should it say the name of the agent in that spot???

Also, are you guys sending a coversheet for each packet individually, or just one coversheet for both? It seems to me that one should suffice, since it covers both AoS and IV supporting documentation.

On a related note, I'm in a similar situation, where I'm planning to have my dad be a co-sponsor since I'm living abroad and am currently jobless.

From this thread, it seems that I can't have only my dad sponsor, since he and my mom file joint tax returns, and live together, obviously.

So, just to be sure, do I have to have both of them co-sponsor (and fill out an I864-A for my mom), or can I have just my dad do it, and file transcripts for their joint tax returns? The problem with those is that they don't state an individual's income, just the couple's as one number.

If you are planning to go back before your husband gets his visa, maybe he can bring some additional proof to his interview if will be necessary....

that's what I'm hoping, that me physically being there will be enough. I'll save ticket stubs and all that. But strangely, I haven't seen that anywhere as 'evidence' of re-establishing domicile, which confuseeeeees me... Pray and hope for the best

My wife also has to prove/establish US domicile:

With AOS we will send next documents hoping they will satisfy needs.....

• Copy of California drivers license showing permanent US address
• Copy of US Passport, biometric page
• Copy of Social Security card
• Copy of US Bank statement showing permanent US address
• Copy of Voter notification card showing permanent US address
• Copies of last tax transcripts
• Copy of US school registration for her son
• Real estate agent statement the she is selling her real estate in Croatia

I think that consul in Sarajevo or in my case in Ljubljana won't be so strict about this question.

Our biggest concern now is meeting household size requirements with assets :/

I think the school enrollment and selling real estate constitutes real intent to move to the US, so you should be good there. We don't have kids, don't have real estate (we live in my family's house here, rent-free). I hope that our consuls won't be as strict, most people that I've read had trouble are from Canada, and I can kind of see that, neighboring countries... Did your wife vote in the midterm elections @Frips? I have a voter's card and I found a website that shows I'm a registered voter, I just didn't vote... I really hope that me actually moving back and having a passport stamp showing entry into the country is considered "reestablishing domicile."

Hi guys,

for the most part, everyone should be starting their NVC process. Have you thought about proving domicile as part of the process? When I spoke to the NVC officer, I asked about it, and he kind of brushed it off as being simple, basically having a US address. Now, reading up about it, I'm getting freaked out. There have been cases of visas being denied due to insufficient domicile proof. Our plan is for me to go back to the US a couple months before, but we will be sending in our IV and AOS packets before that, so I should include proof of intent of re-establishing domicile. I have bank accounts in the US, my address where I lived (my parents reside there), a valid driver's license, and voter's registration (though I stupidly didn't vote in the midterm elections). I don't have a job offer, which is kind of difficult to get living on another continent and all, though I am looking for open positions. And I certainly won't be getting an apartment before my husband arrives and I'm employed. I wonder if purchasing a ticket would show intent to move back to the US? I strangely haven't seen that anywhere as potential proof...?

Is anyone else having concerns about the domicile? Do you know of cases where domicile wasn't a problem for the visa with the USC living abroad?

Pozz,

zna li neko sta sa ovim military records koji su mi dosli na checklisti za NVC process? Znam da vecina moze bez toga, al' kod nas je malo unikatna situacija. Muz je zaposlen u vojsci, kao profesionalni vojnik. Sta da radimo za te rekorde? On ima ugovore koje je potpisivao i to je to... Imal' iko sa slicnim iskustvom?

@LeavingPrague hopefully the lack of NoA2 via email was just an oversight. It's so much easier communicating with NVC via email than regular mail, especially when you're abroad and mail can travel for upwards of a month...

@Frips and @LeavingPrague

I actually called just once. Our NoA2 email was I think September 16, and it clearly said to wait a month before contacting NVC. I called them last Wednesday, once, and the person I spoke to said that our info was received at NVC on Oct 3rd, but it hadn't been processed yet, and to call back in a week. I was going to call again on Wednesday (2 days ago), but on Tuesday night, I received an email from NVC addressed to my husband, with our case number and IIN, instructions on how to proceed, and a checklist of the documents that will be needed (to include as a cover sheet when we mail our packet). The next day, I received an email from them addressed to me, with more or less the same info, plus a 'paper invoice' if I am not able to pay the fee online. So there was pretty much no need to call them at all. I calculated from our case number that it was generated on October 20th, and they sent me notice on the 21st, so people obviously know how to do their jobs

Also, when I called, I didn't give them our emails. When I mailed the I-130, I included the electronic notification form, which had my email address on it. NVC sent both notices (address to both my husband and me), to that email address.

P.S. No match for Sarajevski cevapi anywhere

Last night I received email notice from the NVC containing our case and IIN numbers, and instructions on how to proceed with the NVC process. I feel like I've psyched myself out while reading up about the process without really knowing what it looks like, that I keep expecting trouble, or to mess up, or for it to be difficult.... but so far, things are moving along really well. The whole process will God-willing be over much sooner than I originally thought. My frame of reference were several friends and my brother and his wife, all of who waited for about a year.

I talked to NVC last week and the person I spoke to said the NVC process does take several months, but even so, I am hopeful my SO will be in the US before spring which is great! Wishing everyone speedy processing! I'm still a worry-wort and will probably remain one until his visa is in hand

we are in Sarajevo, frips, so cevapi is a regular occurrence

our case went through CSC as well, so hopefully you will get expedited processing! and I read the other topic someone posted about filers from abroad, and it does say that the expedite only applies to the I-130. the NVC part is the same for everyone. i'm waiting for our NoA2 to arrive in the mail (should be soon, NoA1 took about 13 days), before I start calling the NVC.

1. Country USC resides in: Bosnia
2. Is there a USCIS field office in this country / Is DCF still possible? No
3. When did you file the I-130: August 27, 2014
4. How long had you been living abroad: 14 months
5. Do you reside in the country legally? Yes
6. What is the reason for your residence: Being with husband. We had planned to stay here, but sucky economic situation dictated otherwise.
7. Did you list your foreign address on all forms in I-130 package? Yes
8. Did you send I-130 package from abroad? Yes
9. Did you include evidence of your residence abroad in the I-130 package? Not really, I included proof of joint finances (bank accounts) both here and in the US.
10. Did you mention the fact you reside abroad in the cover letter or write a letter describing your current situation and the evolution of your relationship with your spouse (mentioning your residence abroad)? Yes, a letter describing our situation and plans
11. Has your case been "auto-expedited"? How long between NOA1 and NOA2? Yes, 14 days.

Also, someone earlier mentioned to not list any US addresses on the I130. I did list a US for where the intending immigrant plans to live. It's the address where my parents live, and I also listed it as my last US address. It seems that doesn't negatively affect a potential auto expedite.,

Anyone know how long the NVC process is taking now, ball park? Auto-expedite doesn't seem to apply to the NVC portion of the process...