AmberG

I thought I'd report this, if it is at all an indication of how long interview scheduling is taking.

I am at the NVC stage of the process right now, but decided to rejoin my husband in Egypt for another 2 years because I got a really good foreign hire 2 year contract there that I couldn't pass up- especially after being here a year with my son and us all being separated. I found that you can delay NVC processing simply by submitting the documents slowly and contacting them once a year.

I also contacted the US embassy in Egypt to see if I can delay there as well (I am trying to bide our time so we can return together to the US two years from now, basically). So I asked the US embassy what if (as an example) my husband is traveling and can't make it to the scheduled interview date and time in Cairo. They said that they will reschedule the interview 4-5 months from the initial date.

So that made me wonder if that, in general, not just for rescheduling 4-5 months is how long it's taking to get an interview. I thought I'd share that tidbit because it seems like that may be some insight into how long it takes to get the interview.

Lol I actually googled first before posting here but it didn't have Pakistan as MENA country which came out as a surprise for me lol!

Why is that surprising? MENA stands for Middle East and North Africa. Pakistan is in Asia. It doesn't fit the category. Simple geography.

I finally sent the Cairo Embassy a e-mail asking how long the Police report or what ever it's called is good for and the response was a year, 12 full months .

So anyone filing for Egypt wooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooo thought it was only for 3 months. :dance: :dance:

Thank you- good to know!

Sweet heart why? Do you realize how long it will take us to just get an interview then most likely AP for, God knows how many months. You don't need to delay a thing just send them in. You'll have months to wait and wait and wait. If your very lucky you might get an interview in maybe four months most likely 8 and then the AP. Send it in. Just saying, since I don't know the circumstances I might be totally wrong.

LOL! I know. You probably think I'm crazy...I know I can send it in and I probably have a wait of a year from now or something. The thing is, I might have an offer for a foreign hire contract in Egypt, but the school wants me to come for 2 years preferably. It's very good money and teaching in the US the money stinks (if you can even find a job). I'm seeing if I can delay the NVC process enough so we can enter exactly 2 years from now, instead of 1 (which like you said it will PROBABLY be at least 1 year after all is said and done from now). It's just the school director said, listen, there MAY be someone else who can do 2 years if you can't. So agreeing to 2 years may get me the job. The whole thing is not for sure,but if I don't want to agree to 2 years if it'll screw things up at NVC. I wasn't looking for a job in Egypt...just was a weird turn of events when I recently got in touch with a work contact this past week. We'll see. I just don't know how delaying NVC for 1 year from now will affect me (because most likely getting the interview will take at least 6 months and then you have another 6 months to enter...so no problem there). I will call NVC on Tuesday to see.

I would say call, it takes them ages to receive emails and you don't want to be in a situation where you're fighting over case status because you sent an email before the year mark but they didn't read it until after. If you don't want to actually move your case along by paying fees or filling forms I wouldn't think you have to, so long as you're making those periodic calls. Worth double checking with them when they reopen after the holiday just to be sure though.

Yes, I am going to call on Tuesday to find out for sure. Thanks for your help!

You have to contact them once a year at minimum in order to keep your case active. A statement to that effect was at the bottom of all their emails to me (on the PDFs).

Do you mean just email them? Or send in some kind of document or fee once a year? So your case could essentially be active for more than one year as long as you contact them?

How long does NVC keep your file active there from when they receive your case? Like, how long do you have to send in all the paperwork? I MAY try to delay the NVC process by not sending in the IV docs right away, but I don't want to deactivate my case or anything. This has do with a work contract issue where I may return to my husband's country for awhile.

Checked it out looks like the first ones are Christian not sure and the second one the interview was 2013-06-12 put in AP then given visa on

2014-04-12 not so good must be Muslim.

I wish we had more data, you know? It's so hard to guess based on just a few cases. Maybe it will be a longer wait than we think, but then again maybe not! There's obviously tons of cases and we just can't access what's going on with them. I am really praying all of us waiting on the embassy there have good luck.

I am very seriously considering returning to Egypt on a foreign hire contract starting from the summer (I'm a teacher). I'm sick of waiting it out here in the US to be honest. I figure by the time the visa is issued and anyway you have 6 months to enter after issued which would pretty much bring me to this time next year.

Still following the thread! Hope everyone will report once they have interviews. Will send in my IV pack tomorrow and then it's waiting for the CC and the interview!

I will be in Egypt this summer....looking forward to it!

I'm sure that mine has been slowed because of the USCIS initially sending my husband's and step-daughter's petitions to different service centers (his went to California and hers went to Vermont). Like you, I initially tried to put in a service request online first and then called when I got the error message, but they told me that I had to wait 60 days from the transfer date and when I explained that it had been transferred twice, they still refused. Since then I have tried both ways many more times to no avail until Monday when Sergio cheated it for me. I was not trying to say that Vermont is processing Sept 30th PDs right now. What I was told is that since my receipt numbers start with MSC, which is the prefix for NBC receipts, that their system defaults to NBC's processing time, which does say September 30. My theory is that they must have had one system in place to deal with all of the transfers and now that they have reached the petitions that were sent directly (which started October 21, I believe), they have changed it. Just a theory. It's just that now I know that I'm not the only one that has experienced this exact same scenario.

Yes, I saw a number of people on the board that weren't allowed to file service requests for various reasons even thought it was pretty obvious they were due a response. I hope you are approved very soon!!

Been following along in this forum for several months but this is the first time posting because I'm so frustrated now.

Filed I-130 as U.S. Citizen for spouse and received NOA1 on Oct. 7

March 11 case was transferred to TSC

May 2 I received notice that case was transferred AGAIN this time to VSC, but online it says it was transferred to "local office" (I live in Omaha). When I called Customer Service the recording says that my case was transferred to Mesquite, TX. I talked to Tier 2 and they said that it was in Vermont with no explanation for the conflicting data.

Also, the USCIS website says that processing times at VSC is 5 months so today I called and tried to make a request since I am over 7 months and the rep started to file the inquiry but couldn't because she said VSC was currently working on cases from Sept. 30!!! Then why does the website say 5 months.

I am so irritated with these people and just wondering if anyone has any input or has experienced similar issues.

A little background on our case if it helps: Not that it should matter but I will mention that I am filing this for my same sex spouse. He is from Mexico and we have been together 15 years although we were only married 2 years ago. He took a voluntary departure last year to avoid deportation because he had overstayed his original Visa. All this waiting is very hard on both of us, we just want to get the process moving because we know that we still have a long road ahead of us until we are together again.

Thanks for any input.

I would call again and try to talk to someone else if I were you. First, there is no way they can be working on PDs of Sept 30th at VSC. I had a PD of October 1st and was approved at VSC on April 11th. That was almost a month and a half ago. There were people on this board that had later dates in October that were even approved before me at VSC. I don't see why they wouldn't let you make a request- that makes no sense. Maybe it has something to do with the deportation thing. Could it possibly make your case more complicated?

Well, I can't tell you what the disparity is between your case and mine, but it could be that there was a change in their system. Previously I tried several times to file the request online and it used to tell me, "Routing could not be determined due to an invalid receipt number" even though I copied the number straight from my profile. Now when I try, it says, "Your application or petition is currently within the posted processing times. An inquiry may not be created at this time. Further information about recent processing times can be viewed on the uscis.gov webpage." (I kept snippets to show the Councilman.)

I had called about 4 times prior to talking to Sergio and each of the reps had said that the last completed petition was on September 30 and that I was within the processing time, just like they told AaronOmaha. If you look at the processing time for NBC it says:

Field Office Processing Dates for National Benefits Center as of: March 31, 2014 Form Title Classification or Basis for Filing: Processing Timeframe:

I-102 Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival/Departure Record Initial issuance or replacement of a Form I-94 2.5 Months

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative U.S. citizen filing for a spouse, parent, or child under 21 September 30, 2013

Also, when you go to the processing times page, it even says "National Benefits Center (also known as MSC)". Maybe you happened to get someone that knew how to cheat the system like Sergio did. Whatever the case, you are lucky to have jumped the USCIS hurdle and I am still waiting.

I think that is all really strange, personally. There is no way VSC is processing Sept 30th PDs right now. I was approved on April 11th (almost a month and a half ago) and my PD is Oct. 1st. Plus, look at all the other people on the October spread sheet with PDs all over October who were approved a long time ago. And if you are at VSC, it shouldn't matter anything about the processing times for NBC. I don't know why they'd even bring that up. Who knows, maybe they changed their policy, but could it be your case is more complicated somehow?

Oh- and I wanted to add, I also could not do it online back then either. It gave me the same error message you got. Which is why I called up to do it.

Hello AaronOmaha,

I have been following this thread for a few months as well but I felt compelled to join so I could tell you what I found out yesterday. My PD is October 1 and I have been trying to file a service request for awhile now and I found out what part of the problem is. A very nice rep named Sergio told me that their system would not let them file a service request because my receipt # starts with MSC, which is the prefix for the National Benefits Center. Since your PD is 10/7, my guess is that yours was sent to the NBC before being transferred to a service center like mine. If you look at the NBC's processing time for USC filing I-130 for spouse, it says that the last one they finished was September 30, 2013. That explains why we can't file one online as well. He was kind (or smart) enough to cheat the system by changing my PD to September 29 so that it would accept it. It worked, however, I just received an email that says:

"Recently, you or your representative contacted USCIS concerning your I-130, to notify us that you believe your case is outside of our normal processing time. Below is a summary of what we found and how the issue has been or may be resolved.

Your petition is still pending consideration. We regret that we are not able to give you a timeframe for when we will complete the review of your petition.

What You Can Do

Please see the "Online Services" below to check the status of your case in the near future. We apologize for the delay.

We hope this information is helpful to you."

Grrrr....NOT HELPFUL AT ALL, USCIS! Mine has been transferred twice because my step-daughter's petition was initially sent to a different service center than my husband's. I am very frustrated as well, so I feel your pain! I have even requested assistance from my Congressman, which has proven fruitless as well. I even have a hard time looking at this forum anymore because almost everyone has moved on to NVC and I'm still waiting. *SIGH*

Good Luck to you and everyone else still waiting!

My PD was also October 1st and my prefix was MSC and I was able to file a service request at a little over 6 months. I called up, Tier 1 rep said, yes since you are at the VSC (I had been transferred from NBC) now 6 months is over their processing time so no problem. She gave me a confirmation number and everything.

I have serious doubts about what the rep told you was true, because their system was obviously able to file a request for me and I have exactly the same PD and prefix as you. Something doesn't make sense about what the guy told you.

Tier 2 no help whatsoever. They refused to open a service request for me based on the fact that I'm 60 days past my transfer date, and the attachment I received in the mail said that I should call and "make an inquiry" after that time. USCIS is so useless, and my wife and I are so frustrated...

p.s. I waited on hold longer than 90 minutes to talk to Tier 2.

That is awful Can you try to file a service request with Tier 1 one rep? I did one with Tier 1 rep last month when we were over 6 months from the NOA 1 date. The Tier one rep did one with no questions asked. Maybe better to speak with Tier 1 than Tier 2 or did you already try this?

Makes sense, thanks for clarifying. At that point, after the case complete, if you do not have a checklist then you are simply waiting for an interview date?

And why would someone get a checklist? Would that be for providing additional evidence (as was sent in the I130 phase), or if you were missing forms (or otherwise incorrectly filled out forms) from the NVC process?

Right, you'd just be waiting for an interview after the case complete. I believe checklists are for missing info/forms. Or if what you submit isn't what they need/want as far as proving financial support with the AOS or maybe a documents with the IV packet. I hope none of us get a checklist.

Are you expecting to have your NVC case complete within two weeks of submitting all of that? Maybe I'm misinterpreting.

What are the current estimates on completion for the NVC phase once a case number is assigned (assuming one is on top of sending out what is required of them)?

No, we were just talking about how fast you can complete all the online forms/payments at NVC and send in the documents once you get your case/IIN number. 2 weeks is a good estimate. Then after that waiting for case complete, no idea how long since I guess it'd depend if you get a checklist or not.

Yep. VSC and their site still not updated. NVC got my papers april 25th, so I am hoping to get my case and IIN next week. I call every other day.

I got everything needed for NVC stage. police records, birth cert and have our original marriage cert etc... Just going to translate police records and birth cert.

Hopefully I get done within 2 weeks of time of receiving case and IIN number. Plan on submitting everything ASAP.

Yes, hopefully you can! For me, that was definitely the case. Then all to do is wait to see if you get case complete.

It is pointless go there if my case hasn't been activated. I don't even know if the case will be activated this month, yet.

I call every 3 days. I was told that it would be received in 2 weeks!

You were at VSC, right? I think mine took almost 3 weeks until it got there and showed up on their system. I don't know for sure since USCIS never sent me an email about when it was sent and I was just calling randomly at NVC once a week to see if it got there. But I am estimating about 3 weeks.

The only thing I would say, though, is read the NVC Wiki and prepare your AOS and IV documents now while you're waiting because once you get your case and IIN number it moves super fast. After you get the numbers you can finish everything in less than 2 weeks. I paid and filled out everything as of today, however I don't have all the IV documents to send in yet and I wish I did. My husband is Fedexing them early next week, but I honestly should have been prepared before. I guess I saw how slow the USCIS moved and thought NVC would be more of the same, but was not the case. There's always the chance I could get checklisted, however the actual paying and submitting can be done super fast once you have your numbers.

If we can have some NVC discussion here, that would be great. The NVC thread is impossible for me to follow and I've tried going through it a few times when I needed to ask something. But it is just far too difficult when you have limited time.

As an update, my DS 260 came available today, as the IV bill went through my bank account.

I've been seeing quite a bit that those who filed for a K3 visa have been getting case numbers assigned to them faster then if the I130 was filed alone? Any truth to that? Just curious to see how soon I can expect a case number. I'm shooting for the middle of June as the best bet, but I hope for some reason we get it sooner because of our K3 application....any merit to that rumor?!

Well for me that was true. I filed both and it seems I was assigned the case and IIN right away. Only thing is I have no idea when my case was sent and received. The date I put as my case number assigned was a random day I called up and they gave it to me. It may have been assigned sooner. I am waiting for the DS260 to become available and I didn't send in my IV packet yet as I'm waiting for my husband to send some documents from Egypt...but otherwise I was able to progress pretty quickly. Here's my timeline so far:

04/11/2014 -- I130 NOA2

??? – I130 Shipped to NVC

NVC

???-2014 -- NVC received

05-02-2014 -- NVC case number assigned case

05-05-2014 -- Completed DS-261 online

05-08-2014 -- I-864(AOS) Bill Generated and paid

05-12-2014 -- Sent I-864(AOS) Package

05-06-2014 -- DS-261 accepted

05-12-2014 -- IV bill invoiced and paid

XX-XX-2014 -- DS-260 completed online

XX-XX-2014 -- IV packets sent

XX-XX-2014 -- Case completed

XX-XX-2014 -- Interview scheduled

I just had a copy notarized... and in India they stamped PCC Endorsement in Passport..

Oh I see...that's country specific.

I have prepared below food for NVC can my nice VJ friends please check if any thing i missed here.

I864:

· AOS bar-coded cover sheet

· Form I-864 (signed and dated)

· Letter of Unemployment

· 2013Wages (Proof of no income)

· 2012 Tax Transcript

· 2011 Tax Transcript

· Letter of Domicile

· Proofs of Domicile

Joint Sponsor I864:

· Form I-864 (signed and dated)

· Recent Tax Transcripts

· Proof of US residency (front & back copy of green card)

Employment documents

IV Packet:

· Two (2) passport-size photographs of beneficiary (case number, beneficiary’s full name, and date of birth are written on back of both)

· Certified copy & photocopy of the biographic data page of beneficiary’s passport

· Certified copy & photocopy of police clearance stamp in beneficiary’s passport

· Original marriage certificate of Petitioner and beneficiary

· Original birth certificate of beneficiary

· Original police clearance certificate of beneficiary

· Certified copies and photocopies of the originals

Please guide me..

How can you have a certified copy of the biographic data page of the beneficiary's passport? I mean you just photocopy it...I don't understand how the photocopy would be certified? Or am I missing something? And also police clearance stamp in passport? I have never heard of this before.

From personal experiance and my deep love for the SOB''s at the US Embassy have everything translated by whom ever they have on their list of translators they will accept. They are horrible so don't take a chance even if they say you don't need it. Good luck to you.

By the way do you know how long it takes to get an interview date at the Cairo Embassy? Or will you be going to the one in Alexandria?

I know- that's what we were thinking too....might as well just translate it.

So far, from that other post, no one recently has posted how long it has taken to get an interview. Once I get scheduled I'll definitely report....hoping to have a case complete by mid June at the latest.

Do they do interviews in Alexandria? I hadn't heard of that. But my husband's will definitely be in Cairo because our NVC case number starts with CRO (obviously Cairo). Did you get a case number yet?

Congrats on the recent approvals! I so hope that Texas speeds up. Really, really hope for everyone there still waiting!

They need to be translated to English. I'm pretty sure the CO in Cairo does not speak Arabic, Just like Casablanca.

I translated everything to English!!!!!!!

Good luck

Thanks! That's what we were saying- that we've used the embassy in Cairo before and you always need things translated...however the NVC site says the documents don't need to be translated if in the language of the country the interview is in. I think better safe than sorry! I'd rather have my husband take them and get them translated before he sends them Fedex to me and be a few days behind schedule then get checklisted.