elvenshadow

Visa approved! Everything went very well! Thank you to everyone on this forum that has answered my questions and gave advice. I wish you all the best. If anyone ever has a question, feel free to PM me and I will do my best to help out. I will write more details on my timeline about the interview later.

This may be a stupid question but I couldn't find the answer on the embassy website.

Our interview is tomorrow at the Tokyo embassy. Does anyone know if most embassies allow you to bring in your keys, wallet, or a pen?

It says no sharp objects but I don't know if they consider keys to be "sharp", same with a pen

Yeah I didn't notice that the embasy would give me a separate confirmation number at the time I set up the payment on line.

I scanned my receipt for the payment, 17600 yen, and emailed the 3 numbers they required (bank, customer no., and confirmation no .,) but they claim no payment can be found!!

I will have to pay the fee again, and it is impossible to contact Mitsubishi UfJ Nicos , to get a refund. There is no email address to contact them and the phone line is always engaged!

What a scam!

What payment are you talking about? No one mentioned anything about that to me in any emails I received nor did they mentioned when I called the embassy. Is this something just specific to your case? They said all I need to do is bring the receipts to show I paid the IV fee and AoS fee and that was all and any other fees (if any) could just be paid at the embassy in cash on the day of the interview. Our interview is tomorrow so hopefully we are not missing something...

Hello everyone. My wife's case was expedited and her interview will be September 2nd. We never even sent the IV package to NVC and the AOS will be sent back to us without having ever been reviewed, so we need to bring both complete packets to the interview. As a result, I am a little confused about the additional documents necessary.

In the email I received upon notification of our interview date, it said to bring the following things...

Ø Confirmation pages of DS260

Ø Original Marriage Certificate with English translation

Ø Original Family Register with English translation

Ø Medical Examination Documents from a Panel Physician

Ø Police Certificate from Japan

Ø Completed form I-864 with supporting documents

Ø Fee, $230.00

Ø Two photos

Ø valid passport

Ø Letter pack 510

The thing that I am confused about mainly is the police certificate. We obtained one police certificate that we intended to send with our IV package but we never sent it out. Since we will be bringing the one that was to be included with the IV package, does that mean just bringing one is enough, or do we need to request a 2nd one? It just occurred to me today that this could be an issue so we probably would not be able to get a 2nd one requested in time for the interview if it is needed. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

We're preparing the final documents to bring to the interview next week. In the email we got, they said to bring the following to the embassy

Ø Confirmation pages of DS260

Ø Original Marriage Certificate with English translation

Ø Original Family Register with English translation

Ø Medical Examination Documents from a Panel Physician

Ø Police Certificate from Japan

Ø Completed form I-864 with supporting documents

Ø Fee, $230.00

Ø Two photos

Ø valid passport

Ø Letter pack 510

Since we never submitted IV packet and they never looked at our AOS, we are bringing those in full as well. Does that mean we need to prepare additional copies of all of these things even though we are bringing the other packets in full? The main thing I am concerned about is police certificate. We only have one that we got for the IV packet. Do we have to bring 2?

I think for USCIS, if you both are married and live abroad, you have a very high chance of getting an expedite. For NVC stage to embassy, I think some embassies are just less busy than others. Since NVC is so backed up right now, it actually probably speeds things up for everyone if some embassies can take some cases early to lessen the burden on NVC, resulting in NVC hopefully being able to process things more quickly.

Just got our interview date. Sept 2nd! I wasn't expecting it to be so soon! Now we really need to rush to get all the documents we need to replace since NVC can't send our original AoS packet until sept 10th! It's up to my parents to send what a need from the states as my dad is the joint sponsor. Everything is ready on our end. Here's hoping it all works out!

DS-260 just became available and I just started, but I am already confused about what to do on the first page. It asks for the beneficiary's surname. Some fields are filled in my default from their records. They have her maiden name listed in there by default but her legal name is my last name. It says that the name must match what is shown in her passport. Her biographical data page shows her maiden name but there is a page next to it that has a legal official amendment to the passport stating that her surname has been legally changed to my last name. So in this case, which name should I use?

So 5 and a half hours after I started trying to call, I finally was able to get on hold now. In the process of waiting. We took a few breaks to watch a couple shows. It was originally saying "Cannot detect the phone number" or something along those lines each time calling, but then this time, it went back to simply saying "busy" when calling. After about 10 tries, we got through on hold now. I dont necessarily know if it is a skype problem or if NVC keeps records stored of how long it has been since each number has called but I tried calling other US numbers on skype to test and it worked fine right away. So, either Skype was glitchy for just this once instance or something is up with calling NVC in too short a time interval. I just thought this was kind of an interesting thing so I would share in case anyone cares.

Anyway, before I could finish typing this, I got connected and was able to ask all of my questions. For those of you who are interested or those of you who may read this at some point and benefit from it, I will tell you exactly what the NVC operator told me.

DS-260 is still coming quickly after IV payment. She said expect to be able to pay in about 3 or 5 days.

Since none of our AoS documents were ever actually reviewed, she recommended updated everything to reflect the most very recent information. So, it looks like I will be asking my parents for about 2 more months of bank statements and financial asset statements and to re-do all of the calculations on their I-864 and I-864A. I will need to also adjust mine accordingly.

Since the I-130 packet documents have already been reviewed long ago, they were already sent out to the Tokyo embassy directly yesterday, so they do not need to be recreated or submitted by us. I suppose they get priority over non-checked documents to be sent out. It seems like it would make sense to just send them all at once but I suppose since they did not check them, there are some legal reasons behind it, or simply following the bureaucratic order of things as usual.

Anyway, it seems like we just need to work hard to re-make the AoS ASAP and fill out DS-260 and then we can request an interview. Judging from another VJ user timeline, we may get an interview in a month or so if everything falls into place.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Here is hoping that the DS-260 wait time has not changed much since you all paid the IV fee. I agree with your instincts that updating the documents and numbers for the AoS makes sense. I just dont want to burden my parents much more since they already went through a lot getting all of the documents together in the first place. They live in the states and I am in Japan so everything is rather time sensitive so they have to really rush sometimes. My dad is the join sponsor and my mom is a household member with income so they need to provide current pay stubs and everything. I messaged them about this 2 days ago but no answer yet. I guess they have other things to deal with.

Anyway, I am going to prepare for all possible scenarios ASAP so that I can provide a packet that reflects either the updated or previous packet and also try to keep contacting NVC periodically just in case. I know skype may not be the best way but the call credits are really cheap from overseas and since I have no job right now and wont until we go back to the US, spending a lot of money on long distance rates when spending nearly an hour or more just on hold for one phone call makes me much more willing to just keep trying rather than spending the money on long distance cell phone calls.

Anyway, thanks again everyone. I know a lot of people in this thread have been suffering for a while and I feel bad since I have been more fortunate than others to bring my wife to the US, but I honestly hope you all achieve your goals very soon!

3 and a half hours since NVC opened. I have been calling fairly constantly only stop for 2, 30 minute periods to watch some shows but have been mashing the call button ever since and still no luck getting through. I wonder if they keep a list of numbers that have recently called and give priority to those that have not called recently somehow....? I called yesterday at 8:00 and got connected almost instantly.

Anyway, the main things I am wondering that I want to ask them could perhaps be answered by some of you, and I would really appreciated it if you can.

I paid the IV fee yesterday. Lately, how long is it taking for DS-260 to become available after paying it? It still has not cleared my checking account. Should I expect the whole 30 business days for that as well? Since the rep said my documents wouldnt make it in time for the interview, I initially figured it would be ready in a few days. Then I thought about how long it took to get the IV fee to come after DS-261 and now I wonder if I will actually have to wait 30 more business days even though we have an expedite. If that is the case, then I actually might get my documents back on time since I have to wait for DS-260 to be completed before even scheduling the interview anyway. So I dont even know if I actually need to start preparing a brand new AoS package from scratch or not, even though I have already begun doing so.

I was told by the NVC rep yesterday that I may need to re-create my entire AoS packet since the documents I sent most likely wont make it back to me before the interview. What I forgot to ask was, should I keep everything exactly as it was when I submitted it to NVC or should I change things to reflect the past 2 months that have happened since then? Mainly, including more recent pay stubs and recalculating income values based on the new ones and changing the multiple I-864s that we are submitting.

Last thing I wanted to ask them was, do I need to re-create the entire I-130 packet that originally came to NVC from USCIS again as well? They only mentioned AoS since they had it on file and didnt review it yet, but they said it would take until Sept 10th to even send that out to us to bring to the interview. Are they just going to send the I-130 earlier somehow and find the time, or should I expect to send that as well?

Everything is so confusing and none of this is in any wiki I could find....

I've been mashing the call back button on Skype since 7:00 us eastern time non-stop and still can't get through. Just Skype saying the number can't be recognized, yet it's the same one I always call (603 334 0700) and I have it set to US so it includes the 1 in front. I guess it's bad karma or something. It usually only does this 10 - 20 times before I get through but this is unheard of for me. I guess I'll take a break to watch something and try again. My wife is falling asleep watching me mash on the mouse and I may go crazy from the Skype call and hang up sounds on endless loop if I don't take a break lol.

Anyway, good luck today everyone

I have been trying to call NVC since they opened at 7 am, their time. I noticed today is a national holiday called Aviation Day but I don't even remember it. Is NVC closed today?

Actually, something just occurred to me. The email from the Tokyo embassy says the following:

"The Next Steps:

We will send a notice to you once we receive the immigrant visa case file from the National Visa Center.

If all of supporting documents are in the file, we will schedule an appointment for your visa interview.

If you need to present additional documents at time of visa interview, we will inform you. Then, you may respond to the notice to request an appointment as soon as all documents are ready."

However, the NVC told me on the phone that all of the documents (my AoS packet) I sent to them will be sent directly back to us and to bring it to the interview. So when the embassy says that the "case file" will be sent to them, do they mean the I-130 stuff? Does this mean something else? They told me that it will take until Sept. 10th to send out the files to me directly and to make a new AoS... I am really confused about what exactly the procedure is from here on out and both parties seemed to also not be very informed when I called either of them and there seems to be some conflicting information, unless I am misunderstanding the meaning of "case being transferred" vs "documents being sent". Can anyone shed some light?

I just thought I would let you all know what happened in case anyone is curious.

I called NVC. Got a really nice operator but forgot her name. She told me that she actually wasn't sure about my questions regarding IV and DS-260 so she put me on hold for a couple of minutes and confirmed with her supervisor. It turns out that I had to pay the IV online. I have now paid the fee and it says IN PROCESS but I am still unable to do DS-260. Most likely I have to wait for the payment to clear which will probably take a couple of days.

Here's the part that makes things complicated. My AoS packet physically arrived at the NVC in early July but they still haven't actually even looked at it. They are have no information on any checklists or anything. So, they will just be sending that entire packet directly back to us and we have to bring it to the interview along with the IV packet. The crazy part is that since they are so backed up, they won't even be able to physically ship it out to me until September 10th. So, the operator told me that it would most likely be best to simply remake the entire AoS packet to bring to the interview. Luckily it contained no original documents that I can't get again but I will need to print and sign all forms and everything again. Judging by another user's timeline who recently also was expedited to Tokyo embassy, the interview will probably be roughly a month from the date they approved the expedite which was 3 days ago... so I think I will have to be on the safe side and re-gather all of the AoS documents. It is kind of a pain but I honestly would rather do that again 10 times than have to wait several more months.

Regarding the other questions I asked:

She said if ESTA visitors get temporary Alien Numbers that are later deleted, she said say yes to the question and then mark "do not know" next the number

She also said to put the cell phone number in rather than check "does not apply"

Knowing all that, I think we are pretty much good to go other than gathering everything again. Hopefully we don't make any mistakes.

Sorry, a few more questions

When it asks for the Alien Number information on the page for previous U.S. visits, the way I understand things from calling previously is that an Alien Number is always assigned but that they become deleted from all records and invalid shortly after the Alien leaves the US (at least in the case when using ESTA). Is it better to just put "no" when it asks if my wife was ever assigned an A-number or should we put "yes" and check the box next to it that says "do not know" when asking for it?

Thanks for the replies everyone. 2 more hours and I will call NVC.

I am going over the PDF preview of the DS-260 again to make sure I have all of the information ready. For when it asks for the intended U.S. address, we have one that we will move in to. We will temporarily live at my parents' address until we find our own place. Recently, my parents cancelled the land line because no one uses it, so there is no official phone number for the house and everyone has their own cellphones. Is it better to put my father's cellphone number for the address phone number, or is it better to check the box that says "does not apply"? I plan to ask NVC operator when I call but they might not even know depending on who answers so I just wanted to see if anyone here might know. Thanks!

I am no expert but just a couple of suggestions...first I would call NVC ASAP...if they will not release the IV invoice or the DS260 for you, possibly send in a check via mail....maybe also ask Tokoyo if they will accept the paper form of DS230? There has to be a way around it but probably first step is contact NVC with the expedite information...best of luck to you....

Sorry, perhaps I didn't explain well. IV fee is now available to pay online but the embassy email told me to pay at interview. However, they also said fill out DS-260 first, but I can't do that until IV fee is paid. Embassy said to just call NVC but they aren't open for a few more hours so I just wanted to see if anyone knew what to do before I called. I decided I will just wait and call before doing anything else so that I don't mess anything up. Thanks for the input though!

I Got surprised !! Really ?? I just got the email from tokyo embassy and now they give me the Date of my interview already ?? wow! I am not ready yet!!

USCIS :

IR-1/IR-2 Visa

Service Center :

California Service Center

Consulate : Tokyo, Japan

Marriage : 2005-12-02

I-130 Sent : 2014-04-23

I-130 NOA1 : 2014-04-29

I-130 RFE : None

I-130 RFE Sent : None

I-130 Approved : 2014-05-13

NVC :

NVC Received : 2014-06-06

Case Number Received : 2014-19-06

DS-261 Sent : 2014-21-06

AOS Bill Generated : 2014-06-25

AOS Bill Paid Online : 2014-06-25

Expedite Approved July 7, 2014

NVC Left July 8, 2014

tokyo Consulate received: July 16, 2014

Interview Date : AUG.4,2014

Congrats again! Our case was approved for expedite and was sent to the Tokyo embassy. I received an email from the embassy that we no longer should send any documents to the NVC and should bring them to the interview. Also, they said that we should just pay any unpaid fees (in this case, IV fee) at the embassy and they also said to fill out DS-260. The problem is, it won't let us fill out DS-260 until we pay the IV fee online. The IV was invoiced the online the day after we received contact from the embassy. This was a few days ago. I was unable to do anything about it until today because I was traveling with a relative who was visiting. I just called the Tokyo embassy and they said they were unsure about what to do with the fee and that I should just call the NVC and ask. I plan to do so, but NVC won't open for about 4 or 5 hours. I want to go ahead and just finish DS-260 right now and pay the IV fee but I worry that if I pay online it may cause problems or delays... Do you (or anyone else) know the correct course of action? I really appreciate any help.

Our case was approved for expedite and was sent to the Tokyo embassy. I received an email from the embassy that we no longer should send any documents to the NVC and should bring them to the interview. Also, they said that we should just pay any unpaid fees (in this case, IV fee) at the embassy and they also said to fill out DS-260. The problem is, it won't let us fill out DS-260 until we pay the IV fee online. The IV was invoiced the online the day after we received contact from the embassy. This was a few days ago. I was unable to do anything about it until today because I was traveling with a relative who was visiting. I just called the Tokyo embassy and they said they were unsure about what to do with the fee and that I should just call the NVC and ask. I plan to do so, but NVC won't open for about 4 or 5 hours. I want to go ahead and just finish DS-260 right now and pay the IV fee but I worry that if I pay online it may cause problems or delays... Does anyone know the correct course of action? I really appreciate any help.

Oh my God! I feel sick!!

http://www.newsmax.com/US/US-computers-glitch-Passports/2014/07/23/id/584562/

Ugh.... Well that explains a lot. Time to abandon all hope I guess....

Wow that interview date is so close! So may I ask what reason you gave them to get approved for the expedite? Did you send a letter or did you call directly to ask for it?

Also, did you not have to do the DS260 or IV packet and got an interview anyway? How does that work?

My fiancee had her interview a couple days ago in Tokyo and we are approved! (K-1).

Everything was smooth, just asked a few basic questions as seems common there (How did you meet, Has he been to Japan before, Have either of you been married before (and since the answer for me is yes, they then asked her how long ago I got divorced)).

Congratulations! My wife and I are still waiting for her interview. We just sent the AoS about 10 days ago and submitted DS-261 on the 1st, so we still have a long way to go until our interview.

I was wondering if you had a joint sponsor or not. We are using one and I am curious if they will be asking a lot of questions in relation to our financial situation and will want us to bring a lot of proof of assets and employment of our joint sponsor to the interview. We have all of the documents copied that were included in the AoS packet, but by the time the interview finally happens, those documents will be several months old, so I am wondering if I will need my joint sponsor to send more recent ones.

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Congrats. How did you manage to do that?

It looks like my AoS packet is going to arrive at NVC today since the tracking number shows it already arrived at JFK airport on July 5th. The fee completely cleared my bank but it still shows as In Process on the NVC payment portal. Should I be worried that they will set my packet aside until it shows as paid and might lose my files?