PEGG

Received the card in the mail today (12/13) - to the person asking about the first few numbers - its as WAC1735

So - now that we have the perm green card which expires in 10 years - and says resident since December 2015 - and married since April 2015 - does that mean we meet the requirement of being married for 3 years and can begin the process to apply for citizenship or have to wait for 5 years?

We received our NOA that conditions have been lifted as of 12/06/18 - our submission date was 9/25/17 - I have an extension letter for my Green Card and a secondary extension letter extending the original letter an additional 6 months.  The NOA states that I should not travel outside the United States before receiving the new Green Card as "you may have difficulty reentering the United States" - we live so close to the Canadian border here in Detroit and all my family is in Canada - was planning on visiting there over the holidays etc... won't my extension letters suffice until I receive the new permanent Green Card? 

Went for biometrics today - asked about AP and how long it would take - they said should get it 2-3 weeks after biometrics appointment - though i've never heard or seen such turn around from what I've read here on visa journey. Explained how we would really like to be able to go back to Canada in the middle of July for a family reunion - was told if we didn't get it by July 1st to make and INFO PASS appointment and they would likely give permission for a one time crossing into Canada and back into the states. Anyone else hear of experience anything remotely similar to this?

Define "everything you had" - did you have an emergency that warranted the expedite request? Did you first send an application via the Chicago lock box? Please elaborate

Wow - that's quite a story.

My fiancé is Canadian and we would be driving across the border - as a Canadian citizen with a Canadian passport I doubt there would be much to worry about that sort of treatment from her own government. I wouldn't dare drive over the border without the AP approved. I'm just wondering how long it takes to actually get the AP card once you get a letter stating that the AP has been approved. Based on Visa Journey stats it seems we will get our AP approved around the time we need (middle of July) but if we have to wait a week or so after getting the approval letter to actually having the AP card in hand - that's where her ability to attend the family get together in Canada will become iffy. Which is why I'm wondering whether it's worth it for her to cross into Canada (assuming we get the approval letter) and then if we don't have the actual AP card - I can drive across check the mail after our week in Canada back at home, if the AP card is in hand - go back to Canada, pick her up and cross back into the states - this time with the actual AP card?

They should read wife not finance - i'm so used to writing out finance - gotta get used to new terminology

The whole AP thing does suck - we are in a somewhat similar situation. My now wife is Canadian and we live in Detroit along the border. Our NOA on the AP is May 7th and she is going for Biometrics this Friday (May 29th). We are hoping and praying to get her AP by July 15th so she can attend a family reunion of hers back in Canada - literally just across the river - but it's going to be awfully close.

Anyone know if we get the AP approval letter but not the actual card if that would be good enough before the reunion? I guess she could always stay in Canada until the card came in the mail after receiving the approval letter and then I can bring it back once it comes in the mail so she can cross properly with the AP card.

Is it even worth inquiring about a temporary AP when she goes in for her Biometrics? Does having your Biometrics done suggest the AP is not far behind or Biometrics appointment is solely for the AOS and has nothing to do with AP?

Just a little caution - we were approved in 21 days but then it took 5 months for the CSC to mail the approved petition to the NVC - I hope you don't have to go through what we went through.

I'm in the same boat - and dealing with a Canadian finance - and for the life of me - i can not figure out this damn website - K-1 is not an option - I realize that we are applying for an immigrant visa and not a nonimmigrant visa - but I don't see where or how to change to that - any one else with this issue with their damn website - please please help and advise!

Hello everyone - called NVC today and lo and behold our file has arrived!!!!

Our NOA-2 date was October 21 so it's been a slow painful wait but we received our case number, our invoice number and the beneficiary number and the file is supposedly going to be sent to Montreal soon!

Thank you everyone for all the help on this thread! It has been a godsend to find you guys. Can't thank Angela enough for starting this thread. On to figure out what the next steps are (feel free to send advice)

Hoping the rumors of a long wait to get an interview in Montreal are unfounded, but preparing for whatever comes our way. Wishing only the best to all of you still waiting and hoping the CSC and USCIS gets this mess resolved soon!

PEGG

Just to give an update on where we are - (we've been following along here with everyone - the only difference with us is that being in Detroit and Windsor we are able to see each other weekly so that makes this a lot less painful than a lot of you guys)

But we are starting to become really frustrated and wondering why this black hole has swallowed up all our approved applications.

Our NOA-2/I-797 date was October 21. It is valid through Feb 20th.

We've eamiled NVC Research and NVC Inquiry - informing us that Jess is going to contact USCIS on our bhealf

We've contacted USCIS and spoken to Tier 2 IO officers multiple times. A request to have the record sent from the NRC back to USCIS and then NVC has been requested on December 24th and that email says you have to wait 60 days for NVC to get it (which would be February 24th) Earlier this week I was able to convince another IO officer to send a second request/expedited request since the valid period will expire on the NOA-2 before the 60 days will be up.

We've contacted our US Congressmen's office and filled out the PR form at the end of December but have not heard back from them yet.

We passed the 90 day mark this week and are frustrated by not being able to make plans. We hear rumors that the Montreal consulate is backed up on interviews and that it might be another 3 months wait to get an interview if and when our application finally makes it there.

All and all quite disheartening!

I called today to both NVC and USCIS (I've lost track of how many times I've called - here's how it went:

NVC - really rude guy who was doing everything he could to end the call and move on - I stumped him when I informed him that, yes, i've already emailed NVCResearch and that my concern is the validity date expression - he told me I should contact the embassy/consulate of my finance's country (I informed him she is Canadian) and he said well call them and they will issue her a new I-797 - which makes no sense - which I told him since I was the one who received the I-797 for having my petition approved and that why would Montreal help me when NVC hasn't sent anything on to them? He didn't have an answer for me - just told me not to worry about the expiration date

USCIS - was immediately referred to a Tier 2/IO - 45 mins later a woman called me who also was rude (two strikes today unfortunately) she saw that I had a service request performed already, was unwilling to initiate another one, told me I was going to have to wait 60 days from December 24th (when the service request was processed from a previous phone call on December 12th - for those new here, our NOA2 date was October 21) - she also told me not to worry about the expiration date on the I-797.

I then called an old friend who is working for my Senator Elect - he was going to see what he could do on his end - so that's our update. Beyond frustrated. Really praying that with the new year and a regular work week starting back up next week that things will begin to sort itself out from this nightmare.

Hello and Happy Holidays to all of you fellow October NOA-2/CSC people.

I received an email today from USCIS which was in response to a WKD order number being issued by an IO after talking to a Tier 2 person when I called USCIS on December 12th. Today (December 24th) I received this email:

The status of this service request is:

Thank you for your inquiry. The file will be requested from our Records Center and will be forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC). Please allow sixty (60) days for the NVC to receive the case and enter it into the systems.

If you move, please provide us with an updated address. For more information about address changes, please visit our Web site at www.uscis.gov/ar11, and click on Change Your Address Online.

For More Information: If you do not find the information you need through our online services and need further assistance, you may contact our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283, or 1-800-767-1833 (TDD for the hearing impaired). If you have any further questions, please call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Have any of you received this email from USCIS before? 60 days from today will put us past the validity period on the NOA-2 (which says it's valid until 2/20/15) Any other steps we should be taking?

Thanks again for all your help!

Hello everyone - I feel like I found my people with this thread. Like you Angela - we are a couple where the xx is Canadian and the xy is American - but we live close to each other near the border of Detroit-Windsor so seeing each other isn't as big as a problem.

That being said - our NOA-2 was 10/21/14 and I'm in the boat with all of you.

So far I have called USCIS-CSC and was forwarded to a nice IO/Tier-2 officer with a heavy NY accent and was very kind - he told me he was putting in a request to find out what is going on and noted our expiry date of February 21st. I killed him with kindness and hopefully it pays off.

After a 3 week wait, we received our email response to NVCResearch and the mysterious "Jess" saying they don't have our file and they will be contacting USCIS to find out what is going on, on our behalf - word for word what someone above posted before.

Realize now with the holidays and New Years and things in these offices and departments are likely operating at an even slower pace - so don't really see much use in doing anything until after the New Years hangover subsides which I reckon won't be until the week of January 5th.

I guess at that point I might contact our Congressman.

Best of luck to you all , this thread was very helpful and informative in at least making us not feel so alone!!!

Just wondering for those fellow CSC people what your status us - we received our NOA-2 on 10/21/14 and are still stuck in limbo between USCIS and NVC. NVC says they do not have the file, I've spoken with tier 2-agents 10 days ago who said they will look into it and I also emailed NVCResearch on December 2nd and Finally received this today:

Dear Sir/Madam,

The National Visa Center received your inquiry and the attached I-797
Notice of Action - Approval Notice. Unfortunately we do not have a
record of receiving your approved petition from the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS). To assist you in determining the location
of your petition the NVC will contact USCIS on your behalf for
information on the location of this petition.


Sincerely,
Jess
National Visa Center
Written Inquiry Unit
FCi Support Contractor
NVCResearch@state.gov

Not sure if that is good news or bad - it sounds bad - anyone else out there in the same boat as us and have any advice?

We also were approved with a fast NOA2 - we received it October 21st (after a September 29th submission) BUT we have been stuck at the NVC since October 21st (and it's December 9th) Our NOA-2 came from CSC and I've been reading on here that while CSC approves quickly (with a fast NOA2 notice) it doesn't send them to NVC for awhile - so we continue in this NVC purgatory waiting period after getting our hopes up like yours are now.

We received our NOA-2 today and are very excited!

Looking ahead to the next steps we have to take we are wondering the following:

As she lives near the border and visits as a "Canadian tourist" most weekends - is it ok to have the Medical exam for the K-1 VISA interview performed in the United States by a Civil Surgeon OR does she have to have the medical in Canada by a Panel physician?

Any help with this would be most appreciated!!