Tonyhk

a lot of ppl have issue with that page。try using myaccount uscis dhs site，that works for most of us

Yes, try again later.

The general forum recommendation is to not make any expensive, non-refundable plans until you have your passport in your hand, and the passport contains your visa.

5 hours is better than missing your flight completely!You never know what will happen, my flight was delayed to the states by 4 hours before I even checked in, so I missed my connection and had to stay overnight in New York, nightmare!

Continue on K1 path....
1. You have to go through medical, interview, then have visa issued. This can take up to 2 months.
2. You have 6 months from the day of you medical to enter the U.S.
This should give you and him time to get financially strong.
Before you proceed, though, please find out if your embassy will accept a co-sponsor for k1 visa. It sounds like your Fiance might need it even after getting a job since it'd be new.
K3 can be filed but won't be issued if i-130 has been approved before issuance, which happens over 90% of the times.

Let's think timeline here. K-1: let's say it takes 2 weeks at NVC, and you could stretch out the medical and be slow to schedule your interview so it takes another month or two for the interview and approval. The K-1 Visa expires 6 months after it's issued. So that gets you to coming to the USA in about 7+ months (if you choose). Once you get to America you have another 90 days in which to get married. That puts your timeline at about 10 months from now to actually have to be married. It doesn't cost another filing fee and doesn't have a mandatory 9+ month wait (like filing for the CR-1). If you were to go the CR-1 route you have the mandatory wait for approval of 9+ months which gives you more time to financially prepare and him to start a new job. However, I believe finishing the K-1 process (w/ adjustment of status) is cheaper than starting over with the CR-1 except for the lost wages in whatever time you're unable to work while waiting for the EAD to be approved. IMHO I'd stretch out the rest of the K-1 process until you feel financially ready for you to come.

Thanks so much, LoveinGhana! We are ready to run! Haha

Yay! Good news! Got a case number, invoice number, and beneficiary number today.

Well good luck with that. USCIS clearly gave a timeline of 6 months or even more. Why would she threaten you like that? It's not like you can influence the processing of your petition. RED FLAG imo.

You would be foolish to continue this relationship

You need to contact the post office to make sure they have you on that address and that you have the address written down correctly.
Then contact the USCIS to make sure they have your CORRECT address as written by the post office.

Yeah, USCIS has been one of the most disorganized government agencies I've worked with.. and that says a lot considering a majority of government is disorganized. I can see why you'd be distrustful of them - and that isn't to say they didn't screw up - I just don't think it was intentional. They seem to screw up a lot about this process. Much of it is because on the USCIS service center side they aren't using a fully digital system. A lot of this is hand keyed and actually reviewed on paper. There's a lot of room for error. At NVC it's typically better, though even they have some issues there. Malicious or intentional I doubt but disorganized and not all their ducks in a row? Definitely.
Good luck - hopefully it gets straightened out soon. At the very least once it reaches the embassy you know it's at it's final destination.

You also need to take into consideration that the period of time between your NOA2 and the original shipping date included a MULTITUDE of holidays. You typically can't include - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Day after Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years Day. So right there a week is gone. Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 26, Dec 31, Jan 1. Not to mention weekends and holidays. It sounds like your original shipping was right on track, however something happened in the transit and it had to be resent. Sometimes it just happens that way - one person's file takes longer than others in the same situation. I wouldn't think there's any red flags here.

Yea, it is weird. I know a few people I keep in contact with and their timeline if fairly similar to mine form NOA2 to NVC Recieve.
http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?cfl=0&op1=b&op2=d&op3=1&op4=1&op5=5,6,8,10,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,21,22,25,26,27,28,108,110,111,208,210,211&op6=Texas%20Service%20Center&op66=All&op7=All&dfile=No&adv=1

It was sent to NVC on 6th March 2015. Thanks

It can take anywhere from 10-14 days to get to NVC. Once they receive it you will have your case number in a day or two. I found the best time to call is around 7:00 am EST...or about 10:00 pm EST.
Good luck

OK,
I met a wonderful woman while I was in Bogota, Colombia last week. I am going back to Bogota in a month to spend 2 weeks with her.
There are two major problems we have at the moment: 1) I speak very little Spanish and she speaks even less English. We use Google Translate and it has been mostly fine. We communicate many times a day, even now that I'm back in the U.S. and 2) she doesn't have a tourist visa and makes only ~$300/month. She does have a teenage son, but he is on the other side of Colombia and she hasn't seen him in months and doesn't believe she will be able to see him for a long time more, anyway.
I rent a room in NYC with two awesome roommates and I really don't want to give it up just yet, but then I hear that K-1 visas take forever and a day to process (12+ months) and I am NOT about to go even 2 or 3 months without being with her. I run my own online web business, and so I am trying to figure out if relocating to Bogota is something I could do relatively soon... But it would be incredibly nice if she could come to NYC under, say, a F-1 student visa and go take language courses at a local institute in Manhattan. We've also discussed living in different countries neither of us need visas to get into for 2-3 months at a time until all this can get squared away.
I would really like your advice. Should I spend thousands on an attorney? How hard is it for me to get a long-term visa in Bogota?

You met a woman in Bogata last week and is already considering engagement and K-1 visa?!?!?! That is gonna be a big red flag for US immigrations, not to mention the language barrier you two have. Your best bet is definitely to spend some more time together and the F-1 sounds like a good plan. That way, you can get to know each other better and she can learn English. Both of which will help you with a potential future immigration process.

I know that we are just at the waiting stage of things. Instead of working on a design for a gallery (I'm in college) my mind wonders. I see this USCIS conveyer belt (think Sushi A GO GO type system) and these files chug around and around by a pit of reviewers sitting at their WWII era metal desks. The room has a brownish hue with visible dust particles dancing under low hanging lights. As an adjudicator finishes a file they grab another as it passes by. . . very difficult to stay on task with your life hanging in balance.
I come back to task by reminding myself that this is a very small portion of what is to come in our married lives. The second my children were born I forgot the moments leading up to their births - to have them in my life - I wouldn't think twice about doing it again. I have to believe this will be the same. Once I am joining him for our pre wedding party in Ireland I will have trouble remembering the longing and irrational worry I am feeling right now.
Wishing everyone the Merriest and Happiest of whatever your traditions are at this time of year. I hope we all receive the best gift ever, very soon!

My fellow TSC filers... it was a tough day for two of us, too. She cried most of the day while I checked for the case status tens of times. Also called USCIS and tier 1 told me I should be able to see the case status by Monday and they didn't transfer me to tier 2. But we all know that until NOA2 the only thing consistent is the inconsistency. The reality of life is that we are waiting for this approval and our lives are put on hold until that. After so much research, I have come to realize that no matter you speak to tier 1 or 2 no one will push your case forward. It stays where it is and one day that text,email is going to make us forget all this pain as we'd rush to gather documents and get ready for next steps. LOVEINGHANA, MEGAN&LUKE, ADDISABEBA, BALABREDA05, and my lovely fiancee. .. let's all stay strong and keep supporting each.

Madness - good luck with Ombudsman - probably your best bet at this point.

I pray he feels better soon!! tons of positive energy for you two...Best of Luck!!!
Woohoo Congrats!!!!
I'm sorry to hear that...like you said if you've waited this long, you can guys will be a okay and on the bright side you guys are still able to see each other
My prayers are with you guys...Best of luck!!!! Hopefully you guys will hear something back soon

I am so sorry you are having to wait!! It makes no since why and how they do things. I will keep you in my prayers!

Thanks for such a thorough post. I thought I should report back the inconsistencies in my results from speaking with an Immigration Officer today. The officer was friendly and trying to be helpful, so there is no reason I would expect what he was telling me to be untruthful or lazy.
1. Immigration Officers do not have badge numbers. That is only the tier 1 service reps.
2. He said that they do not have the ability to answers these questions (supposedly they do not have access to these security checks):
a) Name check Status?
b) Background Check Status?
c) Has it been assigned to an officer?
d) When can I expect to get some updates on my case?
e) Can you help me with a ball park date on when my case will be assigned to an officer?
What he was able to do was to check the current up-to-date status of my case. He also was able to see that there was a report on file for my case, which indicated to him that an Immigration Officer or supervisor must have looked at the case (as they are the only ones able to make a report). I believe they can typically review what was said in the report, though in my case specifically there was an issue with him viewing the report. Beyond that, as my case is not yet 30 days past the normal processing times, all he could tell me to do was call back once the 30 days had passed to file a case service request.

How to prepare for your call?
Before calling the NCSC please have available
- your receipt number:
- alien registration number:
- type of application filed:
- date filed:
- Online case status:
- Processing times applying to your case type
- Check your priority date (if applicable)
- Have all relevant correspondence with USCIS (NOA1)
How to talk to a live person at USCIS?
Contact the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283.
Call early in the morning (8.00 am)
Option 1: Then dial 1, 2, 6, 2, 4 (exact sequence). Use these options every time you are prompted.
(You can also try - 1 - 2 - 1 - Case Number - 1 - 3 - 3 or 4)
Option 2: Call USCIS and Do not press anything (don't choose a language). They will think you have a rotary phone and will transfer you directly to a live person.
Option 3: Don't don’t choose the number for “case status”, but do different ones instead (for example “RFE”; “expedite your case”, …)
Option 4: Military Help Line: 1-877-CIS-4MIL (1-877-247-4645); Members of the military and their families may call to receive assistance with immigration-related questions.
If they speak Spanish just say English please. Now you can ask what you want.
What to ask them?
During your call we recommend that you take note of the following information:
About them:
- The name of the NCSC representative:
- The id number of the NCSC representative:
- The date and time of the call:
- Any service request referral number, if a service referral on a pending case is taken:
About our case:
- When calling, ask them for a service request.


In case they refuse or tell you that they cannot answer your question, then ask to be transferred to a Tier 2 ISO (Immigration Service Officer) supervisor, who will have more privileges to access detailed information about your case. Once you get an ISO, be very polite, and take notes for your records. Ask them for their badge number. That way you can reference each conversation by date and the badge number of the ISO.
Also ask them to review case status - THEY can - it's on their screen.
If the NCSC doesn’t issue a service request, please make sure the NCSC representative tells you the reason why he did not issue the request. (This information you'll need to follow up)
- Some of the standard questions:
1) Name check Status?
2) Background Check Status?
3) Has it been assigned to an officer?
4) When can I expect to get some updates on my case?
5) Can you help me with a ball park date on when my case will be assigned to an officer?
6) What dates are they currently working on?
Of course, we are aware of the standard response we get.
http://www.dhs.gov/x...37986181.shtm#5
The NCSC operates on a two-tier model.
Tier 1 Customer Service Representatives (CSRs):
Can
• Relay basic immigration information to customers through scripts provided by USCIS
• Answer questions about USCIS forms
• Transfer calls to Tier 2 in certain circumstances
Cannot
• Answer specific questions about a case with the exception of information available through Case Status Online
• Transfer calls to local offices or service centers where cases are pending
• Provide legal advice
Tier 2 Immigration Service Officers (ISOs):
Can
• Review USCIS systems on your case
• Request that notices be re-issued
• Provide information that you may receive at an Infopass appointment
• Provide specialized assistance to dependents or active members of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Provide information on pending and adjudicated cases.
Cannot
• Review already issued Requests for Evidence (RFEs)
• Directly issue duplicate notices, receipt notices, RFE notices
• Transfer calls to local offices or service centers
• Provide legal advice
Service Requests
Both Tiers 1 and 2 can create a “service request” which is sent to service centers and local offices on matters such as expedite requests, change of address, appointment rescheduling, case processing delays which exceed the posted times, and other matters that may be unique to a specific case.