RKD314

The interview is not for me, I am the USC. My husband is the one who will be interviewing. I am also pretty sure he'll pass, we've been married for 4 years and have a kid, basically there is no reason he would fail (and SZ is not at all a high fraud consulate).

Thanks for your response, it is good to hear your experience.

I hate not knowing at all how long it will take. I think that one point in our favor is that Bern has very little traffic.

I saw that the case left paris on May 19. I wrote to the Bern embassy and told them, that the case has left Paris, and when will be the right time to start scheduling the interview, doing medical, etc? I also told them that I am leaving for the USA on June 5 (I currently live in Europe with my husband) to start my new job, and that if the interview could be done by then so that my husband could come with me it would help our family a lot. They told me to have him do the medical ASAP, scheduled an interview for June 2, and said we could move it to an earlier date if the case arrived before then. So.....based on that response, I am assuming that they would consider 1-2 weeks the "normal" transit time? But I really have no idea....

I am also waiting for my case to be transferred. I don't know if you are still waiting, but what does your status in CEAC show? Mine shows "transfer in progress", so I know that the first consulate (Paris in my case) actually has forwarded the case.

I too would like to know how long it takes. In my case it is going to Bern, which is very close to Paris. Regular mail at it's very slowest takes no more than a week to go between these two cities. However, I don't know if they use something like regular mail, or something faster (NVC sent to Paris by DHL), or some kind of "internal" mail which could be slower.

If you are still in this position, the problem could be that Guangzhou has not actually even sent your case on yet. In my case I had to bother Paris with emails for about 4 days straight, and then they sent it ASAP so I'd leave them alone!

I think you've sent in enough evidence for the marriage. Babies don't prove marriages but pictures from a wedding do.

Pictures from a wedding prove a wedding, not a marriage. Usually the fact that a wedding took place is not in question, that is not what the purpose of providing "bonafides" is. The purpose is to prove that there is a real relationship. A child for whom her spouse has claimed paternity absolutely goes towards showing that the relationship is legitimate.

You can always send in more things at the NVC stage, and I think that it would be worth sending in the Drs report and a signed statement accepting paternity. (If the child is already born and both parents names are on the birth certificate that works too.)

Please add me to the spreadsheet:

CC (by phone): April 9

CC email: April 14

Interview scheduled email (confirmed by phone): May 1

Interview date: June 17

The interview date will likely change. Right now we are at the Paris embassy, but we are trying to transfer the case to Bern in Switzerland.

Just got off the phone with an NVC rep, no interview for us yet, they also said it is taking 60 days to acknowledge emails (we sent a request to transfer embassies 30 days ago), and she could not tell me whether or not they were still scheduling interviews for May. The last rep I talked to a week or so ago told me that they were still scheduling for May, but this one claims she has no access to that information.

The last rep also claimed that the time to review emails was 30-45 days, so no idea why we hear such different things from the NVC. Still waiting on the interview letter....

We had a lot of the stuff ready, since we had just applied for a CRBA for our daughter.

For the bonafides of the marriage, all I included was our marriage certificate (copy), translation (copy), daughter's birth certificate which includes both our names (copy) along with a copy of her passport page.

At that point we had been married for 3 years and had a kid together. I didn't feel that any further proof was needed, and apparently USCIS and NVC agreed. A child together is pretty strong evidence, if we did not have this I would have shown a copy of our rental lease showing both our names, proof that we attended school together at the same time (transcripts/diplomas) as a way of showing that we met in a "legitimate" way. I also have numerous stamps in my passport showing visits to my husband's home country; I could have shown this but didn't.

Basically, I think that how many items of proof you need to provide depends on how long you've been married and how strong your proofs are. If you have children together with both parents names on birth certificate, no need to bother with things like photos and chat transcripts in my opinion.

Hi I'm in a similar position. On March 31 I sent the NVC an email requesting a change of embassy from France to Switzerland (I live on the border and we have residence permits for both countries). They said that it will take 60 days to do this! In the meantime, as of yesterday my case is already CC and we are awaiting an interview in Paris.

I talked to a rep at the NVC yesterday, and she said that I basically cannot do anything to speed things up or inadvertently slow them down at this point. If the NVC reads my mail prior to interview being assigned--then they will switch my case to Switzerland. If we get an interview assigned in Paris before they read the mail--then the case will go to Paris, and I can either do the interview there, or request that they send the case to Bern.

It's very frustrating, since the case has not actually been sent anywhere yet it would be SO much easier if they can just send it to Switzerland.

My legal husband, a Georgian national, would like to go and spend some time with me in the US even before we filed the petition I-130. We are living together in Georgia now. I keep telling him chances of granting a visitor's visa are next to nill. Please, explain that to him again, guys, so he could believe and be not willing to waste a couple hundred dollars B1 application fee.

The chances of getting a B1 before filing i-130 are not necessarily so bad. It depends on your specific circumstances.

I am a USC, my husband is a Ukrainian citizen. We live together in France. The only property we own here is a used car. We have an apartment lease, and both have jobs based in France. He applied for a B1 visa a couple of years ago, and got one for 5 years with no problem.

If he can show *strong* ties to Georgia--a job, property of substantial value, dependent children, anything like that--and especially if you also live there with him, I actually think it's not a bad idea to try and get the B1 first. For us, it is really useful that my husband has one. It will allow him to come to the US and help move me and my daughter into an apartment, and then come back to France for his visa interview.

Just got off the phone with NVC, apparently the checklist is not one I need to do anything about. It is just a warning that the support requirement will be at the consular officer's discretion, since we used assets instead of income. Rep confirmed that the case is complete at NVC, and awaiting being sent to the Paris embassy!

So,

scan date: 03/11/2015

case complete: 04/08/2015

I just received a checklist today! :-( I was expecting it, as we used assets instead of income. I don't really understand the checklist though, this is what it says:

"______F - FINANCIAL EVIDENCE:______________________________________ The NVC has received the information you have submitted in reference to the Affidavit of Support. Please be advised that the Affidavit of Support information you have provided does not appear to meet the minimum income requirement according to the current poverty guidelines to sponsor the intending immigrant(s) for this petition. The consular officer will make a decision regarding this requirement at the time of your interview. In order to avoid delays, you may wish to submit an additional Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) for a/another Joint Sponsor to the National Visa Center to assist in sponsoring the intending immigrants. To view the current poverty guidelines, visit http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-864P.pdf. If you decide to use a Joint Sponsor to assist in sponsoring the intending immigrants, please note that you the sponsor may not use Form I-864EZ and will also need to submit Form I-864"

If she applies for and is issued a B visa, then it should not be a problem. I really doubt that they'd turn her back at POE, other people on here have visited (it's a sticky on the forum I think) while in the IR-1/CR-1 process. It could depend though which stage of the process you're in; from what I've read on that thread, once you're through with the USCIS stage, and can show your NOA2, then visiting is not a problem.

My husband is a Ukrainian citizen who has a B visa valid until next year. It's looking unlikely that he'll have the IR-1 in hand until August or so. I have a job starting in June, so we plan to move to the US then. When asked at the border, he will explain that he is helping me move, and will then return for his visa interview (he will have a return ticket). We are already halfway through NVC, so he may even have an interview date by then. I think it will be fine, but I will update with how it goes.

Yay, IV fee FINALLY shows PAID (they took the money out on 03/11). Already sent the docs, with scan date of 3/11, so now we just need to fill out DS-260 and wait.

Does anyone know, does it hurt you to ask for an expedite? The reason would be financial/job loss to me (USC), but I've heard a lot of people say it's unlikely to be granted (while others say, it depends on the embassy). Does it ever end up taking *longer* when you ask for an expedite, or is it always shorter (if it's granted), or doesn't have any effect (if it isn't)?

SO ANNOYING, I paid the IV fee on 3/11, as soon as it was invoiced. It showed IN PROCESS. Fine, normal, it says to wait a few business days. Then today, I receive a second invoice for the same fee and it shows NOT PAID on ceac. BUT, they have withdrawn the money from my bank!

I guess we will have to call the NVC when they open.

Got my scan date email from the NVC today, scan date was 03/11.

AOS has been paid, IV was paid 3/11, but payment shows "in process" so DS 260 not filled out yet.

I guess after DS 260 is filled out, we just play the waiting game?

Does anyone know, if by calling you can actually get the thing looked at in less than 60 days?

Hoping, hoping, hoping we don't get a checklist.

Is it just me who has decided to wait for the 2014 taxes to be filed before sending in AOS? Our joint-sponsor is fishing in Florida. lol....Seem pointless doing the AOS before taxes now, since if we do AOS with 2013 transcripts, they will request the 2014 soon enough anyway, right?

I sent mine in before 2014 taxes are done. The due date for filing for 2014 has not passed, so the most recent tax year in terms of availability of a tax transcript is 2013. I don't see a problem...

I guess that by interview they may ask for 2014's, but I'm not sure that tax transcripts will be available till well into the summer. If I were you I wouldn't wait, if you want the process to go as fast as possible.

Sent in the AOS and IV joint packet today!

Hope everything goes fine....

Does anyone know, the 60 days, is it a *minimum* or a *maximum*?

Are there any cases where it takes less than that?

Woohoo! Called NVC yesterday, finally got through. On Feb 17 they had sent a letter, lo and behold, to the right address despite USCIS. Gave us case number and invoice number over the phone. I guess now we can get going!

Hi everyone. A little update. The idiots at USCIS changed my address, even though I explicitly told them not to. Back in January, when I called the CSC to inquire about the status of my case they insisted I give them my address. I gave them my French address, which is what I had put on the i-130. After I gave it, the rep told me it must be a US address. The conversation was like this:

Me: I have a US address that I can use, but I do not want to give it to you, as I do not want you to send things there. You are currently sending notifications to my French address, and I want you to keep doing that.

(I received NOA1 at my French address, with the correct address printed on the NOA1.)

Rep: It's ok, I'm not going to change your address. I just need to enter a US address for the purpose of this call.

Me: Ok, but it's very important that you not send notifications there, the mail at my US address is not checked frequently.

Rep: Ok

And then I stupidly gave the address for my mother's house. NOA2 arrived at her home, with that address printed on it.

So today my husband called the NVC to try and get that changed. He reported that the rep claimed that although they had received the case January 8, they could not change the address until a case number is assigned, and we must wait 42 days for that.

The bad thing is, I have no idea if she actually entered the right case number. My husband has a strong accent and, at the moment, laryngitis. I told him that it was impossible they received the case January 8, as we only got USCIS approval on January 15. So then he said that she must have said 18th, not 8th. Well, January 18th was a Sunday. I doubt that they received it on a Sunday. The rep never asked him for his name, or other identifying information.

Tried several times now to call myself, but can't get through. I am so frustrated, I wish he knew the basic info about his own case, so he could have clarified this point himself.

I checked online again (and received an email), and indeed it was approved! So now we wait to receive the official NOA2 notice in the mail. I guess it can be a few weeks before a case number is obtained from the NVC. I want to try calling the NVC in a week to see if they received the case from USCIS, whether the NOA2 is here by then or not. Is there a new case number on the NOA2, or is it the same as the one listed on the NOA1? When one calls the NVC to see if they've received the case, what's the right reference number to give them?

Hi Karn, maybe it will be helpful to others if I post a transcript of how this part of the conversation went.

Rep: Do you have any further questions about your case?

Me: Yes. It’s been now almost 3 months since my priority date, and it just seems that this amount of time is uncharacteristic for this service center, so I just want to know, is there some reason for that? Am I missing some parts of the application, or is there some further action expected on my end before things can proceed?

Rep: So you believe that your case is outside the normal processing time?

Me: I know that it’s not outside the normal processing times you advertise, but I know of many people whose cases were approved very quickly, and I want to understand what the difference is, whether there is something wrong with my case, since my case seems to be taking longer.

Rep: So you believe that your case is outside the normal processing time?

Me: (It really sinks in that it is not going to be straightforward talking with these people.) I guess, yes.

Rep: Ok. The normal processing time for the service center to which your case was assigned is 5 months, which has not yet passed. Please allow that time to pass. Do you have any further questions about your case?

Me: Yes. Is there anything more that I should do? I mean, is there anything that I need to send? Is there any way to expedite the process? (Here I used “expedite” to mean, “to make go faster”, i.e. I used it as a regular word in the English language and not as a USCIS term.)

Rep: So you would like to expedite your case?

Me: Yes?

Rep: Ok. USCIS can expedite cases for the following reasons…(read the reasons verbatim from the site). Which of these applies to your situation?

Me: Well, I guess that the only one that sort of applies is financial loss to an individual.

Rep: Ok. (Here I don’t remember everything but the gist is:) Please note that the burden of proof is on you. You must prove that you meet the criteria for expediting a case. Do you understand?

Me: Yes? (Realizing now that I’ve made a formal expedite request.)

Rep: (Basically saying that USCIS will contact me with a request for evidence that my case should be expedited.) To confirm, you believe that your case meets the USCIS criteria for being expedited?

Me: Well, it will be very bad for my personal financial situation if I am not able to relocate myself and my family to the USA as soon as possible. But I do not know if that qualifies as meeting your criteria.

Rep: (Basically repeats that they will send by mail a request for evidence.) Do you have any further questions about your case?

Me: No. Thank you. Good bye.

About ten minutes later I received the email I posted, and checking my case online showed the expedite request in the case history. However, the status is still “Case Received”. So I don’t really know what’s happened here.

They did not contact me with any request for evidence yet. The only thing I've received is the mail I've posted.

Ok, I have an email now from USCIS. I don't understand exactly what it means:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
CALIFORNIA SERVICE CENTER
24000 AVILA ROAD
LAGUNA NIGUEL,CA 92677

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Emailed to me@myaddress

Dear RKD314:

On 01/14/2015 you, or the designated representative shown below, contacted us about your case. Some of the key information given to us at that time was the following:

Caller indicated they are:
-- Applicant or Petitioner

Attorney Name:
-- Information not available

Case type:
-- I130

Filing date:
-- 10/22/2014

Receipt #:
-- WAC-XYZ

Referral ID:
ABCDEFG
Beneficiary (if you filed for someone else):
-- Information not available

Your USCIS Account Number (A-number):
-- Information not available

Type of service requested:
-- Expedite


The status of this service request is:

On January 14, 2015, you or your representative contacted USCIS concerning your Form I-130 to notify us that you were requesting an expedited review of your case. Below is a summary of what we found and how the issue has been or may be resolved.

Your petition has been approved. You should receive an approval notice within 30 days of this correspondence.

We hope this information is helpful to you.

So, I do not know if that means that they've decided to expedite the case, or, if it just means that they decided to approve the i-130? It seems to me that our case is pretty straightforward, so maybe once an officer actually looked at it, they decided that approval was easier than dealing with an expedite?

Either way, I think that this mistake actually worked out in our favor. Relieved as I was worried that I had just made everything worse.

Ok, I called just for peace of mind, and I think that "How to talk to USCIS and get any kind of information" is a topic unto itself. Basically I was read verbatim their website. Useless.

I did ask the representative if there was any way to make our case go faster, and I happened to use the phrase "expedite the process", not realizing that this would be interpreted as a desire to make an official expedite request. I was asked questions and after a couple of the questions realized that this was the way that the rep had understood me. I get nervous speaking on the phone, so it took a little while for me to get what had happened. By the time I realized it I just decided to go with it. I guess the worst that happens is that they don't think my situation merits the case being expedited.

I kind of wish now I hadn't called, they refuse to talk to you like a person, it may as well be a recorded message, they stick completely to a script and do not deviate from it! If anyone has had better luck than I in talking to USCIS, I'd love to know your tricks.

Hi cherryL, I sent:

Proof that I'm a USC: I think this should have been sufficient, a certified copy of my birth certificate, plus a copy of my passport photo and info page.

Proof that my husband and I are married: A copy of our marriage certificate, along with a translation, and certification statement from translator.

Proof of the bona fides of our marriage: This is where I'm getting worried. We've been married since Sept. 2011 (3 years by the time I sent the i-130 package), and we have a child together. I sent a copy of her birth certificate (already in English), and a copy of her US passport photo and info page.

At the time I thought that 3 years of marriage and a kid would be enough proof, and so I was more worried about getting the application filed ASAP instead of spending more time finding and getting translated other supporting evidence. Now I'm realizing that there are things we could have sent that wouldn't have required extra time in translation, but would have given support to the case:

1) copies of stamps from my passport showing that I've visited his home country 8 times since we started our relationship (1-2 times a year)

2) photographs showing the progression of our relationship and important events (attending family weddings together, our wedding, birth of our child)

3) explanation of how we met (grad school program) and proof that we did attend the same grad school at the same time (copies of diplomas, for example)

4) affadavits (though I've heard they are not strong proof)

We have a shared lease for the past 3 years, but it is not in English so I'd have to get it translated. Recently we did obtain life insurance policies (after the i-130 was sent) with each other as beneficiaries, that I could send too.

I doubt that any kind of security clearance is an issue, my husband had a student visa all throughout grad school, and got a 5 year B visa about 2 years ago. That visa is still valid. He's never overstayed, has no criminal record.

I am thinking of calling or emailing the service center and asking if I should send more material, I don't know if I'd have any luck actually talking to someone though. I think they must have received the packet, as I received NOA1, right?

Hello everyone,

I'm a USC living abroad with my foreign spouse. I filed the i-130 via the Chicago lockbox and received an email on 10/25 saying that USCIS had accepted my case. NOA1 arrived by mail a few days later. The case was sent to the California Service Center.

I haven't heard anything from USCIS since then, and checking the status online shows that the case hasn't been touched since 10/27. I know that we're right now at just about 3 months, so still quite a bit of time shy of the 5 month expectations they list, but it seems that this amount of time is unusual in my circumstance (USC living abroad, case sent to CSC).

I'm worried about whether this is in fact abnormal, and if I should do anything? I don't know if making an expedite request makes sense, I guess I could claim financial hardship since it is indeed difficult on us financially not having any idea how fast the GC timeline will progress, and trying to line up employment in the US in accordance with that.

I'm worried maybe I didn't send enough proof of relationship, and if it means we will get an RFE. Since then I've realized further proof I could have given, should I try to contact the service center and preemptively give more evidence, or is that just going to make the delay worse?

Any advice or thoughts on the situation (even if it's just "chill out and wait!") is very much appreciated! Thanks.