nolee

After long wait and no status updates where our case is we finally got the interview letter in the mail. I sent out an online service request for case being outside normal processing times on March 26 and our interview letter was sent out on March 30. I don't know if the service request helped or they just finally got to our case. It seemed like our case was all over the place. Local office should be St Paul, MN. Automated phone said Lee Summit, MO, and our RFE came from Guam from all places!

Peace of mind finally getting an update on our progress. I hope soon other will hear something too!

USCIS received our RFE response on December 7th, and we have had no updates since then. :/ Anyone else waiting this long?

Also still waiting. Our NOA1 date was Sept. 23. Received RFE on Dec. 1. Our RFE response was delivered on Dec. 28. The last update on USCIS case checker was on Sept. 23 for "Fingerprint fee received." Strangely the RFE came from the Barrigada, Guam field office.

Feeling worried with waiting for so long. Losing patience. =( I hope we get some sort of updates since all of us have been waiting.

Hey everybody,

We've just received our NOA2 about a week ago and I'm in the process now of reaching out to my employer and bank, etc for rest of the needed paperwork. So far, so good, as our case has been moving along fairly quickly...

After contacting the NVC, they gave me the case number and to our surprise, the interview will be conducted in Paris instead of Lisbon! So now my fiance has to fly into Paris for the interview!

However, we're a bit confused as to the next step. With case number in hand, is there anything we can now do to expedite the process? Or are we simply just waiting until Paris sends us the packet with further instruction? Also, what about about the medical? Can she take the medical in Portugal, or must it be in Paris? We're looking at some added costs due to this new surprise!

Any help here would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Dario & Sandra

Here we go, went through my files and found a copy of the letter that Paris will send to you. Hope the upload works. Depending where you live the medical exam will either be in Lisbon or Azores.

Hello! Have you tried to ask a TIER 2 officer when you called them? Maybe him/her can tell you something about your status. As far as I know, they can have access to the cases, not just read what they see in the system. In my opinion, it is important to know where is your RFE, however it can be a failure of the system. Good luck!

Thanks, I will try to speak with a tier 2 officer. So far I've also only heard that it's still within the normal processing times and to just be patient.

Nola, I'm in a similar situation. Filed my AOS on November 2nd, got an RFE (for Initial Evidence) November 27th as stated on the USCIS case tracker. Submitted the RFE in December and USPS confirmed delivery on December 26th. Since then, nothing other than my EAD/ AP getting approved in January. For my I-485, it still states that an RFE was sent on November 27th and hasn't been updated since. Like you, I worry whether the form has actually got to the right department. I tried calling USCIS and the lady I spoke with said she didn't have access to that information and said I should make an infopass appointment if I was worried. I tried sending a USCIS Service Request online, but that just comes back as "case is within normal processing times".

It would be nice to know that they had actually received the RFE so that I can know that something was actually happening with my case.

I hope we hear something soon! I would feel so much better if they'd at least update the case status with something.

Hi guys,

My AOS is coming up on 7 months in now, and I assumed the case was being handled by our local field office, in St. Paul Minnesota. But last week I got an I-72 requesting a record of vaccinations, and the letter came from the Salt Lake City field office.

What's the deal here? Is my case being processed in Utah? Or do they just outsource certain parts of the process?

Thanks in advance for your insight!

I'm also from Minnesota and have been wondering the same thing! We received an RFE back on Dec. 1 from the Guam field office of all places. Makes no sense! Maybe our St. Paul office is backlogged or something.

I have not experienced this situation but I will offer my opinion based on my education and personal experience. I will assume that your response to the RFE was tracked and the package was signed for - this way you have acknowledgement that the package was received and signed for. Sorry, but the next and only step is to wait for a response... Patience! It is learned.

Best of luck!

Thank you for your reply! Hopefully I will hear something soon.

Hello!

In need of some advice on what my next step is for my case. We filed AOS with NOA date Sept. 23, 2015. We received a RFE asking for the medical examination I-693 on Dec. 1, 2015. We sent our reply with the new sealed envelope from the civil surgeon and was delivered on Dec. 28, 2015.

The last update on USCIS case checker was on Sept. 23 for "Fingerprint fee received." Strangely the RFE came from the Barrigada, Guam field office.

I don't know why I'm not getting any updates or notifications about this case, I have no idea why we ended up at the Guam field office. No issues at all with the EAD/AP. Received updates via text/email and checking the site. All approved no issues.

I understand that the case checker can be unreliable and not updated regularly. It's worrisome that I have had no updates at all other than the RFE letter in the mail.

The RFE has a deadline of March 1, 2016 with failure to submit the requested documents by the deadline will result with our case being denied.

Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice/input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Nola

So in the last few days there has been A LOT of communication between me, the NVC, the Tunisian Embassy's Consul General and Ambassador - personally!

AND IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!! His appointment is NEXT WEEK!! He couldn't get his medical done without the NOA4 letter, but now that we have it, that's all that's left. And, God willing, he will be approved and we'll finally be together again! (Just in time to watch the new season of 90 Day fiance...lol)

Please send all your good vibes!

That's great news!!! Very happy that they could get your interview next week after all that hassle! Good luck to you both!

APPROVED!!!!!!!

I had my visa interview today and we got approved

The whole thing took about 1.5 hours and she asked me 4 questions:

How did you and Kyle meet?

Is he still in the army?

What is his job?

How did he propose?

I was super nervous but everyone was really nice and helpful in Frankfurt

Congratulations to the both of you!! Very exciting news!!

interview tomorrowwwwww!!! ???

Best of luck to both of you!!

Congratulations!! I'm so happy for you both!

I had my POE on Thursday! I had a very good experience with my POE and things went good with my car import and my bird import *breathes happily*. My bird has bonded with Chase SOSO well (it was their first meeting haha).

My wedding is October 24th and I will post a picture then!

Welcome home!!!!

Received our NOA1's for the AOS today! All 3 of them, I-485 came first then about an hour later I received more text/email for the last 2 almost simultaneously for the I-765 and I-131. Now back to watching my case status all over again on the USCIS case tracker.

So beautiful! Mine was a $20 find so I was very happy hehehe

Can't beat that! I paid about $28 for mine! Defiantly within budget for a dress and very cute and comfortable!

Hello all,

I'm a Portuguese citizen applying for AOS (with AP and EAD). In my home country, it is customary for people to have a long name, with many words in it. I had 5 pre-marriage. Getting my entire name plus my husband's last name in US forms is basically impossible, so while filling out all the AOS/EAD/AP paperwork, I dropped one of my middle names and tacked his last name at the end. I received my AP document with my name like that.

My idea was that I would get my name legally changed that way once I returned to Portugal, so I could get a passport with a name that matched the one on the AP document. Turns out that while adding a last name through marriage (and losing it through divorce) is easy peasy, dropping a name from the middle is not even allowed by law. This means that now I have two options available:

a) I wait to change my passport AFTER I have my greencard so that entering the US is not an issue with mismatched names, and I continue using my current passport (given the expiration date is in 2018), using the marriage certificate as proof of name change

b) I change my passport now and risk re-entry in the US with a passport with a name that doesn't match AP, but is updated with my husband's last name

Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas are appreciated, namely on what are my chances of getting in trouble re-entering the US with the mismatched names, and if the marriage certificate would still be of value in making a connection between the two names.

Thank you!

That's a tough call! From what I have read in threads on here is that people are suggesting for travel that you carry a copy of your marriage certificate and making sure that the name on your passport matches the name on you airline boarding passes. My guess would be to wait to change your passport and bring copies of marriage certificate.

Hello fellow April filers!! I am very new to the site and just now found this great thread!

Well, our story is both the same and different from all of yours. I (female petitioner) was living and working in Tunisia with my fiance for two years prior to ISIS attacking the Bardo museum in March of this year. That attack changed everything. We were saving up for a big, fancy Tunisian wedding. Instead, my bank account was froze as the Tunisian government feared a mass exodus of foreigners would cripple their economy. My parents used extreme force in flying me back to the states, and I decided that I had to bring my fiance asap. I sent off my heavily front-loaded application on April 20th. We got our NOA1 on April 23rd, and NOA2 on June 4th.

As soon as I arrived on US soil, I dedicated my life to two things. Getting a job and securing that K1. I guess I was a bit naive to think the first task would be a piece of cake. It wasn't until mid-July that I started my current PART-TIME job. I had/have so much separation anxiety, post-traumatic stress from being uprooted from the life we were in the middle of making, added fear from the second ISIS attack in June just 2 blocks from our Tunisian apartment...and then now this, unemployable for the first time in my life. Well, luckily my hours are enough to just slightly pass the 125% income mark, so I'm hoping this will not be a deciding factor. I still dedicate about an hour of my day to the visa process and another hour or two to finding more lucrative work. After my daily Viber calls to the fiance, there's just barely enough time for sleep. I'm a wreck. Really.

Anyway, because of the obvious mess, I wasn't as diligent at getting on the NVC about my case...I called sometime after receiving the NOA2 and FOOLISHLY believed the guy who told me to wait 45 business days to contact them again. I could have really used all your help then. HOW I believed that this process could have been self-managing is beyond me. During this time my fiance gets all of his docs/paperwork together. So finally on August 6th I called, received my case number, was told I would receive confirmation of the conversation we had in the mail and I should be receiving packet 3 very soon. Wow, that's great, I thought. So I do nothing for a week or so and then the letter gets to me with instructions to fill out the DS-160 AND that I could have been checking my status all along on the CEAC website....(in transit) Could he not have told me that on the phone? Whatever. I tell my fiance that we have to set a skype date and do everything together because it all must be EXACTLY the same as the I-129F. We submit, we print out, he goes to pay (in Tunisia you have to pay cash at the post office and they transfer the funds to the embassy), and the payment never shows up as posted. We called, we emailed....nothing for almost a week. The embassy doesnt actually have any internal phone numbers available to the public. We are going through switchboards and speaking with operators on a third continent someplace....and they are always sorry but they cannot do anything to help at this time. We must wait for written correspondence. I keep calling them and finally the payment shows up. But, hahahaha, your K1 visa appointment must be made in writing, not online. Keep waiting for written correspondence.

Last week I call the NVC again. I demanded to know when my case actually left the NVC for Tunisia.....July 23rd they tell me. It was now mid-September! Where is it? I escalate the case to inquire if my case had, in fact, been received - called every day until I get an answer. YES. It was received August 11th. So, I ask, what's the hold up? But we all know that it is out of the NVCs hands at this point. I ask if the NVC could confirm they had sent the electronic files as well - so thats where we are at now. Waiting on an email when, really, all we want is an interview date.

They have a major local holiday so there will be NOTHING happening until at least Tuesday....and just to put the cherry on top, the US Abassador to Tunisia's term is coming to an end this month, so all of the letters I mailed to him will most likely go unread.

If you've made it this far, you're a saint. My friends and family are sympathetic to our situation. They see I am physically unhappy, but have no way to support me during this process. I hope some of you can. Thanks for reading!

What a headache! Sounds like though you are moving forward with your case, keep being persistent. I might consider contacting your state's US Senator to contact the Embassy on your behalf. Maybe the Senator would get results if they continue to give you the run around for getting your interview date. I hope things move quickly for you!

We're married!!!!!

Awww did my picture not work? Lol!!!

Congratulations!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing your photo! Beautiful couple! And I love the dress!!! I think I might have worn something very similar - if not the same one!

Hi all,

I apologize if this has been asked before, I didn't find a clear answer after a search.

In 9 days, the U.S. government may shut down due to the inability of Congress to get its act together and pass a budget (Surprise surprise)...

I know that USCIS remains open during a shutdown, but what about NVC? My fiancee and I sent in all the required paperwork about 2 and a half weeks ago, and received a letter from the NVC saying they are processing things in about 30 days. So if the government does shut down, does NVC stop working? I would be infuriated if it shuts down with less than a week left before the date they said they would adjudicate our documents by.

Thanks.

I found this article by searching google. Hoping it wont come to a shut down but if so it would only cause delays for USCIS. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=fa96d288-4fd7-4793-926e-77d8ffe6e647

I have searched and not found this exact topic.

My fiancee has a Portuguese birth certificate. It is written in Portuguese and French on the front. Each item is numbered. The back side of the document has a numbered list with translations in multiple languages including English for each numbered item. Her interview will take place in Paris.

Will she need to have a certified translation of this birth certificate? I think she wouldn't since both the English and French translations are there on the document.

I have attached a picture of the back of the birth certificate.

What do you think?

Thanks for any help.

Julie

You won't need to have any documents translated for the Paris Embassy. They will accept documents in Portuguese.

Sent out our AOS packet on Friday! Easier than expected but a lot more paperwork to complete and send out compared to the initial I129f. Hoping to start getting some NOA's this week and no RFE's when they start working on my case!

Here is a link to the guide on here for the AOS when you all are ready, which I found helpful.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1k3aos

I didn't notice this right away until reading all the fine print in the instructions but you can file for free your I-765 Application for Employment Authorization and I-131 Application for Travel Document. The fee is waived if you include both of those forms at the same time with your I-485.

Checking in to say hello! Sent out our AOS paperwork on Friday 9/18 and awaiting acceptance confirmations. Hoping for speedy results for everyone here!

My I-94 electronic history is incorrect. Could anyone advise how I can correct the information?

It's the first time that I took international flights since I acquired my Green Card. I checked my I-94 electronic travel history and found there are incorrect records.

1. I departed from one airport in early September,2015 2015, but the record indicates that I departed in mid August, 2015, and the Port of Entry is blank.

2. I entered US in mid September, 2015, but there is no arrival record at all.

I did a research. Some posts mentioned that I-94 is for non-immigrants only, however, some posts also mentioned that the information will be required when applying for naturalization。

Does anyone have experience or know how to correct the information in https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/.

Thank you so much!

You can contact CBP at a Deferred Inspection Site. You can find contact info for one nearest you here:

http://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/deferred-inspection-sites

I had to contact them because my fiance's name was incorrect on his I-94. You can contact any one of those listed and they should be able to help you. I called them, was told my an automated message to email them any documents I had and to explain what needed to be corrected. I heard back within 2 hours and everything was corrected that same day.

uh oh! I hope that won't cause problems!

Here is a link that lists all the deferred inspection sites. Find the one nearest you and give them a phone call or email if listed.

http://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/deferred-inspection-sites

I hope that this isn't a big issue but I would hate to get an RFE on any AOS because of his names being in the wrong spots on the I-94. It's all there just not in the complete order well minus one of his last names.

I am thankful that we had a knowledgeable employee at the social security office that noticed the small mistake.

Your's should be ok with the first and middle name in the same place. I was able to email the deferred inspection site here in Minneapolis to have his name corrected on his I-94. I sent scans of his passport biographic information and scans of his visa. They contacted me back within 2 hours letting me know that it was corrected and the changes should reflect tonight. Which I did checked and everything was corrected.

His first and middle name are still in the same spot but it also lists (given) name after where it says "first". So that should be correct for you then too and nothing to worry about.

Thank you nolee!! That's a great info that you just gave me!! I might talk with my fiancé and ask him about what he thinks about it! And my future mother in law she actually is some kind of DIY blogger, so she might will be able to help us up

Not a problem! I hope your wedding turns out great too! For mine everything seemed to work out perfectly and just fall into place without a whole lot of planning. Mom picked out random decorations and candles. My friends and family that were there were all eager to help decorate. Just about everyone contributed to placing some of the decorations. One thing that I liked a lot was the basic white candles with candle holders - we had different colored ribbons, colors of the US flag and colors of Portugal's flag. We tied the 3 colors on alternate candles to place on all the tables. Nice unique touch to wedding decor!

I didnt get a paper i-94 form!!!! (POE Dallas)

When I asked the immigration officer lady about the paper form she said its all electronically in tje system....was that wrong? Do I need to go back??

You get your I-94 online from cbp.gov

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/consent.html

It's all online and you can print out as many copies as you need.

Ah #######. My I-94 has my first and middle named under first name. Hmm great

uh oh! I hope that won't cause problems!

Here is a link that lists all the deferred inspection sites. Find the one nearest you and give them a phone call or email if listed.

http://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/deferred-inspection-sites

I hope that this isn't a big issue but I would hate to get an RFE on any AOS because of his names being in the wrong spots on the I-94. It's all there just not in the complete order well minus one of his last names.

I am thankful that we had a knowledgeable employee at the social security office that noticed the small mistake.