CB & FM

Obrigado!  Savio had his ceremony this morning and I am now sitting next to my US citizen husband.  😁

The letter just arrived and Savio's oath ceremony has been scheduled for the week after next. 

Thank you so much for the information! It's exactly what we were looking for. One question: Did it take 1 - 1.5 months for the embassy to contact you once it had left NVC?

Muito obrigada!!! Thanks so much! 

Sorry tried to edit these into the previous response.
 
Here are some helpful links:
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/immigrant-process/interview/prepare/medical-examination.html
This one above gives you alot of information regarding the specific consulate. Choose Rio (RDJ) from the drop down and it will give you a pdf document with links about the whole procress.
https://www.uscis.gov/news/questions-and-answers/vaccination-requirements
This one above gives you vaccination requirements.
https://www.uscis.gov/family/k-1-process-step-step
This is a step by step through the entire K-1 process.
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/fees-visa-services.html
The current visa fee schedule.

I will try to tell you what I can remember from my fiancè's process. We had our interview in July 2015. So after you receive your NOA2, your fileis transferred to the US Dept of State's National Visa Center where it is verified and then transferred to the proper consolate, Rio de Janeiro in your and our cases, for determination of visa issuance. Once Rio receives your file they will email you with instructions as to the next steps. I know that others in the past have received letters with this information but this is no longer the case now. These instrudtions include  how to setup your interview appointment, what documents to bring for the interview and links to fee scedules if  not the fee required. In our case, my fiance had to sign on the CASV site to register, fill out a DS 160, choose a date for the interview, and pay the fees. The appointment for the doctor is setup once you have this email because you need proof that you will be having an interview. There were only three approved doctors for the medical when we did our interview, one in Leblon, one in Belo Horizonte, and I think one in São Paulo but the last  I am not sure. But the email should have links for these locations as they may be different. You need to have certain immunizations done prior to the medical and these can be done for free at your local Posto de Saude. You can find the list of current required immunizations on the USCIS website. The medical doctor will tell you the other things you will need for the exam and where to go for them as these results are needed by the day of your medical appointment. For my fiancè it was an Xray and some bloodwork. We saw the doctor in Leblon. He sent us to specific places for these near to his office. Someone above in this thread says there is now urine required which they say takes five days to get the results. We made our medical on week prior to the interview to allow for enough time to haave the results and the doctor's report available at our visa interview. Other documents you need will be birth certificate, and police certificates, both state, any you have resided in within the past 5 years, and federal. You can start to get these now. The federal one is available online. Some states are online but some you must get in person. Read earlier post in this thread as someone got something online form the state but it was not form the correct state department. As regards to timing, It took about one month or maybe one month and a half to receive the email from the consulate. As to the schedule for the interview that is based on what is available once you sign on to the CASV website and register. Uou can do it as early or late as your life permits. Now regards the visa process after approval. We chose to receive the visa at the CASV in Rio de Janeiro as we were going to fly directly from there to the US but you can choose to have it mailed to your home. It took about 10 days for it to be ready for pickup at the CASV. I went to the interview with my fiancè. I actually met him in his hometown where we finished his immunizations then we traveled to Rio de Janeiro one week prior to the interview to do the medical. The medical was done the day we arrived in Rio that very afternoon which we had already previous made the appointment through the doctor's office. We got the X-ray first then came to the doctor's office to get the papers for the laboratory to do the bloodwork. The next day I think or two days later we came to see the doctor at his office for the exam but that may chage now due to the urine test someone says is now required. You will have to get this information when you call the doctor to make the appointment. I hope this helps you but continue to do your research online at USCIS and here so that you will be ready for everything that you will need. Boa sorte!!!!!

I know of a girl who studied for one or more years in Germany and she had to get this certificate for herself. She found out at the interview. She was put on administrative hold while she got the remaining evidence for her visa request. So wherever your fiancè has lived for more than 6 months month since he turned 16 years of age he must have these documents. Also every state of Brazil that he has ever lived in for the same period, he must have the certificate from each one. Good luck.

Your green card expiration date is after you return to the US - you will be ok with your unexpired green card.  You will not need the I-797.  You might be "reminded" by the CBP officer that your card is expiring, and you can smile and say that you have sent in your I-751 packet.
 
I have heard other people have gotten the "wrong date" on their reminder letter.  I do not believe you need to worry about it.
 
If you ARE worried, and to make sure you will be OK, make an InfoPass appointment at your local ACS, take your "reminder letter" with the wrong date on it with you, and get the officer to verify that you are legal until the the expiration date on your green card.
 
Good luck - and have a nice overseas trip!
 
Sukie in NY

You all talk about root canals and kidney stones like they're something bad. 

To see your profile make me feel happy ! I was thinking that gay marriage between African and USC are exeptionnal. I met my husband when I was under J1 visa.I returned to my country then he came to visit me .I visited him again under a B1/B2 and we got married before I came back in my home country. And he will come again 2 times. We will have 5 visits before the interview. Partners are allowed in the embassy but as we are same sex couple we don't want to have any issues. So we decide he will not attend the appointment. Also the trip is expensive and we have to save money. Thanks a lot for your response I'm now more relaxed. 

Or kidney stones!!!
 
Sukie in NY

Exciting? This whole process is akin to a root canal...

It has taken us a little longer since DOMA.  I am surprised we don't have more members in this forum.  It's definitely a scary process for same-gender couples involving different countries with different thoughts on same sex marriage.  Two people really have to want to be together to endure the fears of family and society norms.  Let's hope, as pioneers of this new law, we will help bring courage to others.

As above says, not approved, but yes, accepted. You have now started the process of ROC. Congrats!

Dawning said: "We did have a long wait to hear back; a little over a month.  My understanding is that they have 30 days to acknowledge receipt of the petition, and when a fee waiver is requested they tend to take all of it.  Others have told me that if you file close to the deadline you won't miss it due to being denied, rather they accept the original filing as evidence of being within the time frame."
 
I think as you can see from Dawning's post above that it can take about a month to get the NOA1 letter but that they date it back to the date of receipt. She also says that she has heard that a denial does not put into jeapordy the 751 filing as they take into account the original filing with the fee waiver that has been denied. The only problem I can see is if there would be something wrong with the 751 petition and it was rejected because that would cause you to resubmit with a new receipt date which would be the NOA1 date. Hope that allays your worries. Good luck!

Oh wow!

I was thinking more along the line of June 2017 (hence the reason why you were applying now for ROC.

I had heard of others, mainly with Interview Waiver for AOS who received a Green Card with "Resident Since" date corresponding to when they had actually applied for AOS (mine took about a year to process, so something like that would have been nice), but never anyone in your situation. Definitely an oversight!
 

Thanks and good luck to you too!

So just to update everybody on our status, we recreived our packet back last Friday. At first I was a bit nervous but the first words on the letter included in the returned packet read, "The Vermont Service Center is returning your Petition...", when I read returning I knew why. I was glad it did not say, "REJECTED".
 
So last year when we AOSed, the green card was issued not on the approval date of the AOS but with the POE date of the K1 visa. I asked around and everyone thought that this would be OK but as the letter in the return packet goes on to say, "A review of your U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records show that may have been admitted or adjusted as a conditional resident with an incorrect date of arrival. Your were admitted with a date of July 21, 2015. It appears that you should have been admitted or adjusted with a date of June 7, 2016. USCIS has updated your records to reflect your correct entry date." So it goes on to tell us how to apply for a corrected green card.
 
So as you can see we put out a bit of energy about 8-11 months early and must now reapply at the correct time and also send an I-90 for a corrected green card fortunately this is at no additional financial cost just time. It requires the application, I-90, a copy of the letter form USCIS about the error, and you must include the incorrect conditional card, not a copy of the card, but the actual card. This is a bit frightening to give up the card and wait for a new corrected one but it is what they require. They will also send a biometrics appt letter and then afterwards send the corrected green card. 
 
So we are unfortunately leaving this July 2017 filers group and wishing all well. We will join either of the March, April, or May 2018 groups as that is our proper time to apply for the ROC. Here is hoping this is the only snag we encounter, a small snag in the scheme of things.
 
In a side note, I guess a computer does not just spit out a NOA automatically based on the receiving of the packet. As it shows in our case, the I-751 does show a stamp of received 21 July 2017 but a NOA was not sent automatically. I do think that the NOA is dated based on the receive date but not sent until the petition is deemed properly submitted with the minimal requirements, i.e. complete application, proper payment and some supporting documentation. As we all know they do sometimes ask for more documentation (RFE) but it does not keep them from issuing a NOA.
 
Bye July 2017 filers, hello Mar-May 2018 flilers. Hehe.

So just to update everybody on our status, we recreived our packet back last Friday. At first I was a bit nervous but the first words on the letter included in the returned packet read, "The Vermont Service Center is returning your Petition...", when I read returning I knew why. I was glad it did not say, "REJECTED".
 
So last year when we AOSed, the green card was issued not on the approval date of the AOS but with the POE date of the K1 visa. I asked around and everyone thought that this would be OK but as the letter in the return packet goes on to say, "A review of your U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records show that may have been admitted or adjusted as a conditional resident with an incorrect date of arrival. Your were admitted with a date of July 21, 2015. It appears that you should have been admitted or adjusted with a date of June 7, 2016. USCIS has updated your records to reflect your correct entry date." So it goes on to tell us how to apply for a corrected green card.
 
So as you can see we put out a bit of energy about 8-11 months early and must now reapply at the correct time and also send an I-90 for a corrected green card fortunately this is at no additional financial cost just time. It requires the application, I-90, a copy of the letter form USCIS about the error, and you must include the incorrect conditional card, not a copy of the card, but the actual card. This is a bit frightening to give up the card and wait for a new corrected one but it is what they require. They will also send a biometrics appt letter and then afterwards send the corrected green card. 
 
So we are unfortunately leaving this July 2017 filers group and wishing all well. We will join either of the March, April, or May 2018 groups as that is our proper time to apply for the ROC. Here is hoping this is the only snag we encounter, a small snag in the scheme of things.
 
In a side note, I guess a computer does not just spit out a NOA automatically based on the receiving of the packet. As it shows in our case, the I-751 does show a stamp of received 21 July 2017 but a NOA was not sent automatically. I do think that the NOA is dated based on the receive date but not sent until the petition is deemed properly submitted with the minimal requirements, i.e. complete application, proper payment and some supporting documentation. As we all know they do sometimes ask for more documentation (RFE) but it does not keep them from issuing a NOA.
 
Bye July 2017 filers, hello Mar-May 2018 flilers. Hehe.

So just to update everybody on our status, we recreived our packet back last Friday. At first I was a bit nervous but the first words on the letter included in the returned packet read, "The Vermont Service Center is returning your Petition...", when I read returning I knew why. I was glad it did not say, "REJECTED".
 
So last year when we AOSed, the green card was issued not on the approval date of the AOS but with the POE date of the K1 visa. I asked around and everyone thought that this would be OK but as the letter in the return packet goes on to say, "A review of your U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records show that may have been admitted or adjusted as a conditional resident with an incorrect date of arrival. Your were admitted with a date of July 21, 2015. It appears that you should have been admitted or adjusted with a date of June 7, 2016. USCIS has updated your records to reflect your correct entry date." So it goes on to tell us how to apply for a corrected green card.
 
So as you can see we put out a bit of energy about 8-11 months early and must now reapply at the correct time and also send an I-90 for a corrected green card fortunately this is at no additional financial cost just time. It requires the application, I-90, a copy of the letter form USCIS about the error, and you must include the incorrect conditional card, not a copy of the card, but the actual card. This is a bit frightening to give up the card and wait for a new corrected one but it is what they require. They will also send a biometrics appt letter and then afterwards send the corrected green card. 
 
So we are unfortunately leaving this July 2017 filers group and wishing all well. We will join either of the March, April, or May 2018 groups as that is our proper time to apply for the ROC. Here is hoping this is the only snag we encounter, a small snag in the scheme of things.
 
In a side note, I guess a computer does not just spit out a NOA automatically based on the receiving of the packet. As it shows in our case, the I-751 does show a stamp of received 21 July 2017 but a NOA was not sent automatically. I do think that the NOA is dated based on the receive date but not sent until the petition is deemed properly submitted with the minimal requirements, i.e. complete application, proper payment and some supporting documentation. As we all know they do sometimes ask for more documentation (RFE) but it does not keep them from issuing a NOA.
 
Bye July 2017 filers, hello Mar-May 2018 flilers. Hehe.

Fixed

My wife is way overdue in receiving NOA . . . based on gypsyqueen and clmike.
 
Vermont members gcplease, AB,  CeeMu and CB&FN  . . . have you also not received NOA . . . or have you just not returned to update the spreadsheets?
 
Leo7777

My husband (Brazil) and I (USC) started our journey in 2012 as we became online friends..We followed each others escapades but began growing closer to each other especially as we had love losses in our own lives. I decided to meet him in Brazil in 2014 and we fell in love. We started our process in Aug later that year after our second visit again in Brazil via 129/K1 visa. After 6 months waiting and hearing of all the delays in TX, I visited my congressperson's office and within 1 week of her assistant contacting USCIS we received our approval. I joined him in Brazil for the interview in July 2015 and we were aproved. We traveled to NYC that same month and starting planning our wedding which took place 8/8/2015. My profile pic is our wedding selfie, one of my favorite pics of our wedding. We have now gone through our adjjustment of status and are now in the process of ROC, which we just started on 7/18/2017. We are hoping for another somewhat smooth process as we have not had any RFEs in any of our previous petitions, knock on wood!!! We have yet to receiving any response to our current petition so I am starting to get nervous as to why. We requested a fee waiver this time, though not any other time, as my imcome has significantly changed. But our conditional green card was issued last year after our AOS interview but dated back to his first entry on the K1 visa in July 2015. It seemed unusual at the time. Hoping there is no problem in this situation. Here saying hello to all the others in this forum and hoping that our respective petions go and continue to go well for us all.
 
Carson and Francisco

Yes, it is true. The window closed on 21 Jul 2017. I imagine that we can probably make an inquiry after 30 days with no NOA1. Someone else who did the fee waiver also said that she did not get her NOA1 until after 30 days. She also said that they have 30 days in which to review the application for correctness before issuing a NOA1. I believe though that the date of receipt will still be the NOA1 date for the 751 as that is what shows on her timeline. I was inquiring of people who had done a fee waiver as to the timing difference and when I had looked at this person's timeline it did not seem to differ from anybody else's. But then she told me that she did not receive the NOA1 for more than 30 days. ...17 days so far for us from they day that USPS tracking shows packet received. Hoping to hear something soon. But accepting that it maight be two more weeks before we get the first notification. Wish us luck!!!!!

For reference, I found the information in the IRS FAQs.
 
This page also lays out expected time frames.