roralau

Question about Packet 4: is that the email with the appointment, where they tell you the fees to pay and to register online for courier?

about the fees...just making sure to have understood : Fiancè Fee is $265 to be paid online PRIOR INTERVIEW + Immigrant Fee $325 to be paid AT THE EMBASSY ON INTERVIEW DAY?

is there anything else to pay?

If you go back in this thread someone answered me about this with also a link to another thread only about that

Sorry if this was already covered, but I just tried to search and couldn't find it. How do you track with Dhl?

anc ceac is the Consular Electronic Application Center: On this website, you can apply for a U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa; apply to renew an A, G, or NATO Visa; apply for an Immigrant Visa; or check the status of your visa application. On this website, you can also pay certain fees associated with your Immigrant Visa application.

Hi rfi087!

First of all - thank you for taking the time to respond to my post!
I worry a little bit that it came off kind of accusatory - and I didn't mean for it to. I'm actually frustrated BECAUSE i can't find the information I'm looking for.

I've been to the flow chart link many times, but it actually doesn't provide answers to the questions I posed. For example, it never actually tells you about CEAC, or what that is? It also doesn't provide specifics about how you can track your applications. Aside from one mention of DHL, it doesnt outline the process of how one goes about searching it, ect.

I've also been to the American Embassy site in Canada, mine actually the embassy in Vancouver. I've familiarized myself with it as much as I could - but again - that information is not provided. Aside from general info on K1s, and a link to download packet 3, (which I have), it doesn't actually outline the process for you in any way.

I have not seen this Canada thread, so I will definitely do some digging there to see if I find anything.

And my general question is, where are you all researching this information outside of VJ? Because the state department doesnt provide this information, USCIS doesn't provide this information, the embassy websites don't provide this information - then where are you finding it? How are you trusting your sources? Ect.

Thanks for bearing with me. I'm just trying to find my footing here, and I want to make sure I understand what's happening with our case (as you all are), every step of the way.

Ps: everyone here tries to help with the information we gathered from our experiences and what other told us..

Of course each case is unique, so the replies are just a little help to understand better what's going on in the big picture...

I think that ready means that it's electronically at the embassy and you gotta just wait for them to send you packet 3 once they receive the hard copy .. But I didn't see different "ready" when I checked

I emailed them thanking for their help (they reply pretty quickly !) and let's see.. But CELEBRATION WE HAVE A DATE !! Ahahah

You can try, but don't pin your hopes on it...I am guessing August is a vacation period, hence fewer appointments available.

Interview booked!!!

GEEZ THOUGH.. I got it in September!!

Do you guys know if there is a possibility for asking for a prior date?

Hope they answer soon then!

Thanks for your reply, but apparently you have to request Packet 3 and they will email it to you. They don't have addresses there and most people don't have P.O. boxes, so they can't be mailed. I did email the embassy twice, once three weeks ago and then one week ago, but no answer. I called from the U.S. and the number doesn't work, and my fiance called and they put him through to a voicemail so he's gonna try again tomorrow.

I'm not so worried about getting Packet 3 because a friend of mine who finished everything in March gave me a copy. I just want our interview date and to know we can schedule medical.

Email the embassy.. we didn't receive the package as soon as they got it because at NVC they typed the address wrong and the same day they sent us the packet 3.

As for Canada we can download it too from the US EMBASSY page (TRY AND GO ON YOUR EMBASSY PAGE UNDER VISA MENU).

Ready at the embassy since July 16th. Still no packet 3, no interview date

Have you tried contacting the embassy to see if they have sent it? I'm not sure about Cameroon but in Canada you can get packet 3 online, so you could check if that's a possibility. That way you wouldn't have to wait for packet 3 to come in the mail.

got PACKET 3 TODAY!! I am having a great birthday!!!!!!!!!

awesome!!

Our case is still on READY but no contacts from the embassy .. hope they answer us soon to our email.

Finally our case is headed to the Dominican Republic!!!

When I check my status on CEAC it says "In Transit. Your case is in transit to the Consular Section. Your intervie date was provided to you by the National Visa Center."

I have no idea what our interview date is. What are they referring to? Will we receive instructions by email or mail?

Awesome!!! We still haven't gotten packet 3 ... Hopefully embassy sends us stuff soon !

Interview booked.

Our case was sent on July 10th and got the case number on the 20th ..

Hey - we have been waiting 7 days since the NVC has received our case and most people seem to be out of NVC in 3 - 4. Is this normal? Also - it said ceac says I should get instructions from them but I haven't received anything - should I contact them??

Thank you!!

We waited a couple of days after the package arrived and then sent them email including the beneficiary's name and NVC case number. We heard back from the embassy the following day that they had our case and they provided us with packet 3. So it's okay to initiate and email once you believe the package is there but then just patiently wait for them to respond. When the embassy responded with packet 4, they did so directly to the email that I had sent them prior. Best wishes and God bless!

So I did try this DHL method and I saw that on July 23rd a package went off to Italy and it arrived in Naples on the 27th at noon ..

Until now we still haven't heard anything from the embassy But we have everything ready other than DS-160 and the fee payment (we want to make sure that the embassy got everything).

How long is better to wait before emailing them? Any tips?

You can search DHL trick on VJ and read how it's done. Or you can comb through the following thread to see how it's done:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/302190-dhl-tracking-from-nvc-to-us-embassy/page-7

are the instruction on the form or is it a file you have to download?

'cus in the instructions on the side it says to use the receipt number from USCIS, not NVC

Wow

LOL I'll try tomorrow hehe

And just in case we'll email the embassy to see if they have our case in a couple of days

You can search DHL trick on VJ and read how it's done. Or you can comb through the following thread to see how it's done:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/302190-dhl-tracking-from-nvc-to-us-embassy/page-7

DHL? Like a package?With the same number as the case number ?

But still I AM HAPPY! ?

It most likely left the NVC then. Try using the DHL trick. Mine went to ready on the 24th as well and I was able to track it on DHL. Should arrive at my embassy on Monday. Blessings!

People!!!! I'm excited!! today on the ceac page says READY on JULY 24!!!!!!

but we haven't gotten anything from the embassy ...

BUT IT'S GOOD NEWS !!

Woohoo!!

I dunno... :/ still haven't gotten to that part yet..

I filed my DS-160 online immigrant visa application and the petition no I put was src number not case number,pls is that the right number?

I'd wait at least 10 days before calling...

I see this status on the USCIS website regarding my case:

Case Was Sent To The Department of State

On July 22, 2015, we sent your case, Receipt Number #..., to the Department of State for visa processing. Please visit our website for general information on Consular Processing. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

Does it mean we can call the NVC now for a case number? Thanks.

Thanks for the tips

After an hour wait I got through! The individual I spoke with seemed annoyed and didn't really give me the information I asked for. She gave me the case number but couldn't seem to tell me when the case was received. I tried to type the case number into CEAC but it did not work. HELP!!

Mine doesn't work either.... but I guess that it takes just a while to be put in the sistem...

for the number is made by

XXX = the 3 letter code is the embassy

2015= the year

###=that is the Julian Calendar Date plus 500 (for example if it's 698 it means 698-500=198 which is the 198° day of the year)

YYY= other three numbers that is the sequence number for the day for your embassy....

this is what i found online...

Hi Everyone!

Looks like we can officially join this thread after waiting 210 days for our NOA2 approval. We are still elated but are now also wondering what comes next.

First, I just want to say that I am immensely thankful for this website and for the contribution of everyone who shares their stories and relevant information. I’ve read every post in this thread just to gain some information on what happens next. I am somewhat confused and I’m hoping you guys can help clarify things.

My first question is actually about where you are all gaining this information? Is there a website that outlines what happens after NOA2?

Other than that, here is a list of my questions based on what I’ve read in this thread:

1. Based on what I’ve read here, once you receive an email that you got your NOA2 approval, there is generally a 7-15 days delay so the application is still technically at USCIS. When the application leaves the USCIS Texas Centre you get an email notification that it has been shipped to NVC (DoD). Is this correct?
2. Some of you were able to track when the package with your case arrived to the NVC from USCIS by listing the exact date of when it got there. How did you track the arrival of your case to NVC?
3. Then you wait about 1-1.5 weeks and begin calling the NVC to get a new case number?
4. Who is able to talk to the people at NVC? The petitioner only? Or can the Beneficiary try to call them as well?
5. Is there a particular term that this ‘case’ number is called? Or is it just ‘new case number’?
6. In regards to the DS160 form – can I fill this out and complete it without getting the new case number from the NVC or am I not allowed to complete it without the new NVC provided case number?
7. The NVC generally takes about 7-10 days to process your case. After this it ships your file to the embassy. Presumably it gives you a tracking number (if so, does this get emailed to the Petitioner?)
8. You are then able to track your case on its way to the embassy via this CEAC link that one of you posted? Am I correct in that?
9. Once the file is physically at the embassy, what kind of message do you see through the CEAC?
10. Once the embassy has your file, it sends you further instructions on what to do? In general, do people communicate with their embassies via email and phone? Or do they physically mail you the packet 3 requirements?
11. Is there anything else required from us while we wait for USCIS to mail the packet to NVC and the NVC to forward it to the embassy?

Thanks so much guys!

1.It all depends I think.. our was sent out 10 day later.. I guess they wait for a pile before sending it to NVC but it doesn’t take too long….

2.I didn’t track it… I knew when it left and I got the date once I got the case number… I dunno about others…

3.Also here depends...allow 15-20 days..

4.the petitioner and the beneficiary can both call ... of course the person that is in the USA it's easier and cheaper..

5.I'd wait the case number for that..it's an online form ...you can do in an hour ish once you get the embassy confirmation...

6-7.the tracking number is the NVC number .. here ceac.state.gov you can track it ... mine is not in the system yet.. and yes your fiancè(e) gets it.

8. I can't anwer that coz i'm not there yet but I guess READY

9. they send an email to the petitioner for sure and then depending on the embassy a mail to the beneficiary.. communications: depends.. mine just via email.

10. I went on the embassy page and downloaded the instruction for package three so to have everything ready for when we get the e-mail...

Please if anyone sees something wrong on what I wrote lemme know!!!

AND YES!!!THANK YOU EVERYONE!! this forum really helped me a lot...both earlier when I was waiting NOA2 and now.

Basically this...

And we wrote MILAN instead of NAPLES so we asked if that was a problem and they said that it was automatically changed...

They asked my fiancé both our names and dates of birth and they checked also our emails and phones if they had them right... The lady was really nice...

1. Have you received my case?

2. Has it been assigned a case number? Which one?

3. Have you sent the case to the embassy?

We got through at 7A.M. ish ....

How long does it take before the case can be checked on ceac.state.gov ?

LOL

They really like to make things easy

@TabeaK: news from the consulate?!

Hi everyone- Tabeak- I enjoy following your timeline as I am right behind you at Frankfurt. USCIS says they sent our NOA2 to NVC on July 13th but no word yet.

I'm pretty sure the K-1 visa is considered non-immigrant. I know this makes no sense based on the wording, but I recall reading about it a few weeks ago. The terminology seems but after I thought about it for a while, I think the reason it is classified as nonimmigrant, is that the beneficiary is a nonimmigrant until they marry the US citizen and adjust their status. If they come and don't marry, they will remain nonimmigrant. Maybe this is their logic?

from Wiki

"Although a K-1 visa is legally classified as a non-immigrant visa, it usually leads to important immigration benefits and is therefore often processed by the Immigrant Visa section of United States embassies and consulates worldwide. If a K-1 visa holder does not marry his or her U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of entry, then he or she must depart the United States within 30 days."

from the U.S. Department of State page titled. Nonimmigrant Visa for a Fiance(e) (K-1)

"The fiancé(e) K-1 nonimmigrant visa is for the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) of a United States (U.S.) citizen. The K-1 visa permits the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) to travel to the United States and marry his or her U.S. citizen sponsor within 90 days of arrival. The foreign-citizen will then apply for adjustment of status to a permanent resident (LPR) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Because a fiancé(e) visa permits the holder to immigrate to the U.S. and marry a U.S. citizen shortly after arrival in the United States, the fiancé(e) must meet some of the requirements of an immigrant visa....."

Yes, the visa is non-immigrant.

However, for maximal confusion: Both on the ceac.state.gov website for case tracking and on ustraveldocs.com, you have to select the immigrant section to find the K1 visa.

Thank you !

to check on .https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/we are non immigrant as k-1 right?

That is embassy specific. In Germany it is supposed to be a letter.

Hurray! Got my case number today!!!! (They had our email wrong.....)

hopefully in the next couple of days they'll send it to the embassy!!!

Soooooo happy!!!

No progress for me. 6.5 weeks since NOA-2, the case has been sitting at the embassy for 2 weeks now...no pack 3 yet. God I am so over this.

Waiting for an email reply from the embassy to figure out where the delays are coming from.

Btw dumb question is packet 3 an email or does it arrive via mail too?

And we tried to call the nvc to know something but we can't go through Ufff

Hope they hurry up!!!!