LHEtoNYC

Thank you! I just replied to another thread from around Feb 2016 that had the same situation as us, smooth sailing with the cross-outs, hope the same for you!

Thank you all, this thread is very helpful. Will be going through this process for my wife in 3 years and looks like even the new form says "5 years" for all the travel, work, and residence questions, so I'll be changing it to "3" if it's isn't fixed in the next 3 years!

Great question...my wife's eligibility is a good 3 years away (since she just got her greencard) but I'm already starting to think about the N400.

I'm surprised this topic hasn't been discussed at greater length before; I've been doing some searches but haven't yielded any results.

jkb11 - I hope you'll keep us updated on any response from USCIS when they see your form; whether there was any feedback provided in their correspondence about the cross-outs you made (from "5" to "3" years) on your form.

Cheers!

Thank you!

Could you please share if the "residence since" date printed on your green card is the date your IV was issued (per the full-page visa in your passport; 2/22/16 in my case) or was it the day you first entered the US (3/7/16 in my case).

Thanks in advance!

Wife and I just landed in JFK today; couldn't be happier. Process is over.

First of all congrats on your interview. I hope and pray all of yours go smooth. So now I can assume why the interviewer asked me for 3 weeks to pick my passport. You mean that your status is still not updated to AP?

Thanks, hoping the same for you. My wife's status on the CEAC "visa status check" site says "ready" with a status update date of 2/10. This means that the file hasn't been touched since the interview date, lol. So it's not AP and it's not "issued", it's just hanging there as if the interview hasn't happened yet. The CO said he wanted to wait until after my wedding anniversary date to begin processing and it seems like that is exactly what he will do! Very different from your case, I believe.

A week to get the passport back in Pakistan was very optimistic.

Agreed, but most Pakistani female applicants I've seen with similar NOA1 to CC and CC to Interview dates (which are among the lowest) that I've been tracking on VJ had been getting passports back in less than a week, and all were given a 7-10 day turnaround from their COs. That's what I based my itinerary on. But of course, I did have my doubts and so now I get to do a mileage run. Yay.

Anniversary was 10 days after the interview date. I understand the benefit of the IR-1 but I approximated my stay in Pakistan based on the average passport turnaround times I'd been scanning on VJ, so I gave myself a week to fly back and take my wife with me.

Now I have to purchase another ticket to come back here and take her so I'm a little peeved. The CO said all our docs were satisfactory and didn't ask for a single other document from my wife so I figured she'd be good to go but I know you always have to take what COs say with a grain of salt.

I just didn't like that he was using the IR-1 as an excuse to delay starting to process my wife's visa. He said he "wanted to wait for 10 days before he started processing" which I found odd. I feel like there might be a cap on CR-1 issuances so he'd rather give that visa to someone else and make my wife and I wait because we're close to the IR-1 threshold.

Nice to help someone else, if it did, but it cost me a few thousand $$$ to get back to work earlier than I wanted to.

My wife's interview was just a few days before our 2nd wedding anniversary. The CO (Islamabad, Pakistan) told us she was approved but that he would wait until after our anniversary because it would "help us". I told him we don't mind continuing as a CR-1 if it means she can get her passport sooner but the CO said sorry, they need the extra time to process because this is Pakistan. He just contradicted himself right there, lol! If they need extra time to process why would he wait to start processing until after the anniversary date?

Checked her status last 2 days and it's still "ready" pending interview.

Anyone else experience this issue?

That means ADMINSTRATIVE PROCESSING, a more in depth review of your paperwork, but I believe every body in Pakistan goes through it.

You will be fine, do not worry my man.

My wife is going through Pakistan and her status is "Ready" ever since her interview date on Feb. 10. The "last updated" date changed to Feb. 10 but it has stayed on that date since. I truly believe they're going to leave her file just collecting dust until our anniversary date in a few days, just like the CO said. Still makes zero sense to me. Why would they force me to convert my CR-1 to an IR-1 if I didn't mind filing as a CR-1?

That's sounds great that they let you in to accompany your spouse. Hopefully you will get the answer from them soon.

My case is about to complete, Do you think it will be a great idea if i join my wife there and wait for the passport and bring her here with me? i will take off from work for about 20 days.

and i live in Islamabad, i can go and pick up the passport from Islamabad.

If you have the flexibility from work I would highly recommend that you attend with your wife. No guarantees on how long it takes to get her passport as I learned the hard way. I might call the embassy tomorrow to see if I can follow up, given the info I've read now in this thread.

It could be that your visa category would change from CR-1 (married less than two years) to IR-1 (married more than two years). With the latter you get a 10 year GC, with the former you get a 2 year GC and have to file I-751 to remove conditions. Hope that helps!

Makes no sense what the CO says. Your wedding anniversary and time is all the way up to POE. So you arrive in US after 2 year anniversary you get 10 year card. Before 2 year. So all that CO says sounds like he is clueless. Hopefully someone will straighten it out. I sure would have been schooling him. But that's me.

Hey thanks for the insight. Wish I knew about that earlier, re: the POE timing and I would have mentioned it. At this point I don't want to raise any suspicion with the embassy--why do I want to rush them when the rules state don't book travel until after visa is received.

I guess I can get solace in the fact that I will be closer to renewing my American Airlines Executive Platinum status, lol.

I mentioned to the CO that I didn't mind proceeding as a CR-1 but it sounded like he was making an excuse to just give a longer time estimate.

I just have a question? You fly for Islamabad to join her, did the embassy let you in with ur wife for the interview. what was there final answer? They kept the passport for Visa, but didnot tell u how many days it take to get that back.?

Hi there, yes, the embassy let me in with my wife for the interview...I'm the petitioner and a US citizen so I suppose that makes it okay; not sure what would happen if someone who isn't the petitioner and isn't a USC tried to join. Their final answer was "approved" and told us my wife would receive the passport in Lahore by the end of the month. He wanted to wait until after our wedding anniversary in a few days, before he processed the visa. I'm still not clear on what difference that makes and how this approach was truly to my wife's advantage, but not much choice I had in the matter!

What does "Ready" mean on the CEAC status section?

thanks

Hi Soba, I've been curious about you. Did you receive your interview date yet? Did you call the NVC again in late Jan?

Agreed, grad student, that period did carry some anxiety for my wife and I. I can help run this file if we divide and conquer. Would like to give back to the community after it's helped us so much. Let me know how I can assist.

Mabruk!

My wife had her interview today in Islamabad, Pakistan. I flew over from NYC to join her and took the risk to book our flights one week after the interview date. Was hoping I could convince the CO to let us pick up her passport from the embassy instead of waiting for it to be couriered to her home city (Lahore). Big mistake lol.

So the good news of her getting approved (yay!) was a bit bittersweet because of my selfish work-related reasons. Had to get an exception to make it out here so was really hoping our case which has been a slam dunk since the beginning (pretty quick at each stage) would also be done in the 7-10 days I'd been reading on here.

Will do a more detailed review in the consulate review page with all the questions, etc. The CO was very nice and friendly and told us (he asked for me during the course of interviewing my wife) my wife's passport will be mailed with the visa at the end of the month (just an extra 10 days more than expected). He mentioned 2 things, one that our 2nd wedding anniversary was just a few days away so he wanted to wait until after to process the approval because that would help us in some way. I asked if that would just mean we wouldn't have to remove her conditions from her green card and he said yes. I told him I don't mind if we have to do that if she can fly back with me earlier due to my work requirements. He actually left the window to double check but came back and said if he didn't wait for after the 2nd wedding anniversary that the AP would take much longer. Not sure if things have changed at this embassy but I guess they're being more strict.

Anyway, back to NY I go, alone again, hoping to come back early March to finally finish what I started.

What status changes should I be looking for online on the CEAC website?

Lol we had our interview today too. I think I might have seen you and your wife, we rode in the bus together to the embassy and also back to the pick up area.

My wife got the same questions, plus "are you related" and questions about where I work and what I do in the US. He asked her when was the last time you met him and when she said he's here with me right now, he asked for me and I went up and said hello. He didn't ask me anything just said that he's satisfied with all the documents (guy was a brunette with a receding hairline and blue eyes) and that she's approved but because our 2nd wedding anniversary is a few days away, he is going to wait until he processes her case so "it's easier for you". I assume this meant she won't be getting a conditional greencard but I'm not sure.

I asked him if it's ok for us to stick with the normal course and not postpone the processing because I had to return to the US for work and I'd prefer not to wait until the end of the month. I guess I was too bold and mentioned I thought the normal course of time was 7-10 days and he said it's increased now. The guy was nice enough to go and double check but he said that this is the normal procedure.

So now I'm flying back to the US alone again and will have to come back sometime in March I guess once my wife gets her passport mailed to her house.

Checked online and I don't see "AP" anywhere. Just "complete" under IV application and the 2 "N/A"s.

LHEtoNYC, I'm sure on every country embassy page there is a list of physicians and their contact info, so why don't you or your wife give them a call so you can ask them personally...

Worried that it would raise suspicion of you start asking detailed questions about the exam procedures but that's a good point. My wife will definitely call and try to ask questions in a vague way so as not to raise any red flags. Thank you!

thank you

Anytime! Happy to help Best of luck...you could get lucky and have an interview in late Feb (22nd+) but finding that out on Jan. 22/25 (when you call NVC) should give you enough time to schedule your medical exam, etc.

Any of my fellow May 2015 filers had their medical exam yet? I've been posting questions in my various groups about the details of that exam. My wife is a bit uncomfy with the whole "external genital" inspection (quoted from the NVC website's FAQs) and while I've done my homework by searching through old posts, all I learned is that it is hit or miss. In Canada, most women haven't had a gyno exam (as part of the physical exam conducted by the immigration medical examiner) and in the UK it was a just a quick peek in the underwear to confirm gender, but in Asia it's a full blown gyno exam.

I posted in the South Asia regional forum but it's such cultural taboo to talk about these things so I was hoping someone with experience could chime in without it getting too inappropriate. Feel free to private message if you prefer.

Sorry to get so personal. Of course we have no choice but sit and wait and go through the process but as always, this site gives relief when you see others had similar nervousness and experiences.

I need some helps please I received my CC on January 8 and I’m witting for my interview schedule how do I check and track my case beside calling NVC and what to look for online . Thank you

Well there's nothing to track. Once you have an interview the P4 (Interview Letter) Usually gets emailed 24 to 48 hours later. About 2 to 3 weeks before interview they usually send your casefile to embassy.

All you have is ceac.state.gov and check Visa status. It will continue to say "AT NVC" until it reaches the embassy than it changes to READY and you get a Case Status date.

If you want to know if you have interview call that's my advisement.

sorry but I don't have interview the P4 (Interview Letter) yet how I check my case

I know I just told you what to do. There's nothing to track. Read what I said again.

I have tough time can you please sent me the website and guide me

Hi Soba, dwheels is totally correct, based on the situation you wrote but I think you might have some difficulty understanding what she wrote...

How were you able to confirm that your case is complete? Did you receive an email from NVC or did you go to the "ceac" website and notice the 3 "N/A"s? I'm assuming you received an email and never checked for the 3 "N/A"s if you are now asking dwheels for the website.

I would think you are familiar with this website if you paid for your AOS and IV fees online (through the ceac website) but you can also do it the old fashioned way, through paper mail, etc.

Once you know your case is complete (CC) then there's no way to check online the status of your interview. The only thing you can do is call NVC, as several of us did on Monday, Jan. 11 because one of us found her interview scheduled, among many of us who had CC around end of December 2015. That's what made many of us call and we had the interview date (for e.g., my CC was 12/29 and someone else who had a CC of 12/28 posted here that she had her interview date, and someone else with a CC of 12/30 also had an interview date when she called NVC).

That's the only way: calling NVC. You should wait 1 more week before calling. If your CC was Jan. 8, you should call on Jan. 22 or 25. You will probably have a March interview (if I could predict).

got date on 11th feb!

Thanks

you mean you got it on 11th jan

Hi everyone,

My wife is in Lahore and is about to schedule her medical exam. She's a little uncomfortable about what was written in the FAQs on the NVC website, in reference to "external genitals". I apologize if I'm being a bit too personal or inappropriate, but would you be willing to share any details of your experience with the physical exam so that I can pass along your comments to my wife?

If you prefer, please private message me and I will ensure my wife (who also accesses this profile) will be the one who reads the messages.

Thanks in advance.

I went through this medical test when I applied for the K1 visa. It was quite uncomfortable but a female did mine so it was ok.

Thanks for the heads up...my wife is getting very uncomfortable about it too...I will try to give her "tasalli" Also, congrats! I know you were worried about your interview date but you finally got it! Mubarak! You should update the spreadsheet with your new info!

Best of luck!

They mail out anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks before interview.

When is your interview. You been asking all this weeks and I see no timeline.

LOL! I had the same thought