goobies

I agree with Ambassa....it isnt too common to get the passport back so soon. Our case was a medical emergency expedite so they were understanding of our situation. 

As for attending the interview: no. Only people who are being interviewed are allowed inside. I just hung out at our hotel which was only a few blocks away and watched a movie. 

Good luck!

Thanks for starting this thread and to everyone who shared. My husband is having a VERY trying time. It has been 2 months since we got to the USA and he has been on the edge of leaving about a dozen times. It breaks my heart. I miss his country, too. And we plan to live there after buliding our home and business there. But he is having such a hard time opening up here. I wish I could make it easier for him.

I wish he would read this to see that most people feel the same and do eventually get over it so that he can have some hope for the future. 

Keep strong you guys! I know it will all get easier and better.

On 10/11/2017 at 7:21 AM, Kosi Wahala said:

The police certificate says that it expires in 3 months, but for the purposes of the U.S. State Department, it is good for 12 months. 

I agree with this...ours was in Uganda and expiring, but they told us that for immigration purposes for the USA, it is good for one full year, so if you get an interview before a full year passes past the expiration, you are very okay. Good luck to you.

On 10/8/2017 at 10:01 PM, Dianalorena said:

@Sundee @Longingfor   I feel your pain. Mexico is definitely seen as a ''lesser country'' and a high fraud one, Maybe not as much as others, but we still face some of the additional scrutinies and our tourist VISA process is incredibly painful and difficult. I'm always jealous when I hear how other countries, especially in the European Union or Canada, can visit under a VWP. They usually aren't ''randomly'' stopped at airports as much. I'm even dreading the interview portion of it because Ciudad Juarez is awful, and they're very picky about tattoos. I'm just hoping it's very obvious that it's not gang-related and that the fact I have a lot is because, well, I'm a tattoo artist by trade! And then I just feel the denial for so many reasons. These are the things we have to go through that other countries won't. But our relationships are real and our love is strong, I know it sounds corny but we have to keep on fighting and making it happen. This will ultimately make not only our marriage stronger, but we will become stronger as well. Big hug your way!

 

 

To all of you who are from "high fraud" countries, we want to encourage you! We made it through the Nairobi, Kenya embassy during the Kenyan elections mayhem, and we had a lot of worrisome things in our paper-work, but we made it through! 

My best advice, BE PREPARED and have every single document you can imagine they might possibly ask for, even if it isn't "required" during the interview. The CO asked my husband really rude and abrasive questions, implied things about both of us, and twice told him that she couldn't approve him because he didn't have X document. Fortunately, I prepared our binder in a beautifully organized rainbow of tabs, and he was able to find both within seconds. He said she was shocked both times and it took her a pause to recollect herself. 

So be READY for the worst, but fireproof yourselves. They will treat you like a cockroach, but don't let it get to you. My sweetie said that had we not discussed all the possible questions and situations that could unfold, he wouldn't have been able to get through it. He would have accepted defeat. So being mentally prepared and armored is so important. 

We wish the best of luck and love to each one of you. I am so sad and disappointed that some of you went to Nebraska around the same time as us. I do know how you are feeling because we were feeling it, too. We were one of the last October filers to be approved (of those who have been approved), according to the apps and this forum. It is grueling to wait. I wish we had good advice on how to help in that part, but we don't. Just know that our hearts are with you all. Stay strong. 

I'm so sorry that this has happened to you guys. All I can do is tell you that you are in my heart.

Good luck to everyone! We are rooting for you all!

Hello, 

Our interview was on the 5th of September. 
POE Houston, Texas on 14th September.
Paid Fee on 15th September. 
Still waiting as of 29th September, and we don't know if this is normal or not! We are starting to get a bit worried. All we had to do was pay the fee, right? And it is supposed to arrive at our address listed on all the forms within two weeks? It has been exactly two weeks. If we don't get it by Monday, what are the next steps? My husband is getting call backs from job applications already, but we don't have a SSN or physical Green card, and he can't get a driver's license without some form of mail and a SSN. It is very frustrating. Any help in the right direction would be insanely appreciated!

Hi you guys! 

Thank you all for answering me. Guess WHAT? 

My husband and our Furr baby made it through the airport with no problems whatsoever!

Since this post is particularly about bringing our cat, I will only talk about that process.

We got her rabies vaccine a month before we traveled and made sure that the vet put the vaccine sticker on the card. Everyone was telling us that Uganda requires an export permit to allow an animal to pass, but it proved almost impossible to get. We figured it was just a way to rip us off, because I had talked with other people who have taken their pets out, and they never were asked for such papers. So, we decided to go with only the rabies certificate. 

Entebbe airport was a breeze. No one inspected her or any papers at all. 

We flew from Entebbe to Instanbul to Houston on Turkish airways, and the total pet fee was only $210. 

On the flight to Instanbul, little Neffie managed to pull the zipper open, and got out! Fortunately, the flight attendant who caught her got a real kick out of it! He just laughed and said, "Please don't take her out again." 

Instanbul customs never asked to see any paperwork, but they did thoroughly check her bag, so I had to hold her while this went on. We were able to keep her out of her bag on her harness and leash the entire layover in Instanbul and no one said a word about it. 

The flight from Instanbul to Houston was 13 hours! Neffie did an exceptionally great job, and only got antsy one time. 

Getting to Houston, no one even noticed that I had a cat until I had already passed through immigration! I told the officer who heard her meow and who was the same guy that scanned me in that I declared her on my form, and he was like, "Oh yeah, I did see that. Oh well. Is she okay?" YEP was all I said. So no one even inspected her to come in to the USA. 

I think we were seriously blessed, because I never expected it to be this easy. 

I would still recommend that everyone get their cat vaccinated and have a health certificate, just in case they are asked for them. But know that bringing your kitty is  not as scary as some would have you think. 

Thank you again to everyone who gave their advice. 

P.S. Turkish Airlines is the only airline that flies from Africa to the USA which does not require a micro-chip and pet passport!

Thank you so much! Was the paper from the Cattle National Ministry a requirement or just an additional evidence you took? Our country is not easy to navigate the Ministry offices, and needs a lot of bribery, so if that letter is not a requirement from the USA, we will not bother with it. However, if it is, we will get it done.

We would love to hear the experiences of other people! The more we hear, the more at ease we are.

Thank you for getting back to us so quickly. I hope your kitty is enjoying life in the USA now. Meow!

Hi every one , we need advice on how to bring our cat to the USA from uganda

what are the exact requirements

Yes, we were approved on the 5th at Nairobi embassy!

We applied on October 13thbof last year. Then expedited the NVC process after a month because in was in an accident. 

We are so happy to be finished! Now we are just waiting tonget my husband's passport and package, and we believe it will be today because the CEAC website says it has been issued and printed.

Hang in there everyone!

Make sure you have every financial document possible if you have a cosponsor! They really went through every single page of the I864A and the cosponsors tax and employment records. Make sure every page that needs a signature for the taxes are signed by hand! If you do e-filing, a true signature isn't needed. So we had to email my mom and ask her to sign everything and scan them back to us!

21 hours ago, SP&SP said:

Yes it's okay it's will change to administrative review tomorrow then to issue

I had interview on Wednesday n. Friday I had my visa in hand and my dhl address was not in Nairobi so no worries you might have your visa on Thursday or even tomorrow 

just stick to ceac and the dhl web you will know when it's ready for pick,

did you contact IOM?

Thank you for always getting back to us! We appreciate it so much.

We haven't called CHK yet because we want to call once the visa is in our hands, but thank you so very much for giving us the phone numbers!

So I just checked CEAC and it says Issued!!!

How did you check the CHK website? We haven't gotten any email from them yet. 😐

Okay, I have searched in vain to find out which website we check to see when our visa says "issued", " printed", and how we can know before DHL calls us.

I know I have seen people writing on here that they check one of the websites to see ahead of time.

On CEAC it says "ready for interview". 

On AIS it says " current appointment". 

So this means that they haven't updated our status? What is weird is that CEAC says the most recent update was today.

Is this all OK, or is there something out of whack?

2 minutes ago, uhondo said:

 

Congratulations. I will be interviewing at the same embassy, but I am the Adult child of an U.S. citizen. Awaiting interview date.

Oh, good luck to you! I think in your case it will only depend upon making sure you have a strong financial support. If you need a joint sponsor, make sure they make well enough more than the bare minimum, and take all three years of taxes, w2's and pay stubs of last 6 months for joint sponsor and their current employment letter.  You will be fine! 

We hear that IOM gives discounted flight tickets.

My sweetie was approved at the Nairobi embassy this morning! Thanks be to God! It was not an easy interview.

We are so happy to be done. 😍

34 minutes ago, NihalV said:

Congratulations...! can you please share the list of all document your husband kept with him during interview.. ?  

Thank you! Yes, we were expedited through NVC due to a medical emergency, so our docs were not revised by NVC at all.

For that reason, we took:

a copy of the i-130

Ds-260

All emails from NVC and embassy

I864 and I864A

All tax documents for 2014-2016 for both me and joint sponsor (CO went through them very carefully!)

All original documents

Proof of domicile for me

G-235 for me

All the letters of support and knowledge of our relationship from family and friends

Photos

Call and chat records

Greeting cards

Financial co-mingling proof

All medical info on my husband

She basically went through each and every single thing apart from I130 and G325 and our letters from family and friends.

Wanted to see all of our photos and looked through them slowly while having my hubby explain in details about them.

She almost gave him the yellow paper, but he saw it was asking about i864a and so handed it to her. This is when she went through each line of joint sponsor's taxes and typed a bunch of info.

It wasn't easy at all. I am so proud of my husband for staying calm and collected. 

Good luck to you!

2 hours ago, ameise said:

Ours too! Good luck! I can't believe it's almost over, just need that final confirmation.

How exciting!!! 🎂

We wish you all the best!!!

On 8/22/2017 at 2:52 PM, Siskaa said:

Hi All,

 

I would like to ask is there anyone here has experience expedite I-130 Case in NVC to US Embassy Jakarta Indonesia?

 

Thank you

Hi Siskaa, 

The process is the same, no matter which embassy. You will email the nvcexpedite@state.gov with

1. NvC case number

2. Petitioners name

3. Beneficiary's name

4. USCIS priority date

5. Detailed description of why you need an expedite. In your case, it has been far past the official date on the USCIS website. If it has caused you financial hardship, include that.

Best of luck, and we hope they do approve you. It takes a few days after you send the email to get a response, but not more than 5.

1 hour ago, JessieABC said:

They changed that regulation this year: https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/news/ink-signature-no-longer-required-on-affidavits-of-support.html

 

my husband took my origina 864ez and photocopied transcripts + w2s which they reviewed and were ok with.

Thank you so much. So even the W2's were photocopies, not originals?

2 minutes ago, Awai5 said:

Thanks

Just make a copy of i864 which you submitted to NVC but on that photocoy signature should be real no copied or what you can do is ask sponser to sign the papers with blue pen and sens you in pdf files and you take colour prints out hope i answered question if not please let me know

Thanks so much! What about the tax returns and transcripts? Do they need to be original?

4 minutes ago, Awai5 said:

Thanks. 

No they didn’t asked for any documents except registered marriage certificate and my birth certificate but i was holding all the documents.

Are we supposed to bring original tax documents or photocopies? Congratulations on your approval!

We need to confirm something ASAP please! Are we supposed to have the original, signed I-864A of our cosponsor as well as her ORIGINAL tax documents? We thought photocopies are fine, but someone told us at the medical exam (another applicant) that we need all originals!!!!

5 minutes ago, SP&SP said:

Am beyond excited,now where's that dance 💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾🎊🎊🎊🎷,visa approved!

Wow we are sooooooo happy for you!!!