USAontheway

Yup no worries. They always miss you right before you go. It's suddenly real to them and suddenly there, even if they've known about it for months and months.

I hope your trip home is okay and that your family is doing better.

Thank you SO much for that.. I know we're total strangers on here... but wow. If I could tell you... well let's say actually for me this has been an over 10 year wait (not months) - it's a long story but I've wanted to go back for a decade - and we've talked about it many times, and we did give it a really earnest "go" here, but just didn't work out.

The funny thing (or not so funny) is how all of a sudden his family's attitude toward me (the wife) has shifted to... rather cool, passive aggressive, and .... in a way hanging on. They were fine when it was me dealing with being in a country foreign to me - but can't handle it if we want to be elsewhere. lol... And all seem to have zero compassion toward my suffering family members... I guess it's normal and hard for loved ones all around.

Anyway, sorry to vent, I'm just having a bit of a tough time learning how to deal with this but I will get there.

Thanks so much for what you said tho...Bless you! In return I hope your situation is good too.... from one 'stranger' to another.

The petitioner should enter before or at the same time as the beneficiary. You do not have to enter together obviously. Many of us enter alone because we don't live together abroad. (I did happen to enter with my husband but he was with me driving down.)

fyi: You wrote your husband the petitioner but at the beginning said you were the petitioner/USC.

Hi there - ok, great... thank you for all your replies!

I did make a mistake, husband is the Applicant. Sorry just am preoccupied with everything going on - a little overwhelming lately with the stuff happening to my family as well as what I am experiencing (a sudden need to 'hang on' from my husband's family... lol)

Thanks very much for clarifying though - I wanted to make sure I understood what I read.

Hi - I'm not sure I'm posting this in the right place, sorry.. but I need to ask..

I'm the US citizen wife/Petitioner for a New Zealander husband/Applicant - currently we both reside in New Zealand, while waiting for "case complete" from NVC/interview.. etc.

My husband's mother wants us to go for a detour to visit her in Australia (his parents live in Aus) before we go to the USA, through point of entry. However, I have some family issues over in the US that I am concerned with - a member with cancer, another in recovering from a month in ICU but still precarious. Plus depending on the timing, I may need to be there to begin work, etc.

Is it possible that my husband (the petitioner) can take a detour and go spend time with his parents in Australia, and come to the USA separately with his sealed envelope, after me? Or do we absolutely have to go through US customs together, with the sealed envelope?

Thanks in advance!

Oh calling them to ask won't affect you in any way.

They are pretty polite and nice.

To pull your case out you would have to request a manager or supervisor to do that.

Call them also they don't keep count on how much you call .

Its always someone else answering anyway.

And other people call every day and more than once so..

Don't be afraid to elbow your way to info )

Im just waiting for my mom..waiting for a spouse seems harder.

I can but don't want to imagine having to wait a whole year for the one you love:)) thats just cruel.

Just thought I'd update: I finally called NVC today and found out that our new scan date (for the checklisted items we sent in via UPS, signed for at NVC on April 6th) .... new scan date April 8th. lol So she said the wait is 30-45 days from that scan date, which we've already waited about 2 weeks of. (She said sometimes they don't bother sending a new scan date notification email)

Moral of the story: Calling NVC when in doubt really does seem the best thing to do! (Thanks again for the moral support here though, guys, and still best of luck to you too DaliQ!)...

guys we've sent I-864 with 2014,2013,2012 IRS tax transcripts coz 2015 is being processed.we also added an explanation letter with the joint sponsor's signature that he filed for 2015 tax but it's being processed, and pay stubs from 2016 march and feb.

Scan date: 03/31/16

so basically they'll review the case after the tax deadline April 18

will they checklist us?

Hi there - I talked to NVC today with the same question, my Mother's (she's Joint Sponsor) info we sent in, included her 2012/2013 and 2014 tax documents - sent in March. The lady at NVC said that as long as the items were sent in on time, it should be fine, even though it's April now and tax time.

If you want to make sure for your situation, call NVC - both times I've called have not been more than 10-15 minute wait, max - and so far they are very nice and helpful! Good luck!

Oh btw I sent mine out on the 17th and they received it on the 18th( I asked for signature) and the scan date was the 24th.

Idk how I didn't mention this before ..

Thanks for that! Yeah - we're going on 9 days since signed for.. hopefully we get a scan date soon!

Before NOA1 I stalked Uscis then I learned it's actually called stalking so I did it again with NOA2 ) jk but this is torture.

Also I know for sure I did send all my papers.. They probably needed more time to process so came up w a ridiculous check list.

And when I called to ask why the woman said if I request a manager to pull out my case to find my copy it will delay my case a month and then some so.. I caved in and sent the damn thing.

Yes,The email is set up when u chose an agent at the beginning of all this.

Yep that's why I'm a bit wary on calling again - I definitely don't want it to get delayed even more! Trying to keep busy with other things right now, just to keep my mind off it lol... You hang in there, too!

Lol, I'll take pity on you : If you had to chose an agent you should receive an email.

I get emails and they are usually sent late in the day but on the day the change happened .

My advise to you is to call them. Whenever you need an update or a confirmation,call. Don't wait for the email.

Now about the wait..Im in the same bucket with you. I had to resend my birth certificate copy and the wait time is 30-42days from my now new scan date which was March 24th .

So yes after waiting 31 days for them to see if I'm missing something now I have to wait another,at least,30 days.

I called today and still no one looked at my papers yet.

Good luck and yeah.. just hang in there.

lol - thank you for the pity, how did ya know it would make me feel a bit better? Yeah, wow - they still haven't given us a scan date; seems its taking even longer this round just to get the scan date! I did have to choose an agent but that was back at the start of this NVC process - yeah I guess I will try to call them soon.

Starting the whole thing all over again seems...cruel lol.. people could end up waiting years just because of checklists!!! ouch.

Sorry to hear you're in this same boat... Are you learning extreme patience, like me? lol... Taking up a new hobby? Forcing yourself not to look at the CEAC screen more than twice a day?

You hang in there too, thanks....

So...No one knows if we're supposed to get a scan date for a checklisted item? (Anyone?) Or if the wait starts all over? (Can I take the silence to mean, "Yep, you're toast, it's starting all over again.")

Still waiting...patiently....lol

Hi again,

Ok - I sent a checklisted item (i-864 form from joint sponsor), via UPS tracking - UPS site shows it was received/signed for on April 6th; but still haven't gotten an email of a "scan date" of it.

--Should I be expecting a scan date email as the next step? Or is it possible they are proceeding without sending me notice of receipt of the item?

--Is the 30 day wait started all over again, once they scan it? I know, I should just be patient - but ohh I'm so hoping it won't. :/

Thanks again!!!

HI

I'm in a similar situation where i need to submit AOS - My wife is the US citizen and she will be my sponsor. However, she is working for a tech startup and not making any money, so in NZ we are living from my income, similar to u and your husband. In this situation why do you need a joint sponsor if your husband had an income?

Do you i still need a joint sponsor even though my NZ salary is well above poverty guidelines? You mention that your mother in law was joint sponsor.

I will be doing i-864a and my wife the us citizen will be doing i-864 - based on what you did you also got your mother in law to do i-864. Just looking to know why you had to get a joint sponsor if husband has a NZ income, and is it because you are living with her?

thanks

Hi there - well I hope I can save you some hassle with my answers...

Ok, just to clear things up, our sponsor is my (I'm the wife/US Citizen) mother - not my mother in law - she lives in Australia. My own mother lives in California, she has the house, income, etc to help sponsor my husband.

Before I answer specific questions - let me say, please make sure you read REALLY carefully through the official sites and the recommended stuff on this forum regarding your specific situation - or you could end up delayed/checklisted like I was.

So to your questions...

"In this situation why do you need a joint sponsor if your husband had an income?" and "Do you i still need a joint sponsor even though my NZ salary is well above poverty guidelines?"

Right now, we are still living in New Zealand, and my husband's income is from New Zealand. It won't be an income that transfers over with us - we have to start fresh finding work when we get there, so we aren't using his current income (look for something that talks about "income from a continuous source.") (We could have opted to use some of his assets and bank statements on the paperwork, but it wasn't necessary - we were just able to use my Mom's stuff). So...if your income will come from the same source as it currently is coming from, once you move to the USA - you might be able to use it.

I'm not sure that the i-864a will be the correct form for you - and highly suggest you have a very thorough read of the sites before submitting - sincerely sympathize, as I know what a trial it is undergoing all this. Just a FYI - initially, both my mother and I had filled out i-864's, which WAS the correct thing in our situation... but I switched it, thinking I was being clever, as when I read the i-864a, I misinterpreted it, thinking my mother actually had to fill out the i-864a instead of the i-864. The problem was that the i-864a would only have been correct if I had *currently* been living with her and/or claimed as a dependent on her taxes. ... BUT as she is in the USA, it may be different from your situation altogether.

If you can call the NVC and tell them your specific situation (be VERY specific), you might save delays. Best wishes, and sorry if I confused you...(best to make SURE now than later!)

No dont bother with assets if her income qualifies.

Thank you! You guys have been so helpful today... I'll try to do the same for some people on here when i can...

You will be very welcome to the forum I mentioned which is moderated by Dwheels76, she is wonderful.

I highly recommend to read her whole first post each month, it has tons of good information, every thing you need to know.

The main guide is

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

I was just looking at that page, it is very helpful with a lot of detail! I have to say though, as in my case the i-864 issue was complex - I still don't think I would have understood accurately what to do, from all the reading I've done prior, (and even on the Which I-864 Form to Use section of your linked page). I wish there had been some kind of flowchart laying out various situations and what to do....the i-864 is a beast... lol Anyway, thanks again!

1) right. Her household size will be 2 and your household size will be 2

2) correct, your income will be zero and her income will be completely on her I-864

3) that's fine.

Make sure to send a copy of your mom's birth certificate or bio page of her passport, and proof of ongoing income and/or assets, along with at least the last tax return (2014 currently) if you haven't already.

The lady I spoke to earlier at NVC said they still had all her tax documents, and didn't need to provide them again... but it does make me wonder: My mom's income is $36,000 ... which qualifies over the poverty levels. She also has the home and cars (assets) -- we did not include any assets - only the $36,000 as her income... and the previous 3 years too (some of which was over $100,000 per year income).

We were told that it wasn't really necessary to include assets if her income qualified (and since my husband has held down a 16 year job in NZ, and is of good character) -- but since I have a chance to send in new i-864's, do you think it would be best to try to include the assets on the new form -- and send in whatever proof of assets along with this package?

Sorry if I'm complicating it... I so badly, don't want any more delays if at all possible!!! . Thank you so much...

And your explination as to why you were not required to file a US tax return for the past 3 years.

I did write a note with the previous i-864 I had sent - I can write another if it would help... thank you so much!

I strongly advice you to fill out your timeline, it help others and yourself because you will get more responses.

Also, do not start "stand alone topics", post your questions on the appropriate TOPIC forum, in this case is

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

TOPIC:

NVC Filers-March 2016

A new thread will be started very soon for NVC filers April., you will stay on that thread as long as your case is in NVC, you will learn a lot just by reading the other posts.

I will fill the timeline out best as I can - I didn't keep track of every date... Will try not to start stand-alone topics, so far my questions are just pertaining to NVC, and the one I just posted i-864. Yes it is very helpful, this forum, thank you kindly!

You, the petitioner completes the I864 for your household. That would be you, the intending immigrant(s), plus your minor children no matter where they live, plus anyone you've claimed a dependent on your most recent US tax return.

Mom does an I-864 (not I864a) and if she's married her spouse should complete an I864a. Mom's household size is calculated as above. You are not included in Mom's household count unless she claimed you as a dependent on her most recent tax return.

Thank you (and thank you NLR, too) - ok just so I get this straight:

- As I we have no children or dependents - and my mother did not have me as a dependent on her returns:

--Household member size on HER i-864 will be 2 (her and him), and will also be 2 on my corrected i-864 (1 for me, and 1 for my husband/petitioner).

--All blanks pertaining to income on MY i-864 will be Zero (as I have no income) - and not to worry that there's no where on the form that points to my joint sponsor's form (that's why I got confused and thought the i-864A was the correct form, because it allowed me to refer to her income as the support backup.)

--Although they didn't request a new i-864 from me (just one from my mother) - if I write a sticky note on it saying "Corrected i-864 from Petitioner/Sponsor" - that will suffice, when I send in both i-864's ?

Thanks...again..

I can't get through by calling NVC, they said to call back another time - but thought I'd post the questions I just sent them via email, in case anyone here knows the answer....

I wrote this:

Hello,

My Name is <PETITIONER / WIFE>, I am a U.S. Citizen currently living abroad with my husband, and am the Petitioner/Main "Sponsor" for my him - his name is <APPLICANT / HUSBAND> Currently we depend on my husband's New Zealand income, as I do not have income of my own here currently.

In our AOS/IV package, we sent an I-864 for me, and an I-864A for my mother, <MOM'S NAME> -- however we were just sent a checklist requesting an I-864 for my mother to be sent as she will be the "only joint sponsor."

This has brought up some questions as we try to fill out her i-864 form.

1. In calculating household size, Part 5, #1 and #2 are marked with a "1" - however, am I, the Petitioner, to be included in household size? None of the other options seem to fit - would I not be included in household size, as the three of us will be living at her residence in the future (once the immigration process is complete?) Or would household size total be 2 (even though I will also be living there?
   
2. If I am not to be included in household size, my fear is that the i-864 I filled out for myself will also turn out to be incorrect, as it referred to my mother's income in part 6, and listed Household members as "3."
   --Would it be a good idea to fill out a new, corrected i-864 for me (the Petitioner) -- even thought I have no income, and include it, when we send the NVC my mother's i-864 (even thought it was not requested?)

Again, any thoughts appreciated. Hopefully this is my last question - but maybe hope it will also help others who run into this problem too, thanks!

I do not believe it is going to take that long, normally they put you aside waiting for checklist compliance and then back to queue.

I hope you are right - I am only going by what it says in the email about "please give us 30 days to review" once they receive the updated stuff.

Again I have to start a new topic, too... I ran into a little trouble trying to fill out the i-864... Thanks again for your advice and thoughts, it is very helpful.

The point is, even if you and your mother in-law where living together in USA but her income tax did not listed you as her dependent or vice versa, she MUST file an I-864.

Household for income tax purpose means the individuals are declared in the same tax return.

I am glad your are solving your issue, good luck.

That makes sense, thanks. At this point the only thing that stinks a bit is resetting the 30-45 days wait all over again... .. but really it could have been worse so... it will be ok.

I read this: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-864instr.pdf

Your mother in-law is part of your household in your income tax if she is your dependent ot you are hers, then you will be combining her income with yours and in that case she will need an I-864A.

But I am assuming she is not your dependent, neither you are not her dependent as reported on in the 2014 or 2015 tax return.

You just happen to live together in the same house.

So you need an I-864 as well as your mother in-law.

Thank you for your response. Well I just called NVC - and spoke to a surprisingly nice lady after only about a 15 minute wait... Apparently my Mother, since I am living in New Zealand with my husband (the petitioner)... my Mother does require an I-864 and to be listed as 'only joint sponsor' ...(if I was living with her, then the i-864A would have been the correct form)... . Hopefully my mistake will help someone else on this forum, not to make it.. lol... make sure you are absolutely clear which 864's need filling out!!!

Thankfully they still have her tax documents and only want us to send the correct form... phew... only real bummer is now our 30-45 day wait will be reset; c'est la vie.

Hi there...

So I am the US citizen wife/sponsor for my New Zealander husband. I don't have sufficient income, so we are staying with my Mother at her home - and she is the household-member co-sponsor.

For me, we included an I-864, and for her we included an i-864A with all her tax documents.

However, today NVC sent us a checklist saying that we are missing financial evidence..... they list my *Mother's* name and that the i-864 is missing for the 'sponsor/petitioner' ... ??????

So they want an i-864 for my Mother, when I am the sponsor? So confused. I don't know whether to call NVC and ask for a supervisor review, or to try to fill out an i-864 for her and gather copies of all her tax forms all over again....

It makes no sense to me especially, since the Sponsor/Petitioner HAS to be me listed on the i-864. Trying to calm down....lol

You're very welcome, I love this website and the helpful community that made up this forum

My suggestion for you is go ahead and call NVC soon as they are open tomorrow 07:00 so that you'll have less chance of waiting time and ask if there is any update about your case. From time to time check your case online and see if you have 3 N/As because thats what happened to me last week. I was so shocked that I kept logging in and logging out THREE times to make sure I was not seeing things lol. Then I called NVC the next day to make sure that my case was completed and sure enough it did! Currently I'm waiting for the interview date and hopefully that'll come soon

Thank you so much for your kind words, I really really really appreciate it. It has been a long journey for me and Im sure I can vouch that for the rest of us here in the forum. Im praying for you to get CC soon so you both will be reunited ASAP

Please let me know if you need anymore information because Im always browsing this forum and learn something new everyday

Thank you for this.. in fact I need to post a new topic, unfortunately today we got sent a checklist that makes no sense. I will just keep praying and keep going though... lol

Hmmmm if you do sent in 1 package (both AOS and IV), they should have the same scan date because I did the same thing you did and sent mine in one package. But I read on some of the threads here that the AOS and IV documents distributed to the different departments within the NVC office, dont quote me on that.

My scan date was February 11th and CC on March 18th so 29 days later but please give them 30-45 days of waiting

Also, one more thing I want to say is that the date/waiting time will not reset if you call NVC regarding anything about your case. And yes I've called them multiple times without issue.

Thank you for this information - I didn't know about the documents possibly being sent to different departments, either. You are so lucky only 29 days, I wish you a smooth and safe journey the rest of it! You've made me feel a bit better about the wait and I feel better about having to call them at any point, thanks for that too! Will keep my patience and stay busy in the meantime...

Hi there!

I received the same thing when they emailed me with 3 different top dates but the same scan date/received date. I didnt call NVC regarding the mutiple emails and continued to wait till my case was completed last week. My question for you is do you have the same scan date/received date in the 3 emails you received?

Hello - thank you for responding to my post!

To answer your question -- The email that was sent (top date) of March 27 had a scan date of February 19th .... the emails that were sent on Feb 20 and 22 both had a scan date of Feb 17th. I'm not sure why this is, as everything was sent in one package (AOS and IV).

Could you possibly tell me, how long did it take from the 3rd scan date email they sent you, or how many days total did you have to wait from scan date until you got your Case Complete? If you count from my first scan date of Feb 17th, we are on day 40 of our wait now (although they say wait 30 days, haha).

Thanks again - and congratulations on your CC!

Hello there, I'm new here - sorry I don't have a timeline here some people have yet...but found the site while looking for an answer to this...

Has anyone ever seen this happen?

My husband is a New Zealander, we are immigrating him. We received three copies of the email below, one on Feb 20, the second on Feb 22, and a third one yesterday, March 27 (yesterday for New Zealand).

"

20-FEB-16

Dear Sir/Madam,

The National Visa Center (NVC) received your documents on 17-FEB-16. We are experiencing a high volume of incoming mail at this time. Please allow 30 days from the date we received your mail for the NVC to review your documents. We are diligently working to reduce our review time and appreciate your patience. The NVC will notify you after our review if there is additional information required or if we are able to schedule your case for an interview overseas. ..... "

(So, exact same email, except for the top date which reflected the date on which they sent us the email)

I have not yet contacted NVC as I am afraid of doing anything that will cause the date to reset -- but I don't know what to make of the multiple scan-date letters - are they resetting my wait time every time they send one of these?

Any thought would be appreciated -- I don't mind waiting and being patient but I just hope they are not resetting everything all over again...

Thank you kindly!