Whimplet

quick update - status changed to issued last Thursday with a cryptic message about being with the courier already.

Received confirmation from DX on Monday afternoon, was at depot at 07:45 this morning and visa is in my hand!

So even after a 'minor?' RFE after the interview, they issued the visa and it's with me a week since I sent in the extra info needed post interview.

Now the realization is that PoE is so soon, time is going to start flying!!!

It's a big change from constant waiting, to be full on...

there's definitely light at the end of the tunnel

Issued!!!!

Just checked status not expecting much but says issued and will be with us in 2 days...

Shocked, stunned, surprised, and happy!

Update timeline tomorrow

Wow no longer relevant to me, but it's an addiction...

After several weeks of only minor moves, the USCIS London website says they're processing 7 June applications as of 19 July. Think that was a jump from 5 May!

https://uk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/government-agencies/dhs/uscis/i130filing-html/

We'll be entertaining visitors, probably in Hyde Park next Friday so will send you positive interview vibes - hope the weather is close to like today!

As for the Courier-In Certificate - the visa applicant (my wife) received an email at around 8am this morning from the consulate confirming the request for information, and they did something to the website to enable to certificate to be printed. So for anyone in the future, at least for us, it took 24 hours, or basically the next business day for something to change in the system for us to print out our courier certificate.

I had already organised the paperwork, but left it at home thinking it would take a few days for the system to update. A mad dash ensued to get the documents, go to the courier to drop them off, and the guy confirmed the embassy would have the paperwork tomorrow, and he said normally people like us that have to submit something, if it's all they need, come pick up their passport within 10 days.

Now all we can do is wait!

Forum search turned up these threads, looks like the certificate option takes a couple days to show up which is unfortunate.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/591100-re-submitting-form-to-embassy-no-link-in-online-application/

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/575306-i-need-help-submitting-additional-evidence-to-london-embassy/

I will try to call the courier tomorrow to see if they can accept my documents without the cert and update here.

Hi Futurekings - thanks for the thoughts, it definitely helps.

I've tried to put as much relevant information here to maybe help someone else in the future

Good news and bad news today...

Interview went well, general process was apparently straight forward.

I'm a dolt (saving other expletives for myself) that forgot to sign the I-864 form!

All other documents and everything else in order...

So after the interview, the CO said have a great time in the USA, but we need to resend the I-864 - this time signed of course.

Will get my other half to write a few points that she took away, including interview questions she can remember.

Murphy's law too that my IRS Tax transcripts arrived today too.

They showed as shipped from the IRS on 16 June, and arrived today on 18 July, so just about a month to arrive.

I'm confused about the instructions for the courier service. It says to go the ais.usvia-info.com/eng-gb page (where you submit the DS260), sign in, go to print instructions, then at the bottom of that page 'View Courier-in Receipt' to print the 'Courier-In Authorization Certificate'. Take that certificate, the letter from the interview, passport and any documents to the courier location.

I can't find that View Courier-in Receipt link/certificate. We didn't select home delivery as the Chancery Lane courier office is 10 minutes walk from my office.

Any ideas on how to get this certificate so I can go submit the required information asap?

I see July 19 available right now

first 2 weeks in August now appear to be gone.

I've been checking every day too

Query response within 48 hours from their online webform.

Answer was that this issue could be resolved with the CO on the day of the interview, so no need to unlock/resubmit the DS260.

Medical all ok and approved, so roll on for the interview!

I've submitted a query to them just in case.

I had seen those FAQs before but read so many that I couldn't find them again.

Thanks for pointing them out.

Hopefully all questions answered - medical is tomorrow and interview in about 2 weeks!

Question about completing our DS260 and the I-864 forms and how to answer for our born abroad US Citizen children.

I am the USC and permanent resident in the UK, spouse is Malaysian with UK ILR, we are filing through DCF and our I-130 petition has been approved for IR1 VISA.

We've actually already completed/submitted the DS260, but I want to check one of the questions.

Our children were born in the UK, but already have their USA passports, they are both less than 10 years old.

On the DS260 we answered the question 'Is this child immigration to the U. S. with you?' as yes.

I guess I'm wondering about the definition of immigrating in this question

They will move with us (at the same time as us) when we move to the USA after my spouse has her visa approved.

But should we have answered this question 'No' as they are already citizens so they are travelling/moving but not immigrating?

Similarly, on the I-864 part 3 and question 3.a Family Member 1 - do I include our children here (assume no?)

But they are counted as a dependent under section 5 Sponsor's Household size question 4 I would answer 2 as dependents.

If the DS260 is wrong should we contact the embassy in advance to correct it or explain during the interview itself?

I'm sure this has been asked before but couldn't find it through a forum search so grateful for guidance.

I've posted in the DCF forum to get answers from other USC living abroad but if better in the IR1 process and procedures forum please move.

Thanks

Updated detailed timeline details below.

Interviews were available from 4 August, but the 18 July must have been a recent cancellation.

I checked that I can reschedule the interview through the system easily.

Our timeline:

05-Apr-2016 Submitted Online Malaysia Police Certificate Request

Timeline updated

Booked medical for 7/7/2016

Submitted DS260 today (02/July/2016)

Interview appointment 18 July @ noon!

Very excited to have this happen so quickly.

Will update later with a bit more info, relieved to get to this stage and now very hopeful Sept move!

Yes! We've received our NOA3 letter today - was approved by consular NVC on 29 June.

But it's using the Julian format without the extra 500, so our actual approval number is LND2016181xxx

So maybe try around the 27th onwards but using 179 instead of 679.

Going to book the medical asap and get the DS260 submitted tonight so that we can get the interview data asap!!!

Big congrats - glad this worked out for you and hope you can get the move completed swiftly and safely and support your husband with his medical needs as well.

Good luck and all the best for your family with the next part of your adventure...

exactly what I received...

I was approved on 10 June and you were approved on 20 June.

But both were not sent posted until 23 June - I wonder if that's when it was transferred to the Visa processing unit also?

If so that could mean they've just literally received it and who knows when they'll look at it.

I was assuming if I was approved on the 10th it would have been transferred internally soon thereafter, but perhaps that's not the case.

frustrating - but can only hope they turn it around quickly as historically it seems to happen within a week for London...

What I did was check the status of each day to determine how many applications were being processed for that day and confirm which case numbers were valid https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?eQs=o/iS8zDpeAKjMWCuebHqOw==

Then went back to other page to start the DS-260 as an applicant, which requires the invoice number to be input (for us that's the DoB YYYYMMDD)

https://ceac.state.gov/IV/Login.aspx

I'm assuming if the case number is active and our Invoice (dob) matches, it will launch the DS 260 application. And that will confirm your case number and let you get on with all the steps to book the interview etc

I'm just going to do this daily, but wondering if maybe previous days I've already checked could be the case #, but the invoice wasn't attached yet.

(if any of that makes sense)

It's the standard contact form on the London Embassy site

https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-information-services/contact-us-immigrant-visas/

https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-information-services/contact-us-immigrant-visas/u-s-embassy-london-visa-unit-contact-form/

I've seen someone comment on another thread to select the 3rd option rather than the status update which tends to be ignored.

However I selected the status option and received the quick reply...

Try calling on google or skype so you can get a US number so they can call you back.

This - also with skype you can subscribe to their world service and choose any US number available for someone to return your call to that 'local' US number and it will automagically connect to your skype and ring you on your phone

right to assume since the check is cashed that the petition is being processed

I submitted the webform before 09:00 on Monday 27 June using the status update for my case option and received a reply before 14:00 that they didn't have the record yet and advising that it could take up to 8 weeks to be received/processed.

The email reply says I can follow up again via the same email - will send another request probably next Tuesday.

Was surprised to get such a quick reply as it has a 5 day SLA

I'll keep checking the ceac status site each day and trying with the invoice number to open our case...

I went through all possible open cases between 10 June to 24 June and used the beneficiaries DoB as the Invoice number.

None matched. I assume that either the case hasn't been created yet, or perhaps the case hasn't been activated/attached to the DoB/Invoice information.

Some of the cases returned different errors e.g. some said the info wasn't with the NVC versus others that said not with the Embassy.

Will keep trying to figure it out...

So I called that number as well - got through within about 5 minutes - the person I spoke to was adamant that they don't have London case information.

I explained to her every type of number on my notice of approval and nothing was there she could use, and she refused to look up via just name and DoB.

As soon as I said I filed directly with London it was like game over...

I might try again later in the week to see if a different person would make any difference, but doesn't appear that way.

General odd observation is that my approval notice header states Rome Field office of US DoHS

The Notice of Approval on only says, Beneficiary, Beneficiary A-Number which is basically all zeros so assume not useful, classification IR-1, priority date and approval date.

No other numbers and no mention of how long it takes to for the Consulate Section of the DoS in the Embassy to contact the beneficiary, although it says they will contact just no timing indicated.

I'm travelling for the next hour or so but will call when I'm at a place with decent signal.

Consular filing doesn't receive a receipt number (I think) but expecting they can find with surname and DoB or other applicant info? Maybe not...

Found this relatively recent thread http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/566701-i-130-approved;-waiting-for-case-number/

Looks like this person had luck calling the NVC directly so will try that today.

Will use this number National Visa Center (NVC): US 603-334-0700 (press 1 then 5 to speak with an operator) Hours: 7am - 12am EST, Monday to Friday

Also looking at the general NVC process we can make some assumptions about the London case numbers.

With luck we can figure out which case is ours with only the foreign alien's full birthday e.x. YYYYMMDD

I've checked from 10 June to 24 June using the case check website https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?eQs=o/iS8zDpeAKjMWCuebHqOw==

I've used LND2016662001 all the way to LND2016676012.

Case loads between those dates appear to be roughly 20 per day with 20 June having 40.

Based on my 10 June approval date, and assuming experience with the DCF UK process where it appears to be transferred within 3-5 days, I think my case number should be included within this time span. A painstaking process I might go through is trying every possible option between those dates - surprised none of the apps allow you to do this more quickly to avoid the captcha security check for each submission...

Case number details from Step1 under NVC info:

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

Date Julian Date Plus 500 Total Cases

10-Jun 162 662 26

11-Jun 163 663 3

12-Jun 164 664 0

13-Jun 165 665 17

14-Jun 166 666 18

15-Jun 167 667 24

16-Jun 168 668 27

17-Jun 169 669 13

18-Jun 170 670 4

19-Jun 171 671 0

20-Jun 172 672 40

21-Jun 173 673 18

22-Jun 174 674 20

23-Jun 175 675 20

24-Jun 176 676 12

First off, understand there's two different agencies and neither can help you with the other's part. Right now you are with USCIS London office, so you aren't contacting "the embassy". The USCIS office has a contact form posted on the embassy website, but no phone number.

After the petition is approved, you get transferred to the Dept of State and the Immigrant Visa Unit specifically. They have a different contact form but for visas. They can't help you with petition questions.

Thanks both for your replies.

We actually received our NOA2 on Saturday - approved as of 10 June.

I've submitted the online Visa Immigrant Webform to the DOS Visa Unit at the embassy to try to get an update on the case number this week.

I have created a thread for our IR-1 journey here http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/593072-dcf-london-i-130-mailed-7-april/ and will continue to post updates there.

I guess I'm starting to understand that the 'special relaitonship' extends further than just the governments with so many K-visa applications!

NOA2 arrived Saturday - actual I-130 approval date of 10 June.

NOA3 didn't arrive with it, submitted case number request via visa immigrate webform on London Embassy website. Very hopeful to have the LND number this week...