*BestDayEver0425*

8 hours ago, PoojaCh said:

Now it’s less than 100 pages. Finally! We have removed all the things which are not needed. We are planning to remove our lawyer’s name from the forms cause he just gave us bad advice. If we don’t have a lawyer then that’s not going to make any difference anyway right?

Awesome.  Send it off and keep us posted.  The process is easily done without a lawyer.  If you need some guidance reach out to your Visa Journey family.  There are some great people , with great information to share.    Enjoy the journey, it may be slow at times, it may be bumpy but it will all be worth it!

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 6:01 PM, Cg2008 said:

Hello,

So my husband's paperwork got approved by NVC on 6/21/19 and is now being sent to Mumbai to schedule an interview... I was wondering how long does it usually take to receive the interview date? 

10 hours ago, karishma said:

guys in my case, i got approved (documentarily by nvc) on 4 june 2019, i am still waiting for interview date. if you guys do get something please let me know. this is taking forever.

It will be quite a while. Mumbai is back logged. Back in the day (last year) it took just a little less than 2 months from CC - interview letter and then the actual interview.  Now I believe it is closer to 3 months. 

2 minutes ago, PoojaCh said:

Form I-864, 23.b (optional) which asks if the petitioner has attached a copy of income tax for second and third most recent years.

I wish we could sue lawyers in India. My lawyer asked me to do so.

Unless the attorney is a US immigration attorney, I am sure that they don't know US immigration and it's system.  Having a US lawyer for an uncomplicated case is not always beneficial.  It tends to be an expensive and not so useful expense.  IMO you can probably do it yourself, there are plenty of people here who have and will give direction, the guides are helpful.

17 minutes ago, PoojaCh said:

Thank you so much everyone for the feedback. We have cut down our chat to 18 pages(6-8 screenshots per page) and 3 pages of pics(6-8 pics per page), removed my previous petitions, lease agreement, my tax returns. We can not afford to remove other things. We have only met twice in 1.5 years and planning to visit each other in August(we will add this at the nvc stage). The screenshots are not so very clear specially the text messages we exchanged when I was living in the states. I hope that’s not going to be a problem. About keeping under 100 pages, three forms itself has a total of 28 pages and then petitioner’s all passport pages, his tax returns for 3 years( he has checked the box in the form so we are including them) has many pages. We will try to keep it as low as possible. So we should put in the envelope(loose paper) or we need to punch one hole and tie it with the thread?

Are you sending tax returns for the I 864???  because the I 864 is s NOT needed until the NVC stage.

7 minutes ago, Hemskhatiwada said:

My i130 which was initially filed in csc is now transferred to vsc. My pd is feb of 2018.

california was taking too long and vermont is currently processing for November of 2018. So how will they process my case. Anyone been through this scenario please reply. 

Thanks in advance . 

If you create a timeline it will give you an estimate of the processing time.  It has an option for the case transfer and the date it was transferred.  I haven't been through a transfer  but that might help give you a timeframe.  There are plenty of people here who have had a transfer, I am sure they will share some insight.

2 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

And, FYI Delhi no longer processes Immigrant Visa applications.  The only US Consulate in India with an Immigrant Visa Unit is Mumbai.

I forgot that.  Any idea what made them do that, Mumbai was already busy?

2 hours ago, PoojaCh said:

Delhi consulate 

India no matter which consulate is a challenge, less is more, keep it simple you don't want it any more complicated than it is.   

26 minutes ago, carmel34 said:

Your package does not need to be that many pages, it will look like you're desperate to the officers reviewing it and may subject your file to greater scrutiny, even slow down approval.  Just think of the person who has to scan it into their system.  Focus on quality, not quantity, and only submit the REQUIRED civil documents.  Read the I-130 instructions very carefully and only send what they are asking for, no more than that.  For photos and chat logs, a few (4 or 5) pages of photos from different times you were spending time together,  your wedding and so on are sufficient and representative samples of communication over time are all you need, even for India.  You should easily be able to send evidence of a solid, bona fide relationship in less than 100 pages.  Good luck!

QUALITY not QUANTITY

 I 864  is at NVC stage not initial application 

@PoojaCh you had posted back in March under the topic I130 Packet Content   and in February under the topic  Need Help!!! I130  a lot of explanation was given and it does not seem like the advice that you were given is = 855 pages.  The more you provide the more they have to scrutinize, it will appear as if you are trying to prove something that might no be, (not implying that you are) but it will seem like over kill. Listen to @pushbrk from those posts he is very insightful.

What consulate? 

2 minutes ago, carmel34 said:

My husband and I have a 27 year age gap and a relatively short long-distance relationship, so I was very concerned that our marriage would not be considered bona fide.  Plus he's from Brazil so I was worried that our case would be scrutinized every step of the way.  We were prepared for a denial with a plan B that I would move to Brazil.  Surprisingly, everything went very smoothly, the process was 11 months from filing the I-130 petition to CR-1 visa received in hand, most likely because of the many trips to be together (9) and all the evidence we submitted, described below.

 

Here's what we sent with the I-130 petition:

 

a few photos of each visit together, date stamped, from multiple visits over time (4 before filing petition)

four or five photos from the wedding, date stamped, some with family and friends

passport stamps, boarding passes, hotel receipts, restaurant receipts as evidence of these 4 visits

joint credit card account statements showing that we are already co-mingling finances

documents showing my Brazilian husband as my beneficiary on life insurance, retirement accounts, investment accounts

evidence of my husband's health insurance, dental insurance based on my US employer's plan

evidence of my husband as my emergency contact at work, statement that he is my husband on employer's HR website

wills and living wills

Christmas cards addressed to both of us at my US address

copies of cards and letters we have exchanged since the beginning of our relationship

wedding ring receipts

email logs, phone call logs, video call logs to show continuous daily communication

representative chat records (only a few pages of sample chats) from WhatsApp, Messenger

printout of our Facebook relationship with a few photos, comments from friends and family, words of congratulations on wedding day

affidavits from family members attesting to the nature of our relationship

brief statement of relationship history, how we met, how the relationship developed over time

 

We uploaded additional evidence of three more visits since filing the petition, at the NVC stage, and took more evidence from our 11-day trip to London and Paris together in April to the June 12 interview, but the CO did not even ask for it.  The interview was very quick and she said we were approved.  It was obvious from the questions that she had pretty much decided to approve the visa before the interview.  Two days later the visa was sent to my husband, and he received it a week after the interview.

 

I think the lesson learned from our case is that any relationship with red flags like an age gap or quick marriage after meeting (we married on my fourth trip to Brazil) can be overcome with time spent together and lots of evidence to support the relationship as bona fide.  Good luck!

Thanks for the input.  I understand exactly what you are saying.......If you can imagine I have provided all of that + the additional they requested such as wedding guests with names, phone #'s and addresses, and it was still sent back to USCIS, I was even there at the interview, and we never in a 1000 years thought that he wouldn't come home with me on that trip.

I feel like when others tell people (not you) if it is real you won't have any problems. What they should share is what you have said  ...... "any relationship with red flags like an age gap or quick marriage after meeting can be overcome with time spent together and lots of evidence as bona fide"

11 minutes ago, NigeriaorBust said:

  The big question is what is culturally normal ?   If  younger men marry old woman as the norm there you are OK.  If not then it is a red flag.  Most places older men marry younger woman so it isn't an issue.

IMO ........ I don't think that is many places, it is a worldwide epidemic of double standards 

(referring to the woman being older )

It would be helpful to know more about your situation.  Some countries it may play a bigger part in the scrutiny due to marriage fraud if the wife is older? I am older than my husband and have had a bumpy ride during our journey, could it be related to our age gap? I think so and the recommendations to me are to spend time together. I am sure others will chime in

@Vik1992 Are you still in administrative processing?

7 hours ago, Vik1992 said:

@*BestDayEver0425* Hang in there! Eventually things will work itself out.

 

It is already mentioned, but there is no stronger evidence than face to face meetings/staying together. Just try to stay positive and the VJ Family is right here by your side! 

 

What step of the process are you in? Administrative Processing? 

Unfortunately the case was returned to USCIS and we are waiting to see if is reaffirmed or a NOIR will be sent.

1 minute ago, geowrian said:

Primarily through time spent together.

Five visits usually doesn't raise too much attention (assuming they are a week or so each), although over 3 years is also not fantastic. And I get that....time off work, finances, etc. are not easy. My now-wife is from the Philippines, and lived in Saudi where I couldn't visit her there (no tourist visas at the time).

But that's the reality of it....enough time spent together overcomes pretty much any red flag. There are occurrences of people moving abroad and living together for several months (or longer) before refiling.

Staying for an extended period has certainly been a consideration for us because we really miss each other. I have to tidy up some things here and be sure that financially we can make it happen.  Financially India and the US are on different planes. This next trip planned will be for a month so hopefully this will help us along for now.

Thanks for sharing.

3 minutes ago, givionte said:

I would imagine one reason is that the rate of divorce cases, fraud, and public charge cases increases significantly when people marry without actually spending much time together.  It may work out ok in your culture, but generally in American culture when people rush to get married, the rate of a failed marriage is significantly higher than a couple that spent months and especially years together before marriage.

 

In American culture, people wait longer to marry, and even longer to have kids, and the judgments the government makes on you is based off evidence of what fits a bona fide relationship, but I imagine some of our cultural norms influence their decision, but by how much, who knows.

 

There's such a variety of factors, but the cultural norms of India are quite different than the western world, and even compared to most Asian countries like China and Japan which are now closer to the western norms than they were in the past.

It certainly isn't that we rushed into marriage, we had been together 1.5 years before marriage and now married 2+ years and together a little more than 3.5 years. 

Isn't it true that sometimes people live outside the box (of norms). How do you prove that? I almost feel like that is almost prejudicial. I am not assuming that is the reason we are taking the long way down the immigration highway.  My hubby is far from the typical Indian man.  He has a completely different view on life and how he chooses to live it.

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

Hi VJ 

I have read on many occasions that others have written "If you relationship is real/bonafide you won't have any problems." I have to disagree with that.  I feel like people offer false reassurance by saying this. Yes, I have some red flags which is age based and I am older than my husband (12 years) and I am divorced and he was never married.  Both being non-traditional in the Indian culture. We applied and interviewed for a K-1 and were denied. We applied for an I 130, had the interview which I attended last year and we supplied them with the additional information and our case was eventually  returned to NVC and  then USCIS. We have had multiple visits in the last 3 years (5 and the 6th is planned).  I have a bonafide relationship and have hit roadblock after roadblock.  Our relationship is bonafide. We do have patience and trust God will bring us together at the perfect time.

My question is why is it that a non-traditional relationship is scrutinized so much and perceived differently even when there is a great amount of supporting evidence for the relationship? 

Thanks for your input  

1 minute ago, geowrian said:

It would be evidence. Whether it would be enough or not is a decision for the IO. Every expedite is discretionary.

 

An expedite at NVC means the embassy/consulate that will process the case makes a decision. The quoted text above is for USCIS only.

ooops... I completely overlooked NVC in the post  Sorry OP

17 minutes ago, CDLAdriver said:

If someone’s life is in danger, does this provide grounds to expedite the NVC process?

This is from the USCIS website:

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/how-make-expedite-request

USCIS may consider an expedite request if it meets one or more of the following criteria:

• Severe financial loss to a company or person, provided that the need for urgent action is not the result of the petitioner’s or applicant’s failure to:
  1. File the benefit request or the expedite request in a reasonable time frame, or
  2. Respond to any requests for additional evidence in a reasonably timely manner;
• Urgent humanitarian reasons;
• Compelling U.S. government interests (such as urgent cases for the Department of Defense or DHS, or other public safety or national security interests); or
• Clear USCIS error.

2 minutes ago, CloveD said:

Beautiful... thank you so much!!!!

I have been searching for the same answer.  Our case was returned to USCIS and I suspect we will receive NOIR as well, we just haven't yet but I want to be prepared for it. 

Best Wishes on this journey, it may be long, it may be bumpy ....... but it is worth it!☺️

12 hours ago, Ahmed&Freda said:

Do you mean the rebuttal?   As other have stated it is case specific.   Organization is key.   The NOIR has listed  points from the counselors notes.  I listed our rebuttal in the same order beginning each number with the point in the NOIR and finishing with our response and/or listing evidence.   I compiled my evidence behind the rebuttal and numbered them to make it easier to match them up.  

Here are some formatting examples, not specifically to the immigration however I think that the actual guideline is appropriate for most rebuttals. Others can chime in with their thoughts............

• One main point I read was don't accuse, rather make them understand with you written response and supporting evidence
• Also coordinate your evidence in the order of each point you respond to. 
• Be sure to highlight the important facts in the evidence that support your case
• I also agree that you should  be sure to include what Ahmed&Freda said

1 hour ago, Ahmed&Freda said:

You're welcome!   I also recommend that in any letter that also poses as a sworn statement you add the under penalty and perjury statement.  

 

"I declare under penalty and perjury that all the above is true and correct."

How Do You Format a Rebuttal Letter?

A typical rebuttal letter contains the following issues:

Name of the Addressed

The addressed is the person whom you are writing the letter to. It is this person whom you have a dispute with and whom you would like to set the records straight. This person could be a trader, teacher, lawyer, friend, or employer, to mention but a few!

Date

All written communications have to be dated for the sake of easy future reference. This is why it is imperative that you include the date on the letter. Needless to say, the date has to truly reflect the actual time and day you wrote the letter.

Main Body

This is the most important portion of the letter. It is this portion that contains the arguments that you are putting forth to counter the initial allegations or accusations. It is necessary to be concise and courteous throughout. Any deviation from this standard may often inflict undesirable consequences.

Your Name and Signature

Lastly, you have to write your name underneath the letter. This is proof that you are the one who authored the letter and are hence in agreement with its contents. You also have to append your signature in between your name and the closing remarks.

How Do You Write a Rebuttal Letter?

While drafting the letter, there are some things you have to care about. In the first paragraph of the letter, you have to identify yourself. You have to draw a connection between the person you are addressing and you.

For instance, if you are addressing your tutor, remind him of who you are and how the two of you are related. This will let him ‘get the point’ much faster than he would. It also eliminates unnecessary ambiguities given that he handles many students at a time and may hence not be in the position to recall you in person.

In the second paragraph of the letter, you have to officially deny the decision reached beforehand. This could take the forms of official complaints of the service or a repudiation of an earlier assertion. While at it, you have to provide tangible proof and evidence to back up your allegations or stance.

Lastly, in the final paragraph, you have to lodge a formal request in pursuance to the issues you had identified earlier. This could take the forms of a refund, a reconsideration of an earlier stance, or a review of the decision altogether. Finish the letter by signing and dating it.

Tips for Writing a Rebuttal Letter

• Always be polite and professional. Remember, that even though you may be in disagreement with your employer, they will be more receptive to your point of view if you present your point in an open and amicable way.
• Specifically address the points that you disagree with. Your employer will need to know exactly where the discrepancies in their evaluation and your opinion lie.
• Provide Evidence. If you are in disagreement with your employer, they don’t only want to hear why you feel that way, they want to see it. If you provide solid visible evidence, there is little that they can do to dispute your argument.
• Close with a brief summary of your rebuttal. You want to make sure that your key points are driven home

5 hours ago, geowrian said:

A NOIR will list why they intend to revoke the petition (i.e. not a bona fide marriage) and the reasons they believe so. You will need to respond to each point and provide documentation as available. Include a cover letter describing what is enclosed in the response.

 

Somebody else's NOIR won't help you...the reasons will be specific to your circumstances and case.

5 hours ago, dwheels76 said:

Exactly. Someone elses list of why they were denied will not help. Just look at each point and start getting your evidence together.

4 hours ago, adil-rafa said:

Your time to respond to a NOIR is limited / usually 30 days so gather your proofs to dispute each issue

time spent finding out what we can tell you is wasted time as none of us are witnesses to your relationship and what has happened and what the embassy has a problem with

this is up to you to prove your points and disprove their's 

this is not meant to be harsh but meant to make you move fast to answer the NOIR

the # of days to answer can be 30 or 30 business or 60 but still any of those goes by too quickly

get cracking

I totally understand. Possibly the responses are base on others thinking you want to know what their responses were, rather than the actual arrangement of the letter, how to use the proper verbiage and how to assemble the rebuttal.  I have not prepared one and agree that there are limited resources on the actual assembly here or on the web, I looked around a bit.

7 hours ago, ALFKAD said:

Nobodies who think they are above the law, it seems.

 

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/joe-giudice-sentenced-to-prison-his-crimes-with-wife-teresa-explained-2014210/amp/

 

While you worked for your income, these two lied and stole to obtain millions of dollars.  

How do people sleep at night?

6 hours ago, yuna628 said:

As far as I aware this family is up to their eyeballs in the mob and drugs. I'm happy he's being chucked out and I can't stand the Housewives.

I am not surprised to hear that they would be involved in other illegal activities. All of the Housewives shows share what a trainwreck someone's life can be!

13 hours ago, Boiler said:

I remember reading or seeing something about this couple, I do not recollect anything positive and for some reason thought he had been deported. Seems no reason his family can not join him.

I completely agree.  Why do they think they are special.....we all are and most would probably consider relocating 

3 minutes ago, Randyandyuni said:

I am indifferent, while I think he is getting his just rewards for his choices but if I could appeal to the president, I would. I would be more upset if Trump intervened than the family pursuing his stay

I agree as a family member I would pursue as many avenues as I can.  I think the possibility of President Trump getting involved  is what is irking me.  I am afraid he will because he has intervened in other areas of the justice system.  I don't recall the full situation but I think that he pardoned someone by the recommendation and active interest of Kim Kardashian😲