RaptureSongbird

1 minute ago, mkm1993 said:

Awesome, 

this helps me so much and I greatly appreciate your words and advice. This is all new for me and I never even dreamed that I would find myself in love with someone on another continent lol!! But the things we do in the name of love. I'm also curious about RFE's. I was ever so careful with my I-129F petition and I checked, rechecked and rechecked again more times than I can think BUT there is also that possibility of me missing something. If this be the case, God forbid, how long does this hold the process up for? Assuming I get them the info they request immediately... Will it go straight to them? Sit in a cubby or tray for an amount of time or what? You may not even know the answer to this... Thanks again 

I know exactly what you mean, I never imagined myself falling in love with someone overseas and having to learn all about the visa process and bureaucracies of bringing someone to the states.

There seems to be some inconsistencies with the RFEs.  It seems like most of them are reviewed and approved within 2-3 weeks of being received back at the CSC.  Unfortunately there are always exceptions to the rules and I've seen some people on the forums have another month or two+ added to their processing times due to RFEs.  It does seem like most RFEs are due to forgetting to check a box or sign a form or include a necessary document (letter of intent to marry seems the most consistent one) but they can issue an RFE for anything, including documents you included in the original submission that they might have lost or overlooked that were already included.  Another RFE that has seen an uptick again recently is if you state you met Online.  These RFEs tend to request which site you met on and proof that it is not a IMBRA site.  If you get an RFE, you will of course want to send it back as soon as possible with all the evidence requested via a trackable method.  They also include, I think, a blue sheet of paper that you are supposed to return with your evidence that has your case number on it so they can match it back with your case when they get it back to them directly at the CSC.

37 minutes ago, mkm1993 said:

Anyways getting to my question... when the visa is approved how long does she have to come to america.. for example say she gets her visa in september or october, could she keep it until december when I have my time off and have obtained my financial goals or does it have to be used within a short amount of time? I'm contemplating wether to bring her here first and then go back next year to do ceremony with family or stick with the plan at hand now depending on if she can hold onto the visa until I can go in december if its granted earlier than expected. Sorry for the long windedness, im very detailed and I like to talk alot. Thanks for the input and may God bless all of you in your journey of Love :]]]]

Welcome to the forums and good luck on your journey!

To answer your question, your fiancee has 6 months to enter the US with the K-1 from the date of her medical exam from what I've read on the forums.  So, let's just talk about a theoretical timeline for you.  You received your NOA1 around the end of February and based on other timelines you're looking at around the end of May/beginning of June for NOA2 if you are approved with no RFEs.  Then it will be another 2-4 weeks as your case is transferred from the CSC to NVC to the local embassy, so let's just say the end of June/beginning of July for that.  Once you have the case number from the NVC you can usually get the medical scheduled.  If your fiancee has her medical in July or August that would give her until January or February to enter.  So, based on that, you should be just fine with your December plans.  Of course this all depends on a number of wildcards (if you get an RFE, how long it takes for your fiancee to get her medical scheduled and available appointments, getting through her interview and getting approved at that stage, etc. etc.).  Also, I think you can drag out the timeline a bit if you need to as, I think, once you have your NOA2 you have 4 months from that approval date to complete the next steps (medical exam, any other necessary steps specific to your embassy, visa interview, etc.).  So, from my understanding, yes, you should be good with your December plans.

Just a small update today, received my NOA1 hard copy in the mail today.  Suddenly this all feels even more real with a piece of paper.

4 hours ago, Eric&Olya said:

Hello eeryone! Which date do you consider your NOA1 date? Should I use this one from the USCIS website status?

On March 2, 2017, we received your Form I-129F, Petition for Fiance(E), Receipt Number WACXXXXXXX, and sent you the receipt notice that describes how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your receipt notice by April 1, 2017, please call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283. 

I was confused about this as well but I think most people tend to use the date they receive the notification and not the date listed in the notification.  For instance, mine said "On February 28, 2017, we received your Form....." but I didn't get that notification until March 6th so when I updated my timeline I used the March 6th date.

4 hours ago, cjh11 said:

Hey everyone, does anyone know what it means in the USCIS app when it says a similar case was approved? Is that the NOA2 or the final approval, visa in hand? I'm seeing a lot from November getting approved, and this one from exactly 3 months ago. Does this mean we could potentially have the visa in hand exactly 3 months from our application date? I really expected it would be more like 6 months...

From my understanding the app only keeps track of cases up until the point that they are transferred to the NVC.  So, the similar case took 3 months to approve from NOA1 to NOA2.  For this person, their case is now being transferred to the NVC and from there to the embassy for the next steps.  Once at the NVC it usually takes 2-3 weeks but I've even seen people on here whose cases end up stuck in limbo between NOA2 and NVC.  I would still assume 5-6 months from start to Visa in hand, this person is already at 3 months, it will probably take a week to transfer from the CSC to NVC, then it will sit there for 2-3 weeks, and then take approximately another week to arrive at the local embassy.  That's another month of waiting putting this person at 4 months.  Then, they would have to still find an interview time, complete the medical and other paperwork (DS160, other local requirements), have the interview, and wait for the passport with the Visa to be returned.

NOA1 received today via email and text, notifying me of receipt on February 28th.  Now the real wait begins. 

9 minutes ago, TexasHeartsIndia said:

Well, fortunately none of those points are an issue for us... we're both Catholic, in a hetero relationship, he speaks English (sometimes better than I do), I'm young enough to have children and he's only 8 years older. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing!

That will help a lot and I certainly hope you have a smooth process!  By nature, I'm a person who likes standardized processes and procedures and when I read about cases that are rejected in one embassy that would have probably passed in a different embassy, it just rubs me the wrong way.  Of course I have to remind myself I'm not the CO and I'm only hearing one side of the story without seeing all of the evidence.  I just feel like if you're following their process with all of its twists and turns and paperwork and can show a genuine relationship, then it shouldn't matter which embassy you are going through, they should all be consistent.  *shrugs*

7 hours ago, TexasHeartsIndia said:

How is New Delhi a more difficult embassy? In what way?

Here is a recent topic on that embassy:

And I've seen a few others around the forums as well.  You can also check out the reviews of the embassies in India here:

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?trim=no&cty=&cnty=India&page=1&dfilter=5&topic=

If you scroll down a bit, you will see a pie chart of the ratings for the New Delhi embassy on a 5 point scale.  While it still has plenty of 5 point ratings (58%), that is lower than some of the so called "easier" embassies.  However, I just mention this with the caveat that all cases are unique and that the experience of one petitioner can be very different than the other.  Sometimes it depends on the CO they get that day and that CO's attitude/interpretation of their job in the process.  Even though the petitioner is requesting to marry and move to the United States, sometimes the societal norms of the petitioner's home country, and the CO, become a part of the interview process from what I have read from others experiences.  From religion to a spouse being of child bearing age to the sexuality of the petitioner, while in my opinion these should not be considered, they sometimes are and can lead to some difficulties in certain embassies.  This is a small factor in why my partner is currently living in London.  He moved to London for many reasons but one of them was because we both felt like if we were going to move forward in our relationship, it would be easier to get a visa at an embassy in a country where same-sex marriage is allowed than in his home country where there is still no recognition and the possibility, while small, would exist that the CO's societal viewpoints may impact his interview and approval.

6 hours ago, cjh11 said:

Thanks, that's encouraging - we'll be sure to start collecting all the next paperwork! He is planning to renew his ESTA to visit me soon, and then returning to his home country. Anyone know if there would be any issues with that? He wouldn't overstay the legal limit of days and would return in time for the embassy interview... I thought part of the second step is to provide newer proof (if any) of meeting since the time  I-129F was submitted, so that makes me think it's totally fine for him to temporarily enter the US on a regular travel visa

A visit while in process is possible, although it can be a little more difficult.  I would suggest reading through this topic if you haven't already:

It's basically going to be up to the officer at the border to decide once he arrives.  I did receive advice from another forum member to bring copies of whatever you have received (NOA1, NOA2, etc.) when you are trying to enter for a visit.  From what I was told this can help to show the CBP officer that you are trying to go about the process the right way and wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize that.  Also, if he could bring any documentation to show ties back to his country (letter from employer stating that a vacation has been approved and when he is expected back at work, proof of return ticket, lease, etc.) that would further help to show that while he's coming to visit his fiancee, he is still planning on returning to his country to finish the process in the right way.  I hope that helps!

8 hours ago, TexasHeartsIndia said:

We set a tentative wedding date for December 16th. We are hoping he can be here by the end of October and use the time to finish our wedding preparations. But... after looking at these comments, I'm wondering if we can move the date up??

I would hope that he's able to make it by the end of October.  From what I've seen on this site, you are going through one of the more difficult embassies in India so that might cause some delays.  Of course I've also seen other posts where people have had no problems with the interview and getting the visa in India as well.  I understand that each case is unique and has to be judged by the complete application and interview process but sometimes it seems there are major inconsistencies, and not just from embassy to embassy but also within the same embassy as well.

6 hours ago, cjh11 said:

I filed our petition in the first week of Feb, NOA1 after two weeks. I'm hoping to have my fiance here for a September wedding - I think that is totally possible, right? We have been together for 7 years so I'm pretty sure there won't be much question and I'm really hoping there's no RFE. He's immigrating from Czech Republic and I don't think there's typically a large volume of immigrants from there...

I agree that September is totally possible.  As long as your fiance is starting to get his paperwork together in the next couple of months (medical records, vaccinations records, long form birth certificate, police certificates, etc.) to be ready for his medical exam once your petition reaches his embassy, you'll be fine.  You'll also need to pull some more paperwork together to send to him (updated letter of intent to marry, I-134, pay stubs, etc.).  I'm not 100% sure if you need to mail those items to him so they have wet signatures or if you can scan them and he can print them.  In any case, as long as you have your ducks in a row, I would think based on what I've seen of timelines on these forums that September should be doable.

9 hours ago, Eric&Olya said:

I think this goal should be quite achievable, I am hoping for the same time frame. There is a lot of waiting, but something also depends on how efficiently one can deal with bureaucracy, and I optimistically think I am not bad at that:-) My fiance is more pessimistic realistic, he thinks it will take about a year:-)

I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible and my fiance is trying to not get his hopes up too much.  While I tend to be more level-headed and can deal with paperwork with no problems, this process has me a little more flustered than I care to admit :-)  I do think your timeline, though, is more realistic than your fiance's, he better get ready to say "you were right"  :-)

4 minutes ago, Eric&Olya said:

That's interesting indeed. I wonder if anything depends on the country at this stage.

At this stage, probably not.  I imagine that all the applications that are forwarded from Texas to the CSC end up in a few piles and they just process new ones as they finish other ones.  I think it will only make a difference once they are transferred to the NVC and then to the local embassy.  While I certainly want my process to move along quickly and smoothly, I also have some buffer built into when I would like my partner here in case of RFEs or delays in getting medical records/police certificates/etc.  My goal is to have him here before Christmas this year :-)

4 hours ago, Eric&Olya said:

Hello everyone! My fiance sent our petition on February 27. I am so excited to start this journey:-)

I sent mine on the same day.  It'll be interesting to see what happens with both of our petitions going in at the same time!

7 hours ago, HoneyMar said:

Hello everyone.   I am new here.   Just sent in my I-129F packet last week, Feb. 20, 2017, and am looking forward to receiving a noa1.   I am really glad for this forum.   It has been a good source of information and a form of consolation while I wait.  I figure it will be a source of advice and encouragement and mentorship as I await approval at each phase of the process.  I want to share each step.   I am a blessed man to have met such a lovely woman from Ethiopia to spend my days with loving and cherishing.   I can say that I honestly worry that some formality could derail my hopes and dreams and keep me apart from my love longer than I care for.   With this gorum, I feel like I have a huge family of super kind folk.who have my back.   I have had a few problems with trouble that show up in my records and I have in previous years had infome borderIng the poverty level.   My fiance and I have a language barrier .   We are both committed ,faithful and sweet.  I am 48 and have never been unemployed.  I am confident and feel I my petition and her visa should be granted.  She is a gem of a human and I am a good hardworking loving guy.  Thanks for letting me share.  God bless you all for journeys of love.  I will certainly chronicle my process story in posts.   I welcome kind and gentle input to reassure or assist me.   My fiance speaks Amharic.  I speak English.  She resides in the majestic Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and I am in the golden state of California.  Peace!

I think we all have those same worries, that if we forgot to check a box correctly or answer a certain question correctly or didn't provide enough evidence, that we will get denied.  I've been following these forums for about 9 months.  I ended up here when I was first thinking of proposing to my fiance and wondering about how to get him to the states if I did.  These forums are amazing and a wealth of knowledge and, I've noticed, that each month's filing group does become like a family, helping and supporting each other through all the ups and downs of this process.  It can sometimes feel like such a long journey and process but we are all here to support each other through it.  In the end, I think it helps to maintain focus on the end goal, I am in this for love and for the opportunity to finally have my love here with me and, to me, that makes all of this worth it.

Didn't file when I originally wanted to but finally sent my packet off today via UPS for delivery tomorrow.  Just barely made the February deadline, phew!  Excited to be apart of this group!

There was one started but, unfortunately, the wrong year was put in the title and we haven't been able to get it corrected yet.  See here: 

Thought I would go ahead and jump into this thread.  I'm going to be pulling together the last bits of paperwork over the next few days (pictures and receipts from my last 2 trips to visit my fiance, credit card statements, etc.) and I am hoping to overnight out my complete application on Wednesday the 8th.  Looking forward to being apart of the Feb 2017 Filers waiting team!

You can print, but note that a photo is NOT proof that you met in the last two years, only that you met. Unless you are holding up a newspaper together or something. Still good for proof of relationship though.

A question on this point. I will be visiting my partner, hopefully fiance, shortly when I plan to pop the question. We will obviously be taking many pictures together while I'm on this trip, which will be our second meeting, some of which I will use as proof of our ongoing relationship. Would it be strange if we were to take a photo of us together with a newspaper clearly showing the date as proof of having met in the last two years? Do you think a CO might find this to be an odd photo or would it be considered very good proof? Thanks!

I just found this FAQ that has some of the same language as the notification you are receiving:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/441796-faq-case-transfers-to-another-service-center/

It's a few years old so I'm not sure if it's still accurate but thought I would provide you with the link.

Thank you! I was pretty sure that it would be London. It just seems like with everything in this process I feel fairly certain about something but then there is that little voice in my head that questions my reasoning because I want everything to go perfect and as smoothly as possible.

Glad to see this topic! I will be filing later this year, most likely in November, and am pretty nervous about the process. My partner is from Romania but is currently living and working in England. He will be living there until, hopefully, he comes here after K-1 approval next year. I am planning my second visit to him in October/November of this year where I plan to pop the question on our two year anniversary. Ever since I decided that I wanted to marry him 100% for sure after my first visit in March, I have been reading these forums and appreciate the wealth of knowledge here! I know my filing date is a long way off, and it will likely be a year from now before my partner is here, but I am excited to now be apart of these forums and sharing in everyone's journeys.

I will be filling as the USC later this year for me and my partner but had a question on which embassy he will need to visit. My partner is from Romania, birth and passport are Romanian, but he is currently living and working in the England. Will I be able to choose the London embassy as the location for his interview or will he need to travel back to Romania for the interview? I am hoping the answer is London as Romania tends to not be a friendly country for gay relationships.

Thanks!