agripa

Just wanted to add some updates on my wife's case (which was approved!):
Filed for I-751 in July 2019, she had a Biometrics appointment 1 month later. Filed for N-400 in April 2021 (we could've filed back in September of 2020, but just got lazy). Received an interview for I-751 and N-400 for October 18, 2021 (San Francisco office) We received the notices for the combo interview almost 1 month prior to the October 18 date. However, we noticed that the I-751 and N-400 interviews were on the same date/time, but in two different locations in SF!!! We quickly called the USCIS customer hotline, and the guy acknowledged this must be some kind of an issue. He put in a request to have the interview re-scheduled, but told us if it didn't get re-scheduled before Oct. 18th, we should just go to the N-400 interview location and mention to the USCIS officer that we had an I-751 interview as well. About a few days later, we received a call from the local San Francisco USCIS office, with a lady who was trying to confirm our original appointment. We pointed out this discrepancy, and she noted that we should just show up to the N-400 location, where both interviews would be conducted. However, she was a bit concerned that since we had called the USCIS hotline, they may have already re-scheduled our appointment! Luckily, she was able to quickly cancel the re-schedule request and confirmed our original appointment. Two days later, she called back again and pushed our interview time from 7:30 AM to 10:15 AM. All in all, it was kind of a mess, but I'm glad it all worked out.
 
The interview process itself was super smooth. There was a huge line in front of the office, so it took us about 30 minutes just to get into the building. The USCIS officer was the nicest person. He allowed me to be present with my wife for the entire thing. He asked to see my wife's GC and her driver's license, he then asked for my driver's license. He went through the I-751 application details, and just jokingly asked if we were still married. He then shifted to the N-400 interview and first completed the English reading/writing portion of the exam:
Asked my wife to read "Why was Abraham Lincoln famous?" Asked my wife to write "Licoln was president during the Civil War". Next up was the civics test:
Who is the Governor of your state? How many senators in the US senate? What was the name of the movement to end racial discrimination in the US? What are two rights guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence? What is one of the two longest rivers in the US? He then just asked us to summarize the evidence we'd submitted for the N-400 application. At no point did he ask to see any of the paper evidence we had brought in. We responded - tax returns, lease agreements, credit card statements, utility bills, etc. He then apologized that it had taken over 2.5 years to finalize the I-751 application. He said my wife had passed and that there might be a chance for a same-day oath ceremony. We went back out to the waiting area where another lady came up and told us that, unfortunately, all the slots for the day were taken up, and her oath ceremony would be two days later (Oct. 20th), and that no guests were allowed. My wife went to the oath ceremony, where they took her old greencard, as well as her I-751 extension letter. She was out in 30 minutes with her naturalization certficate.
 

Just wanted to add some updates on my wife's case (which was approved!):
Filed for I-751 in July 2019, she had a Biometrics appointment 1 month later. Filed for N-400 in April 2021 (we could've filed back in September of 2020, but just got lazy). Received an interview for I-751 and N-400 for October 18, 2021 (San Francisco office) We received the notices for the combo interview almost 1 month prior to the October 18 date. However, we noticed that the I-751 and N-400 interviews were on the same date/time, but in two different locations in SF!!! We quickly called the USCIS customer hotline, and the guy acknowledged this must be some kind of an issue. He put in a request to have the interview re-scheduled, but told us if it didn't get re-scheduled before Oct. 18th, we should just go to the N-400 interview location and mention to the USCIS officer that we had an I-751 interview as well. About a few days later, we received a call from the local San Francisco USCIS office, with a lady who was trying to confirm our original appointment. We pointed out this discrepancy, and she noted that we should just show up to the N-400 location, where both interviews would be conducted. However, she was a bit concerned that since we had called the USCIS hotline, they may have already re-scheduled our appointment! Luckily, she was able to quickly cancel the re-schedule request and confirmed our original appointment. Two days later, she called back again and pushed our interview time from 7:30 AM to 10:15 AM. All in all, it was kind of a mess, but I'm glad it all worked out.
 
The interview process itself was super smooth. There was a huge line in front of the office, so it took us about 30 minutes just to get into the building. The USCIS officer was the nicest person. He allowed me to be present with my wife for the entire thing. He asked to see my wife's GC and her driver's license, he then asked for my driver's license. He went through the I-751 application details, and just jokingly asked if we were still married. He then shifted to the N-400 interview and first completed the English reading/writing portion of the exam:
Asked my wife to read "Why was Abraham Lincoln famous?" Asked my wife to write "Licoln was president during the Civil War". Next up was the civics test:
Who is the Governor of your state? How many senators in the US senate? What was the name of the movement to end racial discrimination in the US? What are two rights guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence? What is one of the two longest rivers in the US? He then just asked us to summarize the evidence we'd submitted for the N-400 application. At no point did he ask to see any of the paper evidence we had brought in. We responded - tax returns, lease agreements, credit card statements, utility bills, etc. He then apologized that it had taken over 2.5 years to finalize the I-751 application. He said my wife had passed and that there might be a chance for a same-day oath ceremony. We went back out to the waiting area where another lady came up and told us that, unfortunately, all the slots for the day were taken up, and her oath ceremony would be two days later (Oct. 20th), and that no guests were allowed. My wife went to the oath ceremony, where they took her old greencard, as well as her I-751 extension letter. She was out in 30 minutes with her naturalization certficate.
 

Hey @azeemguy
 
I used a lawyer to help me during IR/CR1 process. I did it exactly as you did. My lawyer included additional cover letters for the AOS and IV packages which were just copy/pasted from the cover letter in the MAIN envelope. It's redundant, but the lawyer said that this was OKAY and makes sure if the two packets get separated everything is still okay. Just an FYI -- make sure you literally stamp your Department of State Case ID, Beneficiary Name, and Beneficiary ID on every scrap of paper (minus the barcode sheets). My lawyer basically printed up these small stickers that had these three pieces of information and she stuck it on everything. 
 
My application received a case complete within 9 weeks and a smooth approval over at the embassy. 

I agree. People get really hung up on this website about trying to submit every single type of evidence. In reality, there's a lot of different types of good evidence and all you can do is to strive to provide as many types as you can. If you're missing a couple of types, you're probably OKAY!

I agree. People get really hung up on this website about trying to submit every single type of evidence. In reality, there's a lot of different types of good evidence and all you can do is to strive to provide as many types as you can. If you're missing a couple of types, you're probably OKAY!

I suspect which service center you're application is at has something to do with this. I've just noticed anecdotally people who's application has been sent to either the California or Texas service centers appear to receive the biometrics appointment notification a bit slower.

We received our biometrics appointment last Friday! Our timeline so far:
 
07/19/2019 - Mailed package. 07/22/2019 - Package delivered to Phoenix Lockbox. 07/24/2019 - Credit card charged 07/29/2019 - Text message with case number received (MSC - National Benefits Center). 08/09/2019 - Biometrics appointment notification received. 08/23/2019 - Biometrics appointment date.

We received our biometrics appointment last Friday! Our timeline so far:
 
07/19/2019 - Mailed package. 07/22/2019 - Package delivered to Phoenix Lockbox. 07/24/2019 - Credit card charged 07/29/2019 - Text message with case number received (MSC - National Benefits Center). 08/09/2019 - Biometrics appointment notification received. 08/23/2019 - Biometrics appointment date.

I'm assuming you would've filed state taxes? I would include copies of your state tax returns.
 
With things like utility statements, bank account statements, and credit card statements, I would recommend providing statements for like once every 2-3 months for the entire duration of your time in the US. There are no hard guidelines form USCIS, but I prefer to provide more evidence when possible. Having statements spanning your entire stay in the US, to me, shows ongoing co-mingling of finances.
 
Other things to consider adding:
Do you use a common automobile? If so consider adding the following items (you may not have all of these things): Copy of driver's licenses showing same address. Copy of insurance bills showing both of your names. Automobile insurance ID cards with both of your names. Joint title to car. Joint membership to roadside assistance. Interested in setting up the following legal documents (can be done through a website like LegalZoom)? Power of attorney agreements. Health care directives. Will. These are just suggestions. You're evidence looks solid!

NOA1 received yesterday!
 
Our timeline thus far - 
 
Our I-751 timeline thus far:
07/19/2019 - Mailed package via USPS with tracking
07/22/2019 - Package delivered to Phoenix Lockbox
07/24/2019 - Credit card charged
07/26/2019 - Text notification to my wife with our case ID
07/29/2019 - Received NOA1 dated 07/24/2019
 
We are at the National Benefits Center (MSC).

I submitted my I-864 last year and left all the following boxes blank --
Middle name All boxes in Part 3 (which asks about other family members you're sponsoring; I was sponsoring only my spouse). All boxes in Sponsor's Physical Address (physical was the same as permanent address for me). Income sources from other people. The interpreter box. I had no problems whatsoever and received a case complete within ~9 weeks. I think people have good intentions on this website regarding filling out every single box, because it's truly devastating to have to re-send something due to an "empty" box. However, I believe that one needs to just use good judgement. If a box clearly doesn't apply to you at all, I think it's okay to leave it blank. Good luck!

I'm glad to hear that you were approved so quickly, but @Jhonny needs to realize that this is not the norm by any means. Currently, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) is taking on average 249 days to approve an I-130 application. This estimate is based on user-feedback provided by VisaJourney members. The Nebraska center is also currently the SLOWEST service center; Texas is taking 188 days. 
 
In summary, you will likely have to wait anywhere between 4-8 months before hearing back. It is possible you may hear back/get an approval sooner, but this is unlikely. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do, but wait. I wish you the best of luck!

After you IV and AOS fees have been paid, there should be a link on the payment webpage to print a "Barcode cover sheet". It basically has a barcode on it and lists information about the beneficiary. There's a separate cover sheet for the AOS and IV packages. I'm not sure that these have to be sent, so long as you send the document cover sheet. But like the OP, when I sent my package I sent the document cover checklist sheet, as well as the IV and AOS barcode cover sheets.

100% agree that this not the most compelling evidence. Clearly, evidence of in-person visits are the best type of evidence, however, with that said, there have been many instances of RFE's being given which asked for evidence of ongoing communication (phone logs, etc.). If you look at these RFE, the requirements they outline for this include records that show (i) your name, phone number, (ii) your wife's name and phone number, and (iii) date and length of duration of call. So if you DO want to provide such evidence, just take these requirements in account.

First, as others have recommended on here, have your husband write down everything about his interview. Every little detail; it's important to have a complete account of what went on, both for yourself and if you chose to hire lawyer, for them as well. If you feel comfortable, post it here on VisaJourney.
 
You have been given a hard denial. Notice that they used the word "ineligible". You are "ineligible" for a CR1/IR1 visa IF the petitioner is NOT a US citizen or they don't believe the marriage is bonafide. Unfortunately, you likely fall into category 2. You cannot simply "reapply". What will happen now is that your petition will be sent back to USCIS (with a short stop at the NVC). USCIS will then decide whether to re-affirm your petition or (more likely) send you a Notice of Intent to Revoke. In this notice, they will provide some additional information detailing why they will not grant you a visa. You will be given a chance to rebut this, I would recommend having a lawyer to do so. It will likely take 12-18 months before you get this notice. 
 
In the meantime, you will need to visit your husband as OFTEN  and as LONG as you can over the next year. As many trips as you can and save all evidence of these trips. This will put you in a good position to rebut within 1-1.5 years. Good luck!
 
 

The petitioner as well as the beneficiary can call USCIS at any time. They will ask for basic information about your husband (name, address) and yourself. You should be able to provide this information no problem; they may also ask for your CASE number, but obviously you haven't received it. This is ultimately your visa case, not your lawyer's, and you'll need to stay pro-active.

This is not completely correct. The NOA1 receipt is mailed to your husband and your attorney. We used an attorney as well; they should've submitted a G-28 form, this form authorizes all communication to be sent to your attorney as well your husband. If they haven't received anything as well, something has gone wrong. You should call USCIS and ask to speak to a Tier 2 representative. Find out why the NOA1 hasn't arrived and inquire about the status of your application.

Here's the breakdown of what will happen --
You will hear back from USCIS indicating your application has been approved. This will happen either via text or email (if you've registered for electronic notification on the USCIS website) or you can check the status online at the USCIS Check Case Status webpage. You will also receive a physical paper copy of your cases's approval (called the NOA2). This physical copy will usually come ~2 weeks after electronic notification. 2 weeks after approval USCIS will mail your application to the NVC. Your case status may update from "Approved" to "Mailed to the NVC"; this may not always happen. You can call the NVC as often as you'd like to check if they've received your application and if they've assigned a case ID. You can also ask for your customer invoice number at this time. At this time, you should also give them your email address, so all future communication with the NVC will happen electronically. 1 week after the NVC receives your case and scans it into their system, you should receive a welcome letter via email. This letter will contain your case ID and customer invoice number. Using your case ID and customer invoice number, you will (1) choose an agent (i.e., who should receive communication regarding this case), (2) pay the IV and AOS fees, and (3) fill out and submit the DS-260 form. You will need to do these things in the order listed; there maybe upwards of 1-2 weeks you will have to wait for these things to "open up" on the website. At this point, you will assemble two different packets -- the IV packet (containing your civil documents) and the AOS packet (containing your husbands financial forms; you have to download the I-864 form yourself). You should mail these two packets TOGETHER. Typically, the advice on VisaJourney is to assemble each packet and stick it in its own envelope. On each envelope label it as IV or AOS, along with your name and case ID. You should then stick both envelopes in a third envelope and mail BOTH packets together. Call the NVC as often as you'd like to see if they received your submission and when it was SCANNED into their system. This is your scan date. 11 weeks after you scan date, you can begin calling the NVC again to check to see if you case has been approved. Hope this helps and clarifies things.
No. The 11 weeks is after they RECEIVE all your documents. After your so-called SCAN date. Filling out an agent form and paying the various fees is time ON top of the 11 weeks.
 
It will typically take anywhere from 1-3 weeks from when your case is approved to when you actually get your case number. Also, be aware, before you can submit your forms, you will need to (1) select an agent, (2) pay the AOS and IV fees, and (3) fill out the DS-260 form. Each of these things "unlocks" on the website and this process itself can take another 1-3 weeks.
 
The AOS package is separate from the IV package. But both should be mailed at the same time.

You may be able to acquire more evidence of financial co-mingling then you realize. Here are some easy/common examples --
Do either of your have credit cards? You can add an additional card holder to your existing account. NOTE: you can easily add a cardholder, adding your wife to your actual account will require a social security card, which obviously she will not have. But you can authorize an additional card. Do you have any life insurance or accidental death benefits provided by your work? You can add your wife as a beneficiary to these policies. Do you have any retirement or savings accounts? You can add your wife as beneficiary to these accounts. These are really easy things you can do and you really should do, even if you weren't applying for any immigration benefits.

I'm glad to hear that you were approved so quickly, but @Jhonny needs to realize that this is not the norm by any means. Currently, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) is taking on average 249 days to approve an I-130 application. This estimate is based on user-feedback provided by VisaJourney members. The Nebraska center is also currently the SLOWEST service center; Texas is taking 188 days. 
 
In summary, you will likely have to wait anywhere between 4-8 months before hearing back. It is possible you may hear back/get an approval sooner, but this is unlikely. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do, but wait. I wish you the best of luck!

I'm glad to hear that you were approved so quickly, but @Jhonny needs to realize that this is not the norm by any means. Currently, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) is taking on average 249 days to approve an I-130 application. This estimate is based on user-feedback provided by VisaJourney members. The Nebraska center is also currently the SLOWEST service center; Texas is taking 188 days. 
 
In summary, you will likely have to wait anywhere between 4-8 months before hearing back. It is possible you may hear back/get an approval sooner, but this is unlikely. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do, but wait. I wish you the best of luck!

I'm glad to hear that you were approved so quickly, but @Jhonny needs to realize that this is not the norm by any means. Currently, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) is taking on average 249 days to approve an I-130 application. This estimate is based on user-feedback provided by VisaJourney members. The Nebraska center is also currently the SLOWEST service center; Texas is taking 188 days. 
 
In summary, you will likely have to wait anywhere between 4-8 months before hearing back. It is possible you may hear back/get an approval sooner, but this is unlikely. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do, but wait. I wish you the best of luck!

I'm glad to hear that you were approved so quickly, but @Jhonny needs to realize that this is not the norm by any means. Currently, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) is taking on average 249 days to approve an I-130 application. This estimate is based on user-feedback provided by VisaJourney members. The Nebraska center is also currently the SLOWEST service center; Texas is taking 188 days. 
 
In summary, you will likely have to wait anywhere between 4-8 months before hearing back. It is possible you may hear back/get an approval sooner, but this is unlikely. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do, but wait. I wish you the best of luck!

I'm glad to hear that you were approved so quickly, but @Jhonny needs to realize that this is not the norm by any means. Currently, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) is taking on average 249 days to approve an I-130 application. This estimate is based on user-feedback provided by VisaJourney members. The Nebraska center is also currently the SLOWEST service center; Texas is taking 188 days. 
 
In summary, you will likely have to wait anywhere between 4-8 months before hearing back. It is possible you may hear back/get an approval sooner, but this is unlikely. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do, but wait. I wish you the best of luck!

I'm glad to hear that you were approved so quickly, but @Jhonny needs to realize that this is not the norm by any means. Currently, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) is taking on average 249 days to approve an I-130 application. This estimate is based on user-feedback provided by VisaJourney members. The Nebraska center is also currently the SLOWEST service center; Texas is taking 188 days. 
 
In summary, you will likely have to wait anywhere between 4-8 months before hearing back. It is possible you may hear back/get an approval sooner, but this is unlikely. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do, but wait. I wish you the best of luck!