djveed

Hello! We received a request for initial interview I-485 in the capitol of CT for March 17th. We had to reschedule as we were expecting a child, and sent out a letter somewhere in early March. The USCIS representative on the phone we spoke to explained that we should send out a letter, and within six weeks we'll receive a new appointment. But we never received any new appointment. So I figured this was a chance to offer some free advice.

What we ended up having to do (months later) was go directy through the website and INFOPASS and set our own appointment. The USCIS rep was wrong. So if you need to reschedule your 485 Interview, you have to do it yourself!

With that said - interview is this week. Anyone have any tips? We now have a baby who will be with us.

You guys are fantastic. I got her on my benefits policy with no SS needed (had a 20 min hold time though).

So that's it - get her name changed, notify USCIS, and wait for the social security card to be issued. Right? In this order?

Okay. Great great help guys.

So I guess the SS card is not an option because of what you just said - no work permit and no greencard (yet). Marriage certificate has her original name on it because we are electing to change it now, not then.

But - how do I get her covered under my health benefits when she has no SS#?

Now AOS is processing. I have to wait until either they issue her a SS card - or we get the work permit and then apply ourselves. And as far as the name change, I have to do that during the AOS processing??

URGH

We're going with NO BOXED GIFTS PLEASE written right on the invitation. Really - how many crystal vases does a person really need in life?? A stack of envelopes is easier to carry. Everybody wins.

She's been approved on a K-3 Visa and her I-130 has been approved. Three things left: 1- adjustment of status. 2- change her last name to my last name. 3- get her a social security card and number.

HOW and in what ORDER is all this done?? I applied for the AOS this morning. Do I now get her name changed or do I get her Social Security card first? The AOS forms had her maiden name with no SS#. Am I permitted to change these?

PLS HELP

PKEWL!

Thank you thank you! ALL PRAISE TO GOD. Seriously - these things can take between 6 months and 2 years. So just pray for the best.

1 - From what I know of VSC versus others, VSC is definitely the fastest in the country. So I do humbly think I was processed faster because the package started out at VSC. But I suggest you don't worry about this - as you can't do anything about it. The chances of yours getting shippped to Vermont were just as likely as mine leaving Vermont for California. You can't control this. But if you do get a notice that it's going to VSC, then this may mean it'll be sooner than later (but still a while).

2 - Evidence?? I went crazy man. Homeland Security has every evidence I can think of. Pictures of our engagement, the wedding, original wedding invitation cards, ONE YEAR of call logs (and i diligently highlighted every phone call to her phone number), flight itineraries, tickets, boarding passes, hotel booking receipts, marriage certificate, even Western Union receipts I suppose (although i didn't do this one). Put it this way - if they even dared ask me for an RFE - I would have nothing else to show!!

3 - My biggest advice is this fantastic website. Spend a lot of time on here. Ask a lot of questions. USE THE TIMELINES! I was able to tell my wife an approximate date of her interview from using statistics here. I pulled five people that applied for K3s and went through Chennai in the last two years. And I was the sixth - right in line with everyone else. This gives you a bit of clarity. Use the timelines, look at everyone else's. Find people that are two to three months ahead of you and they would serve as good timeline guides. Use the forums as well. It's shocking as to how many people post so frequently here. The hardest part of the process is not knowing what next, or not knowing how long. So the biggest advice I can give you is RESEARCH. Stay organized!! Make copies of everything. If possible make electronic copies of everything too. I have a cover letter for I-130 which itemizes everything sent, and the same for K-3, and even the same for what I sent to my wife after NOA2!!

The more you research, the more you know, the more you relax. Does this help?

Thank you all!!

Okay let me see what I can do to help. This post will be what to expect from here on out. I'll post a later one answering some questions asked of me.

Regarding the time lag in between NOA2 and Interview Date, as far as Chennai goes, this delay is quite normal. It takes about a month for Chennai to send a letter out, and then the interview scheduled a month later.

Within a few days of receiving the NOA2, the NVC will receive your package. They then will send it out to Chennai. From that point on, Chennai will take about 30 days for reception. Once you get your NOA2, send to your SO copies of the original K3 package right away. Include in the package a copy of the I130 package as well. Also - copy of NOA2 letter, letter from NVC stating package being shipped to Chennai Consulate, I-134 Affidavit of Support showing proof of income, 6 months bank statements, letter of employment stating position title, start date, and salary, copy of recent paystubs, 2006 tax returns, 2005 tax returns, and any necessary certificates such as marriage or divorce certificates. Take a look around to VJ for any other docs they suggest. Send this all to SO.

Within five days of NOA2, NVC will ship to Chennai. 30 days from then, SO will receive a letter (no phone call). This letter will state the interview date and ask for several documents. They ask to quickly gather these documents and ship back to Chennai ten days before the interview date. My wife's interview date was 30 days after the letter was received. The consulate asks for a bunch of stuff - copies of the original package, passport size photos, police certificates, birth certificates, demand draft fee, etc. All that stuff. So the sooner SO starts preparing it, the better.

NOA2 + 5 days to send out + 30 days for reception + 30 days for interview.

Anything can change in this process! Please don't get your hopes up too quick! You only have two months left. But they reserve the right to delay your case for further docs, proof, etc. Good luck everyone!

They never verified income by phone, FYI.

APPROVED!!

oh.

Wow.

Keep your head up.

So just the medical documents and nothing else needs to be presented at the interview?

Do you think so? It took 36 days for reception of package, and another 28 after that for the interview date. I think that sounds sort of standard, may be a bit on the fast end. Thank God!!

In regards to my wife's K-3 visa, the Chennai consulate in India sent her the package requesting all that she needed to send back. She completed the checklist, and the VFS (Visa Service Office) checked off everything on the checklist and stamped the checklist. However, no copies were made when she shipped this to Chennai. What, if anything, does she need to bring with her to the interview in Chennai?

Considering she sent everything out and VFS signed off, is it required to bring anything at all?

HELLO!

The K-3 packages are sent electronically from the NVC to the Consulate. Chennai doesn't record or acknowledge this for at least a month. But after a long 36 days of waiting, my wife received a package for a mid-June interview! With the help of God she'll be here by the end of June.

Note to Chennai or India visa applicants. We never received a packet 3 nor 4. After 36 days we received a package saying we need x and y and z (police clearance, photos, original K3 package, etc)., and they assigned a day for the interview. She has to send back the package 10 days before the interview date. Hope this helps people.

Well that makes me feel better then. My last two years tax returns show income between 30k and 40k (kind of depressing when you compare it to your gross income). And I did have a letter submitted as well. It seems like tax returns, bank statements, a letter from your employer, Affidavit form, and paystubs are all enough to verify income without them actually calling your employer.

Okay now I'm panicked. But thank you regardless.

Okay excellent. Nobody has ever heard of a case where in an I-130 or K3 situation they have called the employer (from the letter from employer submission) and verify income?? I just ran into a major snag at work.

Hi! Does the Consulate (in my case Chennai, India) call your employer and verify your employment, start date, and salary?

Hi. I posted about this three weeks ago. Now I'm beginning to worry. It's been over a month since the package was shipped out from the NVC to Chennai consulate in India, and my spouse in India has not received anything yet. What do I do?

Imagine if everyone acted like this. What a society.

Today's the big day.

That's the problem. There is no system! We need structure!

My husband got his PCC from both police offices and passport office WITHOUT the interview letter and he had no problem.

I guess it differs from state to state.

Ras-

That really bothers me. Sometimes these forms aren't even clear, most of our actions we take are based on people on this site! Not from these forms.

But what others are saying is correct - you were not denied. You've made it this many months, you're getting close.

There's always prayer.

Package to Chennai?? I got an answer via emailing Chennai. They say they won't "record" anything until 30 days after receiving from NVC. So if your package is shipped out from NVC, wait 30 days before sweating.

Yes a case number was assigned, as per the letter received from NVS stating the pkg will be sent to Chennai. I'll try calling that number.

Hello!!

My K3 after approval was shipped from NVC to Chennai on April 11, 15 days ago. Chennai as of last night has no record of it arriving. How long does this normally take? Should I panic? If so, how do I rectify??

THANK YOU!