JOL

26 minutes ago, larnar1309 said:

yea I think in London you can have the same courier service package or you can also opt to collect your passport and documents. I've seen some people from London Embassy say they got their passport posted back to them within the week (3 days / 5 days) some people it takes a little longer.

 

I think I'm just gonna stay positive, not cancel anything, and hope for the best. I don't even have my interview date yet but the likelihood is that since October is full the London embassy will assign dates for the beginning week of November (which should give me enough time to get my passport back before thanksgiving on the 23rd) or they will be closed for thanksgiving and assign interview dates after thanksgiving week is over. In both cases I should be fine making the trip. 

 

If I get my interview date at an awkward time/date I will try calling the embassy but - worst case scenario I will of course go to the interview over taking a trip for thanksgiving. 

 

ALL IN ALL : FINGERS CROSSED FOR A GOOD INTERVIEW DATE!!!  

Sounds like you're likely to have an interview date before Thanksgiving, but getting our passport back by then could be iffy.  Either way, there is no point canceling the tickets if they cannot be refunded anyway; maybe you can try scalping them (legal in the US as long as sold for face value, but I do not know the UK law.)  Until you call the embassy it is really a gray area.

Good luck on your date and travels.  Could be worse:  You could have a trip like the Baltimore Ravens did.

29 minutes ago, larnar1309 said:

 

I don't think they can be refunded coz got them as cheap flights on cheap airline direct to Colorado. But yea I trust in the universe enough not to cancel them. Hopefully it will work out. If not I'll go back at Xmas anyway  if this journey has taught me anything - it's patience !! Haha 

 

thanks for all the advice  much appreciated. 

No problem, but you are welcome and encouraged to verify it all with the US embassy there, if only because procedures vary by embassy and even WITHIN a given embassy:  The US embassy in Sweden requires Swedish residents to register with a courier service that returns their passport and delivers their PoE packet, but uses regular mail to do the same thing for Danes and Norwegians (unsure if that is better or worse.)  The instructions included with our interview notification said it can take up to SIXTY DAYS to get the PoE packet and passport from them, but my wife says she has seen many people saying it only took a week or two, so we are crossing our fingers they can be here by Thanksgiving (though waiting til mid-November to book tickets will make it more expensive; OTOH, since Turkey Day is the semi-official start of the US holiday season flights will only get MORE expensive from then until after New Years.)  But, and again I hate to be the bearer of bad news, it is theoretically possible neither you nor she will get to the States by Christmas, much less Thanksgiving.

Call your embassy, because I do not pretend to know everything or be infallible, and they assuredly know more and more reliably regardless.  They may even be able to tell you your interview date already (since they are the ones who assign it anyway:  You should be done with the NVC now.)  Of course, it is Saturday, so you get to wait a couple days before you can reach them (makes me wonder:  What happens if a US national overseas needs our local embassy after 5PM and/or on a weekend?  Because when you truly NEED your embassy, you rarely have time to wait.)

2 minutes ago, larnar1309 said:

Yea I'm not worried about visiting and questions coz I've been to the US over 5

times and back this past year and never had any issues!  But yea it would be a problem if I didn't get my passport back in time .. what can happen in those situations ??? 

I believe the short answer is "you will not be allowed on the plane."  I hate to say it, but you may need to start at least looking into whether your tickets can be refunded, because I know no way to be sure right now when your interview will occur.  Based on our experience and those others reported, I would expect your email to come by the end of next week and your interview to be around the end of the first week of November.  However, and once again, I cannot be sure of that, and since 1 November is on Tuesday this year Thanksgiving comes early (specifically, the 23rd, as you may already know) it sounds like your window will be very tight; the sole question there is HOW tight.  Very sorry to hear that, but all I can suggest is calling the embassy (I believe it, not the NVC, schedules interviews) daily until/unless you hear something definite about the interview date.  

For what it's worth, Norwegian Air has dirt cheap ($200-300) direct flights from Heathrow to JFK, though you would need to book a separate flight to from JFK to your ultimate destination (unless it happens to be NYC) and there is one flight daily, arriving in NYC at 8PM (which is why I wind up staying at the airport overnight:  There were no flights to Texas before early the next morning.)  They have also recently added other direct flights from Heathrow to a few US destinations (Miami and Vegas are the ones I recall, but I think they also do L.A.)  Again, sorry to hear it is getting so complicated (and possibly wasteful) for ya'll; hopes and prayers everything works out for the best.

7 hours ago, larnar1309 said:

 

Thanks for the heads up  we put so much effort into the package in order to AVOID restarting the 8-11 week process. This is great news. Now to checking my emails everyday like a madman again  

 

So excited to hear the news from all the October interview dates. Hoping ours is beginning of November as well.

 

I was speaking with @LaurenAndBrent about POE over message and we were wondering what the situation is with entry and then leaving. I have return tickets to see my husband over thanksgiving. If I got my interview before then, would I still be able to do POE and then return to England after thanksgiving with no problems? 

I would double check with the NVC, but one potential wrinkle is that I believe you must surrender your passport at the interview and wait for them to mail it back to you with a visa stamp in it.  If you got it back before you left for the US it may not be a problem, but otherwise it is rather difficult to travel internationally without a passport.

Also bear in mind that foreign entry to the US is ALWAYS subject to the discretion of USCIS officers at the airport; when I moved back to the States I had an overnight layover at JFK and ran into a Brit who was (attempting to) visit(ing) his US girlfriend and answered their relationship questions slightly differently at the PoE than he had before leaving:  They decided he was attempting visa fraud and would be on the first plane back to the UK in the morning; he was not even allowed to leave the airport.  I would say that since you have return tickets there should be no problem, but I am sure he he had them too, and it did not matter.  Normally I understand they consider things like return tickets as part of the larger issue of whether you have compelling reasons to leave after admission (e.g. a job, family in your country of residence etc.) but since you are already immigrating to the US soon anyway, they could be hard to convince.  Good luck either way; it would be a shame to miss Thanksgiving when you are already so close (something I have considered myself.)

20 hours ago, larnar1309 said:

Omg guys!!! We were expecting a checklist because we were worried that our income wasn't enough and would need a joint sponsor but ... just logged into ceac and got AT NVC status change and aos payment has gone.... does this mean we have case complete ?!?! Or does it mean it might still go to checklist??? Don't know whether to remain worried or eat all the hats in the building in celebration 😂😂😂😂

 

our scan date is august 9th 

possible case comeplete today ?!?!(September 21st)

Yeah, that does NOT mean you will not still receive a checklist, but does strongly suggest any checklist you do receive will merely require the additional documents be presented by the Beneficiary at the interview, not sent to the NVC to restart the whole 8-11 week review process from the beginning.  I say that because they emailed us a checklist after I confirmed our CC by phone, and a few days before they emailed us our interview date and instructions.  However, the checklist email REPEATEDLY said to NOT send the additional required documents to the NVC, but provide them to the Beneficiary so she can present them to the consular officer at her interview.  And since I sent her a copy of our NVC packet, and that packet actually DOES have the "missing" document (in two different versions, no less) she already has it and no further action is required.

All that to say:  Just because you got a CC does not guarantee you will not also still get a checklist, but IF you do it should not delay your case as long as your Beneficiary has the requested document at their interview.

Congrats to you and David-Liss on the unofficial CCs; I feel a little bad they are making ya'll wait til November for interviews when they scheduled ours for the end of October, but if I understand how they do things ya'll will probably be interviewed at the start of November, so it will still only be a week or two after us, not a whole month.  Good luck!

On 9/10/2017 at 9:22 AM, CloveD said:

@JOL... thanks for all of this process information! Great explanation... and I really appreciate the effort. 

No prob; we have all been there, and I would have been toast if those who went before me had not shared the benefit of their experience.  I was TOTALLY lost and second guessing everything; it really helped just to have people who could say, "yes, do that," "no, you do not need to do that" and, most importantly, "you also need to do THIS, even though none of the Homeland Securitys or States instructions anywhere say so."  Like the bit about putting the Beneficiarys name and case number at the bottom of each page in case they get separated from the file:  I did that and the NVC somehow STILL managed to not find my moms birth certificate despite our including TWO VERSIONS of it in our submission.

I cannot say enough good things about the VJ membership; it is almost uniformly polite, sympathetic, informative and accurate.  I will not say you will NEVER get false information here, but it is definitely the exception to the rule, and when it does happen it is usually apparent quickly because multiple people post a correction.  Probably the best thing to do is to carefully and repeatedly read the FAQs, then just ask lots of questions until the avalanche of information begins making coherent sense.

Good luck to you and everyone; here is to all of us enjoying a swift, safe and happy reunion with our respective families.  

2 hours ago, David-Liss said:

I have a scan date of 31 July, just checked today and my status is at NVC and the AOS line is gone.  Could it be the end finally.....  

Sounds like; congrats.  As far as emails, I never got one on the CC either, just confirmed by phone:  The first email I got was a checklist saying that when my wife goes to her interview she must bring my moms "missing" birth certificate (despite submitting not one but TWO different ones in the NVC packet,) and the next email was the interview notification itself.  FYI on that:  She is having to renew her vaccinations, because even though she has had all those required, some are >10 years out of date, in which case State requires proof of a current booster shot. 

On 9/18/2017 at 7:17 PM, larnar1309 said:

Reading all this stuff I seriously wish I could be an immigration lawyer!!! They must get paid so much and seems like so many people on here do a better job than them anyway >_< 

 

so sorry to hear they messed it up for you!!!! Get rid!!!! Do it yourself with more detailed research and passion. That's my advice. You are nearly at the finish line anyway. 

Except professionals must deal with cases far more complex (and often fraught with obstacles) than most of ours, know immigration law thoroughly, not just the particular parts applying to a single case, and deal with dozens of cases simultaneously instead of just one.  Plus have a JD.

This example does underscore the VJ advice about doublechecking everything even if using a lawyer, who remains a fallible human.  However professional, committed and conscientious a lawyer is, s/he is still ultimately doing it for money, not because they share our vested family interest.

8 hours ago, Wizpetro said:

Hey guys,got my p4 last thursday(14th september),interview scheduled on 23 october.. 

Sounds like ya'll are on the same timetable as we are.  I am honestly unsure of the precise date of our CC, because when I called the previous Monday we were still in review, and I just happened to check the CEAC on Friday after business hours to see that the message had changed, but it was too late to call them before Monday.  All I know for sure is that it was some time between 11 September (when I called and they said it was still in review) and 15 September (when CEAC stopped asking us to submit all the AoS documents.)

By the bye, on the subject of the AoS abbreviation:  I find it a bit confusing, because "AoS" could stand for either "Affidavit of Support" OR "Adjustment of Status," both of which are big deals in US immigration law.  One of the nice things about going the I/CR-1 route rather than K-3 is that, while both are spouse visas, the I/CR-1 visa comes with a green card, so no Adjustment of Status process (with all pursuant forms, fees and delays) is necessary.

Meanwhile, my wife has scheduled her medical exam for next Monday, and tells me she has to get all her vaccinations redone because the US State Dept. requires tetanus and diphtheria vaccinations be no more than 10 years out of date, and her last ones were longer ago than that.  Just an FYI for those in a similar situation.

On 9/12/2017 at 3:04 PM, Mashedm said:

Oh dear god. An hour ago we got an 'AT NVC'. Finally. Case complete 😭 😊 

On 9/12/2017 at 4:48 PM, Wizpetro said:

Just get my CC tonit😁😁,called nvc yesterday and hav been told the review of my case started on 6th september(last tuesday).i just checked my case statut on line tonit and no more"submit required documents" but it say "at NVC".And my AOS infos say "N/A".. Will call nvc tomorrow 4 confirmation. 😄😄

On 9/14/2017 at 2:24 PM, TammyM said:

I'm beyond happy at the moment!💃🏽😩. 

Case completed 10/9

On 9/15/2017 at 2:38 PM, LaurenAndBrent said:

Well folks, looks like a CC for us today! 

 

Scan date 31st July, (unconfirmed) CC 15th sept. The ceac website keeps crashing so I can't even double check what I saw earlier BUT when it was working an hour ago it said "at NVC" and the AOS field had disappeared. Desperately hoping it wasn't an error seeing as the site is now broken. I did just have throat surgery 2 days ago and am taking quite a concoction of pain meds so im hoping I didn't just imagine it LOL. I wish ceac would work again! 

On 9/16/2017 at 0:36 PM, NAME101 said:

hello laurenandbrent,

 

congrats on your CC mine is also cc and recevied the p4 this morming. i can not beleive this! hope we both see each other in london. 

23 hours ago, nicnurse said:

We got a case complete on September 13th and received our interview appointment letter via email on September 15th! My husband's interview is October 30th at the embassy in London. Our scan date was July 21st. I'm in shock because I thought we had for sure missed out on October interviews! Good luck to everyone else still waiting.

 

FYI the little trick to check your status does seem to be true. On Wednesday when I checked my status was "at NVC" and the AOS line had disappeared. 

Congrats to each and every one of ya'll; sounds like feast or famine.  Definitely call and follow up, because I can attest from experience that a CC does not preclude a checklist, but you should be getting interview dates within a week or two:  The end is in sight!  Big congrats to NAME101 and nicnurse because yeah, that was a lightning fast CC-->interview email as far as I can tell:  Our CEAC status changed a week from last Friday, but we just got the interview email yesterday, still faster than I feared.

On 9/15/2017 at 2:36 PM, larnar1309 said:

Congrats to all the CC's this week! A few on the Jan 2017 thread as well  such an exciting time! 

 

My scan dates 8th Sep and so far I've seen people get CC's for July 29th so hoping to hear something next week or the week after ... :0

Our CC was 19 July, review began 25 August and our CC was (near as I can tell) 8 September, same as your SD.  So if they continue about the same pace you should have ~40 days, give or take a few.  I suggest calling around mid-October to see if they have begun reviewing your submission, then calling about once a week in case there are any checklists (heaven forbid) so you can stay out in front of them and hopefully avoid any delays.

4 hours ago, Amelsbaihi said:

Hi can you tell me what are the required documents of the petitioner from the nvc ?? 

Your best bet is probably to check VJs NVC FAQ.  I could tell you what we sent, but there are likely things that applied to our case but not yours (e.g. household members documentation) or things that apply to your case but not ours (e.g. divorce records, military service records.)

The NVC has changed its relationship status to It's Complicated....

On 9/12/2017 at 4:48 PM, Wizpetro said:

Just get my CC tonit😁😁,called nvc yesterday and hav been told the review of my case started on 6th september(last tuesday).i just checked my case statut on line tonit and no more"submit required documents" but it say "at NVC".And my AOS infos say "N/A".. Will call nvc tomorrow 4 confirmation. 😄😄

I recommend that, yeah:  I called Monday (11 September) and the NVC both confirmed our CC and told me they had forwarded the case to the embassy, which would notify them of the earliest available interview date as well as email both my wife and I 4 weeks before the date of the interview.  The NVC emailed us both the very next day, prompting the same reaction:  "Wow, we already got our interview date; that was fast—what the  do you mean 'checklist'?!"  

They said we failed to include proof of my moms legal US residence in her financial support documents.  This despite the fact we included not only a copy of her birth certificate issued by the state, but a SECOND issued by the county (because apparently counties issued them when she was born:)  They were just with the documents establishing her relationship with me as a household member.  I actually anticipated this might be a problem, so asked the NVC before we filed if we needed to include duplicate documents in each section requiring them, and they faithfully assured me that as long as the required documents were in the packet SOMEWHERE they would find them.  Well, they did NOT, so sent us a checklist instead.

The good news is that the email said they could and would go ahead with scheduling our interview and (repeatedly) said to NOT send the "missing" document to the NVC, but to the beneficiary, who must bring it to the interview.  We already sent my wife a copy of everything we sent the NVC (just as we previously did with everything we sent the USCIS,) which she received weeks ago, and she has verified that both birth certificates are included, so we do not have to do anything further.  The interview is scheduled for 23 October, so hopefully our family is only a couple months from reunion.

Point being:  Definitely follow up to ensure both you AND the NVC have dotted every "i" and crossed every "t."  In fact, I am calling them yet again tomorrow, because the interview email says my wife must bring both an original AND a copy of ALL civil documents, but says further down, in reference to specific civil documents, that they want an original and photocopy of things like our marriage certificate and her birth certificate, but will accept photocopies of things like my birth certificate.  So I want to verify that they only require an original and a copy of BENEFICIARY civil documents, and will accept copies of PETITIONER and other civil documents.  The email suggests that, but:  Better safe than sorry; when we have come so far and are now so close, I do not want to risk any needless avoidable obstacles.

Our timeline and spreadsheet entries are updated to the best of my knowledge and ability if anyone wants to compare.

34 minutes ago, Wizpetro said:

Congrats bro, realy happy for you.you are giving me hope koz my SD was 21 july so 2 days after your.hope will get good news soon

Thanks, and all I can say is yours should be "soon."  sssssb had a SD just a single day before mine (so 3 days before yours) yet the NVC only began REVIEWING our submission 3 days before issuing their CC, and notified them of their interview date 5 days ago; we technically don't even have our CC yet.  So you should be close, probably a week either way (presuming no checklist, heaven willing) but who knows exactly when...?

1 hour ago, Amisharjil said:

Hi Guys do you know when will they act on June 17 filers for I-130?  I had filed for my husband from overseas and my case is in Nabraska. Only received the I-797C notice of action. What the next procedure??

Sadly, the Nebraska service center usually takes longer than most others.  

THEIR next procedure is to review your submission, hopefully find no reason to send you a Request for Further Evidence letter, eventually approve your I-130 and then forward it to the National Visa Center (NVC.)

YOUR next procedure (presuming they do not send you an RFE) is technically to complete two online forms, the DS-261 Online Choice of Address and Agent, and the DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application.  

However, you cannot access either until/unless the USCIS approves your I-130 and sends it to the NVC, and the NVC then assigns the case number you must enter at their online portal to access the other forms.  Once the NVC assigns the case number it will send you a letter with the case and invoice ID numbers for the additional fees you must pay, which should arrive a week or so after your I-130 approval notice from the USCIS.  Once you get the I-130 approval notice you can start calling the NVC, (603) 334-0700, to request your case and invoice ID numbers, to avoid the delay of awaiting their snail mail before completing the other forms and paying the other fees.

After you complete the DS-261 choice of agent form (it is usually best to just enter the Petitioner as agent unless using a lawyer instead) you can start calling the NVC to complete its review of the DS-261 over the phone, otherwise that process can take up to two weeks.  Once the NVC completes review of the DS-261, its website should unlock the payment options for the Affidavit of Support and Immigrant Visa Application, which must be paid electronically from a US bank/credit union account, so make sure you have both an account number and routing number when making those payments.  Once the NVC site shows both fees as "PAID" it should unlock the DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application; it is probably best to have the Beneficiary complete that, because most of the questions pertain to them, not the Petitioner.  Any time after the DS-261 unlocks (i.e. once all fees are paid) you can send the NVC your I-864 and all supplementary documents (e.g. all supporting documentary evidence, any I-864a or similar forms, etc.)  

Right now, preparing that I-864 submission is your ACTUAL next procedure, because you can be doing all that while waiting for the USCIS to review, approve and forward your I-130 petition.  The I-130 is all about the Petitioners relationship; the I-864 is all about the Petitioners income, so you need as much verifiable documentary evidence as practical on the Petitioners job (e.g. an employment letter from the company,) wages/salary (e.g. tax returns, W-2s, pay stubs, etc.) bank statements, assets etc.  The Petitioners must ALWAYS submit an I-864 with NO EMPTY FIELDS, along with verifiable documentary evidence of all income and assets recorded on the I-864, even if someone else is actually sponsoring the Beneficiary; any co-sponsor must also complete an I-864 and include verifiable documentary evidence of all information on it; any household member assisting the sponsor with meeting the income requirements must also submit an I-864a and include verifiable documentary evidence of both their income/assets AND relationship and domicile with the sponsor.  

In our case, it took over a month to obtain and assemble everything for the I-864 Affidavit of Support submission, and once the NVC receives that it takes another 8-11 weeks to be approved (presuming they see nothing that prompts them to send you a checklist letter, in which case you must supply the missing documentation and wait another 8-11 weeks.)  So I strongly recommend having everything ready to go on that when the USCIS approves your I-130. 

As for WHEN the USCIS will approve your I-130:  We filed at Nebraska in late September 2016 and got approval in late May 2017, but your mileage may vary.

13 hours ago, JBMG said:

YAY!! so happy that everything worked out for you!!! yeah, def give a call on monday to confirm. but for sure that's a CC!!! expect your cc email in 1 week.  

Awesome, thanks for that, and for confirmation.  Time to round up all pay stubs I received after submitting the AoS documents; hopefully I can wait a couple weeks to send them to my wife, because the company is giving us a raise effective today, but that will not show up on a pay stub until a week from next Friday.  We meet the income requirements as stated, but I prefer as big a cushion as possible to reassure the CO as much as possible.

Just checked visa status at CEAC:  Still says application at NVC, but no longer asks for documents supporting AoS etc., instead asks for pre-interview documents.  Hopefully that means CC on its way fortnight after review began 25 August, 7 weeks after SD 19 July.

On 9/5/2017 at 5:06 PM, sssssb said:

Yes,exactly this they told us,so don't worry yours will come soon🙌🙌

Called them Tuesday (since Monday was Labor Day in the US, which refuses to join the rest of the planet in observing the Haymarket Riot memorial on 1 May, even though the riot happened in CHICAGO.)  I finally found a customer service representative able and willing to tell me whether and when the NVC began reviewing our document submission:  25 August, or nearly two weeks ago; fingers crossed all goes well and we get a CC soon.

Still jealous you already have your interview date though; congrats and good luck anyway.

8 minutes ago, DandTO16 said:

Go to your country's reciprocity. 

Did, but saw nothing about fingerprints. However, once I looked at Nigerias reciprocity agreements there I saw that the NVC requires fingerprint cards be submitted along with the police report; is that what you were referencing?

1 hour ago, DandTO16 said:

The letter didn't ask for them only police report. I seen others from my country receiving a checklist because they didn't include them. Went on state department website and it asks for fingerprints as well for my country. NVC needs to personalize letter for each country. Not just the generic letter. I'm so down! Ugh and I tried to prevent a delay by sending before we went into review. 

 

Where on the State Department website did you see that?  I want to check whether we are in the same situation without my knowing it.

6 minutes ago, sssssb said:

Thank you!!!!surprisingly when my husband call they told him I have 5 more weeks to go so it came as a shocker when I got that email!!!,hope yours will come soon!!!!

Interesting; so just because they told me up to 5 more weeks when I called does not mean we will not get an email tomorrow.  Good to know, thanks.

10 minutes ago, DandTO16 said:

 · 

So depressed. We should be getting cc soon. I called today to check status. They reset us to an additional 11 weeks. I sent fingerprints a few weeks ago. I had only sent clearance since thats what was stated on form. We haven't even went for review and they reset time. 

Were fingerprints part of your police report?  I only ask because I do not recall being asked for those, so am now a bit worried about not submitting them.

On 8/25/2017 at 1:13 PM, larnar1309 said:

How is everyone checking on their status?

 

calls to NVC?

checking if aos disappears or goes to N/A?

doing visa status check on ceac? 

 

What are the different / best methods?

 

I just call once per week, normally within a day on either side of our SDs "anniversary."  So far it has been hit and miss getting a customer service representative willing to tell me whether they have begun processing our case.

7 hours ago, DandTO16 said:

7 hours ago, sssssb said:

Got CC today now waiting for interview!!!!

Congrats! How many weeks?

Based on their post on the previous page, and prior ones, it looks like just under 6 weeks, because their SD was 18 July.  Ours was 19 July, so after I saw they got a CC today I called the NVC just now to see if we might have one also:  Not yet...

Congrats, sssssb, and good luck with the rest of the process:  You are in the home stretch now!

3 hours ago, larnar1309 said:

You're welcome  

Damn! Some people have to go through so much trouble to get everything done!! Where is your nearest embassy she has to fly to?  

Not just the embassy, though definitely it too:  Whether because their populations are so low, few people want to leave nations that consistently rank highest in Human Development and Happiness Indices, or both, the Stockholm embassy does all interviews for not only Sweden, but Norway & Denmark too (because at the US State Dept. the Kalmar Union can never die. ) 

Yet even before the interview my wife must get her medical, of course, from a doctor accredited by the US State Dept:  Norway has TWO, both in Oslo, which is fine for the 25% of Norway who live alongside or near them, but rather inconvenient for the other 75%.  "Rather inconvenient" in this case means "a 5-hour train ride or 1-hour flight, each way."  So we must pay the airfare for that round trip AND a round trip to Stockholm in addition to the medical exam fee itself, the immigrant fee, airfare to the US after she gets her visa, and the shipping costs for everything she can neither leave behind nor fit in a checked bag.  

I could offer more commentary, but until/unless my wife is a legal resident I am keeping my head down and mouth shut.  

7 minutes ago, larnar1309 said:

Once you get the interview date you can book your medical. Then you can write a letter to the embassy stating you already have everything you need for the interview etc and request that your interview date be earlier if there is space  that might help if you are trying to have the interview sooner than later. 

Useful information and a good thought I will definitely bear in mind and pass along to my wife; thanks.  Although, since she will have to not only schedule the medical exam but also book a cross-country flight to attend, I do not know how promptly she will be able to do so once we have verification of an interview date.

21 hours ago, sssssb said:

My scan date was July 18 so I guess am looking for a October date,so my case is in the right time line cause my case started in October! 

Yeesh, do not say that:  My SD was the day after yours, and I'm still hoping for a September CC.  In fact, the middle of this week will be 5 since our scans, which theoretically only leaves 3-6 more before we can expect a CC (presuming no checklists, heaven willing.)  In other words, as early as the second (full) week of September or as late as the first week of October.  From what I have seen of other peoples timelines though, we will probably be looking at a November interview either way, since my understanding is that most interviews are scheduled for CCs at the start of the previous month or end of the month before that (i.e. CCs from mid-August to early September=October interviews; CCs from mid-September to early October=November interviews.)  However and once again, that is based solely on the spreadsheet.

My impression is that most CCs already received by July filers were for second SDs, but that is just my gut feeling.  For whatever it is worth, my weekly call to the NVC revealed no change in our case status; they have not even begun reviewing it yet.  I am trying to take the optimistic view that that simply gives us more time to save money toward the medical exam, flights (both to the exam and to the US,) immigrant fee and moving expenses.  Otherwise, I will just keep praying for a smooth, speedy and uneventful process with no checklists, and calling weekly until the NVC says something one way or the other.

On 7/23/2017 at 2:48 AM, Scandi said:

How does it work when you file both btw? Do you have to pay the fee for the i-130 AND the i-129f? Or is one fee waived when you file for the other as well? Seems odd how they would take money for both when they only go by the i-130, if so. 

That is precisely how it works, and (I believe) the reason the I-129F petition for K-3/4 visas must be accompanied by the I-797 NOA1 from the I-130 petition:  Because NOA1 proves you ALREADY paid a petitioner fee, and so do not need to pay another for the I-129F.  Page 12 of the I-129F instructions explicitly says,

Quote

There is no fee for Form I-129F petitions for classification of an alien as a spouse of a United States citizen.

The I-129F fee is still required for K-1/2 visas though, because neither a fiance(e) nor their kids are members of your legal family (yet,) and the I-130 is a Petition for Alien RELATIVE.

So yeah, spouses can file both but yeah, it is pointless.  I filed both, then posted this VJ thread (my very first!) requesting feedback.  NikLR and everyone who responded there said precisely what NikLR and everyone who has responded here said, and their statements were completely accurate:  Eight (8) months later I got a notice saying my I-129F had been terminated because my I-130 had been approved (that notice actually arrived the day BEFORE the date printed on the letter; "the USCIS is far from flawless.")  Four days later I got the actual NOA2 formally stating my I-130s approval. 

Think of it as a glass half full:  K-3/4s do not take any longer than ever, but I/CR-1s are processing about thrice as fast when Congress created the K-3/4 remedy nearly two decades ago.  But since K-3/4s DO require the I-130s NOA1 be submitted with the I-129F, and the I-129F is IMMEDIATELY terminated if the I-130 is approved before it, it is practically certain the USCIS will approve an I-130 that automatically has a week or two head start on the I-129F.  As NikLR said, that is a better deal anyway, because K-3/4s do not come with a green card nor Social Security Card, but I/CR-1s do (well, the SS card is optional, but since it is also free and a primary ID for employer I-9s, why would anyone refuse?)