MapleLeaf29

43 minutes ago, NikLR said:

Yours would be visa fraud which applies to ALL people who are not USC, not just Canadians.  Your fiancee is intending to stay not just get married and you're purposely trying to bypass immigration.  In your case, the K1 visa or getting married and doing the CR1 visa is more appropriate.  Lying to a CBP officer is a crime and can get you a ban for life.  

 

Getting married on a tourist visa isn't an issue.  Applying for an adjustment of status after arrival because things have changed isn't an issue.  Intending on immigration at the border is an issue.  Discussing it more is against TOS. 

To be clear, my fiancé and I are NOT doing this.  When we were trying to figure out the visa process, we did a lot of research online about how to legally go about getting married and having him immigrate to the United States.  We submitted our k1 petition and are following all legal procedures.

2 minutes ago, fishe23a said:

vogann has the link to all of the Nov. 14th cases updated nightly here:

 

https://sites.google.com/view/nov14/

That's way more helpful than my answer.  I just looked at the numbers on geo's latest spreadsheet.   Definitely look at this link instead.  

Just now, Chi&Clint said:

Does anyone know how many cases sent on Nov 14th? 

445.

5 minutes ago, slo said:

All, correct me if i am wrong, but I don't think that data in Table 1 is representative of reviews for I-129Fs, in general, or for NOA2s, in particular.  I also have not seen any data that shows there has been an uptick in filings.  I see from the USCIS FY2016 statistics that the number of I-129F filings per quarter were remarkably consistent each quarter and the highest number of applications were filed in the 3rd FY2016 quarter (April, May, June), with ~48000 of ~53000 applicants receiving approval in all of FY2016.  [Note: the federal fiscal year is from October 1 to September 30.]  So, per the FY2016 stats, there were about 4,400 filings per month or about 1100 per week or about 150 per calendar day.  So, when I see USCIS is taking some action on less than 100 cases per day, it suggests to me that they are falling further and further behind and are going to have to start processing many more cases.  However, if I understand Chelleyandaaron's recent post correctly, it indicated there are something less than 2700 cases outstanding thru November 25.  If so, this suggests there was a decrease in filings in November 2016 compared to the typical month in the preceeding FY2016, so maybe things could start moving faster.  Also, I did find it interesting in Geowrian's spreadsheet that there are so many filings rejected in November for submitting the wrong fee and these were way prior to the change in fee on December 23.  Those rejections (it appears they are not considered RFEs) suggest a large number of cases get cleared out due to basic filing mistakes and those petitioners (assuming they refile) must go to the back of the line.  Here are the FY2016 stats: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports and Studies/Immigration Forms Data/All Form Types/all_forms_performancedata_fy2016_qtr4.pdf  Good luck to everyone!

Per geowrian's spreadsheet, it looks like there were a little over 4200 k1 petitions submitted between 10/31 and 11/30.  Interesting that this might have been slightly less than the yearly average.  There have been several rumors about why the slowdown happened that are unrelated to the volume of k1 visas.  I heard on NPR that the number of DACA recipients who petitioned to visit their country of origin quadrupled in November and December.  I think someone on this thread said that the CSC was in training for part of the time because of new forms.  Someone else said that an unusual number of family visas were expedited toward the end of the year, so it may also be that the CSC diverted resources away from K1 visas to work on the expedite requests.  Whatever the reason for the slowdown, I am thankful that it seems to be picking up now.

23 minutes ago, isabelleyri said:

Hi amybeth! What was that box you forgot to tick if you don't mind me asking ?

I honestly can't remember anymore.  Sorry.   If I had our copy of the petition in front of me, I would remember, but I gave it to my fiancé already.

3 hours ago, neet_d said:

How does it take to recieve noa2 notification? Its been 2months

We have been waiting 74 days, and there are still quite a few petitions ahead of ours.  There is a lot of information about this in the November 2016 filers thread.  My fiancé and I are hoping to get our NOA2 sometime in March.  It is very possible that we will wait over 100 days.   This is a long process and the California Service Center is pretty backlogged.

1 hour ago, CMJuilland said:

I never thought I would be that happy with an RFE, but we've just got a notification that we will get one. Too bad that it will most likely just be because of one box we forgot to tick, but at least I know for sure that they're working on it now. I'll let you guys know what it was about once my fiancée gets the letter. 

 

Hopefully, everybody will be approved soon  

Sorry to hear that you got an RFE.  My colleague came in on a spousal visa, so her husband offered to look over our petition before we sent it in.  He found a little box at the bottom of a page that we had missed.  I was absolutely shocked that he found anything because I had been over the paperwork at least a dozen times.  It's amazing how easy it is to miss something.  I hope you are approved quickly!

3 hours ago, amye said:

What's the best way to figure out how many untouched cases are before mine?

Like Chelley, I use geowrian's spreadsheets.  I open the spreadsheet in Excel and go to the second page.  I sort the data by the "case status" column, which groups all of the cases according to their processing stage: all of the "approved" cases are together in a group, all of the "withdrawn" cases are together in a group, etc.  I delete all of the cases except the ones that say "received".  Then I re-sort the data by alphanumerically.  After that, I do a quick search for my case number and see which line it is on; that tells me how many received cases are ahead of mine.  As of last night, there were 1933 received cases before mine.  If they continue to approve about 70 cases per day, we are about five and a half weeks away from our NOA2.  However, this estimate might be a little off because I haven't factored in RFE cases; I have no idea how many previous RFE's factor into the approvals each day.  (And, of course, we are crossing our fingers that we don't end up in some kind of limbo.  We are hoping that all of the cases from the end of October that are still in limbo are approved soon!)

20 hours ago, geowrian said:

This is inaccurate. You are correct that it is visa fraud to enter the US with the intent of staying and filing for AOS. However, intent is determined at POE. Once legally in the US and married to a USC, you can file AOS. Previous intent is not a reason for denial. My understanding is that previous intent can be taken into consideration with other factors...to which many others here would disagree...but you are absolutely permitted to file for AOS regardless of intent at POE.

This thread offers some good information about coming in on different types of visas.  It sounds like the general advice would be to consult a lawyer.

17 minutes ago, Anthony and Bobby said:

Guys...we just got approved tonight! 

 

Application received: 11/4/2016

NOA1: 11/8/2016

NOA2: 1/30/2017

 

Sooo excited! Sending positive vibes to everyone still waiting :))

Congratulations!!!!!!!

4 minutes ago, geowrian said:

***Today's comprehensive update***
Date: 1/30/2017
Scan ran: 10:01 PM EST
Scan finished: 11:05 PM EST
Records: 5000

 

Cases updated today: 44
Approved: 0
RFEs: 33
Other: 11

 

Today's Data: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8es4j04tzi2OTVaeDF2NXV3bzQ

 

All data: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1B_oR3Imoi-dVhQSG02YkFhVjg

 

*Keep in mind I'm only counting WACs from WAC1790048000 onward. Records untouched prior to this are not included.*

 

Ouch...not a good day. There were 0 updates over the weekend as well.

Thank you for doing this every day.  I appreciate it, even if the results are discouraging.  Thank you for keeping us updated!

2 hours ago, CanadianBestie252 said:

I just came here on my passport no visa. He isn't the one that needs the green card I am.

 

Did you come in as a tourist from Canada and get married in the United States?  You might want to consult a lawyer.  My fiancé is from Canada and we looked into whether he could cross the border with his passport, get married, and then file for adjustment of status.  From our research online, it sounds like Canadians can be charged with visa fraud if they marry after entering on a passport.  This can have serious consequences, like being sent back to Canada and being banned from entering the United States for a certain number of years.  To legally marry a US citizen, you must enter on a K1 visa and you must declare your intention to marry at the border.  I have no idea what your circumstances are, but if you did enter on a passport and get married, you need to talk to a lawyer.  Best wishes!

On January 28, 2017 at 10:07 AM, skaratso said:

Throwing my hat into the ring...

 

After 7 and a half years of friendship, 2 and a half of those years dating, spending 3 months together from October 15 to January 10, and getting engaged in December, we finally got everything together and filed for the K-1 visa.

 

I mailed the package out yesterday, via USPS Certified Mail, return receipt requested. All we can do at this point is wait. We figured it's going to take a while.

I'm a November filer, but I thought I would introduce myself since we both have Canadian fiancés.  We sent our application on the 19th of November with an NOA1 date of November 25th, so we should be just about two months ahead of you.  Feel free to reach out via private message if you have any questions along the way.   We sent our application right in the midst of the November slowdown, so hopefully things will pick up and go a LOT faster for you than they have gone for us!  Best wishes.

14 hours ago, amye said:

Oooh feb 15 to 17!!!

As someone else mentioned, these estimates have not been very reliable lately.  My estimate started out as mid-December, then moved to the beginning of January, then mid-January, then the end of January, then the beginning of February, now mid-February. . . .  We'll see how it goes!  I have been watching the numbers on the spreadsheet geowrian shares every weekday, and I think the end of March is a pretty realistic expectation for my NOA1 date (received Nov. 21st).  Hopefully things will speed up and it will be a little earlier -- we'll see.

When I consulted an immigration lawyer in October, she told us that the whole process (NOA1 to visa in hand) was taking four months, but that it could change at any time.  Based on that information, my fiancé and I got engaged at the beginning of November, submitted our petition as soon as possible, and were hoping to have a summer wedding.  Based on current timelines and the fact that the US embassy in Canada takes an average of 60 days after the interview to mail the visa, we just made the decision this weekend to toss out our plans for a ceremony in August.  Family and friends are asking us when they should schedule vacation, and at this point, we can't guarantee anything.  We'll have a courthouse wedding whenever his visa comes through and schedule our ceremony later -- maybe the first weekend in October (Canadian Thanksgiving) or around Christmas.  I'm taking all of the VJ estimated timelines with a grain of salt.

20 minutes ago, geowrian said:

That was me, actually.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by access it...? It's a public link. Just click. haha

 

Edit: Here's a link to where I store all of them.. They're named based on the current date (in UNIX time). Just click on the largest number, or sort by date modified. I'll add a link to my signature for the future.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1B_oR3Imoi-dVhQSG02YkFhVjg

This is amazing.  Thank you for sharing this every day!

1 minute ago, amye said:

spreadsheet?

Click on the Google Drive link.  The spreadsheet is in the original message and in the quote in my message.

40 minutes ago, geowrian said:

***Today's comprehensive update***

Scan ran: 10:15 PM EST

Scan finished: 11:10 PM EST

Records: 5000

 

Cases updated today: 73

Approved: 55

RFEs: 15

Other: 3

 

Data: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1B_oR3Imoi-VEdwVmNkNUFhS28

 

*Keep in mind I'm only counting WACs from WAC1790048000 onward. Records untouched prior to this are not included.*

Thank you so much!  If they keep up this pace (based on the number of cases before ours in the spreadsheet you shared), we could get our NOA2 by the end of March or early April.  That is a LOT better than I was thinking a few days ago when I was doing the math.  I am feeling more hopeful now.  Thank you!

40 minutes ago, amye said:

I believe my return wouldn't be so bad if I was denied.  I think I'd have to fly to Calgary which is where my sister lives and that's where they would accept or deny me.  If I wasn't able to go to Houston, I could just stay there with my sister instead.  That sound right to anyone?  They're not gonna let me get all the way to Houston and then send me back through Calgary to Vancouver.  Just doesn't make sense.

It depends on where you would go through immigration.  Some airports in Canada (like Toronto) allow you to go through immigration before you leave Canada.  I would imagine that Calgary would too.  If you went through immigration in Houston, that's where they would approve or deny entry. 

17 minutes ago, amye said:

Yeah, that's news to me.  On my own, I read they didn't recommend trying to cross the border so I thought I wouldn't be able to see my partner for 6-8 months which is brutal.  We had thought we would be getting our NOA2 last week and that we would go to Montreal for the interview in two to three months time but today has taught me that's way off.  I think I will plan a trip there now.  Any recommendations on how to not get denied entry at the border?

I should add that my fiancé and I are planning to have him drive if he attempts to cross the border.  We read that if you fly and are denied entry, you have to buy a plane ticket back to Canada on the spot.  He lives too far away to drive normally (it is a several-day car trip), so we are thinking about having him fly into a nearby city in Canada.  I would meet him at the airport and we would drive together to the border.  If he is admitted, we'll spend time with my family; if not, we'll have a vacation together in Canada.  It's not an ideal plan, but it's better than him having to buy a plane ticket in the airport.

At the time we submitted our application, visas were still moving along at a fast rate, so we were also hoping to have our NOA2 by the end of January.  I have spring break in March, so we were hoping to go to Montreal together for the visa interview.  At this point, it's anyone's guess as to how long it will take.  We're thankful to see that things are starting to move a bit faster now.   Best wishes to both of you as you work through this process!

3 hours ago, Chelleyandaaron said:

I have a feeling we'll still all be checking in - maybe a facebook group for the November 2016 filers?  so that we can share pictures of wedding anniversaries, maybe babies for the younger couples, citizenship ceremonies...

I love this idea!  I haven't been super active on this thread, but I have so appreciated all of the advice and daily updates from members.  It would be wonderful to be able to celebrate with everyone as they continue with their lives.

2 minutes ago, amye said:

Yeah, that's news to me.  On my own, I read they didn't recommend trying to cross the border so I thought I wouldn't be able to see my partner for 6-8 months which is brutal.  We had thought we would be getting our NOA2 last week and that we would go to Montreal for the interview in two to three months time but today has taught me that's way off.  I think I will plan a trip there now.  Any recommendations on how to not get denied entry at the border?

Welcome.   My fiancé is Canadian.  So far, I have made all of the trips to Canada since our engagement, as I have more vacation than he does (I am a teacher).  We weren't planning to have him come here until he had the visa, but since it looks like we're settling in for a very long wait, we have been doing some research.  We found a few suggestions for crossing the border:

1) A letter from your employer showing that you are due back to work on a particular date.

2) If you are renting, a copy of your lease showing that it extends to a certain date.  If you own a home, a copy of your mortgage.

3) If you have children who will be staying with someone or a pet at a boarding kennel, a letter from the caretaker saying when you will return.

1 minute ago, Valex said:

Thanks Amybeth

 

Just worried, it could be a hold-up to our process. Well its already delayed anyway lol so may as well wait longer .

 

Val

My fiancé and I are definitely learning patience through this process!  I hope everything goes really quickly for you.

15 minutes ago, Valex said:

Are we affected by this? We are entering US in legal way. SO i hope not.

 

Val

 

 

No worries - nothing on this list has anything to do with k-1 visas.  

7 minutes ago, geowrian said:

True, but you have to literally go through tens of thousands numbers to get all the I-129Fs...which takes time and probably isn't too friendly on their servers. My plan is to limit it just to the I-129Fs and scan them all once a day and output a report. That way we'll catch any changes even if they're not on the few set of days most people here are watching.

That will be so helpful!  Thank you so much.

19 minutes ago, Art786 said:

 

Just read the news, seems like all of our files will be deposited in a storage, and emigration will be working on deporting most illegal south Americans and others. .Personally, will give my petition two more months after that will notify my fiancee of change of plans. Live is a bit**.  In my dream, I thought I head it  

 

Could you provide a link to your source?  I checked the news and it looked similar to what we have been seeing for months.  I didn't see anything that led me to believe that there would be changes to fiancé visas.

Here is an example:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-poised-to-wield-executive-power-to-make-immigration-changes-1485116367