Mel & Jaybee

On 9/3/2017 at 6:48 AM, ameise said:

What we did was get a marriage registration certificate from the local ward office and that was it. We didn't have a marriage certificate from the CDO.

Thank you for the response! We found out that the district (CDO) my husband is specifically from (Tanahun) doesn't issue the correct documentation for a civil marriage certificate. We went the civil route 'cause we thought it would be more "legal" or "official"? Turns out, it's the opposite, haha, simply because of his district. We have an interview date now, but we'll have to go and register for a marriage registration certificate from the local registrar anyway since the marriage document we have doesn't actually recognize us as a legal married couple. Really wish we had done that in the first place -- but the attorney we had hired had assured us we wouldn't need to once we got a civil marriage certificate from the CDO. At least we have a chance to address the issue.

For fellow KDU applicants/petitioners, my husband and I were wondering if anyone knows if it's possible for me to join him for his interview at the Kathmandu consulate or if it is something he must go alone? Thank you so much!

After a long 3+ months of trying to get the NVC to explain why our marriage certificate was deemed unsatisfactory, our case was finally documented as complete and we were given our interview date scheduled for Oct 27! WHOO! Too many celebrations to be had, haha! Now one of our biggest questions in trying to plan things as accordingly and affordably as possible is how soon can someone come to the U.S. after a successful interview date? Is the time frame particularly different according to the consulate? Do any of my fellow Nepali visajourneymen know the set time or how long it took you to have all of the official things you required to leave?

On 7/29/2017 at 2:41 PM, Bunny&Ninja said:

get the translation stamped from the same CDO office who issued your marriage certificate. This should help.

 

however our marriage certificate has nepali and english both and it was issued from CDO office itself.

 

Thank you... I'm afraid that that's what we may have to do. I can't believe it's been taking them this long to inform us what's wrong with our marriage certificate and I've been working with an immigration specialist from our senator. My husband and I were told that the CDO Office that issued our marriage certificate does not issue english translations, so we had it translated by a translator whom stamped the translation with a seal of the notary public, meaning they were appointed by the state government. To believe they may ask us now after 12 weeks to retrieve one extra stamp which is an incredibly uncomfortable 12hr drive by bus to and back and then tell us to wait yet another 11 weeks is terrible. I hope beyond hope they just let us pass through...

But thank you for your advice. We may do that after all...

I've been on the Find Documents section of the NVC website attempting to understand what they've been telling me regarding our marriage certificate "not being what they wanted" and I'm absolutely lost. Our certificate was issued in Nepali by the CDO of my husband's local and permanent district where we were married. It was then translated into English and stamped by an official certified translator. What could we possibly be missing? The procedure to obtain the marriage certificate was already done (the affidavit of eligibility, etc.), they can't possibly want those documents? There is nothing that says they need them on the website! Only the marriage certificate and a translation if it was issued in Nepali. Has anyone else with a timeline in Nepal struggled with this same issue?

18 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

It is possible that they lost the marriage certificate translation.  If the RFE asked specifically for this document, that is what I would send them.  Unfortunately, it seems like you may need to get it translated again.  I would definitely make copies of it as it is a good idea to make a couple copies of all the documents you submit.  I remember back in our AOS phase at the interview the IO asked for a document I know was already submitted.  Luckily, we had a copy of it in our records.

 

Good Luck!

I had 3 copies. Of translation and original certificate. I have used them all. We have more than a couple more copies, HE has them. In Nepal. We assumed I wouldn't need any more after I did my part of the job in sending them to the NVC. And yes, I have to be the one to send his packets because Nepal's mailing system is prone to so many errors and mistakes. And yes, I get it. Don't assume anything.

I received a letter from the NVC asking for a translation of my marriage certificate, I sent them the only translation I had left. They're asking for his military records, we sent them all of his certified military records! They have the seal from the Gurkha Army! The only thing I can understand is the Nepal Police Certificate, which we did not submit as I was under the impression it was only needed if there were actual any crimes committed. He's not even sure how to get a police certificate. We're so stressed out. Everything is so difficult to obtain in Nepal -- he doesn't even own a printer for God's sake. We can try for the police certificate, see what we can do there. But I'm so lost with the OTHER documents? I don't know what they're asking for! We've already submitted everything. I sent a certified translation. I sent his military records. And why did they have to send the e-mail in the middle of the night when I can't even call them?--That's rhetorical. The other questions aren't. Has anyone else ever gotten this request? I feel like they had to have lost the documentation or something, I don't understand if it was valid to the USCIS, how it wouldn't be a valid translation for them?

So, my husband doesn't have any available medical history documentation -- what will the procedure be for the medical exam? Is there a list of vaccines that they will have to administer to him? Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Hey guys! December filer back to tell you with unbridled joy and glee -- we have just received our approval letter (96 days after submitting our petition)! Official notice date being 03/23/2017! Wishing you the best of luck! I expect you will not be far behind (if you haven't already received a response yourself)!

2 hours ago, NY&Kay said:

Hi all.....any December filers on board here. Anyone been approved yet? Received my noa1 and already into third month of waiting.......can we support each other

Sent our I-130 Dec 4 and received the NOA1 on the 17th. It looks like there have been a few November filers that received their second NOA in February, so I wouldn't be surprised if March will be our month! Keep your eye out and I'll be sure to notify if we receive word sometime soon.

You can do this. <3

Look nobody can say exactly. Luck plays a huge factor. Why did my husband's green card take 8 months (we did k1) while my friends who filed at the same time only take 3-4. It wasn't because of anything we did or didn't do or my friend is did or didn't do. It was luck of the draw.

I know the wait is hard. And painful. And stressful. As someone who waited 300 days for a k1, I would pass on this advice to anyone waiting (or myself if I could go back in time)- focus on work, family, or a hobby. Obsessing over the visa only makes the process more difficult emotionally.

Try to shift your focus from how fast to how prepared do I have to be.

It is really not all about being the fastest way but the best possible prepared way that results in an approval.

A K1's and CR1's can get denied too and then you have to either start over (K1) or go through a lengthy re affirmation process

(CR1).

Read the guides so you have a clear understanding about the process and read the threads about what you should and should not do.

They cross check previous applications so all data must be consistent from then and current petitions.

Read your regional forum and see what others wrote in the embassy review, how many marinated in AP,

how long from NOA2 to the interview, what they consistently want to see in your well thought out relationship evidence

which you should front load by the way ( enter front loading petition in VJ search to read threads ).

You are in it for the long haul and you have to accept that it takes however long it takes.

Took us 5 years and we were in AP for 16 mos and then denied and had to start over.

That is an extreme, we had no idea that extreme would happen to us.

12-18 months from start to interview for a CR1 is about all you can expect as members told you.

It is a long process, it is a roller coaster ride so buckle up and be prepared.

Best wishes on your visa journey, hope it is smooth and speedy for you.

There's no way to speed up the process except to have all your forms and evidence prepared (to avoid RFEs). Other than that, it's purely a waiting game. The stats here on VJ should give you the best guess at when your application will be processed...even more so than the official USCIS website can provide IMHO. It'll likely be 12-16 months based on what I see. It could be less, but it could also be more. Part of the delays are caused by background checks, which vary based on your individual circumstances and history, and others could be from the foreign consulate processing your application. VJ does a good job of consolidating this data to make estimates, but it's only as good as the data it has. USCIS can suddenly get very busy sometimes, too. With the new president coming into office soon and his statements regarding immigration as a whole, it could spark an uptake in applications that VJ just doesn't have the data yet to know about.

Many (most?) people on this site are either in the same or similar shoes, or were in them at some point in the past) as you. We want to be with our loved ones, but we just have to be thorough and patient. Best of luck!

Thank you all for your help and advice!!! And I'm sorry everything took so long, it's difficult for him with job options being somewhat low where he is and with his qualifications. We just want to be together, and we're both so young, it's hard to come to terms with that this may be a possible reality.

I called the USCIS today to get an update and better understanding of the K-3 and how I could ensure that the K-3 would get sent to the NVC first so that it would be processed accordingly and I informed the operator I was on call with of the things I had read concerning the virtual pointlessness of the K-3, and was assured that the K-3 is sent first no matter what. Which now makes me confused -- does the operator simply not really know the modern circumstances of the K-3 visa? And why not? I suppose I may still be a little confused as to why the K-3 doesn't work anymore and what's stopping it, because from what I read, it seemed like it was a USCIS problem with sending the petitions at the same time, but now I've been assured that isn't the case by USCIS. Is this more of an NVC problem?

THANK YOU!

--Mel

I really don't have an answer for that I'm afraid

It's okay -- totally understand. Thank you anyway!

There isn't anywhere that can tell you about your case and how long it will take; some of it will depend on your case, how good and convincing your evidence is, and part of it, frankly, is pure luck- where in a big pile of cases your file is, whether the case worker assigned yours is fast or not. Once you get NOA 2 and get to NVC stage, you will have a more concrete idea of how long the rest of your Visajourney will take, based on USCIS figures and stats from this website. Prepare for 14-16 months, be pleasantly surprised if it takes less.

As others have said, the one thing you can do to help this along is to be prepared; make sure your paperwork is in order, read up here on your embassy and what sort of things they are picky on etc.

Lots of luck and being prepared can be equally disheartening and hopeful variables that can affect the visajourney time. Thank you for your advice.

It takes just over a year from going to interview on average; not your case specifically, just average. Yours may go a bit faster or a bit slower, but that is what you should plan for. There is a tiny chance you may get the K3- about 0.1% of cases still get through- but it would save you a month at the most, and it means more expenses and paperwork once he gets to the USA.

Neither of us are very patient, haha! And would be willing to have extra expenditures and paperwork if it means an extra month. Every day feels like a loss. That may sound melodramatic, that's probably because it is a little. Is there anyone or anyplace I could go to that could give a good estimate based on my particular case so I could know whether it'll go faster or slower? Because, in either case, I can prepare better -- should it go faster, WOOHOO! Should it go slower, I can put my funds into another visit to Nepal so we can spend time together in the interim. I don't want to save up to visit if I'm going to have to spend $$$ shortly after for everything else if the case processes more quickly.

The only thing you can do to keep your process from being any slower than usual is making sure you have all paperwork in order, filled out correctly, and have everything you need. What delays most cases are missing paperwork, RFE's for mistakes, and things of that sort. Other than that, it's a waiting process. That's just part of it. Good Luck!

Thank you so much!

k3s are rare and few and far between. I'm uncertain why they're granted. it just depends on case load, evidence, etc, there's no magic formula

Well, there are a lot of things that are rare and few and far between (like international couples for example maybe ). I understand it's unlikely -- but, what do you mean it depends on case load and evidence? It's okay if you can't explain exactly, but I suppose I'm just trying to figure out what our own chances are, without expecting rare but also without tossing it out. I understand there's no magical formula -- I just don't want to wait for my significant other, haha, as no one does.

Thank you again for all of your responses!!

--Mel

It's unfortunate but long waits are part of the process. Everybody has to go through it. For spousal visas it is usually a year.

I understand, thank you. Except that's not always true, not EVERYBODY has to go through as long as that process, though the majority of people seem to. Does anyone know what differences allow those lucky few to get through it that much faster -- or to actually get the K3? Because people DID receive a K3 last year, does anyone know why?

--Mel

average VJ timelines. take a look at stories of others and filing lines. a lawyer doesn't speed up but will sometimes slow down

Gotcha. Yeah, I've noticed the average -- though it's hard to tell what the average will be in the next six months itself. Still, it's a viable answer, thank you for your insight.

--Mel

expect a year to 16 months.

Thank you for your speedy response! Would it be okay if I asked you to elaborate on the basis of your answer? Is this through your own personal experience or are there certain variables that you've picked out in my story that have given you the indication it will take that long?

Thank you!

--Mel

In a desperate attempt to get my husband here with me as fast as possible, I filed for both the I-130 and the I-129F (K-3) visas in the hopes the latter would get approved in the 2-3 month waiting period "advertised", only to find out later that this process is basically obsolete (and sometimes causes the WHOLE thing to move slower). But this still leaves the awful issue of continuing to be separated from my life-partner.

I have to stay here for my job and I've read that an immigrant married to a USC trying to get into America on a tourist visa can get barred even if (or sometimes especially because) they have an I-130 petition processing. We actually tried the route first; we originally couldn't file for a K-1 visa because by the time it would be processed and accepted, we would no longer be engaged but married. We couldn't file for the I-130 (or apparently-obsolete-K3) because at the time of filing we wouldn't be married yet. So we were vaguely advised by USCIS and our Consulate (Nepal) to shoot for a tourist visa, which we were flatly denied and then advised by the officer to not try for again.

Was there anything different I could've done to make this process go faster? Is there something I'm missing? Are we just going to have to wait and sit through the half-a-year to maybe OVER a year waiting process until we can be together? I feel like I tried everything -- other than a lawyer, because along with trying to actually get to Nepal to perform our civil and cultural wedding ceremonies and afford the NEPALI lawyer in order to get our marriage certificate expedited, I really couldn't and can't afford one. We just want to be together and start our lives, like any other young married couple.

Can anyone give me some sort of estimate of the soonest we may be able to (legally) reunite in person? Is there ANY chance they may actually go down the faster K3 visa route? I know since last year there's about a 2% chance, I wish I knew what variables allowed it to happen. I just feel kind of hopeless now, we just married -- it seems like such a long time to wait.