Natalie_Bart

13 hours ago, eastcoastgroove said:

We have called, thats the problem! When we call, they tell us they havent received our petition, which doesn't make sense since people approved weeks after us are getting their case numbers already.  There's a handful of people I've seen around here with the same issue.  Not sure if it's sitting around in a mailroom or what but after the NOA2 I thought I had a better idea of when I would be able to move but now it's all up in the air again, which is what's so frustrating. 

 

 

I understand how frustrating the whole process is. Your ability to make plans for the immediate future are contingent on a system that doesn't give you any answers--it feels really disrespectful at times, considering that you probably have your life on hold waiting for this to go through.

I'm wondering if the government has a system in place that prioritizes certain countries or puts caps on the numbers of visas issued during a given time period based on the volume from each country. Just a guess--I could be off base on that idea. Did you see this page that lists how many visas are pending and how many have been issued per country? Take a look: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/stats.php?cfl=

The NOA2 letter says you should get an answer within 30 days, so if you call on the 19th of June and still get silence then maybe check out an immigration attorney. 

8 hours ago, S & G said:

For K1 visa, to receive a case # can take up to 8 weeks! I hope none of us need to go through this. It takes 6 weeks for them to receive and 2 weeks to assign case #.

I am on my 30th day. 

 

You might try calling the NVC to ask if your case has been logged in the system. I called yesterday, two weeks after my NOA2 was issued, and was told they had just assigned me a case number that day and that my case had been sent to the consulate in my fiance's country. The physical file, I was told, will take another few weeks to be sent to his consulate, but it's good to have the case number in the meantime. I'm not sure if you can set up the consulate appt with just the case number or not.

15 minutes ago, RJandHamid said:

It takes around 2 weeks for the NVC to receive your case, and then an average of 1-2 more weeks to be assigned a case number. Most call the NVC to get their case number, however they do mail out a physical letter with it as well. I got the letter in the mail last week, about 2 weeks after my case number was assigned and my case was sent to the consulate. So overall, about a month after my NOA2 (May 5) I received the letter. 

 

Thanks! Are there more forms to fill out or fees to pay at this stage? Or does the NVC just assign the case number and book the appointment with the fiance's consulate location?

3 minutes ago, cordoba2015 said:

We received our case number almost 3 weeks after NOA2. It took a week for USCIS to send our petition to NVC after approval. Then it took a week to arrive at NVC, and almost a week for a case number to be assigned once received by NVC. I called NVC after a couple weeks to see if they had received our petition so I could have an idea of when the case number would be available. All I really cared about at that point was getting the case number and invoice number so I could pay the fees and get everything submitted as soon as possible.

 

I had no idea there would be more fees to pay at this stage. Once they give me a case number, what's the next step? Are there more lengthy forms to fill out? I was under the impression that the approved USCIS application is forwarded by the NVC to the consulate after this phase, am I wrong?

12 hours ago, cordoba2015 said:

Call NVC to see if they have received the petition.

Do you have a phone number for the NVC? When I call the one I have an automated message plays and then the line disconnects.

Does anyone have information on how long it takes for the National Visa Center to contact the applicant by mail following the NOA2 approval from USCIS? The NOA2 document indicates it could be up to 30 days, but I was hoping it might be quicker! Mine was apparently sent to NVC on May 24 and I haven't heard anything since. Any advice is appreciated. 

On 6/9/2017 at 11:05 PM, Scofield said:

My RFE response was received on June 2 and I'm hoping for NOA2 by June 18. Hope you receive yours any day now. My heart sinks every time I check email to find no updates. Let us know when you receive it.

 

The timeline between when I sent my RFE back to USCIS and my NOA2 approval was 8 days. I was approved on May 23. 

12 minutes ago, cbj said:

I called them the other day because even though I've already received the NOA2, the website still only said RFE received. And I told them that I haven only received one text and email when lockbox received my application. They told me don't worry about the website update, go by what I received in the mail. And then they told me that you only receive the test / email when lockbox receives your applcation. The intention of the for G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance is only to give you confirmation they've received your application. Not to expect a text/email with status updates along the way after they receive the application. I misunderstood its purpose. But that's what the firm says, now that I've read it.

3

That makes sense. I was surprised to see the approval letter in the mail today because the website status still hasn't been updated since they received my RFE response on 5/15. But happy nonetheless so I'm not asking more questions! 

9 minutes ago, cbj said:

I called them the other day because even though I've already received the NOA2, the website still only said RFE received. And I told them that I haven only received one text and email when lockbox received my application. They told me don't worry about the website update, go by what I received in the mail. And then they told me that you only receive the test / email when lockbox receives your applcation. The intention of the for G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance is only to give you confirmation they've received your application. Not to expect a text/email with status updates along the way after they receive the application. I misunderstood its purpose. But that's what the firm says, now that I've read it.

 

2 minutes ago, Dutchster said:

I applied for adjustment of status after getting married. Your fiance will use the K-1 visa to enter the US, get him a social security number the following week or same week (always easy to already have so he can get his ) and get married. File AOS once you have the marriage certificate. You can file for I-765 and I-131 together in the I-485 package, it's free. It'll be approved within 90-120 days.

 

Thanks. So Adjustment of Status and the work permit applications are filed together after the marriage then?

58 minutes ago, Dutchster said:

It took my petition exactly 30 days from the USCIS to the NVC and it was in the Netherlands within a week, which was in the month May. Had my interview in July. Looking at the timelines from USCIS to Interview approval for Dutchies, it's still around 6 months total. 

 

When did you apply for adjustment of status? What about a permit to work in the US? Do you wait until you're married, or can we start that paperwork once the visa is issued after the consulate interview? So many steps!

On 5/26/2017 at 5:08 AM, Dutchster said:

I assume you got a request for additional evidence so lucky part, no reset of the application. There was just a brief stop on your case so now they received the response, they will start working on it as soon as they get to your petition again. It can vary so much, please don't compare case to case.

Mine was approved two and a half week after submitting my response to my I-129F RFE last year. It could go from a week to several weeks. We can give you some estimates but it's mostly wild guessing based on VJ members. 

 

Thanks for the advice. I received the NOA2 today, so that process has taken about 4 months total. Now we just need a consulate interview. How long did that take you from the time your NOA2 was approved?

On 5/27/2017 at 0:15 PM, Bendite said:

When you received your approval was it via mail or text?

I received my approval from USCIS today via the mail. I didn't get a text this time. 

On 5/24/2017 at 5:50 PM, Emmz said:

did u got NOA2 already? my status also after we sent our RFE letter is received

I received my NOA2 today! The letter is dated 5/24. 

36 minutes ago, Emmz said:

did u got NOA2 already? my status also after we sent our RFE letter is received

Not yet. A little over a week has passed since they received my response, so I figure it will take a bit longer. When did you send yours in?

9 hours ago, Emmz said:

how many days did u received the noa2 after u submit ur RFE in uscis? and what is ur RFE if u dont mind thanks

I haven't received the NOA2 yet, but USCIS received my response on 5/15. They wanted to see photos of us together in person within the past two years.

3 hours ago, Emmz said:

we just got RFE today 😢 we are january filers 2017 

I also filed in January. I received the RFE on 5/12 and overnighted the documents back to USCIS, so I'm hoping it will move along relatively quickly from here. You don't really know what to expect though.

3 hours ago, Olgaolga said:

USCIS received our REF documents on April 21. Almost a month ago. We continue to wait. Patience is running out. But they can review the documents within 60 days .... sad///

 

It's tough--I'm in the same situation. Hang in there!

9 minutes ago, cbj said:

I received my NOA2 in the mail yesterday and the USCIS website has not been udpated. It still says RFE Rec'd. 

That's interesting. When did you send in your original application? They notified me yesterday that they received my RFE documents and were resuming with the processing of my case, so I'm curious what to expect next. Thanks! And congrats on your approval

I sent in the documents for the RFE on 5/12 and was wondering if anyone could tell me how long it generally takes to process the visa from here? Thanks in advance.

27 minutes ago, SoCalMan said:

Thanks everyone for all the replies! My other question is, we have met already but unfortunately we did not take a selfie pic together. However I probably won't be submitting the form until years from now (we want to visit each other more first) As long as the photos of us together are within the last 2 years is what matters correct?

 

Yes, the pics should be during the 2 years preceding your visa application, according to the documents I received from the govt.

7 hours ago, SoCalMan said:

Hey everyone, thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions.

 

i have a question that has been worrying me. My girlfriend is german and she would like to visit America (me) for 2 or 3 weeks. Will this cause red flags or show suspicious activity when I apply for the I-129F Fiancé visa when she's back in Germany?

 

also, are passport stamps, and boarding passes from her valid when I put them in my I-129 form/packet? I was under the impression they only want passport stamps from the American petitioner?

 

Also must those passport stamps and boarding passes from her in my I-129F be translated by a certified translator? 

 

 

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I'm an American citizen with a fiance in the Netherlands. I applied for the K-1 on Jan. 31, and this week received an "RFE" from Homeland Security, which is a document requesting more info before they will continue processing your application. Although I put passport stamps from both us of in the original application packet, the "RFE" asked for further evidence of our engagement--they straight out asked for photos and other evidence that we've together in person. Hopefully this will help you avoid the mistake I made because if I had sent the photos back in January I wouldn't be dealing with this delay.

As far as her visiting you here, the best advice is to always be honest with the border people, and definitely make sure she has a 2-way ticket back to Germany because they could send her back if she shows up the airport on a one-way. My fiance was just here for 7 weeks, and I think they can stay on visitors visas up to 6 months. Hope that advice helps you.

1 hour ago, Danni_xo said:

Don't feel discouraged! I feel your frustration. We filed I-129F on Jan 11th and received RFE on Apr 26 when almost every other case around our case number got an approval way before us. Since our mailing address was in Canada, we waited a little over a week just for the physical letter to arrive. During that week, I was trying to think what I could have possibly missed. I was over confident about the legitimacy of our relationship and only sent in a lot of photos (including both sides of family members, with our friends, the ones taken at different landmarks) but overlooked the fact that pictures didn't show any time/date!!! We had so many evidence available but I never sent them to USCIS...

 

So our RFE states "REQUIREMENT THAT PETITIONER AND BENEFICIARY HAVE MET IN PERSON" and in smaller font, it says "circumstances of meeting" and "personal meeting". 

 

I ended up writing a cover letter explaining how and when we met, and that we had been living together for almost 2 years. And I did a checklist of the documents/evidence I included in the responding package. Our joint lease agreement, joint property insurance, joint account statements, trip itineraries/airline booking and billing receipts, photocopies of our passports including Japan Landing Permission and Chinese visitor Visa that was issued on the same day, and time and location stamped snapshots of my facebook page. I sent in over 1lb worth of evidence to show them that our relationship is REAL! LOL  

 

Hope this makes you feel a little better. I truly don't think that the government is treating you or me or anyone that receives a RFE like a criminal. I'm sure they have guidelines to follow and perhaps have upper level audits and reviews to ensure that they follow the policies when approving a case. You might want to start thinking what you might have missed and have the evidence ready to go! We just sent back the package yesterday. So good luck to both of us  

 

Good luck to you! I hope you get a fast and positive response from them. It's nice to have this forum to talk to other couples dealing with the same situations. A pound of documents? That's quite a lot, but it is so much better to be safe than sorry. 

Some of my friends have said we should just get married, but I think that would only delay the process at this point because the government requires a different visa application for married couples from what I hear.

I've also heard that the government frowns on any evidence that shows you're already starting a life together in the US without their permission---i.e.--joint bank accounts and leases and whatnot. If you're living in Canada that might be a different situation obviously.

I'm just trying to play by the rules and do this right the first time so the process goes as quicky as possible. 

12 hours ago, Anh map said:

Just wait for the RFE and submit the needed information. No need to try and guess what's lacking.   Adding extra stress and worry doesn't help the situation.  This process takes time.  

 

Good point! Thanks for the advice. No need to stress about things you can't control.

5 minutes ago, Steve & Ligia said:

Were you able to send overnight? California service center is where we are sending ours.

I explained in my original application that I met my fiance at a wedding through mutual friends, which is 100% true. I sent passport stamps showing all of my trips to the Netherlands and his to the U.S. since the wedding. Shouldn't that be enough proof?