DrivinAForeign

On 11/17/2017 at 8:11 AM, _Mia_ said:

lol thats what my fiancé said too! Can I just check with you how long it took after CEAC changed from issued until you got your courier confirmation?

 

Thanks  

Changed to Issued 11/15

Tracking 11/17 (got it via email)

Set for delivery 11/20

1 hour ago, _Mia_ said:

I understand what you mean. I had my medical at Knightsbridge on the 31st as well.. they required further reporting from my GP, which I literally had sent back to them Friday morning after the medical (3rd) My interview was the 9th.. I called Knightsbridge the day before my interview. They then had 4 working days, and they said that they had not processed it yet due to back logs.. Yesterday they told me it had been sent to the embassy. I'm pretty sure we're almost there but yes it is very frustrating not knowing. I still had to hand in the notice at my work and I have a months notice so would like VOH lol.

Thanks for letting me vent.  

Great news our status was just updated to Issued within the last hour.

Finally done with this.  We've been together for 3.5 years and she's lived with me in the US for nearly a year already.

This has been easily the biggest strain on our relationship.

4 minutes ago, _Mia_ said:

Mine changed from Ready to AP to Ready and today it changed to Application Received.... I'm confused lol

I'm also confused and annoyed.

We did the initial medical on Oct 3.  Did the interview Oct 18. 

During the interview, Knightsbridge called and wanted her to go back, earliest available date was 10/31.

Took them until 11/9 to get the paperwork to the embassy.

Since Nov 13 they've been flipping the status around online on the CEAC tracker.

Expected her to be back by her birthday Nov 22, now just hoping to finally be done with this process.

15 hours ago, PygmyPuff said:

Hello everyone!

 

I've been super busy with real life lately so I've been dying missing all you lovely people. Super huge update: Interview and approval happened on the 9th!!! Sam wrote a wonderful retelling of his experience and embassy review that you can read on our timeline if so inclined.

 

Anyway, I've now begun checking the CEAC tracker religiously. Yesterday is was in "Administrative Processing" and today it changed to "Ready"... that seems a bit strange to me? Any idea what this could mean?

 

<3 s to all!

I'm in the same boat.  We were in admin processing waiting for paperwork.  (approved pending medical)

Looks like they received the paper work updated to ready then it changed back to admin processing.

Hopefully by end of week I know more.  Also dealing with UK.

Had interview on 10/18.

Had a slight hiccup with the medical.

They wanted more information but didn't tell us until the day of the interview.

Our application was set to approved pending medical.

Our application was sitting in admin processing per CEAC site.

Went to doctor on 10/31 got everything situated.  Embassy got the documents on last Thursday, today the case was updated and changed to Ready.

Hoping in the next two days we get confirmation.

Is it worth calling anyone? Dealing with the US embassy in London.  Not sure who I could even call to get more info.

I am filling out my i-134 and have some questions about the supporting evidence

I make about the salary threshold, but in terms of evidence here is what I have:

Check stubbs, for full year 2017.

Tax return for 2016, 2015 (when I started here)

^These will show that I make above the requirement and have since I started in 2015.

I don't have a letter from my employer, as I'm having difficulties getting it from my job.

I can include my bank statement, but not sure if it's needed?

20 hours ago, MJI said:

Congratulations!  (And good luck on the medical). You are a few weeks ahead of us.  We’re applying via London As well.

 

 I don’t have any answers for you but only questions.  How long did it take for you to get the NVC packet from the time you found out your NVC number?  ALSO did you wait for the packet to come before scheduling the interview or did you just use the NVC #? Thanks!

We waited.  I tried to get her to do it earlier but she was paranoid.  I don't think it would hurt much to not wait as long as you have all the required documents.  We had to wait a couple extra days too because the police report hadn't come back yet.

I think we got the notice in the mail about a week before I called the NVC.

Medical scheduled for tmrw in London.

Interview scheduled for 10/18.

My girl is freaking out but I keep telling her this is the easy part.

Anyone have any tips on how to schedule travel?  I know nothing is for certain until she has visa in hand.  I also know about the 1-2 week to get the visa after the interview.

What would be the earliest date it would be "safe" to book a ticket?

Hi.

My NOA2 says:

Notice Type: Approval Notice

Valid from 09/04/2017 to 01/03/2018

Is this saying I have to have the interview done by 1/3/18?  Would I be able to push interview further out if necessary?

Hi

I see this message "Please do not schedule an appointment unless you have received your appointment letter from the National Visa Center or, if your application is being processed by the IV Unit, you have been advised that your case file has been received in the Immigrant Visa Unit, London."

(https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/fiancee-2/medical-examination/)

I have received packet 3 and my case shows as ready on the ceac tracker as on 9/20.

The "appointment letter" part is confusing to me.  It seems from my research that this letter doesn't exist anymore?  Is that accurate?  Do I need a letter before scheduling my medical?

Am I good to go ahead and schedule the interview once I get my medical lined up and fill out the readiness to interview form?

Thanks

5 hours ago, Salty2305 said:

Thank you! 

 

My medical is 12 days away so hoping that's enough time for my case to get to NVC! I'll definitely wait for the case to be ready before I book the interview though. Slightly worried about the letter as I'm moving out of my house in 2 weeks and the mail redirect is notoriously slow down here but I've been told I might not need it when I asked in the UK section. Thanks for your advice  

 

Wow I feel behind now.  Also UK case is already with NVC but haven't scheduled medical yet.

How was it scheduling the medical?  Was it fairly open availability?

Also, you may not know yet, but with the interview how quickly can you get one?  I see you plan to be in US by end of October, which is around what I'd like too!

GL

Thanks

On 9/19/2017 at 1:43 PM, JessnTrev said:

Hello Everyone! 

 

Happy Tuesday.. another day closer! hehe.

 

So today I had my medical appointment at Knightsbridge Doctors and thought i'd let you all know how it went for those wondering!  

 

Turned up a little early (appointment was for 10.10am but got there at 9.50am) make sure you press the buzzer on the side of the building "knightsbridge doctors" which lets you in. 

 

Once your in head to the booth where you'll say your name and hand over all of your documents (ladies in reception are really nice and definitely put you at ease so don't get nervous)   They will give you a urine sample pot which you'll fill and place into a red bag that they give you, hand it back to reception after, they give you like two tick sheets (really simple questions) once I did this I was told to wait in the waiting room until my name was called, I sat down for about 5/10 minutes and a women came in and called my name. I was taken to a room where I removed my top and was told to put a gown on and stand by a x ray machine (Just a reminder: They do tell you to put your hair up for the x ray). After this I was taken to the waiting room again where I was told to wait for another doctor.

 

After 5/10 minutes again another doctor came and she was SO lovely! She is from new zealand and I hope you all get her! put me at ease completely, ended up talking about lots of things about how she moved to the uk etc and even looked at my ring too haha.. I felt so much at ease to the point I didn't even realise she'd finished the blood test and completed all checks..  

 

The checks she carried out in the room with me were as follows:

 

- Checked my temperature 

- Checked my eyes, ears and mouth

- Listened to my breathing

- Took a weight and height recording

- I had to close one eye and read a couple letters off the far wall.

 

And that was literally it.. no vaccines were required as i'd had them all previously. The doctor told me that I was all healthy. 

 

So PLEASE do not worry because it really isn't that bad! I was in and out in about 45 minutes! 

 

Worst part is honestly saying goodbye to £300 haha. 

 

Good Luck to you all and please feel free to message me if you have any questions!  

 

@S*UK Thank you for your message yesterday! Good luck with yours in a couple days! Hope this gives you a good insight to what it will be like, please do not be nervous haha.  

 

@DrivinAForeign Hope this helps! please tell her not to worry.

 

Thanks, this helps a ton.  Glad it seems pretty easy and painless.

26 minutes ago, krizia said:

Its okay! May I know when did you received your notice? 😊 Hardcopy of noa2. 

NO1 4/25

NOA2 9/4 (verified online 9/5)

NOA2 hardcopy 9/8

Got Case # by phone on 9/15. they said they received 9/14

Just now, krizia said:

So you didn't get ur case number?

Oh sorry for the confusion, I was able to get my case number and tracked it on the online website.

NVC got my case # yesterday.  I called today hoping it'd be in before weekend, got lucky.  My NOA2 was 9/5.

Feels good to be making some progress

4 hours ago, JessnTrev said:

Hey Everyone! 

 

Going to go through my medical folder tomorrow (Medical is on Tuesday) at knightsbridge doctors, London. 

 

Can anyone give me a list of everything they took with them? I know I've got the email regarding what to bring, but just 

want to double check that I have the correct things and see if there is anything extra that is needed for the day.

 

I also wanted to ask.. for the embassy meeting, do I need to provide information for how much money I have? Not 100% sure.

 

Please help.

 

Thank you!

Best of luck.

Will you update with how the medical goes?  My girl is in the UK and ours is coming up soon, she's really nervous about what they are going to check on and It'd be cool to see a first hand experience.

Thanks

1 hour ago, TamaraN said:

So, I wanted to post this earlier, but my iphone would not let me access this site, so I had to wait until I got home.

 

I have been calling the USCIS 1-2 times per week for a week or two, and most of the people I spoke to were very kind and understanding. Yesterday, I called again. I was getting nervous because we were nearing the 5 month mark, and people who applied after me were being approved. The tier 1 officer was polite and kind as usual, but the tier 2 officer was a little unprofessional. He basically laughed at me, and said that I am within normal processing time. He said they are still working on February, and that I would definitely be waiting at lease another two months for NOA2. I told him that I knew that wasn't true because people on a forum I am a member of have been approved from March and April, and another tier 2 officer told me that the tracker was last updated June 30th, and wasn't accurate. He replied that the other officer read the screen wrong, because it was updated Aug. 16. He then went on to say that anyone on this website who claims they applied after feb. and have been approved, is lying (even after I told him some people posted screenshots of their approvals." He also told me it is impossible to received notification of approval through text or email, and that they only send letters. I didn't feel like arguing with him, so I said thanks and hung up, frustrated about receiving conflicting information (also, other people had told me my case passed pre-review and was being adjucated and others told me it hadn't even been assigned to anyone).

 

So, I was super surprised today when, at 4:48PM eastern time, I received not one, but 5 text messages from USCIS telling me my case had been updated, and I should check it online. My heart immediately dropped out of my chest, and tears formed in my eyes, and I told myself not to get my hopes up. A few weeks ago, after I changed my address, I got a message telling me my case had been updated, and I got super excited, until I opened it and it was just the address change, it was heartbreaking, and I didn't want to experience it again. We are considered within normal processing time, and my fiance is from Morocco, which could take longer because of certain factors.

 

To my shock, it was in fact our approval. After 137 days (I think) I have my NOA2. I am going to Morocco next week, and I was hoping it would come before I left, and it did!!! I shed some tears of joy! I am almost done collecting all of my documents for his interview, and will take them to Morocco. What's next?? I thought I had everything planned out, but now that I am here, I feel like my mind is blank!!!

 

On a side note, the tracker ap I use on my iphone dropped confetti when I opened it to the approval. 

My NOA1 date was 04/11/17 if anyone is wondering!! 

14

Hi, good to hear you got your NOA2.  When you called how did you get them to tell you about the pre-review, adjudicated, etc.?

34 minutes ago, HappyTogether11 said:

I called the USCIS today because I am very impatient and I am happy I did. They told me I was approved on Aug 14 and that the paperwork is on the way to the NVC. I did not receive any kind of notice yet nor was the website updated.

But its time to celebrate.

1

whats the #?

4 hours ago, Unshakable Faith said:

When I first joined this thread, I told a bit about my story and how I'm a second time filer (with the same fiance).  If you're really interested in that part you can read my signature for the details.  One thing I promised though is that I would give you some helpful hints and instructions that were given to me when filing the first time.

Now that we are seeing (at least two) NOA2 approvals- I wanted to go ahead and share this information with you all!  If you read through this entire post I promise you will have some helpful information.  But beware- it is long! 

 

Here is what I did. Please feel free to absorb and apply as you see fit. 

Step 1:  Obtaining Your Case Number
The average number of days it takes for a file to arrive at NVC after NOA2 is around 3 to 5 business days.  Begin calling on day 3.  The best time to get through is after 6pm (EST) on weeknights.  They remain staffed until 10pm (EST).  The number is (603)-334-0700.
If the first thing you hear is a voice, it will be a recording with a message that says there's a large call volume and then (eventually) hangs up.  Continue to hang up and call again until the first thing you hear is a ring.

After this, you'll need to press two buttons:
1 for English or 2 for Spanish... and then 7 to ask a question.

Special Note:  When you first get into the loop, you can hit 1 (wait 1 second) and then 7- no need to listen to the spiel in between numbers unless you have a burning desire to. 

You could be on hold anywhere from a minute to an hour.  Hopefully the hour would be absolute worst case scenario- just don't plan to do this when you only have 5 minutes of time to spare!

When a CSR is ready to speak, you will hear their phone ring.  They will ask you for 
your case number. The number to give them is the USCIS number that you have been monitoring for the past few months, it should begin with WAC2017...

When you tell them your number they will put it into their system query.  Likely, on your first call, they will say that your file is not there yet, and then tell you that it can take many weeks to arrive.  If your file isn't there, thank them and tell them cheerfully that you will call again tomorrow.  

The mail only runs once per day, so multiple calls in a single day will only irritate them.  Call after 6pm.  If your file has arrived at NVC that day, it will be there.  If not, then call the next day after 6pm. 

When you give them your case file and they ask you for additional information, it means that your file has arrived!!!  You must then tell them the petitioner's full name (that's yours) and birthdate, and the beneficiary's full name 
and birthdate.  This is their security check, so know this information before you call.

They will then tell you your Case File Number if it has been assigned. Sometimes it takes several days to have a case file assigned- sometimes it is assigned the same day.

Your case number will have a 3-letter Prefix relative to your Beneficiary's Embassy City, followed by 2017, and then two 3-digit numbers.

(Fun fact:  The last three numbers are what order the cases were assigned that day.   For example, if your last three digits are 029, you were the 29th case assigned that day.)

This number will stay with your file for the rest of this journey.  Write it down!

Step 2:  Checking your CEAC Status
After many calls to NVC and short eternities of horrible on-hold music (haha), you finally have your case file.  Enjoy the stroll from here on out, it can go by very quickly!!

You can now check your case status at: https://ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracker/status.aspx

Under Visa Application Type- Select Immigrant Visa 
Under Immigrant Visa Case Number- type in you newly minted Case File Number.

Step 3:  The Last Steps
Now, you will have one of a few answers to you query.  At NVC, In Transit, Arrived, or Ready.  "Ready" is the magic word.  That means that not only is your case at the Embassy, but it is already entered into the system.  After paying your visa fee, you can submit your DS-160 and schedule your interview!!!

On many Embassy websites, you can download your packet 3 instructions and help your fiance prepare what is needed before the interview.  These are country-specific instructions.   For my fiance's country (Nigeria), the packet was on their website.  They also eventually emailed it to me, but I didn't wait for their email since I obtained it from their website.  This packet will give you instructions about the medical exam and the police report that is needed before the interview.

 

Some of you may want to be present for your fiance(e)'s interview.  Some countries do not allow the petitioner to enter into the embassy for the interview with the beneficiary.   Nigeria is one of those countries that do not allow it, but I was present on the property for the interview and he took my passport inside with him to show that I was there!

It is suggested that you take additional evidence to the interview.  The embassy will have the copy of your petition and any documents that you sent along with it.  My suggestion is that you take proof of your relationship from the time you submitted your petition until now.  We took copies of call logs, excerpts of WhatsApp chat logs and additional pictures.  Also, don't forget the updated Intent To Marry documents as well as the Affidavit of Support (I-134).

Personally speaking, in preparation for our interview, I read all of the consulate reviews for Nigeria.  That was possibly a little overboard but Nigeria is a high fraud country so any preparation is beneficial.  I wrote down all of the questions that were asked to the beneficiaries and my fiance and I practiced them thoroughly many times- there were about 100 different questions between all of the reviews.  We had a lot of fun preparing and it was a good opportunity to hear some of the answers that he would give if he was asked certain questions!  This will help to build their confidence and to iron out any details in answers that they may not know.

This can be a very exciting time but can also be very stressful on both parties.  Be understanding, be loving, and be supportive!  Remember that your loved one is facing, in most cases, leaving everything and everyone they've ever known to travel to a country that they may not have ever been to.

I pray that each one of you have a safe journey for the rest of this time and that the Lord's will be done for you, your fiance(e),  and your marriage.  Blessings to each of you!

I've been through this process before, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!!

I called and after 30 mins of hold was able to get a hold of someone.

My NOA1 notice date is 4/25

They told me that they had no record of my case after I gave them the WAC number.  I was trying to get my case number but maybe I called too early in the process.

Hi.

I'm working through the K1 process and received a letter from the Dept of Homeland Security.

One of the letters is titled Subject: Recent Change of Address.  It instructs me to file an AR-11 form.

It's a bit confusing for me, so I wanted to reach out for some additional clarification.

The form only has my info on it.  It has my current address already listed.  I have not changed address since 2015.  

Is the form asking for my info (US citizen) or my gf?  It has my info on it, so I'm assuming me.

If I have not changed address recently, do I need to fill this form out?

What would trigger this form?  What is the reason for it?

I've tried to google it but couldn't find a clear answer on how it relates to my K1.  Thanks for any help you guys can provide.