wanderlust88

myself and everyone i know have done it without a lawyer. straightforward cases. a relative consulted a lawyer before starting the process and was surprisingly straight up told that if your English is good and you can follow instructions on the form, you don't need a lawyer. they cannot speed up the case in any way.

myself and everyone i know have done it without a lawyer. straightforward cases. a relative consulted a lawyer before starting the process and was surprisingly straight up told that if your English is good and you can follow instructions on the form, you don't need a lawyer. they cannot speed up the case in any way.

wow thanks for the very comprehensive answer!  this is helpful for me and others who are also viewing this thread. you are right, i meet the requirements for 2555 as i lived in UAE all my life before moving to the US mid year. we are also planning to do it through turbotax some time in february. i will write a review of my experience once we've completed the filing.

Just wanted to share this for the benefit of those who may need to do this:
 
-I entered the US one day after my second wedding anniversary
-The CBP officer asked about our wedding date and then stamped my passport with IR1 
-When I received my green card in the mail 3 months after entering the US, it said "CR1" with an expiry date in 2 years
-I filed the I90 online within a week of receiving the CR1 green card
-I selected USCIS error as my reason for submitting the I90 and did not have to pay anything
-In a few days, I was scheduled a biometric appointment
-I had to reschedule my appointment and that went smoothly
-A week after I attended the biometric appointment, I received a mail from USCIS asking for my original green card in the mail (to be sent within 87 days)
-I was traveling in a month's time so I didn't send it in right away
-I mailed my original green card after I returned from my trip. I also included a copy of my marriage certificate and a copy of my passport with the IR1 stamp.
-I received my new IR1 green card in two weeks
 
 
 

they're unrelated, but when you move your sponsor will need to cancel the uae visa.

here's the details of next steps:
https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/iv-dv-supplemental/ABD_Abu-Dhabi.pdf
 
i just registered my interview
 

i JUST got the email as i typed this. 

got my interview date as well  20th March!
alhamdulillah!
 

got my interview date as well  20th March!
alhamdulillah!
 

they have consistently high diversity visa numbers and very low CR1 numbers. who in the world thought it was a good idea to prioritize applications of people who get green cards through a LOTTERY when they may or may not have family in the US (definitely no close relatives as they would've applied through them then) while SPOUSES have to wait for ages for an interview! it makes me so upset.

Maybe it's selfish of me to say this but I wish they prioritized UAE citizen and resident applications. We can't apply from anywhere else and are stuck because of backlog from other countries...

ugh so sorry to hear that!! 

this is very depressing. your timeline says your interview was on 5th September - was that rescheduled?!
 
December seems like a long way but i hope it's no later than that. I just don't see how they think it is okay to make US citizens wait up to 2 years to live with their spouse. maybe if they had an alternative between the fiance visa and a direct green card, where the bulk of the waiting period is spent by the beneficiary with the spouse in the US, it wouldn't be so bad. but to be separated AND have to wait endlessly is torture.

hey our dates are very close! my cc is june 8, 2017 and i received the notification on june 15, 2017. agreed about the wait time - it is causing a lot mental and emotional stress and anxiety. 

just an update: i am currently awaiting my interview date (received NVC CC) and was able to enter on B1 visa on Friday. So far I have visited twice during I-130 stage (B2) and once after NVC stage (B1).

I understand you. I've waited for 5months just for my appointment interview. Im so excited yet nervous. But dont worry you will hear it soon. 
 

i almost feel like i need a support group for myself and others who are waiting for months at end for an interview date at abu dhabi embassy. i'm not able to plan holidays or travel outside the country because i keep thinking it can be scheduled the next month. last night i had a nightmare about it! it is seriously affecting my peace of mind and my husband's. i'm assuming there are others in the same boat

congratulations! my CC is June 8 and im still awaiting an interview date. Good to see that dates are being handed out finally! 

based on that CC to interview spreadsheet, it's an average of 5 months between CC and interview for Abu Dhabi embassy! this is so painful.