jesserz

3 minutes ago, Patrick008 said:

Does anyone know what the process of once you have exceeded the eight weeks and still have not received a number? I called the day after the eighth week and the help desk agent told me they would “send a note to “the supervisor”  and let them know this is late” 

 

I then called the next day and was told  they would “send a note to “the supervisor”  and let them know this is late” . This seems to be a scripted response without much meaning. I doubt there is a single supervisor as the help desk response implies. Maybe its escalated to a priority queue? Or does it just sit in the same queue waiting for a worker to finally decide to work it?

 

Has anyone requested to talk to The Supervisor? Does it work? 

 

 

Everyone has a different story with the supervisor thing. I got "elevated to a supervisor" and was put on hold and then got to talk to a "tier 2 officer." I didn't ask for the elevation, it just happened. The next day, I had a case number. Others have been "elevated" for weeks. Maybe start throwing around the phrase "tier 2 officer?"

13 hours ago, cazzz84 said:

Hi guys,

 

I’ve been following the forums for some time now on this site without signing up. Today I decided to sign up to maybe help others and in turn get some help!

 

Ive updated my timeline with as much info as I currently have... I was surprised when I was reading some of the threads about wait times as I received my case number 6 weeks and 1 day after NVC received our case - pretty sure it was just sheer luck.

I can also confirm that UK is PIVOT (which I’m guessing must be a recent change as some in past months have been non-PIVOT)

 

One question which I do have is that when my husband was scanning his AOS, it didn’t all fit in one file. It was split into 4 files and he added 3 as additional documents - will this affect us getting a CC? Or would we be likely to get a checklist?

Welcome and congrats on the quick case number. I'm not sure about the checklist for multiple files. I just made all mine in to pdfs. You know, it *should* be fine because human eyes should be able to recognise something so simple as the same packet in 4 files, but there seems to be some pickiness here. Let us know what happens!

3 minutes ago, jess3 said:

Well they wrote me that all the payments were received, all the documents are accepted and that they will schedule an appointment at the embassy now. But we havent gotten anything specific to case closed yet. 

You can go here: https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?eQs=o/iS8zDpeAKjMWCuebHqOw==

And then if it says "at NVC" then you got a CC.  Just so you know.

5 hours ago, ramesesthe2nd said:

Is that true? I thought that was only for interview process. 

 

 

And how do you include chat in your supporting docs. My chat with my wife is literally thousands of pages. 

Just print out some chats from various points over your marriage to show you've been talking consistently. And best to use parts that show talk of the future or of money or your life together rather than the "I love you"s (though, by all means include some love as well). 

43 minutes ago, A.Ali said:

@jesserz @Caterpillar8 @jpat101
 Hi
NVC hasn't changed the date they received my case to the actual date yet!

Any updates on your cases?

I'm sorry to hear that! No updates here. So waiting for CC or checklist. 

Just now, Dagar said:

Question. I paid aos fee on may 29. The status changed to paid on may 31 but still keep locked the second fee. How many days i should wait to pay the IV fee?

Hmmm that's odd. All my fees opened up on the same day. You might want to call NVC about that.

2 hours ago, Herostratus said:

We ended up uploaded three different versions of my Birth Certificate to get it in the right format/orientation. - there was no issue

Oh that makes me feel a lot better. Thank you!

9 minutes ago, Mike&Ella said:

Hi everyone here! We submitted our documents on May, 15. Last night my husband got an email where they ask to add some more documents. And I have just checked the status and it says "At NVC" Does it mean case complete? Or we still should upload those additional documents? Any ideas? Thank you for help

Allegedly that means you bring those additional documents to the interview and your case is complete. Unless it specifically says otherwise.

I would call them. Call the USCIS and tell them what happened. When did you send this?

Anyone have any experience with deleted duplicate documents from CEAC? We're PIVOT, and haven't heard anything from them since the 22nd of May, but I did submit a couple of documents twice (one on purpose, and a few on accident). Will they just delete the duplicates or are they going to make me start over again? 

Enough time has passed that I'm starting to worry about EVERYTHING.

Did we put the right addresses on the I-130 form? Does our joint sponsor make enough? Did we spell anything wrong?

I really want this to just be a funny memory already...

"Up to 6 weeks" is their official answer. I've seen 5 days, I've seen 20+ days. There's no way to know. It appears that there is absolutely no method to the madness.

3 hours ago, peachouille said:

Seriously, this whole Pivot thing is such a joke. Non-pivot cases with the same receive date already have interviews in July because they got their case number in half the time and CC in a matter of days. 

It really is! You have very similar dates to us and are also in a less crowded embassy (we're going through Frankfurt) so we're probably to expect the same timelines. It's beyond frustrating that we had all this sparkle and fanfare with the whole PIVOT thing, but it's to no real advantage.

3 hours ago, alialmawla11 said:

Whats so confusing is when you come here you see people with the same details yet the processing is different. Case numbers some got it in 5 weeks, 6, 8, 9 (for me) and CC some get in 5 days and some are on their 20th day and nothing which is very weird.

It's so disheartening for those of us in "limbo." We're hoping for that 5 days CC and when that does happen, we have no predictions.

17 hours ago, Matt&Court said:

Seems like everyone but me knew it was 6 months. I was following the London’s embassy page which is linked to in the K-1 letter.

 

https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/family-immigration/required-documents/

 

I see now on other websites that it states 6 months. They informed me this was a new update with London as of April 2018.

Don't worry, I was under the impression that it was 1 year as well. I believe I had even been told on this forum that it was so. We lived in the Czech Republic for 11 months, and I thought I was just "being safe" by getting a police certificate anyway but it turns out that I would have been screwed if I hadn't.

48 minutes ago, Mike&Ella said:

We also didn't feel the 'privilege' of the electronic process. First waited for 10 weeks to get the case number. Now it's been 17 days since we submitted our documents. Nothing yet

17 days. Oh I was so hoping you'd say something like "It's been 7 days."

They give you just enough to keep the blood boiling constantly. I'm so anxious about these last few steps. After waiting so long.

We're a PIVOT case and we submitted all our documents on the 22nd May. I feel like there's nothing faster about being PIVOT. By the way, what's this about the NVC only scheduling interviews at the end of the month? How do you all have such insider info?

I'm not the 100% expert here, but here's a direction to look towards: Adjustment of Status. I think (again, not an expert, but look in to it) you can do that if you got married on a visa waiver or tourist visa so long as it wasn't your original intent, which, you've already said it wasn't. But I don't know how that works with overstaying. I mean, I don't know if you can overnight the documents so that it's all done in a timely manner. If that's a dead end, then you should probably leave ASAP and file the I-130.

Also congrats on the wedding!

2 hours ago, A.Ali said:

I had a scary call with the NVC just now!

The NVC received my case on March 30th (more than eight weeks), and they confirm that each time I call them. Today, the representative informed me that they don't have my case and I should contact NVCresearch@state.gov! I got so depressed and It took me a while to absorb the shock.

 

Then I called them again, and this time another representative redirected me to dial option five where I got updated that the case is now in the system starting from today for the case number prcoess.

 

I hope this controversy doesn't show any bad signs!

 

 

I had something similar happen!

I had called every day and they told me they received my case on March 23rd. Every single time. For almost 8 weeks. Then, one day she said "call back and dial option 5" and they told me they received it on May 11th! Which is so so so wrong! Did you get them to "elevate your case?" They did that for me and the next day, we got a case number.

So you're not alone!

11 hours ago, Sukie said:

Believe me, the Taxi and Limousine Commission is well aware when the boats are docking.  There will be yellow cabs and black cars lined up to take you where you want to go!  Be sure to ask around to see if any of your fellow cruisers are going to the same hotel - sharing a cab really cuts down on expenses - especially with the 10% tip.

 

Taxis are metered - make sure the meter is running.  Black cars can be licensed or rogue.  Agree on the fare BEFORE you leave the cruise terminal.  Taxi fare into NYC from the Brooklyn terminal should be around $30 (with no traffic) + $1 fee + bridge/tunnel toll ($8.50) + tip.  If you arrive at rush hour, the fare can go as high as $60.

 

Sukie in NY

Yeah that's true, they'd be bad at their jobs if they weren't all waiting there for the cruise people. The terminal we'll be docking in will be the Manhattan Cruise terminal, not the one in Brooklyn. I originally thought that too, but no, it's Manhattan. Up at 51st in Hell's Kitchen. 

11 hours ago, HK12 said:

Yeah... The Amtrak part was a pain to be honest. Since my final destination was a town that did not have checked baggage service available, I had to carry everything on. First, at Penn Station, the elevators were not working, so I had to carry all of my bags down the stairs (couldn't find any Redcaps to help me). On the train, you're supposed to store your bags by the door, unattended, for everyone who walks by to easily steal them. No thanks! I had a sleeper cabin upstairs, so I dragged all of my luggage up into the tiny cabin, where I could keep an eye on it. It was uncomfortable with so little space, but better be safe than sorry! I had to change trains in Chicago, where I had huge trouble figuring out how the storage units worked (half of them were actually not functioning)... At least they had several Redcaps there, who helped me carry my bags to the train.

 

So basically, the cruise part was awesome, but I would not do the train part again with that much baggage.

 

Oh man, I once had a sleeper on the top and carried all my bags up to the room with me (I only had three, but still) and the conductor/porter/room attendant was incredibly angry with me. I got yelled at a lot that day. It soured the whole trip. Then the train ahead of us ran in to troubles and we had to be bused for 12 hours in the dead of night, but that's a story for another time. But anyway, we'll also have to change in Chicago but we'll only have 4 hours or so, so maybe we'll just sit it out in the station. Do you remember if they had a "lounge" for the sleeper people? I mean, the one in Sacramento was just an area hidden behind some fake palm trees, but it was away from all of the fighting and yelling of the people in the main area. It will only be my husband's second time in the USA and the first time was a business trip to San Francisco, so I don't want to scare him too much right away.

You should write a book! I'd read it for sure.

Oh you got an automated message it would appear. Best to call if you're still unsure, or when you get to the NVC stage, you can say the certificate isn't required and write an explanation with a printed shot of the website page stating otherwise. But, I think they're just going to keep referring you to the same page. 

Phone calls are always better, and written explanations with sources from the US government are also good.

Can you contact a Kuwait embassy where you live to ask them some more information? 

5 hours ago, Alabamak1 said:

Depending on how much luggage you have...try AirBnb in NJ. I stayed at some pretty decent ones for less than $100

I never thought of that. That's a good idea! Thank you.

3 hours ago, HK12 said:

 

I sailed with Cunard on the Queen Victoria. At that time (January 2013), there were no other cheaper cruise lines available doing the transatlantic crossing, so I didn't have a choice, but I don't regret spending the extra dollars at all -  it was a truly wonderful and unforgettable experience!

 

You may want to check with your cruise line, but Cunard had an unrestricted baggage allowance, so I took advantage of that. I did send most of my belongings beforehand via DHL, but there were quite a few things that were too valuable to me to possibly get lost in transit, so I took them with me. It was a bit of a hassle later on on the Amtrak (logistics of transporting the bags, storing them on the train), but it did work out.

You did Amtrak too? See, we're also planning to do that. Going to get all the way to Portland via trains. Basically just avoiding planes completely. I'm also thinking about our things which are too valuable to send by DHL. Mostly sentimentally valuable, and that pile is much bigger than the "ship to USA" pile. So we may be bogged down with luggage too. Don't they check luggage on Amtrak for you? Because I can't imagine leaving this stuff at the luggage rack, which, last time I was on one of those trains, was right by the door where it could easily be stolen.

When you log in to pay the fees and all that, there's a number that you type in. I'm not sure what the code for Haiti is, something like PAP maybe? It would begin with three letters, then have 10 numbers after it. The first 4 numbers would be 2018 or perhaps 2017 (if you got it last year). Hopefully that helps. It should be listed on your receipt too.

12 hours ago, Ben & Katy said:

How far in advance can you reschedule an interview? For example if your interview is on July 15th,2018 could it be rescheduled for May 15th,2019? 

Oh wow, I have no idea on that one. I feel like there is a year limit at all of these stages for the visa application. But once it makes it to the embassy I'm not sure, you'll have to call your embassy.

13 hours ago, Sukie said:

Try the Hampton Inn chain in Manhattan.  Free breakfast!  That is where we stay (we stay at the Times Square North Hampton).  You will need to take a taxi from the cruise terminal (if it is the one in Brooklyn/Red Hook), as there is really not a fast way to do it via subway.

 

Hotel Pennsylvania is right at Penn Station if that is where your train leaves from.  The New Yorker Wyndam Hotel is close, too.

 

We have relatives leaving NYC for Southampton on August 3.  Sounds like so much fun!

 

Sukie in NY

Oh thank you for the hotel advice! I will check those. Best I could find during my general search was a shared bathroom situation. We're not entirely keen on that haha. The cruise really does seem like a fun adventure!

9 hours ago, HK12 said:

 

I think I sent the e-mail about a month before my arrival (not sure if I remember correctly), and I received a response within a day. As I wrote in my review, we immigrants went through the same line as everyone else did and were then directed to a separate area for further/secondary processing. Processing at secondary was very fast - I think it took less than five minutes from me being taken there to walking out of there. Everyone at immigration that I interacted with seemed knowledgeable about immigrant visas, so don't worry about that! One weird thing was that there was no customs check at all (so basically you could have brought in just about anything illegal you had wanted to ), but of course, that might have changed by now. Oh, and they have porters at the terminal who will help you with your luggage for a small fee, which I personally definitely appreciated since I had 7 large and heavy bags with me.

 

I spent two nights in NYC at the Travel Inn. It was alright for the price (around $100.00 a night for a double room, which is on the inexpensive side for NYC) - don't expect any luxuries, but it was clean and within a walking distance from Times Square and Broadway. I just took a taxi cab from the cruise terminal to the hotel, and two days later from the hotel to the train station, but other than that, I walked or used the subway. 

 

Good luck, I'm sure everything will work out fine!  

 

 

Wonderful! Oh thank you so much. Which cruiseline did you sail with? We're thinking of sending most of our stuff to the US through DHL before we leave. Seems like the best option and I wasn't aware that you could bring more than just a suitcase on a cruise with you. I'll also check out the travel inn, $100 is completely doable given the other options are usually 400-500/night. Shame that airbnbs are equally expensive. I was only worried that taxis would be tough to come by with all those people coming off the cruise probably needing one.

Thanks again! This has eased a lot of worries!

5 hours ago, TearsOfBabylon said:

I'm sorry, I can't help you out with an answer. I do think since it's a "normal" POE they have officers as on an airport, maybe not too experienced with K1 entry.... but why I'm posting:

Are you planning to sail in on THE QUEEN?
Omg how exciting that would be!

No, actually, not the Queen Mary but that is what began the whole thought process! We found something cheaper that actually goes to some cool ports before crossing and thought that would be more fun even if it's a little less sophisticated.  

5 hours ago, HK12 said:

@jesserz I think I might be able to help. I actually immigrated by sea through the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in 2013. Came on the Queen Victoria from Southampton. I was nervous like you about the procedures and sent an e-mail to CBP before my departure. They responded immediately and told me basically that it would not be a problem - and it did, indeed, turn out to be really easy. You can read my POE review on my profile: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=126144 (scroll down to the POE review). 

 

I actually think that immigration by sea happens more often than people think - on my cruise, I met three people (a German couple and a guy from England) who were also immigrating.

 

If you have any other questions, let me know. I loved the whole cruise experience. The most amazing part was slowly passing by the lit up Statue of Liberty in the early morning hours of the date of arrival - such an emotional moment!  

Oh wonderful! You actually did it!  How soon before your arrival did you send that email? And it went well, that's good! You also had your interview at Frankfurt, I see. That's where we're having our interview too. So we have a lot in common! Did you spend some time in NYC too? And, when you arrived, did you and the other immigrants get to go off in a separate area to hand in your packets? And, less of an immigration matter and more of a logistics, is the cruise terminal very easy to get to public transport from?

I'm so glad someone else has an experience to share!