Killowatts

My fiance in Medellin looks forward to the I-129 process, but I think I need to consult an attorney because she has requested that her 23 year old daughter come over with her.  I have plenty of rooms in the house, but I told her I am not sure that she can bring another adult foreigner with her on the I-129 path.  I suppose we could marry there and proceed with a family visa, but even then.  Would I have to adopt the daughter to petition her to come as well?

Curious,

Ray and Paola

The las Vegas DMV told my wife she can't have a RealID drivers license because her i-94 shows expired in August and Homeland shows pending.  Hers says "not valid as id"

We married in March and applied for AOS in May.

Do we get some kind of updated i94 status eventually?

Success.  We arrived in Hong Kong yesterday for our "vacation", having shown a return trip.  We are now at the gate waiting to board for SFO.  CFO scam averted.

CFO is turning into a worse roadblock than any American part of the Visa process.  We are also now approved but no office will see her before Mid-March at best.  We are considering taking a 'vacation' to Hong Kong and then departing from there.  Total bullcrap system.

We experienced some delays during the medical screening at St. Luke's that caused us to slide our Embassy appointment date back a week, but I'm happy to share that our Valentine's Day present today from the US was a successful Embassy Interview.  Visa: Approved.  Now awaiting return of passport "in one to two weeks."

Greetings all.  After several ping-pong delays back and forth between USCIS and NVC, we received our NVC notice on January 8 and are scheduled for Embassy interview on February 7.

Best wishes to all who may still be waiting!

17 hours ago, Loisa said:

We had delivery to Cebu and it took 5 business days.

 

If I might ask, how recent was your pickup?

Trying to pull of a miracle.  I can't be there for her interview (her Dad is escorting her) but do plan to be there 2 weeks later to travel back to the US with her on my way back from Saudi.  If it works out, great.  I won't book our tickets until the week prior just in case I'm going home alone.

Thanks all for the factual replies.  It was about as expected.

This post is ONLY for people who had their interview at Manila and then selected to have their passport delivered to Cebu.  In our case, we decided to have the passport delivered to Cebu City's SM City Mall location for pickup.

**IF** you had your interview in 2019 or 2018 and selected delivery to *CEBU*, how long between Manila Interview and actual delivery?

Please, for once (this forum gets way too many distractions) only reply with factual replies like "we had delivery to Cebu and it took (x) days."  Thanks!

USCIS case status did not ever update after receipt.  Period.  They also could give no reason when asked.  Great systems.

Thank you, all.  She is enroute to pay the deposit tomorrow morning (at one of the few BPI branches open on Saturday) and we'll be scheduling shortly.  Much appreciated, although some responses were a bit eyebrow raising.  

1.  Yes, of course we have both our USCIS reciept number and NVC case numbers

2.  Despite registering online and adding our paper case number to the online profile, our case has never been updated on the USCIS website past the march acknowledgement of receipt.  None of the subsequent steps have ever appeared online, they have always come via snailmail and email only, so "checking online systems" is not an option for us, much as I wish they were.

The good and bad of this website is that sometimes there is TOO MUCH information and it can be confusing.

The K1 fiance visa guide mentions to schedule the interview right after receiving the NVC letter and that you'd waste 30 days waiting on the embassy letter.

Ok, sounds great, but there was no link given, and the only phone number I get is a recording telling me to go to the website, but the website says that Immigrant Visas should wait for their letter to schedule.

I've scanned past posts and can't seem to find a clear answer, sorry.  Can someone take pity on this dummy and answer:

1.  Can I even manually/directly schedule an appointment at the US Embassy on behalf of my fiance so I know the firm date and can plan flights and activities now (including requesting leave from work)?

2.  SHOULD I manually schedule, or should we just twiddle our thumbs and wait for the embassy letter/packet?

3.   If the answer is that I can and should, HOW DO I DO THAT ONLINE????  I don't see a path for doing so.  If the answer is to call, I guess I have to wait until Monday.

Thanks, as always, for those who take the time to post factual, useful info vs. those who just interject opinions without helping the request.

Ok, lots of spirited exchange here.  I will go with the advise from the person who lived/worked in Saudi.  This is just exploration at this point as I don't have a firm written offer in-hand yet.  I'm doing my homework before we get to that stage so I know what my options are, and as usual, this forum has provided great info.

To clarify our particulars:

1.  We don't even have our visa yet.  NVC sent the "you're approved, packet is transferring to Manila embassy and interview packet is coming" email this monday.  So we'll have our interview sometime in Feb and go from there.

2.  I'm going to KSA on a previous visitor visa I hold to "meet and greet" and ensure it's a good fit mutually.  The timing would likely be just before her Embassy interview, and the KSA company agreed to make my return flight go through Philippines so I could stop off and spend time with her, possibly even escort her to the US on her newly approved visa by then and we'd get married here in Vegas upon arrival.

3.  After that trip, it would probably be March or even April before I had a signed offer to have to decide, meaning it would be April or even May before we would end up having to go.

4.  Worst case, I get the offer, accept, fly with her back to Philippines to settle her back in with family and then head to KSA to begin my job.

5.  The KSA company would take several months to generate the residence-grade work visa (the arabic name escapes me now).  Once I had that upgraded visa, my wife would join me living in KSA at our compound residence.

6.  When we're ready to visit the US on leave, we'd go to Riyadh US embassy and get a tourist visa for her.

7.  When we're ready to repatriate to the US, we'd initiate a new K1 (this time I-130) visa with documented history why we let the old one go.

As for the negative poster(s) "why would you go to KSA", it's not my job to justify or to change your obviously biased mind.  I know it's not sunshine and lollipops, but I've been there before and find it a great opportunity, properly managed.  The opportunity, along with the insane pay package, is the only reason we're having this conversation in the first place.

I wish you all a great journey in life.  Thanks again for the positive contributors.

Thanks all.  I will negotiate with the Saudi employer to work remotely (here in the US) for the first 6-7 months and see what they say.  Hate to lose the job, but hate to lose her US visa moreso, that will take priority.

Sponsor:  Male American, lives in Vegas, filed I-129F

Beneficiary:  Female Filipina, lives currently in Cebu but will move to the US after Visa is approved next month.

See our signature timeline for our backstory.

The current question is:

Sponsor has been approached by a Saudi company with a "Godfather" grade job offer (an offer too good to refuse, as in double income and other perks, so...yeah).  Sponsor will consult later with an attorney, but thought I'd ask the forum...

**IF** I take a job in Riyadh now and **IF** I soon got the Residency-grade visa there in Saudi that would let my wife come with me (presumes we got married in Vegas in Feb as soon as she arrived), we're concerned about our options.  She's down to follow me wherever I go, but we're also not wanting to upset any US immigration apple cart in doing so just to rake in the benjamins.

1.  Option 1 - both live in Vegas Jan - Feb and get married as soon as she arrives to make it all legal, filing the change or status papers.  He then leaves for Riyadh late Feb/early March to take the new job.  She returns to Philippines and lives with family so she's not alone in a strange country while husband secures her spouse visa to join him in Riyadh.  She then moves from Philippines to Riyadh whenever everything is ready paperwork-wise.

2.  Option 2 - same as above, but she stays in the US and leans on a female filipina distant cousin who lives and works in Las Vegas until her Saudi visa is ready.  She then moves from the US to Riyadh in March/April/whenever.

Is there any downside to Option 1?  Will it affect her process going forward after we get married and file for change of status?

Is there a "minimum time" she needs to live in the US after arriving?

We hate to pass on the Saudi job, but we're also mindful of her US visa now that we've waited so long to get it.

Thanks in advance for factual replies.  We'd prefer those over "I believe" replies or personal opinions.

Yeah, keep chalking it up to errors.  My senator indicated otherwise.  Enough said.  Her rep said "this is far from the first time we've had to intervene to stop this kind of cycling.  It is a disturbingly common trend that we did not see in the past."

End of topic.

except for the fact that both agencies claimed to have no idea what I was talking about (the other guy has it) until the Sentor's office contacted them.  All the sudden..."oh yeah, here it is."

Took our case to our US Senator.  Within a week, we magically got new NOA re-affirmation notice from USCIS.  A month delay, but back on track.

I had previously called both NVC and USCIS, both blaming the other and saying to contact the other.  I went to the office of our US Senator on election day and gave her office the details of our case and the emails and call logs involving both agencies.

Magically, I received printed notice today that our case was re-affirmed without any explanation for the delay.  We are now back in flow after a month of delay.

We received NOA2 back on Sept 27.  When I didn't hear anything late October, I contacted NVC.  They said, to paraphrase, "oh yeah, here's your case # with us, but we sent your case back to USCIS.  Direct all further inquiries to USCIS"  No further details or explanation.

I received the printed letter this thursday, about a week after the phone call.

I called USCIS last week, understandably concerned.  USCIS says, in a follow-up email today "huh?  we approved your case and sent it on to NVC.  Send your inquiries to NVC."

Come on, guys.  I know the new administration is trying to dial back immigration, but this seems a pretty cheesy tactic.  The classic circle of "we don't have it, call the other guy."

Frustrated and can't do a thing about it but wait.

We received our NOA2 back on 28 Sept.  Unfortunately, I just learned via email that NVC returned our case to USCIS without details why.  I called USCIS this morning and filed a request for followup.  They took my info and filed a service request, advising me that someone from USCIS would contact me and to call back if I did not hear from someone by November 14.

Needless to say, my fiance is going bonkers waiting over there, and I was less than happy as well.

----------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir/Madam:

The National Visa Center (NVC) received your inquiry regarding the immigrant visa petition: MNL(clipped) filed by RAYMOND (clipped) on behalf of CRISNA LYN  (clipped).

We returned immigrant visa petition MNL(clipped) to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If you have more questions about this case, please contact USCIS.

USCIS CONTACT INFORMATION:

USCIS Receipt Number: WAC(clipped)

Telephone: 1-800-375-5283

Website: https://uscis.gov

Case Number:                  MNL(clipped)

Petitioner's Name:            (clipped), RAYMOND (clipped)

Principal Applicant's Name:   (clipped),CRISNA LYN

Preference Category:          K1

Your Priority Date:           19Mar2018

Foreign State Chargeability:  PHILIPPINES

                              U.S. EMBASSY

                              1201 ROXAS BOULEVARD

                              MANILA

                              PHILIPPINES

Trace

National Visa Center

Written Inquiry Unit

PAE, Support Contractor

asknvc@state.gov

IMPORTANT:

If your visa petition is currently processing at the National Visa Center, do not let more than one year pass without contacting NVC. If a period of one year passes from the last date of contact (by telephone, mail, or e-mail) with NVC, all submitted fees and documents expire. If this occurs, the fees must be paid again and documents must be resubmitted in order to continue the immigration process.

This email is Sensitive but Unclassified based on the definitions provided in 12 FAM 540.

Any information in this transmission pertaining to the issuance or refusal of visas or permits to enter the United States shall be considered confidential under Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) [8 US C. Section 1202]. Access to and use of such information must be solely for the formulation, amendment, administration, or enforcement of the immigration, nationality, and other laws of the United States under INA 222(f) and as specified in FAM guidance. If you have received such information in error, do not review, retransmit, disclose, disseminate, use, or take any action in reliance upon this information, and contact the sender as soon as possible.

From: Raymond Gellenbeck [mailto:(clipped)] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2018 9:55 AM
To: AskNVC
Subject: WAC(clipped)

Official - Privacy/PII 

UNCLASSIFIED

We received our NOA2 last month (9/27) yet our case online still shows "received" and we have not yet received our NVC case info.  Yes, I know the letter says 30 days and others here on VJ indicate it can take 6 weeks, but I fired off an NVC inquiry email this morning to check on status.  Our letter didn't include an NVC phone number or I'd have called instead.

Hello.  We received our NOA2 last month.  I'm a bit concerned for 2 reasons.

1.  Our case on the website still shows as just "received."  It has not been updated to reflect that we received a NOA2 last month.  Is that normal?  The initial submission was paper, not electronic.

2.  More importantly, neither I (the sponsor) nor she (the dependent in the Philippines) have received any further communication, such as the Manila embassy saying they have the file and we can schedule our interview.

Unless I read the various guides wrong, that should be the next step in the I-129 process for Fiance visa, but we're at the 30 day mark and nothing.  Is that normal?  If not, what course should I take to see what the issue may be?

20 minutes ago, RayAndCrisnaLyn said:

Just received our NOA2 email this morning.

Interesting tidbit.

I checked https://my.uscis.gov/account/applicant at like 8:15am.  No update.

I received our NOA2 notification email at 8:30am.  I had also signed up for a text message but did not get one.

I go back and check the https://my.uscis.gov/account/applicant site, it has not yet been updated.

So, going off my situation, you'll likely get your email notice before your case info on the website will be updated.

Ray

On 4/13/2018 at 10:44 AM, RayAndCrisnaLyn said:

Filed:  March 16

Received NOA1:  March 26

 

Filed in the past through an attorney (and cancelled later when she "washed out").  I wasn't impressed with what they did for what they charged, so I did it myself this time using the past case as a model and, of course, this website.  Hoping I wasn't foolishly over-confident.

 

The game, they say, is afoot...hoping she's here by Christmas!

Here is a sanitized copy of the NOA1 hard copy.