SMK 89

Hello, I, as a US citizen, petitioned for my my parents I-130. No issues or RFI's along the way and they successfully crossed the border together with their I-130 Visas on August 29, 2025. No issues during processing at the border, were told welcome to the U.S., imported their car, etc. Both got their passports stamped with the I-551 with the date they crossed (i.e., their temporary green card for 1 year while they await their physical card). I paid their immigrant fee before they crossed. Both my parents also received their SSN's in the mail at their U.S. address earlier this week. I have been routinely checking their Case #'s (associated with the fee payment) online using the USCIS Case Statuses site. My mother's status showed "card ordered to be produced" on 9/6/2025; and then progressed to "we mailed your card" on 9/11/2025. My father's case number however still shows no update, just that the fee was paid in early August. Today however, we received a I-797C notice in the mail at his U.S. address for a finger printing appointment at his local USCIS office (appointment a week and a half from now). I assume I shouldn't be worried since everything at the border went fine? And they both got their SSN's in the mail? I assume after this appointment his physical Green Card ordering/mailing will also happen? He got finger printed at the consulate and everything already months ago as part of the interview...everything was fine. I also had to do this process when i went through my K1 process but it's just odd my mom didn't have to so now I'm just wondering what is going on....why. Has anyone else had this happen where one parent received a I-797C post crossing for finger prints done, while the other parent just has it sent/mailed?

My parent's have their IR-5 interviews coming up in a week. Montreal takes months to book interviews so their DS-260's were completed in October and November of 2024. They traveled to the U.S. to visit us for Christmas. Which means, that trip is not listed on the DS-260 we submitted last year since it didn't happen yet. Also, I have new W-2's but not a new tax return transcript (since April 15 is tax return day, and April 9 is their interview, so that new tax return isn't due yet and the most current tax year I assume is still 2023 since 2024 isn't due until April 15). Do we need to try to upload these additional documents? Can we even do that since the DS-260 is locked? Or do they simply have to let the consulate know that since the DS-260 was submitted, and how long between that and the given interview date, they have travelled to the U.S. again once, and this is their daughter's news W-2/pay stubs? Would appreciate the advice so they don't have a smooth sailing interview and we are prepared/proactive on all the things that could randomly come up... thanks!

HI there, my parents are going for their IR-5 in Montreal on in early April. You mentioned you had an updated doc - is there anything that in theory we should be updating? Did you end up uploading the interview notice letter to CEAC as well? Otherwise, I'm not really sure what else to upload since even their interview is before April 15 so technically not even into a new 1040 year either... I guess i could upload my W2 for 2024 since that wasn't ready yet when we submitted all the NVC documents....

thank you so much for this! what great news!!! Yes the one before I guess was just for adjustment of status and what it seemed like was that until the CDC removed the requirement, all immigrants still had the shot and 12-month boosters continually as the instruction so this (screen shot below) officially means we are good for all - officially dropped as a required vaccine !!! https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/cdc-removes-covid-19-vaccination-requirement-for-immigrant-visa-applicants.html

I've read what I can but wanted to put a fresh ask out to the community .... As of January 22, 2025 USCIS is no longer requiring immigrants to have the COVID Vaccine count towards the required vaccinations to immigrate. But in looking at the DHS website/required vaccines listed on consulate pages (and their identified panel physicians) the COVID-19 vaccine (and boosters every 12 months) is still listed on there. My parents have their medical appointment coming up Ontario, Canada on March 17th. They both got COVID vaccines ... Round 1 and 2, and then boosters because of how strict Canada was...they got their last booster January 2024 (just over a year ago) to ensure they didnt have issues at the border visiting. But that last booster made them both feel not ok in various ways. They are not willing to do it again. Wondering if anyone has any insight on when we can expect consulates/panel physicians to adopt the CURRENT requirement aka no more COVID vaccine requirement as part of the necessary vaccinations for immigration. Has anyone done a recent medical where they brought this up? What did the doctor say? If the doctor said they still don't have a memo and the intending immigrant refuses to take the shot or 12-month booster at the appointment, what happens? do they still get to go to the interview and hopefully by then the consulate can say well they are ok because now the vaccine isn't required anymore? Or...what happens? I don't understand how USCIS can push this through in January 2025 and post it online as the new rule and it not trickle through to the other entities that are actually processing immigration applications to be inline with that new order... Maybe someone in the visa journey community has some real recent experience with this dilemma or any further insight...

My parents are both also awaiting for their interview slot in Montreal. Mom was NVC Approved in October and Dad in November so I've also been nervous on them having to go at 2 different times for an interview. I'll follow along here to see if you get any responses and will also try this NVC link and let you know if i get a response!

Hi! I filed for both my parents in June 2023 as well and they will also have their interview in Montreal! Question - were your parent's 1-130's and DQ dates aligned? Sadly, my mom's 1-130 approval was months earlier than my dad's. I waited until October and then decided to just continue the process for her so her DQ is 10/24/2024, and then my dad was finally approved end of October and his DQ date was 11/19/2024 (so almost a month later). Wondering if your dates were aligned from the start or if there is a chance that despite the month difference for my parents the consulate might still align their interview dates so they don't have to travel to montreal twice and go through the process alone. Hoping an interview notice is coming this month.....Feb is 4 months post mom's DQ in October

Thank you! So it is taking longer than the 2-3 months people were anticipating from DQ to IL receipt Is there an updated link to the above? Seems that page doesn't exist anymore

Any advice on when/how to reach out to the Embassy your IR-5 interview will happen at to try and align interview dates for parents? This is for I-130's for both parents of a US Citizen. The Embassy is Canada/Montreal. Mother is just got DQ'd late October. This consulate/embassy is known for taking 1-3 months to even reach out with your interview date (which is usually ~1 month post that interview notification letter). I just paid NVC fees for dad this morning, and have all his docs so I hope to get all that uploaded this week, and hopefully a DQ'd status next week. So they would be ~1 month apart. Going to Montreal is a trip for my parents (hotel / travel costs / etc). I want to ask for my parents to get an interview date on the same day to help with all that. Is it better for me to reach out now? Is it better for me to reach out once my dad's is DQ'd ad officially sent to the consulate/embassy as well? Is it better for me to wait until my mom get's the interview date notification and then reach out? Anyone recently attempted to do the same at any consulate? Bonus if at the Montreal / Canada consulate!!

I just wanted to post here for anyone that may scroll through in the future - FINALLY, my dad was approved today. Been stressing a lot/praying/felt like something was off because it felt like almost everyone else in June had been approved and his case was just sitting there. PD: June 27, 2023 Approval: October 30, 2024 Got a text and an email that action was taken on the case, the status still says actively being reviewed BUT the date changed from what it sat at (August 2023) to October 30, 2024 and the I-130 Approval notice was also sitting in the Documents tab. My mom was approved back in August, and is currently waiting for the Montreal Consulate to schedule/send us her interview date. I delayed submitting her docs to NVC for awhile because I was hoping my dad's approval was around the corner. But now I am happy I did because hopefully I can ask the consulate to expedite his interview date in the future to line up with whatever appointment they end up giving her (seems Montreal takes a couple months to even schedule interviews - she was just DQ'd a couple weeks ago).

wondering how long it too to get an interview date post DQ, and how long after that the actual interview was? Also - were both your parents "USCIS Approved" close to each other or was there a lag between....my mom just got DQ'd today....dad is still "actively reviewing at USCIS"...so frustrating... wondering how long it too to get an interview date post DQ, and how long after that the actual interview was? Also - were both your parents "USCIS Approved" close to each other or was there a lag between....my mom just got DQ'd today....dad is still "actively reviewing at USCIS"...so frustrating...

Do we have to "Add Household Member" as the Petitioner for the AOS portion of the CEAC application? I don't need a joint sponsor but I am married and have a child ....me/husband/child live in same house.

I know mine is an I-130 for parents and not the same, but I hear you -- June 27, 2023 PD and still waiting on one. And none of the USCIS online chat agents even give the same update when i ask about where the case is -- no kidding, re: mental health. Hopefully we both get some good news today/this weekend.

Looking for advice. It is seems like every USCIS conversation I have online with an agent using the Chat feature gives inconsistent information for a case. Some agents give a detailed history of the offices the case is transferred to. Others say they cannot see that information. Most recently - I will have an agent same it is in Nebraska since Aug 16 and then another say it went to TX Aug 26, and then today they said latest update is that it was transferred to Nebraska Aug 16 and with an officer there. This is a June 27, 2023 PD - something feels off. My mother's was approved, all the June 2023 PDs I know have have had an action on their case. My mother's is sitting in limbo in at NVC while we wait for my dads which is just sitting in processing since 2023. Has anyone had success reaching out to the officer using the online inbox feature? Or other ways? Has anyone else felt the same runaround/inconsistent information from the Chat Feature on the USCIS website? It is un-nerving how they are giving different information. Any suggestions on how to get a REAL update on this case? It should have been adjudicated by now. All other mother/father cases in this blog are typically pushed through the USCIS stage only a day or so apart, longest i've seen is a couple weeks. I am almost at a month now between when Mother's was approved.

Is anyone still waiting on a USCIS approval? Starting to be really worried...not sure what to do....PD June 27, 2023 -- one parent approved 3 weeks ago.