Karim2018

Just got the letter in mail!
 
APPROVED!
 
NOA1 Date: 2018-12-28
NOA2 Date: 2019-07-25
I-797 letter received : 2019-07-29
 
Hope everyone gets approved soon!

Just got the letter in mail!
 
APPROVED!
 
NOA1 Date: 2018-12-28
NOA2 Date: 2019-07-25
I-797 letter received : 2019-07-29
 
Hope everyone gets approved soon!

That is what I am thinking as well, hopefully that actually happens. However, I remember seeing screenshots of people posting here with the status changed. I just want to make sure that Nebraska sends the petition and I am not wasting mine and their time by calling them.
You can see it here
https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?op6=Nebraska+Service+Center&op66=All&op7=All&op1=b&op2=&dfile=No&op3=5&op4=1&op5=5%2C6%2C8%2C10%2C11%2C13%2C14%2C15%2C16%2C17%2C18%2C20%2C21%2C22%2C25%2C26%2C27%2C28%2C108%2C110%2C111%2C208%2C210%2C211&cfl=
Play with the filters. I have seen Nebraska sending NOA2 from last week of June. Nothing for July filers. 

Well our journey is finally over.  We were approved at the interview last Tuesday and the visas were listed as Issued on Thursday.  We are just waiting on the email from the delivery service and all three should be in the States next week.

Welcome to another monthly thread for those going through NVC
 
Please read everything below and refer to it throughout your NVC journey, whether this is your first month at NVC or your third. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before posting questions, please read the wiki Saylin wrote on the NVC process here. Once you're done, read it one or two more times to really understand it ;)Don't forget to also read the official form instructions as well as USCIS and NVC's websites!
If you want to see a visual of the NVC process, please view Saylin's flowchart here.
Yes this thread was created by our great Queen Saylin and the knowledge is still going forward. This thread I pray stays alive and well as many who have gone through the process or still going can chime in and help and assist.
If you're wondering about time frames, look at the fellow members right here in this thread! Study their signatures/timelines and make notes. VJ also has this awesome page. Use it! I sure did during my process  That means if you are on this thread WE expect you to have an up to date timeline.
 
Current case file creation time:
This is the link to go to see what date they are working on. Follow  it says up to 6 weeks but recently that 6 weeks is about 4 weeks from approval at USCIS.
Once your case has been created, we will contact you with instructions on how to begin processing. Until your case is entered into our system, we unfortunately won’t have any information about your case.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/after-petition-approved/begin-nat-visa-center.html    
Current case review time:
This is the link to see what date they are reviewing. Please allow up to three-weeks for NVC to review your forms and documents once we receive both the petitioner’s financial documents and the applicant’s civil documents. You must also have paid all required fees and submitted your visa application online. We will not review your file until we have received all of the above items
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/collect-and-submit-forms-and-documents-to-the-nvc/step-6-submit-documents-to-the-nvc.html
 
And once you've got a case complete, please join the case complete/interview thread started by me, Dwheels76 on (currently August 2019 thread),
 
https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/711430-case-complete-to-interview-august-2019/
 
 

Congrats!

Congrats!

Congrats!

Congrats!

Congrats!

On form DS-260 for the beneficiary there's a question about usage of other names including aliases. I'm assuming they're talking about officially using a different name (i.e. on official docs). Correct? using Skype or Facebook aliases doesn't count. Right? Thanks.

Processing times for SRC just got pushed out by 2 months That's weird. Last week they were processing applications filed in Sep'18, and now it says that they're working on Jul'18 applications! That's Nonsense! Although, the only way I can explain this is if they got a bunch of July'18 applications transferred to SRC from another center and they're now working on those first! Bummer

Just in the spirit of having more options available to you, if you're married to a foreign national and she still lives abroad awaiting her interview date or visa approval, etc... you can file married as MFJ, MFS, or HOH (if you qualify for the latter). As adil-rafa mentioned above, the most advantageous way is probably MFJ, because you (if you choose not to  itemize) will get to deduct $12.2K for you and $12.2K for your spouse. For example if your gross income is $35K in 2018, your adjusted gross income is only $10.6K, and that's all you'll have to pay taxes on. The 2nd option is to file MFS, in which case you can only deduct $12.2K for yourself in 2018, but technically you have up to 3 years (i.e. 2021) to file a 1040X an Amendment!. Personally, I'm leaning toward this option to avoid all the headaches associated with applying for an ITIN, getting her passport in, DHL fees, etc... Instead, I would wait til she gets to the States (hopefully within that 3 year limit) and get her SS#. Another issue you may encounter if you file MFJ is cashing your refund (if any). The check will be in both name and must be signed by both of you and deposited in a joint bank account. I just came back a few hours ago from my bank (w/o citing their name) and they REFUSED to add my spouse to my bank account w/o her being present with me. I had certified copies of her Passport, her ID Card, AND an original + translated copy of a POA (power of attorney) stating that I I'm authorized to add her to my bank account and they still rejected my request! So for me, I will most likely move fwd with option 2 (MFS) Married Filing Separately then file an amendment after she gets to the Sates and get her SS#. We can then hopefully recoup some money from the IRS... - Hope this helps!

Don't hold your breath for returns! I rest my case!

Thank you m8, but that's NOT what this link says: https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/filing/personal-tax-planning/tax-help-for-us-citizen-married-to-non-resident/
The issue is that other sites says something different, but all of them AGREE that I should not and cannot file as SINGLE. In fact, if I do file as single, then submit my 2018 tax returns along with the I-864, they will most certainly notice my filing status and question my marriage all together! If I were USCIS, that would be a HUGE RED FLAG!!! I called a tax gal the other day and she did now know what to do! I guess I will have to find a CPA or a tax expert and see what they recommend. In the meantime, if anyone has come across  a similar situation, I'd appreciate your input. Cheers!

Thank you m8, but that's NOT what this link says: https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/filing/personal-tax-planning/tax-help-for-us-citizen-married-to-non-resident/
The issue is that other sites says something different, but all of them AGREE that I should not and cannot file as SINGLE. In fact, if I do file as single, then submit my 2018 tax returns along with the I-864, they will most certainly notice my filing status and question my marriage all together! If I were USCIS, that would be a HUGE RED FLAG!!! I called a tax gal the other day and she did now know what to do! I guess I will have to find a CPA or a tax expert and see what they recommend. In the meantime, if anyone has come across  a similar situation, I'd appreciate your input. Cheers!

Think of it like the lines in a grocery store. Some employees work the register quicker than others. Some people have fewer items to process. Some have questions. And so on.

The only advantage (if this were to work) is that your spouse can join you in the States sooner!
Straight from USCIS website:
 
K-3/K-4 Nonimmigrant Visas If you are a U.S. citizen and you filed a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative for your foreign spouse who is abroad, you can also file a Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e). This is the first step for your spouse and his or her children to obtain a visa to come to the United States while you wait for USCIS to make a decision on the Form I-130. Historically, you and your family members might have been separated for some time while waiting for a decision on your Form I-130. Congress sought to resolve this problem by creating K-3 and K-4 nonimmigrant visas to shorten the time your family would need to spend apart. However, because USCIS now takes less time to adjudicate the Form I-130, the current need for K-3 and K-4 visas is rare.
 
ADDITIONAL COMMENT:
Nowadays...in Casablanca, Morocco (a known high-fraud US consulate), it may take up to 2.5 to 3 years for your souse to be granted a CR1 visa! That's why I'm looking for workarounds (if any), then I stumbled into this K3 (not very well known visa) process, which CLAIMS that your spouse can be granted a visa to come to the states sooner. Voila!

Yes, but in the States Also I'm pretty old and may be called upon to meet my Lord soon, so I want to spend as much time with my beautiful wife before my clock stops ticking lol

I think that's great advice. I tend to over do it. Cheers!

Wa Alaikoun Essalam! Thank you guys for your input and Eid Mubarak Kareem!