Almoto

We've decided not to appeal or re-file at this time. We just don't have the money and I don't see how rewriting my hardship letter would make my hardships anymore extreme in their eyes. I want to start living my life rather then feeling paralyzed.

I would like to ask those who have been denied and decided to join their spouse in the UK how they did it, did they take any pets with them, did they sell their houses or rent, etc.? I'm just now starting to slowly do my research of what I need to keep open in the US such as 401K, bank acct., mailing address, etc. Is there a relocation prep. website? Since this isn't a forever move I'm not quite sure what I need to close & what should stay available.

Thanks

Ok, I checked the website this morning and noticed that our case is now "Completed". It only took a week & 1/2. I'm sure hoping that was a good thing. So, now what, I know there will be a letter sent to my husband, but is there anything we can do in the mean time to find out if it was approved? Is there someone we can call? Or do we have to sit & wait with our stomachs in knots?

28 July 08 we received word that they recevied it on 4 July. Were told 14-16 week wait. We made a pdf of the original list on http://london.usembassy.gov/dhs/forms/i601_status-web.pdf.

Assuming that they are working on the first in first out method there are 15 people that were on the original list that are still in the pending column. For a while they were completing 3 applications a week but lately it seems as if they have been averaging about 1 a week. Which puts us at about 15 more weeks, after already waiting almost 20 weeks. I wrote them a letter trying to find out what is going on but have not heard anything.

Our number is LND2007 817 013. So if we move into the under review column you could assume they are working on the July waivers.

Some day we will be together.

We were finally moved up to "Review" in our 22nd week. I'm hoping that the review process will only take 4-6 weeks so that maybe my husband can be home for either Christmas or New Years. Good luck to all.

He does not need a visa to enter the UK as a visitor. I had no issues entering the UK to visit my wife before she come here, It was not even an issued when I told them who I was visiting.

No visa necessary for USC to travel to the UK, just a passport. My husband has been back in England for almost 2 years now & I've been over to visit him at least 6 times. When I enter I tell them that I'm visiting my husband and that we're going through the immigration process trying to get him back to the US. Nobody seems to care going in that direction.

We're still waiting...

We're now in our 18th week since filing our waiver and I'm very disappointed that they haven't updated the site since 9/26. I'm now in London visiting my husband for my birthday, but I leave tomorrow. I was praying that we would have heard something positive as a birthday present.

Good luck, it's a long wait.

I have posted in their forum also, but it seems nobody has any answers. We're just going to have to sit here and wait it out.

This is getting ridiculous...London updated their site today after more then 2 weeks and moved the Under Review cases to Completed, however there's now only ONE listed in Under Review!! We've been on this list now for 15 weeks and haven't moved. When they told us it would take "up to 15 weeks to review" we thought ok we can wait and patiently we have. Now we're entering our 16th week...when is this going to be complete?

Please, does anyone know the inner workings of the I-601 review process?? How many people do they have working on these cases? How long does it really take to read a waiver packet and make a decision??!!

We never received a card confirming they got our material either. My husband had his interview in London on May 16, 2008 and sent our I-601 package in on May 17th. I've read on the London site that they send out cards confirming receipt of waiver packets, but he never got one. Every week we checked the website, our number finally showed up on the list on June 9th. We were told at the interview "it can take up to 15 weeks to review". I've been counting from the June 9th date, our 15th week will be the 22nd of this month. However, we have not moved from pending to review yet.

I would like to know from others who have been through this process in London, how long it took them.

Good luck to you and check the website to track your progress.

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/dhs/forms/i601_status-web.pdf

My husband had his interview on May 16th and as expected he was denied his Visa. We had our I601 all prepared and paid the $545 right then & there but had to mail in the I601 package which they received on May 21st. They told us it would take "up to" 15 weeks for a final decision. Any idea how long it takes to get on the darn list and does the counting of the weeks happen once your on the list or when they receive the package? Looks like they update the list weekly however, we're still not on it yet.

Any information would be helpful...thank you

Our case was completed on April 8th and I just got the letter in the mail today with my husbands interview date set for May 16th 8:30am in London. You should have received or will receive your letter by Monday.

Good luck!

I would love to meet up with some VJ'ers when I visit my hubby in London from May 7th thru 18th. It would be great to discuss our journeys. My husband is so confused with the immigration process since I've been the one doing all the paperwork. He's been working everyday and waiting for time to pass and just wants to come home.

So, if anyone is up for a night out in May give me a shout.

If you look on the instructions of the W7 it clearly states an "apostille" is needed if you do not have your documents notarized at a US embassy. This is only necessary if the spouse lives outside the US.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf

You can submit copies of original documents if you do any of the

following.

c Have the copies certified by the issuing agency or official

custodian of the original record.

c Have the copies notarized by a U.S. notary public legally

authorized within his or her local jurisdiction to certify that the

document is a true copy of the original. To do this, the notary must

see the valid, unaltered original document and verify that the copy

conforms to the original. U.S. notaries public are available at U.S.

embassies and certain consulates worldwide.

c Have the copies notarized by a foreign notary. However, foreign

notaries are only acceptable as outlined by the Hague Convention.

The Hague Convention provides for the simplified certification of

public (including notarized) documents to be used in countries that

have joined the Convention. A certification will be issued in the form

of an "apostille," which will be attached to the copy of the

document.

Note. The apostille must stay attached to the copy of the document

when it is sent to the IRS.

Oh, please don't tell me that the police certificate that we got last March is not valid as we are finally at the stage of waiting on our interview date in London for the K-3 & I just sent in my I-864 & DS-230 on my I-130. I have all my husband's court records corresponding to the police cert. dated 3/13/07.

Should I apply for this new ACPO right now?

If you are a citizen of the UK, did you also include an "Apostille" with your W7 & certified copy of your passport? I sent in my tax return last year adding my husband as married filing jointly and attached his W7 and notarized copy of his passport and it was denied due to not having the apostille attached. They removed him as a deduction and sent me my check less $800. It's taken months for him to find out how to get an apostille in Englnad, but he finally did and he's sending it to me now. I can attach it to my 2007 return and get his ITIN as well as apply it to 2006 and get that $800 due us.

Good luck

Thank you for that information, I'll be sure to send it to my attorney....maybe he'll give me a credit on his next bill for his mess up, ya sure like that would ever happen.

Looks like our timelines are about the same, hope all goes well with yours.

Oh, by the way...my attorney originally told me, if we file both I-130 & I-129F we'll decide on which visa to proceed with after we see which one gets approved first. They said I'd have a choice.

I just got off the phone with USCIS and after explaining the situtation to two customer service reps. the 2nd one told me that if my I-130 clearly stated that my husband is not living in the US then they would forward it to NVC and I wouldn't have to file the I-824 and pay. But it would take several more weeks for them to process it because it's a "very busy time with the holiday's". I sure hope he knew what he was talking about.

Well, I called the NVC today to check on the status of my approved I-129F and they said info. was forwarded to London on Nov. 7th...ok that's good.

I then asked if they had anything on my approved I-130 and of course they did not, she told me to check again with USCIS. So, I gave them a call and after explaining several times that the USCIS office made a mistake on my I-130 NOA, I was forwarded to another customer service person who listened to my story and said that if my petition clearly stated that my husband is not living in the US then it was their error and they would agree to forward it to the NVC without me having to file an I-824 and pay over $300. But it will take several more weeks for them to resolve it...no kidding we all know nothing moves fast with the government.

I'm releaved that it won't cost me additional money to file the I-824 to correct their error. That was a big issue for me, it wasn't my mistake so why should I pay to file more paperwork. I'll be on this like a hawk, calling back in a few more weeks if I don't hear anything from them.

Our I-130 & I-129F were approved on the same day, Oct.12th however, only the I-129F was forwarded to the NVC. The I-130 NOA2 stated that my husband was in the US and was going to adjust status...not true, he's in England. What would have given them that idea? Are they just too busy and not paying attention or do they want more money from me having to now file an I-824? My attorney sent them a letter asking for them to foward the approval to NVC because of their error without us filing the I-824. He told them that our I-130 clearly stated where he was living.

Has anyone else experienced this mistake?

I'm very upset with this delay especially since it took them 6 1/2 months to appove the I-130.

I don't understand how this happened, I filed the I-130 in March and then followed it with the I129F a couple months later. Any ideas why this happened?

Hello,

My I-130 was not sent to the NVC, I got the same wording as you did. However, my concern is we were not going to have my husband come back and adjust. My attorney believes with the difficulties in his case (15 year overstay in the US & an old criminal record in England) it would be better for us to do everything while he is in England. So, we wanted to go ahead with the immigrant visa and have him come here when they approve our I-601.

How am I to know if they've sent a package to London? I'm so confused even though I'm using an attorney.

Congratulations to those March filers who just got approved. There are only a few of us left and I'm holding my breath that we get approved before the end of this month. Next Tuesday 25th will be my 6 month date. I was going to give them a call but I thought better to wait until next week.

I visited my husband in England last week, it was my third visit this year and it was the hardest on me to come back home this time. I've been so depressed this week, I've got to shake this feeling off. I really thought we'd be further along by now. But, I understand it takes as long as it takes & there's nothing I can do about it.

Hang in there Marchers!!

We're still waiting, but I just checked moments ago and our I-130 was "touched" today. We've been waiting since March 26th. I'm in England right now visiting my husband and I've been throwing pennies in every fountain I find hoping to hear while I'm here that our I-130 is approved. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as well.

Good luck to everyone left from March.

How many times do they have to "touch" our applications before they finally decide to approve them???!!! I filed my I-130 in March, both my I-130 & I-129 were touched on 7/20 but still no approvals. I'm getting really tired of this waiting. I'm heading back to England to visit my husband for the 3rd time this year. I was hoping that I'd be heading there to be with him for his interview soon, but I guess not. We've tried to arrange my visits to England every 3 months, it's expensive and emotionally draining to keep that up. But, I am glad I can visit him. I'm sure there are many of you that can't see your spouses and I feel for you.

Let's keep praying and with positive thoughts & energy this will all work out in our favor.

I imagine seeing my paperwork sitting at the bottom of an in basket on someones desk as more and more papers are being piled on top, it feels like I'm being smothered. It should not be like this. I get so discouraged with our government. I work hard, I pay my taxes and obey the laws but my husband who I love so dearly can't live here with me while we process all this paperwork...not fair!

Did anyone see the tv show Boston Legal this week? It touched upon this unfair immigration situation. I'm glad it's finally getting some attention.

I'm traveling to England again next Thur. to visit my husband for a week, it's been 3 months since seeing him. I think that's about the longest we can go without being together. I feel so bad for all of you that have been waiting so much longer. My heart goes out to you all.

We use Skype with a web camera to see and talk with each other on a daily basis. That's been a complete life saver for us. On the weekends we keep it on for hours as I clean the house and make dinner and since he's 5 hours ahead of me, I get to watch him fall asleep. I recommend it to everyone who has a good internet connection.

Good luck to all of you!