J1visa

4 hours ago, LauCC said:

Hi, do you have any update? My embassy sent the NOS to the DOS 3 weeks ago and there it doesn't show as received... I also thought that the time started as soon as they received the applicant documents..  

Hi, nothing yet  Be patient and try not to stress out with the time. I learnt the lesson after knowing that it can take up to 6 months to receive the FR and the hard copy in the mail. 

As soon as your NOS shows in the website, it's when the time really starts to count. This process is peace-mind consuming, I know....   

Just keep on being positive! 👍 Hopefully we are going to get the FR soon!

10 minutes ago, Abayomi said:

So if your embassy sent your NOS and it shows October 17 as the day they received it. Then your 12 to 16 weeks starts on October 17 and not when you sent your document.

This means your application just spent about 4 to 5 weeks with DoS. They start counting only when all documents are updated.

I will advice not to send any email yet because from what you said, your document has just been there with them officially for about 5 weeks thereabout.

I was also disturbed. All my document was uploaded on August 28 and I just got a favorable recommendation on November 21. That is almost 12 weeks (11 weeks thereabout)

So my advice, do not send any email yet. Wait till it is exactly 12 weeks after October 17.

Omg!!! This is terrible, I thought it was 12 to 16 weeks the whole process! A friend of mine did the same process. My embassy is Colombia, and she got the waiver in exactly 4 months.

Thanks for your reply. 

7 minutes ago, Natalia0112 said:

Hello everyone!! I'm new here and I need some help! I'm confuse about some informations in the DS 3035. 

What exactly am I supposed to put on these: 

 

Entry date of first J-1 visa? 

Entry port of first J-1 visa? 

 

And also, if I start the process, can I leave the countryand come back since I have my visa and my DS 2019? 

 

Thank you!! 

The entry date refers to the first entrance to the USA. It is in your I-94, as well as your Entry port and Entry State. 

Hopefully someone could post an accurate answer about if it is ok leaving the country meanwhile you are doing the waiver process.... I haven't left the country since I started my waiver process.

19 minutes ago, AN204 said:

Hi, Sorry to hear about your situation. I actually get my final waiver from USCIS on Nov first week. Its better to email the DOS, don't call them , they asked not to call them in the instruction. Actually they reply 2 weeks after you email them. Also if your embassy didn't send the NOS to DOS, DOS will not start working. It took around 2 months for me to get the final waiver. Thanks.

Thank you, I will email them. I was trying to call today but there is not an option to talk with someone. My embassy sent the NOS and shows as received on October 17th.  It's really exhausting this waiting! Hopefully, I will get mine soon!! 

Congrats to you!!  

On 11/4/2019 at 4:28 PM, AN204 said:

Thank you for your quick reply. I received the hard of DOS favorable recommendation on October 25 and found they sent the fav recommendation to USCIS vermont service center on October 21. Can you tell me what will be the best number to reach vermont service center. Thank you so much.

Hi, quick question, please...

Is the email this one:  212ewaiver@state.gove?   Is it better to call them or email them, or both? 😕  Which phone number do we call, do you have it, please? 

Omg!! It's been now 4 months and 4 days and I still have my case pending. 

Thank you, 

12 minutes ago, privic said:

My J1 waiver journey is over! Thank you all for sharing timelines and knowledge.

It took 3 months (13 weeks) to get the favorable recommendation from DOS and other 3 weeks for the USCIS approval notice. 

 

07/19/2019. Application packet sent to DOS by USPS

07/22/2019. Packet received in St Louis, MO (USPS tracking)

07/22/2019. Embassy sent No Objection Statement

07/25/2019. Application fee check cashed

08/10/2019. DOS updated status – Documents received

10/22/2019. Favorable recommendation sent updated status

 

10/30/2019. USCIS Received date

10/31/2019. USCIS Notice date

11/13/2019. USCIS Approval notice

Congrats!!!  

I am still waiting and 16 weeks plus 3 days have passed so far! Hopefully soon! 

14 minutes ago, WAIVER_2019 said:

thank you ! i was very worried too back then! keep calm and carry on ! the DOS process is really very random or case by case. i have friend whose NOS received earlier than me but still waiting. It seems depend on the officer who handling your case. Good Luck!

Thank you! Good luck in the rest of your process! Hopefully, I will get my FR soon!

On 11/16/2019 at 1:22 PM, WAIVER_2019 said:

Just to update my case status at USCIS

2019-11-16: my account show case was approved ! so now, wait for the final 797A form in my mail. 

 

Good luck to everyone !

Congrats!!!! We have very similar times. Documents received on 07/18/19, then, the NOS from my embassy appears in the system on 10/17/19.... I am still waiting to see my favorable recommendation, hopefully these next days! This is crazy! So anxious! :I

On 11/12/2019 at 6:11 PM, tamaara said:

My sponsor was aware that I got married because they gave me the day off We timed our AOS with the end of my DS-2019, so we sent it about a month before it expired. As I also learned from that experience, getting a waiver doesn't allow you to get your DS-2019 extended. I wanted to see if I could get an extension for the summer in order to reduce the time I couldn't work but it wasn't possible.

 

I also didn't have the actual waiver in my hands when I sent my AOS package because we were cutting it too close but we had the favorable recommendation. We brought it with us to our AOS interview but they never asked for it.

Tamaara, thank you so much.... Did you receive the favorable recommendation in paper as well? Do you speak Spanish? Can I ask you in Spanish if so, please? 

11 hours ago, PK_ said:

We have just received the physical DOS favorable recommendation letter, and it says at the bottom that the letter is also sent to

• Your country's embassy
• All of your program sponsors
• You

So, they will all be notified of your waiver favorable recommendation.

I am glad you finally have it. Thank you for sharing with us. 

Thanks a lot!  

Hi, everybody! 

Thank you so much for your valuable posts. I am still in my process of receiving my J-1 waiver. So far, this is were my case goes. It took 3 months for my government send the NOS and USCIS to receive it. I have read about the rest of the process and I guess I have to wait until the 16 weeks are due. Times are really long!! 😫

I have some questions and hopefully someone of you can help me to clarify them, please.

-For the change of status in the checklist of the I-485, says:

"Documentation of immigrant category, such as a copy of Form I-797, Approval or Receipt Notice, for the Form I-130 filed on your behalf (unless you are filing your Form I-485 with the Form I-130 filed on your behalf)" is that the final notice that they send us to the mail? or we can download it from the website? 

- I am not pretty sure when I have to notify my J-1 sponsor that I got married and in the process of changing my status. Some people say I have to notify them when I send the adjustment of status papers,  other people say as soon as I get my waiver approved, but I really don't know. Any advice, please? Or could anyone tell me how did you do? I am really nervous thinking about it. I don't want it affects my adjustment of status process. ☹️ 

Thank you! 

On 10/26/2019 at 12:11 AM, J1_Waiver_RJ said:

Hey guys,

 

I am new here (1st post), but I have been reading through the posts for quite a while. This group has helped me a lot in a moment that I was literally freaking out (the waiting time of this process)... but thank God, i got my approval from USCIS today. I am still waiting for the approval notice though.

 

So here is my timeline in chronological order (from bottom to the top):

 

October 25 (today) - Status changes from "Case was received by another USCIS office" to "CASE WAS APPROVED" 🤗. However, myaccount.uscis does not have the update, just egov.uscis.gov website and USCIS case tracker app have the update.

October 22 - Call USCIS to correct my first name (they misspelled my name) - I haven't received any notification stating that my first name was fixed in their system.

October 21 - i received a Notice of Action (I-797) with my case number.

October 17 - Case was received by another USCIS office 

October 16 - Case accepted by USCIS lockbox

Department of State Advisory Opinion Finding: Favorable Recommendation

Item	Action	Date
Recommendation	Sent	October, 08 2019
No Objection Statement	Received	July, 25 2019
Fee	Received	July, 12 2019
Form DS-3035	Received	July, 12 2019
Form DS-2019	Received	July, 12 2019
Passport Data Page	Received	July, 12 2019
Statement Of Reason	Received	July, 12 2019
Other	Received	July, 12 2019

June 25 - FedEx delivered my documents

June 24 - Documents sent to DOS

June 21 - Embassy sent my NOS to DOS

 

By the way, I didnt received the hard copy of the Favorable Recommendation letter from DOS by mail yet. Good luck to you all!!! 😊

 

Congrats!! and thank you so much for sharing with us your process timeline. Omg! Your post has been so helpful. Did you already received the Favorable recommendation in your mail? 

I am just in the NOS received step... it's been 3 months now and with so many questions about what goes next for the adjustment of status.