RobbieL

44 minutes ago, Sinka13 said:

Gotcha! I knew we shouldn't believe them saying they will contact us and let us know the date.

 

Yeah we are on 3rd week that's why we started calling and figure out what's wrong. Only one lady was super helpful and told us that we need to have job offer or insurance request to proceed. Hopefully we will get into her again 

 

I'm a bit hesitant to send passport over the mail. Do you think it worth a shot just to get a phone call with manager and schedule everything? Or do we need to ship the document first and mentioned we did so? 

We were told we needed one of those things too... turns out you don't actually need it since we got ours without anything!
 

I think they put up these road blocks because of bureaucratic red tape...

Stay persistent on the phone and keep calling until you speak to someone kind again and they will schedule the interview in person..

Good luck!

1 hour ago, Sinka13 said:

Thank you so much for your advice!

 

Did they let you know the date of appointment at once? Because we got to some reps and they told they will provide our information to the manager and they will schedule an appointment. Once it will be scheduled they will call us, but I don't really believe that's the case. I was calling to figure out if we are scheduled and no one gave us a answer except wait.

 

It's so stressful to talk with those representatives, they are extremely rude and usually just hang up on you. 

Yes. It sucks dealing with them. 

They gave us the date right away but it took several phone calls and following all those steps. 

I eventually spoke to someone kind and she told me the supervisor takes appointments once per week and she gave us the date and time right there on the call. 

Stay persistent and keep calling and get an in-person interview if you still haven't received anything... I believe it's within 2 weeks of arrival. We waiting 4 months lol 

Hope this helps you out! 

Best,

Robert

On 10/26/2020 at 12:43 PM, Sinka13 said:

It been a while since I posted here we got our visa in June and October 3rd we arrived in the USA. Things a going slow for now with quarantine around and not having any documents on hands. 

 

 

However we got another trouble with papers, this time with SSN. After 3 weeks we were supposed to receive it, and we didn't get it in result we ended up calling SSA office to figure out why that happen, and apparently they have no information about my unless the one printed on my visa, so then need to schedule another interview, which can not be done unless you have urgent reasons to receive it. So now it seems our only way to receive it it either getting insurance which will request SSN for me or get an job employer to request it upon hiring. 

 

 

 

Does anyone know anything about this and how better resolve it?

 

 

 

I wouldn't like to rush into first job just to get SSN. We were planning to get insurance, but not sure if they will request a SSN.

This happened for us...

We were expecting the SS number and nothing arrived for months...

Of course, all the SS offices were shut down for in-person appointments...

But, after calling many times, we were able to get an interview in-person. 

This is what you need to do: 

#1 - call your local ss office to schedule an interview (keep calling until someone lets you because they are still doing these)

#2 - if you are unsuccessful at first, fill out an ss-5 form and mail it to your local office with your passport (they will return your passport to you in the mail)

#3 - once you receive the passport back, call the SS office again and ask to speak to a manager tell them you have an impending need for an SS number (for this you need a job offer letter or something similar)

Stay persistent with this... they are still doing interviews for new SS numbers but they won't tell you that they are! 

We finally got ours after many attempts so I know firsthand that this works  

Best,

Robert

16 minutes ago, Iscir said:

@RobbieL today I called my local ssa office and they just said since it’s been so long they probably didn’t put me in the system, that immigration doesn’t always do that and I will have to wait for offices to open so I can check of my card got lost somehow or apply in person for one if I need to 

Yes. We're definitely planning to head to the ssa office once everything opens back up again. Hopefully that will be soon, but likely not until May. 

Best of luck to you and also everyone else who is still in the process of waiting for their interview / visa! 

5 hours ago, Iscir said:

Any news? I still don’t receive it. Maybe they didn’t put me in the system or who knows  

Nope... we still didn't receive ours as well  

19 hours ago, Iscir said:

I arrived three weeks ago and still Haven’t received my SSN. Unfortunately  offices are closed so There’s not much we can do other than wait I think.  Once they are open I plan going to the SSA office. 

We're in the same boat. Arrived almost exactly 4 weeks ago and still nothing yet. We're hoping it comes in soon as we did check off the box that we needed one for my wife. 

20 hours ago, geowrian said:

1) Yup

2) Yes, a new medical would be needed because the visa validity period is constrained by the medical exam.

3) I disagree. Why does it being out of your control mean they will waive fees? I mean...I don't claim that they will not make exceptions, but exceptions would need to be put into place for that to happen.

RE #3, just my opinion based on the underlying principles of Force Majeure  

In effect, since the US cannot fulfill its obligation under a valid visa (i.e. travel restrictions due to the current pandemic), it's assumable (not guaranteed) that under that obligation, it would waive a fee to reissue or extend the visa. 

2 hours ago, AC360 said:

Dear All, I have a unique situation now.  My spouse's CR1 visa was approved. But she is not able to travel now because of Corona Virus restrictions and no flights.  What if she is unable to travel because of these Corona virus travel restrictions during the next 3 months and her CR1 immigration visa expires ? 

 

Can we get an extension on the visa or ask for a new visa on the same I-130 petition ?  Or  do we have to again start the process for I-130 petition ?

 

Please help with the query.

 

Thanks

Hopefully the travel ban will pass in 6 to 8 weeks. But it's not guaranteed. 

In that case...

1) you won't need a new police certificate, since they are actually valid for 1 year (even though it says 3 months on it, the embassy only needs it for one year out). 

2) you may need a new medical because they are more strict about this

3) it's doubtful you will have to pay a new visa fee, since this was out of your control. I'm fairly certain that they will merely issue a new visa since you were unable to travel during the ban 

best of luck!

1 minute ago, RPC said:

Good to hear it’s possible. Thanks

No worries! Yes. Definitely possible. 

If you read the first post in this discussion, @dwheels76 has outlined a template for how you can actually request this with the embassy. 

3 hours ago, RPC said:

Hi All,

 

Finally got our interview letter today. Our interview is scheduled for April 14.

 

Does anyone have any experience with requesting earlier dates? I’d ideally like to be in the US walker to take up a job offer.

 

Thanks

 

 

Yes, we did this successfully. We got it pushed forward a bit over 2 weeks. However, we waited until we had the medical results in hand before requesting it. 

You also have to email the embassy with a valid reason to expedite it. But they are usually pretty flexible, especially if you're ready to go with all documents and the medical results. 

Good luck!

6 hours ago, dwheels76 said:

Almost all embassy now are electronic so no more sealed packet. Safety for everyone.

Thank you @dwheels76!!! You're the best!!

42 minutes ago, Bking said:

Did you guys file electronically? (ceac) because I saw the below in a FAQ on our state department page for Jamaica https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-jm/iv/information/faqs

 

I recently had my immigrant visa interview at the embassy/consulate and received my passport and visa. However, I did not receive a packet of documents in a sealed envelope to take with me on the plane to the United States. My lawyer/petitioner/friends are saying that I can’t fly without one. What should I do?

The Department of State has begun electronic processing of some immigrant visa applications. If either the National Visa Center or the embassy/consulate which conducted your visa interview required that you electronically submit your civil and financial supporting documents via the CEAC portal, then your visa was issued under the new electronic process. Unless specifically informed by the embassy/consulate which interviewed you and issued the visa, you are NOT required to hand-carry a packet of documents in a sealed envelope to present at the U.S. Port of Entry. Be assured that your documents were transmitted electronically from the Department of State to the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (DHS/CBP), the agency that inspects all immigrants entering into the country. When you arrive at Immigration Control at the U.S. Port of Entry, the CBP officers will have access to all of the information required to process your entry into the United States. This new electronic process will streamline the processing of your immigrant visa application and entry to the United States.

Yes it was filed electronically via CEAC!

Thank you so much! Now it all makes sense!!

My wife received her approved visa in her passport two days after the interview at the embassy. 

However, she didn't get a sealed packet to give at the POE. 

On the state department's website here - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/interview/after-the-interview.html it says that you'll receive a packet, saying "Sealed Immigrant Packet - You will also receive a sealed packet containing documents that you must present to U.S. Customs and Border Protection at a port-of-entry (often an airport) upon your arrival in the United States. You must not open the sealed packet." 

Is that not the case for everyone? 

Thank you!

1 hour ago, DKing said:

Congrats!!!!!!

Thank you @DKing !!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Hi guys! 

Just wanted to let everyone know here that I was able to successful get an early interview date! Once again thank you to @dwheels76 and @TeaCup for that awesome information! 

So we are DQ as of Dec 17th, IL was received on Jan 13 for a Feb 12 ID...

But the embassy granted us a Jan 29 interview instead!!

That shaved 2 weeks off the timeline! 

We requested the earlier interview date as soon as we had the sealed medical envelope in our hands. 

I can't say that this would work for everyone, but it worked in our case (IR-1)

Good luck all! 

7 hours ago, dwheels76 said:

And thank you so much for reading the first Post. You made my heart sing.

Thanks so much for all that you do for this group! Seriously it is so very much appreciated more than you could know!! 

8 hours ago, Sharon124 said:

My case got DQ on Jan 8th and I'm still waiting for my IL. 

Meanwhile, my Police Clearance Certificate, which has only 3 months validity expired on Jan 10th. 

Does anyone know if I will have to obtain a new PCC or will the old one suffice? 

Ours was a 3-month validity period as well so we recently obtained a new one about a week ago for our Feb interview. We didn't want to leave it up to chance. Some places say it's valid for a year but the actual cert says 3 months. We had to do the official translation of both certs but we wanted to feel like there was no factors that we didn't address to the best of our ability. Good luck! 

7 hours ago, dwheels76 said:

No fees for IR1/CR1. everything is paid but the $220 to produce the green card you pay after interview.

Thank you!!!

7 minutes ago, Bking said:

Oh no it's because they told us our interview date and time over the phone but for me to complete the medical I need the IL lol and the ID is Feb 3 so we don't have much time. It's like everything coming together in a mad rush but I don't mind 

Oh wow! That's cutting it close! Just FYI, with our medical, they told us it would be ready in 10 days but it actually only took 5 days to get the results! So with that in mind you still have time... but yeah... now I get it! The mad rush is just for the course I suppose! Good luck!!

6 minutes ago, Bking said:

Well I woke and didn't get the IL email like NVC promised so gonna have to call again (cc: @Sea Leslie)

I feel your pain! The wait is certainly brutal, especially the closer you get to the finish line! It will come soon! 

Just requested an early interview as per the instructions provided by @dwheels76 via @TeaCup 

We just got the medical results so figured it was perfect time to do it. 

Fingers crossed!!

P.S. Does anyone know if my wife will be required to pay any visa fees upon approval at the Embassy? I know there's a green card fee that you pay online after. But I was reading somewhere that someone had to pay a fee at the embassy. Or is that just if you go direct with the consulate and don't pay via NVC?? Thanks guys!

8 minutes ago, Sea Leslie said:

Yes, but I heard it is different for each country. Not sure🤷‍♀️

Yeah I think this is primarily based on consulate... also remember that the holidays threw everything off. Last one I saw for Hungary was DQ on May 1 and IL on May 10 so ours was long in comparison. Again, probably the holidays. Definitely boils down to scheduling at the Embassy itself IMHO

2 minutes ago, Asii said:

Congrats, and what was your DQ date?

Hey Asii it was Dec 17th!