k32007

Both I-129F & I-130 approved March 13th. Received hard copy NOA2s for both today.

Both petitions were sent to NVC.

If the applicant has been to the US multiple times before, are there options to answer this 'generically' as in "Multiple visits from 1995 to 2008" or are they really looking for exact "From/To" dates? Anyone have any experience with this? Maybe some Canadian/Mexican VJers?

One More

Brian & Hannah @ CSC

I30 Sent: 08/16/07

I130 NOA1: 09/27/07

I129F Sent: 09/28/07

I129F NOA1: 10/27/07

I129F NOA2: 03/13/08

I130 NOA2: 03/13/08

Per CRIS, both I-129F and I-130 were approved on Mar 13. Filed I-130 on Aug 16/07 and I-129F on Sep 28/07 - to CSC.

Touched on Nov 9 (presumably to pair the petitions) and again on Mar 7 - approval Mar 13.

211 days from 130 submission to approval / 167 days from I-129F submission to approval.

I actually got two emails today and the online case status shows "approved" for both petitions.

I guess now the NVC wait begins...

Still don't know definitively that this gets us a K3 vs CR1 - but am hopeful.

My wife came thru LAX on a VWP-T with both (I-130/I-129F) petitions pending. In fact, I arrived with my wife (who had come to the US 15-20 times prior on VWP-B and VWP-T) and our USC son. According to her, it was among the easiest that she's ever had - they just asked her how long she was planning on staying. We had heaps of proof of ties to her home country, but didn't need a shred of it - not even the return ticket / itinerary. But, we had it.

The only "challenge" presented was that the officer claimed that he was originally from the town that I live in and asked me how to drive (eg turn by turn directions) from a local shopping center to the address on her I-94 - possibly to find out if she was lying about her temporary destination in the US or possibly just for kicks.

Of course, I have no way of knowing whether the I-130/I-129F pending petitions actually showed up on his computer screen or not. However, we had received our NOA1 for both petitions more than 2 months prior to her entry. We entered thru the USC immigration line.

And, yes, it was still nerve-wracking. There are stories that have not ended so happily.

As another point of reference, we got touches on both I130 & I129F today, March 7. This is the first touch since November 9, 2007, which was presumably when the I130 & I129F were paired together. I-130 originally submitted August 16, 2007 at CSC / I-129F submitted Sept 28. It's not an NOA2, but it would seem to suggest that our petition has been dusted off & is creeping forward towards adjudication. It certainly doesn't provide any guidance on whether I129Fs are still being processed (eg for a K3) or if they're being administratively closed (eg for a CR1). I think that is the biggest question on everybody's mind.

It does however, appear that the pairing of the I130 with the I129F may not have necessarily moved us back in line, as has been suggested. It would appear that petitioners who only submitted I130 to CSC at around the same time as we did are also being processed now.

I will advise any further developments.

To clarify, we are intending to enter the country together.

Good point...

She will enter in LAX (eg arrive via air) on Visa Waiver Program - Tourist.

We were married in US and she's visited once before, after the I-130 was submitted, but before NOA1. While she was here, we received NOA-1 & submitted I-129F.

Thanks,

Brian

I know that this issue has been raised a few times, but wanted to add a twist. Because of some unexpected scheduling changes, my wife, our dual citizen son, and I are intending to enter the US together in a few days' time. My wife has an I-130 & I-129F (for a K3) pending. Besides providing proof of ties to her home country, is there anything else to consider if we are entering together. eg do we enter as a family unit or should she enter by herself and I enter with USC son?

Any feedback/input would be appreciated.

Brian

Hi,

My wife & I have a pending I-130/I-129F in pursuit of a K3. Since submitting the petitions we have been fortunate to have added a child to the family, who will be issued a US Passport & Certificate of USC Born Abroad.

The question is do we need to add the child to the I-129F or I-130? As a USC, the child will not need a K-4; however, the petition is now inaccurate. What do we need to do to alter the application. We certainly don't want the yet-to-be-filed DS230/156/etc forms to be out of synch with the I-130/I-129Fs.

As a further question (which may need an additional post), has anyone tried to enter the US with a foreign passport with a USC infant in tow? How about while the K3 is pending? I know there are lots of cases of entering while K3 is pending - this situation is a bit trickier as there is a USC child in the mix.

Kind regards,

Brian

Hi,

I've received NOA1 for I-130 & for I-129F. I know there's a good long wait ahead of me before we hear anything else (unless there's an RFE) & I've reluctantly accepted that. However, I would like to start getting prepared for the next steps - sooner rather than later. I'm hoping someone has a recent set of instructions for Packet 3 from the Sydney consulate. If not Sydney specifically, then any Packet 3 instruction set would do.

I was quite confused after reviewing the information on the Sydney Consul's website - which has spouse (CR-1/IR-1) and fiancé (K-1) information, but nothing on K-3 - and emailed the contact listed on the website for further instruction. Per the Immigrant Visa Unit, "The K3 instructions are different from the spouse and fiancé visas. The appropriate forms and instructions will be mailed to you once we received the approved petition." Nice dodge.

So, if someone has the information available, it would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Brian

Cool. Thanks for the links...

Anyone have a link to a fill-in (and storable) PDF version of the DS-156 besides the e-Form?

Hi,

I'm trying to obtain the DS-156 form and am only able to find the one that expired on 9/30/2007. Even the one on https://evisaforms.state.gov/ is the one that has already expired. Most links end up at that eVisaforms web site... Does anyone have a PDF fill-in form of an unexpired DS-156 form? If not, can someone provide a fill-in form for an expired DS-156 that is not the e-form?

Thanks,

Brian

It would be handy to see the checklist for K3 for Sydney as well... It appears that the only requirements should be DS-230, DS-156, and possibly the I-134. The I-864 seems to be expressly not required for K3. The information on the US Embassy in Canberra seems to cover immigrant visas (CR1/IR1) and non-immigrant fiance (K1). There's nothing there about K3.

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visas/iv/fiance.html

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visas/iv/family.html

I'm guessing birth certs (for the beneficiary only??), police checks, marriage certs, medical records, etc. are required, but I'd love to see a definitive list.

Hi,

I'm trying to get a feeling for how long it's going to take receive the noa1 for my i-129f petition. I submitted i-130 to CSC in aug and received noa1 at the end of sept, whereupon I submitted the i-129f, also to CSC.

It seemed like i-129fs were being NOA'd much quicker than the i-130s in early- to mid- Sept, but now the USCIS processing update seems to be lumping the i-129fs in the 'all other forms' category, which appear to be stuck at July 30, 2007 & have been since the Oct 5 update. What are the experience of folks who filed i-130 to CSC in aug and then filed i-129f in mid- or late- Sept?

I am also curious as to whether people who submitted their i-129f to the POB address on the i-130 NOA1 are getting their i129f NOA1s any faster. I submitted directly to the POB address that is indicated for the CSC for normal i-129f processing. Is there a difference?

Thanks.

FYI,

Sent I-130 to CSC on Aug 16, rec'd by them Aug 17.

Check cleared today - case is visible online. Expecting NOA1 in mailbox any day. Their "receive date" is Sept 25.

39 days from receipt of I-130 to generation of NOA1 - 41 days for notification (via cleared check).

It looks like I-129s are being NOA'd faster at CSC - we'll see how we go.

Brian

Has anyone taken the risk of sending Form I-129F AFTER submitting Form I-130 without having first received NOA1 (or had check cashed) for the I-130? If so, what did you include as evidence that you had filed Form I-130? Was your Form 129F accepted?

Thanks,

Brian

Hi,

I submitted my I-130 on Aug 16, they rec'd Aug 17. I did not send my I-129F concurrently. I have neither received NOA1 nor have they cashed my check. I have seen people suggest that it is no longer necessary to wait for NOA1; however, when I called the USCIS helpline they still recommended that I wait for it. Given that processing times are 30-90 days, it would seem that if it's possible to submit the I-129F without waiting for the NOA1 to clear would potentially save a lot of time.

I'm hoping that someone can suggest what to send them to prove that the I-130 was filed before I get my NOA1 or the check is cashed. I do have the green return receipt and the USPS tracking as proof of delivery.

Has anyone actually actually received an NOA1 for BOTH the I-130 AND the I-129F after having submitted them concurrently?

Has anyone submitted the I-129F AFTER the I-130 but BEFORE NOA1 or check clearing?

ColumbianGringo (and others who filed concurrently) please do post an update as to what ends up happening with your concurrent submission.

Thanks,

Brian