shytown

Thanks for the info. Why do you think they'd want the tax transcript if I submitted the complete tax return? I thought it was one or the other.

Would you happen to know if they check to see that tax returns were received? I am in the situation currently where I submitted my 2021 tax return from abroad and the IRS claims to have not received a tax return despite tracking showing it was delivered to the right place. I've submitted the full tax return + tracking receipt to the NVC and I'm a bit concerned that they're going to try to verify this, see that IRS hasn't received it, and cause me issues.

Yeah, I think that's the best way. I did the same. However, I don't have a 2021 tax transcript as it seems the IRS did not receive it. I mailed my 2021 tax return from abroad, and despite tracking saying it was delivered to the right place, now it's causing me to worry that they will get hung up on this point. I submitted photocopies of the complete tax return and the tracking receipt, so hopefully that works. 😶

I'm kind of in a similar situation. For all years prior to 2022, I only earned income in Germany. Now I have a US based job and uploaded all kinds of evidence of my current income (paystubs, employment offer letter). HOWEVER, all I have for 2021 is my full tax return including schedules + Form 2555 "foreign earned income", and tax transcripts for years 2020 and 2019.... but no W2's or 1040's. Do you think that's enough or are they going to ask me for something else?

Hi Everyone, I'm starting this thread to kick off December 2022 NVC submissions. We're submitting everything today. Looking forward to seeing all of your journeys to DQ!

Gotcha, now I understand. 👍

I filed my tax return with the foreign earned income exclusion - I had no US-based income for years (until this year). According to the advice a few comments above, it appears that it's enough to submit the 1040 + a translated copy of my German W2, including a letter that states I did not earn any US-based income and cannot present W2's etc.. Would you agree that this is enough?

Thanks, that's what I did for my I-130 submission! Glad to hear! I appreciate your help!

This makes sense. And just to clarify, it should be translated?

So what should I submit in place of a W2 along with the 1040? This transcript I'm referring to is really more of a yearly income summary. It is essentially a German W2.

Thanks for the info. I have a "Lohnsteuerbescheinigung" which is essentially an official German tax transcript with earnings from 2021. Would that be okay in place of a W2 as I did not have US income? If so, would I need to have this document professionally translated?

I am collecting documents for the NVC stage of the I-130 process. I've just accessed my tax transcripts online, and it appears the IRS has no record of receiving my 2021 tax return despite me filing it on time and confirming delivery via tracking number. I filed from abroad right before the expat deadline, which is in June 2022. I DO have tax transcripts from all years prior. I'm a bit confused how to proceed. It looks like I can submit scans of my 1040 that I created before I sent it out. Is that enough? I did not have any US-based income until this year when I started my new US-based job a few months ago. I earn more than enough to meet sponsorship requirements for my spouse and have ways to prove this (months of paystubs, contract, etc.). So, should I be okay with a 1040 from 2021 + earnings details for my current position?

I just woke up to an approval! FINALLY! 🙌 SC: Potomac PD: 09/11/21 NOA2: 11/21/22 The light is at the end of the tunnel. It's hard but the day will come, and it looks like soon! I'm wishing you all still waiting the best of luck!

Where are you seeing 440 days?

Yeah, that's what bothers me the most as well. I'm kicking myself we didn't hold off applying until 2022 - we probably would've been finished with this process by now. We have to be nearing the finish line, right? 😔 What scares me is that there are some people that are left behind waiting an unusually long time... like multiple years... I just couldn't do it, I'd give up and move somewhere else rather than go on like this. 😅

Any recent approvals? Especially wondering how my fellow petitioners stuck at Potomac are doing. There are not so many recent approvals in the last 15 list and it's really discouraging. We're waiting over 14 months now and it feels like it'll never end. I submitted an expedite request, and 30 days went by, never assigned to an officer. I'm not even going to bother with this stuff anymore, any effort to move things forward is futile. We are so mentally and emotionally exhausted. How do you feel?

I'm a USC and I've been stuck waiting on NOA2 on my I-130 application for 14+ months (submitted September 11, 2021) for my overseas spouse in Germany. Over the past couple of months, I've developed health issues and require my husband's support, so I submitted an expedite request 30 days ago. I was initially told that an email would be sent within 7 days of submission with next steps. I received no such email, and I've been calling every week to check on the status. Every time I call, I am told, "no officer has been assigned to your case yet and you need to continue waiting." The last guy I talked to told me they technically have 30 days to respond, and if that hasn't happened, I should call back to submit a new expedite request. Is it even worth my effort at this point? I have read that while you are in the process of an expedite request, you are technically taken off the queue for your I-130 review by an officer. Is that true? What happens now that 30 days have passed? Am I in limbo? Should I let it go? I'm at my wits end at this point and don't know when this horrible process will ever end.

You need to send it to the same service center your I-130 is at. At least, that's what I did. But I am also stuck waiting on the K3 now 8 months with no updates. I don't know that it will help much. Best of luck, I hope that it works for you.

My I-130 isn't but my K3 is

Currently dealing with the same thing with the expedite. I sent an ombudsman inquiry today. They basically push USCIS to meet their promised service dates (in this case, 7 business days for an expedite). Does anyone have experience with threatening USCIS with a lawsuit? I have been waiting over a month on my K3 visa outside normal processing time inquiry and I've just been recommended a good lawyer. What would it cost and how fast can it be wrapped up? Seeing as I'm in this for almost 14 months now, it may not even be worth it.

If you look at the last 15 Potomac approvals on VJ, most of them appear to have been approved in 13.5-14 months from filing. There are of course some that were filed and approved within 2022 (super unfair, I know) too. But I have the feeling you're up next!

I looked into it again and I was mistaken. It looks like they provide you with that after you speak with them on the phone, so you went about it the right way. Sorry about that.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try submitting over form/email and let you know what the outcome is. Maybe it's worth another attempt for you. I have this notification as well (your case is taking longer). I think it is just a standardized status based on when you submitted your petition versus the official processing time that they publish.

I'm sorry to hear that. I know it doesn't help much, but at least you're not alone. I think that you need to submit evidence with the expedite request though, or did you not have the option to?

Haha absolutely. I just got off the phone with them yesterday on the address topic, by the way. They told me phone agents aren't able to update addresses in these situations where the petition was filed abroad and I would be put in touch with an officer who will call me to do it manually within the next 30 days. I said, "if an officer is going through all this effort just to change an address, can they just make a decision already?!" And she said, predictably, no. So yeah, I think most of them have no clue what they're doing and they're just pre-programmed to spit out scripted responses any time you ask for specific help. You can put your parents address. I did that with my K3. Another thing to be aware of if you do file additional visas like the K3 is that you have to update the address for each visa. It's super annoying.