Any one with updates? We're still waiting... ☹️☹️

Hey all,

For those who got both EAD and AP approved, in your AP form, did you indicate dates of travel? I’m curious how they’re assessing approval of the combo application. I got my EAD but no word on the AP - and on the website the applications are grouped under “Concurrent Filing” and marked as ‘Case Closed’)

Hello everyone,

Timeline so far:

11/07/2023 - Sent to USCIS (I-485, I-765, I-131 concurrently)

11/10/2023 - NOA1 (ALL)

11/24/2023 - RFE (I-485 - needed joint sponsor)

12/10/2023 - Sent RFE Response

12/18/2023 - Biometrics Appointment (I-485 and I-765) [initial date was 01/05/2024 but I'll be out of town so rescheduled to 18th]

12/18/2023 - Status changed to Being Actively Reviewed (I-485 and I-765)

12/20/2023 - I-765 Approval Notice

On 8/6/2023 at 3:54 AM, haxxx said:

K1 Visa was approved and is at Embassy. Noticed that only 2 case # were provided instead of 3 due to uncle having 2 children. Looked over i129f and I noticed that one of kids info is missing. Part 8 did not have additional child info there. Are there any remedies to this? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Assuming it's at the Nairobi Embassy, I would call or email them directly:

Call Center: 254-20-7640121 or 254-20-7640799
Call Center from the United States: +1 (703) 988-7112
Email: ImmigrationVisaNairobi@state.gov

That's the contact info they have on their website. They responded to an email I sent them in about 3-5 days.

I hope this helps.

On 8/11/2023 at 2:50 AM, haxxx said:

Any one have info on scheduling the interview process? Do I just keep checking the website or does the embassy contact us? File was received by embassy 10 days ago. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hey,

As a K1 applicant, I know that the embassy will contact you with instructions on how to proceed (it's a pretty straight forward email telling you to schedule your medical and your interview). You can also go ahead and email them to let them know you're waiting for their instructions, they'll usually respond within 3-5 days. What I would advise you to do is go ahead and fill out the DS160 Form and create your account on the Embassy website in order to get a shot at an appointment slot in good time. You will have to wait for slot to open in order to pay for the interview, (wait a couple of days until your payment is confirmed), then wait again for other slots to be opened (because obviously in the time you're waiting for the payment confirmation, the slots that were initially available will have been taken) to schedule the actual interview.

I hope this helps.

On 7/11/2023 at 3:34 AM, usaman1999 said:

Those raised seals are going the way of the horse and buggy and paper files. Most court clerks have better things to do than sit around and emboss raised seals on documents for a couple of bucks. Everything is electronic now. 

This is unhelpful but totally fair - except the same is true for all the paper files required in this whole process. It doesn't change the fact that Embassies ask for original hard copies 🤷‍♀️ making people having to figure out how to go about it with files that were originally electronic - one of the current solutions is printing them and having them physically stamped.

On 7/10/2023 at 4:20 PM, JeanneAdil said:

You are in California so u need to follow California  laws  for a certified copy as not all states are the same

 

https://www.usnotarycenter.com/post/post450#:~:text=The custodian makes a photocopy,the truthfulness of the statement.

How to do a "True Copy" notarization in California?

The permanent keeper of the document — the document custodian — certifies the copy, not the Notary. The custodian makes a photocopy of the original document, makes a written statement that the copy is true, correct, and complete, signs that statement before a Notary, is identified by the Notary, and takes an oath or affirmation regarding the truthfulness of the statement. The Notary, having witnessed the signing, identified the signer through satisfactory evidence and administered the oath or affirmation, executes a jurat.

Thanks, the divorce was filed in Illinois. 

Hi All,
I’m putting together documents for the K1 interview. I don’t know if this has already been asked before but for the certified copy of the divorce judgement (it was filed remotely during covid so e-signatures were used, including the judge’s), does the seal/stamp of proof need to be on all the pages or just one? [Mine is 19 pages long and we got a seal from the clerk but it’s only on one page]. Thanks.

So happy to see fellow Ugandans!!

11 hours ago, Tzgeneration said:

Hi,

 

Am also from Ug. Thought that feb approvals had gotten their case numbers/invoice but eh..surprised. I was approved in March on the 21st, still waiting. Send them an email every week. Looks llike I have seen some March approvals given case numbers/invoice. Not sure what NVC is considering but disappointing. Thinking some countries are given priority compared to others. Good luck. 

I think the frustrating thing about this whole process is the absolute lack of clarity or order in the process. There's no information given about why anything is happening the way its happening so we can't even be sure it's a country priority thing. Fingers crossed they get in touch with you soon too.

2 hours ago, dreamer123 said:

I don't think that it is a case of priority of countries.  I am also from Uganda. NOA2 was on 17th  of February 2023... We didn't hear from NVC until we sent an inquiry on 17th of March, at first their response was that they haven't received our case and then we sent them a copy of our NOA2 and they admitted that they have received the case but told us to wait for them to process and send us further instructions.  The instructions didn't come until. 11th of April...they were notifying us that our case had been transferred to the Embassy and that we should wait for further communication from the Embassy in Kenya. 

 

2weeks later we haven't heard from the Embassy, I tried reaching out by email to inquire of the progress from the Embassy but no response so far.  So all we can do I WAIT , WAIT AND WAIT...... Every new step comes with new levels of patience required. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US.

We've sent the general inquiries form and emailed NVC directly with a copy of our NOA2 and with both instances they said they didn't have our file. It really is a luck of the draw thing. Has NVC shared your case number and invoice ID then so you have a way of tracking it? That's so frustrating. This is yet another thing that I'm anxious about. 

The whole process is an elaborate exercise in patience 😅

17 hours ago, yosemite1997 said:

Hey Aren and Mark,

 

NOA 02/23/2023 here. I sent an inquiry to NVC this past weekend and I received my NVC case number today. I'm sending another one for the invoice ID number as well. I recommend asking EMMA (USCIS) if they sent out your case to NVC. If the response is yes, ask them what day they sent out your case.

I actually just tried it and it works. It needs to be on the Live Chat feature, with an actual Customer Service Rep. I asked them if our case has been sent to NVC yet. Apparently our case was only transferred to NVC on April 17th (😒 we got our NOA2 on 28th Feb) so it's been sitting at USCIS this whole time! The CSR agent couldn't tell me why, it was part of the "normal process". NVC hasn't received it yet as of the last inquiry we sent last week on Thursday 20th, they got back to us on Fri 21st saying they didn't have it.

When I asked the agent when we can expect NVC to receive it, they said within 90 days! 😅😭 So I guess someone's trekking across the country with our file.

The wait continues 😬

Any other Feb NOA2 received their case numbers from NVC?

I'm starting to get a little discouraged, I've seen March NOA2s already receiving their case numbers. How are USCIS and NVC working this out? 😔

We're going on 8 weeks now, still no word - and the NVC inquiry response is still that they haven't received our petition from USCIS.

NOA2: Feb 28th 2023.

I'm hopeful. Saw on an FB group someone who had the same NOA2 date as us got their case number for NVC last week! We've sent an inquiry, fingers crossed.

Any one with NVC updates?

8 hours ago, Nikobe said:

That is pretty unfortunate for you.

Beneficiaries from countries that are in the Visa Waiver Programme can (usually) visit their fiancé in the US (through ESTA) unless a border official denies them. I have been in the US twice since we have filed the I129f - when asked about my fiancé, I told the border officials that we have an open petition - no issues to-date.

Yeah someone pointed this out on another thread I'm on about visiting with pending petitions- it's usually for people who qualify for ESTA or have had visas prior to the petition.

3 hours ago, Boiler said:

These are the common comments so not sure what you have been reading, a current thread

 

 

I'd only ever read this thread we're on. But someone has pointed out that it (the thread) only applies to people who qualify for ESTA or have had a visa before having a petition filed for them. That plus the thread you've shared, clearly I didn't read carefully or widely enough. It was a zero shot from the get-go.

3 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

This thread is for people who are qualified for ESTA/VWP or have an existing tourist visa prior to having a petition filed for them.  Not really for those who still have to apply for a tourist visa.  If you browse through the Tourist Visas sub-forum, you'll see that the common message is that it is next to impossible to be granted a tourist visa with a pending petition.  Unfortunate that your experience adds another data point confirming that.

 

Thank you so much for pointing this out! I had completely missed that. It makes sense.

On 9/20/2022 at 7:03 PM, TheLoveLyss said:

I feel like I'm going completely insane! Only thing holding the last of my marbles together is being able to wiggle things around and squeeze out a visit every 6 months. Super frustrating that it takes so long!

Hey,

I'm curious, by visit did you meant to the US or are you and your S/O planning to meet elsewhere?

(Asking because I just got my B2 visa application denied on the grounds that I have a K1 visa pending. Pretty bummed but now planning for Christmas somewhere else. Fortunately we are both able to afford travelling to a 3rd country since neither of us is keen on spending Christmas in my country again)

I'm curious, how many of the success stories on this thread hold African passports? I'd like to know your experiences.

I just tried my luck, first time B2 application - knew it was a long shot - had a whole bunch of documents showing ties to my home country (employment, lease, land title, utility bills), the officer at the Embassy didn't even look at them. As soon as I said I was going to visit my fiancé for the Christmas holidays and that we had a K1 visa pending, she handed me the rejection letter. No questions asked. She said "You will never get issued any non immigrant visa when you already have a pending application that shows immigrant intent”. 

Again, I knew it was a long shot, but still hurts to not be able to even present my case. (This thread also gave me false hope 😅, I fell for it). Alas, we'll just plan to meet somewhere else for the holidays as the wait continues!

On 1/14/2022 at 4:53 PM, Aren said:

I 129F Sent (via DHL) - January 7th, 2022

Received by USCIS - January 11th

Hard copy of NOA1 received - January 16th

I 129F Sent (via DHL) - January 7th, 2022