PsychoGF

Congrats again!

Btw, maybe someone can help. 

My husband did an advanced medical and finished his back in Nov 16, 2023. So assuming that's valid for 6 months, his medical will expire on May 16 this year.

Or should he do a repeat medical exam? His interview is already on May 2 - almost 2 weeks.

I told him to call SLEC/Us embassy for an advice, but if anybody can give an insight, that would be great. Thank you!

Got interview date for my husband, for May 2!

Congrats to us and all of those who got the ILs!

And yes, this is actually the normal way - us getting an interview date rather than scheduling it. 

The only reason some need to schedule their own is because they were "auto-expedited". MNL embassy is trying to clear their backlogs.

But this is how things should be.

3 hours ago, NeonParticles said:

CR1 I just got my interview email saying my wife's interview is on May 23rd!  Is it normal that we wouldn't have to schedule it...?

55 minutes ago, Adobo said:

I am happy for everyone who got expedited. At the same time, I am here wondering when my case will move forward. I am a CR1, DQ'd in June 26, 2023 (IR1 in less than a month). I cant stop but feel betrayed by this system again. I mean I am happy for the ones who got expedited, but I thought it was first in-first out. I get it, I am CR1. Does that mean I have to wait till I get converted to IR1 before I hear something? if that's the case then remove CR1 category and just do straight IR1. Anyway.....my apologies, Im ranting....

 

Totally understand your rant. I have been sending messages on their public inquiry form since yesterday and I was basically ranting there too. I also sent an expedite request just in hopes to nudge my husband's case.

I'm really thinking of just spamming their FB page with comments of protest at this point - as advised by one of the FB group members. 

They said maybe that had an effect on why they suddenly did a mass expedite again. It's good they're moving, but why all of a sudden, they don't want to adhere to their own FIFO policy anymore 😭

3 minutes ago, NeonParticles said:

 

I got a feeling we're up soon.  This is the most movement we've seen in a while. 

I hope so! Prayers for us! I just realized you and your partner will also turn IR1 on June. Same here, except we will turn IR1 June 18.

We've been DQed since May 26 though. Anyhow, Let's keep each other updated!

At the rate things are going, getting approved in USCIS faster just seems to be futile 😭

Just now, Adobo said:

A bunch of IR1's just got auto expedited between May 2023 and Oct 2023....Unfortunately, no news on CR1's yet.

Haven't seen any CR1s move at all. So unfair how they keep saying that it's FIFO yet there are still May DQs who haven't received any kind of update.

Been seeing a lot of IR1s get expedited even though they got DQed in June, July and August.

Mostly CR1s that turned into IR1s. 

I thought CR1 and IR1 are just processed the same but probably not.

My husband got DQed in May, but won't be IR1 till June. 

We'll probably get left behind 😭

I just got my tax return transcript for 2023 and I know for sure, if my husband's interview will be after April 15th, they will require us to upload the transcript on CEAC.

Now my question is, for those of you who got interviewed already, will my husband need to bring a copy of the transcripts? Since I got the transcripts from IRS site, he can just print those, right?

Also, is it true that the AOS copies he needs to bring has to have my wet signature? (asking since the 2023 tax needs to be on another AOS form - pls do correct me if I am wrong)

Thank you to whoever can answer!

1 minute ago, top_secret said:

 

I don't think there is any consideration or difference of treatment scheduling between CR or IR.  Fewer CR's and many more IR is just a side effect of the embassies slowness.

 

Looking at CR's and IR's that reported got interview letters today, I think they literally stopped on May 25 and you previously said your husband was May 26.  There was two cases that with May 24 DQ dates that said they DID get interview letters.  At least one other May 26 DQ IR5 case that said they certainly DID NOT receive an interview letter either, as well as several May 30 and later cases without interview letters.

 

I 'think' if you arrived in the US exactly on the second anniversary you are still IR1 but I sure wouldn't want to be the one to put that to the test.  I think it would be a really good idea to wait the extra day just to be safe.

One thing's for sure that there's movement and eventually, all of us leftovers will be done as well. There's really nothing we can do at this point but to be positive.

Thank you for your insights. I actually already advised my friend that what they wanted was quite risky and that entering the US a day later wouldn't be so bad. I guess they just wanted to make their anniversary extra special 😅

I, for one, wouldn't care too much as long as I get my husband here with me soon (better if he gets IR1 though)

1 minute ago, flipicaneze said:

As far as I know IR1/CR1 is determined by date of entry, not by interview date.  So both categories should be treated the same during the interview.

 

Maybe I read that wrong somewhere (?)

Apologies if I stated the question wrong. What I meant to ask was, if the beneficiary arrives in the US exactly on their 2nd anniv date. 

But guessing from your answer, it should be the case?

My husband's CR1 and got DQ in May. Still no IL.

If they're pushing for CR1s to convert to IR1s first, a lot of May DQs will be skipped then. example is my husband, he'll only be converted to IR1 on June 🥲 and I know a couple more who got DQed in May but won't be IR1 till a bit later

Defeats their statement of doing FIFO accd to DQed dates

Btw, does anybody know if the beneficiary arrives exactly on the 2nd yr anniv date, will the GC still be automatically converted or do they have to wait for at least one more day?

Asking for a friend

2 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

 

How did you get NVC to refund you?  I had a friend that recently got double charged by NVC and even though it is totally NVC's fault and he has documentation and everything they won't budge on him a refund.

I think it took at least 4 months of reaching out to NVC back and forth. Your friend should email pay.gov, give them all info and ask for the receipt copy of both payments (NVC will ask for this later on). Your friend can use it to email NVC. 

I did all that but most likely they will still reply with unnecessary comments. Although don't lose hope from there. Probably cos I repeatedly emailed NVC with all documentation and proofs, they suddenly emailed me one day stating 'Due to a system error, it is possible you paid your Immigrant Visa fee and/or Affidavit of Support fee twice. You may request a refund if you made one of these duplicate payments between (date) and (date)'.

Once they get this kind of email, they're in. there will be instructions on what proofs/docu are needed. They just need to follow that and NVC will surely process their refund. 

If yall need more help, I can pm screenshots of NVC email for better reference 😊

1 minute ago, top_secret said:

 

I think you would definitely be in the next batch too.  Even if it's another month at least there is finally some movement.

I really hope so. I'm just worried that my payment being duplicated before might affect this. Although NVC eventually refunded me with the duplicate payment since it was their error.

Hoping for everybody to have IL soon 🙏

Beginning to lose hope. My husband got DQ'ed May 26th CR1 and still no IL 😭

It's already November and we are nearing the 5th month mark since the last mass auto expedite (June 26).

Prior to that, the last one was back in January 25 - which is also 5 months before.

How likely is it that we'll finally be getting another auto expedite this month?

I'm not trying to get my nor anybody's hopes up too much but the long wait is becoming insanely unbearable 😔

15 hours ago, TiffanyL said:

How are your cases going? I made the IV fee payment on 09/26/2023 but it still shows the IV fee status as IN PROCESS. I have made the inquiry several times but they didn’t give any clear answer. I still can’t move forward and submit other documents. Should I dispute the payment with my bank and pay the IV fee again?

I suggest you contact pay.gov directly and ask for a copy of the receipt from them. After getting the receipt, submit an inquiry again at NVC's public inquiry form. 

pay.gov is quick to respond and the most solid evidence you can provide to NVC. NVC will only consider that as your proof - not even bank account statement is enough. I had problems with double payment and submitted all kinds of proofs since May but they never processed anything. Not until I tried contacting pay.gov around a month ago directly and provided NVC with pay.gov's receipt via email correspondence. Now my refund is in process and I'm just waiting for NVC to mail the check to me

Another Monday passed and still no update. It's looking like we'll really get the next mass auto expedite on November (5 months after the last one, June 26) 😭

We really need a miracle at this point

Back when we got approved at USCIS part last year, we estimated to have our interview around September time (based from the timelines of others last yr) so me and my husband we'll be together by Christmas. 

Apparently all of this are just wishful thinking despite them being more operational now that covid is no longer an issue .

I'm still holding on to being reunited with my husband this year. When we got into NVC stage, I had an expectation of getting the interview around september - if that happens, there should be enough time to bring my husband to the US by Christmas. 

If the mass expedite doesn't happen by then though, then it's early next year as next prospect of mass expedite would be november - hopefully not that long.

The only saving grace my and my husband have for this whole situation is at least, we have something to look forward to every Mondays 😅

I'm still holding on to being reunited with my husband this year. When we got into NVC stage, I had an expectation of getting the interview around september - if that happens, there should be enough time to bring my husband to the US by Christmas. 

If the mass expedite doesn't happen by then though, then it's early next year as next prospect of mass expedite would be november - hopefully not that long.

The only saving grace my and my husband have for this whole situation is at least, we have something to look forward to every Mondays 😅

I'm keeping a close watch on those who didn't make the last cut off since I'm also included in the FB grp of those DQed from May 26 onwards. Still no update, unfortunately.

There are a few who expedited due to medical reasons and got processed. I'm really becoming more hopeful that it won't take another 5 months for them to do a new batch since they're not as strict with expedites as before.

3 hours ago, NeonParticles said:

Has anyone received an expedite or been moved forward in the process from NVC since the last group? 

as far as I know, none expedited so far (unless they really had an emergency). I am included in a facebook GC with those that didn't make the cut off from May + June/July DQs, unfortunately, none had received any news so far. 

35 minutes ago, NeonParticles said:

Curious as to how long us folks who were DQed recently or are going to be DQed in the following weeks are going to have to wait. Surely not 6 months .. right? right? 

I sure hope not. I've been talking to someone on FB who like us, didn't also make the cut off, and they have been researching about the previous auto-expedites. There is a very slight chance that they will do another auto-expedite next week (back in January, there were 2 weeks in between 2 batches of auto expedites). I've been praying and hoping that's true. Although if not, I'm also not gonna be surprised anymore since this is only a theory based from what happened previously with CR1/IR1 cases. I really don't want to get my and everyone who didn't make the cut off hopes up too high. The disappointment is unbearable.

If not next week, I'm guessing maybe 2-3 months (really praying it's not another 6 months) since they've been auto expediting a lot across all categories since the start of the year.

On 6/30/2023 at 6:50 PM, top_secret said:

 

I have been watching the "inventory" kind of carefully the last week or so and it has done some very interesting things.  At the beginning of last week CR/IR-1/2 had about 600 appointments open in July.  Then in the two days immediately preceding the mass expedite of Fxx cases last week,  225 appointments from the first two weeks of July disappeared in large blocks.   I'm pretty sure they were reallocated to Fxx.  However, yesterday, about 50 appointments in the first two weeks of July appeared in CR/IR-1/2 and the odd part there is it included Friday interviews in 20 minute intervals rather than the usual 30 minute intervals and there have NEVER been Friday appointments for CR/IR-1/2 or Fxx categories before.  I'm speculating they were reallocated away from K1 or some other category???

 

In any case,  CR/IR-1/2  started last week with about 600 July, and 670 August appointments available.   Since the mass expedites took place July is down to about 175 and August about 500 remaining.   Over on the Fxx side of things, I think they are approaching being booked solid down from probably 1400 open appointments when they started.

 

The logic of doing in mass after no scheduling at all for months escapes me,  but it seems very likely US embassy Manila expedited like well over 3,000 Fxx and CR/IR cases in groups last Thursday and this Wednesday.

Can we take a guess if there's any chance that they might do another batch of mass expedite at all? How are appointment slots looking this week if I may bother you to check, good sir?
I was able to create a cgi account for my husband but cannot see appointment slots unfortunately since he is still in DQ stage. Thank you!

Just now, aaroncv3 said:

Just received the email from NVC and the "In Transit" status update!

that's great news. Congrats to everyone! I really hope and pray that they will do another batch in about 2 weeks time 🙏

Just now, elmas3oud said:

I filed a dispute before I even uploaded any documents, my bank returned the money within 3 days, I then paid again and everything went smooth from there on.

I see. In our case, we got the rejected payment after we have already uploaded and answered all forms. I'm waiting to receive IL because by then, it would no longer affect my DQ date I believe. 

Although thank you for the advice!