M&HH

We checked online tonight on a whim--and my husband's I-485 was approved today! Typically he gets the letters in the mail before anything on his account online updates. Happy surprise!

My husband got a RFE for I-693 (Medical Examination & Vaccination Record). We bit the expensive bullet and just did the whole form, even though he probably could have gotten away with the vaccine portion only. The RFE didn't make that distinction, so we didn't want to risk it. Sent it to the Montgomery office per the instructions in the letter, and it arrived on Thursday (Nov. 2nd). Hope to have an update in the next couple of weeks.

Congrats! My husband waited for his SSN card to come, but it never did. I found a PDF on the USCIS website from the SSA that mentions to go to your local office if you don't receive your SSN within 7 business days of receiving the EAD. He went to our office and they had no record of USCIS filing for his SSN, so they processed it that day--received the card 7 days later. Here's the link: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/flyers/EBE_Flyer_Apply_for_your_Social_Security_Number_While_Applying_for_Your.pdf

Yikes... We didn't get a copy of the DS-3025. So far no RFE, but wouldn't surprise me if that comes up at some point while we wait for AOS. Did your husband end up getting the required vaccines/exam stateside? Great advice for those preparing for the medical appointment!

Yes, the card arrived in the mail three days after receiving the notice. Does anyone know if the Social Security Card will arrive soon now that the EAD was issued? We checked the box on the I-1765 for a SSN.

Congratulations! Some people seem to email the embassy for instructions to submit with Packet 3 materials. The instructions for the CIB payment are actually in the Packet 4 email (when your interview date is sent to you), which is misleading given the request in Packet 3. We waited until Packet 4.

My husband (adjusting from K-1) concurrently filed his I-485, I-765, and I-131 in mid-April. Biometrics appointment was May 10th. He just got his work authorization approval notice in the mail today (with a notice date of 6/12). He checked online, and the status of the I-765 updated to closed and said the card was processed today (6/20). Hopefully the card arrives soon!

Oh goodness... My husband is also adjusting from K-1 and we did not submit the I-693 (just assumed the DS-3025 in the medical packet would be sufficient...). Please let us know what you ended up doing!

We did not submit the copy of the CIB receipt with Packet 3 because we knew from previous experience that the fee was paid leading up to the interview. The instructions to pay the fee/CIB receipt are included in the Packet 4 email, which asks you to bring the original CIB receipt to the interview. Once you get the Packet 3 email, you could ask what they prefer.

Yes, definitely send through SLS. You will get a number on the receipt to track online, but it seemed to lag. Sorry, I'm not sure I understand this question. From previous experience, he knew that the fee paid to CIB was done leading up to the interview (the instructions are actually in the Packet 4 email). I think others contacted the embassy for instructions to pay fees to CIB to include in Packet 3 materials, but we did not. Hope this helps. It's truly an incredibly confusing process with vague instructions. Hang in there!

As long as the current address is on the national ID and police report, my fiancé thinks that should be fine. Maybe reach out to the embassy to verify? They are usually pretty responsive via email.

Here's the Packet 3 instructions I received: Please prepare the following documents for each person applying for a visa and send them to our office via courier service: 1. Photocopy of passport (the original to be submitted on the appointment date) 2. Photocopy of bilingual birth certificate 3. A copy of your bilingual divorce certificate (If previously married and divorced) 4. Police certificate from your country of nationality if you are 16 years old or older 5. Police certificate if you lived in a different country for more than 12 months and you were 16 years or older at that time. 6. Copy of CIB Receipt. 7. An Affidavit of Support (Form I-134) signed by the Petitioner. 8. Petitioner’s most recent year of federal income taxes (form 1040 only). Please also bring the most recent W2 form and a job letter indicating current salary and length of employment 9. Medical exam for applicant as attached, medical examination report should be submitted on the day of the visa interview. Applicants are advised to schedule their medical examination 3weeks prior to the date of their visa interview. 10. Applications: DS-160 application online application form: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/, please print the confirmation page and send it along with the documents. 11. Photograph: Please ensure your passport photo conforms to the following requirements. We will be unable to process your case without a photo that meets these standards: Hairline showing Taken within the last 6 months Colored photo (no black & white) White/light background Full face towards the camera No colored eye contacts 5 cm x 5 cm No eyeglasses Birth/ Death /Marriage or Divorce certificates Applicants must provide a copy of their Official bilingual Birth/Marriage/Death or Divorce certificates from the Civil Status Organization headquarters. please see https://cso.moi.gov.eg/ and https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Egypt.html Certificates are usually issued within one week period.

@Mahmir & @A AM, so exciting! Congratulations to you both!

I recently went through this same scenario with my Egyptian fiancé, and honestly it will start moving quickly once you get the transfer letter email from NVC! We received the transfer letter on July 19th, and my fiancé got his visa approved yesterday. One thing I didn't realize was that once your status in CEAC shows "Ready" (about a week after the transfer letter), you will need to reach out to the embassy via email for Packet 3 instructions. I was under the impression they would contact us, so that delayed our timeline a bit. Because I wasn't sure if an interview could get scheduled before our NOA2 expired, I emailed a letter to the embassy (following a template found on Visa Journey) and they extended it for us--no problem.

Oh good! Just wanted to pass along the info in case it helps someone else. Safe travels!

@Mahmir my fiancé called the Civil Status Record Office, and apparently he can get the bilingual birth certificate in Qena (they have an office there by the same name). Hopefully it's an easy process. Just needs to bring photo copy of both birth certificate and passport info page

To my knowledge... (which isn't saying much haha). He currently lives in Luxor, and the only one available there is strictly in Arabic. Based on others' experiences I've read, it seems that the one they want is from the Civil Status Record Office (in Abbasiya Square). I could be wrong, though!

Happy to help! No interview date scheduled yet since we are still preparing documents for Packet 3. My fiancé has to make a trip to Cairo for the specific bilingual birth certificate they want. He hopes to mail it off in the next week!

Congrats @Mahmir and @A AM! Be sure to email the US Embassy in Cairo (cairoiv@state.gov) once your status is "Ready" in CEAC for Packet 3 instructions. I was under the impression they would reach out to us when they were ready to move forward.... but that is not the case haha

We each wrote short letters from our own perspectives about how we met, brief overview of our relationship and visits, meeting each other's family, etc., and at the end of the letter is where we included the statement of intent to marry (using both our full names). My fiancé is Egyptian and wrote his in English. I had him sign and scan the final page with his signature to include with the rest of the documentation. Good luck!

First and foremost, I am SO sorry this has been your experience so far. I feel guilty because I applied at the same time and have progressed slowly but surely to the US Embassy in Cairo. What might be the silver lining is that once you do get the NOA2 approval, things appear to be moving pretty steady... if all goes well you could potentially be scheduling an interview at the embassy within a few months after NOA2 (maybe 4-5?) based on recent K-1 timelines. My fingers are crossed you hear some good news soon!

About six weeks after my petition approval (NOA2), I received an email from NVC saying my case was being transferred to the US Embassy in my fiancé's country--so there was no real "welcome letter" as I was anticipating like you. I actually had the same panic about it getting cleared from my spam/junk folder because I assumed it would a mailed letter like the NOA2. My experience was really just a transfer letter (emailed and attached as a PDF). Hope this helps!

Yep--that conversation sounds just like my live agent chat! At least you've since confirmed it's arrival. Definitely seems like the transit email is coming soon! I will certainly keep you updated when things progress

Hello! It seems I'm a couple of weeks ahead of you (NOA1 May 4, 2021; NOA2 May 24, 2022). On July 19th, I got an email from NVC with a letter addressed to my fiancé (attached in a PDF) explaining that the NVC received my approved petition and that it was being transferred to the US Embassy or Consulate in Cario, which could take several weeks. No word since, though. Just wanted to share my experience. Sounds like you might be getting that email in a few weeks? Hang in there! PS a few days prior to receiving the letter, I chatted with a live agent via Emma--they had no record of it being sent to NVC yet