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! 

Wow! Congratulations, this is definitely a step in the right direction. Fingers crossed

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

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.

We decided to do the medical exam. I don't think there's much I can do in terms of fighting the RFE, potentially losing green card isn't worth it. We got the courtesy email a while back but didn't consider submitting 693 until we got the actual RFE. He got a couple more vaccines that weren't on the DS-3025 (like varicella, tdap, 3rd hep) so maybe that's why the DS-3025 alone wasn't sufficient? 

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.

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.

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!

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

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! 

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!

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

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