hurryup

Good luck Hyd!!

We started around the same time and our interview dates are also around the same time.

Have a safe trip and come back with your husband.

Congrats Mrs. and Mr. Loto !! Wishing you a very happy married life ahead in this land!! I am so happy on the successful completion of this journey of life.

For all your service to this forum, your profile should be renamed from lotofpatience to lotofservice

I think the concensus is correct - no I-94 for IV holder ... Are we sure they can go to the USC/PR line?

I guess so. But still we need I-95 to get home, Rajee

Loto, I will not need I-95, but I will need I-75 because I am in Atlanta.

Fathima successfully collected her passport and visa packet from the counter at VFS courier office at Chennai. So, the counter collection of the passport from the VFS office on the next business day after the interview date is at least TRUE in Chennai. It should be true in other VFS locations too...

Hey Loto, this is good info. Any idea how big was the line? Is it crowded? Are there different lines for immigrant visa passport versus non-immigrant visa passport?

Thanks for your help!

Congrats jonbless!! I am so happy for you. I wish your rest of the process goes in lightning speed.

Try makemytrip.com for tixs from/to india and pay in us dollars

i use it all the time

Thanks chintan. I will try it out.

Sorry, I couldn't draft the interview experience neatly in an organized manner, because of the rush...

Noramally, I don't post like this, makes in an organized manner with more readability.

Are you crazy? This is the best interview post I have seen! Clockwork precision...you have got it down to the minute..as if you were right there.

You have done a LOTOf service to VJ. I think you owe us one more...the POE experience...

Congrats again and good luck with the last leg!! Welcome LOTO and LACKO (using this name with your kind permission) to USA!!

Cograts Loto!! I am so happy for you!! I can feel the excitement!!

Waiting for the details of the interview...whenever you find some time...

Thanks anish and lijy for your research and response. I flew Air India once and having heard bad opinion about their service, my expectations were low. But I was pleasantly surprised once inside. It was a good flight.

I am open to any airline, but in an order of priority!! My miles are building up in Delta and Emirates, so I thought that should be the first preference. Secondly, the travel agents told me that you have to change airports in Mumbai for Air India, which I thought might be a hassle. Well the good thing about Air India is you are in the company of desis and it is a great advantage for first-time travelers. In addition, you don't have to change planes in Europe.

Now one thing I have still not come to terms with is allowing my wife to face US customs/immigration at POE on her own. So meeting her in JFK may not be an option. I will still need to catch her somewhere in between.

Your 2cents are worth $1 to me !!

Thanks CherryXS, pbgirl and bengalilover for your valuable suggestions .

Wow CherryXS, thanks for going that 'extra mile' with the research :wow: !! I truely appreciate you spending time on this.

By the way, I had also tried those myself !! Here's an extra thing I found - on Delta, if you have a Saturday stay in London, then the fare drops from $2200 to $1300 :P !!

I think it is very annoying that there is no straight forward solution for this :( AND it is so expensive.

Dear all,

I am planning for my wife to enter US in August. Since she is coming to US for the first time, I want to accompany her. But I don't want to go all the way to India because I have to go again shortly afterwards, for my sister's wedding. I am thinking of going up to London, join my wife and enter the US with her.

When I talked to my travel agent in US, they said they cannot buy tickets for my wife from US because the journey is originating in India. They can buy tickets for Air India, but I don't want to fly Air India because of operational/logistic issues.

I have often flown the following route in Delta-Emirates combo flight and really like it: Atlanta-London-Dubai-Trivandrum. My ideal plan would be:

1. My wife buys one-way ticket from Trivandrum to Atlanta and flies Emirates-Delta combo in the Trivandrum-Dubai-London-Atlanta route.

2. I buy a two-way Delta ticket for Atlanta-London-Atlanta trip.

3. Miraculously, I and my wife are in the same Delta flight from London to Atlanta.

How can I make this happen? Have you been in this situation before? Your advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

hurryup

Hello all K-3s at Chennai consulate,

The appointments for Chennai consulate for July 2008 is published

I counted 27 (twenty seven) K-3s for July

and thought it might be a good opportunity to create a forum for this lucky bunch of folks to discuss pertinent matters.

Not sure how many of the 27 are from VJ . If you are out there, please come forward. Let us share this last leg of the journey together

Good luck to everyone and I wish you a hassle free approval.

I am wondering if the computers are indeed connected! I got a touch on 6/9/08. This is the date my papers reached US consulate.

Hello,

I have seen many threads discussing vaccinations required before Visa interview in Consulate/Embassy. Is it true that this is required only in the case of IR1/CR1 and NOT in the case of K-3? My understanding is that when K-3 comes to US and files for AOS, the vaccinations are required as part of AOS.

If anyone knows the answer, kindly confirm.

Best regards,

hurryup!

Dear all,

Just wanted to keep you informed that my K-3 left NVC even before reaching there (figuratively speaking)...!

K-3 and I-130 approved: June 1

K-3 reached NVC: June 3

K-3 left NVC: June 5

If I get an interview appointment in the consulate next month, my wife can be here before our first marriage anniversary!!

Time at USCIS: more than 8 months

Time at NVC: less than 2 days!

By the way, my I-130 hasn't reached NVC. I wouldn't be surprised if it went to NRC (National Records Center). I haven't got paper receipts of I-130 or K-3 approvals yet. Also, look at my signature, I got touched twice after approval and the dates coincide with activity at NVC.

Good luck to everyone!

Best regards,

hurryup

I am curious...did you get 'touched' prior to approval? Or was it just the e-mail notifying you of the approval?

No, I did not get touched just before the approval. Take a look at my signature to see my 'touch' history. Good luck!

same here. Approved on both counts. sent on 9/12/07

any idea about NVC?

I have been reading a lot of NVC threads. That's where I would begin. Good luck!

Dear Paris Heart, 000, moldha01, jonbless, Deyse&Je, Thai family, mrc1330, hyd617, Catt, Cornishman, happyinlove01240, Monica&Isha, MsZ, jeca, yash_ash, mina76, Fahad S and Birch-Beer,

Thank you for your warm wishes ! It means a lot to me. I wish your journey with USCIS ends very soon.

Thanks again,

hurryup

My dear VJ'ers,

I am happy to inform that after more than 8 months, VSC decided to approve my petitions. Both I-130 and I-129F are approved, and at the same time. I had signed up for email alerts and today morning at 5:30am ET, I got 2 emails from USCIS, one each for I-130 and I-129F. Both the petitions were approved yesterday. The information is also updated online. My 'touch' history can be seen in my signature.

I want to thank my fellow VJ'ers for the implicit and explicit support I got during the long, tiring, and frustrating journey with USCIS. My heart and prayers are with everyone and their loved ones waiting on USCIS.

Best regards,

hurryup

As rougewave pointed out above, since our lawyer is a member of AILA, they have access to the USCIS liason.

Talked to my lawyer and had a lengthy conversation. Following is a high level summary. Not sure if you will find anything new here, but thought to post anyway. Enjoy!

Q1. How are they processing?

A1. As per their liaison, USCIS is processing based on 'Notice Date' in NOA1 and not 'Received Date' in NOA1 [sarah is right; good analysis!].

Q2. Based on filings from their office, which dates are they processing for I-130 in VSC?

A2. Dec 21, 2007 Notice Date

Q3. For I-129F (K-3)?

A3. Nov 14, 2007 Notice Date

Q4. How is that so many applications filed after me are getting approved?

A4. Not so for this lawyer's clients. It is going in order. There are applications before me waiting to be processed. The lawyer strongly said that there is no way USCIS will go out of order; they cannot because there will be outrage if this happens [right!].

Q5. My colleague at work sitting next to me filed I-130 after me, for his father. He got approved before me. How is this possible?

A5. Father-son relation is different than spouse and they are handled by different people, different line.

Q6. Is VSC only approving I-130 and not K-3?

A6. Yes it seems like, but for some clients, the lawyer is getting both approvals from VSC and there is no consistency. Clients who filed K-3, but got only I-130 are pursing I-130, so the lawyer hasn't really asked their liaison in USCIS regarding the matter. But they agreed that the purpose of K-3 is defeated by only approving I-130; USCIS shouldn't be doing it [duh!].

Q7. How come K-1s filed after me are approved quicker?

A7. They expressed their surprise too. They said spouses must be given priority and didn't know why K-1's are approved so quickly.

Q8. Should I contact my congressman?

A8. I could, but it is a 50-50 chance and sometimes it could backfire. Based on congressional inquiry, they would pull out my file from the current line and it goes to a new line. Sometimes they are not careful and they don't put you back in the same position you were pulled out from. In fact sometimes they put you further back in the line. Of course sometimes they pull out the file and approve it right away. It all depends on who pulls your file.

Q9. Is it possible to know from VSC how many applications are ahead of me?

A9. No.

Q10. Do you think I might have hit a name check?

A10. The lawyer didn't think so, because there are applications in front of me in their office. If I fell behind, then they will take action by reaching out to their contacts in USCIS. There is no way they can help me jump line, but if there was even one case approved that is filed after me, then they have a reason to take it up with USCIS.

Q11. How is their liaison in USCIS different from the USCIS customer service?

A11. It is a real person with whom they can talk with and discuss cases, unlike customer service who have no information, no authority.

I made a wish for myself and all Sept filers. Lets us see!!

You really think you will get approved today? If you do I should. So I really hope you think that. =)

Wouldnt it be GREAT!!!!

225 days and waiting. I will get approved today along with other Sept filers at VSC.

225 days and waiting. I will get approved today along with other Sept filers at VSC.

man. this sucks.

i dont know how you do it.

Im about to die over here and Im an Oct. filer.

arent we just the lucky ones??

I am also like everybody else, impatient, frustrated, depressed, angry and helpless.

One thought that keeps me going is, if my wife doen't come here, then I will go to her. My wife and I have given ourselves until Dec 31, 2008 for her to come here. If that doesn't happen, then bye bye USA!!

225 days and waiting. I will get approved today along with other Sept filers at VSC.

yeah... try 185 days without an approval... no fun

165 Days, no touch , nothing, granted I have a criminal record, I am the USC though so it should not make a difference, none of my charges involve domestic abuse or any crime that could have caused harm to anyone.

I proudly announce the completion of 222 days today!

From prose to poetry...great work once again Sarah!! You are adept at both.

It's worth sending to VSC. They will laugh and approve your petition in no time.

If you send it as anonymous, at least they will get the point.

They are used to reading long letters with complaints and affidavits and citations of law.

Reading poetry will be a whiff of fresh air and readable as opposed to an otherwise plain old rant that gets ignored.