CourtAndGrey

Still waiting for our NOA1 .

Called USCIS this morning. Were told it can take up to 30 days for delivery!!

So we basically have to wait it out should call only call back if we don't receive it in 30 days.

Any suggestions ?

Has anyone had a similar experience?

I have seen NOA1's take awhile to arrive. Everything is most likely fine - and who knows - it may just show up in your mail box tomorrow. My guess is nothing to worry about just yet.

I'm doing the ROC like my crockpot, set it and forget it, lmao.

AMEN to that!

I am tired of letting USCIS rule my life. We're turning this thing in, and just letting it ride! It seems like fewer challenges come up in this stage. As long as you have the evidence and compile a thorough ROC Packet, most folks seem to be approved. What do you guys think?

Updating!

I got my NOA on Friday, dated 02/07/2011

California Service Center (8 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

ROSELINDA..........01/31/11..........02/02/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

SEKYSK.............01/31/11..........02/??/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

GlOANDCOLE.........01/31/11..........02/02/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

NGINEAR2...........02/01/11..........02/04/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

YAKULT.............02/01/11..........02/02/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CECILE AND BRYAN...02/04/11..........02/07/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MARIKIYA_DHR.......02/05/11..........02/07/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ADRIANA WATSON.....02/14/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

Vermont Service Center (9 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

SAMAHM.............01/31/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

TRELAWNY PARISH....02/02/11..........02/03/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

HONEY_ME...........02/03/11..........02/07/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ALASKAN............02/04/11..........02/07/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

BRIT ABROAD........02/05/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

RAYPINOT...........02/05/11..........02/08/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

WHATIF.............02/07/11..........02/09/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

KPC................02/11/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

JEREMYR............02/15/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

IMPORTANT!

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* Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply.

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Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application

NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter

Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment

Approved = The Date your case was approved

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Thank you everyone. this makes me feel better. I know it's all gonna be cool. wish me luck

Good luck!! Enjoy every moment of your journey!

Save yourself the stress. There's so much to think about when you just focus on the visa, that if you start to consider wedding plans falling through and re-booking everything and shifting it all around, it will be so hard to mentally deal with. We didn't want to do the courthouse thing, so we just planned out a small ceremony and reception that could be easily booked WHENEVER he ended up getting here. When he arrived in July, we were able to book our date for September and still gave guests an appropriate amount of time.

(By the way, based on how our timeline went 2 years ago, October would be reasonable for you. I filed in January and he was here in July. However, it seems like we are an exception, not the norm!)

Good luck to you guys! Have a great wedding - whatever it looks like!

Stay together. Have your evidence organized and your packet ready. When we went through POE, they actually had a couple (super basic) questions for us, and if we had been in different places, that could have been problematic.

I have always been told we are fine to go to either line - whichever is shorter. When we entered, I think we did the Visitor line and I just politely asked the officer when we got to his window if we were in the right place. He was very kind.

Congrats on the visa - and safe travels!

To the OP: THE WAITING SUCKS!

I can completely relate to you when you say that others have started to notice a difference. The time during our wait was probably the most difficult and depressing stretch of time in my life. It consumes you. And while you attempt to be reasonable and pragmatic and patient, you just can't resist checking Igor's list, and in my case, I even made my own spreadsheets that calculated times and potential approval dates. It consumed me. As someone who has survived the wait, I offer these two thoughts:

1) Given the perspective I have now, I often look back and think "If only I had known that the whole process would be done in 8 months, it would have been so much easier. I could have been so much more patient" For me, it was the sense of not knowing when/what will happen that made it so hard. Try to remember, your case will, in all likelihood, be approved, and in the big scheme of life, the 4-6 month wait for the NOA2 is nothing compared to a LIFETIME of a wonderful marriage. It will work out. Try to avoid the gray hairs in the process.

2) Focus your energy on the next step. I was SO consumed in Igor's List, the USCIS website, and plotting dates on my calendar, that when our approval came, I wasn't prepared for how much more quickly things actually move. Thankfully, I had taken some time to look ahead, get advice from others, and have the next few steps ready. When our Consulate received our file, I was already on the phone with them letting them know we had Packet 3 done and ready. Before my fiance' even went to the embassy to pick up his packet (that's how Costa Rica does it), we had an interview date! No expedites needed. All the sudden, about a week after our NOA2, I was buying plane tickets and getting time off work to be there for our interview! Talk about a whirlwind! You can control the next few steps much more than this part - if you're prepared and organized it can go even faster! Harness your energy and use this time to be ready to FLY through the next steps. You'll be thankful you did.

I wish you a speedy approval, and an even speedier rest of the journey.

The last few days are certainly the hardest. Your timing right now suggests it truly could be any day!

Keep the faith - your approval is right around the corner!!!

:star:

Sure, if she comes here again and you marry, you can file the I-130 petition to start the spouse visa process. She must not overstay her allowed time to visit, and must return to Russia where the will interview for the visa.

Click on the word Guides at the top of any page here and learn the process.

Yup!

Also, it will be important to establish that she did not enter the U.S. on a TOURIST VISA with the intent to marry. If she travels here, with 20 pieces of luggage and they suspect she will be using her Tourist Visa to enter the country, then get married, and stay here forever, she may not be allowed entry. She should plan to come here, solely to visit, then while she's here, you guys can truly evaluate options, and if your love (and your life situations) determine that marriage is the best way to go, you can sure go for it.

Read around on the forums here to get a better sense of others who have experienced similar situations.

It's sure possible, but be aware of how it will look later down the road when you have to explain in an interview why she used one type of visa for something else. Good luck to you guys!

If you are the petitioner visiting the country of the beneficiary, you don't need to bring anything regarding your K1.

I second that. As far as AUS is concerned, you are just there visiting. When you re-enter the states, you'll be a citizen just returning home, so nothing other than your passport is what you need.

Otherwise, be prepared to take lots of pictures together. These will be helpful come interview time. If you have the chance to get some photos with his family, I'd recommend that too. It's all great evidence of your relationship!

Have a lovely trip and enjoy your time together!

I am in the military and I am scheduled to deploy the first week of July. On the 8th of February we received an email notification that our I129F has been approved. She is from Sao Paulo, Brazil but lives in London, UK. From what I've seen from the statistics on this website, the amount of visas and the wait time in Brazil is shorter. Would it be beneficial for us to change the interview location to Brazil instead of London? My concern is that I don't know how long it would take to process that address change cause if it would be equivalent to the difference between the two wait times, then it wouldn't make any sense. However, we would like to be married before I leave in July. Is that even possible?

Without knowing anything specifically about either Consulate, I would think it's better to keep it with your original choice. Paperwork may already been en route and having someone stop to track down your file and change its course may just put a hitch in the process.

Depending on how prepared you are for your interview, and how soon she can start getting her Packet 3 together, you guys could help the process significantly. In our case, my fiance was actually IN THE STATES a little over a month after our NOA2 approval. From there, it's up to you on how quickly you want to push through wedding plans.

I would solicit advice from those who have experience in London, as they may have a better idea on that Consulate's turn around time.

Either way, I would think its possible! Good luck!

Edited chronological order

California Service Center (6 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

ROSELINDA..........01/31/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

SEKYSK.............01/31/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

NGINEAR2...........02/01/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

CECILE AND BRYAN...02/04/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

ALASKAN............02/04/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

MARIKIYA_DHR.......02/05/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

Vermont Service Center (5 applicants)

VJName.............Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved....

SAMAHM.............01/31/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

TRELAWNY PARISH....02/02/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

HONEY_ME...........02/03/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

BRIT ABROAD........02/05/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

WHATIF.............02/07/11..........--/--/11.......--/--/11........--/--/11....

IMPORTANT!

* Make sure that your VJ Text Editor setting is set to Rich Text Editor.

* Go to the MOST RECENTLY POSTED VERSION of this list (go to the last post and scroll UP) and "Reply" to it, deleting the "quote" tags in your reply.

* Please DO NOT change the font, font size, add colors, stuff like that.

* Please PREVIEW before posting to make sure it is properly formatted.

* Please check that you have not deleted anyones NAME & DATA.

Date of I-751 = The Date you sent your application

NOA Date = The Receipt Date on your original NOA letter

Biometrics = The Date of your biometrics appointment

Approved = The Date your case was approved

* Please Capitalize your VJ Name when adding it to the list.

* When you're on this list, please come back to update your information accordingly

* If you cannot add your information yourself, please ask another VJ member to help you do so.

We will be sending our packet this week (once our tax transcripts arrive.) I will update the list once I have an official sent date!

Although these two years have been a nice break from VJ, it's nice to see some familiar faces again!

Congrats on the approval Jeroen! I'm glad your day seemed to be a little smoother than ours. I felt kind of guilty after I posted all the crappy stuff that happened to us right before your big day, contributing I'm sure, to your anxiety. Sorry! I'm glad to hear that all went well though.

Welcome home to you, Pam. It seems like you guys had a great time. I hope the US doesn't seem too boring now. I always find it a little hard to transition back to US life after being "home" in Costa Rica.

Any word on the EAD Rachel? I didn't realize you had to go back for Biometrics another time... crazy. Hope you hear something soon.

Thanks Cecile, and all the others who sent your kind words! We're thrilled to be done and wish a speedy finish to those coming up soon!

Hi friends,

Well I'm glad to say we are APPROVED but it didn't come without a struggle. We honestly weren't that nervous when it came down to it, but perhaps we should have been.

Our interview was scheduled for 2:30 and we arrived at 1:45, went through security, got checked in, then started waiting. We noticed about an hour later that a lot of the people who had come in after us were going through, getting their interviews, and leaving as we waited and waited. Finally around 3:30 we inquired with one of the people who came out to call a name, and the very rude IO told me to sit back down and that our name would be called when it was our turn. He ignored the part about me saying we had been there nearly two hours. We kept waiting and around 4:15 Greivin inquired with a different IO that came out to call a name and she commented that we had in fact been there a long time (she had seen us several times when she came out to call other names). She checked on our case and told us we would be next and that there had been a mix up. We looked around to find only one other person left waiting. The door opened, an IO came out, and called not us, but the ONLY other lady sitting and waiting. GRRRR. Finally another IO came out and called the name of a woman who was obviously not there. We laughed (annoyingly) and he asked our names and came back in about 5 minutes and said he would take us back. FINALLY.

He was friendly enough, but didn't seem to care we had been waiting FOREVER. He started us with an oath then began asking Greivin some questions. Greivin is not a native English speaker, and the IO started firing crazy questions at him, most he didn't understand without any context, so he immediately got nervous. "Are you a spy?", "Are you a communist?", "Do you have ties to terrorists?", and "How many crimes have you gotten away with?" Greivin was so confused and was trying to answer honestly, but the guy just kept firing questions at him. Finally, the IO let me explain each thing to greivin, in english slowly, and he was able to understand and answer each one.

He then wanted to see wedding pictures. He held up our album and asked ME about the people in the pictures. (I thought that was strange too, cause chances are, if the people are white, they are related to me and I would know them. It would seem to be more useful to ask the foreign guy who the white people are if he was really hoping to see if we were legit... but whatever).

He then asked how we met and when we got engaged. He didn't like that we didn't have an "engagement date" and he thought that we got married "awfully fast." (We dated for a year and a half before we got married, and we've known each other for like 4 years. GRRR.)

Then we got into previous visa issues. He asked about previous visa applications that had been denied and Greivin told him Yes, he had applied for a tourist visa before. He was denied on lack of evidence, so he applied again several months later with all the evidence they wanted, and was denied again. After that, it was only the K1 Visa application, and that one was approved. The IO then started asking him about why he wanted to come here so bad, and asked Greivin if he had come on a Tourist Visa, would he have married me in the US and failed to return to Costa Rica. Greivin was like "... uhh... no, probably not, but I don't know, it didn't happen. I came on a K1 Visa and I was allowed to get married." He then asked me why we were so desperate for a visa. I nervously explained that Greivin's village sees a lot of visitors from the Seattle area (educational study abroad programs go there) and that he has a lot of friends here in Seattle. I said that Greivin not only wanted to visit me, but to see his friends, and also get to see this country in the event him and I continued with our serious relationship and someday planned to live together here. The IO grumbled and said alright.

I asked if he wanted to see more evidence, more pictures, or any of the papers I had brought. He said he had everything in his file, and that although he wasn't happy about the "visa issues" he would approve us. Then he started making stupid small talk which I felt was like another trick or something, but he stamped our forms and said congratulations, so we packed our things and got the heck out of there!

So I guess we are happy about the Approval, but man, it was exhausting! The main tip I would have is to be prepared for the crazy "spy" questions at the beginning, especially to those who are still learning their English. Also, be prepared to talk about any Tourist Visa denials. Apparently that made us look a little suspicious when we obviously have nothing to hide. Craziness. Anyway, it's done, and we are USCIS free for 2 years, WAHOO!

Thanks for all your encouragement guys, and good luck to those who are up next!

Hi friends,

Well I'm glad to say we are APPROVED but it didn't come without a struggle. We honestly weren't that nervous when it came down to it, but perhaps we should have been.

Our interview was scheduled for 2:30 and we arrived at 1:45, went through security, got checked in, then started waiting. We noticed about an hour later that a lot of the people who had come in after us were going through, getting their interviews, and leaving as we waited and waited. Finally around 3:30 we inquired with one of the people who came out to call a name, and the very rude IO told me to sit back down and that our name would be called when it was our turn. He ignored the part about me saying we had been there nearly two hours. We kept waiting and around 4:15 Greivin inquired with a different IO that came out to call a name and she commented that we had in fact been there a long time (she had seen us several times when she came out to call other names). She checked on our case and told us we would be next and that there had been a mix up. We looked around to find only one other person left waiting. The door opened, an IO came out, and called not us, but the ONLY other lady sitting and waiting. GRRRR. Finally another IO came out and called the name of a woman who was obviously not there. We laughed (annoyingly) and he asked our names and came back in about 5 minutes and said he would take us back. FINALLY.

He was friendly enough, but didn't seem to care we had been waiting FOREVER. He started us with an oath then began asking Greivin some questions. Greivin is not a native English speaker, and the IO started firing crazy questions at him, most he didn't understand without any context, so he immediately got nervous. "Are you a spy?", "Are you a communist?", "Do you have ties to terrorists?", and "How many crimes have you gotten away with?" Greivin was so confused and was trying to answer honestly, but the guy just kept firing questions at him. Finally, the IO let me explain each thing to greivin, in english slowly, and he was able to understand and answer each one.

He then wanted to see wedding pictures. He held up our album and asked ME about the people in the pictures. (I thought that was strange too, cause chances are, if the people are white, they are related to me and I would know them. It would seem to be more useful to ask the foreign guy who the white people are if he was really hoping to see if we were legit... but whatever).

He then asked how we met and when we got engaged. He didn't like that we didn't have an "engagement date" and he thought that we got married "awfully fast." (We dated for a year and a half before we got married, and we've known each other for like 4 years. GRRR.)

Then we got into previous visa issues. He asked about previous visa applications that had been denied and Greivin told him Yes, he had applied for a tourist visa before. He was denied on lack of evidence, so he applied again several months later with all the evidence they wanted, and was denied again. After that, it was only the K1 Visa application, and that one was approved. The IO then started asking him about why he wanted to come here so bad, and asked Greivin if he had come on a Tourist Visa, would he have married me in the US and failed to return to Costa Rica. Greivin was like "... uhh... no, probably not, but I don't know, it didn't happen. I came on a K1 Visa and I was allowed to get married." He then asked me why we were so desperate for a visa. I nervously explained that Greivin's village sees a lot of visitors from the Seattle area (educational study abroad programs go there) and that he has a lot of friends here in Seattle. I said that Greivin not only wanted to visit me, but to see his friends, and also get to see this country in the event him and I continued with our serious relationship and someday planned to live together here. The IO grumbled and said alright.

I asked if he wanted to see more evidence, more pictures, or any of the papers I had brought. He said he had everything in his file, and that although he wasn't happy about the "visa issues" he would approve us. Then he started making stupid small talk which I felt was like another trick or something, but he stamped our forms and said congratulations, so we packed our things and got the heck out of there!

So I guess we are happy about the Approval, but man, it was exhausting! The main tip I would have is to be prepared for the crazy "spy" questions at the beginning, especially to those who are still learning their English. Also, be prepared to talk about any Tourist Visa denials. Apparently that made us look a little suspicious when we obviously have nothing to hide. Craziness. Anyway, it's done, and we are USCIS free for 2 years, WAHOO!

Thanks for all your encouragement guys, and good luck to those who are up next!

Just dropping by to say our interview is tomorrow! I think we've got everything put together and aren't expecting trouble, but it's hard not to be nervous anyway...

We'll report back soon with (hopefully) the good news!

Hope you guys are all doing well!

Just a quick note to add that tomorrow is our interview! :unsure: We're nervous but confident and as you can tell, I am here on VJ double and triple checking everything before the big day. We'll report back tomorrow (Thursday) on any news!

Hope you guys are all well!

On a different note, here's some other news from the marriage life: Michelle is pregnant!! :dance: We only know it since this weekend, going to the doctor later today to make sure it is really really true but I kind of do not doubt on it, her period has been too long ago and the home test says she is preggers, so she better well be also!

Jeroen and Michelle, WAHOOOOOOOO! Congratulations!

Glad to hear things are working out a little with the insurance. I HATE U.S. health care! Such wonderful news though, I hope everything continues to go great! Keep us posted!

It's BEAUTIFUL Rachel! I love rearranging furniture, and perhaps more so, buying new stuff!

Glad you guys are doing well!

Not many posts lately... is our little thread drying up?

Hope you guys are all doing well!

We're down in Tacoma!

Hey KIMCORENE,

Thanks for this awesome checklist of interview stuff. I don't have any suggestions since I'm still in the preparation stage myself, just wanted to say thanks for helping me get ready!

BTW - I am secretly in love with my label maker too!

And congrats on the little one coming soon!

I thought I would share what we will be taking as evidence to our interview next month. We will have a messenger bag with three albums (wedding, honeymoon and one that has pictures of when we were dating until now), in addition to tons of letters. Our second thing is one of those huge organizers with compartments, which I have labeled with tabs...I'm fanatical when it comes to organizing, lol. Please peruse at your leisure and feel free to comment. Thanks! BTW, the text in bold is the section heading I used and each section is accompanied by one for photocopies.

Identity and Citizenship

Passports

Social Security cards

Birth certificates

Certificate of naturalization

Immigration and Legal Entry

Interview notice

All notices received from USCIS

Copy of I-130 AND I-485

J-1 visa paperwork

Copy of visa

Copy of I-94 and form from Deferred Inspections from when they had to correct the visa class on my I-94

Copy of stamps in passport

Eligibility for Permanent Residence

Marriage certificate

Approval notice for waiver of two yr. foreign residency requirement

Shared Residence

Apartment lease

Utility bills

Canceled checks showing former joint address

Joint mail at new address

Change of address confirmation for family move and for me since I use my maiden name on some things

Auto insurance showing former address

Joint Finances

One year's bank statements for joint saving and checking accounts

Beneficiary change confirmations for retirement plans

Jointly filed tax return for 2008

Account summary for Church

Canceled checks

Insurance

Auto Insurance

Health Insurance

Dental Coverage

Affidavit of Support

Form I-864 EZ

2008 W-2

2008 Joint Tax Return

IRS Tax Transcripts for 2007, 2006 and 2005.

Copies of Pay stubs- Jan. to March 2009.

Medical Information

Sealed envelope containing Form I-693 (Civil surgeon had used the outdated form and I didn't get an RFE for it, so I'm taking it to the interview)

Ultrasound pictures of our little princess (due June 5th, yay! )

Miscellaneous

Wedding announcement in online publication

Itinerary and receipts from honeymoon

A couple of wedding pictures I had lying around (in case they want to keep pictures- our album is a scrapbook so everything is glued in).

So that's it. A long post, I know but I want to make sure all our bases are covered- would hate for them to ask for something that we left at home :bonk: . Anyway, what do you guys think?

Add us to that Interview list! :dance:

We will have our AOS Interview March 12! Our letter came in the mail Saturday, along with the EAD card! WAHOO!

krsound-

Nope, nothing changed on our USCIS account until the afternoon when I got the email. The last updated date we had was from months before... either the Biometrics or the NOA1, I can't remember which. I filed the service request for the EAD only, but we were approved for both the EAD and AP 10 days later. Hope you hear something soon!!

And now for some good news of our own...

Finally EAD AND AP ARE APPROVED!

It took 102 days, but on Jan 27th we received the email that we were approved for both.

And to those still waiting, calling USCIS for a Service Request seemed to help us. They said we would hear something within 15 days and we were approved in 10. Just an idea...

I was wondering -- did you see any movement in your file on USCIS between the time you put in your service request and the time you were approved? It's just getting so frustrating to go on the site and see the same dates --- on our AP the only date is when they received it and on the EAD, its just after the biometric. We put in a service request last Thursday!