The Staleys

My fiancé has a criminal conviction that’s why it took so long.
Recently, my fiancé wrote and called his congress man but it was just useless and time wasting. We were approved on the 17th May, we never knew about it because we didn’t see it on our uscis case status. He called uscis office today and was given the best news of our lives.
I hope I answered your question. 
 
 

We just got approved. Thanks for the advice. 
 

A big congratulations.💃👍🏻

Thank you everyone! I ended up going to the interview on a wheelchair.. I explained what happened and I got approved !! 🥳🎉 
After the interview I went straight to the hospital..Doctors said was Guillain Barre syndrome that Tdap vaccine and stress caused it 😐 
I had a treatment for a week and now I get better and better every day ✌🏼😊
 

Hello!! How’s your health and how did the interview go? 

I understand why USCIS makes it so hard to connect to a real live person, and why customer service phone lines are always a half hour MINIMUM wait to speak to someone - to deter any questions to answer that can be found online. However, I've almost had it to about here with them. I've been more than patient as I understand these immigration things tend to take a while, and I have never been rude to anyone that works at these places or answers the phone calls. I respect the people in these immigration position and understand they are somewhat of an "authority" and have a tough job to do. That said, it does not give them the right to be rude to us.

I need to schedule an infopass appointment as I need an I-55 stamp very soon. There is no way to schedule this online (at least at our closest office) and the only way is to call USCIS hotline.
 
First call:
Called USCIS, explained my situation, and the officer said she'll put me in queue for someone to call me to schedule an infopass appt (or for them to call me and see if I qualify for one).
3 days later, a lady calls me and totally misdirected me to the wrong information without much of a chance to respond. I would have told her I'm actually further along the process than she thinks I am. She hangs up abruptly. As we all know, there is no number to call back to this specific person, each time you talk to someone it's with someone new. To get back to this "queue" you need to call USCIS again - wait up to an hour on the phone - repeat the story of your situation and what you need, and then have them put you in the "queue" for a call back.

Second call:
So I repeat this process of calling the USCIS office again, and this second USCIS officer says the previous person did not input correct information so that's why the lady who called me thought I hadn't done a certain step yet and directed me to find answers on the website. So that first call was a waste of time for EVERYONE involved just because one person made a mistake and didn't do her job right.
She places me in the "queue" for a second call back.

2 days later, a lady calls me and was verifying my personal information to make sure I am the applicant. I gave her my name/address/birthday as one does in these personal calls. Then, she asks for my social security number. KEEP IN MIND I'm a foreigner, not working yet as I hadn't gotten my green card yet, and did not grow up having to use social security number for anything - therefore I don't have this number memorized yet. I only remember the last 4 digits. I have my SSN card right in the envelope in front of me, was in a hurry trying to take it out so I could tell her the number and the lady yells and me and says "why don't you know your social security number?". My explanation would have taken a while and I had the information right in front of me and was about to give it to her but she yells at me once more and says "maam, I don't believe you are the applicant. Goodbye and have a nice day!" 

I was holding my phone, stunned, and not even given a chance to rectify the situation. She'd already hung up! She could have asked me more personal questions: Passport number, A#, whatever, and given me a chance to answer more questions to verify I was the applicant. No, I didn't even get the chance. 

This call was once again, a total waste of everyone's time.
IN TOTAL, I've spoken to 4 different USCIS people by now and don't know how many more I will have to speak with to get my resolution. 
It feels like they are making things hard on purpose so nobody gets their issues easily resolved.
 
Once again, I am left having to call the USCIS hotline - wait up to an hour for a live person - explain my situation - and then wait another 3 days for a callback. This time I will be sure to have my SSN memorized, but it'll probably be something else that they find fault with.
 
If this is how they answer and "resolve" all these phone calls, it is no wonder why the call volumes are high and will always be high - because nothing ever gets resolved and people are having to call back numerous times to get their problem solved. In both of these call backs they hung up abruptly without giving much of a chance to say anything. They are also somewhat impatient and expect you to speak their immigration lingo - yes, you better memorize and know what all the forms are called and what they are talking about. They get impatient and mean if you ask for a second to look up which form they are referring to. They'll say "you should already know if you've done the form". Don't they realize how many of these forms I've had to fill out since day 1 of the process? Not to mention that us normal folks aren't living and breathing in these forms everyday like they are. 
 
I'm not sure if anyone has faced with this type of frustrating service but seems like there is not much we can do because they are the authority and we're just applicants who are at their mercy. 😢
 
 

NOA 1: November 22, 2022
NOA 2: October 6, 2023
NVC Received: October 20, 2023
 
Cases should be forwarded to the Embassies on November 7th or 8th. 
Hoping to get Interview by mid-December, so we can fly to the U.S in mid-January.
 
Best of luck to everyone. 

After exactly 2-weeks from NOA2 , I got my case number today. 😍

Got my NOA2 10/12/2023 *** there is hope at the end of the tunnel ***
all I want this Christmas is NVC Case Transfer 🎁

NOA-1: Nov 25, 2022
NOA-2: Oct 10, 2023
California service center.
 
Just saw this morning when I went in to check case status as I do every morning. I couldn't believe it. I resubmitted the case # three times because I was in so much shock. Haha!

They approved her visa. They only asked her my name, my phone number, where I work, and the last time we see each other. Now we are waiting for the passport to book her flight. I can’t wait!!!! God is good!!!
It’s been a long journey but it’s worth it. Wish you guys a speedy process!!

They called me today And gave my fiancée an appointment for February 22. Fingers 🤞. God is able!!

Generally, K-1 cases (more so than others) are processed in order of receipt.  But as the late, great  @geowrian used to say, "USCIS service centers are like a large grocery store.  Some lines are just a little faster than others".
In all honesty, no case is the same.  Individual background checks, individual adjudicator workload, etc. also play a part in the processing speed.  The only instance I can recall of not generally processing in order was with I-751s a couple years ago.  Patience really is a virtue when it comes to immigration matters.  The journey is long and difficult for most couples.
 

So there’s no delete button? Someone has to sit down and remove it manually? 
 
I’m just tired of the aggression towards people who are simply trying to help people get through their immigration journey. I don’t see why processing numbers that are freely accessible to all, can’t be shared especially when it’s not a service offered on VJ. No one here is benefitting financially from sharing it and the ones that are, you’ve banned already 🤣
 
Every time I come here it’s an icky experience and I do not want VJ to benefit from my immigration journey.

FWIW, I plan on sending an update to the Rep Katherine Clark's immi assistant who was of zero help, and was stonewalling me, detailing how easy it was for Sen Ed Markey's office to send out an email inquiry to USCIS, and how effective and hugely helpful that simple inquiry turned out to be for me. So, she can open her eyes, expand her horizons and get welcoming for any future inquiry requests.

Dear friend! Thank you again for your help and advice. We received NOA2 after contacting the Senator! Wish you to reunite with your fiancee soon and best of luck in all your endeavors!

Hi Geraldin,
 
Good question. I was indeed selecting “Nonimmigrant” at first but later realized I should select “Immigrant”. My case is ready.
 
I am happy to say that I have completed the form. The glitch still persists but has reduced a bit. The site times out every 5-10 seconds so between typing responses it would glitch. I had to “retrieve my application” at least 40 times and continuously switch my browsers back and forth between errors.
 
I still do not know the cause of the glitch. I wish I did so that I could help someone else who might be facing the same thing. What has helped me is simply time and persistently going in and out between errors.
 
Thank you all so much for trying to assist me. May you all also find help in your times of need.

Never ever presume that a visa will be granted.  In Middle Eastern countries, AP (administrative processing) can often be expected.
 
If the visa is in hand and you find that a round-trip ticket is cheaper than one-way, be sure to cancel the return leg as a priority when you land in the U.S.

It is strongly advised to avoid making ANY non-refundable expenditures prior to receiving and visually checking visa.  Too many things can happen.  

I don't think hiring an attorney will get you a better outcome.  They will do the same thing you will do, except you will care and be more persistent than an attorney.
 
  I would keep on calling the records department and asking for a supervisor.  If they tell you no, ask again.  Call back and get their supervisor.  Ask them.  Ask for their supervisor.  Keep going up the chain of command.  They are a public servant and work for the taxpayers. 
 
I had a DUI which I was found not guilty of and expunged 14 years ago and didn't appear on a fingerprint FBI and state background check.  I lost my expungement order.   No records existed at the courthouse and my attorney didn't have a copy either.   I had to keep calling the courthouse and the clerk there basically told me to stop calling and she can't help me and i am out of luck.   Well I took it up the chain of command until I got to the office of the chief judge for the highest court in the state.  Guess what, I got my letter.  It was a huge pain in the ### but if you are persistent you will get what you want but you have to keep asking and it will be a time drain.  Dont take no for an answer.  When there is a will, there is a way.
 
Finally, even if you can't get the documents keep records of all of your communication with the agency.    Read this part of the USCIS manual and it talks about if a document isn't available they want to see either a certified letter that it isn't or repeated efforts made to obtain that document.
 
USCIS Manual 
https://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/AFM/HTML/AFM/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-2061/0-0-0-2073.html#0-0-0-312
      (f)     Primary and Secondary Evidence     .            
 Closely related to the best evidence rule is the concept of primary and secondary evidence. Primary evidence is evidence which on its face proves a fact. For example, the divorce certificate is primary evidence of a divorce. Secondary evidence is evidence which makes it more likely that the fact sought to be proven by the primary evidence is true, but cannot do so on its own face, without any external reference. In the above example, church records showing that an individual was divorced at a certain time w ould be secondary evidence of the divorce. You will often encounter situations in which primary evidence is unavailable. This gives rise to a presumption of ineligibility                 , which is the applicant or petitioner’s burden to overcome.                     Title                     8 CFR 103.2(b)(2)                     sets out the procedures relating to unavailability of documents. A petitioner or applicant cannot simply assert that the primary evidence does not exist. The absence of a primary record, instead, must be proven either:                                 ·                 By a written statement from the appropriate issuing authority attesting to the fact that no record exists or can be located, or that the record sought was part of some segment of records which were lost or destroyed; or                    
          ·                 By evidence (such as an affidavit) "that repeated good faith attempts were made to obtain the required document or record."                    

If you did not send any other evidence of meeting in person, then yes this would likely be a problem. One of the main requirements for the K1 is meeting in person within the previous 2 year period.
 
USCIS has no way of knowing whether photos were taken 1 day ago or 5 years ago. And honestly, it wasn't a good choice to only send pictures regardless. Adding dates with the photos helps, but additional evidence to substantiate that you were actually together on those dates is better. Passport stamps are considered one of the best evidences of meeting in person. Then you can also include boarding passes, hotel reservations, etc. (whatever is relevant/applicable to your situation to prove you spent time in person). 

Hey there, I'm so sorry you're going through all this stress, and I can certainly relate. Unfortunately this is the reality we're living in right now. I filed on April 15, 2021 and have finally been approved on June 3rd, 2021 (Last Friday) after 414 days and the feeling was incredible.. All you can do is wait until you're outside of processing times before you can request an inquiry. You can try and call all you want but you will be severely disappointed and met with the same answers over and over again. If it eases your stress anymore, there is a spreadsheet where they track all April cases and on Monday (yday/today, idk where you're located) they've touched 89 cases. Hang in there, you're almost there. I promise!

I would call or attend the interview in person and tell them that you want to cancel and why you want to cancel. I'll do this so it will be on record on exactly why the k1 was cancelled. This would benefit you incase you want to get another visa to america. This will not look like an attempt by you to come here, which could be used as a "strike" against you in the future. That's my uneducated opinion

 

It was never approved or got that far from what I'm told. Regardless it was sent in but cancelled. I can see that it may look that way but she definitely isn't that way at all. We've spent quite a bit of time together in person and I will be going soon to spend more time. 
 
I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this. Thanks!

*** Moved from K1 Progress Reports to K1 Process & Procedures ***
 
 
No need to submit a copy of all pages of your US passport.  Only need a copy of your passport bio page, plus any page that has passport stamps evidencing visits to your beneficiary's country or vacations taken together.
 
Also, if you submitted a copy of your unexpired US passport bio page, there was no need to submit a copy of your US birth certificate too.  Only one proof of US citizenship is required.
 
You might be reading some outdated guide page or forum thread.  Always refer to the official USCIS form page for the definitive instructions.