SailorBoy1297

I think these responses pretty much nail it on the head. Was wishing and hoping but maybe if we get lucky we'll get in on the 3rd week of September. Thank you all for the prompt responses and if you ever need help or know of someone who does, I'm pretty knowledgeable on I-130, IR1, IR2 type concerns. Spent a lot of time on this site since back in 2004. Overall, either I was super lucky or the folks on this site really knew their stuff. Anyway, I'll be happy to help if I can. Thanks again!! Best to all.

My wife is going to her citizenship interview tomorrow in San Bernardino, CA tomorrow (9/4/2012) and it states on her letter that she should expect to be there for 2 hours. I'm of the impression the actual interview takes all of 15-30 minutes if things go smoothly. So why the 2 hours? Does anyone know if this office does same day oath ceremonies? That would certainly explain the amount of time they take. I would greatly appreciate any comments. Thank you.

whew - sorry I missed the ruckus !! my bad.

here's what I would have mentioned to you:

hey - read the content in these links !

online payment portal -

http://www.visajourn...ost__p__3560467

NVC EP - http://www.visajourn...onic_Processing

DJ Walker - http://www.visajourn...1451-uscis-nvc/

Thanks as always Darnell. Now for the latest update...and maybe some info if you happen to know. NVC completed our case today. Sent the usual email (EP). Call the operator and was informed that they schedule Guangzhou interviews during the second week of the following month. I hadn't heard that before...I thought once the case was complete that the interview date would already be assigned. What's the lowdown on that. And, if it is going to be the second week in March before they assign an interview date, what is the expected wait time for the interview. I thought that Electronic Processing foregoes the delay substantially. Like say the beneficiary gets a notice within 7 business days after GUZ gets the package electronically. Am I missing something here? Please advise and thanks in advance.

Best,

Sailorboy

Hello Markieboy...

I see your daughter got her IR2 visa...CONGRAULATIONS!!! :dance: Did you bring her back with you? I bet she is so happy to be her Mom now. That's just great. All my packages are in and just waiting for the case to complete. Was dragging my feet a little on the IV package so I would be sure to have the money needed for the trip. NVC actually sent me a "nag" email saying they were waiting on the IV package to complete the case. I immediately sent it so now we're just waiting patiently. Take care and congrats again! I'll be so happy when this is all over.

Best,

Sailorboy

Congratulations sailorboy, hope they hurry with case number at NVC.

Thanks Catracha85. Looks like you have your case number now...good luck on your trip through NVC.

Sailorboy,

Happy to hear things are moving quickly for you. Yes, it won't be long at all! Enjoy your time in Seattle! You are correct, there won't be too much activity from NVC as the holidays are fast approaching.

Hope you have a very blessed Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with your friends and family!

Hope you had a great holiday Markieboy! Was fun to have that light snow where I was up in Edmonds. So I got the email for the EP approval and paid the IV fee. It's full speed ahead now but wait....now things are going a bit too fast! I say that only because the cost of flights and the possibility of her interview being somewhere near the Chinese New Year might be problematic. Sent in the AOS package but still need to collect some statements from friends and my stepdaughter so we're slowing down the process ourselves a bit. Will try and set up for having the interview in March (mid to late) or possibly early April. Can't believe I'm saying this but my hats off to the NVC and USCIS for their handling of my case. Who would have thought! So that's where I'm at right now. Aren't you headed for an interview in January? Good luck with that! I know your stepdaughter is probably anxious to come live with her Mom and you. Take care...just wanted to give you an update.

Best,

Sailorboy

Hello Darnell,

Well things seem to be moving a bit TOO fast!!! That's a good thing but, in our case, we'd actually like a little more time to collect some documents to front load our DS-230 package. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving this speed with which my case is currently going. Here's where I stand right now and remember, this is for an IR2 (step-daughter) visa:

Received the GZO case number on 1/7/2010 via email. This is interesting as I reviewed this whole thread and, in my case, I picked up some early indicators that my case was being converted to EP. The first indicators were from the operators starting last Monday when I called to see if the new case number had been assigned. They started the conversation off by stating "You are going through EP..." Prior calls never indicated that at all. Then the next indicator was on the day before I actually got the email and that was when I tried to access my Invoice Payment and got a database error message. Called the operator and was told my case had been approved for EP and to wait for the new case number. The operator stated he didn't have it at the time.

Submitted my AOS package via EP last night....13mb!!! That was the lowest dpi my printer could do. I'll need to check some other posts to see how to get it down as my DS-230 w/front loading will go off the scale. Regardless, must now wait for some Affirmation of Relationship letters from friends and my step daughter. Hopefully, we'll be sending by week's end or the first of the following week.

Thanks for watching over us rookies! Will stop in again later with any significant developments.

Best to all,

Sailorboy

Thanks Markieboy. Got a lot accomplished over the weekend as far as organization but most final touches must wait for the new GZO case number to be included. Once I have that, the rest should go pretty fast. Well, it's going to be a crazy week with the holidays approaching and then off to Seattle on Saturday for a week. Don't expect NVC will get much accomplished either with the holiday break. Take care and wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sailorboy

Hello Darnell,

Read somewhere yesterday that your wife was undergoing surgery......hope she is fairing well and things are improving. My wife and I are praying for her speedy recovery.

If you happen to have time or anyone who is pursuing the EP processing route, I have some minor questions to ask. I submitted my request per the guide and received back a auto response email stating that they received my email and will process in the order received. "Please allow 10 business days...blah, blah, blah. So all is well and I just wait....correct? I am encouraged because the auto response indicated "opt in" in the text. The PDF files can be quite huge. Tried it at 600 dpi and ended up with 25 mb for just the I-864. Re-read the guide and saw 300 dpi works, so I'll play with that and see how I can trim it down. Should I make several attachment on the AOS part? For example, the coversheet and receipt; I-864, tax returns? Would appreciate any suggestions.

Again, best of wishes to your wife. Know this is a very stressful time for you. Hang in there.

Sailorboy

Sailorboy,

Glad you followed up on your DS-3032 with NVC operator. This really shows the importance of being proactive. Good to hear you had the operator resend the DS-3032!

You really only need to send the IRS tax transcripts...not both. However, when I first was on VJ and adjusting status for my wife...I sent both tax return forms as well as the transcripts. I realized later that it was overkill, but I wanted to make sure I didn't receive an RFE.

Yeah, my case at NVC was really fast! I'm still not sure what happened. I hope your case is as smooth and quick as mine!

Markieboy, yes, I'm glad I followed up as well!! The DS 3032 kit email arrived this morning. Sent to both my stepdaughter's email and mine. OK, so now I am just waiting on the Electronic Processing approval then, watch out, things are going to be fast and furious. My status also changed on the AV which is now stating that NVC had received my AOS fee payment so that's current now as well. I'm going to get busy and line up everything so it's all set once the EP comes through. I am also going to try and get ahold of anyone who went the EP route to find out how big their email size was when sending in their stuff. I just scanned my I-864 in at 600 dpi and it came out to be around 25 mb. Whoa! That's not including the cover pages and tax returns/transcripts. Maybe I'll try scanning at 300 dpi. Wish me luck on getting it all together.

Sailorboy

Hey Markieboy, just spoke with NVC and she stated that the reason I hadn't received the DS3032 kit yet was because "the operator" didn't enter it in correctly and that this operator will resend it. I guess it's a game of constant follow-up. Things do move a lot faster if you stay on top of it. Much different than the first go-around with my wife. Just thought I would add that info.

Sailorboy1297

You are doing Electronic Processing (EP)? I'm sorry, I am not familiar with EP...so I better not comment. I'm sure there's someone with more expertise, who can comment. One of our very senior members, Darnell, has much experience with EP. Perhaps you can PM him.

I'm not sure what "PI" stands for. But they say she's the boss among bosses. Wow, you really are a sailor! Only a handful refer to the Philippines as "PI".

Yes, once the status shows "PAID" print the barcoded cover sheet, attach that to your packet and send it. I would highly recommend having a copy of the receipt AND cover sheet emailed to your email add. It's nice to have backup copies to print and send, in the event NVC/mail loses anything. Again, if you're doing EP, I advise you to verify the steps with a veteran (Darnell).

Good luck!

Thanks much! I got a auto response back from my OPTIN email stating the below message.

"This is an automated response. Please do not respond to this email.

The NVC has received your e-mail. We are currently processing in the

order of receipt. Please allow 10 business days for a response.

Please be advised that sending duplicate emails for opt in and mailing

documents via delivery service may have an adverse affect on the amount

of time it takes for us to process your case."

I tried looking for Darnell but apparently his wife has just undergone surgery so he's a little tied up at the moment. I still haven't received the DS3032 email kit. Will call tonight and check the status. Took a break from this yesterday since there was no actions taken by NVC. Looking at your timeline around this point it looks like things went pretty fast for you. Also looking at the AOS cover letter guide, it looks like I should send in both income returns AND transcripts. Is that correct? I had originally thought just my returns were sufficient. Well, were happy we're where we are so if things start happening today, that will be great. Sure do appreciate a listening ear. Thanks Markieboy!

Sailorboy

When emailing, use this in the subject line: "ATTN: PI Supervisor Sue; [your NVC case #]; [beneficiary's name]; [beneficiary's DOB]". As others have mentioned, this method yields quicker results. Instead of getting a response in 1-2 weeks, usually you'll receive a response within 2 days...sometimes within hours.

Markieboy thanks so much for the helpful advice. I did send out the DS3032 last night along with my request for enrollment into the Electronic Processing. I am curious as to what the "PI" stands for in the subject line you mentioned. I hesitate because we use to refer to "PI" as the Philippine Islands back in my Navy days and I know your stepdaughter is Filipina. Your words a very encouraging and I apologize for nitpicking at little details. I did check the status on my AOS bill and it is now marked "PAID" so per your instructions, I should go ahead and send out the AOS stuff now? I have a concern related to the Electronic Processing and that is that my case number will change from GUZ to GZO. I'm thinking if I am going to do the Electronic Processing that I should wait for the confirmation email first, then start sending stuff in like crazy. Your thoughts?

Best,

Sailorboy

Thanks Markieboy. Of course I'll keep you informed on all the nuances of the case. I felt heartened that you didn't think only one visit would hurt my case. I got my case number and invoice identification number so I could pay electronically. My AOS bill was there so I paid it. I wanted to send in my daughter's DS 3032 but read that I have to wait for the email from NVC. Geez, now that everything has moved so fast, I want to get it all in there and get it done! Say, how much is the IV Fee? It's listed but no amount is given. You and your family have a wonderful Christmas as well. Next year's Christmas will be incredible I think.

Sailorboy

Yeah, it's very important for a child to be with his/her parent. I would hate to be separated from my wife, so I can only imagine how my stepdaughter feels.

I'm not originally from WA, but studied at UW. We live in north Tacoma.

Yes, I've been to Philippines quite a bit. My stepdaughter also visited here in WA. She loves it here. So many beautiful trees!!!

Hello Markieboy, I'm on hold with NVC right now. Hoping for a case number tonight and then give them my email address so I can get moving on this. I use to live in Tacoma when I was in Jr. High School, most of my time was spent up in Seattle. Going up to visit my daughter the last week this month. See, that is where my greatest fear is in that I've only made one visit to China since my wife came to the US. Sweating out that one big time. My wife has been there twice so we missed a couple years in there. Hopefully, the rest of my documentation will carry the load of proof. Well you take care and Happy Holidays to you and your wonderful family!

Sailorboy

Thank you! Good luck to both of us!

My stepdaughter just turned 15. She misses her mom a great deal.

That's great! We couldn't apply sooner due to divorce criteria. This is all past and now for the first time since the divorce, her Mom will finally have her daughter back. Oh, I'm from Seattle originally, see you are from Wash. State. What part? Also, have you made a number of trips to the PI and visited your stepdaughter? I've only been back once since my wife immigrated. I'm a little worried about that as there is nothing I can do now to counter it.

Sailorboy

Congratulations, sailorboy! That is really great news!

Good luck with the rest of your journey!

I hit "Add Reply" too soon, I noticed you are trying to get your stepdaughter here as well. We're on the same path just different countries. Wish you the best of luck. How old is your stepdaughter? Mine's 18.

Sailorboy

Congratulations, sailorboy! That is really great news!

Good luck with the rest of your journey!

Thanks Markieboy!! Yep, here's hopin' the rest goes as smoothly!

Sailorboy

Congrats!

https://ceac.state.g...ice/signon.aspx , the link for Immigrant Visa Invoice Payment Center, you still need waiting for your NVC number and II number now

Thank you guys!!! I have the link bookmarked and tested so I am ready to go. Called NVC last night and they said my package is "in the building". How strange of a response but plausible (they just haven't got to entering it into their system.) Will call Monday...Tuesday...etc. until I have a case number.

Sailorboy

56 days...WOW! Congratulations.

Yes, a big WOW!! Still can't believe my luck! Think I'll go buy a LOTTO ticket! What would really be cool is if I sold my boat! Thanks for the good wishes.

Sailorboy

COngrats thats awesome...Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you as well Minted7 and thanks for your very kind wishes.

Sailorboy :thumbs:

Sailorboy, I don't know the procedure of NVC's new EP. Talk to Darnell or Saylin, they know better.

Loto

Thanks Loto, will touch base with Darnell or Saylin on the fees. Thought they would be the same for EP as they are when doing regular processing. Take care.

Sailorboy

Sailorboy, since your NOA2 date is week old now, NVC Case# can be available at any time now.

Follow the guide to cruise the NVC too

Loto

Just called, got a nice (polite) operator, said it hadn't arrived yet. Give it 10-15 days. I'll call again tomorrow. I want to take advantage of the Electronic Processing for Guangzhou. BTW, I can't find the fees I'll need to pay anywhere. Do you know what they are by chance?

Best,

Sailorboy

Congratulations!!! Celebrate!

Thanks Kikapoo...as soon as my wife gets off work we'll have a great time. BTW, tomorrow's her birthday! What a birthday present (wow, since this is for her daughter's visa, how weird of a birthday present is that?)! Thank you so much for your kind wishes.

Best,

Sailorboy

Congratulations Sailorboy :dance: 56 days with the USCIS is really unimaginable

Loto

Loto, thank you sir! I am so stunned! It certainly beats the 164 days in CSC when I filed for my wife six years ago! So now on to NVC. So how long should I wait before trying to find my case number? According to the NOA2, the notice date is 12/2. I was on travel this week and my wife stayed with friends so she only got the mail yesterday. Could have arrived anytime from Monday to yesterday. I understand I should be aggressive and call for the case number everyday until I get it, right? Again, thanks for all your help. Obviously, your guidance certainly helped a lot!

Best,

Sailorboy

:dance:

Congrats

Thank you Lady Dare!! Greatly appreciate your kindness.

Thanks so much JKelly. Sure do hope everyone else has the same luck.