Tofusensei

Thank you for your responses. And I may take you up on that offer, Uncle_Wally

Is it true that NVC schedules the interviews now and not the Tokyo Embassy? Does the Embassy have any authority with scheduling the interview? I do not know about the I-129F, I will have to ask.

Hi, I haven't posted on here in a while. I hope everyone is doing OK.

I am in desperate need of advice.

My journey began back on December 23rd, 2007, when my I-130 arrived in VSC. We were one of the unfortunate ones at Vermont and we're still waiting.

On 11/7 our case was completed at NVC. I called about an interview date. They said "we normally do not schedule interviews the month the application is completed, so we will probably schedule you for an interview in January and inform you in December."

Between now and January me and my spouse will miss her birthday, my birthday, Christmas, New Years, and our wedding anniversary... I can't bear to make her wait any longer.

What should I do? How do you think I can go about trying to get a December interview date? Please help me.

Hi guys

I just called NVC live operator today to get IIN ..but she says that she is not allowed to give that until notification is sent to beneficiary or me. help please....

NVC received case on 8/13/08 # assigned ...on same day

How do I get my time line on my postings ...????

Yeah, they wouldn't give me my IIN either. They said the online payment system isn't working properly and for now to pay via mail.

I get what you're saying (you overpaid, etc etc). Truthfully I do make good money so the $2000 was the last thing on my mind. I needed the piece of mind knowing I wouldn't get any documents sent back to me. Keep in mind when I applied (December 07) it was taking 2 months just to get acknowledgment of arrival from VSC. A simple mistake on a form would have delayed my wife getting here 2+ months.

Does anyone have any experience changing the agent once it is in the NVC stage? I need to know how long it might delay things. I want my wife here by our 1 year anniversary.

Hi, my attorney is attempting to gouge me for an extra $1000 and I'm thinking of dropping him if I can't get him to honor the >$2000 I already paid him.

I am at the NVC stage, I just had a case # assigned.

Does anyone know how I change the Agent to me (the petitioner) and how long this will delay things? Does anyone have any experience doing this?

Please help.

Hi, both of our I-129F and I-130 were approved earlier this month. I am wondering how long it typically takes for the documents to show up in the mail from the consulate so we can start moving?

My I-130 was approved today! Only took 7 months, 9 days ><

Update!!

Touched on 7/31 for I-130...

And then...

8/1 - both I-129F and I-130 approved! Finally.

For reference, it took 222 days to be approved. (That's 7 months, 9 days).

Now I need to figure out how to do the CR-1 thing... Can someone link me to a good guide for that?

Another I-130 touch!

Is it normal to be touching just the I-130 and not the I-129F? Last touch on the I-129F is 3/11/08.

I had a touch on my I-130 yesterday! No touch on the I-129F yet...

I see June 15... Where are you seeing this?

I am with you guys here!!!

My last touch was on April 21 2008 and I am still waiting for NOA2.

It has been getting only harder and harder as a day goes by.

I am glad to know that someone getting NOA2 means that at least VSC is working.

But I feel soo left behind and I miss my loved one so much.

He is coming to visit me next month but that is only for 10 days....

We may be just "petitioners" and "beneficiaries" on paper

but they don't get it!!!! We are petitioners and beneficiaries

because we love each other so much that we just have to be together in the same country

and that is what they are doing!!! They should not keep us apart for too long!!!

I am sure a lot of people working at VSC have their loved ones as well,

and I just wish they were compassionate enough to think of how hard it is to live apart from

their loved ones for over half year, like in our shoes.....

I wonder if they even realize that their routine work has a great significance on someone's life....

I guess some adjudicators are....

Sorry, my comment looks like a mess, well, it is, but I just cannot help it

as I am really really stressed out about not getting NOA2....

Get in line, buddy :x

But seriously, it is ridiculous, the delays on VSC. Though since you're K-1 you'll probably finish before me.

I'm 23 and I've been with my girlfriend for 5 years. She is 20. We have decided to get married but she is not of legal status in this country. She is from Mexico and was brought here illegally when she was 5.

Once we get married, what can I do to help her legal status in this country. She did not enter with inspection. Are we still eligible for the I-130?

Edit: I'm a college graduate. She will be a college graduate also in 6 months. I'm making a steady salary that's enough for both of us. (If this matters)

Please talk to a lawyer.

Thanks for the work and adjustment. The spreadsheet does look much clearer now and not as scattered.

Its easier to see that in the month of June, most of the approvals came in the 2nd half of June. It'll be curious to see if the same thing happens for July.

Going by 129f date, its easy to see now how they ought to be moving into March's this month.

Possibly... There are February I-129Fs still waiting.

-Tofu

Hello Everyone, thanks for reading. I am new here, just registered, but I've been consulting this site for awhile for advice. There is so much information about the visa process and ,depending on your circumstances, it seems very complicated. I was wondering if someone could advise my specific situation:

I am an American Citizen living in Japan. I came here on a tourist visa (Sept 2007) but have since married to a Japanese national and been approved for a Japanese spouse visa. Throughout this time I've maintained a job with a American company back home.

Basically my question is this: what is the shortest and safest way for my wife and I to relocate to America? My first inclination is that a full spouse visa isn't necessary, since she doesn't need to work right away (I can support us well enough). A fiancee visa seems more reasonable and faster, but does it matter that we are already married? The way I understand it, our marriage is legally recognized here in Japan, but is unrecognized in the USA. Should we apply for a fiancee visa before leaving Japan then have another marriage in the US?

To be honest the K3 visa process sounds frightening. I fear that we would not be able to meet their standard of scrutiny. We married only on paper, registering with the Japanese government but with no real ceremony. We don't have any cooperative financial endeavors. We are just a pair in our mid-20s trying to make our way. I don't want to risk her being denied a visa, because then we would have to stay in Japan or separate. Is the DCF process advisable since we both are living in Japan?

Sorry if I missed some crucial obvious information, I tried looking through the information on this site and others, but none seemed to answer the questions I had.

Any advice offered would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much for any help.

Seriously? I am in the exact same situation as you.

Try for DCF. If that's not possible then...

I'd file for a CR-1/IR-1 visa in the US using your parent's address in America and then stay in Japan continuing to work to be with your wife.

Would you be filing in Vermont or California?

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. I know a lot about this.

-Tofu

1] What is the expected processing times for I-130 petitions at VSC?

Answer: 9-10 months minimum.

5] But since my I-130 was filed in Feb 2008 and I-129F in Mar 2008, can you give me a REALISTIC estimate of when my petitions will be processed?

Answer: Since VSC is processing I-129F from Dec 2007, your I-129F petition MAY be assigned to an officer by end of September 2008 or first half of October. By that time, no matter what the processing date is shown for I-130, the I-130 will be pulled out and processed concurrently with the I-129F.

First off, thanks for the great info. I tried the RFE trick and did not get anything nearly as informative as this.

They say 9-10 months minimum but then say it will be processed in September or October if you filed in February? Sounds like bad math to me.

-Tofu

So who else from December is still waiting?

Unfortunately, I am still waiting.....

*raises hand*

Congrats, but can someone move this thread to the K-1 forum?

I emailed the spreadsheet (simple version) to a representative at a congressman's office I know. I'm asking them to plead to VSC.

I tried calling and didn't get any useful info. She sounded like she was looking up my file but it didn't result in a touch.

Where did he call exactly and what did he say?

Congrats.....

God damn VSC... I feel like slitting my wrists.

Big congrats!

Guys, for those who are getting their I-129F and I-130 done at the same time... How are you planning on proceeding? Doing the CR-1 route looks awfully attractive but I don't want to delay the process much more.

Congrats!

My petitions were only about 1-2 weeks after yours at VSC so say a prayer for me too!

-Tofu

The acting director just released a news announcement on the USCIS website. Has anyone read the comments? I give him credit for addressing some of the questions but i don't think he was able to answer most of the concerns. There appears to be a cap on family based petition visas, which I was surprise that the government would purposely limit one's ability to be with their spouse.

Thanks for the link. It sounds like he knows there is a problem. Was this cap on family based petitions common knowledge? It's news to me. Can someone elaborate on that?

our case hasn't been touched for over a month! i'm getting really nervous. i'm probably just being paranoid but i've read so many horror stories about applications that have been pending for years!?! i miss my husband so bad. =( you know what they say.. a watched pot never boils but i can't help but count the days since we received the NOA1 and keep on comparing it to the average number of days it takes to get the NOA2.

come on CSC touch me already! okay it's not what it sounds like...

if vermont is processing sept 9 I-130s how come applications filed after that have been approved? i am horribly confused...

No offense, daisychain, but you are about 5 months away from starting to get nervous.