rootbeer

Your interview is a week after receiving the letter?!

Congratulations to you

Hopefully it goes smooth for you guys

Oh Sorry, it's June 13 (6/13) not 5/13. Pardon my typo!

Please add my timeline. Thanks!

Interview letter 5/8

Interview date 5/13

Please add my biometrics date 04/25/2012

I don't have to do it. Placed a service request last week(NOA date 1/20) and received this email yesterday from USCIS:

After checking our systems the biometrics taken on 02/25/2011 are still valid and you will not be scheduled again. We are sorry for any misunderstanding and thank you for informing USCIS of this matter.

Hi Pepper,

I was wondering how you place the service request to USCIS. My last biometrics was 06/21/2011 but i got an email notification today that a biometrics letter is going to be sent to me. I understand the biometrics fee will not be reimbursed but it is helpful enough to save a trip to the ASC. It is hard to leave my infant daughter for any period of time to have that done. She's going through separation anxiety.

Rootbeer

nothing wrong with being careful with finances. it takes years and earned trust to take the step to combine your assets. as far as i know, it is usually the USC (male) who pays for these expenses. but then again, your roles are reversed. in my case, the USC husband paid for the K-1 petition since it is filed in the US in USD and I/my family paid for the visa requirements (clearances, medical, etc) since they're processed in my home country. I think the petition and all the visa expenses add up to about the same amount.

make sure you are comfortable about joining your accounts before doing it.

pls add me. thanks!

03/06/2012 Sent

03/14/2012 Check Cashed

03/09/2012 NOA date

03/19/2012 NOA letter received

Phoenix lockbox

San francisco, CA

cancel the petition and move on while it's still early. don't wait till you have kids and get into divorce court and get police involved years down the road. things generally can only get worse after you get married so if this is how things are during the honeymoon period, what more later? there are A LOT of nice Filipinas around.

Does anyone know if you are allowed to work with a student visa??? Thanks in advance!!

don't worry about it. it's normal. my AOS interview letter came before the AP and EAD were approved. i could not even locate any of my 3 case numbers in the USCIS case status online until the day the AP and EAD were actually approved. (57 days from filing). and the AOS cases status did not materialize until a week or so after that (few weeks before my interview).

Thanks for the tips, Jom. I just finished my interview today. Yes they need the affidavit of support (notarized), tax returns, 2007 W2 form, and pay stubs (last 2 months should be ok). The pre-screener asked for every single thing enumerated in the checklist from website. Nothing more, nothing less.

FYI for other people who are preparing for their interviews: You don't need to pay for the DV Fee (Document Verification Fee). A lot of people heard about it from "friends" and paid P650 at banks. But really, it is not specified in the list to prepare and it is not really required. You'll just be wasting money and effort doing that.

Congrats, AngelSaint! Your timeline has now sped up considerably after getting those RFEs. Did you schedule your interview yet? It does not say so in your data. Thanks for sharing the very detailed experience. It was funny! I hope they don't change the forex yet (for the medical fee) coz I don't plan to have my medical till Dec.

Chunsan, Congrats on your NOA2. Just saw that you've been approved. Yey! Hope you get the NVC notice soon.

Did you guys have your I-134 notarized? Is it really necessary? Some VJs are posting that it is not needed. It's quite a hassle to do it so we want to make sure it is really needed before asking him to drive a long way to get this done. He has already prepared the tax transcript from IRS, Employment Letter, and Pay stubs. Thanks!

Good luck to all those who had or are having their interview soon.

Hi All,

We're also preparing for the visa interview and we're debating on whether the I-134 need to be notarized. It does not specifiy in the packet but under the "Where to File" section of the USCIS website where you download I-134, it says:

Where to File :

To file this form, it needs to be sworn to or affirmed by a USCIS Officer at any USCIS Office, by a notary public, or other official authorized to administer oaths for general purposes. If the sponsor is outside the United States, the affidavit must be sworn to or affirmed by a USCIS Officer or Consular Officer at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Once the form is affirmed, it should be mailed to the same USCIS office where the application was filed.

Looking forward to your help!

Rootbeer

I can't help but feel sorry to read about your long wait. I think they're processing the late June Filers now. It took ours 4 months + 1 week just like most CSC-Philippines. Every day after the 4th month has been agony. I can't imagine what you guys must be going through! The official USCIS site says 6 months and it is around that time now. In my opinion, the "6 months" is already conservative to keep people from pestering them any time sooner. I think you have a right to demand an answer from CSC after 6 months. Call them. A couple of VJers said you could (and they have asked) their congressman to follow up for them. I don't know how they did that but there are posts about it. Hope your NOA2 is around the corner!

Thank you for sharing your experience, Bob. It is very thoughtful of you. Truly appreciate it. I've been searching the whole PH VJ site for someone who can advise when to start calling and what number is more cost effective to use (1-909 or 1-888). We got our NOA2 around the time that you did (10/17) and my fiance received the NVC hard copy letter on 10/31. I've spent my birthday waiting in vain for the packet to arrive in Manila coz they said it should arrive within a week of 10/27. (Damn PH post office!) We plan to have the interview in Dec (not urgent) after I get back from Biz trip + side trip to visit him. But it's holiday season and I would really want to have the timings firmed up as a lot of things are on the line.

Good luck to Cherel with her medical and interview.

Rootbeer

Hi Primrose,

My fiance finally got the NVC notice in his mailbox last Oct 31. It was dated Oct 27 and has a MNL#. Ang sabi, the beneficiary should be able to receive a mail from US embassy in Manila within a week pero wala pa. I was hoping to get it nung Monday as my birthday gift but instead, i received a dozen roses from my fiance (which is good enough haha!). We were not able to call NVC anymore coz the phone is always busy and anyway, it will not speed up the process. Don't worry too much about the NVC notice as I read somewhere that they may or may not send it.

I have applied for CENOMAR and NBI and Police clearance last week (within 1 morning lang). Start with CENOMAR then NBI (sa Carriedo). Skip the Police Clearance. If i read the requirements again, it is not needed kasi "other country" police clearance daw. Sayang P220 ko... Start lining up early (like 6:30am at NSO for CENOMAR) I was done around 8:30am. If someone can go with you, let them line up at the "cashier" window when you are half way through the screening line. The Cashiers are EXTREMELY slow! Tapos go to Carriedo for NBI and do not mind the "fixers". The whole process is done in 30 minutes for me but just don't bring valuables. Akyat ka lang ng akyat ng hagdanan after every 3 steps or so. There is big banner for STEP 1, STEP 2, etc. You will need to go back to pick up the NBI (after about a week) and CENOMAR (after about 2 weeks). You can ask someone else to pick up for you kahit sabihin nilang kailangan personal. Sinungaling sila. I already got my NBI. Just waiting for CENOMAR this Friday. If you want to get Police clearance to be sure, apply it on the way from NSO to NBI. Sa UN Avenue. There is a blue and white building na malaki. It costs about P170 but the guy will ask you for "lagay" na P50 para makuha mo same day. Ok na rin kasi P40 ang parking sa tapat at sayang gasolina at oras.

Hope this helps... pls update me on how you plan call for the interview schedule later. I'm not willing to pay too much for the call so I'm thinking if we should use $18 fixed rate or the per minute. They can speak VERY SLOW daw para lumaki gastos mo.

Rootbeer

My husband tried to call the 1-909 # in the philippines. He has globeline landline and it will not allow to call. he tried the PLDT phone but the 100 peso card is only good for 5 mins. He is in Manila. ANyone know of a long distance center that allows to call that #? and how do u exactly dial the #. is it like international call?

I also tried the US # 1-888 but it asked for the pin right away. there's no option to enter credit card to buy the pin. how do we make the schedule??? please help. and also, can my husband go ahead and do the medical even if he doesn't have an interview date yet for the K3 and just show the letter from the embassy that he is able to schedule an interview.

Hi Honey143 (or anyone who can help),

I am currently waiting for USE to send me the letter to schedule the interview. I have the same concern as you did: Which is the best (and cheapest) way to go? I noticed that you already have your interview scheduled. So how did you finally manage it? Did you use 1-900 number or 1-888 number or 301-2000? How long did the call take? If it's over 18 minutes, we would opt to use the 1-888 number. Thanks in advance!

Rootbeer

Just hang in there. They probably touched it a few days after your NOA1 date to "mail out the notice". I assumed that because (1) we got a touch 5 days after NOA1 and (2) another touch 3 days after NOA2. Nothing in between. Specifically, we got our approval on Oct 17 then a "touch" on Oct 20 (why o why?!) and we finally got the hard copy today (Oct 23). So slooowwww! And the NOA2 did not say anything other than give you your A# and tell you they approved the petition and you will hear from NVC soon. Wala man lang instructions! So back to waiting we go... feels like ping pong ball. Just to cheer you up, ain't we almost in the same boat even if we got NOA2? Haha! Tawa na lang.

Hi guys,

Posting on this thread for the first time. Hang in there. I know it's driving you up the walls but don't start "expecting" until it's about a week after your 4th month-sary filing. I was nearly losing my sanity (after 1 week of checking USCIS every day) when we saw our approval online last Friday (no email!) but the hard copy did not come yet! You get a few minutes of high and that's it. It's back to the waiting game... waiting for NOA1, mail, NOA2, mail, NVC, mail.... and the list goes on. Do they have any idea how much pain they are causing us? I don't even know when I should file my resignation letter or how long I should put up with work #######!

Rootbeer

Hi everyone, just want to let everyone know we got NOA1 on June 12, touched on June 14. We havent been "touched" since that time and we just got NOA2 today, Oct. 18. Yey!

Hi Primrose,

Did your fiance receive the NOA2 hard copy in his mailbox yet? We have the same NOA1 and NOA2 dates. We have not yet received ours in the mail. What's taking them so long to send within the same state?!

What preparations can we start to do at this point?

Rootbeer

Ok let's try to understand his point of view. Does he have a choice on whether he gets deployed or not and when? Will he lose his job if he does not follow orders? Try to find out if he has YOU as his top prioritity. Sounds like he's trying to fit you and the wedding in accordance to what is convenient for him. I find it hard to believe that his superior / employer will not be considerate about making some timing adjustments to allow for this important phase in his/your life. It's the same concept as filing a vacation from work. Isn't he allowed that? The whole operation will not shut down without him. No one is indispensible. If you go through with the interview, you would be able to join him very soon and file an Advance Parole to follow him wherever he is assigned... in about 3 months. And he's asking you to hold on for years! As I advised above, do not go through with the visa application if you are not 100% sure he is treating you right. You will feel even worse if you went through the paperwork (and expense!) for nothing. From the NOA2 date, i heard that you are given 4 months to file the visa. You can schedule the interview near end of the 4 months. Then the visa is valid for 6 months by which time you need to have entered the US.

The petition and visa have deadlines. He has to understand that the wedding cannot wait for 2 years. He will have to fle another petition at that point and probably also explain why he let the previous one expire. Try to keep calm and confront him objectively on whether the wedding can or cannot happen given the timelines. Do not waste money to apply for the visa if it cannot happen. I hope all will be well and this is just a sudden short term emotional bump.

ano ibig sabihin when you say "touch"?

mara-rafe,

Check your USCIS online status. I never got a "touch" per se. Just had the first June 17 entry saying that they got our petition on June 12. And the next entry is already our approval on Oct 17. No touches in between. Anyway, based on other people's posts, "touched" means that someone in USCIS handled your document. Either to change your address (if you told them to change) or they moved your file to another place or something but there was no change in status.

Good luck with your petition. Before you start fretting, just count 4 months +/- a week. I know it's hard to control yourself. I was already at 'freaking out' stage the day we saw our approval on USCIS website (not in the mail yet). There I was complaining to my fiance whether we chose the faster route using I-129F when the I-130s were getting their approvals in 3 months' time! Then I checked the website (even though i promised myself not to check anymore to avoid disappointment kasi give up na ako).

We got it! We FINALLY got it! Thanks to everyone updating their timelines, I started checking USCIS site this week after seeing Janelle got hers. I was #114 yesterday on Igor's list.

Application Type: I129F, PETITION FOR FIANCE(E)

Current Status: Approval notice sent.

On October 17, 2008, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service.

Now, how do I update my timeline? Can't find the link! Anyone wanna help?

You can freely travel to whatever country you have been issued valid visa. I went in and out of 4 countries in Europe last month (for work). However, some people say there is a chance of getting denied if you're going into US, depending on the immigration officer... and how you answer. A lot of people have successfully done it a couple of times during the petition wait period. They said best bet is not to volunteer information about your fiance-fiancee relationship. Good luck to those who are planning to try... hehehe.