Our timeline:
January 20th: our lawyer sent our paperwork to the Vermont Service Center.
January 22nd: we received our NOA1.
April 1st: our check was cashed (don't ask me why it took them so long, I have no idea at all).
May 11th: VSC sent us an RFE
May 15th: we received the RFE, asking us to answer an unanswered question in our I-129f form (asking if Jason had any crime in his past, which the answer was, obviously, 'no'). This was the first mistake our lawyer made, because this is a form the law firm filled and, obviously, they were supposed to check the 'no' box!
May 16th: we sent the answer through mail (USPS)!
May 18th: VSC received our RFE according to the USPS
June 18th: NOA2 - Notice of Approval (hardcopy)
June 23rd: we received the hardcopy of our NOA2
July 5th: letter from the Consulate scheduling interview.
We got so happy for the NOA2 receiving... And I can say it's a big relief when you get to this point. Things move much faster after that, NVC (National Visa Center) is really efficient and they have an amazing customer service. The Consulate in Rio de Janeiro is also really good, answering my emails or phone calls as soon as they can.
August 11th: interview in Rio de Janeiro Consulate - we can't go because our lawyer did a horrible job and just didn't know the forms needed to be filled as per the instructions.
August 27th: interview again - this time, Jason and I take care of all the forms by ourselves. What a huge waste of money it was to hire that lawyer...
Visa approved!!! :)
September 4th: Jason and I left Brazil.
September 5th: Jason and I arrived in NYC (JFK International Airport), my POE was good and I received my EAD Stamp on my passport.
September 12th: We got officially married.
October 11th: We sent all the AOS paperwork through mail to the Chicago Lockbox. Our ex-lawyer doesn't work for us anymore at this point.
October 16th: NOA1. The USCIS received our AOS paperwork and also my EAD application.
October 30th: we received the notice for the Biometrics (which happened on November 16th).
November 2nd: the USCIS website showed me, through the Status Checking session, that our AOS case was transferred to the California Service Center.
We received my Green Card on the mail. No interviews required, no process. Simple as that! I've heard that processes that go through the California Service Center are usually faster than the ones in Vermont, so, this is it for now! By December/2011, I'll apply for the citizenship test!
