JFH's US Immigration Timeline

Petitioner's Name: Frank Beneficiary's Name: Jennifer VJ Member: JFH Country: United Kingdom Last Updated: 2021-03-22 Add Comment to Timeline Register or log in to follow this timeline

Immigration Checklist for Frank & Jennifer:

USCIS I-130 Petition:       Dept of State IR-1/CR-1 Visa:     USCIS I-751 Petition:   USCIS N-400 Petition:

IR-1/CR-1 Visa Event Date Service Center : Nebraska Service Center Transferred? No Consulate : London, United Kingdom Marriage (if applicable): 2014-09-27 I-130 Sent : 2016-02-05 I-130 NOA1 : 2016-02-08 I-130 RFE : I-130 RFE Sent : I-130 Approved : 2016-07-21 NVC Received : 2016-07-28 Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : 2016-08-12 Pay AOS Bill : 2016-08-15 Receive I-864 Package : Send AOS Package : 2016-08-30 Submit DS-261 : 2016-08-12 Receive IV Bill : 2016-08-18 Pay IV Bill : 2016-08-18 Send IV Package : 2016-08-30 Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter : 2016-10-29 Case Completed at NVC : 2016-10-20 NVC Left : 2016-10-31 Consulate Received : 2016-11-04 Packet 3 Received : Packet 3 Sent : Packet 4 Received : 2016-10-29 Interview Date : 2016-12-06 Interview Result : Approved Second Interview (If Required): Second Interview Result: Visa Received : 2016-12-13 US Entry : 2016-12-19 Comments : Hard copy of NOA1 returned to USCIS marked "undeliverable" on Feb 23, 2016. Processing Estimates/Stats : Your I-130 was approved in 164 days from your NOA1 date. Your interview took 302 days from your I-130 NOA1 date.

Port of Entry Review Event Date Port of Entry : Las Vegas POE Date : 2016-12-19 Got EAD Stamp : Biometrics Taken : Harassment Level : 5 Comments :

Citizenship Event Date Service Center : Online CIS Office : Seattle WA Date Filed : 2019-09-30 NOA Date : 2019-09-30 Bio. Appt. : 2019-10-23 Interview Date : 2021-03-22 Approved : Yes Oath Ceremony : 2021-03-22 Comments :

Member Reviews:

Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Event Description Review Date : December 6, 2016 Embassy Review : In the run-up to the interview I was extremely nervous to the point where I became physically sick. Because my husband has been denied indefinitely for a UK visa, this was pretty much our only hope to be together. So I felt a lot of pressure. I arrived at the embsssy over an hour early but there was no queue so I was able to go right in. She did ask if I wanted to get a coffee first because I was apparently in for a long wait. But I just wanted to get into the embassy and get on with it. Once inside, my appointment letter was checked (to make sure I was on there on the right day) and I was given number I905 and told to take a seat "at the front of the waiting room". The first few rows were taken so I took a seat as far forward as I could. The back few rows are reserved (possibly for disabled people?). The waiting room is rows and rows of blue chairs facing a huge screen where an Argos-type system announces the numbers and which desk to go to. Most of the numbers were V numbers (visitors) but there were a few I (immigrant) numbers. Every time a new number is called, the machine bleeps and everyone looks up from their newspapers or books. You can take a phone and a tablet inside but not laptops. There is free wi-if in the waiting area. One man brought in a bag that for me would be an overnight bag. Large luggage is not permitted. After about 15 or 20 minutes my number was called to desk 4. Immigrant cases were all being called to desks 2, 3 and 4. The man had a tick chart on his desk and asked for all my documents and ticked them off as I gave them to him. He wasn't particularly friendly. Efficient, polite but not overly friendly. I could hear his female colleague at the next desk and she was a lot more chatty with the applicants. The man made a mistake and called my husband "Jeffrey" but his name is Frank. Jeffrey is the name of our joint sponsor. He then realised he'd got the I-864s mixed up. He had our entire paperwork in front of him, including the huge file we sent to USCIS back in February. He took the originals of my civil documents and put them in a plastic wallet. Gave me my chest x ray CD and asked whether I was having a courier delivery of the passport or collect from the depot. I told him I was collecting and he marked a plastic courier mailing bag accordingly. He put the courier bag in the plastic wallet also. He took my finger prints. He told me to take a seat and wait for my number to be called again. He told me he was handing the file to the officer. Around 30 or 40 minutes later my number was called again. This time to desk 14, which is around the corner. It's a very small space. The window next to mine was occupied by a couple with a small baby and a pushchair and there was hardly any room for me. There is also a long line of people behind you waiting for desks around the next corner. It felt a bit "public". Also the toilets are directly behind you at desk 14. The officer was a young man who was very pleasant and friendly. Even cracked a few jokes. I was immediately put at ease. He asked me to raise my right and swear to tell the truth and that everything in my file was the truth. He also finger-printed me again and said "good news! The computer says your hands are still the same hands". He had our huge file in front of him. The interview went like this (as far as I can remember): - how did you meet Frank? - when was that? - how do you communicate? - how often? - has he ever sent you letters in the mail or do you only communicate electronically? - does he also speak German? (He was making reference to the fact that I lived in Germany and I'm bilingual) - so he's trying to learn German. Nice. (This was because I said he wanted me to teach him German). - when did you live in Germany? - why? What did you do there? - have you been married before? - what nationality was your previous husband? - are you aware of the full details of your husband's criminal record? (My husband has a felony) - I am concerned that you need to know everything. Do you have unanswered questions about his felony? - I see you've lived in several countries. How long did your father work overseas? - where will you be living in the USA? - how do you know the joint sponsor? Is he related to your husband? He then said he was confused because I had made reference to living with our niece in the USA at first before we get our own place. I think he assumed my niece would be a child but in fact she's only 5 years younger than me because my husband and his sister had such a big age gap. I explained that our niece is 37, married with children. He said "oh I see now!" - what work do you intend to do? I told him I had received an offer for a job with a very well-known travel company and pending the outcome of the interview I would be accepting it. He said he knew of the company and said "the one with the logo like this?" and drew the logo in the air with his hands. I said "yes, that's the one". - ok we're almost done here and we can be on our way. I just need to make some notes. He typed for a few moments. - OK I have just approved your visa. I have everything I need to issue it but I was concerned that you should know everything about your husband's criminal record. I had brought all the files relating to that with me and showed him that I had read it all. He didn't want to see them. - that's great. I just wanted to be sure. Thank you. He gave me back my civil documents. I was speechless but I did say "thank you" several times when I could speak again. I said "what happens now? What do I do?" And he said "you go and live with your husband!" with a big grin on his face. I asked how I would know when my passport was ready for collection and he said I would get an email or a phone call. He wished me well, I thanked him again and left. From what I've read my interview was perhaps a bit longer than others at the London embassy but I expected that because of my husband's felony. He was not at all judgmental (something I had been worried about). He was very professional and very pleasant. Rating : Very Good

POE Review: Las Vegas Event Description Entry Date : 2016-12-19 Embassy Review : I flew directly to Las Vegas on Norwegian from London Gatwick. We arrived on time but an Aero Mexico and a Korean Air flight had arrived at almost the same time so immigration was quite busy. I had the huge pack from the embassy with me. I joined the line for "US citizens and permanent residents" along with a Filipino woman on a spouse visa (maybe she's also a VJ member?). Eventually I reached the front of the line and was directed to desk number 3. A middle-aged man was on that desk and he was very cheerful and friendly. I put the pack on the counter and said "this is from the London embassy. I'm here in an immigrant visa". He said "and we are glad to have you here. Congratulations and welcome to the United States". He asked if I had my passport and customs form with me and I handed these over. He said "you are a good person". He made small talk about the size and weight of the envelope from London and asked if there were any trees left in the UK because it seems they were all used in this pack. He then said he would have to send me to secondary. He said "but don't worry. It doesn't mean anything bad. It's just so that I can keep this line moving because we are very busy today." He told me to stand by the door under the orange sign. As I walked over a female officer arrived and opened the door for me. The man at desk 3 gave her my pack and said "immigrant from London". She told me to find a seat. The room was very busy and there were very few seats left. I found one and sat down. The officer put my pack on the counter and put my passport in a box with a lot of other passports. Every so often an officer behind the counter would call a name and take the passport from the box. The holder would go forward to the counter to be dealt with. Soon after a K-1 applicant from London walked in and took a seat (possibly a VJ member also?) . The K-1 man and I were called forward at the same time to the desk by two different officers. My officer flicked through the paperwork and asked me for the phone number of my petitioner. I said I would need to get it from my phone. I was very tired and I'm not good with phone numbers at the best of times and I just have numbers stored in my phone and tap on the name to call someone. He sighed and said "you don't know your husband's phone number?" and rolled his eyes. There were huge signs in the room saying "no phones!" and every time someone as much as touched their phone an officer would yell from the counter "switch that phone off!!!" so I had switched my phone off. I asked if I could switch it on to get the number and he said I could. I switched it on and waited for it to connect to the US network. The officer was tapping his pen on the desk, sighing and rolling his eyes. He said "you know what? I can't process you without a phone number". This made me nervous and I was all fingers and thumbs and couldn't get the contacts to open. I apologised several times. He was very impatient with me. Eventually I got the number and he wrote it on the customs form and told me to take a seat again. My previous seat had been taken so I took a different one. It was very hot in the room. No windows and I don't think there was any air conditioning on. Some people were quite argumentative with the officers. The officer came back with my passport and called me to the desk again. He threw my passport on the counter and said "the stamp's good for a year". No pleasantries. I thanked him and gathered up my passport and customs form from the counter and rushed out to get my luggage. I had been in secondary for 2.5 hours. I am giving this POE a score of 1 (mild harassment) because the secondary officer was very impatient and short with me. When I left the room and looked at my visa stamp it was so feint it was illegible but a trip to CBP deferred inspection sorted that out. The general atmosphere in secondary was very unfriendly. The first officer (at desk 3 in the main hall) was superb! (updated on December 24, 2016) (updated on December 24, 2016) Harassment Level : Low

Timeline Comments: None yet, be the first!



*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.

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