Electronic Processing

[zenaxe 22]

Payment status changed to PAID on the portal so I sent in the I-864 PDF package with Coversheet and Receipt from Payment Portal. Wasn't sure on the format of the email so I mimicked the OPTIN email except WITHOUT the OPTIN subject line - instead used subject "MTLXXXXXXXXXX - Affidavit of Support I-864 Documents" to NVCElectronic@state.gov. I also added the same BIO information to the email body: Name, email addresses, date of births of both petitioner and beneficiary like you have to give them when you call them on the phone. Does that sound correct (email address, subject line and contents)?

Zenaxe you might want to check your status - should show PAID today since we are on a very similar timeline.

Now to watch the payment portal page for IV bill to show up as TO BE PAID - that will determine if they received the I-864 documents okay.

hey bwoo, just checked out status a short while ago and found PAID status !!! woot woot. So we emailed the NVC AOS barcoded cover sheet but, like you, weren't able to attach anything. We ended up sending NVCElectronic@state.gov an email and sent a short body of information to them and sent all the .pdf documents accordingly..the whole thing was about 8.5mb in size so hopefully no problems there.

We had nothing on our emails, just on the DOS payment site. Hopefully they send the IV visa bill quickly as well. And hoping there are no RFEs to slow things down.

We didn't send in the payment receipt.

Good stuff. We're moving and groovin as are you guys,. Great news for all of us.

Later...

[zenaxe 22]

Does anyone know if DOS sends the IV bill after the I 864 package is received and approved or just after they receive payment and receive the first package? There are so many different timelines that it's hard to know when people pay the IV; some have with the AOS bill and others some time after...

Leter

[Darnell 8,478]

zenaxe - the best way to 'know' when to pay - is to monitor the online payment portal. Check it once a day, after 10:00 PM E.S.T.

If you are monitoring the April NVC thread - 99 percent of those folks are NOT using NVC Electronic Processing - I can understand where the confusion comes from.

Usually, the 'path' is 'as stated' in the wiki. There are exceptions for March, where the AOS fee bill and the IV fee bill were both available to be paid on first login. Before March, 2010, I'd say that the IV bill was available to be paid AFTER the I-864 docs were 'accepted' at NVC - ie - a human reviews something, clicks a button with the mouse on a computer. Since March, 2010, though - I can't really say 'this is how it goes'. IMO - it's in flux, a lot, since then.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Darnell

[Darnell 8,478]

I have a question, I wonder if EP can be done AFTER the interview... example: they asked for my joint-sponsors 2008 tax transcripts.. the IRS faxed it to us, there is no "official seal" on it or anything, I was wondering If, since we did the OPTIN before our interview, if we could scan the 2008's and send them to MTL?? Anyone have any clue? Or is this waay outside the box for backasswards montreal?

if 'they' = the IV Unit at Montreal, and 'asked' means a blue slip/221G for further evidence, given after the interview ...

I suggest for THEN - that you take that faxed document - review the top of each page (there should be a fax header there from IRS, ya?) and use a courier service to submit this 'additional evidence' into the IV Unit at Montreal. That 'fax header' makes it official, btw - no need of a 'seal' .

----

re: sending 221G evidence via email to Montreal IV unit - nope, sorry.

it's not that it's 'outside the box'

instead - what you are inquiring about is 'outside of all procedures'.

anything sent by a petitioner to NVC, via email, gets further bundled into the DOS 'SAFEFILE' system that the IV Units use at each Consulate. You, as a petitioner, have no direct input to SAFEFILE, at all.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Darnell

[coraliesolms 47]

Dagnamit.. thought I was onto something....

[lilib 0]

AVR updated on April 2: NVC has received the biographic forms from the petitioner on March 31, and waiting for the Affidavit of Support from the petitioner, ...

P.S: We do hope my hubby is able to done his Tax stuff very soon, before Tax Day?!

P.P.S: Thank Darnell for "the Affidavit of Support" suggestion, and thank you for all the help as well!

[GregBu 1]

If my NOA2 was just mailed out to me yesterday (hasn't arrived yet), when do I start pestering NVC about the Electronic Processing Opt-in?

Edited April 7, 2010 by GregBu

[bwoo 1]

If my NOA2 was just mailed out to me yesterday (hasn't arrived yet), when do I start pestering NVC about the Electronic Processing Opt-in?

You have to wait until the NVC has received your case and you have a case number before you can OPTIN for Electronic Processing. Usually a week or so from NOA2. I'd say start calling in a day or so to see if they have your case number and call once a day until you get it. You will use your CIS case receipt number to get your NVC case number. After you get your case number, talk to an operator and give them both your email addresses. That way they will start emailing you forms and such.

Read about EP here: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Electronic_Processing

And here is good general information about the NVC Process including the phone number you need to call for updates on your case but it's not exactly the same process as EP but all the documents required, etc are the same. http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/LingChe_NVC_ShortCut

[zenaxe 22]

zenaxe - the best way to 'know' when to pay - is to monitor the online payment portal. Check it once a day, after 10:00 PM E.S.T.

If you are monitoring the April NVC thread - 99 percent of those folks are NOT using NVC Electronic Processing - I can understand where the confusion comes from.

Usually, the 'path' is 'as stated' in the wiki. There are exceptions for March, where the AOS fee bill and the IV fee bill were both available to be paid on first login. Before March, 2010, I'd say that the IV bill was available to be paid AFTER the I-864 docs were 'accepted' at NVC - ie - a human reviews something, clicks a button with the mouse on a computer. Since March, 2010, though - I can't really say 'this is how it goes'. IMO - it's in flux, a lot, since then.

Yes, it's been somewhat inconsistent; some were able to pay both bills at the same time then file their documents; others, ourselves included, could only pay the AOS bill and wait to send in the I 864 package etc.

We're waiting for the IV bill now.

[GregBu 1]

You have to wait until the NVC has received your case and you have a case number before you can OPTIN for Electronic Processing. Usually a week or so from NOA2. I'd say start calling in a day or so to see if they have your case number and call once a day until you get it. You will use your CIS case receipt number to get your NVC case number. After you get your case number, talk to an operator and give them both your email addresses. That way they will start emailing you forms and such.

Read about EP here: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Electronic_Processing

And here is good general information about the NVC Process including the phone number you need to call for updates on your case but it's not exactly the same process as EP but all the documents required, etc are the same. http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/LingChe_NVC_ShortCut

Thanks!

[Darnell 8,478]

If my NOA2 was just mailed out to me yesterday (hasn't arrived yet), when do I start pestering NVC about the Electronic Processing Opt-in?

A good rule of thumb is 2 weeks.

That gives NVC time to get the casefile, do some backend computer work, and GET READY for that phone call.

You'll need the NVC/MTL casefile number (you are to be interviewed in Montreal, yes?) - and it may not be ready yet.

BUT - look at the date on the NOA2 document. Dates are sorta important here - USUALLY the date you receive the NOA-2 is NOT the date that the petition was approved at USCIS - USUALLY the petition is approved prior to you receiving the postal letter / I-797-C / NOA-2 thingie -

so - check yer dates on the letter. Call NVC 2 weeks after the approval date, and get going

Good Luck !

[zenaxe 22]

Well here's something interesting I thought I'd forward on.

We sent the OPTIN email with the attached DS3032 form on Mar 30th, the day we got our NVC case number. All was well and we finally got a few emails including the AOS bill and we sent that off, when it was shown as PAID we sent off the I 864 package. We've been waiting for the IV bill accordingly. This morning I was on hold for an hour waiting for an NVC operator then had to hang up as I needed to leave.

This afternoon I get an operator and I inquire. She says she thinks the hold up with our IV bill is because they have no record of our DS3032 - I advised her that we sent that form off attached with the OPTIN email - there is no record of the opt in. They did see the paid AOS bill. She thought it might be an issue of processing delays but really didn't know..

I resent the DS3032 and advised her that the DOS/USCIS site has 3032 forms showing an expiry date of 2012 and that all other forms are obselete - I told her the DS3032 forms NVCS sends out with the emails show the form with expiration dates of 2006 therefore they are sending out expired forms.

Anyway, so while we were waiting, it may have been an issue of the DS3032 despite our sending it with OPTIN.

There's not much consistency. How would we get emails and the AOS bill if in fact we didn't have the OPTIN process? Wouldn't the NVC send out snail mail paperwork insread of electronic?

And if they saw our OPTIN then why would there not be a record of that or of our DS3032? The NVC operator had no idea about the I 864 package we also submitted via email. I didn't have a great deal of confidence after that conversation. she kept saying that nothing more could be processed without the DS3032.

Blah blah blah.

So for those waiting, you may wish to call them and to inquire further. Another concern I have is with further delays if I resend things to them. The left hand and right hand need to talk over there.

I'm hoping our issues will be resolved. We lost a few days given this. Hopefully we get the IV bill now without further delay.

[bwoo 1]

There's not much consistency. How would we get emails and the AOS bill if in fact we didn't have the OPTIN process? Wouldn't the NVC send out snail mail paperwork insread of electronic?

And if they saw our OPTIN then why would there not be a record of that or of our DS3032? The NVC operator had no idea about the I 864 package we also submitted via email. I didn't have a great deal of confidence after that conversation. she kept saying that nothing more could be processed without the DS3032.

When you call and get your NVC case number and give them your email addresses, they will email you the forms instead of snail mailing them. You aren't actually doing an OPTIN for electronic processing at that point. Any country (as I understand it) can get forms sent to them email instead of snail mail.

Now the email you send in for OPTIN, that's another story. They must have not processed the OPTIN email with DS-3032 yet thus you never getting a successful EP enrollment email back. Guess they are ignoring everything else you send them until they process the DS-3032 (including the I-864 packet, which we'll have to send again maybe).

I just called NVC and talked to an operator because I'm in the same boat. They have not received the OPTIN email or DS-3032 from me either and we sent it in on 3/25, almost two weeks ago! Normal processing time from these forums looks like 1 to 2 weeks for EP acceptance (or none at all like what's happening right now). Operator told me to send the OPTIN email again and the DS-3032 form! So I just sent off the email again.

Grr.. There seems to be a big hiccup going on for electronic processing at the moment. I know one other person sent in the OPTIN on 3/23 and received back a successful EP enrollment email recently. Can anyone else (other than zenaxe and I) chime in on the status of their OPTIN email and DS-3032?

Edited April 7, 2010 by bwoo

[FireRay 1]

When you call and get your NVC case number and give them your email addresses, they will email you the forms instead of snail mailing them. You aren't actually doing an OPTIN for electronic processing at that point. Any country (as I understand it) can get forms sent to them email instead of snail mail.

Now the email you send in for OPTIN, that's another story. They must have not processed the OPTIN email with DS-3032 yet thus you never getting a successful EP enrollment email back. Guess they are ignoring everything else you send them until they process the DS-3032 (including the I-864 packet, which we'll have to send again maybe).

I just called NVC and talked to an operator because I'm in the same boat. They have not received the OPTIN email or DS-3032 from me either and we sent it in on 3/25, almost two weeks ago! Normal processing time from these forums looks like 1 to 2 weeks for EP acceptance (or none at all like what's happening right now). Operator told me to send the OPTIN email again and the DS-3032 form! So I just sent off the email again.

Grr.. There seems to be a big hiccup going on for electronic processing at the moment. I know one other person sent in the OPTIN on 3/23 and received back a successful EP enrollment email recently. Can anyone else (other than zenaxe and I) chime in on the status of their OPTIN email and DS-3032?

I too called them today, the operator told me that they are backlogged right now. She didnt really seem suprised by the phone call, perhaps she talked to a few folks about it today. She did however know about the EP process. When I mentioned that I sent in an OPTIN e-mail she was like... "Ohhhhh you did that well....lately we have been recieving over 1000 emails a day" in one of those tones that you get when someone does something you woudlnt suggest....lol so I was second guessing myself at that point. But she did say, dont e-mail more than once or it could mess up the processing.

[Darnell 8,478]

How would we get emails and the AOS bill if in fact we didn't have the OPTIN process? Wouldn't the NVC send out snail mail paperwork insread of electronic?

Please understand - that 'ds-3032 kit' is useful to get, so you can pay fees online at the payment portal. Has NO DIRECT connections with NVC Electronic Processing. ANYONE can pay online via the payment portal.

What makes the difference, IMO, is that WHEN you are using the online payment portal - you have some visual indicator (thing paid) of when to send in that 'thing'. and thats it. For example - when you've got 'AOS PAID' as a status in the payment portal, then the NVC is 'waiting' on the I-864 set. Same scenario on the IV fee bill - when it's paid, NVC is waiting on the DS-230 set.

Hang in there !!

For anyone that did not receive a fee bill for AOS via email, yet - please call back to NVC soonish, ask for 'AOS fee bill via email'. You'll need the IIN from that email to set up yer account on the payment portal (along with the NVC casefile # )