Not sure if we should move on to the next step or not...

[kejira 3]

Here's a bit of back story before I ask my questions:

I met my husband Simon while playing World of Warcraft back in October 2009. We hit it off right away, but I think that since he's younger than me (4 years younger), he got a bit gun shy and broke off the fledgling relationship. After about a year of not really communicating beyond the Facebook messages of "Hi, how ya doin'?" I had a dream about him and could not get him out of my head. I had to talk to him right away, and ever since then, I knew that I wanted to meet him face to face.

I booked my flight to Australia for May 2011 for 3 weeks. I knew that first day that this was the man that I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. After a tearful goodbye, I got on a plane back to the US. Once back, we began planning for me to go back there for a full year on a Work and Holiday visa, so we could both work and save up money for our future.

Around the end of September 2011 my father fell gravely ill, so we decided to change our plans and have Simon come to the US for 3 months on a ETA visa to meet my family. We had gotten him a ticket for November, but my father got worse and died at the end of October. We quickly changed the tickets so that Simon could be with me sooner. After things settled down (as much as they could have) with my father's passing, we decided to get married; spur of the moment.

We got married on November 14, 2011! Very happy times! I had him added to my bank account and I updated my passport/SSC/Driver's License/etc. We did all this while he was still his ETA visa. (I know that it might look bad, but we really didn't plan on getting married at that time, emotions were running high since my father died, and it just kinda worked out that way.) We did NOT apply for a change of status for him, as we didn't want any issues.

He flew back to Australia in January 2012, and I followed him on my Work and Holiday Visa in February. We filled his I-130 in June and went through all the steps to file his actual DS-230 and the AOS (which my mother is our co-sponsor). I got a checklist email for the AOS saying that we didn't provide proof of mine and my mother's relationship, i.e. my birth certificate. I asked her to send it off for me and explained that she needed to send it with the cover letter from the checklist email. She emailed me back a day later saying that she had sent it all off together, on November 22.

I've called the USCIS and asked them what the case status is last week twice. They told us both times that they are still waiting on the evidence from my mother.

P.S. My visa expires on February 22, 2013, so we're hoping that this is all said and done before then so we can travel back to the US together.

1) Is it normal for them to take the whole 20 days to get the evidence and update our case?

2) Should we go ahead an try to book a medical for my husband or wait to hear back from USCIS?

3) Is it okay for me to be calling USCIS everyday to try to get a case update?

4) Should we just send in my birth certificate again to them or wait longer?

[AnhDoiEm 9]

you should call them every day check on your case until it done.

[Roosha 51]

You should be calling NVC, NOT USCIS. And yes, call them every day, 20 days can be normal but you should be getting an answer soon. If you don't get an answer soon yes, you should go ahead and send your birth certificate again.

Don't book the medical yet b/c after you get your case complete from NVC you still have to wait to be scheduled an interview at the consulate and the interview will probably be scheduled a month after they tell you. For example, they send you a notification on Dec 10 that your interview will take place on Jan 13. You can look at the timelines to get a better idea of how long it takes to get an interview b/c it varies for every consulate.

[The Mean Lady 604]

If this is evidence for your NVC docs them you shouldn't be calling USCIS at all.

PS- I met my husband on WoW =X

Edited December 10, 2012 by KDH

[kejira 3]

You should be calling NVC, NOT USCIS. And yes, call them every day, 20 days can be normal but you should be getting an answer soon. If you don't get an answer soon yes, you should go ahead and send your birth certificate again.

Yes, I meant NVC, it was late last night when I posted this.

Don't book the medical yet b/c after you get your case complete from NVC you still have to wait to be scheduled an interview at the consulate and the interview will probably be scheduled a month after they tell you. For example, they send you a notification on Dec 10 that your interview will take place on Jan 13. You can look at the timelines to get a better idea of how long it takes to get an interview b/c it varies for every consulate.

That's what I thought as well, but I have read that so many people have already done their medicals even before they get an interview date. I just wanted to see what others thought about it! Thanks!

If this is evidence for your NVC docs them you shouldn't be calling USCIS at all.

Yes I've actually been calling the NVC, not USCIS.

PS- I met my husband on WoW =X

That's great! I like meeting others like us!

[kejira 3]

WOO HOOO! I just got off the phone with NVC, and they said that they got my birth certificate!

Now the only thing they are waiting on is reviewing our new DS-230, we filled out the previous residences part wrong on the first one. But it shouldn't take too much longer as we sent that off only a few days after my mother sent my birth certificate.

[Roosha 51]

Nice, so basically you're just waiting for your case complete and interview! YAY!

[kejira 3]

Nice, so basically you're just waiting for your case complete and interview! YAY!

Yep! I couldn't be happier.

I guess that's not true, we could just be granted his visa without the interview or already be in the US. I'd be happier then.

But yes, much happy in this house today!