New NVC Guide - Submitted for Your Review

[Ling Ling 22]

UPDATED NVC GUIDE - Special thanks to Nimche

Comments and corrections are welcome.

Ling Ling & Ring Ring's SuperFast NVC Guide.

1. NOA2 - Pettion(s) Approved Notice(s) received.

You find out from USCIS that your "Petition was Approved".

Start gathering the paperwork required for AOS and IV, especially PCC (Police Clearance Certificate),

Birth Certificates and Tax info, as well as any other info needed for I-864.

PCC can take a long time to receive...but they are valid for 1 year.

2. USCIS Sends Package to NVC (could take a couple of days or a couple of weeks).

3. NVC Scans Package.

This marries the USCIS receipt number to your newly generated NVC number which is based on

EEEYYYYOOOSSS

E = 3 digit embassy code (example TKY for Tokyo)

Y = 4 digit code for year (example 2008)

O = 3 digit code for Ordinal date plus 500 (example Aug 28 = 241st ordinal day ADD 500 = 741)

S = Sequence number of the day (if you were the second approval scanned, your code would be 002)

Full Example of NVC case number = TKY2008741002

4. Getting your NVC number.

Once your package has been scanned, it COULD update into the AVR (automated voice response system).

If it is uploaded to the AVR, you will be able to retrieve it with your CISC receipt number.

If is scanned but not in the AVR, an operator can tell you the NVC number.

The AVR is NOT reliable.

Just because you have an NVC number doesn't mean you can do anything. Do not jump the gun.

5. Case info is manually loaded into system.

Even though you have an NVC number, your case information still needs to be manually input before anything else can happen.

Until such time that documents are fully loaded in, NVC will not generate or accept DS-3032 (Choice of Agent) via email or US Postal Mail.

Attempts to send DS-3032 via email, may or may not receive an automated response...but the automated response does

not mean it's been accepted. When your case has been manually input, the DS-3032 and AOS fee bills will be generated.

Also, when the AOS fee bill is generated, your IIN is created.

Note - it may be possible that your IIN is created when your NVC number is created...in my experience it was not.

Your case could be input immediately or could take weeks. Remember these words "Maybe tomorrow, maybe in 4 to 6 weeks, maybe never, there is no pattern".

6. Send DS3032 to continue processing.

Once all documents are fully loaded in, the AVR message MIGHT change.

Operators will be able to tell you if the DS3032 has been generated.

If the DS3032 has been generated, you can email your COA (See the Wiki for address and format)

Once accepted, you will get an email message...or you can confirm with opeartor.

Attempts to email DS3032 before it's been generated are useless. It's like trying to pay a water bill for a house that hasn't been built yet.

The auto response email just means that they accepted your email. It doesn't mean they can do anything with it.

7. Getting your IIN

You can attempt to get your IIN (invoice identification number) from an operator.

The IIN allows you to pay the AOS and IV bills online.

It is usually NOT EASY to obtain your IIN. Some dedicated souls have taken over 30 attempts to extract this information from an operator.

If they say no, don't waste time begging, arguing, or using logic....just hangup and call again. Eventually, someone will give you the number.

If you are unable to obtain your IIN, you can use "James Shortcuts" (in the Wiki) to create your own AOS bill and send the payment in the mail...

but only after the AOS bill has been generated. Same applies to IV Fee bill.

Time for them to accept your payment will vary.

8. Paying AOS and IV online.

Once you have your IIN, AND your AOS fee bill has been generated, you can pay the bill online.

Once the DS3032 is accepted, your IV fee bill will be generated...THEN you can pay that online.

It should take 1 or 2 business days for your payment to be accepted online, as long as there's no problems.

The online payment system has problems. Sometimes it might show someone elses info, but don't panic.

Also it may go from a "processing" stage, to a "not paid" stage, and back to "processing" or "paid".

9. Sending AOS Package (I-864 and supporting documents)

Hopefully, by the time you pay your AOS fee bill, you will have all required tax info, asset info and info for a co-sponsor (if needed).

The Petitioner must fill out an I-864, and if there's a Co-Sponsor they will need to fill out an I-864. An I-864a will need to be signed between the Petitioner and Co-Sponsor.

If you don't want to wait for the hard-copy of the AOS fee bill, you can use James Shortcuts to create your own barcode AOS cover-sheet.

Do not send your AOS package without a barcoded cover-sheet.

If you overnight your AOS package, it could be reviewed in a few days, or a few weeks.

10. Sending IV Package (DS-230 and supporting documents)

By the time you've paid your IV Fee bill, each beneficiary needs to have Police Clearance Certificate(s) (PCC), birth certificate(s), marriage certificates(s),

and divorce decrees or death certificates of former spouses, copy of passport pages, 2 passport pictures (with name and NVC case number on back), and a signed DS2-30 pt 1 (Pt 2 of the DS-230 will be signed at the Visa interview).

NOTE- if your interview is in the home country of the beneficiary, there is no need to translate supporting documents.

If you paid your IV fee bill online, you will be able to go to the receipt page and print your IV package cover-sheet.

Do not send your IV package without a barcoded cover-sheet.

If you overnight your IV package, it could be reviewed in a few days, or a few weeks.

11.1 Once everything has been sent in, it's time to wait.

11.2 If you were also approved to apply for a K-3 visa (otherwise skip).

IF (again big IF) you had simultaneously petitioned to apply for a K-3 visa (by sending in an I-129f) then you may be able to allow that process to continue in order to get an interview date at the consulate before your case is approved at NVC. This requires luck and timing.

a. USCIS will send your approved I-129f to NVC.

b. NVC will "touch" the I-129f long enough to give it a case number and pass it on to the embassy.

c. The embassy will notify the beneficiary of the next steps, and give them the case number assigned by NVC.

d. NVC will tell the beneficiary how and where to setup the medical exam.

e. The beneficiary can then send in another copy of the DS-230 (just the signed pt.1, no other documents).

f. The beneficiary can schedule a medical exam.

g. The beneficiary can request an interview date, far enough in advance that their CR-1/IR-1 Visa app will be completed at NVC.

h. Once NVC completes the case, the beneficiary can contact the embassy to request that they change the already scheduled K-3 interview for

a CR-1/IR-1, and if needed request that their completed package be expeditiously sent to the embassy.

12. CR-1/IR-1 case completes.

a. NVC will contact (or you'll know because you've called once or twice a day).

b. Setup a medical exam with approved medical facility.

c. NVC will advise of interview date at embassy.

Using these steps, and in a perfect world, the above steps can get you through NVC in as little as 3 weeks.

If you don't follow them, or if you aren't prepared for each step, it will take longer.

Also, if the 2nd day of the week of your approval is either an odd or even number, it could take longer.

In other words, there are no guarantees in life or in immigration.

Good luck for a speedy process through NVC.

[rahi 0]

excellent work guys ,

you have answerd all of my concerns regarding nvc, thank you very very much.

rahi

[trailmix 77]

9. Sending AOS Package (I-864 and supporting documents)

Hopefully, by the time you pay your AOS fee bill, you will have all required tax info, asset info and info for a co-sponsor (if needed).

The Petitioner must fill out an I-864, and if there's a Co-Sponsor they will need to fill out an I-864. An I-864a will need to be signed between the Petitioner and Co-Sponsor.

If you don't want to wait for the hard-copy of the AOS fee bill, you can use James Shortcuts to create your own barcode AOS cover-sheet.

Looks like you put a lot of work in to this! I didn't read all of it, just wanted to make a comment about the above bolded line. It should actually read:

- The main sponsor fills out an I-864 (regardless of whether you are using a cosponsor)

- If the cosponsor does not live with the sponsor they will fill in an I-864 as well

- If the cosponsor does live with the sponsor they will fill in the I-864A, not the I-864

Edited September 11, 2008 by trailmix

[NicoleX08 1]

nice job guys!

[nimche 8]

Ling Ling, You are my hero in VJ and Hollywood!

[Garu 0]

Excellent!

Thank you Ling Ling for summarizing all other guides into a simple to understand outline.

Regarding your comment "Also, if the 2nd day of the week of your approval is either an odd or even number, it could take longer.", I have also found that if your received your approval on a Tuesday no later than 11:46 PM and it had rained that day within a 25 miles radius of the address where the approval notice was sent and total rain was measured (by a certified meteorologist appearing on TV with more than 9 months experience) at less than one and a half inch, THEN the chances of getting the NVC process completed withing two months are about 50%. Of course, time is based on Eastern Standard Time. DO NOT confuse it with Eastern Daylight time or any other time zones because then all bets are off.

Best wishes and good luck to everybody.

[trailmix 77]

Excellent!

Thank you Ling Ling for summarizing all other guides into a simple to understand outline.

Regarding your comment "Also, if the 2nd day of the week of your approval is either an odd or even number, it could take longer.", I have also found that if your received your approval on a Tuesday no later than 11:46 PM and it had rained that day within a 25 miles radius of the address where the approval notice was sent and total rain was measured (by a certified meteorologist appearing on TV with more than 9 months experience) at less than one and a half inch, THEN the chances of getting the NVC process completed withing two months are about 50%. Of course, time is based on Eastern Standard Time. DO NOT confuse it with Eastern Daylight time or any other time zones because then all bets are off.

Best wishes and good luck to everybody.

[Ling Ling 22]

Glad this guide is helping some...now why can't it get pinned to help more?

....the journey continues.

[trailmix 77]

Glad this guide is helping some...now why can't it get pinned to help more?

....the journey continues.

Ling Ling,

I pointed out an error and so did Garu - which hasn't been corrected. The error about the I-864 or I-864A being submitted is pretty big.

Before this could be considered for pinning I think you need several people to proof read it and then make the corrections.

Also, there is the VJ wiki now, no need to pin anything really if it is in the Wiki.

Good luck