NVC recent trends

[Karaoke 0]

Hoping that VSC ever catches up with March filers, I am thinking whether to stick to the K-3 route or go for the full deal, in case they approve both petitions..

I wanted to know what's the expected recent trend to go from service center forwarding to NVC to NVC sending documents to the consulate..

Does it happen in 4-5 weeks without any shortcuts, but with good preparation and all documents ready?

I am starting to doubt that it's worth the hassle to go the K-3 especially if it takes months to get the work permit (what I most care about)..

[YuAndDan 153]

Keep the I-130 moving through NVC, using the shortcuts as guide, and the ability to pay fees on line to NVC tends to make the K-3 a NON issue. K-3 was originally developed when immigrant spousal visas were taking MUCH MUCH longer than K-1 fiancee visas, this simply is not the case anymore.

Consider carefully the K-3, in most cases it does not save much time, compare timelines, K-3 was developed at a time when CR-1 cases were taking a very long time, this simply is not the case anymore.

CR-1 has the big benefit of GREEN-CARD upon entry, NO ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS. K-3 CANNOT get SSN, WORK, or Get driver's license until they have EAD or Green-card, EAD can take 90 days or MORE to get.

K-3:

I-130: $355

I-129F: NONE

Consulate: $131

AOS: $1010

($1496)

CR-1

I-130: $355

NVC I-864: $70

NVC Visa fee: $400 ($355+$45)

($825)

I see many posts from K-3 holders stating, "Wow this sucks, I an stuck at home because I don't have EAD, DL, etc, or I am having hard time getting added to bank accounts because of NO SSN." K-3 has a 90 day or longer period of limbo while waiting for EAD or Green-card.

USCIS will approve and send both to NVC, just respond to NVC when they do I-864 fee, and DS-230, etc. In many cases the I-130 arrives at consulate before K-3 interview, if that happens the consulate will drop the K-3 in favor of the CR-1. Some simply reschedule the K-3 interview for a later date, allowing the CR-1 to catch up, if CR-1 is in final stages of NVC.

[HOHOHO 0]

I bit the bullet (and continue to do so) with the IR-1/CR-1 route.

For the same reasons, and in addition, i think it winds up much cheaper than the other route for all the extra AOS fees.

At least I'm towards the end of the NVC stage and then to the embassy stage.

Good luck.

[YuAndDan 153]

I bit the bullet (and continue to do so) with the IR-1/CR-1 route.

For the same reasons, and in addition, i think it winds up much cheaper than the other route for all the extra AOS fees.

At least I'm towards the end of the NVC stage and then to the embassy stage.

Good luck.

It is cheaper, ($825 (CR-1) , or $1496 (K-3/AOS))

[Karaoke 0]

Thanks Yu&Dan, I've read your posts many times, I know the whole story. Price is not the issue for me. Time is.

My question was mainly and foremost about the AVERAGE times from VSC (in my case) approval to NVC sending the documents to the consulate.. Any wild guess?

[rmncm 0]

With past trends and VSC your looking at march or april o next year if your lucky unless they foward all of vsc to csc.

[Ling Ling 22]

I can't speak to VSC or CSC approvals...there is NO rhyme or reason.

As for NVC trends, shortcuts are the best way...without them, you could take 2 to 3 months...with them (in theory) you could be finished in 21 days (average is about 40 days).

Good Luck

[Karaoke 0]

Ling Ling, thank you. Honestly I don't feel comfortable doing the barcodes... What we could do is the emailing the form, and the online payment, and have everything prepared BEFOREHANDS. That should already help somehow I guess.. I'd still hope to get through in less than 2 months.. Anyway, that is still a very hypothetical issue since I still do not have the approval from VSC and god only knows when it'll come!

[A_I_S 0]

Hoping that VSC ever catches up with March filers, I am thinking whether to stick to the K-3 route or go for the full deal, in case they approve both petitions..

I wanted to know what's the expected recent trend to go from service center forwarding to NVC to NVC sending documents to the consulate..

Does it happen in 4-5 weeks without any shortcuts, but with good preparation and all documents ready?

I am starting to doubt that it's worth the hassle to go the K-3 especially if it takes months to get the work permit (what I most care about)..

Our I130 and I129F were approved on Aug 11th.

129F went right through the NVC and had an interview date scheduled for Oct 29th.

I-130 was case complete in NVC on Sept 20th, we missed the October scheduling by a few days.

On the Oct 6th we had our CR1 interview set (which we're now trying to change to October 29th).

The following delays were experienced along the way:

- It took 2 weeks to get the DS3032 and first bill generated. Ordinarily when you look at other people's timelines you see "5th: Case number assigned, 6th: DS3032 generated"...ours took 2 weeks.

- PCC took 2+ weeks to get. My wife went out to get it right around 1-2 weeks after case made it to NVC, and was told that it takes a month to get the police certificate since it has to go through a lot of buerocracy. So have this done early! It's supposed to be valid for 6 months.

Other than that, sweet-talk the NVC operator into giving you the IIN number so you can pay bills through the website, and you could be out of NVC in 4 weeks.

Edit: Make your own forms and barcodes. Make sure you create barcode for DS3032, and make sure you follow James Shortcuts in Wiki for I-864 and DS-230 for creating the cover pages! However, as I have found out...NVC is pretty slack about their cover sheets (ones that say in big bold letters that if you don't return this page it would delay your case)...all they case about is a barcode. I've managed to create custom made cover sheets with barcode attached to them (because I didn't read James Shortcuts fully) and they still went through.

Edited October 15, 2008 by A_I_S

[MsZ 6]

You don't have to do the barcodes. NVC is so efficient in sending out information that the barcodes only cut a few days off, max. If you can pay online, you can print out the majority of what you need, anyway.

The most important thing going into NVC is to have your documents already in hand and have your forms filled out. If you do that and then keep track of what's available online (or call if things aren't making sense) you can be in and out of NVC in next to no time at all. Compared to USCIS, NVC is a walk in the park.

[ninjarocket 1]

Here's my timeline, in case it helps

imeline

July 14: I-130 and I29F approved

July 26: NVC acknowledges receipt of both I-130 and I-129F

July 28: DS-3032 and AOS fee bill generated (although dated 2 days earlier when I received the snail mail)

July 29: mailed off $70 AOS fee

July 29: email forwarded DS-3032 from wife (snail mail got there first!)

July 30: spouse mailed off DS-3032 by express mail (UPS) from Philippines

August 4: DS-3032 hard copy received at NVC from Philippines

August 4: AOS fee bill received by NVC (although wrong date was on James' short cut generated bill!)

August 6: AOS generated

August 6: IV bill generated

August 6: send off AOS (I-864EZ) lets hope they accept a non-notarized version with IRS tax transcripts for last 3 years rather than actual tax returns! (there's not even any space to notarize an I-864EZ, so it makes no sense to me)

August 6: paid IV bill online with invoice # obtained from NVC operator (who also told me the online system doesn't work, so I'll just have to see what happens)

August 7: IV bill status is now "paid" and deducted from my bank account

August 7: mail off DS-230 + pile of documents + IV payment receipt + bank statement showing deduction

August 8: AVR says IV bill generated? (online status changed to "unpaid" although paid receipt is right there online. duh!)

August 11: finally they accepted email DS-3032 (hard copy got there one week earlier)

August 13: IV received at NVC (they need to be informed again to reconcile online payment with visa application, grrrrrr)

August 13: online payment system status changed back to "paid" yippee!!!

August 13: receive snail mail IV bill

August 14: AVR says IV payment received August 6

August 14: AOS instructions received by email

August 19: medical appointment (using k3-visa # already at consulate)

August 22: case complete according to operator several days later

August 27: k3-visa interview scheduled for September 16

August 27: expedite request emailed to send I-130 docs to k3-visa interview so that it can be changed to a CR-visa interview

August 27: also mail in expedite request

September 3: still no news on expedite request so ask to speak to supervisor who then has email tracked down and worked on within a couple of hours

September 3: request sent from NVC to embassy to find whether k3 interview can be changed to CR

September 9: MNL accepts expedite request and I-130 package mailed to embassy (I think)

September 16: k3 interview date (I traveled to MNL to be there at the USEM)

September 16:I-130 arrives at embassy on day of interview but after interview

September 16: embassy calls wife who somehow misses calls (delay of CR visa caused by my wife's stupid cell phone)

September 29: wife returns to embassy to sign DS-230 in front of CO (same one as at interview, giggle)

October 3: CR visa received

October 17: flight scheduled!

[Karaoke 0]

It helps a lot thank you! Basically you can be through NVC in about 1 month, and through embassy in another (depending on embassies..)