Any Dutch/American couples??

[lizandpat 0]

So does anyone have any idea, or have a link I can find this out, approx how long it takes from the time the consulate receives your packet 3 back, to the actual time of your interview? I saw it was around 5 or 6 weeks or so on the embassy info page, but that hasn't been updated since last year sometime, and wondered if this was still true.

-Blu-

Blu - In our case the consulate received our packet 3 back on July 2nd and Patrick got packet 4 (with the interview date and medical info) on July 10th. His interview is August 25th. So that is about 6 weeks...pretty much right on target with what the embassy page says.

[Wyld Blu 35]

So does anyone have any idea, or have a link I can find this out, approx how long it takes from the time the consulate receives your packet 3 back, to the actual time of your interview? I saw it was around 5 or 6 weeks or so on the embassy info page, but that hasn't been updated since last year sometime, and wondered if this was still true.

-Blu-

Blu - In our case the consulate received our packet 3 back on July 2nd and Patrick got packet 4 (with the interview date and medical info) on July 10th. His interview is August 25th. So that is about 6 weeks...pretty much right on target with what the embassy page says.

Cool! I would LOVE if our interview was around that time too (probably not, but I can hope...lol) because I am going to Holland from Aug 21 to Sept 6th. It would be cool if I could go with him.

-Blu-

[lizandpat 0]

So does anyone have any idea, or have a link I can find this out, approx how long it takes from the time the consulate receives your packet 3 back, to the actual time of your interview? I saw it was around 5 or 6 weeks or so on the embassy info page, but that hasn't been updated since last year sometime, and wondered if this was still true.

-Blu-

Blu - In our case the consulate received our packet 3 back on July 2nd and Patrick got packet 4 (with the interview date and medical info) on July 10th. His interview is August 25th. So that is about 6 weeks...pretty much right on target with what the embassy page says.

Cool! I would LOVE if our interview was around that time too (probably not, but I can hope...lol) because I am going to Holland from Aug 21 to Sept 6th. It would be cool if I could go with him.

-Blu-

Wow..that would be awesome if you could!!!!

Peet - When is your medical? Pat got his scheduled today...August 12th!

[Peet 1]

LOL, just home from it

It is quite a trip from the north to Amsterdam with train and bus.

But it all worked out pretty well.

The people are very nice and easy to work with.

I had forgotten how old some of these places are in the innercity

We were 45 minutes early, so they took our papers and than they told us to go to the x-ray first, no rush, we could come back when ready.

Don't know how Pat will travel, but it is easy to take the train towards schiphol, get off at station Zuid and take the #5 tram to the Museum plein, it is easy to walk from there.

You also get an impression from the consulate, you walk by it.

I only had to have blood drawn, with both vaccinations I was done.

My son who is 14 will need 3 times the hepatitis B in the US.

They didn't have it at the dr. office, so it has to wait until the US.

Several people didn't bring the right size picture, so make sure he has them.

[Daniel and Rianne 0]

Since I'm curious and completely bored out of my mind here at work, I went ahead to see how quick the NVC is right now. If everything goes smooth you will be looking at about 3 to 4 months processing time till your interview. Remember, things can easily take longer, we got an RFE because they changed something after we already had submitted the documents!!

Letty

Hoi Letty,

I did try to send you a message but couldn't do that so i hope you read the topic this way ;-)

My husband did scan the approval letter and send it by email to me.

If I understand it correct... NVC contact me?

Hope you remember! LOL! And the whole time I think my husband get post or what ever from NVC after they receive our case from USCIS and that can take a while!

Greets Ri

[letty 1]

Since I'm curious and completely bored out of my mind here at work, I went ahead to see how quick the NVC is right now. If everything goes smooth you will be looking at about 3 to 4 months processing time till your interview. Remember, things can easily take longer, we got an RFE because they changed something after we already had submitted the documents!!

Letty

Hoi Letty,

I did try to send you a message but couldn't do that so i hope you read the topic this way ;-)

My husband did scan the approval letter and send it by email to me.

If I understand it correct... NVC contact me?

Hope you remember! LOL! And the whole time I think my husband get post or what ever from NVC after they receive our case from USCIS and that can take a while!

Greets Ri

What I remember is that after almost 2 weeks I finally managed to obtain my NVC case number. It takes a little while for them to assign you one. Not sure how long it will be now, but like I said it used to be around 14 days.

I copied the instructions which you can find under the nvc-forum subject:

NVC Automated Voice Response Service

So your I-130 petition has been approved and forwarded to NVC

Now you are wanting to know if it has been received and a case number assigned

You can use your CIS (NOA) receipt number from your approval to find out.

On calling the NVC automated voice response number (603) 334-0700 you will.... press 1 for English press 2 for Spanish

press 1 for information about your immigrant visa

It will then ask you if you know your CIS receipt number.....press 1

(Once you have a case number you can use this.....press 2)

You then follow the instructions to key in your number.

If will then tell you if NVC has received the petition, and assigned a number.

Hopefully things will go smooth there. This part of the process gave me more hope, because they request information every few weeks so you have the feeling they are doing something instead of the first part (I-130 approval), which you don't know what is going on or even if they are doing something at all.

Letty

[Daniel and Rianne 0]

Since I'm curious and completely bored out of my mind here at work, I went ahead to see how quick the NVC is right now. If everything goes smooth you will be looking at about 3 to 4 months processing time till your interview. Remember, things can easily take longer, we got an RFE because they changed something after we already had submitted the documents!!

Letty

Hoi Letty,

I did try to send you a message but couldn't do that so i hope you read the topic this way ;-)

My husband did scan the approval letter and send it by email to me.

If I understand it correct... NVC contact me?

Hope you remember! LOL! And the whole time I think my husband get post or what ever from NVC after they receive our case from USCIS and that can take a while!

Greets Ri

What I remember is that after almost 2 weeks I finally managed to obtain my NVC case number. It takes a little while for them to assign you one. Not sure how long it will be now, but like I said it used to be around 14 days.

I copied the instructions which you can find under the nvc-forum subject:

NVC Automated Voice Response Service

So your I-130 petition has been approved and forwarded to NVC

Now you are wanting to know if it has been received and a case number assigned

You can use your CIS (NOA) receipt number from your approval to find out.

On calling the NVC automated voice response number (603) 334-0700 you will.... press 1 for English press 2 for Spanish

press 1 for information about your immigrant visa

It will then ask you if you know your CIS receipt number.....press 1

(Once you have a case number you can use this.....press 2)

You then follow the instructions to key in your number.

If will then tell you if NVC has received the petition, and assigned a number.

Hopefully things will go smooth there. This part of the process gave me more hope, because they request information every few weeks so you have the feeling they are doing something instead of the first part (I-130 approval), which you don't know what is going on or even if they are doing something at all.

Letty

Hey Letty,

Thank you so much for your answer!!! Glad you found my message on this topic to you!

I just thought I had to wait till i get some post from NVC.

I did call that line but its not received yet, well its just 1 week ago approved so the approval letter already say keep in mind it can take 90 days. But I just tried, because i know a couple girls got a number from NVC 1 week after the approval letter!

You are so right about the first part...its so hard to wait and not to know if they are looking at it or not.

From what i read and see at people timelines its like you need to do something and a couple weeks later another thing etc. Than you have more the feeling like they are looking at it and do something! Its more active, the first part is more passive.

Take care!

Ri

[letty 1]

Hi Rianne,

You should look into the post they made under NVC, shortcuts and knowing your case # (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=117). Maybe you already did, but I found it very helpful to know what they were going to ask.

I wasn't really into risking the shortcuts besides the first one. I emailed them with the address where I wanted my mail to be send to (my husband, so it wouldn't take forever to receive overseas mail) and was already working on the second form when I finally received the original address form. I also downloaded the forms they request to fill out and went ahead to fill them out and mailed them to my husband (the once I could, so not when they had a bar code on them). He waited for the next package from the NVC, made sure he had all the documents I previously mailed to him, and would forward it to the NVC. This way we saved us the mailing time between Europe and the US.

Letty

[Daniel and Rianne 0]

Hi Rianne,

You should look into the post they made under NVC, shortcuts and knowing your case # (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=117). Maybe you already did, but I found it very helpful to know what they were going to ask.

I wasn't really into risking the shortcuts besides the first one. I emailed them with the address where I wanted my mail to be send to (my husband, so it wouldn't take forever to receive overseas mail) and was already working on the second form when I finally received the original address form. I also downloaded the forms they request to fill out and went ahead to fill them out and mailed them to my husband (the once I could, so not when they had a bar code on them). He waited for the next package from the NVC, made sure he had all the documents I previously mailed to him, and would forward it to the NVC. This way we saved us the mailing time between Europe and the US.

Letty

Yep, we do the same thing! :-)

I got the shortcut from Paul. So glad with those checklists etc.

Because the whole process is already taking a long time, this way we can make it a little shorter ;-) LOL!

But I think i can better mail it to NL because my husband get training and isn't home somewhere in sept/oct

Thanks for your advice!

Ri

[DeniseBill 4]

Anyone perhaps know if I need an hep B vaccination? Well known in Holland only children that are born after 2002 (03 not sure) get one. Do i still have to get one? since Holland is not an high risk country

Thanks

[Peet 1]

I know that my son, who is from 1995 needs them, we were just in A'dam for our medicals.

They didn't have them available at the dr. office, so he will need to get 'them' in the US.

It is a series of 3 vaccinations.

LOL, there are advantages in being 45

Lot of vaccinations, like these ones and the new ones for women under 27 I am just plain too old for.

[letty 1]

I went to the local GGD office to get most of the vaccinations done (including the Hep B). They have pretty much everything you need and I actually think it's a little cheaper than at the doctors office. Notice the timespan on the Hep B vaccination!

Letty

[DeniseBill 4]

So what vaccinations should I ask for?? I got a vaccination passport with all the neccesarry vaccinations for children born after 1989.

And what is cheap? lol

[DeniseBill 4]

I called the GGD and they can do it for me.. But I do not want to spend money on something when its not neccasarry. This process already costs a lot.. And we don't have much. Is there something I can call. To know for sure?

[Peet 1]

I guess you can call the dr that the consulate uses for the medicals.

That would be dr Schulte. The assistant can tell you what you need.

I'll pm you the phone number.