What if he deploys...

[British_Cupcake 1]

Im hoping i get all the paperwork filled in and signed and sent to hubby this month so we can get the ball rolling..

I was just thinking what if this whole process takes longer then planned..He is due to deploy in November. What happens if we get close to the final stage and he gets deployed or the deployment gets pulled forward? will we have any problems??

Edited January 11, 2010 by Jonswifey

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Military on deployment orders can get the case expedited - you may want to check into that.

[Scott and Mhay 57]

Yes, deployment orders can and will get the case expedited. I did it myself. I would have been approved at the CSC a month ago had I not had an RFE. Just have him call the military help line found on the USCIS website.

[Darnell 8,478]

you're in germany? are you doing DCF'd I-130 or 'normal' I-130 via Chicago Lockbox?

[Darnell 8,478]

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as I recall, you are at a base in Germany, right?

IIRC, that visa is useful for when you come to USA. I think you need to decide about 'what to do', for how long that deployment is.

I think you can still live in Germany, be somehow attached to the post, whilst waiting for him to return from deployment.

If you have a good idea of the return date on the deployment - I suggest you redo a calendar for the filing of the petition -

so that the interview date is 'just after' he returns from the deployment.

But what does that look like? ya gotta back-track it, right?

The reverse order, for Chcago Lockbox -

interview date then

embassy schedule appointment then

embassy receive casefile then

NVC send casefile then

NVC Processing, I-864, DS-230, DS-3032 then

NVC receives casefile then

USCIS sends casefile to NVC then

USCIS approval notice (NOA-2) then

USCIS case complete then

USCIS receipt notice (NOA-1) then

I-130 petition sent in to Chicago Lockbox then

if doing DCF'd I-130 - it's a bit different -

but you should get the general idea - most of the activity is handled by the Embassy. Usually is 4 to 5 months on DCF'd I-130.

I suggest you map it all out, on a calendar, be prepared to handle all when he is DEPLOYED, with concept of having interview date a week or two weeks after he returns.

If I've got it all wrong, hei - my apologies !

[Darnell 8,478]

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duh, sorry - if he's not stationed in Germany any more, but in the USA, ignore what I've written so far -

I suggest if he files now, this week, then you'll have an interview date sometime in August. Perhaps sooner. Good Luck !

[Catt 6]

Im hoping i get all the paperwork filled in and signed and sent to hubby this month so we can get the ball rolling..

I was just thinking what if this whole process takes longer then planned..He is due to deploy in November. What happens if we get close to the final stage and he gets deployed or the deployment gets pulled forward? will we have any problems??

Hi,

Deployment getting pushed forward aside:

Unless your case has special issues that you have not mentioned and that would complicate it, or unless USCIS/NVC's policy has changed drastically in the past months, it should be possible for you to be in the US by November.

It indeed in general IS possible to get a case expedited for military reasons (though again, I don't know your particular situation obviously).

We did this as well, at a time my husband did not have deployment orders yet. They knew the unit would probably deploy within the next year, however it was not clear at that time when this might be. (This can be unclear until pretty close to the actual deployment date. The actual (paper) orders themselves, once it is certain deployment will happen, can come very late - in my husband's case they were handing out a copy to the soldiers the day the unit was shipping out to Iraq.).

So you do NOT need actual deployment orders or a set deployment date. A letter from his CO helps in that case.

Check out the thread called "Expedite Tips" (in this IR-1/CR-1 Forum) that deals at length with what you need to do to file this expedite. (you will have to do this via search, I don't think any recent posts have been made in this thread).

You can also look at the 'military spouse' thread, which also contains info on this in previous posts, although not as much.

Again, once you have filed your I-130 paperwork and you have your NOA1, you can file the expedite. Things can go really fast after that (we got our expedite request AND our I-130 - and also I-129F, since we were K3, but the same would apply for only I-130 - approved within one day of filing. Usually it takes a bit longer but still, it can happen.) So be prepared for that.

You can apply an expedite at USCIS level, and then again at NVC and Embassy/Consulate level.

I know of at least one case where the foreign spouse was from the UK and got a positive response on the request.

I would suggest that, as soon you have completed your research on I-130 petitions (to avoid an RFE) and have all the paperwork you need, to not delay applying. That way you can get things started. This Forum is great and can help you every step of the way. About the expedite part, feel free to ask me any info you need on top of that, I might be of help.

Good luck.

Edited January 12, 2010 by Catt