Sawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)

[AaronLV 12]

I'm not sure where to go for help, so I thought I would try this since the USCIS seems like a dead end...

I really think something has gone wrong with my I-129F application. According to the online status, it was received in Vermont on March 18, 2010. I never received an NOA1 hard copy and was told it must have gotten lost in the mail. Even though they would not send me another NOA1, I eventually did get a letter from them that included a receipt number, so I assumed everything was on track. Now it has been over 4 months and no word at all. I can't find anyone on this entire forum that recently took longer than 3 months to receive an NOA2 and the USCIS won't do anything until the 6 month threshold is reached (5 months processing time + 30 days). My online status has never been changed from "Initial Review" and I have not received any requests for more information or the like. Does anyone have any idea where I can go to at least make sure my application is still in a queue somewhere? Can anyone think of a legitimate reason it might take so long? Any help would be appreciated as this wait is killing me. Thank you.

I know before the NOA1's were taking a long time to be processed, back in 2008, California was longer then Vermont, but from my reading that changes all the time based on case load. Make sure they cashed your check you sent with the application, on the back of the check it does have a receipt number, which you could match to the letter they sent you, to make sure it is the same. Also when you call, you can ask to speak to the next level of support, they seemed to have been able to give me more information on my case then the regular CSR's could.

[Tom and Teaw 1]

If you are planning on flying anywhere in the USA this fall, check out the sale going on right now. I just booked RT for me and Teaw in Oct on AA to Los Angeles so she can meet my parents and daughter for $278 each. Considering what I paid during this summer that is cheap!!! I can get Chicago Thanksgiving week for as low as $111 each way.

[ArizonaMike74 0]

I'm not sure where to go for help, so I thought I would try this since the USCIS seems like a dead end...

I really think something has gone wrong with my I-129F application. According to the online status, it was received in Vermont on March 18, 2010. I never received an NOA1 hard copy and was told it must have gotten lost in the mail. Even though they would not send me another NOA1, I eventually did get a letter from them that included a receipt number, so I assumed everything was on track. Now it has been over 4 months and no word at all. I can't find anyone on this entire forum that recently took longer than 3 months to receive an NOA2 and the USCIS won't do anything until the 6 month threshold is reached (5 months processing time + 30 days). My online status has never been changed from "Initial Review" and I have not received any requests for more information or the like. Does anyone have any idea where I can go to at least make sure my application is still in a queue somewhere? Can anyone think of a legitimate reason it might take so long? Any help would be appreciated as this wait is killing me. Thank you.

USCIS has five months to approve before they have to give you an answer as to why it's taking so long. In my case they waited until literally the very last day. I believe it was planned that way for some reason because I called about four months in and the lady on the phone told me she knew exactly when it would be approved. I thought she was joking or daft since she was just a call representative and was not the person working my case but as it turns out her prediction was right - it was literally the very last day before I could complain when it was approved. As a matter of fact I knew to the day when I could call and was calling and looking up my case number online when I noticed the status had finally changed to approved.

Then it was stuck at NVC for three weeks or so and took another week or two to get to Bangkok. I applied in November and my fiancee didn't get her Packet 3 until June. I originally had thought she would be here in June since five to six months was the average time from N1 to Visa back when I applied in November. Now I'll be happy if she gets her Visa in August or September (9-10 months after my NOA1).

Hang in there - at this point there is nothing you can do but wait until the five months are up. Even congressional inquiries can't really help you until it's been five months since your NOA1.

[daboyz 36]

USCIS has five months to approve before they have to give you an answer as to why it's taking so long. In my case they waited until literally the very last day. I believe it was planned that way for some reason because I called about four months in and the lady on the phone told me she knew exactly when it would be approved. I thought she was joking or daft since she was just a call representative and was not the person working my case but as it turns out her prediction was right - it was literally the very last day before I could complain when it was approved. As a matter of fact I knew to the day when I could call and was calling and looking up my case number online when I noticed the status had finally changed to approved.

Then it was stuck at NVC for three weeks or so and took another week or two to get to Bangkok. I applied in November and my fiancee didn't get her Packet 3 until June. I originally had thought she would be here in June since five to six months was the average time from N1 to Visa back when I applied in November. Now I'll be happy if she gets her Visa in August or September (9-10 months after my NOA1).

Hang in there - at this point there is nothing you can do but wait until the five months are up. Even congressional inquiries can't really help you until it's been five months since your NOA1.

Yeah I got my NOA2 almost 6 months to the day after NOA1. Then my lawyer didn't have a clue about going through NVC so that took another 3 months. Then another 3 months for the interview. Then at the interview she got 221g. So all in all it was about a year to the day from when we got NOA1 to actually having visa in hand.

That said, we were IR-1. Once she got here, she got her SS card in two weeks, and her 10 year green card 2 weeks after that. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't go the K route. I don't have to deal with AOS or Lifting of conditions. We're done with them until we file for citizenship.

[Tom and Teaw 1]

A friend of mine that has been to Thailand a zillion times and has a new Thai GF over there told me about a phone service he uses to call her. I checked it out online and it's pretty darn cheap so I am passing it on so you

guys can check it out and see if it works for you. No, I don't get anything for posting this but I might use it when Teaw gets here and she wants to call her family. It's www.rebtel.com. It's like .0008 cents a minute to Thailand. So check it out. Be interested to know if anyone else here uses it. My friend said he has no trouble with the quality of the calls.

[rsn 135]

A friend of mine that has been to Thailand a zillion times and has a new Thai GF over there told me about a phone service he uses to call her. I checked it out online and it's pretty darn cheap so I am passing it on so you

guys can check it out and see if it works for you. No, I don't get anything for posting this but I might use it when Teaw gets here and she wants to call her family. It's www.rebtel.com. It's like .0008 cents a minute to Thailand. So check it out. Be interested to know if anyone else here uses it. My friend said he has no trouble with the quality of the calls.

We were lucky enough to sign up for the Skype unlimited to Thailand plan before they discontinued it (we're grandfathered, thankfully). $5.95/month unlimited calls to Thailand. I'll pass that on to those I know who were not so lucky though.

[daboyz 36]

We were lucky enough to sign up for the Skype unlimited to Thailand plan before they discontinued it (we're grandfathered, thankfully). $5.95/month unlimited calls to Thailand. I'll pass that on to those I know who were not so lucky though.

You can port your number to Vonage. All calls to Thailand are free. 25.99 a month. Quality is awesome. Only problem is that you have to call from your home phone.

[Audy_Rob 26]

A friend of mine that has been to Thailand a zillion times and has a new Thai GF over there told me about a phone service he uses to call her. I checked it out online and it's pretty darn cheap so I am passing it on so you

guys can check it out and see if it works for you. No, I don't get anything for posting this but I might use it when Teaw gets here and she wants to call her family. It's www.rebtel.com. It's like .0008 cents a minute to Thailand. So check it out. Be interested to know if anyone else here uses it. My friend said he has no trouble with the quality of the calls.

I looked at the rebtel. I can't believe it is 0.008 per minute. Can you ask your friend if the wireless provider for the mobile phone charges some type of connection fee? There has to be some other fees somewhere.

Thanks

[rsn 135]

You can port your number to Vonage. All calls to Thailand are free. 25.99 a month. Quality is awesome. Only problem is that you have to call from your home phone.

That's a bit steep just to call Thailand, that's all I'd use it for anyway. I'm surprised Vonage still doesn't have a way for people to use their account via another phone/cell phone. I had Vonage once upon a time but left due to the price.

[Tom and Teaw 1]

Well, I just cancelled my VOIP provider and bought an XLINK box that routes my cell phone through all the phones in my house. I hardly used the VOIP and this will save me about $350 a year. When I am gone from the house

all my calls come to my cell cause that's the only number I have. When I get home I set my phone by the XLINK and the bluetooth automatially connects with the box and I can use the phones anywhere in the house. The only

drawback so far has been when I realized if I left my hands free plugged into my cell phone I could not hear anything on the other phones in the house if I used them. So now I just make sure my hands free is unplugged.

I'll ask my friend if he gets any cell charges, but as I understand Rebtel, they give you a local number back to you to call and it connects through that number to make the call. So there should not be any charges on the

cell phone for making that call.

[daboyz 36]

That's a bit steep just to call Thailand, that's all I'd use it for anyway. I'm surprised Vonage still doesn't have a way for people to use their account via another phone/cell phone. I had Vonage once upon a time but left due to the price.

Using it just to call Thailand it is a bit steep. If you have an existing landline, then it is a no brainer to get it. I actually only use it for that, and the daily conference calls Verizon forces me to attend. Thank god for mute buttons! Vonage has an app that works with smartphones and uses your wifi to make unlimited calls, which is cool so you dont use your cell minutes. That would actually be a better option for me. Unfortunately they require a certain version on my blackberry that I dont have yet. I'm waiting to upgrade to the next version. Verizon wont allow it until it's QA'd etc. It takes 2 weeks to order a pencil around here.

Edited July 31, 2010 by daboyz

[rsn 135]

Using it just to call Thailand it is a bit steep. If you have an existing landline, then it is a no brainer to get it. I actually only use it for that, and the daily conference calls Verizon forces me to attend. Thank god for mute buttons! Vonage has an app that works with smartphones and uses your wifi to make unlimited calls, which is cool so you dont use your cell minutes. That would actually be a better option for me. Unfortunately they require a certain version on my blackberry that I dont have yet. I'm waiting to upgrade to the next version. Verizon wont allow it until it's QA'd etc. It takes 2 weeks to order a pencil around here.

I used Vonage a couple different times and I wasn't impressed. You can make those daily conference calls for free by pairing your existing cell phone (or any phone for that matter) with Google Voice (assuming the phone you want to use does not charge for incoming calls).

Edited August 1, 2010 by rsn

[pgrin 2]

Sawasdee Krup to my friends on VJ,

A quick couple of questions for those who have recently received packet 3 and packet 4 from the embassy in Bangkok.

I received notice from the NVC that our package was sent to Bangkok. My fiancee' lives up country and the postal service works poorly at best. The letter carrier is usually drunk by mid day and will dump mail, deliver to the wrong address or if the packet looks important try to get some tea money from the recipient. Is there a way of finding out if the embassy received the packet without depending on the Thai Post Office? I have downloaded and completed all of the forms from the embassy website, can I just send them in with a cover letter without having packet 3 in hand? We went to the police station in Bangkok and they accepted my hard copy NOA 2 from Vermont and processed her clearance. We are doing the medical next week. Also I am confused by references to purchasing a pin number to schedule an appointment for her interview. Is this part of the K-1 visa process?

Thanks in advance,

Pgrin

[daboyz 36]

I used Vonage a couple different times and I wasn't impressed. You can make those daily conference calls for free by pairing your existing cell phone (or any phone for that matter) with Google Voice (assuming the phone you want to use does not charge for incoming calls).

Your internet connection must suck. I have had hours long conference calls with not a blip. This is to India also.

[daboyz 36]

I used Vonage a couple different times and I wasn't impressed. You can make those daily conference calls for free by pairing your existing cell phone (or any phone for that matter) with Google Voice (assuming the phone you want to use does not charge for incoming calls).

Yeah I wish. This is the US. If that phone is active on a call, both parties pay. It aint CPP like the rest of the world, where only the calling party pays.