For those of us waiting case complete..

[Nica_In_Love 98]

Bumping this thread.

Docs received by NVC on July 15th, still no word. Last Friday I was told to call back in two weeks or so to check on things. I, too, would really like to know how things work there. I've gotten no RFEs, but it seems the people who HAVE had them, receive them extremely soon after the NVC gets their documents. And once you send it back, it takes ages to get anything processed? How are they so fast with telling you all the ways you messed up, but take their time getting you out of their hands. You'd think they would want circulate cases as fast as they could.

Back in May and June you would see people getting their CC within days, even if they got an RFE, you would count 8-11 business days after the RFE was entered into the system and BOOM, sign in failed and CC. However now this backlog is really messing us up! 6 weeks since RFE was entered into the system and still waiting.

[monsterna 2]

Back in May and June you would see people getting their CC within days, even if they got an RFE, you would count 8-11 business days after the RFE was entered into the system and BOOM, sign in failed and CC. However now this backlog is really messing us up! 6 weeks since RFE was entered into the system and still waiting.

Yeah, I know. What makes me even sadder is the fact that I filed around the 1st of February, got accepted at the end of March, and didn't know anything about the NVC case number stuff. They had a case number ready for me right after the I-130 got approved, but I had no idea. I literally wasted two months doing absolutely nothing but "waiting," until I finally called the NVC on the 1st of June and found out I've had a case number that whole time.

So, I could have been one of those May/June CCs. Feels bad, man.

Edited August 4, 2010 by monsterna

[Nica_In_Love 98]

Yeah, I know. What makes me even sadder is the fact that I filed around the 1st of February, got accepted at the end of March, and didn't know anything about the NVC case number stuff. They had a case number ready for me right after the I-130 got approved, but I had no idea. I literally wasted two months doing absolutely nothing but "waiting," until I finally called the NVC on the 1st of June and found out I've had a case number that whole time.

So, I could have been one of those May/June CCs. Feels bad, man.

Yeah, I think if we hadn't gotten the RFE we would have gotten a CC in mid June. But there isn't really any good in looking back huh... Good luck to both of us!

[monsterna 2]

Yeah, I think if we hadn't gotten the RFE we would have gotten a CC in mid June. But there isn't really any good in looking back huh... Good luck to both of us!

Yes, good luck to us all!

Everyone else in the thread remember to keep us posted on any SIFs, CCs, or informational calls to the NVC!

[ariel2010 1]

Back in May and June you would see people getting their CC within days, even if they got an RFE, you would count 8-11 business days after the RFE was entered into the system and BOOM, sign in failed and CC. However now this backlog is really messing us up! 6 weeks since RFE was entered into the system and still waiting.

Trust me...I know two girls from my country..thay are completed by 10 working days in NVC. And that was in JUN!!!

One of them had RFE and after that NVC her case was closeda in 14 days.

So I don`t know is this a new rule or what.

Definitely they are us pulIing the nose.... wish just to feel they the same like us,gall things!!!!Shame on them

[ariel2010 1]

One thing more...it calms me a little that fact that we are all here stuck.

I mean something is happening in NVC!!!! I know that I can`t Lose and I will be cultural as much as

Edited August 4, 2010 by ariel2010

[The_Hot_Herrons 0]

Hello, I have the same dilemma. The last of our submitted checklist response was posted June 23rd and it's been 6 weeks (exactly today) that we have not received a response. I have another post about this because the Operator told us it's the Haiti Immigration that is causing the backlog. Could be or could be not, who knows? All if know is we are getting impatient!

[ariel2010 1]

Hello, I have the same dilemma. The last of our submitted checklist response was posted June 23rd and it's been 6 weeks (exactly today) that we have not received a response. I have another post about this because the Operator told us it's the Haiti Immigration that is causing the backlog. Could be or could be not, who knows? All if know is we are getting impatient!

Welcome to the board

Oh I don`t believe in their excuses anymore!! Patience has no end....but we will see in the next two week!! "(

Edited August 4, 2010 by ariel2010

[Jimmy S. 0]

NO SIF, logged in fine

[smsgrl2009 1]

NO SIF, logged in fine

Me too

[ariel2010 1]

I check my too.....no SIF !!!!!!

And every day is the same!

[Nazeem786 0]

Hi Everyone, really sorry to hear that NVC is a slow process, I had called my husbands embassy a few weeks ago and asked them if there was a delay in getting an interview date at Suva US Embassy, Fiji? This was just contacting the Embassy to get his PCC done. The Consular Officer advised me that some Asian embassies are backlogged thus there is quiet a wait, in countries that are not backlogged the process is faster.

I was just sharing Info, wish u all luck and prayer for the stress to come to an end.

[Nazeem786 0]

Hello, I have the same dilemma. The last of our submitted checklist response was posted June 23rd and it's been 6 weeks (exactly today) that we have not received a response. I have another post about this because the Operator told us it's the Haiti Immigration that is causing the backlog. Could be or could be not, who knows? All if know is we are getting impatient!

Have u contacted the embassy in Haiti? Alot of the embassies have backlog thus not able to get an interview date sooner.

[Nazeem786 0]

Have u contacted the embassy in Haiti? Alot of the embassies have backlog thus not able to get an interview date sooner.

Sorry I just realized its Haiti IV thats causing a backlog for everyone else. Check with ur spouses local embassy, they might have a backlog as well, just a suggestion.

[Nazeem786 0]

Sorry I just realized its Haiti IV thats causing a backlog for everyone else. Check with ur spouses local embassy, they might have a backlog as well, just a suggestion.

Hey everyone heres some info I got which might help.

National Visa Center for Consular Processing

Posted Oct 28, 2005

The National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is the venue that gathers and consolidates the data from the various USCIS offices pertaining to immigrant cases that will undergo consular processing. It is also the location from which all the consular processing packages are sent to the various consulates around the world. The immigrant visa cases are those, both family and employment, in which the petitioner has selected consular processing. In addition to the immigrant visa cases, the NVC also processes K-1 (fiancé/e) and K-3 (nonimmigrant spouse of a U.S. citizen) cases for consular interviews once the petitions are approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

A pair of attorneys from The Law Office of Sheela Murthy, P.C. visited the NVC on October 21, 2005. They gained useful insights into the operations of the NVC as a result of their tour of the facility. Our attorneys reported that they were impressed with the organization and professionalism they witnessed. Some of the highlights of the visit are summarized here for the benefit of our MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers, as well as the latest tips for avoiding delays in processing at the NVC.

With the onset of retrogression, many applicants are wondering whether the NVC continues processing a case for which the priority date is not current. These insights should help clarify the NVC's actions in these situations.

Qualifying Date Concept of NVC

Each month when the Visa Bulletin is released, if any dates moved forward, the NVC sorts all the cases by date to find those that are ready for processing.

The NVC operates based upon what they term the "qualifying date,” rather than the priority date. The qualifying date, used by NVC for internal purposes only, is approximately eight to twelve months ahead of the Visa Office priority date. Of course, there is no guarantee that the priority date will actually become current eight to twelve months after the qualifying date. In cases where the qualifying date is not current, the NVC does not continue processing the case. When the qualifying date becomes current, the fee bill is sent to the applicant and, upon receipt of fees, the instruction packet (formerly known as Packet 3) is mailed. This explains why some applicants have continued receiving fee bills and instruction packets from the NVC despite their priority dates not being current. Examples are when the family receives the bill for the fee even after the minor children have become adults and are no longer eligible for the immigrant visa since the NVC works on the "qualifying date" concept instead of the priority date to process their paperwork. The goal is to have everything in place in a timely manner so that the case can proceed once the priority date is current.

Operations at NVC

The NVC is a very large facility that handles an enormous number of petitions. To deal with the massive volume their operations are automated and streamlined. Following is a summary of some key processes, as well as some statistics on the volume of work handled by the NVC.

Standard Consular or Appointment Review Consular posts are designated as either “Standard Review” or “Appointment Review” posts. All of the Indian consulates are Standard Review posts. For these consulates, the NVC collects the DS-230 Part I, I-864 Affidavit of Support (if applicable), the fee and other basic initial documentation such as tax returns and W2s. The case is then forwarded to the consulate (provided that the qualifying date is current), which schedules the interview appointment.

For “Appointment Review” posts, which include Montreal, Tirana, Ankara, Abu Dhabi, and all African posts, the NVC does a more extensive document collection and schedules the interview appointment for the applicant.

Standard Review In a Standard Review case in which some initial documentation is missing, the NVC will send a request for the missing documents. When this happens, the file is taken out of the normal stream of processing, which can result in delays to the case.

Incoming NVC Mail The NVC receives between 100,000 and 120,000 pieces of mail each week. They send out approximately 13,000 bills for fees and 23,000 information packets each week. Although many mailings are automated, the information packets for some consulates have to be compiled manually, which the hard-working NVC staff does at the rate of over 100 per hour.

Telephone Inquiries The NVC receives 3000 to 3500 telephone inquiries per day. They have 15 to 25 operators working two shifts, from 7:30 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time (U.S.). It is suggested that the best time to call is between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. or between 9:00 p.m. and midnight.

Timeframes for Data Input Most petitions are scanned into the NVC database and given an NVC case number within 24 hours of being received from the USCIS. This case number is used to track the case throughout its duration at the NVC.

Quality Control The NVC prides itself on quality control. Each petition is reviewed by at least two people before being sent to the consulate.

Consular Posts Distribution Approximately 40% of the cases processed at the NVC are destined for posts in Mexico. The NVC ships boxes of cases to each post in weekly cycles. Cases are sent to certain consulates on certain days of the week. Expedited cases, such as K-1, K-3, adoption and “age-out” cases, are sent immediately and do not wait for the weekly shipment.

Cases Sent by Consulates to NVC for Revocation If a consulate returns a case for revocation, it is sent to the NVC for tracking purposes and the NVC returns it to the USCIS, which processes the revocation. The case only stays at the NVC for a few days. These are cases in which the petitions are approved by the USCIS, but the consulates detect something that indicates the cases should not have bee approved.

How to Help NVC

NVC staff provided some helpful tips on how to make the processing of a case as smooth as possible, and how to best avoid delays. These include the following:

Do Not Send in Unsolicited Documents Additional documentation should not be sent until requested by the NVC. Because operations at the NVC are highly automated, items (such as fee payment, affidavit of support and other forms) that are received before a request has been issued tend to complicate processing and delay the respective cases. We note that the same appears to be true of processing at USCIS Service Centers – it is generally best to not send additional information until requested.

Include Table of Contents Including a table of contents and tabbing documents is very helpful and enables NVC staff to process a case more efficiently. This seems especially useful for “Appointment Post” cases, which are more document-intensive.

Notify if Switching from CP to AOS The NVC would like to be notified regarding cases in which a person who marked the immigrant visa petition (I-140 or I-130) for consular processing has opted instead to proceed with adjustment of status. This helps them to streamline their file storage.

Explain Unavailable Tax Returns If the sponsor or joint-sponsor filing the I-864 was not required to file a U.S. tax return for one or more of the last three years, s/he should send a letter explaining the situation to avoid a request for additional documents. A separate tax return authorization form (provided by the NVC) is required for each sponsor and joint sponsor. The form can be photocopied, but only for use with the same case, as the form is bar-coded to be matched with that particular case.

Mark if Aging Out Issue In cases where a child is about to age out (turn 21 years old), the NVC will short-cut the normal process and send the file directly to the consulate, provided that a visa number is available. It is important that petitioners, beneficiaries, or their attorneys notify the NVC of such cases so that they may take the appropriate steps to expedite these cases. There are, however, no guarantees that such cases will be processed in time, despite the best efforts of the NVC.

Clearly Mark Schedule A Cases to Avoid Their Being Considered EB3 Employment-based, third preference (EB3) Schedule A petitions (such as those for nurses and physical therapists) should be clearly marked across the front as “Schedule A.” At the time of this writing, this category is still current. Marking the cases should ensure that they are not mistakenly shelved because of the unavailability of visa numbers for other EB3 cases. This is good practice for all Schedule A petitions, whether filed for consular processing or adjustment of status.

Conclusion

If nothing is received from the NVC within 60 days of a petition's having been approved by the USCIS, the petitioner, beneficiary, or attorney is advised to contact the NVC to inquire about the case.

This info was on Murthy.com which was provided to their Law office by th NVC to help process cases in a timely manner.