Confused by wording on NOA Approval for K-1 Visa

[Michael & Amy 3]

Howdy!

(First, I apologize if this is in the wrong forum. I don't see much to choose from, but I'm green in the field of navigating discussion boards.)

Today I received the hard-copy for our VSC approval. But, in comparing it to an image of an older NOA2 approval from VJ, my version says "your petition has been sent to the listed consulate" instead of the previous "your petition has been sent to the NVC."

What gives? Is this a new change, or something that has been around for awhile? Do I still call the NVC to get an NVC number? Is it really skipping the NVC and going straight to the consulate?

Also, I don't see a consulate listed! I'm concerned because I changed the consulate (thought Calgary would work for non-immigration visas, but apparently it must be Vancouver... worried it's been sent to the wrong one and encountered more delays). I'm just venting- called tonight ten minutes before they closed, but the lines were already down. :-/ So I have to freak out until the morning, instead.

The front and back of the document are available at the below links, and attached, for your/future reference.

Pg1: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25880879/NOA3_vj.jpg

Pg2: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25880879/NOA3_pg2%20-%20vj.jpg

If you would like to sign up for a free Dropbox.com account to help in organizing your immigration paperwork, please use the link below to get 250MB of free bonus space for each of us

http://db.tt/k5P7o8i

[Casprd 167]

You're going the K-1 route so the petition goes to the consulate rather than the NVC (in may make an administrative trip to NVC but you don't have to do anything there). The IR-1/CR-1 gets processed by the NVC before going to the consulate. Looks like your good to go and should be hearing from the consulate with the next packet soon.

[Michael & Amy 3]

Thank you!

[payxibka 10,045]

Howdy!

(First, I apologize if this is in the wrong forum. I don't see much to choose from, but I'm green in the field of navigating discussion boards.)

Today I received the hard-copy for our VSC approval. But, in comparing it to an image of an older NOA2 approval from VJ, my version says "your petition has been sent to the listed consulate" instead of the previous "your petition has been sent to the NVC."

What gives? Is this a new change, or something that has been around for awhile? Do I still call the NVC to get an NVC number? Is it really skipping the NVC and going straight to the consulate?

Also, I don't see a consulate listed! I'm concerned because I changed the consulate (thought Calgary would work for non-immigration visas, but apparently it must be Vancouver... worried it's been sent to the wrong one and encountered more delays). I'm just venting- called tonight ten minutes before they closed, but the lines were already down. :-/ So I have to freak out until the morning, instead.

The front and back of the document are available at the below links, and attached, for your/future reference.

Pg1: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25880879/NOA3_vj.jpg

Pg2: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25880879/NOA3_pg2%20-%20vj.jpg

If you would like to sign up for a free Dropbox.com account to help in organizing your immigration paperwork, please use the link below to get 250MB of free bonus space for each of us

http://db.tt/k5P7o8i

This question gets asked every week (do a search you will find them)... answer is always the same...

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

You're going the K-1 route so the petition goes to the consulate rather than the NVC (in may make an administrative trip to NVC but you don't have to do anything there). The IR-1/CR-1 gets processed by the NVC before going to the consulate. Looks like your good to go and should be hearing from the consulate with the next packet soon.

ALL petitions go to the NVC. ALL. No exceptions. The form letter is incorrect, about half the form letters are.

You will get a letter from the NVC giving you the case number when it is forwarded to the consulate

Thank you!

For??? The answer given was wrong.

[theunknown 5]

Hey Amy i guess! i am in same situation and confused our petition was approved on 23rd of Sep and have the same thing on my hard copy of the notice and it says they forwarded it to the consulate listed which is Cairo. i ve been trying to cal NVC everyday now and they say there is no records for that petition yet. so wierd! which consulate did u change to ?

[Michael & Amy 3]

I am updating this thread, because I did originally search the forums and I couldn't find any responses from my terms, so I will include some key words below.

I began chasing this down for two reasons:

1. I was scared that the oversight would cause us more delays, as we would have to backtrack from the consulate to the NVC if it had been sent to the consulate incorrectly. PLEASE NOTE: Even the USCIS Level 2 assured me that there was no mistake, it had been sent to the consulate, and that it would be skipping the NVC. This made me nervous for its own sake.

2. I had originally put the incorrect consulate / embassy for the interview. The consulate closest to home, that I had checked before submitting, I later found out handled non-K non-immigrant visas. I had sent a letter about halfway through the "waiting period," asking them to amend the petition. The petition never showed any "touches," so I worried about whether this letter had found its way to my petition. I assumed that the consulate had not been changed, even though the letter had been confirmed delivered.

----

EXACT TEXT OF (the questionable) NOA2 I-797 NOTICE OF ACTION / APPROVAL NOTICE:

"The above petition has been approved, and forwarded to the listed consulate. Please contact the consulate with any questions about visa issuance, or if you would now like them to forward the petition to a different consulate. The petitioner can also file Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, with this office to request that we notify another consulate of the petition approval for visa processing purposes. THIS FORM IS NOT A VISA AND MAY NOT BE USED IN PLACE OF A VISA.

"When the person this petition is for enters the U.S. based on this visa, he or she will be admitted for ninety (90) days in order to marry the petitioner, and based on that marriage file for adjustment to permanent resident status on Form I-485. The form to apply for adjustment can be obtained at any local USCIS office or USCIS forms center. Please attach a copy of this notice to the adjustment application when you file it.

"If the petitioner and the fiance(e) do not marry within these 90 days, status will expire, and he or she will be in violation of the immigration and Nationality Act if he or she does not depart. An extension cannot be granted. It is requested that the petitioner inform his or her local USCIS office if he or she determines that the marriage will not take place within the 90 day period. Please attach a copy of this notice to any correspondence about this case.

"NOTICE: Although this application/petition has been approved, DHS reserves the right to verify the information submitted in this application, petition, and/or supporting documentation to ensure conformity with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and other authorities. Methods used for verifying information may include, but are not limited to, the review of public information and records, contact by correspondence, the internet, or telephone, and site inspections of businesses and residences. Information obtained during the course of verification will be used to determine whether revocation, rescission, and/or removal proceedings are appropriate. Applicants, petitioners, and representatives of record will be provided an opportunity to address derogatory information before any formal proceeding is initiated."

-----

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

1. (03OCT) I received the above approval notice.

2. (06OCT) I called USCIS to ask them about the approval notice, because I was concerned that it was not going to the NVC. They had me read it to them a couple of times. They said to contact the NVC and ask them.

3. (06OCT) I contacted the NVC. The NVC person asked me to read the approval notice to them. She told me that meant the petition had been expedited and went straight to the consulate, bypassing the NVC. The NVC person directed me to contact the consulate with further questions.

4. (06OCT) I called the USCIS helpline again. I read them the approval notice three times. Finally I convinced them to let me talk to a Level 2. The Level 2 was very helpful, but he did make me read him the notice twice. He pulled up my file and confirmed that it had been sent directly to the consulate. I asked him which consulate, as no consulate was listed (contradicting the body of the approval notice). I told him I had sent a letter amending the petition from Calgary to Vancouver. He could not confirm where it had been sent, so he kept me on the phone while he issued a request to (re)send the petition to Vancouver. He said to give it ten days before expecting it to arrive at Vancouver.

5. (various) I contacted the Vancouver consulate a few times via email to explain the situation and to check on the status. They were extremely helpful and always got back within 48 hours. Much kudos to the Vancouver consulate. They never received the petition, however.

6. (24OCT) A month is quickly approaching, so I decide to call USCIS again. I get passed to another Level 2. She tells me they just sent a letter to me on the 17th of October (which I have yet to receive) stating the petition was sent to the NVC for processing, so it hadn't actually been sent anywhere until the 17th. I got the typical line about "allowing 30 days" to get to the NVC. I told her about my previous call; she argued with me/didn't believe me until she pulled up my previous request. Still, she maintained it was wrong.

7. (24OCT) I decide to call the NVC. What the heck. Sure enough, there was a case number! PRAISE GOD. How could that be? "Oh, we already mailed your petition to Vancouver on the 18th" ........ Finally - some good news.

-----

CONCLUSIONS:

1. Even though the form letter as well as the USCIS front-line and level-2 employees all assured me otherwise, the petition was not sent straight to the consulate. Thankfully, they caught this themselves, and before it went to the consulate, saving the petition a return trip and further delays.

2. Either the letter requesting to update the consulate/embassy was filed appropriately OR USCIS has an internal process whereby they catch if the wrong consulate/embassy is requested. Please note: I did check the website before I sent in the package, but I mistakenly thought this nonimmigrant visa would be accepted at a consulate accepting nonimmigrant visas. Oh, silly red tape.

3. If it would be desirable, to ease future searches, I would be willing to add the image of this "wrong" approval notice to the gallery, along with a caption explaining that it should be disregarded. I volunteer this because I went to the gallery to compare my approval notice with the posted approval notice.

4. I maintain my thanks to Casprd, not expecting perfection from a free online venue (or even a paid lawyer, if the experiences of the VJ community have anything to teach me!) but also extend those thanks to payxibka and Garry and Alla for taking the time to add their thoughts, as well.

5. I will respond to love my baby on their wall to ensure they obtain the requested information.

Edited October 24, 2011 by Michael & Amy

[Michael & Amy 3]

ALL petitions go to the NVC. ALL. No exceptions. The form letter is incorrect, about half the form letters are.

It is disheartening to hear that so many of the form letters are wrong! Are there any others that spring to mind, that frequently contain incorrect information?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Howdy!

(First, I apologize if this is in the wrong forum. I don't see much to choose from, but I'm green in the field of navigating discussion boards.)

Today I received the hard-copy for our VSC approval. But, in comparing it to an image of an older NOA2 approval from VJ, my version says "your petition has been sent to the listed consulate" instead of the previous "your petition has been sent to the NVC."

What gives? Is this a new change, or something that has been around for awhile? Do I still call the NVC to get an NVC number? Is it really skipping the NVC and going straight to the consulate?

Also, I don't see a consulate listed! I'm concerned because I changed the consulate (thought Calgary would work for non-immigration visas, but apparently it must be Vancouver... worried it's been sent to the wrong one and encountered more delays). I'm just venting- called tonight ten minutes before they closed, but the lines were already down. :-/ So I have to freak out until the morning, instead.

The front and back of the document are available at the below links, and attached, for your/future reference.

Pg1: http://dl.dropbox.co...879/NOA3_vj.jpg

Pg2: http://dl.dropbox.co...g2%20-%20vj.jpg

If you would like to sign up for a free Dropbox.com account to help in organizing your immigration paperwork, please use the link below to get 250MB of free bonus space for each of us

http://db.tt/k5P7o8i

It goes to the NVC. Wait about 10 or so Business days and start calling them. Do not use the automated system because it does not track K Visa's only Immigrant Visa's. When it is in the system and processed they will ask your Beneficiary name and birth date. Same for you. They will then give you your case number. Pay the Interview fee and make the appointment for the appropriate country. The package should make it to the embassy about 5-10 days after NVC issues you the case number. You can go ahead and print all your required forms on-line and have them ready. You do not have to wait on package from embassy. Hope this helps.

[Michael & Amy 3]

THANKS SO MUCH, scruffydog! I didn't realize we could get things going just with the case number.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

THANKS SO MUCH, scruffydog! I didn't realize we could get things going just with the case number.

And I should have added that worked for me in Manila. I can't guarantee it will work at every Embassy . Worth a try.

[Mozzer1972 7]

It goes to the NVC and then forwarded to the appropriate consulate.