NVC Filers - January 2012

[sweetapple 1]

So after paying fee, we can move to Receipt tab to print out bar code sheet or wait until the status changes to PAID and print out bar code sheet? Can we just go back to the payment site to print out later or have to print out right away after payment?

[Laure&Colin 557]

So after paying fee, we can move to Receipt tab to print out bar code sheet or wait until the status changes to PAID and print out bar code sheet? Can we just go back to the payment site to print out later or have to print out right away after payment?

You're able to print the bar code sheet whenever you want, right after paying, or later. You can always come back to this page (I still can, although my case is now complete).

However on the receipt itself (proof that you have paid), the payment status changes, reflecting the actual current status of your payment. I printed the receipts for our record after they changed to "paid".

[dantespal 7]

Well, this timeline is not particularly shorter than any of us here who got CCs! Except for the time you spent waiting for a case number, which was not as long as mine.

The bar code is available as soon as you pay the fee, however it is recommended to wait for it to change to PAID before you send the corresponding package just to avoid possible trouble: if your payment didn't clear (say, problem with your bank, mistake in your info...), your package could be rejected and you would just lose time waiting to get it back and sending it again. So I would not recommend doing this, especially just to save about 1 business day.

Same for what you did with the choice of agent: sending it before a case number is assigned is very likely to cause a rejection, and they're not going to accept it until they have assigned the case number anyway.

See, it took you 18 days from sending first DS3032 email to case complete, and it took me 19 days, although we waited a day to pay each fee and I sent my IV package from France.

You are right, what i missed in my timeline was that the case number was assigned on January 6, not the package received at the NVC. I don't know when the package was received at the NVC, i wasn't even checking for it. How would you know that? From an operator? I just kept calling, got the nothing here message until January 6, when they had the MNL case number.

I didn't send the 3032 email until 2 days after the case number was assigned. As for the sending without knowing about the payment, internet banking and electronic finance is pretty accurate. I think that the issues are the rare exception. I knew that there was no problem with funds available at my bank and I knew the turnaround on electronic payments. So, yeah, i could have waited a couple of extra days on the AOS and then IV payments, but it would have added about a week, i think. No point in wasting that mail time.

I've also found that everywhere in this process (my second time, and definitely the last) that if your i's are dotted and t's crossed, they won't send something back because the package arrived a day before your account went from 'processing' to 'paid' they'd just wait. Besides that, the packages arrived on the day the status changed, they didn't even open them till a couple of days later in both cases.

So, the two things i'm not sure about is 1. during that time that i was getting the 'we have no record' message, was the package actually there? and how would you know? and 2. Is that stage that i just asked about the part where everyone is pulling their hair and calling the NVC repeatedly? Coz once the case number is assigned it flies. I guess that i 'luckily' kind of forgot about it or just assumed that it took a month from leaving the CSC until a case number was assigned, which it did.

Which point was everyone having the conversations with rude NVC reps? I only felt the need to call them the one time when the system said that there was a problem, which ended up being a false error.

So, from looking more closely at your timeline, your NOA2 was a week earlier than mine, but i skipped the whole seeing when it arrived step and then we were pretty much the same from after the holiday break on. I'm usually not a patient person, so i'm not sure why i didn't even think of doing anything more than waiting for the Automated system to tell me that the case number was assigned. Do you know that the woman's voice on automated system is the same one from 2004? I must have 'talked' to her about 500 times between 2004 and this time. When i first called in december, i knew the voice instantly before she even got the first syllable all of the way out.

My first time was a CR and this time IR. But it looks like both times will end up at right about 9 months start to finish exactly. Too long, but not too bad considering some of the stories that i read here. If you spend enough time in the forums, it starts to become obvious why a lot of the applications take longer than they had to take. There are a lot of people that get screwed for no reason, but there are also plenty that get screwed because they can't follow simple directions, which pretty much mirrors regular life.

Edited January 27, 2012 by dantespal

[Laure&Colin 557]

You are right, what i missed in my timeline was that the case number was assigned on January 6, not the package received at the NVC. I don't know when the package was received at the NVC, i wasn't even checking for it. How would you know that? From an operator? I just kept calling, got the nothing here message until January 6, when they had the MNL case number.

I didn't send the 3032 email until 2 days after the case number was assigned. As for the sending without knowing about the payment, internet banking and electronic finance is pretty accurate. I think that the issues are the rare exception. I knew that there was no problem with funds available at my bank and I knew the turnaround on electronic payments. So, yeah, i could have waited a couple of extra days on the AOS and then IV payments, but it would have added about a week, i think. No point in wasting that mail time.

I've also found that everywhere in this process (my second time, and definitely the last) that if your i's are dotted and t's crossed, they won't send something back because the package arrived a day before your account went from 'processing' to 'paid' they'd just wait. Besides that, the packages arrived on the day the status changed, they didn't even open them till a couple of days later in both cases.

So, the two things i'm not sure about is 1. during that time that i was getting the 'we have no record' message, was the package actually there? and how would you know? and 2. Is that stage that i just asked about the part where everyone is pulling their hair and calling the NVC repeatedly? Coz once the case number is assigned it flies. I guess that i 'luckily' kind of forgot about it or just assumed that it took a month from leaving the CSC until a case number was assigned, which it did.

Which point was everyone having the conversations with rude NVC reps? I only felt the need to call them the one time when the system said that there was a problem, which ended up being a false error.

So, from looking more closely at your timeline, your NOA2 was a week earlier than mine, but i skipped the whole seeing when it arrived step and then we were pretty much the same from after the holiday break on. I'm usually not a patient person, so i'm not sure why i didn't even think of doing anything more than waiting for the Automated system to tell me that the case number was assigned. Do you know that the woman's voice on automated system is the same one from 2004? I must have 'talked' to her about 500 times between 2004 and this time. When i first called in december, i knew the voice instantly before she even got the first syllable all of the way out.

My first time was a CR and this time IR. But it looks like both times will end up at right about 9 months start to finish exactly. Too long, but not too bad considering some of the stories that i read here. If you spend enough time in the forums, it starts to become obvious why a lot of the applications take longer than they had to take. There are a lot of people that get screwed for no reason, but there are also plenty that get screwed because they can't follow simple directions, which pretty much mirrors regular life.

Yeah I learnt my package was received by calling the infamous operators

I barely ever "talked" to the AVR. I just prefered getting a human on the line - assuming they are really humans, which sometimes I was led to doubt...

The operators are a couple days ahead of the AVR. Just out of curiosity, I called the AVR 2 days after receiving my case number, and the horrible lady was still saying "We have no record of this case". The liar

Getting to know when the package was received wasn't really useful, except for helping the worry freak in me to relax, knowing it wasn't lost on the way!

I think you're right about a lot of people having difficulties following directions, which is why I don't think the "official" shortcuts should mention that you can send your packages before the payment clears: a lot of people would definitely get screwed, thinking they have the money but they don't, or whatever mistake they can make.

Besides, I have seen quite a few members's signature mentioning a "payment rejected", although I didn't ask them what happened.

The payments really clear within a business day. When you see 3 days in my timeline for the AOS fee, that's because we paid it on a Friday night. So I prefered to be on the safe side.

[alizon 77]

However on the receipt itself (proof that you have paid), the payment status changes, reflecting the actual current status of your payment. I printed the receipts for our record after they changed to "paid".

Oh, good to know. I emailed the receipts to myself right after paying, so I'll go back and resend them now that they're paid. Thanks!

[alizon 77]

While you're waiting for the interview, all you can really do is prepare for the medical and interview. Make sure your husband has all his vaccines and the flu shot. This will save money if he needs to get them done at the panel physician!

He's resisting getting the flu shot because he thinks the gov won't cover the cost and our interview will be in March at the earliest (somewhere it says the flu show is only needed Oct-Feb). Thoughts?

[Laure&Colin 557]

He's resisting getting the flu shot because he thinks the gov won't cover the cost and our interview will be in March at the earliest (somewhere it says the flu show is only needed Oct-Feb). Thoughts?

Thoughts: take his lazy butt to the doctor!

How much is the injection going to cost him? Is that so much that he would be in trouble financially? I highly doubt so.

Tell him that the French chick on the forum is afraid of needles, but she did it anyway, at her own cost, and she survived!

I barely did cause I had 3 shots the same day covering about 8 diseases and I got fever the next day, but don't tell him that part. Here in France the social security paid for my tetanos shot (associated with diphteria and other things), and for the rubella one, but not for the flu shot. It was under 20 US$ so I didn't think very long.

[alizon 77]

Haha, yeah, that's what I told him, that it would only cost $20 but "it's the principle! I don't want to pay for a stupid shot I don't need!" He's already having an adverse reaction to paying for medical care in preparation for being in the US.

Edited January 27, 2012 by alizon

[Laure&Colin 557]

Haha, yeah, that's what I told him, that it would only cost $20 but "it's the principle! I don't want to pay for a stupid shot I don't need!" He's already having an adverse reaction to paying for medical care in preparation for being in the US.

Well, principles... I think foreign spouses just have to sit on them for a while in order to comply with the visa requirements.

My principles would say that I should NOT disclose my medical history to a "doctor" who overcharges an examination just because I was instructed to by an administration.

My principles are totally against me handing out the private correspondance I exchange with my husband to a stranger.

My principles cry out loud when I have to write down every single piece of information about my life on a form.

And eventually, my principles would shout "go get lost", if not worse, to a CO's face for asking me to prove the reality of my love for my husband.

But well, what else am I gonna do if I don't ignore them for now? Tell hubby to come back to France?

Pragmatism is the only way to go...

[Saylin 1,605]

He's resisting getting the flu shot because he thinks the gov won't cover the cost and our interview will be in March at the earliest (somewhere it says the flu show is only needed Oct-Feb). Thoughts?

See, I thought like you where the flu season ended earlier than reality. I went in April and didn't think I needed the flu shot, but they told me flu season ended at the END of April! So he's definitely going to need it.

Since he knows this ahead of time, he can find a travel clinic or something where they give flu shots for FREE, instead of paying $20 at the medical. Just tell him to look around, he's bound to find a place that provides for free. Could be at his work, or at a nearby school or church or store or clinic.

[gad33 47]

He's resisting getting the flu shot because he thinks the gov won't cover the cost and our interview will be in March at the earliest (somewhere it says the flu show is only needed Oct-Feb). Thoughts?

Don't know where your husband is, but here they have the wonderful coloured signs saying where you get the shots.

[sweetapple 1]

You're able to print the bar code sheet whenever you want, right after paying, or later. You can always come back to this page (I still can, although my case is now complete).

However on the receipt itself (proof that you have paid), the payment status changes, reflecting the actual current status of your payment. I printed the receipts for our record after they changed to "paid".

Thanks. And can we make payment at weekend or we just can pay during business days?

[alizon 77]

See, I thought like you where the flu season ended earlier than reality. I went in April and didn't think I needed the flu shot, but they told me flu season ended at the END of April! So he's definitely going to need it.

Since he knows this ahead of time, he can find a travel clinic or something where they give flu shots for FREE, instead of paying $20 at the medical. Just tell him to look around, he's bound to find a place that provides for free. Could be at his work, or at a nearby school or church or store or clinic.

Thanks for the info!

Don't know where your husband is, but here they have the wonderful coloured signs saying where you get the shots.

Thanks, I'll let him know!

Thanks. And can we make payment at weekend or we just can pay during business days?

The system doesn't seem to update over the weekend, so if the check box is greyed out on Friday, it'll still be greyed out all weekend. If you're able to pay today, then you can put in your bank info during the weekend, but it won't begin processing until Monday. Regardless of whether you do it today, over the weekend, or next week, it'll still take a couple days to process anyway.

[ayomide1 5]

Does any January 2012 NVC case complete have any interview date yet?

[Saylin 1,605]

Does any January 2012 NVC case complete have any interview date yet?

As far as I know, no, not yet.