London 2012- K1s from NOA2 to interview thread

[anne2012 0]

Aww thank you, I called yesterday and booked my medical for 11 October, flights also booked for the day before just have to find a nearby hotel, got all my paperwork ready it been sitting for months as we were delayed with transfer to texas then a ridiculous RFE, I think from what I have read one of the forms have changed, and I have changed address but I am thinking I should inform them when the file hits London. I have my son included on the visa so have all his paperwork also.

[Vanitas 310]

Aww thank you, I called yesterday and booked my medical for 11 October, flights also booked for the day before just have to find a nearby hotel, got all my paperwork ready it been sitting for months as we were delayed with transfer to texas then a ridiculous RFE, I think from what I have read one of the forms have changed, and I have changed address but I am thinking I should inform them when the file hits London. I have my son included on the visa so have all his paperwork also.

The form you're thinking that's changed is DS-230 Part I. They now want the online form DS-260. To access it on the Department of State website, you need to have your LND case number and your NVC Invoice number from the NVC.

[anne2012 0]

oh no what is the invoice number from NVC would my fiancee in america have this?

[Vanitas 310]

oh no what is the invoice number from NVC would my fiancee in america have this?

To be honest, I'm not sure. It might be on the letter they'd get from the NVC saying the file had been shipped to London. But the best way to get it is to ring the NVC and ask for it.

[anne2012 0]

perfect I will do that, thank you so much you have been so much help.

Anne

[rhirhi 35]

perfect I will do that, thank you so much you have been so much help.

Anne

"When completing the DS-260, applicants who filed the petition in the UK should provide their case number (normally beginning with LND) and their date of birth (in the format YYYYMMDD) in place of the invoice number. You should submit ONLY the confirmation page."

http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

To be honest, I'm not sure. It might be on the letter they'd get from the NVC saying the file had been shipped to London. But the best way to get it is to ring the NVC and ask for it.

If you remember back a bit I said I had contacted the embassy using the contact form. Here's where we are with that:

Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 6:49 PM

To: London, InfoUnit

Subject: Visa Inquiries Form

radio: My inquiry concerns immigrant visas and is not covered by

information on your website

FULL_NAME: [my name]

BRIEF_details: How is a K1 visa applicant to access the new online

DS-260 when it asks for an Invoice ID number that is not supplied in the

letter from NVC, nor the instruction letter from the embassy in London.

That should be explained on the K1 instruction web page. Or your

instruction letter should be modified to include both the case number

and the invoice ID number since both are required to proceed with the

DS-260.

Email_address: [my email]

This email is UNCLASSIFIED.

===============

(embassy reply took 12 days)

September 24, 2013 10:28 AM

If the petition, form I-130, was filed with USCIS in the United States,

you should provide your case number (usually beginning with LND) in the

NVC Case Number field and case number and date of birth (in the format

YYYYMMDD) in place of the invoice number on the form DS-260. Once the

form has been completed and submitted, you will receive a confirmation

sheet. You are required to print the confirmation sheet and send it to

the Immigrant Visa Unit.

Sincerely,

Consular Information Unit

U.S. Embassy, London

CONS/CIU/LP

If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may reply

to this email. Please ensure that you include the entire email chain,

or your correspondence will be deleted.

===================

(my reply back)

September 24, 2013 11:52 AM

Thank you for the reply. I am asking about an I-129F petition, not an I -130. London has posted that fiancé visa K1 applicants must also use DS-260 after Sept 1. Will the date of birth (in the format YYYYMMDD) also work for an I-129F petition because there are no such details on the K1 instruction page http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html

Please confirm that K1 applicants also use the date of birth for invoice ID. (And maybe fix the website instructions)

[my full name]

============

No further response, but I think the birth date thing should work. Their sentence that says you must print the email confirmation generated by the DS-260 and mail it to the embassy is new information to me. Maybe the confirmation tells you that. ??

Edited September 27, 2013 by Nich-Nick

[Vanitas 310]

If you remember back a bit I said I had contacted the embassy using the contact form. Here's where we are with that:

Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 6:49 PM

To: London, InfoUnit

Subject: Visa Inquiries Form

radio: My inquiry concerns immigrant visas and is not covered by

information on your website

FULL_NAME: [my name]

BRIEF_details: How is a K1 visa applicant to access the new online

DS-260 when it asks for an Invoice ID number that is not supplied in the

letter from NVC, nor the instruction letter from the embassy in London.

That should be explained on the K1 instruction web page. Or your

instruction letter should be modified to include both the case number

and the invoice ID number since both are require to proceed with the

DS-260.

Email_address: [my email]

This email is UNCLASSIFIED.

===============

(embassy reply took 12 days)

September 24, 2013 10:28 AM

If the petition, form I-130, was filed with USCIS in the United States,

you should provide your case number (usually beginning with LND) in the

NVC Case Number field and case number and date of birth (in the format

YYYYMMDD) in place of the invoice number on the form DS-260. Once the

form has been completed and submitted, you will receive a confirmation

sheet. You are required to print the confirmation sheet and send it to

the Immigrant Visa Unit.

Sincerely,

Consular Information Unit

U.S. Embassy, London

CONS/CIU/LP

If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may reply

to this email. Please ensure that you include the entire email chain,

or your correspondence will be deleted.

===================

(my reply back)

September 24, 2013 11:52 AM

Thank you for the reply. I am asking about an I-129F petition, not an I -130. London has posted that fiancé visa K1 applicants must also use DS-260 after Sept 1. Will the date of birth (in the format YYYYMMDD) also work for an I-129F petition because there are no such details on the K1 instruction page http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html

Please confirm that K1 applicants also use the date of birth for invoice ID. (And maybe fix the website instructions)

[my full name]

============

No further response, but I think the birth date thing should work. Their sentence that says you must print the email confirmation generated by the DS-260 and mail it to the embassy is new information to me. Maybe the confirmation tells you that. ??

I was actually going to PM you and ask about this, Nich. You got to me first.

Alrighty, so we might be able to use the DOB method instead. Which would help. As for the Confirmation Page.. well, in my cover letter I've listed that as part of the contents because I was going to play it safe and add it along to all the other forms too. Looks like I might have been right to prepare for that.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I was actually going to PM you and ask about this, Nich. You got to me first.

Alrighty, so we might be able to use the DOB method instead. Which would help. As for the Confirmation Page.. well, in my cover letter I've listed that as part of the contents because I was going to play it safe and add it along to all the other forms too. Looks like I might have been right to prepare for that.

I was hoping for a reply before I posted what they said. I always suspected what the spouse visa page says would work for a K1.. the birthdate. And their reply makes me lean further toward that. Maybe they will confirm or better yet add instruction to the K1 page.

My email to the NVC was also answered....without an answer.

September 11, 2013 11:15 AM

To National Visa Center:

I assist immigrants as a volunteer and wish to clarify changes specific to K1 cases that will process at the US Embassy in London, which has recently adopted the DS-260 to replace the DS-230.

I know in the past, confirmation letters from NVC have been sent telling the K1 petitioner that the case has been forwarded to London. The letter included the new case number LNDxxxxxxxxxx. With the advent of the new (to London) online DS-260, a K1 can not proceed to the form without the case number PLUS the Invoice ID Number. Can you tell me where the visa applicant can obtain that number? Will the NVC begin to supply that number on their correspondence to the K1 petitioner? Do you expect every K1 petitioner or beneficiary to call the NVC to obtain the number?

I understand the invoicing by NVC as it pertains to I-130 petitioners, example IR1/CR1 spouse visas. But there are many K1 applicants who do not get invoiced by NVC and do not know how to get to the online form for lack of an Invoice ID Number issued by NVC. The same is true for I-130 spouse petitioners that file directly to the USCIS office in London (Direct Consular Filing). Those DCF cases bypass the NVC processing and invoicing, yet are also newly asked by London to use the online DS-260.

Can you please help?

[name and email]

==========

September 23, 2013 6:10 AM

Dear Sir/Madam:

Your inquiry has been received at the National Visa Center (NVC). Unfortunately, you failed to include your case number. Please resubmit your inquiry with the case number in the subject line.

The Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) is committed to the protection of personal information of visa applicants and their petitioners. To ensure the confidentiality of visa files and to prevent the unauthorized release of personal information, the NVC requires that the following information be provided with each inquiry:

Name of the person submitting the inquiry

NVC case number or USCIS receipt number

Petitioner's name and date of birth

Principal Applicant's name and date of birth

NOTE: If the visa petition is employment-based (I-140), include the employer's company/organization name instead of the petitioner's name and date of birth.

Unfortunately, your inquiry did not contain ALL of the above information. Please resubmit your inquiry with the above information so we may update our records accordingly and provide you with a specific response.

Sincerely,

Lee

National Visa Center

Written Inquiry Unit

Serco Inc.

Support Contractor

NVCInquiry@state.gov

========

September 23, 2013 6:10 AM

I do not have a current case so I can't supply you with the requested information. I am not asking for case specific confidential information. I am asking for general procedural information only.

I already stated that I assist K1 applicants free of charge with their paperwork. I only want information on a procedure, not a case.

Please help me understand how else I can get information without having a current case. My personal case went through USCIS and NVC in 2008. There is nothing I need to know about my case or the status of anybody's private case. Will you please read my inquiry again?

[my name]

============

So far no reply

[rhirhi 35]

So the information on http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html is for spousal visas only? This is what I'm seeing:

I'm hoping that this will all be sorted out by the time my turn comes around. How selfish of me right?

[Vanitas 310]

Thing is, if you read closely that says "Filed in the UK". Unless someone is going down the DCF route that therefore shouldn't apply to us and we'd have to get the invoice number from the NVC. But the evidence Nich has from the Embassy suggests otherwise, clearly stating for I-130's filed in the States that you should use your DOB. By extension at this point that should also apply to I-129F petitions as well.

Either way, I'm hoping you get a second reply soon Nich, either from the NVC or from the Embassy themselves. Though it might be a while if the shutdown comes to pass.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

So the information on http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html is for spousal visas only? This is what I'm seeing:

I'm hoping that this will all be sorted out by the time my turn comes around. How selfish of me right?

That has been added to the K1 page. This was the page I meant had the info http://london.usembassy.gov/ds2001.html but when I wrote the embassy that information was not on the K1 page.

They first had

"From September 1, 2013 the DS-230 Part 1 is replaced by the form DS-260. "

Nothing more. No info where to find the new form. It was around Sept 9 they added a link. Then they gave up the clue that it was when your letter was received that decides which form.

They updated the spouse page, immigrant visaa page, with the Invoice ID being birth date. It looks like now they did a copy paste from that page because K1 info used to say DS-230, part 1. Now it says part 1&2. K1s never did part 2.

Maybe they heard from enough people like me asking them to put some better information on the K1 instruction page. It is the end of the month and they are finally better explaining what went into effect on the first day of the month.

[rhirhi 35]

That has been added to the K1 page. This was the page I meant had the info http://london.usembassy.gov/ds2001.html but when I wrote the embassy that information was not on the K1 page.

They first had

"From September 1, 2013 the DS-230 Part 1 is replaced by the form DS-260. "

Nothing more. No info where to find the new form. It was around Sept 9 they added a link. Then they gave up the clue that it was when your letter was received that decides which form.

They updated the spouse page, immigrant visaa page, with the Invoice ID being birth date. It looks like now they did a copy paste from that page because K1 info used to say DS-230, part 1. Now it says part 1&2. K1s never did part 2.

Maybe they heard from enough people like me asking them to put some better information on the K1 instruction page. It is the end of the month and they are finally better explaining what went into effect on the first day of the month.

Ahh I see. That's the link and quote I gave to anne2012 in my earlier post, didn't realise it had only recently been changed so nobody knew what I was talking about! If I was able to I would absolutely test out the DOB theory. I always feel a bit sorry for those who don't know about sites like this, I wouldn't like to try and navigate the system as it is without reading the experiences of others.

[VisaParaUnSueno 9]

He got the appt letter OCT 18th! Please pray for us and all goes well. I still have to send him one more document I should express this but when we express this to london like overnight what time frame are we looking at getting there anyone knows. Like 3 days ? Now I know he has to pay for the Visa now...? Before the interview I need to look for the link I know some people were having trouble paying this online. :/

[Anna Grant 169]

He got the appt letter OCT 18th! Please pray for us and all goes well. I still have to send him one more document I should express this but when we express this to london like overnight what time frame are we looking at getting there anyone knows. Like 3 days ? Now I know he has to pay for the Visa now...? Before the interview I need to look for the link I know some people were having trouble paying this online. :/

I can't help but point out that when he sent in the DS-2001 form, that was suppose to indicate that he had ALL the documentation he needed for the interview!

However, I have mailed stuff to the UK two ways.

USPS

Priority Mail Express International - 3 to 5 days. They may say that it is not guaranteed but if you go through here:

http://ircalc.usps.com/?country=10150

You can check the guaranteed delivery date and then remind the USPS staff that if they out in the from zip code and to post code, it will come up with a date. I mailed by 5:30 on a Friday and it got there on Tuesday.

Costs $44.95 if you use one of their envelopes.

UPS

Around $65. Mailed at 3:30pm on a Thursday. Got there at 9am on the Monday.

Edited September 28, 2013 by Anna Grant