NVC Filers - March 2012

[MCMLXXXII 29]

OK so I was bored and wanted to make some graphs. I have been looking at Saylin's spreadsheet and I wanted to utilize the data there and try to extract some meaning of current trends. I am still analyzing that but here is the current trend chart of how many days it takes till case complete.

[Rujby 23]

Please check out the cover letter we're sending with our DS 230 for Spain. Please let me know if we're missing something...

• Bar coded cover letter

• Two passport photographs of beneficiary (NVC Case Number, beneficiary’s full name and date of birth are written on back of both)

• DS-230 Part I completed and signed by beneficiary

• DS-230 Part II completed by beneficiary – unsigned per instructions

• Copy of biographic data page(s) of beneficiary’s passport

• Literal birth certificate “certificado de nacimiento literal” of beneficiary issued by MINISTRY OF JUSTICE (with enclosed photocopy)

• Original marriage certificate (with enclosed photocopy)

• Original police certificate “certificado de antecedentes penales” of beneficiary issued by MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, with HAGUE CONVENTION APOSTILLE (with enclosed photocopy)

Thanks everyone!

It seems perfect to me, wait for the Senior's opinions. By the way, was your AOS accepted?

[sheeshkabelle 153]

OK so I was bored and wanted to make some graphs. I have been looking at Saylin's spreadsheet and I wanted to utilize the data there and try to extract some meaning of current trends. I am still analyzing that but here is the current trend chart of how many days it takes till case complete.

It seems NVC speeds up and slows down with USCIS. Which would make sense. USCIS get's behind starts shoveling cases out the door, a large amount show up at NVC at the same time.

Like USCIS there's no rhyme or reason to who gets document packages, emails, case numbers or invoices.

They don't go by priority date, or I'd been out of NVC quick fast and in a hurry.

They apparently do not go by receive date or the day a case number is assigned. People with Case numbers same as mine are getting invoiced and sending off their IV package already.

Nor does it go by countries with EP or with out EP... very strange.

Alphabetical order of petitioner or beneficiary last name maybe? That's one variable we can not see.

[Alia&Jerald 5]

Is it me or there have been barely any interview dates given lately... I am starting to believe a tad bit their 2nd week of April script...

[Sugarz.K.R 9]

Question/ situation.

1st of my NOA2 (for my husband) is 03/21/12.

SITUATION:

my son (usc) and i (usc) are going on a trip in May, i (USC) submitted his (USC) passport application. I (USC) got a letter in the mail yesterday that they need my original Marriage certificate. I(usc) called and explain my situation that i will need my marriage certificate back as soon as possible, she advised me to write a letter stating that and attatch with the request from the US department of state.

QUESTION:

How long does it take from the time you get your NOA2 to submitting the IV packet? Take in mind that i have everything and all payments prepared except now i dont have my marriage certificate.

[Alaska2012 462]

When are the packages expected to arrive at NVC? Start calling them the day after they arrive. And then call them everyday afterwards. And the operator will only know it's received once the review on the package has started.

Once both packages have been reviewed and accepted, then your case will be complete. And then yes, keep calling everyday for an interview date.

And I used Google Voice when calling NVC. Didn't pay one cent

You got my hopes up for a neat and nice phonebill there, but Google Voice doesn't work from sweden for some retarded reason! Oh well you only go through the NVC stage once

[sheeshkabelle 153]

Question/ situation.

1st of my NOA2 (for my husband) is 03/21/12.

SITUATION:

my son (usc) and i (usc) are going on a trip in May, i (USC) submitted his (USC) passport application. I (USC) got a letter in the mail yesterday that they need my original Marriage certificate. I(usc) called and explain my situation that i will need my marriage certificate back as soon as possible, she advised me to write a letter stating that and attatch with the request from the US department of state.

QUESTION:

How long does it take from the time you get your NOA2 to submitting the IV packet? Take in mind that i have everything and all payments prepared except now i dont have my marriage certificate.

I know the passport application is really quick. I had to send my birth certificate and marriage certificate in last fall for a new passport for a name change and I got the passport back in 8 days and my certificates back in 10 days. It probably would have been the next day, but that next day happened to be a weekend. I did not expedite my application. I paid for regular service.

From NOA2 to case number is about 20 days, some longer, some not. From case number to case complete is about 22-30 days. Again some longer, some shorter. There's a lot of variables in there. How fast NVC invoices the case, how fast paperwork is sent to them etc.

[Sugarz.K.R 9]

I know the passport application is really quick. I had to send my birth certificate and marriage certificate in last fall for a new passport for a name change and I got the passport back in 8 days and my certificates back in 10 days. It probably would have been the next day, but that next day happened to be a weekend. I did not expedite my application. I paid for regular service.

From NOA2 to case number is about 20 days, some longer, some not. From case number to case complete is about 22-30 days. Again some longer, some shorter. There's a lot of variables in there. How fast NVC invoices the case, how fast paperwork is sent to them etc.

thank you so very much for you quick response, with the request I attached a letter and asked them to get it back to me in at least two weeks and i even sent a self postage envelope. When i applied for mine right after i got citerzenship it took me 6 weeks to get it and my naturilization certificate.

I think Id be fine then.

thanx bunches

[MCMLXXXII 29]

thank you so very much for you quick response, with the request I attached a letter and asked them to get it back to me in at least two weeks and i even sent a self postage envelope. When i applied for mine right after i got citerzenship it took me 6 weeks to get it and my naturilization certificate.

I think Id be fine then.

thanx bunches

Just in case, I would get a copy made of your marriage certificate and get it notarized before you send it off.

Also it might vary from place to place but some places issue multiple marriage certificates. In Ontario Canada, I had requested 3 marriage certificates and 3 certified copy of the long forms so that I could keep one, my wife could keep one and we could send the originals off with our package if needed. Find out if that is a possibility for you. It might be easier to order a new marriage certificate while you wait.

[sheeshkabelle 153]

Just in case, I would get a copy made of your marriage certificate and get it notarized before you send it off.

Also it might vary from place to place but some places issue multiple marriage certificates. In Ontario Canada, I had requested 3 marriage certificates and 3 certified copy of the long forms so that I could keep one, my wife could keep one and we could send the originals off with our package if needed. Find out if that is a possibility for you. It might be easier to order a new marriage certificate while you wait.

Agreed. If it is not difficult for you to do, it would be an excellent idea.

We did the same thing. two certificates of everything, one here, one in Canada.

[Saylin 1,605]

Hi, my CR1 petition got approved on march 13, 2012. NVC received the petition on the 19th. I'm calling everyday to ask for the case number but the operator keeps on telling me that my petition is still in their mail room. Just want to ask if someone is experiencing the same thing, cause it's been a week since they received it and i'm getting worried. Thanks.

No need to worry at all! It's taking about 20 days from NOA2 to case number assigned, so you'll either get it this week or next. Just keep calling once a day!

Check out the spreadsheet in my signature, you can see where you are compared to others who are also waiting on a case number.

Please check out the cover letter we're sending with our DS 230 for Spain. Please let me know if we're missing something...

• Bar coded cover letter

• Two passport photographs of beneficiary (NVC Case Number, beneficiary's full name and date of birth are written on back of both)

• DS-230 Part I completed and signed by beneficiary

• DS-230 Part II completed by beneficiary – unsigned per instructions

• Copy of biographic data page(s) of beneficiary's passport

• Literal birth certificate "certificado de nacimiento literal" of beneficiary issued by MINISTRY OF JUSTICE (with enclosed photocopy)

• Original marriage certificate (with enclosed photocopy)

• Original police certificate "certificado de antecedentes penales" of beneficiary issued by MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, with HAGUE CONVENTION APOSTILLE (with enclosed photocopy)

Thanks everyone!

Looks good!

OK so I was bored and wanted to make some graphs. I have been looking at Saylin's spreadsheet and I wanted to utilize the data there and try to extract some meaning of current trends. I am still analyzing that but here is the current trend chart of how many days it takes till case complete.

Finally, I can see my hard work in a visual graph!

It seems NVC speeds up and slows down with USCIS. Which would make sense. USCIS get's behind starts shoveling cases out the door, a large amount show up at NVC at the same time.

Like USCIS there's no rhyme or reason to who gets document packages, emails, case numbers or invoices.

They don't go by priority date, or I'd been out of NVC quick fast and in a hurry.

They apparently do not go by receive date or the day a case number is assigned. People with Case numbers same as mine are getting invoiced and sending off their IV package already.

Nor does it go by countries with EP or with out EP... very strange.

Alphabetical order of petitioner or beneficiary last name maybe? That's one variable we can not see.

You have to keep something very important in mind: some people at NVC are slow. They either don't have all the packages ready and need the time to get documents, or they're purposefully going slow to get a certain interview date or something. Also, they might not have the money to pay the fees at that time. This is all VERY IMPORTANT. All those outliers you see on the graph are no fault of NVC's, it's the petitioner/beneficiary purposefully going slow!

Over the months, I've noticed the following patterns for time frames:

NOA2 to case number: 1 week to 4 weeks

Case number to AOS invoiced: 1 day to 1-2 weeks

DS-3032 acceptance: 1 day to 1-2 weeks

Bills to change to PAID after paying them: 1-3 days

IV invoiced after DS-3032 acceptance: 1 day to 1-2 weeks

Review of packages after received: few days to 3 weeks

Paying bills and sending out packages is what comprises the MAJOR part of the time in NVC. If you only send out a package a month after you're able to, well, that of course increases the time in NVC, no fault to NVC though.

Question/ situation.

1st of my NOA2 (for my husband) is 03/21/12.

SITUATION:

my son (usc) and i (usc) are going on a trip in May, i (USC) submitted his (USC) passport application. I (USC) got a letter in the mail yesterday that they need my original Marriage certificate. I(usc) called and explain my situation that i will need my marriage certificate back as soon as possible, she advised me to write a letter stating that and attatch with the request from the US department of state.

QUESTION:

How long does it take from the time you get your NOA2 to submitting the IV packet? Take in mind that i have everything and all payments prepared except now i dont have my marriage certificate.

Well, it's currently taking around 3 weeks to get a case number. It then takes another week or two for the IV bill to be invoiced (after you immediately send the DS-3032), then another day or so for the bill to appear as PAID (if you pay immediately). So, you're looking at another month before you can send out the IV package. You should be fine

You got my hopes up for a neat and nice phonebill there, but Google Voice doesn't work from sweden for some retarded reason! Oh well you only go through the NVC stage once

Hmm, that's weird... Google Voice should work there...

Edited March 27, 2012 by Saylin

[Sugarz.K.R 9]

Perfect on a way. At least this will make me less anxious now

[Divs 35]

Thanks Divs Looks like it really is possible to get through NVC quickly if you've got everything ready AND go by Saylin's guidelines! And the 15 days included all paperwork being sent from England, since Emily has been here. She's on her way back to Chicago now though, so the last leg of the process will be lonely again Oh well, time to stay optimistic

Oh trust me, Saylin's guidelines really helped us sail thru' NVC!

[MCMLXXXII 29]

Quick question, what did you guys use to create the PDFs? If using Adobe Acrobat, is there a free version out there? Is there some alternate software?

[Sugarz.K.R 9]

We have 2 copies my husband just had to submit his for business in Trinidad so I have my copy with I just sent off. If he gets his back before I get mine I will ask him to Fed ex it too me. But from what u guys are saying I think the department of state will get it back to me in time.