NOA envy

[teach_says 4]

OP I feel your pain lol I am getting a little more than obsessed with VJ and reading topic after topic about things relevant to my case (about 30%) and things not relevant (70%)

I read the horror stories and the happy ending stories. This place is a soap opera sometimes honestly! I had a silly flip out moment while checking the uscis website using the wrong petition type and almost had an aneurysm. I was checking under LPR filers instead of the USC filers (which I am). Anyways, I think the key is stay busy and immerse yourself in other activities- VJ drama j.k, whatever hobbies you have. I like reading so I'm about to start on War and Peace. I also like baking and decorating cakes so I'm going to design a cake for my hubby for when he comes here and surprise him with it. Plan things for yourself as if you don't have this crazy process to worry about. That's all I can offer as far as advice. Now if I can just follow my advice I might be in good shape! hee hee

Regarding the NOA1, they advised me to wait until 10 days since it was delivered to them. If it's over 10 days then call them and see if they can transfer you to an officer who can give you your receipt# so you can track it on uscis.gov.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks for this... I am still working full time, so that I guess helps but my mind is still focused on the process. I am dreading the summer hols.

Will definitely let my husband know that he doesn't need to call for until next week Friday as that would be 10 days.

[Vanessa&Dago 12]

LOL well welcome to the crazy nut house. But i like to call it welcome aboard the Visa Journey Love boat. You will have plenty of time to lose your mind and you will.

You will see someone who filed after you get approve. Someone get approve in a week, 2 weeks. And you will be like "I am so happy for them I want to slap them also". LOL its normal and no one but us understands.

What she said :thumbs:

[PleaseDeleteAcct 7]

I was pretty obsessed with watching the timelines and NOA2's rolling in also. I even worked out that if I changed the last few digits of the case# I could check on the USCIS website each day who had action..lol. I even made a chart! It wasn't exact but I was able to figure out what week they were up to for CR1's. It was obvious when someone was expedited because maybe 1 out of 40 would be adjudicated months before the other case#'s near by. I think time of year filed plays a part...when we filed last Feb. NOA2's at VSC were being cranked out fast, like 4-5 months tops (except for more complex cases I guess). They seem to have slowed down a bit. I found this old thread an interesting read..it's a Q&A with a former USCIS adjudicator:

http://www.visajourney.com/content/adjudicator-q-and-a

Yea it's a bit depressing how much VSC have slowed down.. they were averaging 3 months for a while. I am the USC and my husband is from the UK. We have a Jan 12 priority date and I've been told a lot of different dates that they are working on each time I've called. When I called on May 1st, I was told that they were processing Jan 16, 2012 cases but thats not true at all. I had a service request submitted because our case was "outside processing time" based on them working on Jan 16th, I recieved an e-mail 7 days later from VSC saying that they were "sorry for the misinformation" and that they are actually working on November 2011!!

It's beyond frustrating to be told you are so close when you relaly aren't.

I hope the rest of you have better luck than us!

[momof1 205]

people are actually "ranting" a week after filing? You've got to find some patience somewhere...you haven't seen anything yet.

[Holly2234 66]

We both filed on the same day and my NOA1 came today via email so shouldnt be long! Though i am doing a DCF so that is probably what makes it different. I hope you get it soon!

[teach_says 4]

people are actually "ranting" a week after filing? You've got to find some patience somewhere...you haven't seen anything yet.

It's not about the length of time, it's about the inconsistency. NOA1 is just a we've received it and out it on the system... It's not related to your individual circumstances... Therefore there shouldn't be much difference in the time, but there is.

I am aware that I would have to wait for the NOA2, I'm not gonna lie though, I am looking into ways of speeding it up thanks to my mother in-law... Patience really isn't a virtue I was born with. Plus UK immigration is a lot more consistent which is another frustrating factor for me as I went through that with ease with my USC husband.

We both filed on the same day and my NOA1 came today via email so shouldnt be long! Though i am doing a DCF so that is probably what makes it different. I hope you get it soon!

Thank you

[Almost done 0]

I am becoming obsessed with timelines, EVERY day I get up and log on and check every timeline related to the I-130... I have found Igor's list as well...

lolllllllllllllll your post is so funny. try to relax and be prayerful, it will get to your turn quick.

When you think you are stuck - get help from your senator, they also helped mii to verify what's going on.

When it gets close to 5 months after submitting I-130 and you don't have the NOA2 OR a USCIS rep. tells you its still in process, make sure you escalate - they will open a service request on your behalf, i tell you it works wonders.

i requested a service tkt on the 13th April and got approved 14th April exactly 5months. B4 then i was told my case file hadn't been touched or looked at, that it was pending. i was so surprised i got approved just a day after i opened a service tkt - it was all tears of joy after that. lol

also the NVC Stage these days takes forever - well i thought it did take forever just to get my NVC Case #. it took a month to be exact. after that it was so fast, I paid both fees online (make sure you request to pay online) its the best way to move quickly - it showed paid next day and i mailed package same day - now I am waiting for them to open my packages bcos it was delivered toady.

Goodluck.

[nica 5]

My honest advice is for you to just forget about the whole thing for a while. My husband has his interview in London on Monday, but it's been 10 months since we started this process, and so far we have had NO delays of any kind (no RFEs, nothing lost in the mail, etc). I hope yours goes faster, but you're going to drive yourself insane if you're already freaking out pre-NOA1. You'll get the NOA1 soon, but I would assume there's nothing you need to do for at least 4-5 months.

It's a matter of adjusting your expectations... other than trying to get my documents together for the NVC stage, I tried not to think about it for the first few months! Best of luck to you!

[teach_says 4]

My honest advice is for you to just forget about the whole thing for a while. My husband has his interview in London on Monday, but it's been 10 months since we started this process, and so far we have had NO delays of any kind (no RFEs, nothing lost in the mail, etc). I hope yours goes faster, but you're going to drive yourself insane if you're already freaking out pre-NOA1. You'll get the NOA1 soon, but I would assume there's nothing you need to do for at least 4-5 months.

It's a matter of adjusting your expectations... other than trying to get my documents together for the NVC stage, I tried not to think about it for the first few months! Best of luck to you!

Best of luck to your husband at interview on Monday. Hope its a smooth as possible

I've already got all of the documents ready other than the police certificate and the medical. I was going to wait till July/ August to apply for the police certificate, it should be processed quickly as I have had a few enhanced CRB checks due to my job.

I think you're right though... I might need to ban myself from VJ for a while if I can't adjust my expectations and control my anxiousness.

[dwheels76 5,468]

Best of luck to your husband at interview on Monday. Hope its a smooth as possible

I've already got all of the documents ready other than the police certificate and the medical. I was going to wait till July/ August to apply for the police certificate, it should be processed quickly as I have had a few enhanced CRB checks due to my job.

I think you're right though... I might need to ban myself from VJ for a while if I can't adjust my expectations and control my anxiousness.

The best thing to do is while you are on VJ (yes its addicting) read and participate what was foreign to you once upon a time now you can help others.

Even if that's just a "sorry u r going through this" to a "congratulations". Cuz frankly registering your case on the uscis.gov website just makes you nuts its like playin a stare down contest and they ain't movin. Like I said before you will look at Igor's list and see people who filed when you did maybe get approved weeks, months in advance. Nothing special they did just favour and being blessed. Not that we all aren't just not our time yet.

You are going to get auto emails for people who filed around the same time as you and updated their timeline. You may be waiting for NOA2 and others around you are already at interview or have Visa's.

So just hold on and meet some cool peeps and laugh, cry and celebrate on this Visa Journey Love Boat.

[nica 5]

Cuz frankly registering your case on the uscis.gov website just makes you nuts its like playin a stare down contest and they ain't movin.

No kidding... our case on USCIS STILL says "Initial Review".

[Vanessa&Dago 12]

The best thing to do is while you are on VJ (yes its addicting) read and participate what was foreign to you once upon a time now you can help others.

Even if that's just a "sorry u r going through this" to a "congratulations". Cuz frankly registering your case on the uscis.gov website just makes you nuts its like playin a stare down contest and they ain't movin. Like I said before you will look at Igor's list and see people who filed when you did maybe get approved weeks, months in advance. Nothing special they did just favour and being blessed. Not that we all aren't just not our time yet.

You are going to get auto emails for people who filed around the same time as you and updated their timeline. You may be waiting for NOA2 and others around you are already at interview or have Visa's.

So just hold on and meet some cool peeps and laugh, cry and celebrate on this Visa Journey Love Boat.

Very well said!; Great avice for us all.