stuck at initial review! please anyone help?

[lunaboriken 2]

Hi all!

Our petition was received on the 25th of July 2012 and has been stuck on initial review ever since... We have a lawyer representing us and she has only just noticed this... I have been keeping an eye on the USCIS website and have noticed that it has always been on initial review. But due to the fact I'm not a lawyer and am not completely understanding of the whole process I just assumed the initial review was considered to be part of the NVC stage as well. This is why I hired a lawyer because I do not know everything. So I guess I'm just wondering has anyone had any experience with excessive wait times whilst waiting for NOA1 or has any idea why this could be taking so long? Is it lost, did we get an RFE?! No one (us or our lawyer) has heard anything back from them. So confused and frustrated at this point, I really do not understand.

If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Matt

If it's outside of processing time, call and do a Request of Service. It might or not help. In my case, I submitted AOS + I-130 on December 13th, 2011, got bio-metrics in January '12 and we stayed on Initial Review until November '12. You can talk to your lawyer, contact the Congressman... but if they want to take their time, they will and they will make it clear.

Our documents got transferred to California Center and Misouri. The whole time it stayed in initial review until end of November 2012 where we got the Interview notice... on the interview we were told we would get RFE by the officer.. and instead got approval... so... it's just depends on every case, man.

I was this close to submitt my docs with lawyers but since my husband didnt have any criminal records, our only "fault" was that he over stayed with F1 Visa expired we decided to submitted ourselves. we saves 3K man. So, think about it. This site is very good. You must take your time and read.

This a waiting game and when I say "waiting game" I mean for real intense waiting game. So patience man and Good luck!

Edited December 19, 2012 by lunaboriken

[Kelli/Ozzy 8]

this is totally normal, my entire journey took from 2/6/11 initial filing til 11/22/11 visa received.

NOA2 - 7/26/11

NVC recvd 8/2/11

NVC sent to consulate 8/7/11

Consulate recvd 9/17/11

Interview 11/7/11

Visa in hand 11/22/11

Good Luck !!

[mik2012 17]

Ours took 8 months and thank god no RFE's now we are just waiting the interview Jan 28th. Some process quicker than others......

[islandgal 74]

If it's any consolation, mine took a little over 7 months before receiving NOA2.

[Maeri 1]

Hi all!

Our petition was received on the 25th of July 2012 and has been stuck on initial review ever since... We have a lawyer representing us and she has only just noticed this... I have been keeping an eye on the USCIS website and have noticed that it has always been on initial review. But due to the fact I'm not a lawyer and am not completely understanding of the whole process I just assumed the initial review was considered to be part of the NVC stage as well. This is why I hired a lawyer because I do not know everything. So I guess I'm just wondering has anyone had any experience with excessive wait times whilst waiting for NOA1 or has any idea why this could be taking so long? Is it lost, did we get an RFE?! No one (us or our lawyer) has heard anything back from them. So confused and frustrated at this point, I really do not understand.

If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Matt

My case too as been on INITIAL REVIEW since day one. i really feel your pain cos am going through the same thing too! my lawyer cant do nothing and is frustrating! have been calling their customer service numerous time. i already schedule an infopass with them for Friday.

[mjqjazzbar 2]

Well, it hasn't been 7 months since July so you must be living in the future.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hi all!

Our petition was received on the 25th of July 2012 and has been stuck on initial review ever since... We have a lawyer representing us and she has only just noticed this... I have been keeping an eye on the USCIS website and have noticed that it has always been on initial review. But due to the fact I'm not a lawyer and am not completely understanding of the whole process I just assumed the initial review was considered to be part of the NVC stage as well. This is why I hired a lawyer because I do not know everything. So I guess I'm just wondering has anyone had any experience with excessive wait times whilst waiting for NOA1 or has any idea why this could be taking so long? Is it lost, did we get an RFE?! No one (us or our lawyer) has heard anything back from them. So confused and frustrated at this point, I really do not understand.

If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Matt

I am going to give you the best advice you ever received here.

Stop checking that thing.

My wife is now a citizen and our I-129f still says "initial review"

Work on preparing her new home and life. Stop wasting time on a system that is quite unreliable. If you do not do that and simply must keep checking, then wrap your head in duct tape so when it explodes you save all the pieces.

[cocoadiva 2]

Well just to let you know our petition just hit five months today and it is also at CSC. No NOA2 yet. But waiting patiently.

[Darnell 8,478]

Welcome to VJ !

Please study the K-1 flowchart, nowish.

[Brad_Lien 0]

Hi all!

Our petition was received on the 25th of July 2012 and has been stuck on initial review ever since... We have a lawyer representing us and she has only just noticed this... I have been keeping an eye on the USCIS website and have noticed that it has always been on initial review. But due to the fact I'm not a lawyer and am not completely understanding of the whole process I just assumed the initial review was considered to be part of the NVC stage as well. This is why I hired a lawyer because I do not know everything. So I guess I'm just wondering has anyone had any experience with excessive wait times whilst waiting for NOA1 or has any idea why this could be taking so long? Is it lost, did we get an RFE?! No one (us or our lawyer) has heard anything back from them. So confused and frustrated at this point, I really do not understand.

If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Matt

Im july 6 filer and we are still waiting for noa2.. what service center are you? we are in vermont

[love4life09 15]

Sorry I should have clarified, it was definitely a K1 we filed for. It shouldn't stay on 'initial review' for 7 months should it? Shouldn't we have got NOA1 after a couple of months and then NOA2 when the NVC was finished with it? I'm soooooo confused at this point. I'm glad I'm not the only one dealing with the frustration of seemingly flushing my money down the drain with lawyers. Actually I'm not glad, I wouldn't wish this on anyone. It's sooooo disheartening. Thank you for your reply and welcoming!

matt

Once you have recieved your NOA2 you should wait a few days, maybe 10 to 14, and THEN call the NVC and ask for your

case number and the sent date that it was forwarded to the embassy. (I've heard SOME bypass NVC and are sent directly to the embassy) You will need that info when sceduling your interview.

If you wait for an appointment letter from NVC or a packet from the Embassy, you could waste months. We recieved our appointment letter/packet AFTER visa was already issued and in hand . Lawyers are a huge waste of money.

[-=Mai and Timmy=- 12]

Hi all!

Our petition was received on the 25th of July 2012 and has been stuck on initial review ever since... We have a lawyer representing us and she has only just noticed this... I have been keeping an eye on the USCIS website and have noticed that it has always been on initial review. But due to the fact I'm not a lawyer and am not completely understanding of the whole process I just assumed the initial review was considered to be part of the NVC stage as well. This is why I hired a lawyer because I do not know everything. So I guess I'm just wondering has anyone had any experience with excessive wait times whilst waiting for NOA1 or has any idea why this could be taking so long? Is it lost, did we get an RFE?! No one (us or our lawyer) has heard anything back from them. So confused and frustrated at this point, I really do not understand.

If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Matt

we are july filers too under csc and we dont have noa2 yet.. hope soon

[D & Luv 0]

Hi Matt,

I've just been through the process @ Sydney Consulate (passport in the mail, with the visa-yay!).

Just some suggestions for you as you wait - there are a few things that you can get started on (if you haven't already) to ensure that you're ready to respond to packet 3 as soon as you get it.

If you asked for email notification, your petitioner should get an email saying that you've been approved in CSC - that's your NOA2 - the hardcopy will come in the mail later. It will be sent to NVC and you will get your packet 3 (mine was sent to my fiance as an email).

There are a number of forms that you need to send back as well as:

1. Australian national Police Check (in NSW, register online, got to your LOCAL police station to get fingerprinted, bring your own A4 envelop + stamp, ID and $175 - you should get it in the mail in about 3 wks)

2. Any overseas police checks + translation if necessary - this may take some time (I got mine done by a NAATI translator - google to get names/numbers and call around - my first quote was $75, i ended up paying $25)

3. Birth certificate - I didn't want to send in my original so I applied for a few original certified copies - this takes time.

4. Medical Exam - call and book an appointment - they only do it in the a.m. i booked months in advance; you can always move the appointment backwards if necessary. Be aware that if you want to avoid doing the medical for the AOS after you get married, you need to apply for the AOS within a year of this medical that you do in Sydney. It's also worthwhile checking the full list of vaccines required and getting the shots before you go so its covered under Medicare instead of needing to pay for it there.

5. Affadavit of Support - get your fiancee to get together payslips/tax returns/cosponsors as necessary and the I-134 and send it to you.

we weren't in a huge rush to get the interview (wedding in march 2013) so we were relaxed about some of these details. potentially, you can have it all ready to send back as soon as you receive your packet 3.

Good luck.

[Mufmer 24]

I GUESS U HAVE GOT UR ANSWER, BUT MY REQUEST TO U IS TO FILL OUT UR TIMELINE.

THANKS.

[Missy Crissy 5]

Question for K1's: Did anyone saw that their alien # was changed when their status moved to initial review? ty