National Benefits Center Became As Slow As turtle

[slvrfx576 15]

This is a subject that I would like to see addressed here. What is this process ? We send our petitions to Chicago Lockbox. Then we get an NOA1 from Lee's Summit, Mo ? Why didn't we just send to Missouri to begin with ?

Then, as HOLLYDAY points out, it may be sent to a field office ? How would we know that ?

Then what ? Back to Missouri ? to the NVC ?

My NOA2 was from Missouri....said that my petition was approved and WAS sent to NVC....but 1 month later it was found sitting in the Chicago field office. Was it actually in Chicago all the time ?

[NikLR 13,227]

This is a subject that I would like to see addressed here. What is this process ? We send our petitions to Chicago Lockbox. Then we get an NOA1 from Lee's Summit, Mo ? Why didn't we just send to Missouri to begin with ?

Then, as HOLLYDAY points out, it may be sent to a field office ? How would we know that ?

Then what ? Back to Missouri ? to the NVC ?

My NOA2 was from Missouri....said that my petition was approved and WAS sent to NVC....but 1 month later it was found sitting in the Chicago field office. Was it actually in Chicago all the time ?

You send it to the lockbox. The lockbox cashes your check and makes sure all the basic paperwork is there (sometimes.) Then they forward it to the appropriate service center. It used to go to either california service center or vermont. Now it always goes to the NBC. Sometimes it goes to the one in Missouri, and sometimes it goes to the one in Kansas. That is the new NBC location they are opening specifically to deal with just stand alone I-130s.

USCIS gives news bulletins and alerts for people going through the process to let people know what is going on.

LIke this:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=405247ce85e50410VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

or

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=39e8aa1381b10410VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

or

this one that says about the transfer to local offices:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=c3c7ca7c5fed9310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

It's important to look for these sorts of things and pay attention to them. People on the board try do this and post it in the Immigration News section when they can, but not everything makes it. Part of doing this process yourself is keeping updated and informed. Not just on the process, but also on the news and alerts from the USCIS or NVC. Even just paying attention to when embassies might be closed due to moving or terrorist threats is a good idea.

I know it's confusing, and most of us who have been here a while try to make everything easy to understand for newcomers. But sometimes we forget that while we're now "used to" whatever the process is, it's brand spankin' new for someone else.

Edited August 23, 2013 by NLR

[slvrfx576 15]

Thank you NLR for your explanation. Thank goodness I am through with the USCIS stage but I am trying to understand why my petition was found (by inquiry from my US Senator's office) at the Chicago field office 30 days after it had been approved (NOA2) and allegedly sent to NVC from the Missouri NBC. I never received a notice that it was being transferred to a field office and the NOA2 was from Lee's Summit, Mo.

[NikLR 13,227]

If you read the last link I sent, there were no notices (in 99% of the cases on VJ) of the transfer to local offices. The NBC in Missouri kept the I-130 for 1-3 months and if they didn't adjudicate it themselves, it was sent to the local office of the petitioner. In your case that was Chicago. The only way you would have known it was there was to call the USCIS and talk to a tier 2. Sometimes you had to talk to several tier 2's until someone got off their butt and looked for the petition.

After Aug 15th, 2012 the USCIS started sending the petitions straight to the NBC instead of VSC or CSC to be transferred.

Here is the relevant information:

Stand-Alone Immediate Relative I-130s will be transferred from the Service Center to the National Benefits Center (NBC), and then routed to the appropriate Field Office. Customers will receive a notice indicating the case was transferred to the NBC, but that notice will not indicate the final local Field Office location.

Edited August 24, 2013 by NLR

[slvrfx576 15]

Thanks NLR ! Now I see as said the blind man. I never called to question USCIS as the petition seemed to be progressing in a timely fashion. NOA1 to NOA2 was 80 days. I was very pleased.

I only became concerned after 30 days from NOA2 when it was still not at NVC and was found sitting in the Chicago field office. I just didn't understand why it was there because NOA2 stated that it was sent to NVC from Lee's Summit, Mo.

[NikLR 13,227]

Thanks NLR ! Now I see as said the blind man. I never called to question USCIS as the petition seemed to be progressing in a timely fashion. NOA1 to NOA2 was 80 days. I was very pleased.

I only became concerned after 30 days from NOA2 when it was still not at NVC and was found sitting in the Chicago field office. I just didn't understand why it was there because NOA2 stated that it was sent to NVC from Lee's Summit, Mo.

I'm surprised it was so fast for you actually. Wow! Normally that kind of speed is reserved for adjudication at the NBC for spouses living together abroad, or a military expedite.

[slvrfx576 15]

I'm surprised it was so fast for you actually. Wow! Normally that kind of speed is reserved for adjudication at the NBC for spouses living together abroad, or a military expedite.

Yes, but the actual time from filing I-130 to acknowledgement at NVC was 126 days ! 80 days from NOA1 to NOA2, but another 46 from NOA2 to NVC.

But I give credit to this Visa Journey site as it is amazing and helped me through the process with great advice of what to file and how. So Thank You to you and all who participate in this "journey", sharing your experiences. I only hope that I may repay you by offering my advice when appropriate.

[slvrfx576 15]

NLR, BTW, I am not living abroad nor I am currently with the military. Do you think that USCIS, when doing background checks, discovered that I am a former US Army Reserve Officer, or that I am a current IRS registered tax return preparer ? Just wondering due to your surprise at short approval time. I never mentioned either of these things in my application.

[NikLR 13,227]

NLR, BTW, I am not living abroad nor I am currently with the military. Do you think that USCIS, when doing background checks, discovered that I am a former US Army Reserve Officer, or that I am a current IRS registered tax return preparer ? Just wondering due to your surprise at short approval time. I never mentioned either of these things in my application.

My husband is a veteran as well of the USAF as well as a gov't employee atm, but ours still took 4 months. Luck of the draw

[xprecious32 50]

So if the applications are eventually forwarded to the petitioners local field office. My hubby lives in MA, he is the petitioner, so would Boston be the local field office? If so, they do not list the I-130 on the approximate wait times.

[NikLR 13,227]

So if the applications are eventually forwarded to the petitioners local field office. My hubby lives in MA, he is the petitioner, so would Boston be the local field office? If so, they do not list the I-130 on the approximate wait times.

Sorry this took so long. No they don't list I-130 on the local office wait times.

You can get a relative idea by looking at the trends and volumes however here for Boston: http://dashboard.uscis.gov/index.cfm?formtype=4&office=7&charttype=1