NVC Filers - November 2013

[dzenilh 0]

What does a person (beneficiary) need to bring to the embassy/consulate of documents for an interview? What do they usually ask for? I have applied for the cr1. thx

[Saylin 1,605]

Hi,

Today I called NVC and they told me that, they receive my case, so I asked them to provide an invoice number and she said that I have to received in the mail.

I think the Guide says that I can call them and they will provide me the number.

So I am not sure do I need to call them again?

There's a difference between receiving your case and assigning a case number. There's usually a difference of a few days to a few weeks between those two time ticks. So, keep calling every day and asking if a case number has been assigned yet.

And as long as you give over both email addresses to an operator once the case number is assigned, then you'll receive all correspondence from NVC by email.

Full panic mode y'all!!! My husband was on the train on his way to his medical and interview and his suitcase was stolen! Everything is gone. Papers, photos.... everything. I have copies of papers from NVC on but nothing from USCIS. I have most of the photos, but, there were some paper photos that I never got a chance to scan.

Will they do the medical without his passport?

What to do?!?!

This really isn't an appropriate thread to post your question as this is about the NVC process.

Regardless though: I highly doubt they'll do the medical without the passport (definitely not the interview anyways). I'd suggest your husband contact the passport agency and get a new passport done asap. Copies of paperwork submitted isn't required at the interview, just suggested. And get as much evidence re-printed out again as possible.

question about paper mails for beneficiaries.

After beneficiary picks usc spouse as agent. what packets do they physically receive. (the reason i am asking is because there's a issue of mail tampering where my husband is) is there anyway we can opt in email only communication.

If you give over both email addresses to an operator when the case number is assigned, nothing is physically sent out to either of you.

Two questions regarding i-864. Can some one help me with this? I am the USC petitioning for foreign wife.

1. In the first page of i-864, Part 1 ( left is my info) , below that Part 2 is my wife. My issue is the right side of this page where it asks for the mailing address, is that the sponsors or visa applicant's?
2. I am going to use a co-sponsor since my income is only slightly between above 20-23K and I am graduating grad school soon. My Sister and Brother in law are sponsoring. My question is whether it makes any difference if I use my BIL as the co-sponsor and add my sister's salary ( he get way more than her) in the form or should I use my sister as co-sponsor and add his salary too?

1. The new forms are split into two columns. You go down the first one, then continue on with the second column. So, the second column is a continuation of the first, thus that question is about the beneficiary.

2. Is there a reason why you're using both? Can't you just use the brother-in-law who earns more?

Called NVC again today and finally got a case number.

However, the digits seem short to me. JHN then 8 digits only instead of 10.

When i asked for invoice ID number she said it hasnt been generated yet.

Edit:

Also, the Julian day works out to to a sunday! Oct 27...sunday? is that ok

Call back again asap. It should be the three letter embassy/consulate code and then 10 numbers.

What does a person (beneficiary) need to bring to the embassy/consulate of documents for an interview? What do they usually ask for? I have applied for the cr1. thx

Required documents:

-interview letter

-passport

-medical results (if not sent directly by the panel physician)

-passport photos (number varies by consulate/embassy, for Canada it's 2)

There may also be country or embassy/consulate specific things as well (such as courier information). Also, if one was in the EP program, then it's also required to bring the original AOS and IV packages to present at the interview.

Somewhere between required and optional:

-proof of relationship

Some places don't ask for any proof of relationship (re: Canada), while others are incredibly strict about proof of relationship and if you don't bring enough or don't convince them, then you're either denied or put into AP (re: MENA countries).

Optional:

-copy of all paperwork ever submitted, at both USCIS and NVC

[KP & SP 9]

Which form are you talking about for Part 3 and related questions? DS-260? i-864 doesn't have #9 for Part 3 but it's good to make sure it wasn't a typo.

We received our checklist in the mail as an attached PDF. We happened to be getting processed right as the DS-230 transitioned to DS-260, but luckily all the forms we sent along with DS-230 were filed correctly (still had to fill out online DS-260). The first checklist you receive after paying the fee doesn't tell you anything critical that you should feel like waiting for (DS-230/260 + i-864). Like dwheels said, just start sending in the forms without waiting for an official checklist from the NVC. The second checklist you receive after you send in the first batch of required documentation (again as PDF attachment in an email) tells you what needs fixing. Then, if everything goes smoothly, a final checklist tells you what you still need to bring to the interview.

Sorry, the form is I864EZ affidavit of support.

[rysa 3]

Sorry, the form is I864EZ affidavit of support.

In that case, as the NVC rep admitted, they were in error. I did not fill out an EZ version but I've left things like A-number blank (on the non-EZ version you have to fill out both mailing address + place of residence separately, whether they're the same or not) and it wasn't flagged. I'm not sure if you should resubmit the form right away, in that case. Maybe someone who has had a similar experience can comment as to what your best course of action is. Was the NVC rep not forthcoming about what that would be? Sounds like supervisor review is your best bet and sending in a new form will result in a similar delay anyway (so sorry), as far as I understand the process--at least with supervisor review you'd have someone who's less likely to confuse i-864 with i-864EZ.

I can tell you, though, that even though I left one part of the i-864 form blank in a resubmit by accident (forgot to re-enter my income after entering it the first time elsewhere on the form... grr such a horribly confusing form), they let us proceed to the interview. They sent us a checklist and told us we need to bring the corrected i-864 form to the interview, but told us we cleared the minimum requirement. (The checklist was misleading... I thought I'd have to resend all over again and was kicking myself until my spouse pointed out that they actually cleared us for the interview.) And then at the interview, they didn't even ask for the corrected form. But that's kind of how things go... Hope things get figured out!

[Jematt 7]

In that case, as the NVC rep admitted, they were in error. I did not fill out an EZ version but I've left things like A-number blank (on the non-EZ version you have to fill out both mailing address + place of residence separately, whether they're the same or not) and it wasn't flagged. I'm not sure if you should resubmit the form right away, in that case. Maybe someone who has had a similar experience can comment as to what your best course of action is. Was the NVC rep not forthcoming about what that would be? Sounds like supervisor review is your best bet and sending in a new form will result in a similar delay anyway (so sorry), as far as I understand the process--at least with supervisor review you'd have someone who's less likely to confuse i-864 with i-864EZ.

I can tell you, though, that even though I left one part of the i-864 form blank in a resubmit by accident (forgot to re-enter my income after entering it the first time elsewhere on the form... grr such a horribly confusing form), they let us proceed to the interview. They sent us a checklist and told us we need to bring the corrected i-864 form to the interview, but told us we cleared the minimum requirement. (The checklist was misleading... I thought I'd have to resend all over again and was kicking myself until my spouse pointed out that they actually cleared us for the interview.) And then at the interview, they didn't even ask for the corrected form. But that's kind of how things go... Hope things get figured out!

Thanks for sharing that, rysa! Hoping that's also the case for us as we're going to the Netherlands.

[jayjayj 571]

Sometimes, the people who answer the phones at NVC amaze me with their attitude and ignorance. Just a vent. I had to repeat my case number about 8 times to a really rude woman. She sounded like she's older, definitely a native of the NH area. Just plain old rude and unhelpful. She insisted that I was reading her the wrong number, at least 7 times. Luckily, most of the people are friendly. </end rant/>

Anyway, no movement on my AOS. It arrived one week ago, so I gave it a week before calling. My IV package arrived today. She told me repeatedly that they're taking 30 days to review the packets. Has anyone had any luck getting a review quicker?

lol seems like we both spoke to the same NVC person !

she was extremely rude and didnt let me repeat the case number a second time. she messed up somewhere with the zeros. waited over an hour to get through only to get an incomplete case number. ugh

I think I also talked to the same person a couple days ago. Most of the phone reps I've spoken to in the last 6 weeks have been very friendly but the one I got a couple days ago was very rude and combative. I would describe her exactly the way you did. She ended up transferring me to a Supervisor but did it by cutting me off mid-sentence and saying very sarcastically, "just wait on hold". I know everyone has bad days and I'm sure the people answering those phones get bombarded all day long, but such is the nature of a customer service job, and since my taxes and petition fees are paying her salary I don't think it is unreasonable to expect friendly, courteous, and helpful assistance. The supervisor was friendly and helpful though. That was the first time I've been transferred to a supervisor and it did seem as if she had more information available to her. I'm almost sure that at one point she either went and spoke to the person reviewing my case or went and actually looked at my case file.

Does anyone know if they scan all the documents for each case into electronic format or does everything remain simply a paper file?

[NYC.RSA 25]

does the NVC stage go slightly quicker for those with lawyers since they skip the "choice of agent" step?

I think I also talked to the same person a couple days ago. Most of the phone reps I've spoken to in the last 6 weeks have been very friendly but the one I got a couple days ago was very rude and combative. I would describe her exactly the way you did. She ended up transferring me to a Supervisor but did it by cutting me off mid-sentence and saying very sarcastically, "just wait on hold". I know everyone has bad days and I'm sure the people answering those phones get bombarded all day long, but such is the nature of a customer service job, and since my taxes and petition fees are paying her salary I don't think it is unreasonable to expect friendly, courteous, and helpful assistance. The supervisor was friendly and helpful though. That was the first time I've been transferred to a supervisor and it did seem as if she had more information available to her. I'm almost sure that at one point she either went and spoke to the person reviewing my case or went and actually looked at my case file.

Does anyone know if they scan all the documents for each case into electronic format or does everything remain simply a paper file?

i remember reading here that case gets scanned onto their system.

[Saylin 1,605]

does the NVC stage go slightly quicker for those with lawyers since they skip the "choice of agent" step?

[...]

Yes, it goes a little quicker as the IV bill is invoiced at the same time as the AOS bill, since the lawyer is automatically selected as agent, by-passing the DS-261 stage. Depending on the lawyer though, they can slow things down elsewhere as they may not send packages right away or just generally take their time with things.

[jayjayj 571]

Hey i got the same scenario i as well receive a checklist fr ds260 the 13 of september knowing i had sent the ds230 already.i mailed the police certificate just in case the 20th o september.30 business days pass and the ds260 was put on supervisor review and monday it was review and i was sent a checklist for police certificate knowing i mailed it as well.so they put that in supervisor reiew monday.when was your things put in supervisor review?

quote name="jayjaym" post="6632838" timestamp="1383814013"]

We are still stuck at the NVC - waiting and waiting and waiting on Supervisor Reviews.

The most recent problem is that the NVC failed to properly review our marriage certificate and my wife's annulment paperwork from her previous marriage.

The marriage certificate we submitted meets the requirements for approval - it is original (actual one used in our wedding ceremony), certified, stamped, sealed, attested by every possible government office in the United Arab Emirates. The marriage certificate is also certified, stamped, and signed by the Philippine Embassy in the UAE. Nobody in the entire world has a more original and/or certified marriage certificate - it just isn't possible. The NVC looked at it and then sent us an RFE requesting an original marriage certificate. The also requested we send a marriage certificate from a Sharia Court. Nobody at the NVC can tell me what that means. We were married in a Christian Church in the UAE. The marriage certificate is registered, sealed, stamped, and signed by the UAE Ministry of Justice - which is a court, and being in the UAE, it is also a Sharia Court. There are no non-Sharia courts in the UAE. The seal is on the back of the certificate and it is huge. You can't miss it if you take the time to properly check it. This is an obvious error on the part of the NVC.

The annulment documents we went meet the requirements for approval - they are authentic certified copies from the issuing authority in the Philippines. They are certified, stamped, and signed by both the court in the Philippines and the Philippine Embassy in the UAE. They also have the infamous Philippine government red ribbon attached to them. It is not possible to get a more authentic certified copy of those documents. They do not give you the original documents. The NVC clearly states that certified copies from the issuing authority are perfectly acceptable. Cleary this is another error by the NVC.

I don't understand how someone could have reviewed both these documents and come to the conclusion that neither of them are good enough, when both clearly meet all requirements for approval. In addition, my documents and DS-230 have been at the NVC since the second week of August. I got caught in the DS-230 to DS-260 debacle. My DS-230 supporting documents were originally reviewed on September 13th - on that date I was sent an RFE and asked to submit the DS-260 and there was no mention of a problem with the marriage certificate or the annulment documents. It took over 4 weeks for them to finally review the DS-260 and that is when I got the RFE about the supporting documents. The NVC is telling me that it will take another 30 working days for someone to look at those documents again. This is just totally unacceptable. It wouldn't help to resubmit the documents again because they would be exactly the same as the documents the NVC already has in their possession.

The expedite criteria for the NVC is supposed to be the same as the expedite criteria for the USCIS. One of the potential situations listed that could get an expedite approved at the USCIS is "USCIS Error". I am going to assume that means the USCIC reviews documents or forms, which are 100% accurate and should be approved, but for some reason denies or sends an RFE in error. This seems to be a valid reason for expedite approval because human error can create unnecessary processing time for the petition. Considering the already ridiculous waiting times, it would completely unfair for someone to go to the back of the line because of human error at the NVC.

I submitted an expedite request and it was denied. I resubmitted the exact same request again the next day because this is absolutely an error by the NVC and that is listed as a valid reason to get an expedite approved. I haven't gotten a response yet for the second expedite request.

I've gotten my Senator involved as well, and reading the NVC responses to him, I think that is helping correct the problem but things are still not moving fast enough in my opinion. I should have been out of the NVC 30 days ago and should be getting ready for an Embassy interview right now. Instead I am still waiting and waiting for someone to properly review my 100% approvable supporting documents. I realize this isn't the nghtmare scenario that some people have faced but the human error thing is very frustrating.

Has anyone else faced a similar issue? Anyone have any luck getting an expedite approved due to human error at the NVC?

I initially asked for a supervisor review for my AOS package in early September. That wasn't completed until almost 7 weeks later and only then because I started calling every day and telling them it was taking much longer than the original 15 working days I was quoted and it was also past 30 working days. They've since changed their supervisor review timeline to 30+ working days - 30 working days being the "minimum". I think I asked for the first DS-230/DS-260 supervisor review around September 22nd. They seemed to get that done last week but I think only because it was pushing the 30+ working days timeline and the day before they got several emails and calls from my U.S. Senator. The problem though was that the supervisor review produced the two glaringly obvious errors I mentioned above. To correct their errors, they quoted me another 30+ working days for another supervisor review. That's when I decided I've had enough and started calling every day again and asking for a supervisor. I'm not willing to wait another 6 weeks because someone can't properly review my documents.

Someone mentioned earlier about a suspicion that the NVC is sending out checklists to intentionally create extra processing time for petitions without going over their normal processing timelines. I agree with this suspicion 100%! I also think the NVC used the transition to the DS-260 in a similar way. There are people who submitted their DS-230's 4-5 weeks before the cutoff date of September 3rd, then had the NVC review their DS-230 after September 3rd and send them a checklist to complete the DS-260. It took them 2 weeks to review my DS-260 after it was submitted. In those cases, the DS-260's should have been reviewed immediately. Nobody is asking to jump the line but when our DS-230's were submitted that long prior to the cutoff, we shouldn't have had to wait any longer for the DS-260 to be reviewed.

I'm not even sure what the normal NVC processing timeline is anymore. I guess there is a new NVC "we are flooded with petitions and can't keep up so let's send out a bunch of checklists and accidently miss completely accurate and approvable documents so we don't mess up our processing timeline reports when send to Congress" processing timelines. We are apparently under that new and improved timeline, which could be anywhere from 90 days to sometime in the year 2045.

[jayjayj 571]

does the NVC stage go slightly quicker for those with lawyers since they skip the "choice of agent" step?

i remember reading here that case gets scanned onto their system.

That would make sense.

It really did seem like the supervisor had access to my supporting documents somehow, because she put me on hold for a few minutes and when she came back on the phone, she seemed to agree with me that there was an obvious error made and said she would have the documents reviewed again immediately. She even told me she would email me directly and I could then email her back directly if I had any further issues. Although, that was two days ago and I still haven't gotten an email from her.

[kiky 11]

You need to go back and read Post #1 and #2. There are no documents you are taking to the interview. All document intake for CR1/IR1 is done through NVC.

If you have case# you have fees to pay online and other things read the post.

Thank you! That's what I thought but just needed to confirm for my hubby! ;-)

Edited November 8, 2013 by kiky

[Jematt 7]

I think I also talked to the same person a couple days ago. Most of the phone reps I've spoken to in the last 6 weeks have been very friendly but the one I got a couple days ago was very rude and combative. I would describe her exactly the way you did. She ended up transferring me to a Supervisor but did it by cutting me off mid-sentence and saying very sarcastically, "just wait on hold". I know everyone has bad days and I'm sure the people answering those phones get bombarded all day long, but such is the nature of a customer service job, and since my taxes and petition fees are paying her salary I don't think it is unreasonable to expect friendly, courteous, and helpful assistance. The supervisor was friendly and helpful though. That was the first time I've been transferred to a supervisor and it did seem as if she had more information available to her. I'm almost sure that at one point she either went and spoke to the person reviewing my case or went and actually looked at my case file.

Does anyone know if they scan all the documents for each case into electronic format or does everything remain simply a paper file?

Jayjam--yes, combative is a good word to describe that woman I spoke with today. And definitely rude. She really needs to be written up for her lack of customer service, IMO...as you said, we're paying for this service. Did you ask for the Supervisor because she was so rude? I've never asked for a Supervisor but I like the idea of that if they have more info. How long was the hold for a Supervisor?

Good question about the scanning. I was wondering that, too....

[jayjayj 571]

I've actually never asked for a supervisor. However, I happened to get the same 1st level lady a few times (30+ total calls) and she is very friendly and helpful. She tried to transfer me to a supervisor twice but none were available. This time the transfer was unexpected and I didn't ask but because the rude lady couldn't answer my questions and I kept insisting that she provide me an answer, she then gave me the "just wait on hold" comment out of the blue and put me on hold. When the phone picked up again after about 10 minutes, the woman on the phone said she was a supervisor and I could definitely tell she had access to much more information.

From my personal experience and from what I've read on here, the 1st level phone reps do not have access to your specific case file. They apparently only have access to a summary of your case, which also includes some type of notes or comments from the actual case reviewer. I don't really know if they are required to transfer you to a supervisor if you request it. I suspect that they will not transfer you if they feel they have answered your question properly and the supervisor could not give you anything further. Otherwise, everyone would just immediately ask for the supervisor transfer. I think you can get the transfer by repeatedly asking questions that the 1st level phone rep cannot answer. If you are persistent and express that you are not going to accept a non-answer to your question and you feel a supervisor can give you the answer you want, then I think they might be obligated to transfer you.

I will be calling again on Monday. If I get the really friendly and helpful lady again, I will ask her about it. She has been straight forward and honest with me on every phone call.

[She's 6]

lol seems like we both spoke to the same NVC person !

she was extremely rude and didnt let me repeat the case number a second time. she messed up somewhere with the zeros. waited over an hour to get through only to get an incomplete case number. ugh

Yea there is one old women rude who have only one sentence give 30 days give 30 days.. Repeatedly ..

[Michael85.asl 5]

Nope, it won't hurt to try. Wait until you have a case number assigned, then send off another expedite request, and include the same documents again.

I have a question about NVC expedite... I know with the USCIS stage, they try to process your case within 30 days of the granted expedite. What happens with the NVC stage? Especially with us both living abroad?

Thanks, and like everyone has been saying.... this topic is amazing.