USC awaiting Canadian wife

[J900rr 2]

Hi everybody!

Absolutely awesome website/forum here I've been lurking for awhile but now while starting to get stressed with the waiting I decided to sign up and keep tabs on the process with everyone else.

I am a US born citizen, lived here my whole life....

Married my absolutely awesome wife July 5th, 2013 and filed and have a received date of my I-130 petition dated 8-26-13 (NOA1)

The preference classification states a 201 B INA spouse of USC.

Checking the USCIS website it shows that we are in "Initial Review"

Really really hoping to see some good news soon.... I didn't get to see my wife for 6months after we got married and filed the I-130 and now trying to work out another time to visit as 6months was ENTIRELY too long, we were at one point seeing each other every other month...the time apart is really getting to be pretty stressful. Thank god for FaceTime, I don't know what we would do without it!

Anyone else in close to our time frame of filing? The wait for the NOA2 seems to be pretty killer

Also any advice as to what to prepare for concerning all of what comes next?

Thanks!

-Joel

[Trav&Shell 83]

Congratulations on filing and joining those who are waiting (and who've done this before ). I'd start preparing the documents for the affidavit of support and the actual visa application needed by NVC. That way, when they're ready for your papers you can just fire them at 'em. As a USC/Canadian couple, you can use email to apply but you'll need to write your NVC case number at the top of each page. SOOO....clip the two bundles separately and set them aside in a very safe place (after reviewing them over and over and over.....). Lots of papers to prepare in the meantime!

Also, just a tip - when I needed my criminal record check done (as the Canadian citizen), once I got my NOA2 I made an appointment with Commissionaires Canada in my city. They were the most reasonably priced and WAY faster than using the RCMP. If your wife needs the website for them let me know and I'll hook her up. I had my record check done twice during the process (because the first one got done so fast it expired before I needed it ). MAKE SURE that she knows to get the one done that needs fingerprinting!!!!! (They can do that, they may look at her weird but if she says "US immigration needs it so I smile and nod" they will laugh and ask no more questions...)

PS - is FaceTime like Skype? If so - yes, thank God for FaceTime! We had Skype on 24/7 and it was a LIFESAVER sometimes...

Edited January 25, 2014 by Trav&Shell

[Ryan H 3,834]

Moved from Process & Procedures to Progress Reports.

[J900rr 2]

Congratulations on filing and joining those who are waiting (and who've done this before ). I'd start preparing the documents for the affidavit of support and the actual visa application needed by NVC. That way, when they're ready for your papers you can just fire them at 'em. As a USC/Canadian couple, you can use email to apply but you'll need to write your NVC case number at the top of each page. SOOO....clip the two bundles separately and set them aside in a very safe place (after reviewing them over and over and over.....). Lots of papers to prepare in the meantime!

Also, just a tip - when I needed my criminal record check done (as the Canadian citizen), once I got my NOA2 I made an appointment with Commissionaires Canada in my city. They were the most reasonably priced and WAY faster than using the RCMP. If your wife needs the website for them let me know and I'll hook her up. I had my record check done twice during the process (because the first one got done so fast it expired before I needed it ). MAKE SURE that she knows to get the one done that needs fingerprinting!!!!! (They can do that, they may look at her weird but if she says "US immigration needs it so I smile and nod" they will laugh and ask no more questions...)

PS - is FaceTime like Skype? If so - yes, thank God for FaceTime! We had Skype on 24/7 and it was a LIFESAVER sometimes...

Thanks so much for such a quick and great reply ! And yep FaceTime is exactly like skype, it is just an iphone app that we get to have actual face-time together haha

[BOS_LHR 829]

Hi everybody!

Absolutely awesome website/forum here I've been lurking for awhile but now while starting to get stressed with the waiting I decided to sign up and keep tabs on the process with everyone else.

I am a US born citizen, lived here my whole life....

Married my absolutely awesome wife July 5th, 2013 and filed and have a received date of my I-130 petition dated 8-26-13 (NOA1)

The preference classification states a 201 B INA spouse of USC.

Checking the USCIS website it shows that we are in "Initial Review"

Really really hoping to see some good news soon.... I didn't get to see my wife for 6months after we got married and filed the I-130 and now trying to work out another time to visit as 6months was ENTIRELY too long, we were at one point seeing each other every other month...the time apart is really getting to be pretty stressful. Thank god for FaceTime, I don't know what we would do without it!

Anyone else in close to our time frame of filing? The wait for the NOA2 seems to be pretty killer

Also any advice as to what to prepare for concerning all of what comes next?

Thanks!

-Joel

Hey Joel! Head on over to the August filers forum, there are plenty of very active members with filing dates close to yours: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/447361-aug-2013-i-130-filers/page-88

To prepare for what's next, study the first two posts of the monthly NVC thread: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/472916-nvc-filers-january-2014/. Also make sure you're part of the Canadian subforum, they'll have loads of helpful tips for electronic processing and other Canada-specific issues. Good luck!

[Trav&Shell 83]

Thanks so much for such a quick and great reply ! And yep FaceTime is exactly like skype, it is just an iphone app that we get to have actual face-time together haha

LOL...you're welcome! I was sort of used like a crash test dummy during my process, since nothing went "the way it should," so can also tell you - when you start calling NVC, you're in for a real treat . But yes - like BOS said, head over to the forum that he linked. I found those forums to be INSANELY helpful (and we goofed off a lot too).

Skype - oh man, it's almost like sleeping beside your spouse if you leave it on at night. SO helpful...sometimes it even picks up little snores LOL

[J900rr 2]

Hey Joel! Head on over to the August filers forum, there are plenty of very active members with filing dates close to yours: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/447361-aug-2013-i-130-filers/page-88

To prepare for what's next, study the first two posts of the monthly NVC thread: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/472916-nvc-filers-january-2014/. Also make sure you're part of the Canadian subforum, they'll have loads of helpful tips for electronic processing and other Canada-specific issues. Good luck!

Seriously you guys are awesome here! I didn't even see the subforum for canada-specific info!

Thanks so much!

[Trav&Shell 83]

Seriously you guys are awesome here! I didn't even see the subforum for canada-specific info!

Thanks so much!

LOL...your wife missed out too. If you'd gotten married and filed in 2011/early 2012, I made t-shirts for the "Canadian Wives of VisaJourney" Good times were had by all, and a lot of tears too. The Canadian subforum is awesome

[J900rr 2]

LOL...your wife missed out too. If you'd gotten married and filed in 2011/early 2012, I made t-shirts for the "Canadian Wives of VisaJourney" Good times were had by all, and a lot of tears too. The Canadian subforum is awesome

haha for sure sounds like a good time and a very supportive group!

Thanks so much....this is really feeling like a breath of fresh air!