RFE General Timeframe and Visa Journey Timeline Processing Estimates

[pepper297 63]

Hello!

I think I am finally getting the hang of this site! After a few weeks of lurking around, reading posts and soaking up information, I've finally decided to post!

Now that we have received our NOA1, I have been torturing myself with thinking... and waiting... and thinking... and waiting.... and the worst part is that it has only been almost 2 months! That is just the way my head works, though. During this time I have 2 questions that I haven't seen an answer to yet.

1) If an RFE is going to be issued, is there a certain timeframe that occurs in? Is it instant? Is it usually after waiting for months?

2) On the timeline portion of a profile of visajourney.com I see an processing estimate. What has your experience been with these estimates? Are they usually pretty close? Ours was estimating a pretty early date, which has now past.... it was actually waaaaaaay earlier than what I would've expected. I have been seeing a lot of 90-100 days between noa1 and noa2 in my research (and of course there is always the shorter and many, many, longer periods). I'm just curious to see how accurate the estimates have been for people lately.

I know that not much time has passed and I am not complaining or thinking things are lost or behind or anything like that. I just really miss my other half and like all of you, I would like to be at least through the whole k1 portion and to be able to be married here already

Thank you for any advice you have!

Ashley

[Jon York 156]

Good questions! Unfortunately, I don't have any answers. I too would like to see how long people generally wait for RFEs. Do they come quicker than NOA2s? Or at about the same time as you would expect to get an NOA2?

[dwheels76 5,477]

Hello!

I think I am finally getting the hang of this site! After a few weeks of lurking around, reading posts and soaking up information, I've finally decided to post!

Now that we have received our NOA1, I have been torturing myself with thinking... and waiting... and thinking... and waiting.... and the worst part is that it has only been almost 2 months! That is just the way my head works, though. During this time I have 2 questions that I haven't seen an answer to yet.

1) If an RFE is going to be issued, is there a certain timeframe that occurs in? Is it instant? Is it usually after waiting for months?

2) On the timeline portion of a profile of visajourney.com I see an processing estimate. What has your experience been with these estimates? Are they usually pretty close? Ours was estimating a pretty early date, which has now past.... it was actually waaaaaaay earlier than what I would've expected. I have been seeing a lot of 90-100 days between noa1 and noa2 in my research (and of course there is always the shorter and many, many, longer periods). I'm just curious to see how accurate the estimates have been for people lately.

I know that not much time has passed and I am not complaining or thinking things are lost or behind or anything like that. I just really miss my other half and like all of you, I would like to be at least through the whole k1 portion and to be able to be married here already

Thank you for any advice you have!

Ashley

Well no one can tell when the timeline is to get a RFE because no one knows. You get an RFE when your petition is pulled out the box after many months od waiting and they start adjudicating. That's why you see peolpe with RFE after 8,9 10 months or more. because their petition finally is being adjudicated.

As far as the timeline estimate that is based on those who bother to fill in their timelines and VJ goes by that. And really VJ time estimates are more accurate than the USCIS timelines.

Now you are a K1 and they have been approving then at lightening speed so hopefully soon you will hear.

[dwheels76 5,477]

Good questions! Unfortunately, I don't have any answers. I too would like to see how long people generally wait for RFEs. Do they come quicker than NOA2s? Or at about the same time as you would expect to get an NOA2?

Well sort of the same time. Well look at it like this your case has finally landed on the adjudicators desk ready to look through and review and approve or not.

Oh no, a mistake or something is missing now you have an RFE. If everything was there it would have been an approval.

So many people mistake that "Initial Review" on the website as someone looking through your petition.Nope. Your check is taken your petition is broken down to fit in their folders and you are filed away in boxes and stacked on shelves or warehoused until they get to your week. When the week comes up the box is opened and the adjudication starts and the approvals, RFE's and denials begin.

Hope that helps.

[pepper297 63]

Thanks Dwheels! That does help and I appreciate your reply. I do like the VJ timeline better than the others I've read! I will just keep on keeping on! Best of luck to you guys!

At this point I could almost be sure that the reason the USCIS website is down this weekend is because I check it 10,000 times a day for an update

[SparklePony 238]

1) If an RFE is going to be issued, is there a certain timeframe that occurs in? Is it instant? Is it usually after waiting for months?

As it has been said before, an RFE is given when there could have been an approval or a denial. The adjudicator going through your petition noticed something was missing/incorrect/whatever and sent the RFE. If all had been well, you would have been approved. That's also why once USCIS receives the RFE reply, it tends to approve the petition somewhat quickly. It's like all they need is that little something that was missing and once that's in place, you get approved.

2) On the timeline portion of a profile of visajourney.com I see an processing estimate. What has your experience been with these estimates? Are they usually pretty close? Ours was estimating a pretty early date, which has now past.... it was actually waaaaaaay earlier than what I would've expected. I have been seeing a lot of 90-100 days between noa1 and noa2 in my research (and of course there is always the shorter and many, many, longer periods). I'm just curious to see how accurate the estimates have been for people lately.

I really depends. For some, it's spot on, for others it's way off base. The issue here is that because some petitions are being approved very quickly, it skews up the estimates. Personally, I found looking at Igor's list a better way to get a feel of whether our case was falling behind or not (you can find it by clicking on the Timelines link on top of the page). Seeing how many petitions were still pending, versus how many had been approved, made me feel like I wasn't the only still waiting.

[pepper297 63]

As it has been said before, an RFE is given when there could have been an approval or a denial. The adjudicator going through your petition noticed something was missing/incorrect/whatever and sent the RFE. If all had been well, you would have been approved. That's also why once USCIS receives the RFE reply, it tends to approve the petition somewhat quickly. It's like all they need is that little something that was missing and once that's in place, you get approved.

I really depends. For some, it's spot on, for others it's way off base. The issue here is that because some petitions are being approved very quickly, it skews up the estimates. Personally, I found looking at Igor's list a better way to get a feel of whether our case was falling behind or not (you can find it by clicking on the Timelines link on top of the page). Seeing how many petitions were still pending, versus how many had been approved, made me feel like I wasn't the only still waiting.

Great information! That helps me to understand RFE's a little more. Hopefully there are no delays, as this process is enough of a delay in itself.

I found Igor's list and it was a big help! Thanks for the suggestion. It definitely seems that there are quite a few people still waiting. I wonder how those cases that show they took only 25 days to get an NOA2 managed that.

[SparklePony 238]

It's anyone's guess.

[pepper297 63]

I keep seeing so many people approved at the TSC within 30 days! I can't help but think of why those are being processed more quickly.

[lorella 65]

I keep seeing so many people approved at the TSC within 30 days! I can't help but think of why those are being processed more quickly.

hey! i also have a NOA1 date of 1/2/14 at TSC. for the people you see getting approved within 30 days at TSC...check out their timelines. i think you will find that those members either have a beneficiary in the Philippines or they have incorrectly listed TSC as their processing center...when they are actually CSC. Looking at Igor's list, NOA1 dates in late November have been approved this week. I am hopeful that my application will be approved in the 80-90 day range....so late march/early april. sooner would be nice...but i think that estimate is more realistic considering the current processing times for TSC.

[SparklePony 238]

There are November filers still being approved weekly at TSC.

[jjpgyitr4evr 6]

This information has been soooo helpful to me as well....I swear everyday Im going crazier and crazier...checking and checking....I have become so ocd about it all...but I want to know more about Igors list...where do I find that???

[lorella 65]

This information has been soooo helpful to me as well....I swear everyday Im going crazier and crazier...checking and checking....I have become so ocd about it all...but I want to know more about Igors list...where do I find that???

You can find Igor's list by clicking on "Immigration Timelines" above. Here is a link: Processing Status: Igor's List. You can filter by processing center and petition status (approved vs. unapproved).

Edited March 1, 2014 by lorella

[woohoo25 28]

They seem to be up to November at the TSC, which would mean 3 months rather then the 5 they say is average, which is good news! I'm tend to check and stress about it a lot as well.

[TBoneTX 46,455]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the K-1 Case Progress subforum. ***