NVC Filers - May 2014

[Lottry 14]

Yessssss!!!! CC as of may 21st!

congratssss!!

[Lottry 14]

Just an update,

I finally got a reply to my email that I sent May 5th (embassy change request), they are now taking my case off hold and should be able to pay my fees now ( I am thinking a day or two), the email mentioned I should get an email regarding further processing of my petition, can not wait to start moving......

[MoBar65 520]

Hi,

I'm currently living in Rwanda with my husband. His I-130 was approved on May 17, 2014 and we are awaiting the NVC stage. I received an email from USCIS saying that they mailed our accepted case to NVC on May 22, 2014. I followed the instructions on the NVC website regarding how to enroll in the email updates. Is this enough for them to inform me whether the case was received and to get my case number? Or, do I need to call. It's difficult being that I am located in Rwanda and I called at least 30 times yesterday and received nothing but a busy signal.

I guess to get to the point, when I see the dates that people received their case numbers and notification of case arrival to NVC, were you notified by calling? Or do they send this information in a timely manner via email?

Thanks!

Hi Rwanda_inquiries,

First, it's better if you ask your question just once and give others sometime to pipe in for you, especially since we all cover the entire spectrum of time zones.

Best thing for you at this point is to go to the first post of the thread and read up all kinds of useful information.

To answer one of your questions: The first communication you'll get from NVC will be an e-mail with your Case #, but that won't be for another 5-6 weeks from now, unless you're extremely lucky. This is assuming you have an e-mail listed in your petition and NVC actually retyped it into their system correctly.

Read on for a while and you'll get answers to most of your questions.

Good Luck!

[Rwanda_inquiries 0]

Hi Rwanda_inquiries,

First, it's better if you ask your question just once and give others sometime to pipe in for you, especially since we all cover the entire spectrum of time zones.

Best thing for you at this point is to go to the first post of the thread and read up all kinds of useful information.

To answer one of your questions: The first communication you'll get from NVC will be an e-mail with your Case #, but that won't be for another 5-6 weeks from now, unless you're extremely lucky. This is assuming you have an e-mail listed in your petition and NVC actually retyped it into their system correctly.

Read on for a while and you'll get answers to most of your questions.

Good Luck!

Thank you for your answer. I have no idea why my question was posted twice, perhaps a glitch in my internet? I tried to remove the second one, but couldn't figure out how.

So, on your time line, it gives the date that NVC received your case. Did you receive that date and information by calling NVC or did you recieve it by an email that NVC cent you?

[MoBar65 520]

I'll put this in to the benefit of all:

I recently e-maild the USCBP with the following question: "What are the requirements at the Point-of-Entry from a derivative spouse entering after arrival of the principal applicant other than the passport and the still valid immigrant visa there-in? The sealed envelope would have been submitted already upon the principal's entry weeks earlier."

This is the response I received two weeks later: "Thank you for contacting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) INFO Center. You would need your valid passport and copy of the immigrant visa that included you as spouse of the principal when presenting yourself for entry into the U.S."

My reading is the "copy of the immigrant visa" they mentioned refers to a copy of the entire visa packet, not just the machine readable IV stamp.

[Gee&Cee 41]

Hi,

I'm currently living in Rwanda with my husband. His I-130 was approved on May 17, 2014 and we are awaiting the NVC stage. I received an email from USCIS saying that they mailed our accepted case to NVC on May 22, 2014. I followed the instructions on the NVC website regarding how to enroll in the email updates. Is this enough for them to inform me whether the case was received and to get my case number? Or, do I need to call. It's difficult being that I am located in Rwanda and I called at least 30 times yesterday and received nothing but a busy signal.

I guess to get to the point, when I see the dates that people received their case numbers and notification of case arrival to NVC, were you notified by calling? Or do they send this information in a timely manner via email?

Thanks!

The best way to get timely information is by calling. I think, eventually, you get communications of the main stages, but it's often delayed. For example, our case was completed last Thursday, May 22, and we haven't received anything from NVC yet. Calling does take a lot of attempts to get through. Some people prefer calling everyday, others call more sporadically. We personally chose to call about once a week. The calls won't expedite the processing of your case. They only allow you to be more current, thus allowing you to send in stuff earlier than you would if you were to wait for NVC's communication.

[MoBar65 520]

Thank you for your answer. I have no idea why my question was posted twice, perhaps a glitch in my internet? I tried to remove the second one, but couldn't figure out how.

So, on your time line, it gives the date that NVC received your case. Did you receive that date and information by calling NVC or did you recieve it by an email that NVC cent you?

I found the receive date and case# through calling. I expect an email with the case # in a couple of days and that would be the first official contact from NVC (not counting responses from previous email inquiries). Calling at opportune dates is your best option. Again, do some reading first.

[jsumner86 403]

Hi again,

Did you include a Form 2555 with your wife's taxes for Foreign Earned Income?

Thanks,

Caitlin

Heya. No, she only had a form 1040, P60 (end of year UK tax return) and her pay stubs and various other things, that she sent to her CPA in the states. That's all we sent for the year 2013, as the transcript wasn't available.

Case Complete as of today , May 27, 2014...

Congratulations!!!

Hi, glad to join the May NVCers. Our I-130 is done after over a year of processing. Now we're just waiting for the NVC to receive our case. I called their number from Shanghai, where I'll be working for a while, and I just get a busy tone. Granted this was at 10PM EST, not exactly off peak. Is this normal? Or am I just dialing the number wrong?

Welcome and congratulations on your NOA2!!! If you're getting a busy tone, you have the right number.. That's normal, and it takes a few times to re-dial until you get through to the NVC and wait up to 20-45 minutes sometimes..! Good luck!

[mmaarreekk 45]

you could send it in with the original cover sheet.. When I got the checklist over the phone the NVC rep told me I could submit new AOS Form with the original cover sheet

oh. thanks for advise. ill do it today. my sister send it from chicago

[cindy0908 55]

Looks like I'm gonna join "NVC Filers - June 2014"

Edited May 28, 2014 by cindy0908

[mmaarreekk 45]

Attn: dr is good for checklist response?

[agbcha 48]

Oh God, my heart rose up into my throat when I read this. I was thinking of starting my own topic, but maybe more people will see this here. My husband is Colombian and for the IV package, according to the reciprocity page, we need his libreta militar (military records). All Colombian men at age 18 are supposed to present themselves for military service and either receive the libreta militar first class (served) or second class (obtained an exception and did not serve). Well, my husband doesn't have this because he didn't present. The whole military service thing is a corrupt money making scheme and everyone knows it, so this isn't uncommon, and it's never been a problem for him until now. And now that he's married, he's not required to serve, so he's legally off the hook in Colombia. To give you an idea of how corrupt the military there is: They issue fake documents as well as real ones, for a lesser fee. Yes, they make the fake ones and real ones in the exact same place. Wrap your head around that one.

We have been investigating what it would take for him to get this document. His parents went to the battalion in his hometown to ask what we needed to do, and basically he'd have to fly to his hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia and wait until they announce a random day where all the guys who don't have this paper can come and get it. He would also have to pay thousands of dollars, money which will go to go straight to the shopping budget of some corrupt general's mistress. In total, with the flight, we're looking at around U.S. $6000 (yes, SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS) for this one stupid piece of paper. Not to mention the months he might have to wait there, not working, us blowing through our savings while we wait and hope they will announce a random day for all the guys to come get this stupid piece of paper (they don't announce these days in advance).

Is it possible that if I call and explain the situation to NVC, they might pull our file and list the libreta militar as unavailable, like they did for agbcha and the Greek police certificate? My husband is a contractor and therefore doesn't get vacation time; he will lose his job if he has to fly from Argentina to Colombia to do this, and then there are the months it will add to our wait time. Please help. Is this the type of thing people write to their congressman about?? We don't know what to do.

I highly reccommend that you write a Letter of Explanation to include with your IV package stating that the libreta militar is unobtainable and not applicable in your husband's case. Explain his situation and the attempts that you've made to try to obtain the military record. Make sure to mention that further attempts to obtain to the record are beyond your means and ability, as your husband would lose his job as a contractor to take vacation time. Add that because he isn't living in Colombia, the price of airfare from Argentina is unaffordable. For these reasons it would cause you and your family actual hardship as opposed to the normal inconvenience or delay to get the military record from Colombia. At the end of the letter, request that they complete your case without the military record.

The NVC uses the Foreign Affairs Manual (ie the immigration bible) to determine what documentation is necessary, as does the consulate. There is a section on unobtainable documents (attached below) that will give you an idea on what happens when you can't provide a required document. The language about "actual hardship" I used above is directly from the FAM.

However, in my opinion, the NVC is likely to complete your case without the military record. If you get a checklist for it, do not panic. Request to speak to a supervisor so that the supervisor can review the explanation letter that you include in your original IV package. If that doesn't work, resend the letter as a checklist response. The NVC is just responsible for getting documents in order. Ultimately it's up to the consulate to decide if they need the military record or not. And the consulate has probably already seen many cases like your husband's, where he didn't present for military service.

Please try not to worry too much -- I spent a full calendar year worried about not being able to get the Greek PCC, and now it's not needed

87888.pdf

Edited May 28, 2014 by agbcha

[Ken Adams 41]

AOS packet is scanned to system and Still waiting for IV bill

[etrangais 949]

Good morning everybody and good luck to all!!!!!!!!

[rajvinder kaur 6]

Yesterday, i recieved reciepts for IV packet.