May 2014 I-130 Filers

[shippingforecast 126]

I think that only financial loss on the part of the USC counts for expedition, unfortunately. I wouldn't be depending on an approval in September/October. Five months from now is October (mid-late) for USCIS and then it's another 8-10 weeks, probably, until the interview. I'd look for seasonal work, personally, if I were you. Save as much as you can, now, while you're employed and look for seasonal retail starting mid-October, which should take you through the second week in January before post-Christmas lay-offs.

So not having a job and eating into my redundancy fund wouldn't qualify as financial loss? Either way, I knew I'd end up having to take seasonal work... I think my problem was when I was mapping the process out, I hadn't stumbled across VJ just then so all the timescales I'd gotten were from the USCIS website - which obviously paint a much rosier picture. But hey, who knows, like I was saying hopefully we're at the point were the tide is turning and approvals are coming swifter. I'll just try and keep a positive mindset. The more I read on here, the more I'm preparing myself to wait to minimise my own disappointment.

Edited May 22, 2014 by shippingforecast

[shippingforecast 126]

First, I would like to wish everyone good luck on their journey. I would also like to thank the organizers because this website has been invaluable in getting me ready for the immigration process. I sent I-130 05/14/2014. Today, 05/21/2014 received NOA-1 by email. Now, waiting on the hard copy.

Hi Choiketeru and welcome to the thread! If there's anything we can do to help, please let us know, and good luck to you also!

California! We're in Vancouver, planning to move to San Francisco where I'm from in just under a year. Unless, of course we need more time, which we're hoping won't be the case.

Emily

Hopefully it won't - we'll keep our fingers crossed for you!

[ritbiv 95]

My husband sent the packet on 05/20/2014. He is an LPR right now but soon enough he is going to be a citizen. Had his biometrics done on 05/15/2014. So do i need to worry about being struck for a priority date or will I be able to just skip that barrier. Appreciate your help. I really don't want to wait for too long for a priority date.

Edited May 22, 2014 by rituparnabivas

[shippingforecast 126]

My husband sent the packet on 05/20/2014. He is an LPR right now but soon enough he is going to be a citizen. Had his biometrics done on 05/15/2014. So do i need to worry about being struck for a priority date or will I be able to just skip that barrier. Appreciate your help. I really don't want to wait for too long for a priority date.

Hi rituparnabivas, and welcome to the thread. Your husband can still file the I-130 as an LPR for you, and the processing time would be the same as if he were filing for a CR1 visa. I'm not too familiar with the process for an F2-A visa type after the petition has been approved (we're all filing for CR1 here) - please accept my apologies. However I think it's much, much longer than applying for a CR1.

If you're desperate to be together as soon as you can, I would suggest filing a fresh petition when your husband is a citizen (he'll need to provide his naturalisation certificate). CR1 visas aren't capped so you will not receive a priority date, you'll just have the petition approved and then move through the NVC and consulate steps which take around 8 to 10 weeks. Your husband may have to contact whichever service center your petition is currently with to have it cancelled.

[ritbiv 95]

Thanks for the info. If my husband becomes citizen during the processing time for I130 and then requests to upgrade my petition to immediate relative will it save time for us?

[shippingforecast 126]

Thanks for the info. If my husband becomes citizen during the processing time for I130 and then requests to upgrade my petition to immediate relative will it save time for us?

To be honest, I think you'll still have to submit a fresh I-130 as your husband would have submitted it, clearly stating on the form, that he is an LPR. They'll need a new form filled in to reflect that he's a citizen, alongside his naturalization certificate. Whether they can withhold the rest of your documents and wait for your new I-130/naturalisation certificate is another question. It might be worth contacting USCIS directly and speaking to a Tier 2 Operator. Either way, I'd prepare yourself to be waiting a while. We seem to spend half of our time on this thread trying to guess when NOA2s will come... Doubtful it will be within their processing timeframe of five months.

[Nordic Tim 95]

So not having a job and eating into my redundancy fund wouldn't qualify as financial loss? Either way, I knew I'd end up having to take seasonal work... I think my problem was when I was mapping the process out, I hadn't stumbled across VJ just then so all the timescales I'd gotten were from the USCIS website - which obviously paint a much rosier picture. But hey, who knows, like I was saying hopefully we're at the point were the tide is turning and approvals are coming swifter. I'll just try and keep a positive mindset. The more I read on here, the more I'm preparing myself to wait to minimise my own disappointment.

Well, keep in mind that people that are unhappy and impatient with the process tend to be those that will be on forums like VJ. There are also only a fraction of one percent of visa seekers that have their information represented on VJ ... it's not exactly a representative sample. The cases on VJ that are falling outside of normal processing times are literally just a handful out of tens of thousands.

[shippingforecast 126]

Well, keep in mind that people that are unhappy and impatient with the process tend to be those that will be on forums like VJ. There are also only a fraction of one percent of visa seekers that have their information represented on VJ ... it's not exactly a representative sample. The cases on VJ that are falling outside of normal processing times are literally just a handful out of tens of thousands.

I had pondered that, alongside how many that are actually on the forums keep their timelines up to date. But thank you, that's really encouraging.

[Nordic Tim 95]

I had pondered that, alongside how many that are actually on the forums keep their timelines up to date. But thank you, that's really encouraging.

Yea, I've also seen a handful of timelines that quite obviously had incorrect information. Maybe I've got rose colored glasses but I think that a vast majority of cases are processed within normal time frames and that the good people at USCIS are trying hard and doing their best.

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

First, I would like to wish everyone good luck on their journey. I would also like to thank the organizers because this website has been invaluable in getting me ready for the immigration process. I sent I-130 05/14/2014. Today, 05/21/2014 received NOA-1 by email. Now, waiting on the hard copy.

Good luck!

California! We're in Vancouver, planning to move to San Francisco where I'm from in just under a year. Unless, of course we need more time, which we're hoping won't be the case.

Emily

Good luck! Every bit of math I can do says it should be between 10 months and 14 months for people filing right now, so a year seems really reasonable.

So not having a job and eating into my redundancy fund wouldn't qualify as financial loss? Either way, I knew I'd end up having to take seasonal work... I think my problem was when I was mapping the process out, I hadn't stumbled across VJ just then so all the timescales I'd gotten were from the USCIS website - which obviously paint a much rosier picture. But hey, who knows, like I was saying hopefully we're at the point were the tide is turning and approvals are coming swifter. I'll just try and keep a positive mindset. The more I read on here, the more I'm preparing myself to wait to minimise my own disappointment.

It's a financial loss, for sure. But without your household being mingled with a US spouse (and if I'm wrong about your situation, tell me), it doesn't count as grounds for expedition because it's an alien beneficiary suffering, not a US citizen suffering. You have to be able to prove US citizen suffering financial loss to count for an expedite, as I understand the rules.

Yea, I've also seen a handful of timelines that quite obviously had incorrect information. Maybe I've got rose colored glasses but I think that a vast majority of cases are processed within normal time frames and that the good people at USCIS are trying hard and doing their best.

I think you've probably got rose coloured glasses a bit. I know that when a former fiancé filed for K-1 for me (he cheated on me and we broke up just days before NOA2), we were well outside processing times and I'm Canadian with no background check issues.

I don't mean to be a total Debbie Downer, but I really think we need to stay realistic and reality is that this is going to be a long haul. I dream of Christmas, but with five months at USCIS (normal processing time) that puts me into October. Add another 8-12 weeks for NVC and Embassy stages as a likely minimum and that puts me into late December or January as a minimum, assuming no RFE or delay of any kind. So my estimate is that, as a May filer from a low-fraud country, I might be able to have my visa for February, my birthday, if I get very lucky.

[AmericanLife 39]

Hi guys,

I sent our forms last Saturday (May 17th) and was delivered by Monday (May 19th), but as of now, Thursday (May 22nd), I haven't got Email nor text message. Does anyone know if it's normal or it is delaying?

Thanks.

[NKrishMT 17]

Hi guys,

I sent our forms last Saturday (May 17th) and was delivered by Monday (May 19th), but as of now, Thursday (May 22nd), I haven't got Email nor text message. Does anyone know if it's normal or it is delaying?

Thanks.

Hello there! My husband sent our packet on May 13, and we got NOA1 (email) last May 20. So maybe wait a couple days more.

[AmericanLife 39]

Hello there! My husband sent our packet on May 13, and we got NOA1 (email) last May 20. So maybe wait a couple days more.

Thanks a lot KrishMT, that was helpful: stress relieved!

[shippingforecast 126]

Yea, I've also seen a handful of timelines that quite obviously had incorrect information. Maybe I've got rose colored glasses but I think that a vast majority of cases are processed within normal time frames and that the good people at USCIS are trying hard and doing their best.

Good luck!

Good luck! Every bit of math I can do says it should be between 10 months and 14 months for people filing right now, so a year seems really reasonable.

It's a financial loss, for sure. But without your household being mingled with a US spouse (and if I'm wrong about your situation, tell me), it doesn't count as grounds for expedition because it's an alien beneficiary suffering, not a US citizen suffering. You have to be able to prove US citizen suffering financial loss to count for an expedite, as I understand the rules.

I think you've probably got rose coloured glasses a bit. I know that when a former fiancé filed for K-1 for me (he cheated on me and we broke up just days before NOA2), we were well outside processing times and I'm Canadian with no background check issues.

I don't mean to be a total Debbie Downer, but I really think we need to stay realistic and reality is that this is going to be a long haul. I dream of Christmas, but with five months at USCIS (normal processing time) that puts me into October. Add another 8-12 weeks for NVC and Embassy stages as a likely minimum and that puts me into late December or January as a minimum, assuming no RFE or delay of any kind. So my estimate is that, as a May filer from a low-fraud country, I might be able to have my visa for February, my birthday, if I get very lucky.

I think we should just agree that no one will ever know exactly when it's likely to be processed. I think I'm getting to beyond the point of caring because there's just too much conflicting information out there to accurately gauge it - I'm becoming borderline obsessional with trying to figure it out. So I'm resolving to just wait as long as I have to and take each day as it comes. In the meantime I'm almost fully prepared for the NVC stage.

Nordic Tim - what part of Scotland do you hail from? My dad is from Perth, I try and get up there as often as I can to watch the football.

Thanks a lot KrishMT, that was helpful: stress relieved!

Hi AmericanLife! Welcome to our thread. Hope you receive your NOA1 soon! Update us when you receive it.

[gondola603 1]

Hi all i sent the I-130 form on may 16th got an email may 22nd that application for my wife has been transfered to Nebraska from pheonix LB. So i guess iwill get the NOA1 soon. Been married for 7 years and have one child 4 years now i moved back to usa 6 months ago while my wife and kid who is Usa citizen by birth is with my wife in lebanon. Its very hard to be away from both. Hope the application will move fast. And good luck to all