All F2B Updates in this Thread

[mayur1608 3]

Hello Guys,

My file is in F2B category(My parents are citizen now), my marital status is unmarried and my PD is March 2010. We just received Welcome letter from NVC and paid AOS 120$ fees.

I just wonder, in F2B current date is January 2009 and received Welcome letter before 14 months. Anyways that's good :-)

Now my question do I need to notify NVC about my parent's naturalization? I want to remain in F2B only as it moves faster. Is there any legal process to remain in F2B category?

Thanks,

Mayur Patel

[mayur1608 3]

So close, yet so far. Sigh.

Yes phoenyxx,

My PD is March 2010 under F2B and we received NVC welcome letter and started processing it.

[chubbs 11]

Hi all,

Please can anybody help me out with this SSN thing?? Its been 2 weeks since I have arrived here and I haven't received my SSN yet. How long it takes generally? I remember that I have chosen the option of SSN issuance while filling out the DS-260 form, do I need to contact SS office in this regard?? Am I missing something, I mean does an applicant need to do any formalities or paperwork after arrived here to get the SSN?

@Chubbs,

How long it took for your son's SSN?? Please share your views.

Hi Puru,

SSN is a long wait. First my son received his GC after about a month. You have to show the GC at the SSN office, and apply for SSN, using your passport n GC. He received SSN in the mail after 6 days.

Congrats Hamida. Its going to be happy family reunion soon... Enjoy and God Bless!

Edited September 25, 2015 by chubbs

[hamida 0]

Thanks Chubbs. She is excited for her interview on October 1, 2015. Keep on praying that it goes well.

Hamida

Purru,

Can you provide help with my nephew letter from Dehli with opt out. My sister sent email but they are saying to send letter through mail or send someone to personally bring the letter to the New Dehli office

[puru444 44]

Hello Guys,

My file is in F2B category(My parents are citizen now), my marital status is unmarried and my PD is March 2010. We just received Welcome letter from NVC and paid AOS 120$ fees.

I just wonder, in F2B current date is January 2009 and received Welcome letter before 14 months. Anyways that's good :-)

Now my question do I need to notify NVC about my parent's naturalization? I want to remain in F2B only as it moves faster. Is there any legal process to remain in F2B category?

Thanks,

Mayur Patel

If you are an F2B and your petitioner is Citizen then you will need to obtain Opt-out Approval letter from DHS otherwise your visa will be denied at the time of interview, Dont wait for it, you have some time right now, apply it asap at New Delhi Embassy USCIS section, NVC has no knowledge about this and it wont help you in this regard but the Visa Issuance unit at Delhi or mumbai embassy/consulate, consular officer will refuse to grant you the visa under F2B if the petitioner is US citizen.

They have started 14 months before it means ur case is going to get current in next 8-9 months. Best of luck with it but you better obtain this Opt-out Approval letter from DHS first otherwise you will not get the visa and that's a harsh reality.

Try to search for Opt-out Approval on this website and you will find the right way to do this thing,

[puru444 44]

Hi Puru,

SSN is a long wait. First my son received his GC after about a month. You have to show the GC at the SSN office, and apply for SSN, using your passport n GC. He received SSN in the mail after 6 days.

Congrats Hamida. Its going to be happy family reunion soon... Enjoy and God Bless!

Thanks Chubbs!!

Usually people receive their SSN within 2 weeks time here but there are some exceptional cases as well like your son who had applied for it personally. Now, its been 3 weeks for me in US and I havnt receive anything yet, in fact that CBP officer clearly instructed me that I will receive my greencard after 3 months which was a shock for me but I ignored him and moved outta the airport. Anyways, I am going to SS Office on Monday and I will show my Visa which is the temporary I-551 (greencard) and will apply for the SSN then and there. I cant sit and wait anymore, I mean I am unable to do anything by my own and becomes totally dependent on my family members, those DMV officials refused to grant me the State ID and Driving License without this SSN, its quite frustrating to wait and becomes dependent and helpless.

By the way, does your son get the Driving License yet?? I have found the traffic rules are pain here in america as compared to India, Meanwhile, I am following some online stuff to read and learn more about DMV and every time I use my common sense, I got failed in that particular question. lolzz

[puru444 44]

Thanks Chubbs. She is excited for her interview on October 1, 2015. Keep on praying that it goes well.

Hamida

Purru,

Can you provide help with my nephew letter from Dehli with opt out. My sister sent email but they are saying to send letter through mail or send someone to personally bring the letter to the New Dehli office

Best of Luck for her Interview!! She will be succeeded for sure

At least, Delhi embassy officials accepted your nephew's request and instructed him to write a letter or inviting him in person. This is really a positive sign to move on. First, I was doubtful that whether they entertain this query or not bcoz your nephew is not in India. When the first time I had been there, they refused my request and said there is no law exists you all know my story.

Anyways, I advise you to follow the law in prescribed manner. Under Section-6 of CSPA, it is advisable clearly that a beneficiary must put his request in WRITING at DHS. Therefore, your nephew has to write a letter in writing and MUST mention these following things:

1. Subject: Opt-out Approval letter Request (NVC Case Number).

2. NVC case Number, his name, his DOB, petitioner name and DOB.

3. Name of the Law which allows him to elect to chose to be in F2B and not in F1 upon the naturalization of petitioner.

4. Describe the law.

5. Mention the benefits of this exercise.

6. Last but not least, Sign it with his contact details, especially his e-mail address, cell phone number and mailing address everything.

Send this letter asap to avoid any further delays, Delhi officials know their part and they will issue him an Opt-out approval letter for sure. Pakistan comes under the work premises of Delhi USCIS field office too with other south asian countries. They know it very well and they are available to help people from selected countries, its their duty and they must obliged to do that. Don't worry, it will be done but make sure everything must be mentioned in that requesting letter and drafted properly and MUST be hand written by your nephew only. Tell your nephew to get prepared about this Section-6 thoroughly because he may be questioned during the interview about this Conversion, you know it what happened with me at the interview. They were not issuing me the visa whereas, it was the same place New Delhi where USCIS field office and consular section both work together and still I had to show my copy of Approval letter to them to convince them.

[chubbs 11]

Thanks Chubbs!!

Usually people receive their SSN within 2 weeks time here but there are some exceptional cases as well like your son who had applied for it personally. Now, its been 3 weeks for me in US and I havnt receive anything yet, in fact that CBP officer clearly instructed me that I will receive my greencard after 3 months which was a shock for me but I ignored him and moved outta the airport. Anyways, I am going to SS Office on Monday and I will show my Visa which is the temporary I-551 (greencard) and will apply for the SSN then and there. I cant sit and wait anymore, I mean I am unable to do anything by my own and becomes totally dependent on my family members, those DMV officials refused to grant me the State ID and Driving License without this SSN, its quite frustrating to wait and becomes dependent and helpless.

By the way, does your son get the Driving License yet?? I have found the traffic rules are pain here in america as compared to India, Meanwhile, I am following some online stuff to read and learn more about DMV and every time I use my common sense, I got failed in that particular question. lolzz

No Puru, all that has changed, coz I remember we received both GC n SSN in less than a month. SSN officials do not entertain you unless you have your GC. They will just check the system and let you know if there is any update, thats it. They are very curt.

Take your written test and drive test, but they will give you permanent license card only after they see your SSN. Till then you will be given temporary paper license, for up to 3 months.

My son passed his driving test in about two weeks, as he went round with his dad and brother as soon as he was here. So test for temporary license in the first week and the following week he got his license. Do those DMV quizzes online it helps a lot. All the best Kiddo!

And take it easy, enjoy with your family, yeah I know here people are so busy, no time for anyone,

[mayur1608 3]

Thanks Puru for the reply. Do I need to contact Delhi or Mumbai DHS, as I'm from Ahmedabad, Gujarat and my case will be handle at Mumbai embassy.

And one more question I have, 2-3 months back we have notified NVC regarding my parent's naturalization and requested them to move my category to F1 by mail, last month we have received Welcome letter so we have emailed them to not convert the category. I afraid things don't get massed up at last.

However we haven't received any response from them and when I call NVC they said, we can't see your are converted to F1 your category is till F2B as per our records and if you want to remain in F2B, you need to request NVC with your petitioner's naturalization certificate with all details.

It's so confusing, can you please help on this?

[puru444 44]

Thanks Puru for the reply. Do I need to contact Delhi or Mumbai DHS, as I'm from Ahmedabad, Gujarat and my case will be handle at Mumbai embassy.

And one more question I have, 2-3 months back we have notified NVC regarding my parent's naturalization and requested them to move my category to F1 by mail, last month we have received Welcome letter so we have emailed them to not convert the category. I afraid things don't get massed up at last.

However we haven't received any response from them and when I call NVC they said, we can't see your are converted to F1 your category is till F2B as per our records and if you want to remain in F2B, you need to request NVC with your petitioner's naturalization certificate with all details.

It's so confusing, can you please help on this?

Do I need to contact Delhi or Mumbai DHS, as I'm from Ahmedabad, Gujarat and my case will be handle at Mumbai embassy.

There is only one USCIS Field Office based in New Delhi Embassy only, by the way Mumbai is a consulate not an embassy. Yes, you have to contact USCIS Field Office at New Delhi Embassy, unfortunately there is no other option available.

And one more question I have, 2-3 months back we have notified NVC regarding my parent's naturalization and requested them to move my category to F1 by mail, last month we have received Welcome letter so we have emailed them to not convert the category. I afraid things don't get massed up at last.

Now, do not contact NVC in this regard. Its better to have ur case done under F2B bcoz it is faster than F1 and will save your time. If you contact NVC for opt-out conversion from F1 to F2B they wont help you out. I can tell you bcoz I have been through all this mess and trust me no one will help you out in this regard not even immigration lawyers. Your consular processing has been started, just follow the instructions and fill out all the forms and pay fees on time to finish the whole process soon.

By looking at your situation it seems that its already been messed up. I advise you to not bring any confusion and stop contacting the NVC, their working culture is pretty same like we have there in India. All govt employees are same, they dont have time to explore your case and read and understand the things. You will gotta know when you read the posts I wrote few months back while dealing with Department of Homeland Security and Department of State in getting the visa under F2B by exercising this law known as Section-6 under CSPA, Opt-out conversion.

Well, its a long story to tell you at once, all I can do is share some previous posts of mine with you. Go through the links and read them completely and follow them in chronological order then you will get the better idea where you are standing right now and what you need to do.

Alright, this is the case of Liberal_always, start reading his posts from this page number 6. You will find me too later in the scene:

http://www.***removed***/forum/showthread.php/149617-Family-visa-F1-not-moving-how-long-to-opt-out-to-F2b/page6

* due to admin settings, you cant read the name of the site. Search for f1 to f2b on google and the first site reference you get is the source of it. Just go the page number 6 and start reading the Liberal_always story from there.

Edited September 27, 2015 by puru444

[mayur1608 3]

Hello Puru,

I went through all the discussion from page 6 to page 1. The process Liberal_always has mentioned is...

How do I get it:
1. If you feel that you will benefit from this opt-out provision, please contact NVC first. Ignoring it, as you said stop contacting NVC
2. They will start the processing of this case under F2B category. They already have started processing my case
3. They will notify by mail about this and that letter will also indicate that you must get approval from DHS (which is USCIS) No idea on this
4. Then the beneficiary should make a written request to the USCIS Field Office (based on his residence) indicating that he/she wants to opt-out of this conversion under Section 6 of CSPA and Section 204(k) of INA. That is what we going to do simultaneously
Include the following documents for reference in your written request:
- Copy of I797 Approval Notice Which letter exactly it it?
- Copy of Naturalization of Petitioner That we have
- Letter from NVC approving the opt-out and requesting to get approval from DHS No idea on this

and as always I'm confused again what and how to do? :-)

Edited September 29, 2015 by mayur1608

[puru444 44]

Hello Puru,

I went through all the discussion from page 6 to page 1. The process Liberal_always has mentioned is...

How do I get it:

1. If you feel that you will benefit from this opt-out provision, please contact NVC first. Ignoring it, as you said stop contacting NVC

2. They will start the processing of this case under F2B category. They already have started processing my case

3. They will notify by mail about this and that letter will also indicate that you must get approval from DHS (which is USCIS) No idea on this

4. Then the beneficiary should make a written request to the USCIS Field Office (based on his residence) indicating that he/she wants to opt-out of this conversion under Section 6 of CSPA and Section 204(k) of INA. That is what we going to do simultaneously

Include the following documents for reference in your written request:

- Copy of I797 Approval Notice Which letter exactly it it?

- Copy of Naturalization of Petitioner That we have

- Letter from NVC approving the opt-out and requesting to get approval from DHS No idea on this

and as always I'm confused again what and how to do? :-)

Dont get confused.

Simply, write an email to USCIS New Delhi Field Office today and ask them that you need this Opt-out approval letter because your petitioner is a citizen now and your case is processing under F2B at NVC and you need to obtain this Opt-out letter otherwise your visa will be rejected at interview.

These officers are now familiar with this process and this law. Me and liberal_always were the first one who obtained these letters from them thats why we arranged so many documents like I797 but this document is not at all required so dont worry about it. Yeah, but keep a copy of Naturalization Certificate of petitioner with you they may ask you to submit it.

Today, write an e-mail and explain your case to them and ask them will an e-mail request be sufficient to obtain this approval letter because you dont live in delhi and its not easy for you to visit the new delhi office personally. If they respond you that the e-mail will be sufficient then you may proceed and put your request to them. Otherwise, you will be required to visit the field office at new delhi embassy personally to make this thing done by submitting the hand written requesting letter.

This is not a very complex method to understand, so just contact them and they will assist you how to do it. They have done it before and issued these letters to us and that is not so many months back. Me and liberal_always both obtained these letters in August month therefore its fresh in their memory, when the first time I went there they simply refused me that they cant help me in this matter. They were not aware about this law at all, this is the first time happened when the waiting times are less in F2B compared to F1, and luckily there is a provision in the law which allows the beneficiary to exercise his right to choose between these 2 categories to save his time. So these officers will help you because they know about this law and will guide you how to do it.

Here's the contact info of USCIS Field Office New Delhi:

http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/contact-us/contact-us-uscis-new-delhi-field-office

Best of Luck!!

[mayur1608 3]

Hello Puru,

I wrote an email as per your instructions and received a very quick response them. They are asking to submit copy of the approval notice for the petition.

Can you please tell me what that notice is?

Dear Sir/Madam:

Thank you for your inquiry.

All opt out requests must be signed and submitted to USCIS in writing. Requests may be submitted by mail to the following address:

DHS/USCIS

Attn: OPT-OUT NOTICE

Shantipath, American Embassy

Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110 021

Tel: 011-24198000

You may also submit your request in person during our office hours Monday thru Thursday, from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Please make an appointment to appear at our office via Infopass here. We are closed for certain US and Indian holidays.

Your opt out request must include a copy of the approval notice for the petition, proof that the petitioner has naturalized, a letter containing a request to opt out of automatic conversion, and any other documentation that may be relevant to your request.

If you have an attorney or representative submit the request on your behalf, the request must include a signed G-28.

[puru444 44]

Hello Puru,

I wrote an email as per your instructions and received a very quick response them. They are asking to submit copy of the approval notice for the petition.

Can you please tell me what that notice is?

Dear Sir/Madam:

Thank you for your inquiry.

All opt out requests must be signed and submitted to USCIS in writing. Requests may be submitted by mail to the following address:

DHS/USCIS

Attn: OPT-OUT NOTICE

Shantipath, American Embassy

Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110 021

Tel: 011-24198000

You may also submit your request in person during our office hours Monday thru Thursday, from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Please make an appointment to appear at our office via Infopass here. We are closed for certain US and Indian holidays.

Your opt out request must include a copy of the approval notice for the petition, proof that the petitioner has naturalized, a letter containing a request to opt out of automatic conversion, and any other documentation that may be relevant to your request.

If you have an attorney or representative submit the request on your behalf, the request must include a signed G-28.

Good, follow the instructions and gather all the documents what they needed. Finally, they have established the arrangement to attend these kinda requests. Great!!

Write a letter and attach the copies of additional documents and mail them at postal address. It means they will not entertain the requests via e-mail. As I said before the law says the beneficiary put the request in writing thats why they have asked you to send them mail not e-mail. At least you dont have to travel to New Delhi now.

Finally, you got a path to follow. Congrats!! Soon they will issue you this opt-out letter and you have to carry this letter at the time of interview in Mumbai Consulate too.

[mayur1608 3]

Credit goes you guys, Puru and Liberal_always, it's your hard work :-)

I will keep posted further updates here, so it can be helpful for other too :-)