Where am I in the CR-1 process, and how much longer from here?

[CR1Divorce 0]

Hey, everyone. I'm looking for some advice on the timeline of the CR-1 visa. I've read a lot online, including some great stuff here, I'm just too confused as to where I am in the process to know for sure what to expect. And this seems like a great community to ask.

Short version: I'm an Australian with a wife in the US. We officially started the process in November 2013. We're doing everything through a lawyer, so we've been quite hands-off in the process. I think my DS-260(?) is "At NVC", and I want to know how long until I should be able to enter the US, green card in hand.

Longer version: I'm asking for advice here because I don't entirely trust our lawyer to give me an accurate timeline. Either through ignorance, naïveté, or intentionally misleading us, she has been moving the goalposts a lot and giving us conflicting information on the timeline. I get the impression she might be telling us what she thinks we want to hear. Given the fact that I've received confirmation from the various offices processing my visa, I'm satisfied with the job she's doing and trust her with the visa, the communication just leaves a lot to be desired.

Anyway, we got married in August last year. I think our application was sent in October and initially received in November. There's been various hoops to jump through since then, but we haven't paid much attention, and have mostly just been sending whatever documents we need to our lawyer. My only involvement is obsessively checking the status online. The last correspondence we received was an email telling me that I'm a "CEAC customer", that my (DS-260) had been submitted, and we received a case number in the format of SYD2014123456, the last six digits are an example, but it begins with SYD2014, which I have to assume means it is being filed in Sydney in 2014. It says in the email that this was completed on July 31st. For a couple of weeks the CEAC Status Check was saying "In Transit", but now it has been saying "At NVC" for over a month.

So, here are my questions about the timeline;

1. When can I expect the CEAC Status to move past "At NVC", and what will be the next phase?

2. I've read that in Australia there's an average wait of 183 days between NOA2 and the interview. Have I already received NOA2 (was it the email with the CEAC case number?), or is that step still to come? Also, is that for the interview to be scheduled, or to actually take place?

3. When can I expect to set foot in the US, green card in hand, assuming I book tickets as soon as my visa is approved?

Sorry this post was a little meandering, I want to make sure I give you guys enough details to make sense of it for me. Thanks in advance.

[dwheels76 5,469]

Hey, everyone. I'm looking for some advice on the timeline of the CR-1 visa. I've read a lot online, including some great stuff here, I'm just too confused as to where I am in the process to know for sure what to expect. And this seems like a great community to ask.

Short version: I'm an Australian with a wife in the US. We officially started the process in November 2013. We're doing everything through a lawyer, so we've been quite hands-off in the process. I think my DS-260(?) is "At NVC", and I want to know how long until I should be able to enter the US, green card in hand.

Longer version: I'm asking for advice here because I don't entirely trust our lawyer to give me an accurate timeline. Either through ignorance, naïveté, or intentionally misleading us, she has been moving the goalposts a lot and giving us conflicting information on the timeline. I get the impression she might be telling us what she thinks we want to hear. Given the fact that I've received confirmation from the various offices processing my visa, I'm satisfied with the job she's doing and trust her with the visa, the communication just leaves a lot to be desired.

Anyway, we got married in August last year. I think our application was sent in October and initially received in November. There's been various hoops to jump through since then, but we haven't paid much attention, and have mostly just been sending whatever documents we need to our lawyer. My only involvement is obsessively checking the status online. The last correspondence we received was an email telling me that I'm a "CEAC customer", that my (DS-260) had been submitted, and we received a case number in the format of SYD2014123456, the last six digits are an example, but it begins with SYD2014, which I have to assume means it is being filed in Sydney in 2014. It says in the email that this was completed on July 31st. For a couple of weeks the CEAC Status Check was saying "In Transit", but now it has been saying "At NVC" for over a month.

So, here are my questions about the timeline;

1. When can I expect the CEAC Status to move past "At NVC", and what will be the next phase?

2. I've read that in Australia there's an average wait of 183 days between NOA2 and the interview. Have I already received NOA2 (was it the email with the CEAC case number?), or is that step still to come? Also, is that for the interview to be scheduled, or to actually take place?

3. When can I expect to set foot in the US, green card in hand, assuming I book tickets as soon as my visa is approved?

Sorry this post was a little meandering, I want to make sure I give you guys enough details to make sense of it for me. Thanks in advance.

Hard to say where you are in the process. You say "you think" your DS-260 is at NVC. That is a form submitted in the process down the road.

Here is the NVC Process wiki very great information here.

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

1. When can I expect the CEAC Status to move past "At NVC", and what will be the next phase? It will at At NVC until you are scheduled an Interview.

2. I've read that in Australia there's an average wait of 183 days between NOA2 and the interview. Have I already received NOA2 (was it the email with the CEAC case number?), or is that step still to come? Also, is that for the interview to be scheduled, or to actually take place? Once you have case complete its usually iunder 30 days you are given an interview. That time frame may have counted the average of folk stuck at NVC.

3. When can I expect to set foot in the US, green card in hand, assuming I book tickets as soon as my visa is approved? Hard to say until you get Case Complete.

Question for your lawyer is:

• When was my DS-260 submitted
• When was the AOS package sent in?
• When was the IV package sent in.

Figure 60 days from those dates no errors you have case compllete then in the queue you go waiting fro interview.

[CR1Divorce 0]

Thanks so much for the reply. I'll definitely ask my lawyer all those questions ASAP.

When I say, I think, I'm pretty sure. This is the last email I received regarding my visa on July 31st. And the CEAC Case Tracker says that my progress is "At NVC". Based on that, would you say I should be getting an interview call-up soon?

Edited September 17, 2014 by Chairman19

[Ketsuban 1,034]

For a couple of weeks the CEAC Status Check was saying "In Transit", but now it has been saying "At NVC" for over a month.

This part worries me. When the status is "in transit", that means everything is done at NVC and the case is being forwarded to the Sydney consulate. However, as you say, it is now back at NVC which is not the normal process of things.

You can call NVC yourself and figure out where you are in this and what they need from you, their number is 603-334-0700. The line is almost always engaged, but you need to keep hitting redial until you get through. Select option 1, then wait on hold for a while.

You need your case number, your name and DOB and your spouse's name and DOB. Those are the security questions they ask before talking to you.

[dwheels76 5,469]

You need to ask them when they sent in your IV and AOS package because the DS-260 doesn't appear until you pay the IV fee. And since you had a lawyer you didn't have to submit the DS-261 and the two fees would have appeared same time before July 31.

And this was before the 60 day wait.

Me thinks you got a checklist (an error) and lawyer isn't being forthcoming.

Call them and inquire. Hey you have your case# why not go online and look up yourself see what does AOS and IV say if a N/A people have been reporting that means they reviewed.

Come back tell us what happened? (curious about this lawyer person). hmmmmm

[CR1Divorce 0]

Okay, so I just had my wife call the lawyer while I called the NVC (which I got through to relatively easy this time).

The NVC wasn't much help to me. She said they received a package on August 4th that they haven't reviewed yet. She repeated that they have no idea what's inside it and can't tell me anything because it hasn't been reviewed. She said it will be reviewed within 60 days from August 4th. I asked about the DS-260, she told me that it's filed online and she couldn't tell me anything about it.

Then my wife called the lawyer. She said she filed the DS-260, AOS package and IV package all on the same day (I think it was August 1st). I made sure to get my wife to ask for the Invoice ID Number so I could check for myself on the CEAC website. When I log in, it looks like she did indeed complete all the necessary paperwork in early August, and it's just the NVC taking a while. At least that's what I get from this;

Oh, I didn't mention before that all past and potential costs for the visa have already been paid to the lawyer.

So with all this in mind, how are things looking? Is it likely that the lawyer hasn't screwed up the process? When should I be expecting an interview to be scheduled?

Thanks for your all your help so far, guys. I really appreciate it.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Chairman19

[dwheels76 5,469]

Okay, so I just had my wife call the lawyer while I called the NVC (which I got through to relatively easy this time).

The NVC wasn't much help to me. She said they received a package on August 4th that they haven't reviewed yet. She repeated that they have no idea what's inside it and can't tell me anything because it hasn't been reviewed. She said it will be reviewed within 60 days from August 4th. I asked about the DS-260, she told me that it's filed online and she couldn't tell me anything about it.

Then my wife called the lawyer. She said she filed the DS-260, AOS package and IV package all on the same day (I think it was August 1st). I made sure to get my wife to ask for the Invoice ID Number so I could check for myself on the CEAC website. When I log in, it looks like she did indeed complete all the necessary paperwork in early August, and it's just the NVC taking a while. At least that's what I get from this;

Oh, I didn't mention before that all past and potential costs for the visa have already been paid to the lawyer.

So with all this in mind, how are things looking? Is it likely that the lawyer hasn't screwed up the process? When should I be expecting an interview to be scheduled?

Thanks for your all your help so far, guys. I really appreciate it.

Well now you wait 60 days from August 4th you are looking at October 3rd a review and a accept or a checklist (we hope for the accept). Then you will be in the interview queue hopefully they will still be scheduling for November that's the next month of interviews coming.

Good fro you for checking it out and getting back to us.

The hardest part now is waiting. Considering it says N/A and people are saying N/A they get case Complete shortly after. You may very well be all done. Here's hoping.

I would call again maybe Friday or Monday or however much your nerves will allow.

I assume only your lawyer gets emails from NVC and you two don't? I ask because Case Complete email, Interview email or a checklist come in email form and this is how you will know whats happening. You can always call NVC and be added. I mean it is your case.

[bestofboston 36]

I am sorry to hear that you used an attorney. All the information needed can be found here at Visa Journey or at the USCIS. GOV website for the IR1/CR1 process. The only thing an attorney is good for is to add an additional time delay to the process. Remember that attorney is more than likely processing the same info for others doing the same as you.

The best thing you can do is compare your timeline to others from Australia here on Visa Journey.

I can tell you that it takes about the same amount of time at the NVC as it did at the USCIS to process and schedule an interview. Approx. 5 months.

[TBoneTX 46,060]

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

[CR1Divorce 0]

Thanks for all the help so far, guys.

Unfortunately, the case came back with a checklist today, thanks to the lawyer's incompetence. The I-864 was incomplete for both myself and my wife. I also need a fingerprint check, which the lawyer told us I didn't need when I asked, so I only got a police certificate stating that I had no criminal record.

Can anyone tell me what kind of delay I'm looking at because of this?

Thanks.

[dwheels76 5,469]

Thanks for all the help so far, guys.

Unfortunately, the case came back with a checklist today, thanks to the lawyer's incompetence. The I-864 was incomplete for both myself and my wife. I also need a fingerprint check, which the lawyer told us I didn't need when I asked, so I only got a police certificate stating that I had no criminal record.

Can anyone tell me what kind of delay I'm looking at because of this?

Thanks.

60 days. Maybe they will get to t faster. Really so sorry thats just bad business.

[eieio 1,594]

Can anyone tell me what kind of delay I'm looking at because of this?

I would plan on a 75 day delay. If it is sooner...great. Don't get to angry with the lawyer. The real problem is a horrible US immigration process.

[CR1Divorce 0]

So I should be in a queue for an interview in 60-75 days?

Does anyone have an idea when I might be looking at for POE into the US?

[dwheels76 5,469]

So I should be in a queue for an interview in 60-75 days?

Does anyone have an idea when I might be looking at for POE into the US?

Hopefully you should have case complete by end of November in the queue for a January interview possibly.