AOS->DS-261->IV invoice?

[Bicol 0]

I have 2 sisters coming from the Philippines. NVC sent the DS-261 letters to my sisters in the Philippines, while they sent me the AOS letter. Both letters were dated July 11, 2014 but the DS-261 letter to PI did not get their until August 20th. Meanwhile, we got the letter July 14th and already paid the AOS and submitted the AOS not knowing about the DS-261. So on 9/4, after my sister sent us a copy of the DS-261 letter, we submitted it online. It's almost 1 1/2 week and no IV invoice yet or letter from NVC. Also concerning is the online available status for AOS shows N/A. Should it say N/A after they received it because NVC returned the post office receipt of confirmation. Is this process normal? What steps should we take next or expect? Do they take this long?

Edited September 18, 2014 by Bicol

[js030802 6]

the NVC process is as follows:

1. NVC receives case file from USCIS

2. NVC generates case number for the case

3. NVC will email you the case number, invoice ID number, and beneficiary ID number together with the Affidavit of Support fee bill

4. you pay the AOS fee - processed in 2 days

5. after paying the AOS fee, cover sheet for AOS documents is generated which you will use to send I-864 form and supporting documents

6. at the same time, NVC will ask you to fill out ds-261

7. once ds-261 is processed (which right now is about 60 days for NVC to process), IV fee bill is generated

7. pay IV fee - which will be processed in 2 days or less, cover sheet to send supporting documents/civil documents is generated

8. once the IV fee is processed, ds-260 will then be available.

9. fill out ds-260, print out the confirmation page to bring to the interview at the US Embassy. do not send the confirmation page to NVC.

10. send civil documents for immigrant visa application with the cover sheet to NVC

11. NVC will review your Affidavit of Support documents, DS-260 form online, and Civil Documents in support of the IV application. NVC is claiming right now that reviewing documents will take about 60 days, that is 60 days for AOS documents from the time they receive it. and 60 days for the civil documents from the time they receive it. AOS documents and IV application supporting documents are independent from each other review wise. not to mention if NVC finds any lacking documents, they will send you a checklist of the missing documents. then you send back the missing document/s then another 60 days will begin from the time they receive those missing documents. it is a long and tedious process and your patience will definitely be tested.

12. if everything is in order and your case is complete then NVC will schedule your interview date at the embassy of your beneficiary's country.

with this hopefully you will be extra patient with NVC. and calling does not help for the most part. you will just subject yourself to a long wait and when you finally talk to an agent for about a minute long....or may be less, they tend to be not so helpful and sometimes downright rude.

good luck....

p.s. everything will appear N/A until every document is processed, so dont worry about it. once the documents are processed, it will change. if it has been more than 60 days from the time NVC received your documents, then it's time to call. they may or may not be helpful.

[thelector 0]

60 days is the waiting time after receipt of AOS. I received the invoice for IV fee after 49 days. Just keep on checking your account via ceac website if the invoice is available already.

[Thomas&Cleofe 358]

Wow....things have really changed at the National Visa Center.

When my wife applied for her visa it only took 5 days to process the DS-261. Now it takes 60 days?

[js030802 6]

NVC is saying that they have received a lot of approvals from USCIS so thats why they are behind in processing documents right now. when NVC changed its method of communicating and submitting documents, things will be a lot faster, i was disappointed. but it is what it is. let the waiting game continue....

[Dairen30 0]

NVC will assigned for your schedule when there is available date, while the embassy in Manila already have a final date schedule for interview manila Embassy will forwaded to NVC then NVC will email back to you your letter of interview.

[Bicol 0]

the NVC process is as follows:

1. NVC receives case file from USCIS

2. NVC generates case number for the case

3. NVC will email you the case number, invoice ID number, and beneficiary ID number together with the Affidavit of Support fee bill

4. you pay the AOS fee - processed in 2 days

5. after paying the AOS fee, cover sheet for AOS documents is generated which you will use to send I-864 form and supporting documents

6. at the same time, NVC will ask you to fill out ds-261

7. once ds-261 is processed (which right now is about 60 days for NVC to process), IV fee bill is generated

7. pay IV fee - which will be processed in 2 days or less, cover sheet to send supporting documents/civil documents is generated

8. once the IV fee is processed, ds-260 will then be available.

9. fill out ds-260, print out the confirmation page to bring to the interview at the US Embassy. do not send the confirmation page to NVC.

10. send civil documents for immigrant visa application with the cover sheet to NVC

11. NVC will review your Affidavit of Support documents, DS-260 form online, and Civil Documents in support of the IV application. NVC is claiming right now that reviewing documents will take about 60 days, that is 60 days for AOS documents from the time they receive it. and 60 days for the civil documents from the time they receive it. AOS documents and IV application supporting documents are independent from each other review wise. not to mention if NVC finds any lacking documents, they will send you a checklist of the missing documents. then you send back the missing document/s then another 60 days will begin from the time they receive those missing documents. it is a long and tedious process and your patience will definitely be tested.

12. if everything is in order and your case is complete then NVC will schedule your interview date at the embassy of your beneficiary's country.

with this hopefully you will be extra patient with NVC. and calling does not help for the most part. you will just subject yourself to a long wait and when you finally talk to an agent for about a minute long....or may be less, they tend to be not so helpful and sometimes downright rude.

good luck....

p.s. everything will appear N/A until every document is processed, so dont worry about it. once the documents are processed, it will change. if it has been more than 60 days from the time NVC received your documents, then it's time to call. they may or may not be helpful.

Thank you for your thorough response. The instructions from different sites are conflicting so your timeline made it a lot easier to understand. So there is no use calling the NVC? What about sending them emails? Has that work for anybody?

[js030802 6]

Thank you for your thorough response. The instructions from different sites are conflicting so your timeline made it a lot easier to understand. So there is no use calling the NVC? What about sending them emails? Has that work for anybody?

ur very welcome. i believe there is still some use calling the NVC but to a certain degree it doesnt help. calling them many ties about the same case will not make speed things up. right now NVC is dead on reviewing documents submitted to them in 60 days. if the 60 days limit has passed then that's the time you call to follow up on your case. coz if you call well less than 60 days, they will just tell to wait for 60 days and if that passed then you can call. sending them emails is not helpful neither coz one time i sent an email to inquire about a certain case, it took them one month to answer back and they only answered back because there was an update to the case. we all are at the mercy of the NVC but what can you do, basically just wait and your time will come. i dont think NVC deliberately sleeps on anybody's case, it's just just there's just too many cases being approved and i guess not too many people working in that office.

so good luck on your case and feel free to ask any question you might have...