Sending AOS packet & IV packet separately or together?

[Aira & Ryan 0]

I've been looking around the forums and it seems like all the advice and direction is to send the AOS packet as soon as the AOS fee is marked as paid, and then send the IV packet as soon as the IV fee is paid and the DS260 form is completed.

My confusion is that the paperwork I got from the NVC seemed to indicate that the AOS and IV packets should both be sent together after all the fees are paid. I called them yesterday and the person I spoke to confirmed that they should be sent together.

My question is, why would the NVC tell me to wait to send them together? It seems like people are successful in sending them separately, and I want to do whatever I can to speed up the process so I'm leaning towards sending them separately. I just don't understand why the NVC is telling me to send them together...

Any insight into this situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Thomas&Cleofe 358]

The truth is you can send them together or separately......just place your barcoded cover sheet on top of each packet.

[Aira & Ryan 0]

I appreciate the response. Do you know why the NVC tells people to send them together when we can in fact send them separately? It seems strange to me...

[Lovexthine 4]

It was a diff case with me. Called NVC and said should better to send them separately to avoid confusion. And thats what we do. On the other hand, I know u can send them together if u have the cover page (barcoded) of each package.

[Aira & Ryan 0]

Thanks for the response I'll most likely send out the AOS package this weekend. I was just curious about the conflicting advice.

Good luck to everyone with their cases! Hopefully we can all be together with out loved ones soon

[mnlDad 12]

Thanks for the response I'll most likely send out the AOS package this weekend. I was just curious about the conflicting advice.

Good luck to everyone with their cases! Hopefully we can all be together with out loved ones soon

Just an opinion. The new process according to the nvc website is to send them together.

While it does not matter before sending it separately, in the new process however, it highlighted to send the AOS and IV in one package.

Thanks!

[Aira & Ryan 0]

So I ended up sending the AOS and IV packages together. There was only about a couple weeks difference or so anyway, so hopefully it won't make a huge difference. Now I just get to wait and find out if I somehow missed something they want in those packets....lol

I've read that I need to be ready to wait 60 days for everything to be reviewed, but when I finished the DS260 online form it said "Please allow up to 30 business days for the NVC to complete the review.". Anyone know if that changed from 60 to 30 days? Or is it just 30 days for the DS260 to be reviewed, but will be an additional 30 days more to review the rest of the paperwork?

[Steveventure 0]

I just spoke with NVC yesterday and after paying for AOS. They advised that I could send both AOS and NVC packet together with just the cover sheet from paying AOS. I kept reminding that I hadn’t paid NVC fees yet. But they assured me that I could do that later. Is that true? I don’t want to have unnecessary delays, but also don’t want to risk any confusion or loss of original documents.

I also asked about the time-lines. He advised that email processing takes 30 days, whereas mail in packet takes 60 days to review and process.However, I really wonder if they are simply throwing out those numbers to keep us off their backs and calls to a minimum. After calling and learning that NVC had just gotten my packet, they advised me that it would take at least a month to get a case number. I got email with case number just 13 days later (and should have called daily since I note that the case number was assigned three days earlier than the email. After completing the DS-261 on 10/2/14, I called and was advised that it would be about 30 days before I’d get portal open for payment of fees. However I was able to pay AOS the next day. So I seriously wonder if NVC simply puts out the longest possible time-line simply to keep us off their backs. What has been the experience of others in terms of length of time from packet submission to request for scheduling interview?

[DeW_DrOpS 21]

I just spoke with NVC yesterday and after paying for AOS. They advised that I could send both AOS and NVC packet together with just the cover sheet from paying AOS. I kept reminding that I hadn’t paid NVC fees yet. But they assured me that I could do that later. Is that true? I don’t want to have unnecessary delays, but also don’t want to risk any confusion or loss of original documents.

I also asked about the time-lines. He advised that email processing takes 30 days, whereas mail in packet takes 60 days to review and process.However, I really wonder if they are simply throwing out those numbers to keep us off their backs and calls to a minimum. After calling and learning that NVC had just gotten my packet, they advised me that it would take at least a month to get a case number. I got email with case number just 13 days later (and should have called daily since I note that the case number was assigned three days earlier than the email. After completing the DS-261 on 10/2/14, I called and was advised that it would be about 30 days before I’d get portal open for payment of fees. However I was able to pay AOS the next day. So I seriously wonder if NVC simply puts out the longest possible time-line simply to keep us off their backs. What has been the experience of others in terms of length of time from packet submission to request for scheduling interview?

Can u please tell at which address do we have to send the AOS & IV Docs......??

R the addresses same for both or different??

And do we have to send the docs at the address mentioned on barcoded cover sheet that we recieve after fee payment.....if yes can u please mention the address ..........Thanks

[Steveventure 0]

NVC says that all materials are sent to the one address on the coversheet:

National Visa Center

Attn. CMR AOS

31 Rochester Avenue Suite 100

Portsmouth, NH 03801-2914

I still don't have the NVC cover sheet (as fee portal isn't there yet). But NVC told me it was the same address. If AOS and NVC packet are sent together, they said to send them each in separate labeled packet, one for AOS and one for NVC, and then put both of these in envelope which is addressed to the above address. For my NVC packet they said I could just use the bar code sheet that I got for the AOS.

[Aira & Ryan 0]

I just spoke with NVC yesterday and after paying for AOS. They advised that I could send both AOS and NVC packet together with just the cover sheet from paying AOS. I kept reminding that I hadn’t paid NVC fees yet. But they assured me that I could do that later. Is that true? I don’t want to have unnecessary delays, but also don’t want to risk any confusion or loss of original documents.

I also asked about the time-lines. He advised that email processing takes 30 days, whereas mail in packet takes 60 days to review and process.However, I really wonder if they are simply throwing out those numbers to keep us off their backs and calls to a minimum. After calling and learning that NVC had just gotten my packet, they advised me that it would take at least a month to get a case number. I got email with case number just 13 days later (and should have called daily since I note that the case number was assigned three days earlier than the email. After completing the DS-261 on 10/2/14, I called and was advised that it would be about 30 days before I’d get portal open for payment of fees. However I was able to pay AOS the next day. So I seriously wonder if NVC simply puts out the longest possible time-line simply to keep us off their backs. What has been the experience of others in terms of length of time from packet submission to request for scheduling interview?

I also found that the times it actually takes them seem to be shorter than what they say to expect. That being said, I just got an email a few days ago saying:

"We are currently receiving an increased number of approved petitions from U.S. Citizenship andImmigration Services. As a result, we are experiencing increased review times for documents received.

We expect it will be at least 60 days from the date we received your mail before we complete thereview of your documents. We will notify you when we review your documents.

We are working to reduce these processing times and we appreciate your patience."

Hopefully it goes faster than 60 days, like all the other processes for us so far have been

By the way, I believe that if you call in to the NVC, you can have the person you talk to manually enter the agent of choice info from the DS261. If you do that, you should get the IV bill a couple days later! At least that's what happened for us

[brownbella 13]

We sent them together. Just made 2 paper clipped packets, each with a cover sheet. That way, we saved on priority mail shipping. There was no problem sending them together.

[Amy8582 0]

Hi guys, i understand that you can send aof and iv package together, but on my aof check list is same address but different attn from my iv receipt. Should i still send them together or separate to the correct attn... I have included all my documents again in my aof package and im scared if i send them together that i will duplicate the work...

Thank you who ever is willing to help...

[Steveventure 0]

I made several calls on this issue to make sure I was getting a consistent answers on this. Some of these operators are clueless! One said they'd never heard of the bar-code check sheet they send for both AOS and IV package, insisting that all they give us is a coversheet. The consistent message is that they want OAS and IV documents to be sent together. They advised all could be sent off immediately after paying for AOS, using the same over sheet for both, before even paying the IV fee, or completing the DS-260.

I arranged the packets as follows: I clipped all AOS documents together with bar-code cover sheet on top, and I did the same for the IV packet. The I clipped the two together with a big clip, and on top of all, had an intro cover letter and topping it all was their check sheet reviewing all the materials for both AOS and IV packets.

Also, if you have more than one family member, each with their I-130, they each need to have their own separate package. I had four packages, each with OAS and IV, each in their own envelopes and then sent all in a box to the usual address.

[Steveventure 0]

Forgot....I addressed all to: Attn: CMR AOS and DR. They said it that attention didn't matter that much, as it all goes to the same place. I got the idea they want to streamline all, and have just one fee and one packet eventually.