Problem If I Don't Get NOA1 Hard Copy? [split topic]

[AmandaLane102 3]

if I received my receipt notice via e-mail but listed my mailing address in Namibia (Africa) where our postal system is completely unreliable and if I don't get my NOA1 hard copy is that a problem?

[AmandaLane102 3]

Hi guys,

I filed the I-130 and received an e-mail notification that it was received. It is showing up as "initial review" on the website. I was under the impression in filing that if I filed the e-notification form that all correspondence would be done via Internet but now I see that the hard copy of the NOA1 and NOA2 provides more information and I doubt I will ever receive this as our postal system abroad is extremely unreliable. What should I do??? Is there anything I will be missing out on receiving a hard copy of? For example if I do get an RFE, will they inform me of this via e-mail or snail mail? Is there any way I can change my correspondence to my parent's address in the States? I am in a panic because I thought we wouldn't have to rely on anything via postal system. . .

[Deagle 508]

as you mentioned before your father i guess is in the US, use his mailing address there and later he can mail you the received documents via private shipping companies (DHL,FEDEX,UPS...)

[AmandaLane102 3]

as you mentioned before your father i guess is in the US, use his mailing address there and later he can mail you the received documents via private shipping companies (DHL,FEDEX,UPS...)

But there was no option for listing my father's U.S. address as a mailing address on the I-130. . . It only asked me for my residence and I put my residence in Namibia since all the evidence I was sending in relied on my being in Namibia living with my husband. So my dad's address is nowhere in file for the I-130 and if I submit a "change of address" online, I am nervous that this will conflict with the foreign address I have provided on the I-130 form???

What exactly needs to be sent to me through standard mail - isn't it true that everything can be received via e-mail notifications and checking the case updates online?

[AmandaLane102 3]

Also I was under the impression that any forms I need to fill out in the future for NVC can be downloaded offline, is this true?

[teddy k 35]

Hi, my wife is in the Philippines just as bad as your place but as long as you listed an email address on your i-130 you will get an email first telling you what the letter says then you wait for the letter in the main if it ever makes it but good luck on your journey

[Boggy1974 124]

#1. AmandaLane102, please NO need to panic at this early in your process. Immigration is stressful enough so calm yourself down and take the best advice given.

#2. Please do not start different threads on the same issue.

#3. Yes you can download all the NVC forms online. The new forms are fillable online to be submitted to NVC.

#4. Regarding the confusion with your "residence address", as a lot of the members already pointed out, you can track or check the status of your case with USCIS. You will get notifications through email if you sent an email with your petition.

At the NVC state you can check your case status also.

#5. As said earlier in your other posts, USCIS will 'forward' your email address along with other pertinent info to NVC when your case is approved. It is from your case info sent from uscis that NVC will get your email to contact you.

#6. About the section of the I-130form where there's residence addresss and where you want your mail received. You could have put down your parents address in the US so your approval notice or RFE notice should go instead. Since this is already done, no need to panic. You can still make that change on the uscis website. But as to whether this new change would be updated on your casefile is another thing altogether, knowing how uscis processes can be inconsistent.

I had tom move during my petition stage. I did a change of address online. I called to update the new address also. Yet our approval notice (NOA2) went to the old address. The only reason why I got it is because I knew and contacted the new occupant for it. Look on my page here for more info. So changing your address can be a crab shoot. But I would advice that you change where you will receive your mail online to reflect your parents address in the US.

Good luck!

[AmandaLane102 3]

#1. AmandaLane102, please NO need to panic at this early in your process. Immigration is stressful enough so calm yourself down and take the best advice given.

#2. Please do not start different threads on the same issue.

#3. Yes you can download all the NVC forms online. The new forms are fillable online to be submitted to NVC.

#4. Regarding the confusion with your "residence address", as a lot of the members already pointed out, you can track or check the status of your case with USCIS. You will get notifications through email if you sent an email with your petition.

At the NVC state you can check your case status also.

#5. As said earlier in your other posts, USCIS will 'forward' your email address along with other pertinent info to NVC when your case is approved. It is from your case info sent from uscis that NVC will get your email to contact you.

#6. About the section of the I-130form where there's residence addresss and where you want your mail received. You could have put down your parents address in the US so your approval notice or RFE notice should go instead. Since this is already done, no need to panic. You can still make that change on the uscis website. But as to whether this new change would be updated on your casefile is another thing altogether, knowing how uscis processes can be inconsistent.

I had tom move during my petition stage. I did a change of address online. I called to update the new address also. Yet our approval notice (NOA2) went to the old address. The only reason why I got it is because I knew and contacted the new occupant for it. Look on my page here for more info. So changing your address can be a crab shoot. But I would advice that you change where you will receive your mail online to reflect your parents address in the US.

Good luck!

Ok, thank you very much. So if I do change my address online, they simply use this address as a mailing address and not an indication that I have moved from Namibia back to the States? I remain confused about that one point because to me, either they are asking for your address for mailing purposes, or they are asking for your address to see where you reside, and I want them to know that I reside with my spouse to support my claim that this is a bona fide relationship. Everything I had read when filling out the I-130 said that if you live with your spouse, show you live with your spouse and that your addresses are the same (as I said, I have even submitted a lease agreement in Namibia with my name in it). Hope that makes sense.

I also do not want them to have conflicting information (i.e. my claim that I live abroad with my spouse but providing a u.s. address) - would that be a problem?

But if they won't do anything with my change of address except use it for mailing purposes, then I will change it to a U.S. address. . .

Edited October 21, 2014 by AmandaLane102

[Boggy1974 124]

Yes that is correct. If you change your address, the change is for mailing/contacting you purposes. That's what exactly happened with our case. You're NOT going to be penalized or questioned why your address change "conflicted" with some of the evidence you had submitted. I think you're over-thinking this issue (However, I understand your concern/you make sense. But note you already sent your petition so you can't overly worry over something which is out of your control now). What you CAN control is make that address change online and hopefully it gets updated on your casefile.

A claim of bona fide relationship can be proven with using several evidences. Check on this website to see more for yourself. Yes, you have submitted a lease to prove you live with your husband in Namibia but that does NOT stop you from making a change of address to receive your mail in the US. It also does NOT stop you from making a change of address for communication or contacting purposes with USCIS. USCIS understand foreign mail systems can be inconsistent and unreliable. Please note your issue is not entirely unique and that lots of folks do a change of address or go through what you're dealing with now.

No I do not think your change of address will present a problem. I also do not think it would be construed as you presenting "conflicting information". People change their addresses all the time after filing the petition.

This is irrelevant since you already submitted your petition. But I think you should have entered your parents address in section B-2 of the I-130 form. Then you would enter your beneficiary's address in section C-18. You then enter your address in Nambia in section C-19. If you wanted this to help "prove" that you live together in Namibia, you would enter it in section C-21 and state time: "From to Present". But this is all water under the bridge now. So deal with what you can control and go ahead to make that address change online to reflect your parents home in the US. You can only hope it get matched to your casefile.

My very best to you!

Ok, thank you very much. So if I do change my address online, they simply use this address as a mailing address and not an indication that I have moved from Namibia back to the States? I remain confused about that one point because to me, either they are asking for your address for mailing purposes, or they are asking for your address to see where you reside, and I want them to know that I reside with my spouse to support my claim that this is a bona fide relationship. Everything I had read when filling out the I-130 said that if you live with your spouse, show you live with your spouse and that your addresses are the same (as I said, I have even submitted a lease agreement in Namibia with my name in it). Hope that makes sense.

I also do not want them to have conflicting information (i.e. my claim that I live abroad with my spouse but providing a u.s. address) - would that be a problem?

But if they won't do anything with my change of address except use it for mailing purposes, then I will change it to a U.S. address. . .

[AmandaLane102 3]

Awesome - just one more question for you then. Regardless of whether I go through with the address change, IF I never receive my NOA2 as a hard copy for whatever reason - is that problematic in the future? Will I ever need my hard copy NOA2 for any reason (i.e. to show at the interview or to include in the AOS package) or is it completely irrelevant if I have it on hand as long as the NVC receives my case? If there is no need for the NOA2 hard copy to reach me then I may leave my address as is so as not to complicate matters. . .

Yes that is correct. If you change your address, the change is for mailing/contacting you purposes. That's what exactly happened with our case. You're NOT going to be penalized or questioned why your address change "conflicted" with some of the evidence you had submitted. I think you're over-thinking this issue (However, I understand your concern/you make sense. But note you already sent your petition so you can't overly worry over something which is out of your control now). What you CAN control is make that address change online and hopefully it gets updated on your casefile.

A claim of bona fide relationship can be proven with using several evidences. Check on this website to see more for yourself. Yes, you have submitted a lease to prove you live with your husband in Namibia but that does NOT stop you from making a change of address to receive your mail in the US. It also does NOT stop you from making a change of address for communication or contacting purposes with USCIS. USCIS understand foreign mail systems can be inconsistent and unreliable. Please note your issue is not entirely unique and that lots of folks do a change of address or go through what you're dealing with now.

No I do not think your change of address will present a problem. I also do not think it would be construed as you presenting "conflicting information". People change their addresses all the time after filing the petition.

This is irrelevant since you already submitted your petition. But I think you should have entered your parents address in section B-2 of the I-130 form. Then you would enter your beneficiary's address in section C-18. You then enter your address in Nambia in section C-19. If you wanted this to help "prove" that you live together in Namibia, you would enter it in section C-21 and state time: "From to Present". But this is all water under the bridge now. So deal with what you can control and go ahead to make that address change online to reflect your parents home in the US. You can only hope it get matched to your casefile.

My very best to you!

[TBoneTX 45,267]

*** Thread moved from CR-1 Process forum to CR-1 Case Progress subforum and merged with existing thread (recently split from a zombie thread). Please post just once on a topic. ***

[Boggy1974 124]

Please see my response embeded in red. Good luck!

Awesome - just one more question for you then. Regardless of whether I go through with the address change, IF I never receive my NOA2 as a hard copy for whatever reason - is that problematic in the future? No. It was not a problem and we were NOT ever asked about NOA2 after approval, whether by NVC or at the Embassy. Will I ever need my hard copy NOA2 for any reason (i.e. to show at the interview or to include in the AOS package) or is it completely irrelevant if I have it on hand as long as the NVC receives my case? No. You and your spouse are going through the CR1/IR1 visa route. The NOA2 will be for your record purposes. As long as NVC receives your case after approval, you will not need it (NOA2). If there is no need for the NOA2 hard copy to reach me then I may leave my address as is so as not to complicate matters. . .This is a personal decision. You can leave it as is, as long as you can receive text, email notification and you can track case status you will be ok. (but the caveat is: Let's say you get a RFE, you will need that hardcopy notice to know exactly what you need to address in the RFE). So bear that in mind when you make that decision. Good luck.

[Boggy1974 124]

Just a quick addition. I think I would leave it as is, as you say ONLY if I am certain of a one shot approval and I can track my case status via text, email and online at uscis.gov website.

Also, if I filled all my forms to the 'T' and dotted all my i's and submitted all the requisite evidence and know I did everything 100% correctly, then I would leave it as is.

[AmandaLane102 3]

Thank you a million for your replies and help!!!!!!!! I will leave it as is. I am *hoping* for a relatively quick approval since I filed from abroad and that seems to be the case, so if I still don't hear anything in a month or two, I will change the address.

If I do receive an RFE (and therefore need to change my address for the hard copy), that should reflect on my case status online or I will get e-mail notification of it, correct? Then I will have to deal with changing the address but I did put painstaking effort into the I-130 and submitted a library of evidence so I am not expecting one. . .

Edited October 21, 2014 by AmandaLane102

[Boggy1974 124]

From what you have said, I think leave as it is.

Yes correct. You will get email notification, text and with option for online status check in case of RFE (but knock on wood, you should get straight approval per below). The time lag between when a RFE is issued and one checking online to see it and then change address to receive it may too late. But from what you've said, I think you should leave it alone.

Thank you a million for your replies and help!!!!!!!! I will leave it as is. I am *hoping* for a relatively quick approval since I filed from abroad and that seems to be the case, so if I still don't hear anything in a month or two, I will change the address.

If I do receive an RFE (and therefore need to change my address for the hard copy), that should reflect on my case status online or I will get e-mail notification of it, correct? Then I will have to deal with changing the address but I did put painstaking effort into the I-130 and submitted a library of evidence so I am not expecting one. . .