Question about NVC and changing lawyer

[TNQA0327 3]

Hello all, my case was approved by UCSIS on Sept. 11 and sent to NVC. I called NCV through out this past week and found out that the NVC assigned case number and mailed welcome letter to my lawyer on Oct. 9th. i was also given an invoice number by the rep and was able to see that the bill for AOS is available.

It been 2 weeks already and my lawyer said he still havent recieve anything from the NVC. When I called my lawyer again to day, he was very rude and angry at me for contacting the NVC he even said that if I know everything I should take over and work on my case from here on out.

With all that said I would like to ask VJ 2 questions:

1. Anyone else not recieving welcome letter after 2-3 weeks of case # assigned?

2. At this stage in the process is it wise to switch lawyer? will it be a an easy transition? will it cause any delay?

thank you all and God bless!

Edited October 25, 2014 by TNQA0327

[dwheels76 5,468]

Hello all, my case was approved by UCSIS on Sept. 11 and sent to NVC. I called NCV through out this past week and found out that the NVC assigned case number and mailed welcome letter to my lawyer on Oct. 9th. i was also given an invoice number by the rep and was able to see that the bill for AOS is available.

It been 2 weeks already and my lawyer said he still havent recieve anything from the NVC. When I called my lawyer again to day, he was very rude and angry at me for contacting the NVC he even said that if I know everything I should take over and work on my case from here on out.

With all that said I would like to ask VJ 2 questions:

1. Anyone else not recieving welcome letter after 2-3 weeks of case # assigned?

2. At this stage in the process is it wise to switch lawyer? will it be a an easy transition? will it cause any delay?

thank you all and God bless!

Considering how long already the NVC process is your lawyer has been sitting and doing nothing why?

When you called NVC did you also add the petitioner and beneficiary email so you all get notification on everything? If not why?

Having a lawyer or not having a lawyer is your call. Is there a reason you felt you needed one? Do you have a complicated case? Are you going to need to file a waiver later?

If you read NVC and follow the NVC filers thread and have and the NVC process wiki you will know all you need to know and I am sure more than the lawyer.

To have them removed requires a email from you to NVC telling them he needs to be removed from your case and no further mailings to him. You call also to follow up. Delay your process no but you need to give NVC your emails.

[TNQA0327 3]

Considering how long already the NVC process is your lawyer has been sitting and doing nothing why?

When you called NVC did you also add the petitioner and beneficiary email so you all get notification on everything? If not why?

Having a lawyer or not having a lawyer is your call. Is there a reason you felt you needed one? Do you have a complicated case? Are you going to need to file a waiver later?

If you read NVC and follow the NVC filers thread and have and the NVC process wiki you will know all you need to know and I am sure more than the lawyer.

To have them removed requires a email from you to NVC telling them he needs to be removed from your case and no further mailings to him. You call also to follow up. Delay your process no but you need to give NVC your emails.

dhweels, thank you for your reply. To answers your questions:

The lawyer told me he will contact me when he recieve the welcome letter from NVC but it doesnt seem like he care about my case at all, there was no sense of urgency in him. I told him i called NVC and that they sent him a welcome letter on the 9th but he said they may have lied and that the letter probably still sitting on some one's desk at NVC.

the last time i spoke with an nvc agent (2 days ago) i did provide them with my email but not my wife's.

i hired a lawyer because when i begin this process back in march i did not know about VJ and the Visa process. My case is pretty straight forward, young couple in love, no prior marrige, large weeding, constant contact.

I am not sure what you mean by file a waiver?

after being on VJ for a few months and reading the wiki countless time i am beingining to feel very confidence that i can finish the process if necessary

if i remove the lawyer from my case do i have to then file a DS-261?

Edited October 25, 2014 by TNQA0327

[XXXYYYZZZ 20]

A waiver is if the beneficiary has something on record that could get a visa denied ie a tourist visa overstay in the US.

The NVC went all electronic last year. If you have the case # and invoice id you can log on yourself and do all the work from your computer. Usually the first thing you would do is log on and complete the choice of agent which it says for the beneficiary to complete but you can do it and make yourself agent. I don't know how it works when a lawyer is already involved.

[TNQA0327 3]

A waiver is if the beneficiary has something on record that could get a visa denied ie a tourist visa overstay in the US.

Thank you XYZ!

I have some more questions for VJs

1. My wife is from Vietnam do I need to send in our original or certified copy of marriage certificate?

2. Some documents require translation such as birth cer, marriage cer, and police cer. but I don't think certified document translators in the US exist? Can anyone translate the document and just sign it?

3. For the AOS package, I have the most recent transcript (2013), W-2, and paystubs for the last 3 paid period. Is that enough or do I need 3 to include tax return from the past 3 years as well? This can be a problem because I did work in 2011 and 2012.

4. What constitute a house hold according to NVC? I live with my parents but they don't claim me on their tax return. I am an independent but we live in the same house.

5. Lastly, as of Oct. 2014, can we send in AOS and IV package to NVC at the same time and maybe in the same package?

Thank you

Edited October 26, 2014 by TNQA0327

[Ryan H 3,812]

Thank you XYZ!

I have some more questions for VJs

1. My wife is from Vietnam do I need to send in our original or certified copy of marriage certificate?

2. Some documents require translation such as birth cer, marriage cer, and police cer. but I don't think certified document translators in the US exist? Can anyone translate the document and just sign it?

3. For the AOS package, I have the most recent transcript (2013), W-2, and paystubs for the last 3 paid period. Is that enough or do I need 3 to include tax return from the past 3 years as well? This can be a problem because I did work in 2011 and 2012.

4. What constitute a house hold according to NVC? I live with my parents but they don't claim me on their tax return. I am an independent but we live in the same house.

5. Lastly, as of Oct. 2014, can we send in AOS and IV package to NVC at the same time and maybe in the same package?

Thank you

Answers:

1. Send the original AND a photocopy, this is so you will get the original back.
2. Vietnam specific answer needed
3. If you use transcripts, then you don't need the W2. The NVC usually only requires the most recent but some Consulates want more. Another Vietnam specific answer is needed here.
4. Your parents are not included in your household count. You only count yourself and your spouse (2).
5. People who have recently filed should answer, I don't want to give you a bum steer one way or the other.

[TNQA0327 3]

Thank you Ryan!

I was worry about having a large house hold and not enough income but your answer put me at ease!

You mentioned that if we send in the original we will get it back at some point? do you know when and how we get it back?

Edited October 26, 2014 by TNQA0327

[Ryan H 3,812]

You mentioned that if we send in the original we will get it back at some point? do you know when and how we get it back?

It is usually returned at the interview.

[JRF 117]

Thank you XYZ!

I have some more questions for VJs

1. My wife is from Vietnam do I need to send in our original or certified copy of marriage certificate?

2. Some documents require translation such as birth cer, marriage cer, and police cer. but I don't think certified document translators in the US exist? Can anyone translate the document and just sign it?

3. For the AOS package, I have the most recent transcript (2013), W-2, and paystubs for the last 3 paid period. Is that enough or do I need 3 to include tax return from the past 3 years as well? This can be a problem because I did work in 2011 and 2012.

4. What constitute a house hold according to NVC? I live with my parents but they don't claim me on their tax return. I am an independent but we live in the same house.

5. Lastly, as of Oct. 2014, can we send in AOS and IV package to NVC at the same time and maybe in the same package?

Thank you

Re question #2 above, anyone with a sufficiently competent understanding of Vietnamese can translate documents. I had some documents translated by a co-worker, some I did myself (haha). You can search through VJ for a letter the individual doing the translating can create, in which they state their competency in both English and Vietnamese. Alternatively, my wife had translations prepared in Vietnam that were stamped (like everything else there it seems) and this stamp also seemed to work.

In summary...as long as the translation is good you should be fine. No need to certify anything beyond what I mention, above.

Best of luck!

[TNQA0327 3]

In summary...as long as the translation is good you should be fine. No need to certify anything beyond what I mention, above.

Best of luck!

Thank you JRF!

Awesome profile picture! My wife and I also wear the traditional ao dai for our wedding

[TNQA0327 3]

Guys, I just got off the phone with an NVC agent and let me just say that he was excellent and extremely helpful.

So a little update:

1. dwheels was correct. All I need to do is send NVC an email stating i want to remove the attorney and it will be done.

2. I am not sure if VJs are aware of this but: When they say they need a translation of a document what they really mean is they only need it if the document is in a different language than the official language that the beneficiary is applying the visa for. So for my wife's documents' original form being Vietnamese and she is applying for a visa from Vietnam they will not need to be translated.

3. The agent recommended that we not staple our papers together (if more than one sheet per doc) but instead we should use paper clips.

4. This is for Ryan H and anyone who maybe curious: Yes, we now can and should send both AOS and IV together in the same mailing envelope. Maybe you can place the packages in separate manila envelopes inside the mailing envelope to avoid confusion. This question was confirmed by the agent.

Edited October 28, 2014 by TNQA0327

[TNQA0327 3]

Hello again everybody,

So I've just paid both my AOS and IV bills. My next step is to send NVC the package but I notice that on NVC's website it stated that we should use ATT:CR, however, in in the recipe with barcode of both bills it stated that we should use ATT:CMR. which is the correct one? I included the screenshots below: