November 2014 Filers (I-130 Petition) IR1 / CR1 Spouse Visa Process

[mbalih 35]

There is no way to tell until he files the petition and you see what service center it gets sent to.. but on avaerage it is 8 months - 12 months or more....

Again.......... it all depends on where it goes.................Every case is different..

Agreed, every case is different. I guess the process will start in 2 weeks after he has filed the paperwork.

Thanks a lot for the update.

[tonyphils 0]

finally got through to nvc...my case was received 22 DEC....I have to give 42 days before I get a case number.

this is obviously going to be a long process!

[Kels2487 96]

Yup!! Waiting for the case # has been a struggle for me. I have had everything ready to ship to NVC since our NOA2....it is frustrating.

Good luck! Hope they speed up.

[CanadianGirl123 31]

tonyphils: I just talked to them last night and mine was received December 23. I got the same speech about 42 days...seems so long! I am hoping it won't actually take that long. I'll be waiting to hear when you get your number because I will be right behind you!! Good luck!

[cherryL 1]

same here.. case was received Dec 18 and have to wait 42 days.. So we all have to wait til the end of January just to get that number.. I got everything ready to send too. I hope once we get it, it goes a little faster.. sigh...

[ABDyJLSO 9]

I'm in the same boat here. NVC received December 17 and waiting for a case number. Glad to have found people with similar dates!

[KAR_SAT 20]

Hi all,

I'm also in the same boat.Case received NVC Dec 23rd.Waiting for case number ..Hope will get it by next week..Please update....Good luck all

[Kels2487 96]

Good luck everyone!! I am going to call again tomorrow so I'll keep you all updated We will get through this! (repeat.....repeat....repeat)

[cherryL 1]

27 days since NVC received. Called today and still nothing.

[CanadianGirl123 31]

Thanks for the update, cherryL! It is so frustrating how long it takes for one silly number!

[RKD314 2]

Hello everyone,

I'm a USC living abroad with my foreign spouse. I filed the i-130 via the Chicago lockbox and received an email on 10/25 saying that USCIS had accepted my case. NOA1 arrived by mail a few days later. The case was sent to the California Service Center.

I haven't heard anything from USCIS since then, and checking the status online shows that the case hasn't been touched since 10/27. I know that we're right now at just about 3 months, so still quite a bit of time shy of the 5 month expectations they list, but it seems that this amount of time is unusual in my circumstance (USC living abroad, case sent to CSC).

I'm worried about whether this is in fact abnormal, and if I should do anything? I don't know if making an expedite request makes sense, I guess I could claim financial hardship since it is indeed difficult on us financially not having any idea how fast the GC timeline will progress, and trying to line up employment in the US in accordance with that.

I'm worried maybe I didn't send enough proof of relationship, and if it means we will get an RFE. Since then I've realized further proof I could have given, should I try to contact the service center and preemptively give more evidence, or is that just going to make the delay worse?

Any advice or thoughts on the situation (even if it's just "chill out and wait!") is very much appreciated! Thanks.

[cherryL 1]

Hi RDK

I don't there's anything usual regarding USCIS.. Some USC living abroad do get their case approved faster (like my husband for my I130). here's the thread : http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/357465-usc-petitioner-living-abroad/page-43#entry7401264

But seems like sometimes it just takes up to 5 months. I'm not sure an expedite request would work. I saw it was accepted only in case of job loss and stuff like that.

What proof of relationship did you send?

[CanadianGirl123 31]

I think you should definitely call the service center. Make sure that they received your package and it didn't get lost along the way. It doesn't seem normal at all that it has taken this long. CSC has been approving petitions in a few weeks not a few months (I didn't go through CSC but just know from others' stories on here). Good luck!

[RKD314 2]

Hi cherryL, I sent:

Proof that I'm a USC: I think this should have been sufficient, a certified copy of my birth certificate, plus a copy of my passport photo and info page.

Proof that my husband and I are married: A copy of our marriage certificate, along with a translation, and certification statement from translator.

Proof of the bona fides of our marriage: This is where I'm getting worried. We've been married since Sept. 2011 (3 years by the time I sent the i-130 package), and we have a child together. I sent a copy of her birth certificate (already in English), and a copy of her US passport photo and info page.

At the time I thought that 3 years of marriage and a kid would be enough proof, and so I was more worried about getting the application filed ASAP instead of spending more time finding and getting translated other supporting evidence. Now I'm realizing that there are things we could have sent that wouldn't have required extra time in translation, but would have given support to the case:

1) copies of stamps from my passport showing that I've visited his home country 8 times since we started our relationship (1-2 times a year)

2) photographs showing the progression of our relationship and important events (attending family weddings together, our wedding, birth of our child)

3) explanation of how we met (grad school program) and proof that we did attend the same grad school at the same time (copies of diplomas, for example)

4) affadavits (though I've heard they are not strong proof)

We have a shared lease for the past 3 years, but it is not in English so I'd have to get it translated. Recently we did obtain life insurance policies (after the i-130 was sent) with each other as beneficiaries, that I could send too.

I doubt that any kind of security clearance is an issue, my husband had a student visa all throughout grad school, and got a 5 year B visa about 2 years ago. That visa is still valid. He's never overstayed, has no criminal record.

I am thinking of calling or emailing the service center and asking if I should send more material, I don't know if I'd have any luck actually talking to someone though. I think they must have received the packet, as I received NOA1, right?

[Ola123 0]

I think u should call ur service center ..I know California center approve couple living abroad faster than us in Nebraska ...am also moving towards 3month cause my wife lives in states while I live abroad ..hopefully good news soon