All Japan Filers

[Moltar 0]

55_buckeyes: Hai, shimashita! Dou itashimashita.

dbzman: I don't know how long it took for the embassy to get my fiancee her packet 3 after the embassy received the case from the NVC. If I guessed, I would say no longer than a week. They were pretty fast, it seemed, compared to the rest of the process before...

My fiancee requested an interview date. And with a CR-1, I don't know what they would send, but I'm sure that they would be sending something.

[Justin and Masako 0]

We just had our check cashed from the Chicago Lockbox yesterday (2/7/2008) and we should see our NOA 1 coming soon I hope.

The details:

Mailed (USPS Express mail): 12/24/2007

Received and signed by USCIS Chicago Lockbox: 12/26/2007

Check cashed: 2/7/2008

NOA 1 arrived: Not Yet

So it was 43 days (unless I miss counted) from the receipt of the I-130 petition to the check being cashed. I hope this info can help others with expected time lines, just remember "mileage may vary".

[Cassandra+Yuibi 0]

Hello everyone!

It's good to see the Japan Filers thread is so active these days!

Yuibi and I are moving along in the process still- we applied in January for his Green Card and it seems like they are moving along much faster than expected. We already received a Biometrics appointment (which is at a USCIS office MUCH closer to our city than our 'local' District Office of El Paso) and this process looks to be much less stressful than the K-1 process. It gets much easier once you finally have your loved one with you.

As for where they do interviews. I was under the impression that they did interviews at 2 or three different consulates depending on where in Japan you were living. If I'm not mistaken there was one in Nara, Osaka/Kobe, and Tokyo. Yuibi lived in Saitama, so he went to Tokyo with no trouble. Perhaps though, they changed where they could do interviews. Things seem to change so much in the immigration world that's its hard to keep up.

[takuhi 0]

Finally got our packet 3!

I was going over the embassy web page rules, and noticed the part about having to get all foreign language documents translated. I'm sure we can handle her birth certificate, but what other documents require translation? You aren't even allowed to open the police certificate, right, so I imagine we wouldn't be expected to translate that? Anything I'm not considering that I should be?

Thanks!

[Moltar 0]

Finally got our packet 3!

I was going over the embassy web page rules, and noticed the part about having to get all foreign language documents translated. I'm sure we can handle her birth certificate, but what other documents require translation? You aren't even allowed to open the police certificate, right, so I imagine we wouldn't be expected to translate that? Anything I'm not considering that I should be?

Thanks!

Hey takuhi,

The only things that I can think of that needed translations were the family register and any divorce documents. Have a look in the guides section, just to be sure.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;page=guides

Also, the packet 3 should come with all the instructions your beneficiary will need, written in both English and Japanese. Those instructions will tell you what documents you need translated.

Good luck, and congratulations on your packet 3!

[Justin and Masako 0]

Yesterday when I got home from work our NOA 1 was there waiting for me!

So now just the wait until NOA 2 and hopefully no RFEs.

The receipting date on the NOA 1 is Feb. 5th, 2008.

[Uncle Wally 2]

Good stuff, brother.

Hope ours is soon to follow.

[Masha2008 0]

Hi everyone, how are you? I still have been waiting for my noa2. This is really crazy. It has been over 6 months and at the end of this month, it will be 7 months. I have no idea what's going on. He called USCIS date before yesterday and the lady told him that we should be approved within a few weeks. Well, ok, a few weeks, what does it mean? 6-7 weeks? We are planning to marry in June, and I am really tired of waiting.

[Moltar 0]

Hey sunshine,

Sorry to hear about that girl! Well, if you're sure that there's no reason to hold the process up (as I've read in a post you made recently), then maybe they've just run into a lot of road blocks because of a name match, or something else, and they've had to do more research. If you don't get anything after two weeks from when he made the call to the USCIS, I would call them again. Just make sure that he is calm with them. And if you two aren't satisfied with the answers from that second call, he should contact his congressman to get a "congressional" going on your case. It's been long enough, IMO.

If your stuffs clean, and you know his is too, then it is just a matter of time... it will happen.

Ganbatte!

[Uncle Wally 2]

Got our NOA1 in the mail today from the Vermont Service Center.

[Amastar 0]

Kinda slow to reply because I'm in Tokyo now visiting my wife but just wanted to post that I got my NOA1 on Feb. 13th

I still can't track it online though.

Really excited about what comes next!

[Justin and Masako 0]

Kinda slow to reply because I'm in Tokyo now visiting my wife but just wanted to post that I got my NOA1 on Feb. 13th

I still can't track it online though.

Really excited about what comes next!

Our online tracking didn't work right away either, just give it a few days and it should show up.

Also おめでとございます、on recieving your NOA 1!

That goes for you too Uncle_Wally!

[Moltar 0]

All right, we got approved at the embassy! B)

She got there 40 minutes before her scheduled interview time. Loads of security. They made her leave her keitai and her passport at the entrance. She used an ATM thing near the entrance to pay for her application fee. They gave her a number, and told her to wait. Almost as soon as she sat down, they called her number and instructed her to go to window #1. There, a Japanese lady took all of her paperwork. After that, they took her finger prints. She said it didn't seem like they were taking anyone else's fingerprints, so we assume that they took them to verify her identity since she had a previous pending AoS case with her ex many years ago. Since her daughter is USC, they asked for her US passport, and then asked her to be seated until her interview.

An hour after her scheduled appointment, she was called up to window #10. There were 3 windows for interviews. There was a younger American man at the window that she was called to. He told her that he was impressed with how quickly our application went through (I'm assuming he meant petition), and checked her fingerprints. He then asked her the following questions:

• Is the name of the USC you intend to marry [Petitioner's Name]?
• What is your fiance's occupation?
• How did you and your fiance meet?
• Have you met your fiance's family?

He then took a copy of my divorce decree (good thing I sent her a copy, just in case, because for some reason he didn't have a copy from USCIS), my updated letter of intent to marry, then had her sign a document stating that she had completed the visa application process and that her visa has been approved. He said that we should get the visa in the mail within a week. The interview lasted 30 minutes.

Also wanted to mention, I sent copies of everything to my fiancee. My signed bank statements, my letter from my employer, my affidavit of support, and updated letter of intent to marry - all duplicates - and they were accepted by the embassy/interviewer. Though, I sent the originals just in case... even though they arrived at her house while she was on the shinkansen coming back home. (^-^; The interviewer gave her back the documents he didn't need and all pictures that I had sent to her for the interview.

Now we just wait for the visa to come in, pack my bags, and enjoy a nice 2 week vacation before bringing the girls home at the end of March. It's been quite a journey.

[Justin and Masako 0]

Hi all,

My wife is coming to visit me from March 5th through the 11th. Shes taking the shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo and flying directly from Narita to the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport so that I can be there in case of some issue at immigration. She will have a copy of our NOA1, her employment certificate, a letter from her boss (in English) stating that she has vacation leave and will return to work on the 13th, she will also have her employee ID badge and of course a return ticket. I am really hoping that none of this will be necessary but we don't want to take any chances. These things were on the recommendation from the Osaka - Kobe consulate, though they did warn that there was no guaranty and its pretty much up to the Immigration officer at the POE, which I already knew.

I know some people bring bank statements and lease/rental contracts but since she lives with her parents and all the documents would be in Japanese anyway we are hoping this will be sufficient. Of course I asked her not to volunteer any info to the immigration officer, but that she should have it if any questions arise. I am also hoping that if something does go wrong that she will be able to contact me either by her cell phone (US one) or by asking to have me paged or something.

How have visits during immigration proceedings worked out for others here who have Japanese spouses? Has anyone done this lately through the MSP POE? If so what was your or your spouses experience like?

We decided on MSP because we usually fly to Detroit from Osaka and then to MSP but the immigration officers at Detroit are real jerks. On my last visit to Japan (Dec 07 - Jan 08) I came back via Narita to MSP and the immigration officers seemed much nicer. That and, as I said before, I can be right there if there are issues.

Thanks,

[Justin and Masako 0]

Now we just wait for the visa to come in, pack my bags, and enjoy a nice 2 week vacation before bringing the girls home at the end of March. It's been quite a journey.

Congratulations Moltar!

Have a good vacation and I hope the move goes well for your wife daughter!