What happens between NOA1 and NOA2?

[kmids 10]

I don't mean that your app is sent to a service center, I mean what does the Govt do with the application. Background check? Look you up somewhere? Does anyone know?

[baron555 934]

It sits in a box with many other petitions. When the adjucator runs out of petitions in the box they are currently working on, they get another.

When they get to your petition, they perform many background, criminal, terrorist checks. This process usually takes 15 minutes.

If all goes well, your petition is approved and you get NOA2. Yes you wait months for a 15 minute process.

[kmids 10]

It sits in a box with many other petitions. When the adjucator runs out of petitions in the box they are currently working on, they get another.

When they get to your petition, they perform many background, criminal, terrorist checks. This process usually takes 15 minutes.

If all goes well, your petition is approved and you get NOA2. Yes you wait months for a 15 minute process.

Thank you!

This is actually what I was hoping would happen. I mean there's mistakes in the application which can easily be fixed but I'm hoping those long waits are for issues that come up during the background checks not anything else.

[baron555 934]

Thank you!

This is actually what I was hoping would happen. I mean there's mistakes in the application which can easily be fixed but I'm hoping those long waits are for issues that come up during the background checks not anything else.

No, nothing is happening with your petition until the adjucator picks it out of the box. It takes only about 15 minutes on average to perform the background checks....it all computerized and automated.

If they find "those mistakes", then they will issue you an RFE which will describe which documents you need to correct or send and your petition in placed into a holding tray while they wait for your reply and return.

Then at some time the adjucator will work again on your file. During the months of long wait, they are working on other cases.....Again, it usually only takes 15 minutes adjucate a petition.

You wait months for 15 minutes of work.

[Pennycat 880]

Thank you!

This is actually what I was hoping would happen. I mean there's mistakes in the application which can easily be fixed but I'm hoping those long waits are for issues that come up during the background checks not anything else.

Nope-- the long waits you're seeing are 95% due to how long "the line" was at the service center when the people applied. Seriously. We had zero mistakes in ours, zero issues on background checks etc and waited almost 6 months between NOA1 and NOA2 AND that was considered really speedy and very lucky for our service center at that time (it was averaging over 7 months. So us getting through in 5 months, 3 weeks felt like a miracle).

Depending on the type of mistake you made (and if they catch it), you may get an RFE (Request For Evidence). This will add about 2 or 3 weeks to your timeline, plus however long it takes you to reply to the RFE.

Now, the slight variation between people who apply at about the same time and are in the same "line" at the same service center-- that could be issues with background checks (like, the foreigner has a common name that takes more work to figure out who is who, foreigner has multiple visits to the US, multiple trips abroad/to certain regions, any "hit" in criminal databases (even minor traffic infractions are treated like misdemeanors in some states).

But the long, long stretches you're seeing between NOA1 and NOA2 (look closer, they're mostly people who applied any time in 2014 through mid-2015 at got stuck at Texas, or people who applied in 2013 at were at Vermont or California) were almost entirely because of severe backlogs at those particular service centers at that time.

[aaron2020 11,651]

I don't mean that your app is sent to a service center, I mean what does the Govt do with the application. Background check? Look you up somewhere? Does anyone know?

Think of the US immigration as one big giant California DMV office. You can show up at anytime, but you will wait in long lines.

US immigration is about waiting for your turn in long lines. Your paperwork is just waiting for a government worker to pick it up among the hundred of thousands of other applications.

[TBoneTX 45,298]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the USCIS Service Centers forum -- topic involves procedures of processing. ***

[Love To Teach 161]

Nope-- the long waits you're seeing are 95% due to how long "the line" was at the service center when the people applied. Seriously. We had zero mistakes in ours, zero issues on background checks etc and waited almost 6 months between NOA1 and NOA2 AND that was considered really speedy and very lucky for our service center at that time (it was averaging over 7 months. So us getting through in 5 months, 3 weeks felt like a miracle).

Depending on the type of mistake you made (and if they catch it), you may get an RFE (Request For Evidence). This will add about 2 or 3 weeks to your timeline, plus however long it takes you to reply to the RFE.

Now, the slight variation between people who apply at about the same time and are in the same "line" at the same service center-- that could be issues with background checks (like, the foreigner has a common name that takes more work to figure out who is who, foreigner has multiple visits to the US, multiple trips abroad/to certain regions, any "hit" in criminal databases (even minor traffic infractions are treated like misdemeanors in some states).

But the long, long stretches you're seeing between NOA1 and NOA2 (look closer, they're mostly people who applied any time in 2014 through mid-2015 at got stuck at Texas, or people who applied in 2013 at were at Vermont or California) were almost entirely because of severe backlogs at those particular service centers at that time.

Then ours probably will take forever. My hubby owns a tour company and has been all over the world leading tours before tourism crashed due to terrorism. He also came to the USA for business seminars before 9-11 and is from Pakistan. I can't think of many that would be worse....and his name is also common....we're screwed...sigh

Edited December 29, 2015 by Love To Teach

[Pennycat 880]

Then ours probably will take forever. My hubby owns a tour company and has been all over the world leading tours before tourism crashed due to terrorism. He also came to the USA for business seminars before 9-11 and is from Pakistan. I can't think of many that would be worse....and his name is also common....we're screwed...sigh

Maybe not. Longer than the average for CSC probably but "forever" is relative. CSC is averaging just over a month. So even if you take 5 times longer than normal (which would be extreme) you're still close to "normal" processing times (the goal time is 5 months. CSC is just beating goal by a lot) and would still be faster than my NOA2 and I was a super lucky "fast" NOA2 at my center at the time I applied.

When I listed things that may make it take longer within a service center, it's not for any bad reasons. It's just (perhaps, I don't know for sure) things like getting a report from CBP to check entries and exits for folks who have been to the US before takes more time than not doing it, plain and simple. In terms of worldwide travel, again not a "red flag" issue just something that simply uses up more time to get a report from INTERPOL (again for example) than not. The similar names, again just an example, but that could be something that requires asking for assistance/more research and may lengthen the average time.

But those examples are NOT why the average for my month at TSC was 7 months while the average for my month at CSC was 3 weeks. . Those are the crazy long time frames everyone is so afraid of. It may be why some folks took 5 months and others 8. Or why some at CSC took 4 days and others 2 months (not kidding about the 4 days, either. Happened frequently).

Look at the average. Add a bit of time to it (because it is going up slightly) and then figure that you personally may come in over average due to yours being more complicated than someone who has less of a paper trail to run after. Still not going to morph into the 6+ month time frames that people seem to be reacting to.

For better or for worse, it is relatively easy to get through USCIS. It is mostly a matter of meeting the requirements. If you have more of a paper trail to chase, maybe you'll be one of the people lengthening the average. (Like how the average man is 5'8" but some are 6'0" and others are 5'4"... averages are just averages).

Where you may have trouble, as you likely know, is at the consulate. That is where timeframes can really drag for months or years of Administrative Processing (and this may include deep dives into background including physically going out to interview neighbors and such), and this is much more common at some consulates than others. Do not worry over (possibly) a few extra weeks waiting for NOA2. If you must worry about something, AP would be it for me.

[aysha&saad 2]

We expressed our package to the lockbox in Lewisville Texas and it was accepted 3 days after we mailed it and I guess that was our NOA1 date. The packet was then routed to California service center (WAC). The email dated Dec. 29th stated that our case had been ACCEPTED and routed to USCIS California Service Center for processing. ........................What does ACCEPTED mean? Not rejected or just that it arrived in CA?

We received the I-797 official hard copy receipt notice. The received date was Dec. 23 but the Notice date was Dec. 28. I remember reading something on here or elsewhere about Jan. 22nd being a date for me to watch for something coming later.

What should we be gathering now? Is it the Affidavit of Support or do they only ask for that sometimes? What should he be gathering now? He already has the birth certificate, the passport, new ID card, and criminal background locally. Give us any advice on the next things.

We sent in a nice sheet protected binder like the man on youtube who did a video of how to prepare the packet and we have an identical copy of the binder with me in the US.

Thanks

Aysha

[bennettl10 1]

I was worried too I got my NOA1 on Nov 12 and this visa journey website says they're working on applications way past that day . Going through forums makes me feel a little more at ease that they didnt loose our application or something like that. Ours went to the CSC.