January 2016 I-129f Filers

[Cailinelise 1]

What is the best way to check on the status of your case after NOA2. How do I know when the case is being transferred? I didn't receive an email or text update for NOA2. Do I just have to call?

[pepper44 18]

What is the best way to check on the status of your case after NOA2. How do I know when the case is being transferred? I didn't receive an email or text update for NOA2. Do I just have to call?

after the NOA2 give it a week and start calling NVC for your case number. Once you have your case number you can log into their site and check the status. It will let you know once they mail it to your fiancé country.

If you don't see it update for over a week, call again, sometimes they don't update or forget the file.

But keep in mind once NVC has it.. everything moves REALLY FAST from that point on so once you get your NOA2 start getting packet 2 ready!!

-

When my first case went to NVC I called a couple days later got my CAS# and INV# (MAKE SURE TO GET BOTH) over the phone, Login to their site and check the case, mine showed the same status for over a week while my friends who was sent to NVC the same day had already moved to Havana so I called and asked for a status they said they had mailed it the week prior but didn't update the system. So always be sure to call if you don't see a status update after 1-2 weeks.

[pepper44 18]

Here is a helpful post I found on VJ that I used on my first submission -

Once your I-129 or I -130 has been approved from USCIS, it will be sent to NVC (a part of the Department of State). Depending what service center it's coming from, this can take anywhere from a few business days to a few weeks. You may or may not get an email from USCIS/update on their website stating when it was sent.

You won't get correspondence from NVC when they receive your case from USCIS. You need to call an operator at NVC to find this out.

Once NVC does receive your case, it's currently taking around 3 weeks for a case number to be assigned..

If you'd like to stay on top of things, it's best to call about once a week after your NOA2 to see if NVC has received your case. Once they do have your case and about 2-3 weeks have passed since then, increase your calls to about 2-3 times a week (or even more if you wish) until you get a case number assigned.

• Note: if your case doesn't arrive at NVC in a timely manner (timely manner being the current wait time), VJ member tokinaija suggests: "Call USCIS, and specifically request to be connected to a Tier 2 supervisor (bypassing the contract customer reps). When connected to a Tier 2 representative, request that you want confirmation that your approved case has been physically shipped to NVC. In amenable words, request for the specific date that the package was shipped. If you are lucky, you will get someone who would take the time to confirm this for you."

Once a case number is assigned, get that number along with the IIN (Invoice Identification Number) from the operator. If the operator doesn't want to give over the IIN (some operators are finicky), then just call back up later and try again. And don't worry about the BIN (Beneficiary Identification Number) as it's no longer needed. You only need the case number and IIN.

At the same time, you can give over both the petitioner's and beneficiary's email addresses. By doing this, ALL correspondence (initial information package, invoices, instructions, interview letter, checklists, etc) from NVC will be sent through email. This does not necessarily mean that YOU can send THEM information by email though. Only those eligible for EP (electronic processing) can email the AOS and IV packages (link to eligibility in the first section, under links).

• Note: there is a difference between EP and online forms. Online forms are just that, online forms. The DS-261 and DS-260 are NOT part of electronic processing. Electronic processing (EP) is emailing in documents. Not everyone can do this yet. You still have to be eligible for EP before emailing in packages. The link to see who's eligible is in the first section, under links. Everyone though (regardless of country) is required to fill out the online forms (DS-261 and DS-260).

How to Find Out WHEN Your Case Number was Assigned

For those that don't call every single day and want to know exactly what date their case number was assigned, there's an easy way to find out that simply involves looking at your case number. The first three letters are the three-letter consulate/embassy code. The next four numbers are the year the case number was assigned. The next three numbers are the Julian date it was assigned, plus 500. And finally, the last three numbers are the sequential order of when it was assigned that date. You can find a chart with Julian dates here [10].

For example: MTL2014815162. Let's put some lines in to divide it up. So: MTL|2014|815|162. This means that this case is going through Montreal and the number was assigned on November 11th, 2014, and it was the 162nd case that day to be assigned a number.

[pcke2000 39]

We have things set up on the USCIS site and ours still shows received.

The received date on the site shows 1/12 and the hardcopy NOA1 stamped date is 1/14

Congratulations to all those who have been approved!

same dates in our case, still waiting for NOA2

[anicap 58]

Has anyone who filed in January gotten their NOA2 yet?

I filed on Jan 19th and received NOA1 on Jan 25th.

My case is at the CSC center.
Just wondering how far along other people have gotten

Good luck to everyone!

[ORD_PTY 0]

Has anyone who filed in January gotten their NOA2 yet?

I filed on Jan 19th and received NOA1 on Jan 25th.

My case is at the CSC center.

Just wondering how far along other people have gotten

Good luck to everyone!

There are some January filers who have their NOA2. My NOA1 is the same as yours - January 25th. According to my timeline, I should be getting my NOA2 sometime late next week.

If you fill out your timeline, you will have a better idea of when to expect the NOA2.

[anicap 58]

Thank you!

There are some January filers who have their NOA2. My NOA1 is the same as yours - January 25th. According to my timeline, I should be getting my NOA2 sometime late next week.

If you fill out your timeline, you will have a better idea of when to expect the NOA2.

[mumbles 10]

Here is a helpful post I found on VJ that I used on my first submission -

Once your I-129 or I -130 has been approved from USCIS, it will be sent to NVC (a part of the Department of State). Depending what service center it's coming from, this can take anywhere from a few business days to a few weeks. You may or may not get an email from USCIS/update on their website stating when it was sent.

You won't get correspondence from NVC when they receive your case from USCIS. You need to call an operator at NVC to find this out.

Once NVC does receive your case, it's currently taking around 3 weeks for a case number to be assigned..

If you'd like to stay on top of things, it's best to call about once a week after your NOA2 to see if NVC has received your case. Once they do have your case and about 2-3 weeks have passed since then, increase your calls to about 2-3 times a week (or even more if you wish) until you get a case number assigned.

• Note: if your case doesn't arrive at NVC in a timely manner (timely manner being the current wait time), VJ member tokinaija suggests: "Call USCIS, and specifically request to be connected to a Tier 2 supervisor (bypassing the contract customer reps). When connected to a Tier 2 representative, request that you want confirmation that your approved case has been physically shipped to NVC. In amenable words, request for the specific date that the package was shipped. If you are lucky, you will get someone who would take the time to confirm this for you."

Once a case number is assigned, get that number along with the IIN (Invoice Identification Number) from the operator. If the operator doesn't want to give over the IIN (some operators are finicky), then just call back up later and try again. And don't worry about the BIN (Beneficiary Identification Number) as it's no longer needed. You only need the case number and IIN.

At the same time, you can give over both the petitioner's and beneficiary's email addresses. By doing this, ALL correspondence (initial information package, invoices, instructions, interview letter, checklists, etc) from NVC will be sent through email. This does not necessarily mean that YOU can send THEM information by email though. Only those eligible for EP (electronic processing) can email the AOS and IV packages (link to eligibility in the first section, under links).

• Note: there is a difference between EP and online forms. Online forms are just that, online forms. The DS-261 and DS-260 are NOT part of electronic processing. Electronic processing (EP) is emailing in documents. Not everyone can do this yet. You still have to be eligible for EP before emailing in packages. The link to see who's eligible is in the first section, under links. Everyone though (regardless of country) is required to fill out the online forms (DS-261 and DS-260).

How to Find Out WHEN Your Case Number was Assigned

For those that don't call every single day and want to know exactly what date their case number was assigned, there's an easy way to find out that simply involves looking at your case number. The first three letters are the three-letter consulate/embassy code. The next four numbers are the year the case number was assigned. The next three numbers are the Julian date it was assigned, plus 500. And finally, the last three numbers are the sequential order of when it was assigned that date. You can find a chart with Julian dates here [10].

For example: MTL2014815162. Let's put some lines in to divide it up. So: MTL|2014|815|162. This means that this case is going through Montreal and the number was assigned on November 11th, 2014, and it was the 162nd case that day to be assigned a number.

This will be super helpful for us, thanks for finding this!

[willygp 2]

Well I call and this is what I was told " It might take up to 35 days before you case arrives". Now I am sure this is just their script talking, but wanted to see if anyone else had called and got the same BS line I got. Thanks

[jayandkay 0]

So, are touches still a thing? Is anyone else keeping track of them? I keep checking myuscis for a change in the "last updated" date, but it hasn't changed since I received my NOA1

[pepper44 18]

So, are touches still a thing? Is anyone else keeping track of them? I keep checking myuscis for a change in the "last updated" date, but it hasn't changed since I received my NOA1

touches are usually for NVC or I130 cases-

For Fiance VISA's with USCIS it doesn't show touches. You get your NOA1 and that date is available for you to see then you get your NOA2. If your file is missing something you will see a RFE - something along the lines of

" we have sent you a letter explaining what is missing from the file and what you will need to do to proceed with the petition"

Other than that USCIS is just to watch for the initial approval and when they mail it off to NVC.

BELOW is basically all you will see from USCIS.

So for example

Case Was Sent To The Department of State

On August 24, 2015, we sent your case, Receipt Number SRCXXXXXXX, to the Department of State for visa processing. Please visit our website for general information on Consular Processing. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

Then below that it shows the status of your cases

Case History

• 08/18/2015

  

  We approved your Form I-129F, Petition for Fiance(E).

• 02/09/2015

  

  We received your Form I-129F, Petition for Fiance(E).

Edited March 1, 2016 by pepper44

[jayandkay 0]

Oooh ok I see, how frustrating for us haha. Thank you for the explanation! I hadn't been able to find clear information on touches

[MariaR323 199]

Oooh ok I see, how frustrating for us haha. Thank you for the explanation! I hadn't been able to find clear information on touches

You guys are just a couple days right after me on NOA1 date and estimated approval plus we're both Mexico filers. So we should be on more or less the same pace if there's no delays.

[MariaR323 199]

We received our NOA2 last night! Our NOA1 was dated 01-13.

Good luck to everyone else, and thanks to this forum for being such a tremendous source of support during a very nerve-wrecking time.

Yay!! I'm just about a week right after you on our NOA1 date and we're both filers for Mexico... hopefully this means they're on pace and I should be hearing something in a week (crossing fingers)!!

Let's keep in touch!!

[youandmetogether 0]

Congrats to all who received their NOA2...

Im trying hard to stay calm, patient and positive