Received NVC Welcome Letter does it mean "SOON"?

[miamicuse 0]

New member here.

I received an email yesterday from NVC - a NVC Welcome Letter. I am a US citizen and put in an application I-130 for my sister's family (who is over 21 and was born in Hong Kong) back in 2004, and after 12 years I finally got some news.

By the way the email from NVC went to my Outlook spam folder, and it was a pure accident that I saw it, I could have simply emptied the spam folder without looking and poof, I assume a hard copy letter would follow but who knows.

I have a number of questions. I tried searching for it but I couldn't find anything definite.

(1) Does this welcome letter mean the "longest part" of the wait time is over? The original petition was filed in 2004. I got a receipt notice in 2004, then a transfer notice in 2006, then finally in 2010 I got an approval notice. I thought that was it...then found out...no...the wait continues. I have to wait for visa to be available based on the the priority date. Now in 2016 I got the welcome letter from NVC so that I can "complete my relative's immigraton visa case". So is this kind of getting close or this is just another milestone and still years to wait?

(2) The letter was addressed to me, and it advised ME to go to the NVC web site with the case number and invoice ID number and follow the steps. But as I entered their web site and looked at the steps, the first step they advised is to "Choose an agent" and they recommended that the agent be in the US. This got me thinking...when they say "YOU" go to the NVC web site and do the following 6 steps, do they mean ME the original petitioner or my sister? Who is to choose an agent? Do I, the petitioner, need to choose an agent? Or my sister, the principal applicant or beneficiary, need to choose an agent? The letter is confusing to me because it's addressed to me with a DEAR my-name, but then it seems to say YOU (my sister) needs to choose an agent, pay fee, submit visa application etc...in my opinion, for continuity, it would be much easier if I handle the case like I have previously, using my US address, until an interview is scheduled. This would avoid a potential 3 way confusion involving a non-US address where things could get lost.

(2) The steps are to choose an agent / pay fees / submit visa application form / collect financial documents...etc. I thought to get a letter from NVC means visa is becoming available but now I see that I have to apply for a visa? Now to submit a visa application form...is this where another long wait time is going to happen? Is this based on priority dates too?

(3) My sister is married with 2 kids. Both husband and two kids were on the original application. Now the kids are 17 and 14. I understand that if the kids are over 21 there could be issues? Does it mean whatever needs to happen should happen within the next 4 years or else her older kid would be over 21 and can't come with them?

Thank you in advance for reading my long post and would appreciate any comments and guidance.

[aleful 1,905]

hi

yes it is soon, the wait is almost over,

your sister must choose the agent, it can be you or an attorney that will represent her in the US and receive mail or emails from the NVC

this is the second part of the process, if the priority date is available, nvc will collect all the forms, payments and documents and when the file is complete, the office will send the file to the Embassy for an interview date,

if the priority date isn't current by that time, she will have to wait until it is for the interview

the very long wait is over, it can be months now if the priority date is current or close to being current

[miamicuse 0]

Ah thank you for the reply.

I now noticed they actually sent two letters. One to me and one to my sister, both to my email address. Since it went to the spam folder and I didn't catch it. I saw the first one to me and moved it to my regular inbox. Now I saw an hour later an identical email but addressed to my sister so this letter is really to both of us.

Any idea once the visa is granted, how much time they have to use the visa to enter? Is there a certain kind of window like 6 months? 1 year? and can husband and wife enter at different times? Say wife stay behind till one kid finish high school for example? Thanks!

[aleful 1,905]

hi

usually it's 6 months from the medical exam

she must enter first since she is the beneficiary, her husband can come a couple of months later, but all within the 6 months allotted

the passports will be stamped with the visa, which will have an expiration date

how long will it take for her child to finish high school? because the children will come and will go to school here in the US

[miamicuse 0]

her oldest son is 17 and is currently a junior. Depending on the schedules and everything if everything happens this summer he can go to HS here and be a senior which would be a big transition. If he waits one more year then he will finish HS and come here for college.

[Sukhwinder 0]

Hi in which month you filed petition in 2004?

[miamicuse 0]

Hi I sent it in by mail in Feb 2004, on the notification it says Received date March 1, 2004, and Notice date March 5, 2004. Hope that helps.

[Sukhwinder 0]

Thank you for your reply. I had filed for my sister in 2004 also. My receive date is March 3rd,2004. I wonder why I have not got the welcome letter yet. My sister is in India.