Case Complete to Interview April 2016

[Florida Bear 7]

WOOHOO! Just got back into the states late this AM. What a crazy few days! The best feeling in the world was seeing my husband walk out of his interview room holding up this "Welcome to the USA" paper! I will write a full report of the interview in the Montreal interview area.

Our visa status still says "READY", does anyone know how long it usually takes to be "ISSUED"? We paid the $20 for Courier service too.

You have to wait to pay your Green card fee until you get your visa right and enter a POE? I am pretty sure we will need my husbands Alien #, but not sure if that is in the visa packet you are not allowed to open for your POE. Lol visa approved and still have all these questions.

Woot!! Congrats!! That must have been an amazing feeling to see him come out with that letter!!

From what I've read you have to wait for your visa to arrive before paying the final fee. I think you then have the option to pay it later after POE, but if you have the means then no real reason to wait.

Super excited for y'all!!

[Cosmos22 51]

Woot!! Congrats!! That must have been an amazing feeling to see him come out with that letter!!

From what I've read you have to wait for your visa to arrive before paying the final fee. I think you then have the option to pay it later after POE, but if you have the means then no real reason to wait.

Super excited for y'all!!

Thank you FL Bear! You have nothing to worry about. I been trying to write a review in the Montreal interview area, but it keeps saying I have to be "registered" to write a review, no idea why. Anyway it went smooth and my husband was asked the following questions in no particular order:

1. Where will you be living in the U.S.A?

2. How often do you see your wife?

3. What does your wife do for work?

4. How did you meet your wife?

5. What do you do for work?

6. Any family in the U.S.A?

7. Any issues crossing the border?

8. Ever live outside of Canada?

They asked to see 2014 W2's, 2014 tax transcripts, but if we had my 2015 taxes done they would take those too. Which I did so they took 2014 and 2015 tax information along with all the original documents required. They didn't ask for any other supporting "proof", pictures, travel receipts etc during interview.

"WELCOME TO USA! Visa should come within 2 weeks."

Edited March 28, 2016 by Cosmos22

[SoerenHelmer 50]

I'm very happy to read you are about to complete all the process =)

Enjoy!

[dwheels76 5,469]

WOOHOO! Just got back into the states late this AM. What a crazy few days! The best feeling in the world was seeing my husband walk out of his interview room holding up this "Welcome to the USA" paper! I will write a full report of the interview in the Montreal interview area.

Our visa status still says "READY", does anyone know how long it usually takes to be "ISSUED"? We paid the $20 for Courier service too.

You have to wait to pay your Green card fee until you get your visa right and enter a POE? I am pretty sure we will need my husbands Alien #, but not sure if that is in the visa packet you are not allowed to open for your POE. Lol visa approved and still have all these questions.

Alien number will be on his Visa. And here's the part people mess up. You DO NOT have to pay the Visa Fee before you POE. You have a year to pay.

No one asks you at POE no one can detain you at POE. No one will ask for payment verification. You pay when you are ready And I hear green card comes faster when you pay after you arrive.

[dwheels76 5,469]

Congrats Cosmos! Don't quote me, but I believe the A number is on the visa in your passport (which is packaged seperately from the DO NOT OPEN packet). I know you MUST pay the fee before crossing the POE. Not true. You can pay anytime you want after arrival.

[Cosmos22 51]

Alien number will be on his Visa. And here's the part people mess up. You DO NOT have to pay the Visa Fee before you POE. You have a year to pay.

No one asks you at POE no one can detain you at POE. No one will ask for payment verification. You pay when you are ready And I hear green card comes faster when you pay after you arrive.

Perfect! Thanks Dwheels! I just want his visa to be issued and mailed already so hubby can get his butt to FL! Sooooo close!!

[Sukie 1,465]

Congrats Cosmos! Don't quote me, but I believe the A number is on the visa in your passport (which is packaged seperately from the DO NOT OPEN packet). I know you MUST pay the fee before crossing the POE.

Sorry, Tayjus, but you are incorrect. You do NOT have to pay the visa fee before POE. Your physical green card will not be issued until two things happen:

1. You enter the US (POE).

2. You pay the fee.

Most people pay the fee as soon as possible, because then it really FEELS like you are done and dusted. But some people wait until they enter the US.

Bottom line: it's NOT a requirement prior to POE, but most people pay the fee so that the trigger to issue the physical green card is set as soon as they enter the US.

Sukie in NY

[Catalan-American 40]

According to USCIS site:

Once you receive your immigrant visa packet from a U.S. embassy or consulate, we strongly encourage you to pay the fee after you pick up your immigrant visa and before you depart for the United States.

You may also pay the fee after you arrive in the United States. If you arrive in the United States and haven’t yet paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee, USCIS will send you a notice requesting payment with instructions on paying your fee. You will not receive your Green Card until you have paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee.

[Tayjus93 15]

Sorry Sukie but it says on https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/immigrant-process/interview/after.html
That "You must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after you receive your immigrant visa and before you travel to the United States." So I was basing my information off of that!

[Frankjavir 55]

WOOHOO! Just got back into the states late this AM. What a crazy few days! The best feeling in the world was seeing my husband walk out of his interview room holding up this "Welcome to the USA" paper! I will write a full report of the interview in the Montreal interview area.

Our visa status still says "READY", does anyone know how long it usually takes to be "ISSUED"? We paid the $20 for Courier service too.

You have to wait to pay your Green card fee until you get your visa right and enter a POE? I am pretty sure we will need my husbands Alien #, but not sure if that is in the visa packet you are not allowed to open for your POE. Lol visa approved and still have all these questions.

No, you do not have to wait to be processed at POE to pay Immigrant Visa fee.

Your Alien Number is on the visa stamped on your passport.

Read the bottom of Dwheels76 first post in this topic for instructions on how to open an ELIS account and then pay the Immigrant Visa fee or Green Card fee.

[dwheels76 5,469]

Well Jamaica started scheduling for May. Looks like CC in January is starting it off.

[Edissa508 8]

Well Jamaica started scheduling for May. Looks like CC in January is starting it off.

I'm so nervous. I think I am having anxiety. I hope we hear from them this week. I know they fill slots fast for Jamaica so if not this week I don't think I will hear from them

[shsl73 29]

Well Jamaica started scheduling for May. Looks like CC in January is starting it off.

????...Good news for my fellow JA's with CC dates in January!

[shsl73 29]

I'm so nervous. I think I am having anxiety. I hope we hear from them this week. I know they fill slots fast for Jamaica so if not this week I don't think I will hear from them

Okay Edissa058...no anxiety attacks on the watch! If CC for Jan are being scheduled for May then that may mean that Feb is for June and in the next scheduling cycle. Hold on...we are almost there!

[Chief Mrs. Edeh 11]

I called NVC just now (because I'm impatient this morning, I guess) to see if Lagos embassy had begun scheduling yet. Nothing so far, but she did say that a couple other countries have begun. :-)

Are interview emails generated the instant the interview is scheduled, or do they delay sending them out? Just trying to see if I should bother calling again at the end of the day...