Conflicting information across VJ guides, wanting to prepare for the NVC process and I'm puzzled

[YoungRL 4]

Hi everyone,

I am about to mail out our I-130 packet (just waiting on one last piece!) and in order to prepare myself for the next step with the NVC, I have been looking over the three CR-1 guides that I have found here on the site. (1; 2, last modified July 2015; and 3, last modified August 2013.)

All of the information for compiling the I-130 was pretty uniform across all three guides, but in looking at the information provided for the NVC step, I'm seeing differing and somewhat conflicting information. For example:

One guide says to provide an employment letter as well as pay stubs (recent ones and some from the past three years). Another says one or the other is sufficient, and if you go with pay stubs, you'd only need some from the past 3-6 months. Which is it?

The third guide also talks about a form with two parts, DS-230, but I can find no mention of it elsewhere and I think this information is outdated. (Which is disheartening, because this guide is the most in-depth one of the three.)

Now that I'm about to be moving on to the NVC process, I'm inclined to start following the information found on the travel.state.gov website, as it seems to be pretty well laid out (and helpfully specifies exactly where you need photocopies and where you need originals, something which has been confusing trying to figure out here on VisaJourney).

The only thing the travel.state.gov guide doesn't really help with is what I can or should get around before an NVC case number is applied, and I really would like to be proactive with that. Does anyone have any advice on this, or which of the guides I should be following?

Thank you for any help you may be able to offer!

[Michael and Ganna 104]

Welcome.....the DS-230 is the old form. You will use the DS-260 form. After you get NOA2 your case will be transferred to NVC. You will be assigned a case number and invoice number. You use those numbers at ceac to unlock a portal to pay AOS and packet IV fees. Right now you can get ready by filling out the I-864. Make sure you download the newest version with the bar-code. You may not have to fill out the last few pages of I-864 but regardless send in all 12 pages in your AOS packet.....You will only send photocopies, unless an original is specified....you take all originals to interview

[fmirandam 7]

Hi everyone,

I am about to mail out our I-130 packet (just waiting on one last piece!) and in order to prepare myself for the next step with the NVC, I have been looking over the three CR-1 guides that I have found here on the site. (1; 2, last modified July 2015; and 3, last modified August 2013.)

All of the information for compiling the I-130 was pretty uniform across all three guides, but in looking at the information provided for the NVC step, I'm seeing differing and somewhat conflicting information. For example:

One guide says to provide an employment letter as well as pay stubs (recent ones and some from the past three years). Another says one or the other is sufficient, and if you go with pay stubs, you'd only need some from the past 3-6 months. Which is it?

The third guide also talks about a form with two parts, DS-230, but I can find no mention of it elsewhere and I think this information is outdated. (Which is disheartening, because this guide is the most in-depth one of the three.)

Now that I'm about to be moving on to the NVC process, I'm inclined to start following the information found on the travel.state.gov website, as it seems to be pretty well laid out (and helpfully specifies exactly where you need photocopies and where you need originals, something which has been confusing trying to figure out here on VisaJourney).

The only thing the travel.state.gov guide doesn't really help with is what I can or should get around before an NVC case number is applied, and I really would like to be proactive with that. Does anyone have any advice on this, or which of the guides I should be following?

Thank you for any help you may be able to offer!

I also only followed the instructions on travel.state.gov and it was really straightforward and our got approved super fast. But I think it depends on wether you live with your spouse or not. In our case we live together and we got a letter from our landlord stating we had a contract under our names (We got the letter because the lease contract was huge and we really didn't want to pay for a certified translation of such a big document). That was the only proof we sent, together with our marriage certificate (we married in the US a year before filing the petition while already living in my home country).

[Anitafeliz 1,133]

Well in VJ website defence you do realize that the government changes procedures and updates forms....maybe what you found were old directions. Especially since you state 2 to 3 years back. Everything on here is moderated and if its misimformend im certain its corrected. The opinions you get are mostly from people going through what your going through whom are mostly sharing what they did. Dont forget each country has a way to handle things as well as requirements whether the are high fraud, low fraud or mena countries.

If you are so unhappy with VJ website for the mis information i would not use any of it or hire an immigration attorney whos up to date with laws...most people use VJ because they cannot afford an attorney.

good luck with your journey

Edited May 30, 2016 by Anitafeliz

[NikLR 13,227]

This is the most in depth wiki guide for the NVC process. http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

[NikLR 13,227]

Well in VJ website defence you do realize that the government changes procedures and updates forms....maybe what you found were old directions. Especially since you state 2 to 3 years back. Everything on here is moderated and if its misimformend im certain its corrected. The opinions you get are mostly from people going through what your going through whom are mostly sharing what they did. Dont forget each country has a way to handle things as well as requirements whether the are high fraud, low fraud or mena countries.

If you are so unhappy with VJ website for the mis information i would not use any of it or hire an immigration attorney whos up to date with laws...most people use VJ because they cannot afford an attorney.

good luck with your journey

I can afford an attorney. I chose not to use one because I'm intelligent and can fill out forms and submit paperwork on my own. Some people use VJ because they can't afford an attorney; the rest of us are smart enough to figure out we don't need one.

The wikis are done by the people of VJ (just like any wiki) and some are just not kept up like you've mentioned. Procedures and forms have changed, drastically, in the past 6 years.

Edited May 30, 2016 by NLR

[Anitafeliz 1,133]

I can afford an attorney. I chose not to use one because I'm intelligent and can fill out forms and submit paperwork on my own. Some people use VJ because they can't afford an attorney; the rest of us are smart enough to figure out we don't need one.

The wikis are done by the people of VJ (just like any wiki) and some are just not kept up like you've mentioned. Procedures and forms have changed, drastically, in the past 6 years.

Yeah same here but I cant afford nor would inwant to pay an attorney at this point lol...i am grateful for the forum if you read you can disifer truth or fiction i think. This place is def a place of support too i love the months tread for my month we support each other during the wait Edited May 30, 2016 by Anitafeliz

[YoungRL 4]

Well in VJ website defence you do realize that the government changes procedures and updates forms....maybe what you found were old directions. Especially since you state 2 to 3 years back. Everything on here is moderated and if its misimformend im certain its corrected. The opinions you get are mostly from people going through what your going through whom are mostly sharing what they did. Dont forget each country has a way to handle things as well as requirements whether the are high fraud, low fraud or mena countries.

If you are so unhappy with VJ website for the mis information i would not use any of it or hire an immigration attorney whos up to date with laws...most people use VJ because they cannot afford an attorney.

good luck with your journey

Hi, and thanks for your response. I do realize that forms and procedures change, and that there are people from all over the world undergoing the immigration process. I'm certainly not unhappy with the VJ site--it's a fantastic resource for countless people and I don't know what I'd do without it! My reason for using the guides is because they are there to be used and I often see a lot of questions in the forums that can be answered by looking at the guides available. I don't want to be the kind of person who ignores a resource that's right in front of them. If I see conflicting or outdated information, I don't think there's anything wrong with pointing that out and asking questions to find the proper information.

[YoungRL 4]

This is the most in depth wiki guide for the NVC process. http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process

Thank you very much, this looks great!

[Thesmiths2016 117]

if in doubt use the NVC site, they're the ones processing it :-) VJ is here to assist, but isn't a decision maker in your application. It sounds to me like the NVC process is pretty well spelled out step by step along the way too, so they should be telling you what to submit and when.

Welcome to the waiting game :-) (March filer for my i-130 here)

[NikLR 13,227]

NVC website does have all the steps, but we have the tips and tricks to make things faster and more efficient.