Frankfurt NOA1 and Case Number

[Tine68 2]

Hello,

i am a Newbee here and have a question about the Case Number and waiting times.

My Husband mailed the I-130 Petition in October.

1 Week later we received a Letter, showing that the Payment has been made ( Credit Card Receipt)

We never received an official NOA with a Case Number!

Should i contact USCIS in Frankfurt about that ??? How long does it usually take to receive a Case Number ???

Thank you for your Help

[Soup Dragon 104]

I didn't get an NOA1. My husband received an approval letter from the consulate in the regular mail a few weeks after he filed the petition and about a week after that I also received a letter in the regular mail saying that the consulate had received an approved petition on my behalf which had the case number and instructions for the next step of the process. Hopefully you will receive something soon!

Edited December 17, 2016 by Sunflower18

[Tine68 2]

Good Morning,

Thank you for your Reply :-) So I guess i am just beeing impatient...

After researching i just freaked out, because everyone else seemed to have gotten an NOA Letter after the Petition has been received.. but i guess with DCF that´s not the Case...

Btw my Husband is an Army Civilian also, and he is on PPP right now, so we don´t know when we are leaving yet...

[Soup Dragon 104]

LOL I hear you about being impatient! Honestly, DCF through Frankfurt is pretty quick and easy and everyone at the consulate is really friendly. They seem to do things a little differently with regard to the NOA's though. You will have to send all your paperwork in to the consulate prior to the interview so if you get an RFE at least it won't be on interview day which is good!! They will also contact you by email with regard to arranging your interview (or possible RFE's) so make sure you check your junk/spam file after you submit your documents as one of their emails to me ended up in my spam folder!

Where are you stationed? We still have another two years left here. My husband retired from active duty, we got my visa so we could move to the US, we went back for five months or so and he ended up getting a civilian job back in the same office so we moved straight back to Germany!

Good luck!

[Tine68 2]

:-)

Impatience is my middle Name ;-)

we are living in the Kaiserslautern Area.

My Hubby has been stationed here for almost 12 Years, working for DoD.

We really did not expect him, not to get extendet for the last 2 or 3 Years before Retirement... So all of this came somewhat as a Surprice..

Is there a Checklist with Documents needed prior to the Interview ?? I Know of the Police Record, and Affidavit of Support. What else do i might need ??

Thank you so much for your help, i really appreciate it.

[Soup Dragon 104]

We are stationed in Wiesbaden but we know Kaiserslautern well, we come up to Ramstein AFB every so often for movies, shopping etc, the PX and commissary is so much better there! Plus there is the Brit Shop so good for me :-) My husband had also been in Europe for about ten years and when the time came to retire he really did not want to leave Europe but he was lucky to get a job back here. Who knows where we will be in a couple of years!!

When you get your letter advising you that the petition has been approved, there will be a link to the consulate's 'Mission Germany' website with instructions on what to do next and a checklist of what to send prior to your interview (birth certificate, marriage certificate plus any divorce certificates, if any from either of you, police certificate, passport photos, affidavit of support etc, it's all on the list). The actual DS-260 visa application will have to be completed online and the signed declaration you print after submitting the DS-260 and everything else (originals plus one copy; the originals will be given back to you at the interview), gets mailed to the consulate prior to your interview.

Also make sure that any documents that are not in English ie house lease, are translated (the police certificate is OK in German). Once you submit your visa application online and submit your documents it goes pretty fast but it sounds like you have a bit of time so there is no need to panic, just take your time!! Once this is all OK they will contact you, probably by email, to arrange your interview and advise you to do your medical. When I arranged my interview there were slots available within one week. The medical will likely be done in Frankfurt, if so, this is a walk-in, no appointment required, just get there early if you can as it does get busy (I think it took about 2 hours). One piece of advice for the doctor office.....TAKE CASH!! The card machine did not read my husband's card so he had to run to the bank around the corner to get cash (it was about 200 euro I think).

One last thing, be mindful if your husband is on PPP and you don't know when you will be returning, you will have six months from the date of the medical to activate the visa (if you're still here and it's getting close, just fly over on vacation to activate it and then come back!)

I hope all the above makes sense, feel free to PM me if you need more information, happy to help if I can :-)

[Tine68 2]

Thank you so Much !! :thumbs:

I just wonder why i have to submit all these legal documents again, since they ask for them when filing the petition ???

My Husband alaready said, that if has not been picked up by Time i get my Visa he will apply for Jobs on his own... since we would like to go to Texas, and DoD only holds an Area Preference for 60 Days.. after this the Area for Pick up expands..

I´ll keep you updated :-)

Thanks again!

[Soup Dragon 104]

No problem; please keep me updated! Good luck, I am sure you will be fine! :-)

[Tine68 2]

Received an Answer to my Email to USCIS Frankfurt: Your Case is still beeing processed. Process Time is 90 Days ! :-( Only 50 more to wait....

[Soup Dragon 104]

I just looked at my file and it took 39 days from the date we submitted our petition to the date on my husband's letter saying it was approved and then it was 6 days after that my letter was dated with all the instructions/case number on. You may be a little behind this timeline as you submitted your petition by mail. We were lucky that we were able to hand deliver our petition so it was processed on the spot so I guess yours has gone into a pile instead. The consulate stopped accepting CR1's by hand at the start of 2015 as the guy checking them retired. He used to come to base in Wiesbaden and give little talks about the process. I still see him wandering around!

[Tine68 2]

Yeah, i guess that would have speed up the processing a little.... but when we checked on the Forms, it explicit stated to send the Petition by mail :-(

Oh well, it is not in my hands anymore... If my Husband gets picked up, before i have my Visa approved, we just need to find a solution - i just need to relax and hope for the best... ( Pep Talking my self right now ..lol )

[Soup Dragon 104]

lol yes, RELAX! In the meantime, you could get your other documents together ready to send off after you submit your DS-260. Have you sent off for your police certificate yet? Mine took a couple of weeks so maybe that's something you can do now so it's ready to send in case you get your letter soon.

This is what was on my checklist to send so you can have an idea of what you are dealing with. But obviously check when you look at the website!

Page 3 of the checklist document to be placed on top of your package of documents (can't remember what is says now, it's not in my folder lol)

DS-260 confirmation page with barcode (you get this once you have submitted the electronic visa application)

Passport (copy of biographic page only)

Birth certificate (original and one copy)

Marriage/divorce/death certificate (original and one copy)

Police certificate (original and one copy)

Prison records (if any, original and two copies)

Photograph (one per applicant, US size)

Affidavit of support (original completed form with original signature) plus sponsor's federal income tax return for the last year. We also included W2's for last three years

Document delivery address confirmation (there is a link on the checklist for this, it's for where you want your visa delivered to). You have to create a UStraveldocs profile online first, then print the confirmation page and send with your package (US traveldocs is where you also arrange your interview)

[Tine68 2]

Thank you for your Help..

Wishing you and your Family all the best and a merry Christmas

[Soup Dragon 104]

You're welcome :-) Merry Christmas to you too and a Happy New Year

[Tine68 2]

Update: received an RFE on Dec 24 - i forgot to send the original german document with an english translation So i mailed that out on 26. via Registered mail...

As this waiting is not bad enough, my Husband got a Job Offer Yesterday in New Mexico. He is an Government Employee, and if he does not take this offer, he might be resigned and losses his benefits..

Now i am realy freaking out, because if he has to move before my Visa is processed i am realy screwed, since i dont have any Family where i could stay to wait on my GC... not to mention the financial predicament this would cause....

Has anyone an Idea as to what i could do, to expedite the progress ??? Would we even stand a chance of approval ???

Please help, i am really desperate

Thanks