I-129F May 2017 Filers

[WanderingSouls 173]

May 15 filer here...WACXXX29746....so hard to watch those later dates get approved before your own...I feel for those April and prior month filers who still await approval...Is this system really the best USCIS can come up with.?  Noa1 to Noa2 is not even the stage where the real investigations / background inquiries are vetted is it? Why  should it be taking so long? they have 1 person in this department at Cali service center?

[N & A 96]

1 hour ago, Blue42 said:

Hi all! Long time lurker, first time poster! I received my RFE last week and needed your help

 

It asks for me to provide the following:

 

• circumstances of the meeting - Submit information regarding the circumstances under which you and beneficiary met to establish the relationship
• personal meeting evidence - this could be:
  • a written statement from you or the beneficiary stating that you have met in person and containing details of the date and circumstances of the meeting
  • passport pages with ID page and admission stamps
  • photographs of you and beneficiary together

 

the thing is, i sent these things to USCIS which is odd, but want to ask for clarification from you all - especially who have had their NOA2 approved and have done it correctly already.

 

1. Can anybody who has had their NOA2 approved please and kindly send me their circumstances of meeting statement?
2. How is this different from the circumstances of meeting? - "a written statement from you or the beneficiary stating that you have met in person and containing details of the date and circumstances of the meeting""
3. How do you submit photos? In my initial application, I submitted 2 printed pictures on regular printed paper with color ink, each in which my fiancee and I were together.
   • Are they supposed to be in a different, special format - printed professionally like our ID photos?
   • What if there are other people in the photo? What labels should we put, if any?

 

Hi @Blue42, I am a July Filer and have yet to hear back on our NOA2 so take this with a grain of salt. But, here's what I included with our application:

   

   a personal statement from my fiance and myself stating how we met, how we fell in love and mentioned a few details of the trips we had together                 (about 3 paragraphs)

   images (scanned) of the first page of my passport and the stamps showing my entries and exits from his country

   hotel receipts, travel itineraries, and about 10-20 images formatted on an 8.5 x 11 of us together and with family

 

Again, this may or may not be overkill but I figured sharing more is better than too little. Also, I have seen that sometimes the USCIS sends out RFEs just to keep within their time frame and usually process RFEs get processed fairly quickly from time of receipt of the "new" evidence.

 

I hope this helps, good luck!

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by N & A

[Murph4865 597]

29 minutes ago, WanderingSouls said:

May 15 filer here...WACXXX29746....so hard to watch those later dates get approved before your own...I feel for those April and prior month filers who still await approval...Is this system really the best USCIS can come up with.?  Noa1 to Noa2 is not even the stage where the real investigations / background inquiries are vetted is it? Why  should it be taking so long? they have 1 person in this department at Cali service center?

The reason for taking so long is

1. Immigratyion rules tightened

2. They did a price increase before end of 2016 and everyone rushed to apply so they would not have to pay higher fees.

3. H1B visas was in the way of k1 was

4. Daca got attacked so that went ahead of us.

5. The amount of applications increased by over 500,000 to around 750,000 there are still people from dec jan feb april march still have not gotten approved.

6. The federal hiring freeze that trump put into place.

[Nenaa 18]

2 hours ago, Shoegum said:

Your Current Status: Case Was Approved	70
Your Current Status: Notice Explaining USCIS' Actions Was Mailed	1
Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed	14
Grand Total	85

 

 

WAC1790314241	5/1/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790314485	5/1/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790318396	5/4/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790322043	5/8/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790322196	5/8/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324080	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324130	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324157	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324179	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324182	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324210	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324212	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324220	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324222	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790324275	5/9/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325306	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325307	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790325320	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325332	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325335	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325345	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325358	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325383	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325388	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790325404	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326144	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326160	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326174	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326206	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326416	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326429	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326430	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326437	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790326460	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326467	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326519	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326536	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326537	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326539	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326561	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790326584	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326590	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326591	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326754	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326759	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790326760	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790326766	5/11/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790326986	5/10/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790327519	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790327654	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790327789	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790327807	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790327970	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328016	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328023	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328038	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328040	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328043	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328044	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790328067	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328075	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790328083	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328278	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790328281	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790328826	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790329706	5/15/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790329867	5/15/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790329877	5/15/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790329883	5/15/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790329885	5/15/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790329899	5/15/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790329909	5/15/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790330799	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790330806	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790330836	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Notice Explaining USCIS' Actions Was Mailed
WAC1790330848	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790330853	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790331337	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790331350	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790331364	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790331395	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790331399	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed
WAC1790331419	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790331423	5/16/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved
WAC1790331857	5/12/2017	10/30/2017	Your Current Status: Case Was Approved

Omg 1790329867 was approved and im still waiting... 1790329866.... Plz show me something this week or next... 

[Murph4865 597]

10 minutes ago, Nenaa said:

Omg 1790329867 was approved and im still waiting... 1790329866.... Plz show me something this week or next... 

There are alot of people that do not get notified except for by snail mail, i signed up for text n email nothing come through not even there case status moved i also had 5 different apps for notifications but nothing except my hardcopy in the mail 17 days after my approval called NVC the same day and got case number.  So hold on u will get it.

Edited October 31, 2017 by Murph4865

[JSCGPV 1,903]

53 minutes ago, WanderingSouls said:

May 15 filer here...WACXXX29746....so hard to watch those later dates get approved before your own...I feel for those April and prior month filers who still await approval...Is this system really the best USCIS can come up with.?  Noa1 to Noa2 is not even the stage where the real investigations / background inquiries are vetted is it? Why  should it be taking so long? they have 1 person in this department at Cali service center?

One reason you will see people after you approved is background checks for some filers take longer than others. They put the case aside while waiting and move to the next case. Hence, they cant work cases in numerical order.

[WanderingSouls 173]

NOA1 to NOA2 is not the stage where background checks are done is it?

[Nenaa 18]

4 minutes ago, Murph4865 said:

There are alot of perople that do not get notified except for by snail mail, i signed up for text n email nothing come thrtough not even there case status moved i also had 5 different apps for notifications but noth except my hardcopy in the mail 17 days after my approval called nvc the same days and got case number.  So hold on u will get it

Ok thank you

[Nenaa 18]

2 minutes ago, WanderingSouls said:

NOA1 to NOA2 is not the stage where background checks are done is it?

No.. Background checks are done last before noa2 let them tell it.. 

[JSCGPV 1,903]

4 minutes ago, WanderingSouls said:

NOA1 to NOA2 is not the stage where background checks are done is it?

Yes after NOA1 before NOA2 approval.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/family/k-1-process-step-step

[Abdoul 40]

i called today bout my nvc problem they finally update my case and give another numb and when i check today its say in transit thank similey and yall for your time now need to knoe wats to be done next thanks second familly

[Greenbaum 12,259]

10 minutes ago, Abdoul said:

i called today bout my nvc problem they finally update my case and give another numb and when i check today its say in transit thank similey and yall for your time now need to knoe wats to be done next thanks second familly

Visit your Embassy website and there will be your answer.

 

 

[Greenbaum 12,259]

1 hour ago, Murph4865 said:

The reason for taking so long is

1. Immigratyion rules tightened

2. They did a price increase before end of 2016 and everyone rushed to apply so they would not have to pay higher fees.

3. H1B visas was in the way of k1 was

4. Daca got attacked so that went ahead of us.

5. The amount of applications increased by over 500,000 to around 750,000 there are still people from dec jan feb april march still have not gotten approved.

6. The federal hiring freeze that trump put into place.

Great explanation. I would concur.

 

Just for giggles here is a person describing, in his own words, the process as he is a USCIS employee and does the adjudicating of the K! visas.

 

First, I would select a case file/folder. All petitions/files are kept in folders that a have a scannable bar code identifier. This folder has everything that a person submits on the left side of the folder and all the agency generated documents on the right side. They should be in date order, Petition and then most recent from top to bottom.  The left side has the pictures on top.

 

You begin by looking at the petition for correctness by checking the information via several databases depending upon what type of petition you are adjudicating. Also if the form was complete and everything was in order.  Discrepancies in people's names from what the database had vs. what the petition said, birth dates, things like that all had to be resolved and could generate a RFE if the adjudicator couldn't figure it out with the tools he had.

 

There were some standard criminal and background type databases that were required for all petitions. A "hit" in any of these databases would flag the petition and it would be sent to a special group who worked to resolve why the "hit" occurred. Sometimes it could be something simple as a similar name of a bad guy, but every hit had to be resolved.

I remember that certain surnames would invariably cause a hit, but they could be resolved rather quickly by comparing the applicant's background information with those of the "hit" name. There were various ways to do this of course, and it took time. That's why some applications take longer to process because there are stumbling blocks along the way that must be worked through before approval. Consequently, all the other petitions that the officer was working get set to the side. or, the adjudicator/officer might set the difficult one to the side and work on less complicated ones. Remember it was a production environment where you had to be accurate but fast. Getting a petition kicked back for mistakes to be re-worked hurt your overall stats, so, you tried to be a thorough as you could, but also as quick as you could.

After clearing an applicant through the various mandatory database searches, then you could begin to review the various information on the petition. Sometimes there would be stupid mistakes like forgetting to sign it, or using a copy when an original signature was required etc... Kind of careless mistakes or from not really understanding the instructions type of thing. Anyway, these would generate an RFE, and the file's status would be update in the computer as awaiting response to RFE or something like that, I don't recall the exact terminology.

 

Anyway, instead of sending the newly RFE'd file back to the large file storage area, it would be kept at the officers desk in a holding cue. Then when an RFE reply would come in, I would pull it (the file) off the shelf and rework it. I tried to clear all my answered RFE's out first thing every morning because it was "old" work as compared to the dates I was working at the time. If the RFE had the required information, it would continue to be processed and/or approved and sent on its way. If the RFE did not address the item, then another RFE would be generated and back on the shelf it would go.

 

A word about RFE's. It was my experience that no two officers would always see eye to eye on if an RFE was required. Some officers could or would spend some more time digging around the file or a database to find the information  (if they thought it could be found) and others would just as soon rip off an RFE. So it varied. Then there were some times that an RFE was required because of the situation. Again, it depends a lot on who was looking at your case and what the question was / what information was needed. No hard and fast rule.

 

Also, each adjudicator/officer had a master list of RFE "phrases that they could pull off their computer and plug into a standard RFE form depending upon the situation. Each of these "phrases" could be further "wordsmithed" to suit a particular situation. Again depends on the officer.  That's why you may see some RFE's that are similar but not exact. We would borrow each other's RFE phrases to add to our list as we came across one that fit a particular situation. 

It would be like "Hey, cube mate. I've got this situation, do you have anything in your RFE library that might fit?"  answer "Sure, try this one. I'll email it to you". And that's how that worked.

 

You asked about country of birth etc.. Yes and no. There were "watch lists" of certain countries that meant that certain procedures had to be followed when processing petitions from these countries, but it was just a couple more things to check/verify along the approval process. It didn't slow things down dramatically. So, I wouldn't worry about that being a big factor.

 

Additional review. Mainly if you came up as a "hit" for a surname of a bad guy (or gal) that would have to be resolved. Marriage Fraud. Overstaying your visit. Lying. Criminal activity/organized crime, police reports, things that would be outside of a "normal" person's life you might say.

So back to the approval process. So if no RFE was needed then i would "approve' the petition, affix my stamp with my identifier # , sign and date it. I would then scan the file, update the status and send it on its way to the next stop wherever that was. Actually, all the approved petitions/files were placed in a separate box and those were collected as you went along and taken for final disposition/processing.

 

Then you start all over again with the next case...

[Grace&Matt 22]

FINALLY the wait is now over! Got our visa approved.  Thank You Lord! 

[bcoakley06 280]

23 hours ago, K1VisaApplicant05 said:

what is packet 3? i thought after noa2 we just enter the ds-160 online, then schedule medical, then interview, and we're good?

I think it depends on where they are from.

Seen a few may 16ths all around us