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Gab09282015

Is IR-1 processing faster in the US Embassy in the Philippines

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Hi, I am a new member here. Just checking if processing your IR-1 in the US embassy in Philippines is faster. My husband started filing my IR-1 visa last March 2016. We got our priority date May 2016. We received a notification from the NVC May 2017 that we are on que for interview at the US embassy in Abu Dhabi. I live in Dubai currently. In the letter that NVC sent, it was stated that within 3 months we will get our appointment for interview but up till now, I havent received any appointment yet. its been 7 months already since we received that letter from NVC and no updates yet.  My husband and I are considering of moving my interview in the Philippines so I just thought of asking everyone here if its the right thing to do or I will just have to keep waiting here in Dubai. Please note that its not only UAE residents who are on que here but all the neighboring countries who doesnt have embassies in their countries process their US immigrant visa in the US Embassy in the UAE

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Unfortunately Abu Dhabi is notorious for wait times of around 8 to 10 months for interview dates. It would have been quicker through Manila but I would say that now that you have already waited 7 months you should stick with Abu Dhabi as a date is likely to come through soon. The process for changing the embassy also takes some weeks as NVC have to issue a new case number, get the stuff back from Abu Dhabi and then route it to Manila. 

Edited by JFH

Timeline in brief:

Married: September 27, 2014

I-130 filed: February 5, 2016

NOA1: February 8, 2016 Nebraska

NOA2: July 21, 2016

Interview: December 6, 2016 London

POE: December 19, 2016 Las Vegas

N-400 filed: September 30, 2019

Interview: March 22, 2021 Seattle

Oath: March 22, 2021 COVID-style same-day oath

 

Now a US citizen!

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17 minutes ago, JFH said:

Unfortunately Abu Dhabi is notorious for wait times of around 8 to 10 months for interview dates. It would have been quicker through Manila but I would say that now that you have already waited 7 months you should stick with Abu Dhabi as a date is likely to come through soon. The process for changing the embassy also takes some weeks as NVC have to issue a new case number, get the stuff back from Abu Dhabi and then route it to Manila. 

Thank you JFH for your response.  I am really hoping I would hear some great news soon. I am getting frustrated and disappointed already on how things went so far. If only we've known that its taking longer here, we could have applied my visa and set the interview in Manila. Our daughter is already 2 yrs old and we still cant go to the US because of my pending application. She's american passport holder btw but since we are still here in Dubai awaiting for my visa, we are not able to visit my husband and his family back in the States. 

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17 minutes ago, JFH said:

Unfortunately Abu Dhabi is notorious for wait times of around 8 to 10 months for interview dates. It would have been quicker through Manila but I would say that now that you have already waited 7 months you should stick with Abu Dhabi as a date is likely to come through soon. The process for changing the embassy also takes some weeks as NVC have to issue a new case number, get the stuff back from Abu Dhabi and then route it to Manila. 

Thank you JFH for your response.  I am really hoping I would hear some great news soon. I am getting frustrated and disappointed already on how things went so far. If only we've known that its taking longer here, we could have applied my visa and set the interview in Manila. Our daughter is already 2 yrs old and we still cant go to the US because of my pending application. She's american passport holder btw but since we are still here in Dubai awaiting for my visa, we are not able to visit my husband and his family back in the States. 

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1 hour ago, Gab09282015 said:

Hi, I am a new member here. Just checking if processing your IR-1 in the US embassy in Philippines is faster. My husband started filing my IR-1 visa last March 2016. We got our priority date May 2016. We received a notification from the NVC May 2017 that we are on que for interview at the US embassy in Abu Dhabi. I live in Dubai currently. In the letter that NVC sent, it was stated that within 3 months we will get our appointment for interview but up till now, I havent received any appointment yet. its been 7 months already since we received that letter from NVC and no updates yet.  My husband and I are considering of moving my interview in the Philippines so I just thought of asking everyone here if its the right thing to do or I will just have to keep waiting here in Dubai. Please note that its not only UAE residents who are on que here but all the neighboring countries who doesnt have embassies in their countries process their US immigrant visa in the US Embassy in the UAE

 

1 hour ago, JFH said:

Unfortunately Abu Dhabi is notorious for wait times of around 8 to 10 months for interview dates. It would have been quicker through Manila but I would say that now that you have already waited 7 months you should stick with Abu Dhabi as a date is likely to come through soon. The process for changing the embassy also takes some weeks as NVC have to issue a new case number, get the stuff back from Abu Dhabi and then route it to Manila. 

 

That seems like an outrageous amount of time to wait for the interview.  I can't imagine how the Abu Dhabi Embassy could justify a wait time of 8-10 months for a U.S. citizen spouse interview.  We waited less than 30 days in 2014. 

 

You should have your husband contact his Senator or Representative and ask them to reach out for you.  It might help or it might not, but there is no harm in trying. The Abu Dhabi Embassy needs to be held accountable by Congress if that wait time is accurate.  By U.S. immigration law, the State Department is supposed to prioritize any petition involving a U.S. citizen, such as a spousal petition.    

 

 

Click Spoiler for signature timeline.

 

3/10/2013 - Married

Green Card Process Summary
3/25/2013 - Submitted I-130's
01/13/2014 - Embassy Interview - Approved!
05/28/2014 - POE (U.S. Customs and Immigration Overseas Preclearance Facility - Abu Dhabi)
08/20/2014 - Green Card received.

Naturalization Process

01/20/2015 - Submitted N-400 for immediate naturalization under INA 319b.

02/10/2015 - Check cashed.

02/14/2015 - NOA

04/07/2015 - Case shipped to local field office.

04/08/2015 - Interview scheduled for July 6, 2015.

04/08/2015 - Wifey better be studying her butt off for the citizenship test!

07/08/2015 - Wifey was studying her butt off and passed the test easily. Oath ceremony completed on same day! We are done with our journey!

 

 

 

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On 12/17/2017 at 4:49 PM, jayjayj said:

 

 

That seems like an outrageous amount of time to wait for the interview.  I can't imagine how the Abu Dhabi Embassy could justify a wait time of 8-10 months for a U.S. citizen spouse interview.  We waited less than 30 days in 2014. 

 

You should have your husband contact his Senator or Representative and ask them to reach out for you.  It might help or it might not, but there is no harm in trying. The Abu Dhabi Embassy needs to be held accountable by Congress if that wait time is accurate.  By U.S. immigration law, the State Department is supposed to prioritize any petition involving a U.S. citizen, such as a spousal petition.    

HI, thanks for your response. We have reached out to a congressman's office last Month. The funny part was, the Embassy told him that the case is still at NVC. So we have sent another follow up last week to NVC and they said, no slots yet in the US Embassy... The congressman's office will send another follow up in the embassy... Hopefully we'll hear something soon. Indeed, the wait time is outrageous. The sad part is that our 2 year old daughter is growing and was only able to spend time with her dad less than 2 months total since birth. Though she already has an american passport she cannot travel to the US without me.

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
Timeline

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Progress Reports to US Embassy & Consulate Discussion.

Our journey:

Spoiler

September 2007: Met online via social networking site (MySpace); began exchanging messages.
March 26, 2009: We become a couple!
September 10, 2009: Arrived for first meeting in-person!
June 17, 2010: Arrived for second in-person meeting and start of travel together to other areas of China!
June 21, 2010: Engaged!!!
September 1, 2010: Switched course from K1 to CR-1
December 8, 2010: Wedding date set; it will be on February 18, 2011!
February 9, 2011: Depart for China
February 11, 2011: Registered for marriage in Wuhan, officially married!!!
February 18, 2011: Wedding ceremony in Shiyan!!!
April 22, 2011: Mailed I-130 to Chicago
April 28, 2011: Received NOA1 via text/email, file routed to CSC (priority date April 25th)
April 29, 2011: Updated
May 3, 2011: Received NOA1 hardcopy in mail
July 26, 2011: Received NOA2 via text/email!!!
July 30, 2011: Received NOA2 hardcopy in mail
August 8, 2011: NVC received file
September 1, 2011: NVC case number assigned
September 2, 2011: AOS invoice received, OPTIN email for EP sent
September 7, 2011: Paid AOS bill (payment portal showed PAID on September 9, 2011)
September 8, 2011: OPTIN email accepted, GZO number assigned
September 10, 2011: Emailed AOS package
September 12, 2011: IV bill invoiced
September 13, 2011: Paid IV bill (payment portal showed PAID on September 14, 2011)
September 14, 2011: Emailed IV package
October 3, 2011: Emailed checklist response (checklist generated due to typo on Form DS-230)
October 6, 2011: Case complete at NVC
November 10, 2011: Interview - APPROVED!!!
December 7, 2011: POE - Sea-Tac Airport

September 17, 2013: Mailed I-751 to CSC

September 23, 2013: Received NOA1 in mail (receipt date September 19th)

October 16, 2013: Biometrics Appointment

January 28, 2014: Production of new Green Card ordered

February 3, 2014: New Green Card received; done with USCIS until fall of 2023*

December 18, 2023:  Filed I-90 to renew Green Card

December 21, 2023:  Production of new Green Card ordered - will be seeing USCIS again every 10 years for renewal

 

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