Applying from South Africa (Waiting for NOA2) What should I prepare?

[Dustyb 5]

Hi Guys,

 

My fiance and I have submitted our docs and are currently waiting for our NOA2. Given that there seems to be backlog and things are taking a long time, I want to be proactive during this time.

 

I believe that the embassy processes are a little different for each country, so can any South Africans give me advice on what are some of the things I can and should prepare in the meantime?

 

I already got my police clearance certificate but I'm not sure how long they are valid for (I received it in October).

 

Can anyone give me some heads up on some of the other things that might slow me down, such as an abridged birth certificate or something?

 

Thank you

[Bruce1 0]

Police clearance in South Africa will work for 6 months. to get it you need  2 weeks.i'm also waiting my interview from South Africa. Good L.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Bruce1

[dentsflogged 352]

There's some general things which you can get to make it easier while waiting. I think there's a section in the K-1 process guide above which will tell you what documents are needed at each step, so maybe print that off and start grabbing everything you can that's not date-sensitive. 

 

Police clearance, depending on the country, will be valid between 3 and 12 months - it may say on the document, but double check.  I would expect that you may need a new one, so if that's the case arrange to order so it should arrive ~2 weeks before your interview date. 

 

Beneficiary requires proof of ID - I believe birth certificate (I could be wrong, if someone can confirm?) so if you don't have one, or if it's not in English, either order a new copy or get it officially translated. 

 

Also Beneficiary should ensure that their passport has at least 6 months validity from the proposed interview time.  Less than this and they may refuse to issue visa until a new one is obtained - so save time and check the expiry date now and order a new one if required.   Reasoning behind this is that most countries require you to have 6 months validity when you enter (to make sure that there's no chance of overstay/becoming public charge if you have to wait for a new one if it expires while you're there) and this is no different - a Visa, as they say, gives you the right to knock on the door, and the CBP officer still has to decide if they let you in - better to have 1 year plus validity IMO - it's one less thing that can go wrong. 

 

Petitioner should start gathering the information required for the affidavit of support - pay stubs, tax returns, etc. If required, now's the time to line up a co-sponsor and get them to get all the information they'll need. 

 

If you really want to kill time, start clearing house and planning the move, which can be really stressful if done quickly.   A tip a friend of mine gave me (she is USC who moved to Aus with her husband) was go room by room or even shelf by shelf with 3 boxes: 1 for sell, 1 for donate and 1 for keep.  Take everything from each room/shelf and separate into those boxes as you think that they should be.   At the end of a week/month/whatever, anything that has been taken from any of those boxes and used should go into the keep box.  Anything in the "keep" box that is still in there at the end of the time window you gave yourself should be redistributed into sell or donate (obviously depending on extreme sentimental value).   It's a really good way to cull things without last minute "I'll just take everything and work it out later!"

 

[HOORAY7 165]

On ‎1‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 10:38 AM, Alex Gaillard said:

Hi Guys,

 

My fiance and I have submitted our docs and are currently waiting for our NOA2. Given that there seems to be backlog and things are taking a long time, I want to be proactive during this time.

 

I believe that the embassy processes are a little different for each country, so can any South Africans give me advice on what are some of the things I can and should prepare in the meantime?

 

I already got my police clearance certificate but I'm not sure how long they are valid for (I received it in October).

 

Can anyone give me some heads up on some of the other things that might slow me down, such as an abridged birth certificate or something?

 

Thank you

Your NOA2 will be a wait, so be prepared, ours took 5 months, but do not lose faith.  Stay busy with getting your package and documents ready for the next step and try not to check VJ every day.  I lived on it because I was a May filer and from what I learned each month, there is always someone that know’s how to check NOA2 status’ from the USCIS site.  You can put the app on your phone, but mine never updated, to this day it still says I am processing.  We got our NOA2 in mid Oct.  So don’t lose the faith, it will happen.  The immigration stuff going on doesn’t help regarding their workload.  I called them 3 times and on the 3^rd time finally got the news, but they are not very friendly at USCIS that is for sure.

I am the petitioner and we have been working on our documents while waiting on our NOA2.  Petitioner has a lot to provide the beneficiary.  So get your I-134 form ready and all the documents to go with it, pay stubs, taxes, employment verification letter and if ex military (like myself) your VA disability rating letter, if applicable.  You’ll need last 3 pay stubs and last 3 years of tax returns.  Your fiancé will need originals from you for the I-134, so plan accordingly and this signature on here is also only good for 6 months.  Make sure you gather all your receipts, pictures, skype/what’s app discussions and provide them if there were not in your original package.  Need to show you are still staying in contact and so forth.  If you have to send it, if you are not in person to give it to your fiancé, DHL is the only one I’ve researched that is secure enough to send your I-134 package and any other documents, but it’s not cheap.  I got lucky and was there for Christmas and gave all that to her in person.

The beneficiary will need ALL original documents, include birth certificate (unabridged), police records (if beneficiary lived in any country for 6 months or longer at the age of 16 or older, you’ll need one from that country as well).  They can only be 6 months old, any longer, you will have to get a new one, except from the other country if they have not re-visited there since getting the police report for that country.  I say that because my fiancé had to get one from Austria and it expired because our interview date is not until 20 March, but Consulate said in an email to me that was ok if she has not revisited the country, but South Africa she has to get another one.  They tell you at the police station it takes 4-6 weeks, she got her’s in 2 weeks, but plan for the worst, key word PLAN.

Once your package goes from USCIS to NVC, wait about 2 weeks then start calling NVC for status of your package, they are WAY friendlier at NVC, such night and day from USCIS to NVC, which helps to calm our nerves. 

Once your package gets through there, our’s took about 3 weeks at NVC, start working to schedule your medical appointment, there is only one DR in JOBURG that does the physicals.  It’s a 2 day process for physicals spread between 3-4 days.  One day you go in for bloodwork and xrays, then day 2 is shots if needed and discussion with the dr.  Also, our beneficiary needs to go online and do the DS-160 visa application and pay the fee.

When that is done, start working on scheduling your interview, you need to ensure you get on the website to register and you can either schedule it online or call.  My fiancé had issues with the online stuff, so she called to schedule it. 

I've attached the medical requirements as well for you or anyone else.

BELOW IS A ADVICE SHEET I USED ONCE OUR PACKAGE LEFT USCIS AND WENT TO NVC, I couldn't attach it so I copied it here for you or anyone else.

After NOA2 wait for 10-12 days and you can start calling NVC for your case number.  

NVC contact number: (603) 334-0700 Press 1 for English and choose option 7, 5, or 2, it worked for most people here on VJ. You can call them Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. EST to 12:00 midnight EST. 

 

 If you get the case number which starts with MNL followed by 10 digit numbers, click immigrant and enter the case number, you can check it at:

 

ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracker/status.aspx 

 

 

 After checking, make sure the status of your visa are:

 

 AT NVC - meaning your papers still sitting at their office

 

IN TRANSIT - meaning your papers are on the way to USEM

 

READY - your papers already received by the USEM 

 

 

 

(Others have paid already once they got their case number, some waited for the READY status to appear on the CEAC tracker )

 

 

 

   After your medical or whenever you want, you can accomplish the DS160 here.

 

 https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/Default.aspx

 

 

 

 

Good luck!!

 

 

Medical REQUIREMENTS MAY 2017.pdf