Time from case received until initial review

[Eve81 19]

Our K1 application was received on jan 29 and I guess accepted too, as we have a Receipt Number. But now we are more than a month later and there is still no Initial Review to see on the Case Status Online. In "next steps", it says this:  "If we accept your case, you will receive a receipt notice.  If we reject your case, we will send you an explanation with instructions"

How long does it take until they start with it? Does this also mean our time isn't running yet so the whole 7/8/9 months of waiting still have to come?

 

They should have send a notice to my bf to tell us what to do now. But he only got a paper giving the receipt number and for the rest telling nothing. Is something wrong?

 

Eve

[frenchval 7]

So first, I'm not the most experienced and informed but since I seem to be the first one to see it, I'll do my best.

From what I can see, there is nothing wrong with your application.

They don't tell you what to do until much later. Your send in your application, you receive your Notice Of Action 1, which is the receipt notice that you mentioned and then you wait...for a very long time. Check all the Guidelines and Timeline and you will find the information.

And good luck, the time long! (for me since November 21st)

PS: your time has started running as soon as you got your receipt notice, so at least that's trhe positive part

[Crazy Cat 41,850]

What you have explained is normal.  You will get either:

 

1.  An approval notice 6 months or so from now.

2.  A request for evidence sooner if USCIS needs more information.

3.  Your entire package rejected and returned to you soon (example: You included no payment or the incorrect payment amount).

Now is the time to relax (as much as is possible), keep yourself busy, and wait.

 

Good Luck.

[Eve81 19]

Thank You Frenchval, misileman,

 

But why does it still say on our Case Status Online: "If we accept your case, you will receive a receipt notice.  If we reject your case, we will send you an explanation with instructions" Why is this still not a step further? They have gotten our application more than a month ago... And I guess we are accepted... We have a WAC number. Means they should be doing the background checks, no? I thought you could follow more or less all online. Every time someone handles your case, it should be visible and you know where you stand. But on our online status, their is totally nothing to see.

 

Eve

Edited March 8, 2018 by Eve81

[Crazy Cat 41,850]

Your case has been received and assigned a control number.  That is all the status means at this time.

[Eve81 19]

8 minutes ago, missileman said:

Your case has been received and assigned a control number.  That is all the status means at this time.

Yes, so they are still not doing the Initial Review. More than a month after receiving our case... Or am I wrong in this?

[S*UK 543]

16 minutes ago, Eve81 said:

Thank You Frenchval, misileman,

 

But why does it still say on our Case Status Online: "If we accept your case, you will receive a receipt notice.  If we reject your case, we will send you an explanation with instructions" Why is this still not a step further? They have gotten our application more than a month ago... And I guess we are accepted... We have a WAC number. Means they should be doing the background checks, no? I thought you could follow more or less all online. Every time someone handles your case, it should be visible and you know where you stand. But on our online status, their is totally nothing to see.

 

Eve

 

You have kind of answered your own question here.  "If we accept your case, you will receive a receipt notice. 

You said you have got that receipt notice. Unless they need more information from you, you will not hear anything now until your approval (or denial) in around 5/6 months time.

 

Its stressful to not have regular updates, I know, but this would take them far too long and trust me, you would rather they were sat working on your case than spending time updating everyone on their individual cases. 

[Eve81 19]

1 minute ago, S*UK said:

 

You have kind of answered your own question here.  "If we accept your case, you will receive a receipt notice. 

You said you have got that receipt notice. Unless they need more information from you, you will not hear anything now until your approval (or denial) in around 5/6 months time.

 

Its stressful to not have regular updates, I know, but this would take them far too long and trust me, you would rather they were sat working on your case than spending time updating everyone on their individual cases. 

I read somewhere on this forum that every time someone handles your case, a code was scanned and it would be visible in the case status online. So it does worry me it still says the same thing in the "next steps". It's all very frustrating and not explained well. Shouldn't it say: "initial review" by this time?

[Scandi 4,166]

10 minutes ago, Eve81 said:

Yes, so they are still not doing the Initial Review. More than a month after receiving our case... Or am I wrong in this?

They won't even pick up your case to look at it until about ~6 months from now, so you have plenty of time to just sit down and relax. ~6 months or so from your receipt date you will receive either an RFE, a NOID or an approval.

[S*UK 543]

1 minute ago, Eve81 said:

I read somewhere on this forum that every time someone handles your case, a code was scanned and it would be visible in the case status online. So it does worry me it still says the same thing in the "next steps". It's all very frustrating and not explained well. Shouldn't it say: "initial review" by this time?

Im not sure where you have read this but I don't believe thats true. Instead, take your information from people who have already been through this process.

I have never heard of this 'initial review'. The only thing I can think of is maybe when they first open your packet to check everything is in there. YOU HAVE your receipt notice already. Your packet was accepted. That is all you will get unless they need for information from you. Now all you can do is wait. 

 

[Eve81 19]

3 minutes ago, S*UK said:

Im not sure where you have read this but I don't believe thats true. Instead, take your information from people who have already been through this process.

I have never heard of this 'initial review'. The only thing I can think of is maybe when they first open your packet to check everything is in there. YOU HAVE your receipt notice already. Your packet was accepted. That is all you will get unless they need for information from you. Now all you can do is wait. 

 

Pfff, thanks. I thought something was wrong. I thought they started reviewing it all immediately and that those background checks and such just took really long...

 

This is the Intitial Review btw: http://www.uscisprocessingtimes.org/general/what-does-initial-review-mean/

[S*UK 543]

3 minutes ago, Eve81 said:

Pfff, thanks. I thought something was wrong. I thought they started reviewing it all immediately and that those background checks and such just took really long...

 

This is the Intitial Review btw: http://www.uscisprocessingtimes.org/general/what-does-initial-review-mean/

 

The K1 visa is NOT an immigrant visa. It is a non-immigrant visa. 

[Crazy Cat 41,850]

50 minutes ago, S*UK said:

Im not sure where you have read this but I don't believe thats true. Instead, take your information from people who have already been through this process.

I have never heard of this 'initial review'. The only thing I can think of is maybe when they first open your packet to check everything is in there. YOU HAVE your receipt notice already. Your packet was accepted. That is all you will get unless they need for information from you. Now all you can do is wait. 

 

Likewise, I have never heard of codes being displayed on the case status screen....

[Eve81 19]

Just now, missileman said:

Likewise, I have never heard of codes being displayed on the case status screen....

It comes from this topic. And says: Any time your application is handled by someone at a Service Centre, the barcode is scanned, which results in an update to the "last date" for your case on the USCIS website. When the date changes, this mean that someone has physically handled or "touched" your case. There are many reasons your application may be "touched" - from simply being moved from one desk to another, to RFE's, to being approved.

 

I didn't say you could see codes on the status screen... But somewhere you could follow those touches... And that's why I was wondering why our case still says the same. But apparently accepted means approved, and we are for sure not there yet...

 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,850]

10 minutes ago, Eve81 said:

It comes from this topic. And says: Any time your application is handled by someone at a Service Centre, the barcode is scanned, which results in an update to the "last date" for your case on the USCIS website. When the date changes, this mean that someone has physically handled or "touched" your case. There are many reasons your application may be "touched" - from simply being moved from one desk to another, to RFE's, to being approved.

 

I didn't say you could see codes on the status screen... But somewhere you could follow those touches... And that's why I was wondering why our case still says the same. But apparently accepted means approved, and we are for sure not there yet...

 

 

Some people say that when you check the status, it triggers the update change.....ive never tested that...