Time from case received until initial review

[Grant PDX 183]

The thing is, your visa is likely sitting untouched in a warehouse full of bankers boxes.  It will update when it gets touched around the 6 month mark (maybe sooner, maybe later).  But that touch is the actual processing including petition review, background check, etc.  The whole thing happens in 15-20 minutes.  The result of that touch will be a) approval, b) RFE, or c) denial.  After acceptance, that's the only next touch, so it will update to approved, RFE, or denied.  

It won't be "touched" until the review, it's just sitting in a box somewhere.  

Don't worry, you're in the "normal" processing.  Don't expect anything for another 5 months or so.

[geowrian 22,337]

10 hours ago, Eve81 said:

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.

10 hours 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?

Oh how we all wish this was the case. It's simply not, though. In all the scan data I've examined (several tens of thousands of WAC numbers), I've seen only 27 status messages on the website. I just checked my database to confirm them.

 

The overwhelming majority of people only hit 1 (some form of rejection), 2 ("Case Was Received" + the approval or denial notice), or 4 (same as 2 except RFE sent/received) different statuses. There's no information on background checks and such available online. If you're lucky and can get a hold of a good Tier 2 on a good day via phone, sometimes they can tell you a little more...like if you're in background checks.

 

Here's a sample of the statuses with counts for each from one point in time in 2017:

Spoiler

Status	# Records
Case Closed Benefit Received By Other Means	2
Case Rejected Because I Sent An Incorrect Fee	258
Case Rejected Because The Version Of The Form I Sent Is No Longer Accepted	3
Case Rejected For Form Not Signed And Incorrect Form Version	4
Case Rejected For Incorrect Fee And Form Not Signed	7
Case Was Approved	5786
Case Was Received	7450
Case Was Received At My Local Office	1
Case Was Rejected	8
Case Was Rejected Because I Did Not Sign My Form	82
Case Was Rejected Because It Was Improperly Filed	45
Case Was Reopened	5
Case Was Reopened For Reconsideration	1
Case Was Transferred And A New Office Has Jurisdiction	17
Date of Birth Was Updated	64
Decision Notice Mailed	45
Document Is Being Held For 180 Days	3
Document Was Mailed	77
Document Was Returned To USCIS	110
Fee Refund Was Mailed	1
Name Was Updated	121
Notice Explaining USCIS' Actions Was Mailed	154
Receipt Notice Was Changed	12
Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed	3451
Request for Initial Evidence Was Mailed	1
Response To USCIS' Request For Evidence Was Received	1643
Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent	74

 

 

10 hours 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/

I have no idea what the context around that is. It's referring to immigrant visa petitions, but doesn't say which ones...there's significant differences between, for example, family-based petitions (e.g. I-129F/I-130) and employment-based petitions  (e.g. I-129). It also refers to biometrics, which almost never occurs for immigrant visa petitions.

Edited March 9, 2018 by geowrian

[Cheschirecat 176]

11 hours ago, S*UK said:

 

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

It's a long process....... 

[Eve81 19]

Thanks all of you. Now I know how it more or less works. And that's very different than what I thought. So the next time of freaking out will be in 5 to 7 months, if nothing happens