want to understand the timeline

[lewisliu 1]

Hi folks, I read many articles here but still a bit confused on the timeline and process, hope to get some clarification.

I am a permanent residence living in US, and my wife is oversea. Just submitted I-130 for her this month and get NOA1 after 5 biz days(electronically).

 

1. What happen next is just to wait I-130 to be approved? which takes 16 months, given processing time is Nov 2016 form https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processingTimesDisplay.do

2. When I-130 is approved, it would take 4-6 weeks for application transfer to NVC

3. NVC looks at Visa Bulletin Filing date? if current, they will process the application?

4. Not sure how NVC action, DS-260 associated with Filing date and final decision date?

5. Given Visa Bulletin final decision date is May 2016, does it mean it covers I-130's 16 months processing time, so (Mar 2018 - May 2016 = )22 months should be the time I expect for my wife to get immigration visa? and can come to US? or there will be more time added into the process?

 

Thanks!

 

[Tenreyro 174]

7 hours ago, lewisliu said:

Hi folks, I read many articles here but still a bit confused on the timeline and process, hope to get some clarification.

I am a permanent residence living in US, and my wife is oversea. Just submitted I-130 for her this month and get NOA1 after 5 biz days(electronically).

 

1. What happen next is just to wait I-130 to be approved? which takes 16 months, given processing time is Nov 2016 form https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processingTimesDisplay.do

2. When I-130 is approved, it would take 4-6 weeks for application transfer to NVC

3. NVC looks at Visa Bulletin Filing date? if current, they will process the application?

4. Not sure how NVC action, DS-260 associated with Filing date and final decision date?

5. Given Visa Bulletin final decision date is May 2016, does it mean it covers I-130's 16 months processing time, so (Mar 2018 - May 2016 = )22 months should be the time I expect for my wife to get immigration visa? and can come to US? or there will be more time added into the process?

 

Thanks!

 

You have done a thorough research. And you are right in a way that in the Immigration sphere makes sense. Meaning, yes, right now all those times are right, kind of. For example, instead of 22 months, it's a round 24 months, 2 years. Because the Visa Bulletin with May 1, 2016 date is the one for April 2018, and since it says "May 1", it is basically All the dates in April are getting interviews.

 

However, there are basically 3 steps: I-130 > NVC > Embassy

 

Extended version:

1. I-130 is sent > Approved > Sent to NVC  2. NVC: Wait for Filing Date > Sends instructions for fee payment and documents > Completes case > Sends it to Embassy 3. Embassy> Schedules Visa Interview> Gets Medical > Interview> Receive Visa

 

Yes, NVC begins to process the cases when the Dates for Filing are current, and the I-130 is approved. There you have to deal with their fees and requirements (Including DS260). All this reduced version excludes any possible RFE and Checklist that you could receive from USCIS or NVC, respectively. But the time it will take for your I-130 is not necessarily the one you said, it depends on the Service Center, right now California is the slowest one, but that you live there doesn't mean that it is where your application is. Your E-notification must say so in a way, if your Receipt Number starts with WAC, then your application unfortunately will be processed in California, which is the slow one right now, but that also changes from time to time (In Dec 2016, California was the fastest).

 

So, here is the 'kind of' mentioned before. All those time are correct. But only now, in the Immigration sphere, it makes sense now, but you never know what or how things are going to be in a year, maybe USCIS approves a new system to process applications, opens a new office in Maryland, (both real things they are developing right now) and applications speed up. Or maybe they apply both of those things, and no employee understands the system, and Maryland new agents need to be trained by experienced agents in other centers, and thus delaying the process. However, 2 years is the timeframe right now, if your wife is from China (mainland born), keep an eye on that part of the charts.

 

Last, but not least, Have you two been married since before you had your Legal Permanent Resident status? If so, you might have another option for you two, with less total time.

[lewisliu 1]

2 hours ago, Tenreyro said:

You have done a thorough research. And you are right in a way that in the Immigration sphere makes sense. Meaning, yes, right now all those times are right, kind of. For example, instead of 22 months, it's a round 24 months, 2 years. Because the Visa Bulletin with May 1, 2016 date is the one for April 2018, and since it says "May 1", it is basically All the dates in April are getting interviews.

 

However, there are basically 3 steps: I-130 > NVC > Embassy

 

Extended version:

1. I-130 is sent > Approved > Sent to NVC  2. NVC: Wait for Filing Date > Sends instructions for fee payment and documents > Completes case > Sends it to Embassy 3. Embassy> Schedules Visa Interview> Gets Medical > Interview> Receive Visa

 

Yes, NVC begins to process the cases when the Dates for Filing are current, and the I-130 is approved. There you have to deal with their fees and requirements (Including DS260). All this reduced version excludes any possible RFE and Checklist that you could receive from USCIS or NVC, respectively. But the time it will take for your I-130 is not necessarily the one you said, it depends on the Service Center, right now California is the slowest one, but that you live there doesn't mean that it is where your application is. Your E-notification must say so in a way, if your Receipt Number starts with WAC, then your application unfortunately will be processed in California, which is the slow one right now, but that also changes from time to time (In Dec 2016, California was the fastest).

 

So, here is the 'kind of' mentioned before. All those time are correct. But only now, in the Immigration sphere, it makes sense now, but you never know what or how things are going to be in a year, maybe USCIS approves a new system to process applications, opens a new office in Maryland, (both real things they are developing right now) and applications speed up. Or maybe they apply both of those things, and no employee understands the system, and Maryland new agents need to be trained by experienced agents in other centers, and thus delaying the process. However, 2 years is the timeframe right now, if your wife is from China (mainland born), keep an eye on that part of the charts.

 

Last, but not least, Have you two been married since before you had your Legal Permanent Resident status? If so, you might have another option for you two, with less total time.

 

Thanks for this explanation. It helps a lot!  Unfortunately, we married after I obtained the LPR status.

 

One follow up question, the Filing date on visa bulletin is the time when NVC will send out package and beneficiary can start applying for visa? The Decision date is the time the visa will become available? 

 

In my scenario, the I-130(WAC) takes 16 months to processes, v.s. Filing date is 2017 Nov, only 4 months away,  when I-130 arrives NVC, it will immediate/already CURRENT. So the filing date actually does not matter to me(given current time frame)?

[Tenreyro 174]

2 hours ago, lewisliu said:

 

Thanks for this explanation. It helps a lot!  Unfortunately, we married after I obtained the LPR status.

 

One follow up question, the Filing date on visa bulletin is the time when NVC will send out package and beneficiary can start applying for visa? The Decision date is the time the visa will become available? 

 

In my scenario, the I-130(WAC) takes 16 months to processes, v.s. Filing date is 2017 Nov, only 4 months away,  when I-130 arrives NVC, it will immediate/already CURRENT. So the filing date actually does not matter to me(given current time frame)?

The Filing Date, in the case of NVC, allows them to start processing cases with approved I-130, collecting fees and documents. The Final Action Dates, in Consular Processing, means interviews and visas for the people with dates up to the one shown there.

 

About the time, when I submitted my I-130, the waiting time for I-130 F2A was 6 months, that was Dec 2016, and I am still waiting for my apptoval. I believe and hope that your I-130 will be approved in 12 months, because this backlog is excessive, and I hope USCIS finds a balance. 

 

Filing Date for April 2018 is Sept 22, 2017, not Nov 2017. It should move by the time your I-130 gets approved, but nothing is 100% sure

Edited March 21, 2018 by Tenreyro

[lewisliu 1]

52 minutes ago, Tenreyro said:

The Filing Date, in the case of NVC, allows them to start processing cases with approved I-130, collecting fees and documents. The Final Action Dates, in Consular Processing, means interviews and visas for the people with dates up to the one shown there.

 

About the time, when I submitted my I-130, the waiting time for I-130 F2A was 6 months, that was Dec 2016, and I am still waiting for my apptoval. I believe and hope that your I-130 will be approved in 12 months, because this backlog is excessive, and I hope USCIS finds a balance. 

 

Filing Date for April 2018 is Sept 22, 2017, not Nov 2017. It should move by the time your I-130 gets approved, but nothing is 100% sure

Thank you very much! It explains the mystery.