NVC Filers - July 2018

[DocZ 20]

I am seeing some people mention calling NVC two times daily . Can someone explain the purpose of this -- to me, it would seem ineffectual? Waiting on hold for half an hour (which wouldn't be so bad if their jam was interrupted so frequently with a reminder that you are hold) to have a 2 minute conversation, and probably the only thing that is logged, if anything, is that you called. Are there certain phases where this would actually be more useful? Or, is it just to feel like you are doing something, even if it does nothing?

[DocZ 20]

12 minutes ago, DocZ said:

I am seeing some people mention calling NVC two times daily . Can someone explain the purpose of this -- to me, it would seem ineffectual? Waiting on hold for half an hour (which wouldn't be so bad if their jam was interrupted so frequently with a reminder that you are hold) to have a 2 minute conversation, and probably the only thing that is logged, if anything, is that you called. Are there certain phases where this would actually be more useful? Or, is it just to feel like you are doing something, even if it does nothing?

I have never worked at a call center /  this kind of bureaucracy / this kind of government work, so I don't know if constant calling does something, or does not do anything. Does anybody actually know, from actual worker experience at the NVC, if frequent calls will move a case in one way or another. 

 

When I am bugged frequently enough, I will do something, just to stop being bugged. But, as calls are to anonymous people answering calls, who will never get away from people asking for 'X,' I am trying to understand in what way is frequent calling beneficial?

[Ben & Katy 168]

When you get the case complete letter what does the priority date mean?  I received my CC through email last night with a priority date of 9/17/18.  Does that mean I should be following up if my embassy doesn't give me an appointment by then?

[MartinyMi 44]

1 hour ago, DocZ said:

I am seeing some people mention calling NVC two times daily . Can someone explain the purpose of this -- to me, it would seem ineffectual? Waiting on hold for half an hour (which wouldn't be so bad if their jam was interrupted so frequently with a reminder that you are hold) to have a 2 minute conversation, and probably the only thing that is logged, if anything, is that you called. Are there certain phases where this would actually be more useful? Or, is it just to feel like you are doing something, even if it does nothing?

Because once the numbers are received, it is a race to fill up 3 to 4 month waits for interview appointments. If we can get ours 2 weeks sooner, we are going for it!

It might make the difference between Thanksgiving and Xmas...

Edited July 9, 2018 by MartinyMi

[ABK 327]

Any CC for pivot cases? Still waiting! ☹☹

[DocZ 20]

26 minutes ago, MartinyMi said:

Because once the numbers are received, it is a race to fill up 3 to 4 month waits for interview appointments. If we can get ours 2 weeks sooner, we are going for it!

It might make the difference between Thanksgiving and Xmas...

Thank you!! That definitely adds motivation 

[Nairus 10]

Hello All,

I just received my NO2 approval today. The notice was dated 7/3/2018. When should I start calling NVC?

 

And what should I expect to happen during this phase. 

 

Thanks

[Bluecheck 23]

2 minutes ago, Nairus said:

Hello All,

I just received my NO2 approval today. The notice was dated 7/3/2018. When should I start calling NVC?

 

And what should I expect to happen during this phase. 

 

Thanks

No. Too early to call them now. Wait for 2 weeks before call them. 

[Mrs.D11 62]

13 minutes ago, Nairus said:

Hello All,

I just received my NO2 approval today. The notice was dated 7/3/2018. When should I start calling NVC?

 

And what should I expect to happen during this phase. 

 

Thanks

you could try calling after a week at least. they've sped up their processing times now compared to our time. just ask to confirm if they have your case yet. at this stage, calling NVC helps a lot, but you gotta know when to do it as well. once they say that they have received your case, call after 5-6 wks to inquire for a case number. if you have a case number on hand, then you can call everyday for a follow up.

[Mrs.D11 62]

2 hours ago, DocZ said:

I am seeing some people mention calling NVC two times daily . Can someone explain the purpose of this -- to me, it would seem ineffectual? Waiting on hold for half an hour (which wouldn't be so bad if their jam was interrupted so frequently with a reminder that you are hold) to have a 2 minute conversation, and probably the only thing that is logged, if anything, is that you called. Are there certain phases where this would actually be more useful? Or, is it just to feel like you are doing something, even if it does nothing?

Yes, there are only certain phases during the petition that calling twice a day is useful. The first time I've done it was when I've hit my 8th week mark waiting for a case number and I was told that they would forward it to their supervisor. Luckily, the 2nd time I called on that same day, they gave me my case number. And then the next time I did it was to confirm if they have received the AOS and IV packet I've sent.

I personally would attest to how helpful frequent calling helped my case. Compared to my friends case, she was just waiting for emails and whatever correspondence they're sending her, and I got to finish my case at least 3.5 months earlier. It's best to call them during the earliest and latest time. They're open at 7am and closes at 12 midnight. I always call at around 11pm and they pick up right away. No putting on hold or whatever.

And honestly, sometimes I just decide to call them whevevwe I feel like it. Lol. Now I actually kinda miss doing that.

[Ariethesiren 18]

Hi c: our noa 2 date is 6/15/18 and I just called the NVC and they haven't even received it yet. How long would it take to  get from the Texas service center to the NVC? thanks 

 

 

[Mrs.D11 62]

4 hours ago, DocZ said:

When I first called the NVC, they told me to call back at 6 weeks. The second time I called, they said to call at 8 weeks. I called the NVC at 8 weeks, to get my case number and invoice number. They said they could not escalate it to a supervisor at that point, because it had not been at the end of the day of the 8th week, and to call the next business day. So I called again today, and again they did not have case number and invoice number. I asked them escalate to a supervisor. She said "it will eventually be escalated, and eventually go to a supervisor." I asked what she meant, like, did she mean she would send the case to be escalated today (I didn't assume a supervisor would get to it today, or that I would get a case number today, but I didn't know what she meant, I just wanted to make sure that she was doing her part to escalate it)? She said that now there are so many cases going past 8 weeks, that so many are being escalated, that she didn't know when it could be escalated. I tried to clarify, if she meant the initiation of going to a supervisor, or if she was referring to when somebody would actually look at it. She wouldn't clarify, and wouldn't give any timelines. I didn't know if that was just a vague person I talked to, or if they will soon be shifting the "call back in 8 weeks" to "call back in 10 weeks" (to be clear, my curiosity, not anything that was explicitly stated)?  

 

Does anybody know what escalating a case actually does, anyways? I would think that the function of escalating a case would have been for the more rare cases, that somehow got stuck beyond the expected time, or were more complicated. However, if now, everybody is getting stuck beyond the expected time... it would seem that the volume going to supervisors would be increasing dramatically.  Is the "waiting to be escalated" just a new queue we sit in, as we go from box to box, in this process. 

 

Ugh.

AT NVC, it's usually by luck. If at your first call you get that answer, you should try calling again at a later time. Some agents are a lot kinder than the others. And as I've mentioned earlier, I always call 1 hour before they close as they are more accommodating. When I called at exactly my 8th week, it was the agent himself who offered to forward my case to their supervisor and when I called the next day, I got my case and invoice number. Good luck with your case!

[jj0109 2]

Hi all,

 

Does the I-864 form have a barcode on it? I was reading about this online, but my form does not have a barcode anywhere. Most of my form is typed, but I'm going back with a black pen to record a few things that I couldn't type in, but I read that if they scan the barcode my handwritten stuff wouldn't show up. Let me know what you've experienced. Thanks!

[Mrs.D11 62]

19 minutes ago, Ariethesiren said:

Hi c: our noa 2 date is 6/15/18 and I just called the NVC and they haven't even received it yet. How long would it take to  get from the Texas service center to the NVC? thanks 

 

 

check your case online it says "SENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE". From then, it shouldn't take that long to reach NVC but it still varies. Mine took 9 days to be sent to the DOS and then I called NVC after 5 days and the day after that, then they said they received it late afternoon.

[ChrisJay11 31]

3 minutes ago, jj0109 said:

Hi all,

 

Does the I-864 form have a barcode on it? I was reading about this online, but my form does not have a barcode anywhere. Most of my form is typed, but I'm going back with a black pen to record a few things that I couldn't type in, but I read that if they scan the barcode my handwritten stuff wouldn't show up. Let me know what you've experienced. Thanks!

THe older version of the I-864 had a barcode. Current version doesn’t.