August 2018 NOA2 -----> NVC

[misken 61]

2 hours ago, Natalia_777 said:

How long does it take?
4 weeks and no answer

Have you given NVC a call? It generally takes about two weeks, I got my NOA2 on August 7 and when I gave NVC a call this past Friday (Aug 24) the officer told me they had just created the case number that morning.

[Nani14 23]

6 hours ago, AlexisCC said:

I am...got my approval on a Sunday via the site and received it in the mail by that Monday or Tuesday I believe...so what they did was approve my case August 2nd (a Thursday) sent out the notice that day. The website updated that Sunday August 5th which is when I found out..received in the mail on Monday or Tuesday can’t remember which. Aug 6th or 7th

Hmm thanks for your response. According to the website we got approved on August17th but I still have not received it in the mail I guess I should wait a couple more days! Thank you!

[Kamka 25]

Hi Guys,

 

I have a question, maybe someone can help.

 

Have you heard about USCIS Immigrant Fee ? I

read info that it's separate fee than I–129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) or Visa Fee that we're going to pay before interview. 

It looks like prerequisite before we will travel to US - more info https://www.uscis.gov/file-online/uscis-immigrant-fee  

Here's a quote from travel.state.gov

 

USCIS immigrant fee – all individuals who are issued immigrant visas overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to traveling to the united states. this fee is for processing your residency status and printing your permanent resident card. the only people exempt from paying this fee are: children entering the United States under the Hague Process, and Child Citizenship Act of 2000, returning residents, and people traveling on a K visa.

 

Do you have any information on that?

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Kamka

[Alabamak1 688]

5 hours ago, jtrh said:

I've dug around a bit on this thread and others but haven't found my answer--though I'm sure it exists somewhere!

 

I'm the petitioner and I received the NOA2 8/16. My partner has changed addresses since we filed, so I immediately contacted NVC by email to inform them of the address change. Yesterday they replied saying they had no record of our case, cases can take up to 6 weeks to reach them, blah blah blah.

 

I was trying to be proactive in doing this address change, but now i'm wondering what to do. Do I just keep contacting them every couple of days hoping they've received it? My understanding is that as soon as NVC receives our case, they will send a letter to the beneficiary with next steps for their home embassy. I just don't want this letter to go unreceived if we don't get the address changed before they process it. 

the address of the beneficiary is only needed at the time of DS-160. NVC and the embassy usually contact both (petitioner and beneficiary) of you by email. In some countries they still send packet 3 and 4 by snail mail, is my understanding. In Ukraine, there is no such thing as packet 4 and you get contacted by email only.  Hope this helps

[Alabamak1 688]

For anybody in this thread, please sign up for USPS informed delivery if you have not done so. It's easier than trying to figure out where, when and why you do not know when USCIS sends you a NOA-X. 

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Alabamak1

[Alabamak1 688]

32 minutes ago, Kamka said:

Hi Guys,

 

I have a question, maybe someone can help.

 

Have you heard about USCIS Immigrant Fee ? I

read info that it's separate fee than I–129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) or Visa Fee that we're going to pay before interview. 

It looks like prerequisite before we will travel to US - more info https://www.uscis.gov/file-online/uscis-immigrant-fee  

Here's a quote from travel.state.gov

 

USCIS immigrant fee – all individuals who are issued immigrant visas overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to traveling to the united states. this fee is for processing your residency status and printing your permanent resident card. the only people exempt from paying this fee are: children entering the United States under the Hague Process, and Child Citizenship Act of 2000, returning residents, and people traveling on a K visa.

 

Do you have any information on that?

 

......as it states in the message...for immigrant visas only. K-1 is a dual intent visa, but belongs in a non-immigrant visa group. You will find this out when you fill out the DS-160. It's confusing, but that is how they handle it 

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Alabamak1

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Use this link

to see an article that I posted titled: What steps does an USCIS agent take to adjudicate my case at USCIS.

Scroll about 3/4 of the way down the page to arrive at the article. If you comment please do not quote the entire article as it gets to be too much duplication if everyone is doing the same.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

19 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

The K-1 process is quite strange. For a time, it is both a non immigrant and immigrant visa type. When NVC states, as they did with you, that "we will send NVC processing instructions within 8 weeks" they are referring to a TRUE immigrant visa type such as a CR-1. That is why in future correspondence the links may send you the process for immigrant which would be the I-864 even though it truly is a non immigrant visa requiring I-134. As you go through the stages, within the NVC system you look up your file under immigrant. It stays that way until after approval and ready for issue. At that point, it changes over to non -immigrant. It truly is a non immigrant visa with immigrant intent.

 

And, to your other question, it does take a few days or even a week (I've seen more but that is not what is normal for now) to get your case number about mid week or toward the end of next week you can start calling NVC for the case number.

 

I hope this helps explain a few of your questions.

 

18 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

Well, since the reply's are based on immigrant or non-immigrant visas there in lies the problem from what I stated above. So they hit the button for your status which is "immigrant" and so you get immigrant information when in fact you are a non-immigrant with immigrant intentions. Oy Vey. Have I confused you yet. Sorry. Just ignore those that seem strange to you. Fill out the I-134. I-864 is for AOS. (CR-1 are all ready married so they fill out the I-864 because they will get a green card shortly after they arrive on American soil).

 

39 minutes ago, Kamka said:

Hi Guys,

 

I have a question, maybe someone can help.

 

Have you heard about USCIS Immigrant Fee ? I

read info that it's separate fee than I–129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) or Visa Fee that we're going to pay before interview. 

It looks like prerequisite before we will travel to US - more info https://www.uscis.gov/file-online/uscis-immigrant-fee  

Here's a quote from travel.state.gov....

 

 

 

Someone just asked the question about two pages ago, but in a different way/circumstance and these were my reply's.  Simply ignore that information as it doesn't apply to the K-1 visa but only to the CR-1.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

19 minutes ago, Alabamak1 said:

For anybody in this thread, please sign up for USPS informed delivery if you have not done so. It's easier than trying to figure out where, when and why you do not know when USCIS sends you a NOA-X. 

 

Most ppl will not understand the USPS informed delivery so I suggest you outline what that tool is, how it can help them and where they can go to sign up. It is a good tool and thanks for posting it and thanks for updating the information so others will understand what that is.

[Alabamak1 688]

@Greenbaum Thanks, absolutely right. 

 

Informed delivery is a service from USPS and it let's you know in advance what is supposed to arrive in your mailbox. They take a picture of your incoming mail and send it to you few hours before delivery. I usually get my mail around 11am - 1pm, but i get this email around 8 or 9am. It's free to sign up. 

 

https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action 

[Greenbaum 12,259]

5 hours ago, jtrh said:

I've dug around a bit on this thread and others but haven't found my answer--though I'm sure it exists somewhere!

 

I'm the petitioner and I received the NOA2 8/16. My partner has changed addresses since we filed, so I immediately contacted NVC by email to inform them of the address change. Yesterday they replied saying they had no record of our case, cases can take up to 6 weeks to reach them, blah blah blah.

 

I was trying to be proactive in doing this address change, but now i'm wondering what to do. Do I just keep contacting them every couple of days hoping they've received it? My understanding is that as soon as NVC receives our case, they will send a letter to the beneficiary with next steps for their home embassy. I just don't want this letter to go unreceived if we don't get the address changed before they process it. 

Here are three ways to stay in touch with the process for your visa as it winds its way through USCIS and NVC and eventually your Embassy. Now I am giving you three and maybe you'll only use one but remember there are others reading my answer and maybe they as well had the same question. Now these will be "home" address and email address's. Both are important.

 

Once your case arrives at NVC: It's advisable to contact NVC via https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html to update your email address as well as your beneficiary's email address or,

 

After getting notified and receiving your NOA2 send an email to NVC asking for them to email both you and your fiancé if any updates occur. In the past they have replied when your case was received from USCIS, another when your case number has been assigned and when your case is being sent out to your Embassy without you having to make any further queries by phone. Here is where you send this information to:

 

Email address: NVCINQUIRY@state.gov

Subject: Your receipt #

Body: Petitioner's Complete Name Birthday ; Beneficiary's Complete Name Birthday

 

 

Or use the online form

 

https://secureforms.travel.state.gov/ask-nvc.php

 

https://secureforms.travel.state.gov/ask-nvc.php

 

And here for a address change: https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange

 

Hope this helps.  

[SalishSea 17,837]

26 minutes ago, Alabamak1 said:

For anybody in this thread, please sign up for USPS informed delivery if you have not done so. It's easier than trying to figure out where, when and why you do not know when USCIS sends you a NOA-X. 

 

I have it, and I love it.  On the day our NOA2 arrived, my fiance was visiting from NZ, and he was able to lurk around for the letter carrier.  I personally haven't had mail stolen, but it has been an ongoing problem in my neighborhood.

[Nani14 23]

11 minutes ago, Alabamak1 said:

@Greenbaum Thanks, absolutely right. 

 

Informed delivery is a service from USPS and it let's you know in advance what is supposed to arrive in your mailbox. They take a picture of your incoming mail and send it to you few hours before delivery. I usually get my mail around 11am - 1pm, but i get this email around 8 or 9am. It's free to sign up. 

 

https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action 

Thank you for the info but I tried doing this a couple months ago and it’s not available for my address. Wish it did! 

[B-B 17]

I'm not sure if somebody will have the answer but: I was filling in the DS-160 form and they asked me for a passport photo. 

Will it be a problem if it is a different passport photo than the one I have sent with the I-129F or the one I will bring to the medical exam?

 

[Alabamak1 688]

Hi Augustines 2018:

 

Here are a few things to remember, before you get ready for your interview and do POE. Actually after POE to be clear.

 

a) get all your police certificates ready (any country you lived in after 16 y.o for more than 1 year)

b) vaccinate with all required vaccines in your home country for immigration to the USA and do this because it will be required for AOS. In most cases it is also much cheaper. Aside, I have seen cases for AOS ready in about 2 months in some parts of the States. 

c) get all of your schooling records (high school, technical school, college, university and other tertiary schooling) translated and certified. 

d) birthcertificate multiple copies (3) with translations. Don't do them yourself. Spend a penny or two on a good translation

e) Get SS# first, before anything after POE is over. It can take anywhere from 1 week to 8 weeks. 

f) Get married after applying for SS# and do AOS as soon as possible. The lines are long and the wait is unreal. 

 g) Good luck and k-1 was a joke compared to AOS.....average wait in Montgomery, AL Field Office was 1 year and more to have an interview