Concern After NOA2

[Jason926 4]

Initial I-129F submission - 05/20/2021

 

NOA2 - 02/02/2021

 

I'm coming up on the 4-month window of approval from USCIS and I have a concern about not receiving anything by mail from the NVC.  I contacted the NVC a few weeks ago and they mentioned that I won't receive anything until the application has been sent to the London Embassy for processing, however they did provide me with a case number and invoice number.

 

When I go to https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx? and enter in the case number, it states that the application is "At NVC" and that I can check the status by going to http://ceac.state.gov/iv.  I go to that website and enter in the case number AND the invoice number I received from calling the NVC and the case summary information states:

 

K visas are nonimmigrant visas that assist spouses or future spouses of American citizens in entering the United States. As with all nonimmigrant visa applicants, a DS-160 must be filled out in order for a consular section to process the case.

 

Now my concern is that the NVC is waiting for me to submit a DS-160, but I have never received explicit instructions to do so.  Has anyone had a similar experience to mine?

 

Thank you in advance!

[Wuozopo 4,293]

2 hours ago, Jason926 said:

Now my concern is that the NVC is waiting for me to submit a DS-160, but I have never received explicit instructions to do so.  Has anyone had a similar experience to mine?

K1 approved petitions since March 2020 are in “prison” at the NVC. The NVC will notify the petitioner when they send the file to London. The online status will say”ready” when London has the file and logged it in and is ready for the beneficiary to begin the visa application (DS-160). Sit tight and wait for your file to get to London. The backlog is HUGE. 

 

Meanwhile get shots needed at your GP or another immunisation place. Get proof of all immunisations. And order your UK police certificate. Those will be needed when you finally are ready to attend the visa medical. 

[Boss and Potato 5]

Are the timelines being reported on the processing times page more or less accurate at the moment for London?

 

I got NOA2 on April 16, I'm roughly figuring to be hopefully approved by October 19 assuming the timing is accurate currently - 31 days to NVC, 84 days at NVC, 6 days to London, then 65 days to arrange interview - NVC backlogs appear to be coming down but the load on the London consulate looks to be going up as more cases start coming through, so hopefully the two cancel each other out?

 

I assume you hear nothing until NVC approves your case, and mails the petitioner, then a week later or whatever the London consulate mails the beneficiary?

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, Boss and Potato said:

assume you hear nothing until NVC approves your case, and mails the petitioner, then a week later or whatever the London consulate mails the beneficiary?

 NVC does not approve K1s or evaluate their cases in any way. It is merely a handoff between USCIS, who approves petitions, and the Dept of State who issues visas abroad at embassies. All they do at NVC for a K1 is assign a Dept of State case number and send the petition file on to the correct embassy.
 

K1s used to pass through NVC IN 2-3 days. But with the halt of K1 visas, NVC just held on to the cases waiting for things to change or embassies to reopen.  Even in the fastest of times, a beneficiary would not get a letter from London a week after it left NVC. It takes about 4 days transit to the mail receiving area, off site from the embassy building. Then sorting and getting delivered to the embassy. Once at the IV unit, they take time to recognize the case arrived and even more time to issue the letter of instruction to the beneficiary. sometime the letter never arrives. 😩
 

But good news... you don’t actually need that letter for anything because their instruction on how to proceed is posted online over several pages on the embassy website.  Here’s the start. https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/fiancee-2/applying-for-the-visa/
DO read all the links and FAQs to get prepared and have your ducks in a row when your case arrives at the embassy. 
 

How will you know when to start if you haven’t received the letter? Just check your status on https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx  and when it says “ready” it’s GO time. Just 1)submit your DS-160 online, 2) make your medical appointment, and 3)pick an interview date online. You can do all that in one day (if interview appointments are showing up). It is explained in their website instruction.  Again, YOU DO NOT NEED TO WAIT FOR THE ACTUAL LETTER to get started. You finally control your timeline. 

 

[Boss and Potato 5]

6 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

How will you know when to start if you haven’t received the letter? Just check your status on https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx  and when it says “ready” it’s GO time.

Thanks! So I'm guessing the case number for that tracker is different from the one you get at NOA1 from USCIS - do you have to ask for it from NVC directly? 

 

I'm planning to email them at 30 days after NOA2 through the nvcinquiry@ email address to confirm the case is moving, since I dont expect them to mail me anything for at least 84 days if the current processing times page is accurate

[Wuozopo 4,293]

12 minutes ago, Boss and Potato said:

Thanks! So I'm guessing the case number for that tracker is different from the one you get at NOA1 from USCIS - do you have to ask for it from NVC directly? 

 

I'm planning to email them at 30 days after NOA2 through the nvcinquiry@ email address to confirm the case is moving, since I dont expect them to mail me anything for at least 84 days if the current processing times page is accurate

Your NOA1 case number is a USCIS number.  Your new Dept of State case number will reflect the embassy that will process it. For London LNDXXXXXXXXX.  (LND=London)

 

NVC will include the new case number when they notify the petitioner the case has left NVC. The embassy will include the new case number in their letter of instruction notifying the beneficiary their case has arrived at the embassy. You are not required to call or email NVC in order to get the number, just like you didn’t have to call USCIS and ask for your petition case number.

 

Concerning timeline accuracy you asked about earlier. I have no clue. That part is nothing I read up on. I just try to help you with process experience and information. K1s are just rolling out and London is not even fully open to provide services to fiancé’s yet. Eventually a pattern will develop, but it’s probably a little early to count on predictions.