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Bunny Gurl

NVC approval timeframes

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
Timeline

My mom's I-130 petition was approved, and I've just submitted the second package of personal and financial documents at CEAC. My mother's case was sent to Almaty, Kazakhstan. 
Does anyone know, how long it might take now, before we can schedule the interview?
Or maybe, there's a topic on that, if you could send me the link, where people share their terms?

Thank you!

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NVC will schedule the interview themselves after you get documentarily qualified (DQ). You’ll get an Interview letter, for now your mother’s case is still with NVC. Almaty is not a backlogged consulate, if shouldn’t take longer than maybe two months after DQ? That’s just my guesstimate.

 

Check out the regional discussion forum here, there are a few threads on Russian applicants applying in Almaty:

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/98-russia-ukraine-and-belarus/
 

If you’d like me to move this thread there, let me know and I’ll do that.

Edited by powerpuff

 

 

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
Timeline
7 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

NVC will schedule the interview themselves after you get documentarily qualified (DQ). You’ll get an Interview letter, for now your mother’s case is still with NVC. Almaty is not a backlogged consulate, if shouldn’t take longer than maybe two months after DQ? That’s just my guesstimate.

 

Check out the regional discussion forum here, there are a few threads on Russian applicants applying in Almaty:

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/98-russia-ukraine-and-belarus/
 

If you’d like me to move this thread there, let me know and I’ll do that.

Sure, please do so.

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
Timeline

I'm curious if the NVC assigned your case to Almaty right away. I had to fight with them for Almaty, because they insisted on Warsaw.

 

No idea how long it takes for the NVC to schedule a qualified case. My mother's case ended up being transferred, and I needed to schedule the appointment myself. From what I understood, it could be done fairly quickly (within weeks). We got somewhat delayed by logistics and personal circumstances. 

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1 hour ago, October 2022 said:

I'm curious if the NVC assigned your case to Almaty right away. I had to fight with them for Almaty, because they insisted on Warsaw.

How long ago was that? 
 

Last year February they designated Tashkent and Almaty as processing posts for Russian IR5 applicants:

 

Additionally, on February 16, 2023, the Department of State designated U.S. Embassy Tashkent and U.S. Consulate General Almaty as processing posts for Russian IR-5 (parent of a U.S. citizen) immigrant visa (IV) applicants.  IR-5 immigrant visa appointments will be scheduled through the National Visa Center.  U.S. Embassy Warsaw remains the processing post for Russian applicants applying for other IV categories.

 

https://kz.usembassy.gov/visas/important-visa-information/#:~:text=Additionally%2C on February 16%2C 2023,through the National Visa Center.

 

 

 

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
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11 hours ago, October 2022 said:

I'm curious if the NVC assigned your case to Almaty right away. I had to fight with them for Almaty, because they insisted on Warsaw.

 

No idea how long it takes for the NVC to schedule a qualified case. My mother's case ended up being transferred, and I needed to schedule the appointment myself. From what I understood, it could be done fairly quickly (within weeks). We got somewhat delayed by logistics and personal circumstances. 

No, my mom's case was initially assigned at Warsaw, as, probably, most of the Russian applicants' cases since the war started. That is, I think, really ridiculous - don't they know, that Russian people need a Schengen visa for that? So to go to a visa interview, they have to obtain another visa. Why not assigning all Russian cases at the countries, were Russian citizens can go without a visa? Wouldn't that make a better sense?


I am now working in Germany, and the most convenient for me would be getting my mom's case assigned at Frankfurt - I could bring her over, have her stay here with me in my apartment within a comfortable time, without any hassle. So, I started requesting for transfer. I wrote all over the place - to NVC, to Frankfurt Visa Unit, at its multiple emails, made several phone calls - but those guys only kept fobbing me off with all kinds of kisses off for about 3 months (the petition was approved in October). I was already considering to write to my senator for assistance, but then decided to walk on the path of least resistance. I wrote to Tbilisi (Georgia) and got a reply from them, that they only accept the cases of those who reside in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Since when, I wonder? My friend's mother had her interview there in March 2023. Then I wrote to Almaty and thankfully received an acceptance letter from them. The very next day I received the letter  from NVC, confirming the case reassignment with the new number.
I am not terribly disappointed, for Almaty is the place, where my mom can get the easiest way - no visa needed, and it's a short trip by train for her, since she lives in the city of Kurgan, which is right next to Kazakhstan border. 

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
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10 hours ago, powerpuff said:

How long ago was that? 
 

Last year February they designated Tashkent and Almaty as processing posts for Russian IR5 applicants:

 

Additionally, on February 16, 2023, the Department of State designated U.S. Embassy Tashkent and U.S. Consulate General Almaty as processing posts for Russian IR-5 (parent of a U.S. citizen) immigrant visa (IV) applicants.  IR-5 immigrant visa appointments will be scheduled through the National Visa Center.  U.S. Embassy Warsaw remains the processing post for Russian applicants applying for other IV categories.

 

https://kz.usembassy.gov/visas/important-visa-information/#:~:text=Additionally%2C on February 16%2C 2023,through the National Visa Center.

 

I also had to fight for Almaty. Despite what you said, my mom's case was assigned at Warsaw in October 2023.

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
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11 hours ago, powerpuff said:

How long ago was that? 

Circa November 2023. The NVC was not responsive at all despite the very same quotes from the DOS. Some contractor assigned to the written correspondence unit kept cutting and pasting the same response: You mother can't go to Kazakhstan, because she's neither a citizen nor a resident there. Incredibly frustrating. I ended up on the phone with a Congressional staffer, and the issue was resolved within days. My case was expedited to Almaty, and I eventually scheduled an appointment via ustraveldocs.com.

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
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1 hour ago, Bunny Gurl said:

I am not terribly disappointed, for Almaty is the place, where my mom can get the easiest way - no visa needed, and it's a short trip by train for her, since she lives in the city of Kurgan, which is right next to Kazakhstan border. 

 

My mom just returned from Almaty. She loved it there. I regretted not going! 😉

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
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2 hours ago, October 2022 said:

 

My mom just returned from Almaty. She loved it there. I regretted not going! 😉

May I ask you, how long it took you to get the interview scheduled after you've submitted all the paperwork at NVC?

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Filed: IR-5 Country: Russia
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1 hour ago, Bunny Gurl said:

May I ask you, how long it took you to get the interview scheduled after you've submitted all the paperwork at NVC?

Sure. Let's see if I can recall. The case got DQ'd by the NVC shortly after I uploaded the documents. Sometime mid-October 2023. It took about a month to switch from WRW to ATA, so I could schedule an appoinment by early December. The case, however, was an expedite per Congressional request to the NVC

 

If you have an ATA case number, reach out to usakz@state.gov. They're picky about subject lines, so make sure you put "Team 11--Case Transfer In--ATA**********" in the subject line. Ask them if they received the case and you're clear to schedule an appointment. If they have your case and are ready for you to schedule, they should respond with a zip file with various instructions. Email to support@traveldocs.com, and they will send you a link with instructions to set up an account. You'll need it to schedule the interview. Navigating this can get confusing, but not too bad. I'll be glad to help if you have questions, because it's fresh in my mind.

Edited by October 2022
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3 hours ago, October 2022 said:

Circa November 2023. The NVC was not responsive at all despite the very same quotes from the DOS. Some contractor assigned to the written correspondence unit kept cutting and pasting the same response: You mother can't go to Kazakhstan, because she's neither a citizen nor a resident there. Incredibly frustrating. I ended up on the phone with a Congressional staffer, and the issue was resolved within days. My case was expedited to Almaty, and I eventually scheduled an appointment via ustraveldocs.com.

How ridiculous!!! I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’m glad it worked out at the end

 

 

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
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5 hours ago, Bunny Gurl said:

That is, I think, really ridiculous - don't they know, that Russian people need a Schengen visa for that? So to go to a visa interview, they have to obtain another visa. Why not assigning all Russian cases at the countries, were Russian citizens can go without a visa? Wouldn't that make a better sense?

They know. The issue is the Moscow embassy was huge and it's hard for them to find a "replacement" to handle the same capacity (this is the supposed excuse.) 

 

I think DoS needs to divest completely from the Moscow embassy and reinvest/expand somewhere else like Almaty because for all intents and purposes there seems to be zero will to strengthen diplomatic ties between Russia and the US, thus meaning the closed Moscow embassy problem is going to linger on for years, maybe even decades? 

 

Warsaw was most likely chosen last minute because it's the default embassy for Belarussians, so they probably had Russian speaking staff and some capacity to process the cases there. However, Belarus is tiny and has barely any applicants compared to Russia so it's obviously not a long term solution at all (not to mention the annoyance of the Schengen visa.)

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Info about my DCF Moscow* experience here and here

26-Jul-2016: Married abroad in Russia 👩‍❤️‍👨 See guide here
21-Dec-2016: I-130 filed at Moscow USCIS field office*
29-Dec-2016: I-130 approved! Yay! 🎊 

17-Jan-2017: Case number received

21-Mar-2017: Medical Exam completed

24-Mar-2017: Interview at Embassy - approved! 🎉

29-Mar-2017: CR-1 Visa received (via mail)

02-Apr-2017: USCIS Immigrant (GC) Fee paid

28-Jun-2017: Port of Entry @ PDX 🛩️

21-Jul-2017: No SSN after three weeks; applied in person at the SSA

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03-Apr-2019: ROC packet delivered to lockbox

09-Apr-2019: USCIS cashed check

09-Apr-2019: Case number received via text - MSC 📲

12-Apr-2019: Extension letter arrives via mail

19-Apr-2019: Biometrics letter arrives via mail

30-Apr-2019: Biometrics appointment at local office

26-Jun-2019: Case ready to be scheduled for interview 

04-Sep-2019: Interview was scheduled - letter to arrive in mail

09-Sep-2019: Interview letter arrived in the mail! ✉️

17-Oct-2019: Interview scheduled @ local USCIS  

18-Oct-2019: Interview cancelled & notice ordered*

18-Oct-2019: Case was approved! 🎉

22-Oct-2019: Card was mailed to me 📨

23-Oct-2019: Card was picked by USPS 

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*I don't understand this status because we DID have an interview!

 

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07-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received via mail

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15-Oct-2020: Received generic response to non-receipt inquiry, see full response here

10-Feb-2021: Contacted senator's office for help with USCIS

12-Feb-2021: Received canned response from senator's office that case is within processing time 😡

16-Feb-2021: Contacted other senator's office for help with USCIS - still no biometrics

19-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice - canned response from other senator's office 🌐

23-Feb-2021: Interview scheduled - notice to come in the mail

25-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice arrives via mail

01-Mar-2021: Interview notice letter arrives via mail  ✉️ 

29-Mar-2021: Passed interview at local office! Oath Ceremony to be scheduled

13-Apr-2021: Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

04-May-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 Unable to attend due to illness

04-May-2021: Mailed request to reschedule Oath to local office

05-May-2021: "You did not attend your Oath Ceremony" - notice to come in the mail

06-May-2021: Oath Ceremony will be scheduled, date TBA

12-May-2021: Oath Ceremony re-scheduled for June 3rd, then de-scheduled same day 😡 

25-May-2021: New Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

16-Jun-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 - DONE!!

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