NOA2 Received!!!!! 43 DAYS!!!

[Mary and Jeff 0]

Thank you everyone for the congratulations! Sorry it took so long to reply.. been busy trying to catch up on things around the house... (haven't put the dishes in the washer since I seem to have been distracted over the last two days... )

As for why I got so fast... I have several theories, but I am not going to call up the USCIS and "rock to boat" and ask why are you moving so fast??!!??

One theory is perhaps it might be because her mother already immigrated to the U.S. and is a citizen... so maybe whatever background checks they have on her might come up more quickly?

Another possibly theory is I studied all the guides each evening for probably several weeks, and met her mother to get immigration advice as well... and then I added bookmarks to each section of 129F, as well as a small table of contents for each section in the 129F... I basically tried making it idiot-proof that anyone should find anything in the package in a few seconds...

I even put in a little note saying I have "hundreds of additional pages of chat logs..." and let them know to contact me by phone or email if they ever want more info... (not that it mattered... but I thought I wanted to show I am completely willing to be transparent and honest with them)

I don't know... perhaps it might be the fact I have a little Irish from my mother's side... it seems I inherited her luck... B) (of course I am completely lucky to have met someone like Mary... but that's a whole another story!)

MARY AND JEFF

First, congratulations ! WHAT A FAST JOURNEY !!

Just a question : have you any reason to get your NOA 2 so fast ? are you a military ?

Thanks

[Mary and Jeff 0]

I don't know... I think I have the right to complain since it took longer than a month... (by the way I'm kidding! )

I know... I am going to keep doing the same things... wake up at the same time, eat the same breakfast, watch the same TV shows... whatever... just to make sure this luck continues!!!!

Congratulations guys. You must be feeling pretty lucky ) And you shoud. Embrase that moment and keep the good luck for the rest of the process.

[Rainschild 0]

Wow, congratulations and good luck through the rest of this process!!!

43 days, you give me hope

[Saska+Tim 7]

that was fast!

CONGRATULATIONS !

[malamu 0]

Fast indeed

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! Good luck at the interview!

[baron555 934]

and then I added bookmarks to each section of 129F, as well as a small table of contents for each section in the 129F... I basically tried making it idiot-proof that anyone should find anything in the package in a few seconds...

I did the same thing. Table of contents for each "section" especially the Proof of Meeting and the Proof of Relationship sections. All binder clipped separately and then all together with a giant clip. For the photos parts of the Proof of Meeting I embedded the photos onto a Word document, added a title on top (and on some added commentary like, "notice the pizza delivery receipt address is the same as the apartment address:), then printed this on the color printer at work. Then on the package that was submitted, I enclosed a real photo (from digital printing at Walgreens for real cheap) in a resealable bag, printed name and picture on back of picture, affixed an address label with same information onto bag and then staped that on top of the printed picture on that particular page.

Also for the Photos part, I printed out each of our photo pages from our respective passports, to place a name with the faces seen in the photos.

So all of our fingers are crossed like everyones' are. We received our NOA1 within 3 days of mailing, similar to yours.

Everyone will be kept informed.

[Mary and Jeff 0]

and then I added bookmarks to each section of 129F, as well as a small table of contents for each section in the 129F... I basically tried making it idiot-proof that anyone should find anything in the package in a few seconds...

I did the same thing. Table of contents for each "section" especially the Proof of Meeting and the Proof of Relationship sections. All binder clipped separately and then all together with a giant clip. For the photos parts of the Proof of Meeting I embedded the photos onto a Word document, added a title on top (and on some added commentary like, "notice the pizza delivery receipt address is the same as the apartment address:), then printed this on the color printer at work. Then on the package that was submitted, I enclosed a real photo (from digital printing at Walgreens for real cheap) in a resealable bag, printed name and picture on back of picture, affixed an address label with same information onto bag and then staped that on top of the printed picture on that particular page.

Also for the Photos part, I printed out each of our photo pages from our respective passports, to place a name with the faces seen in the photos.

So all of our fingers are crossed like everyones' are. We received our NOA1 within 3 days of mailing, similar to yours.

Everyone will be kept informed.

Wow! Everything you mentioned, I did as well (even getting the phots at Walgreens, but I didn't go as far as embedding photos in a word document... for some reason, I thought... "what if I come across a person in USCIS who doesn't understand technology...

I can just see them thinking to themself... "A PHOTO on 8.5" x 11" paper!!! that's from a computer!!! it MUST BE PHOTOSHOPPED!!!! I'm going to raise all the red flags and delay everything for 3 years because I know photos don't belong on paper!!!"

So I figured I'd just put all the photos on regular 3" x 5" photos at walgreens... which is what everyone born in the bast 84 years understands... and write the info on the back...

I hope it goes through quickly for you as well... if so... then maybe we can figure out what we did to make it go through so fast!

[CuriousGuy 0]

Well, today is OUR 45th day, and I logged on to find our package was TOUCHED! Now, if I have a USCIS letter in my box by Monday, I will stain myself, LOL.

[mkg265 2]

Congrats!!

[Nik+Heather 121]

I got mine today - approved Friday the 13th!!

ALSO 43 days!!

CSC! CSC! CSC!

My theory on the speed depends soley on the fact that December and January (according to the VJ sampling) had MUCH fewer applicants than the usual month. Check the "all petitions" list. There's a pretty significant drop off.

Anyway, Looks like January is going strong. Hope my fellow January's get their NOA2s soon as well!

Edited March 20, 2009 by Nik+Heather

[Mary and Jeff 0]

WOW! Congratulations!!!!

I guess the $455 filing fee is a bit too much for many during these economic times?

I got mine today - approved Friday the 13th!!

ALSO 43 days!!

CSC! CSC! CSC!

My theory on the speed depends soley on the fact that December and January (according to the VJ sampling) had MUCH fewer applicants than the usual month. Check the "all petitions" list. There's a pretty significant drop off.

Anyway, Looks like January is going strong. Hope my fellow January's get their NOA2s soon as well!

[Vegabond 0]

Maybe you have a right theory about filing in January. After Christmas.. every ones budget is pretty low and in need of some recoop time.

Maybe that is the reason for the speed up in processing times. I just hope it lasts. through April and May. :-)

Or maybe its Obama dollars at work and they have hired more employees. In any case.. will take it as it is.

[NatPatBen 3]

...

It was fortunate nobody else was at the post office as I jumped and yelled out in celebration!!!! I never would have dreamed getting it in 43 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day VJers!!!!!!!! Time to enjoy a beer!!!!

Wow! You must've submitted to CSC instead of VSC to get such a quick NOA2.

43 days?????? that must have been some crazy USCIS adjudicator hyped up red bull and coffee hahahaha

lol. We should clone that adjudicator.

[baron555 934]

Yes Congrats. I'm hoping you guys are starting the trend. Come on CSC !!!!!

I stapled my baggie containing the photos on top of the photo that I imbedded in the document.

We all know that photos are secondary evidence anyway so I am not worried about any Photoshop concerns; we have concrete evidence of us being in Kiev and being together during the time period we indicated. Under the table of contents top sheet of our Proof of Meeting section, I placed a written description of our meeting and described where we had gone while in Kiev which corresponds to the evidence presented beneath that page.

Anyone can read through our documents and it walks you through the evidence. I kept it simple and to the point but all is there.

Fingers and toes are crossed of course.

Congrats again to everyone.

Phil

[goncaptive 0]

I'm still in a bit of shock and am wondering if I'm missing something. I THINK I just received my NOA2 from the CSC (it says that the application is approved), but I wasn't expecting it this quickly. Our NOA1 date was Feb. 19, and the date on this form says Mar. 19. 31 days????

How do I figure out if I really have an NOA2 in my hands? I'm a little skeptical after looking at the estimated dates..

Thanks for the help!

OMG! I am now exhausted from jumping and running around the house for 2 hours calling all I know!!

It began when when I found a lone envelope in my PO Box... and suddenly I see "Dept. of Homeland Security" on the return address... and immediately my heart sank... I just said.. "OH fudge* (the word "fudge" may have been different ) I was thinking... is this a RFE??? what did I forget??? I trriple checked everything!!! I sent more evidence than even the guides say to send... I even start over entire forms if I thought 1 letter could be interpreted as something else!!! then I see the words... "Approval notice" ok... well this is nice... but let's see if the fine print matches what I think that it means...

Then I read "The above petition has been approved...." Then just in case by some random chance I got someone else's mail... I made sure the petitioner and beneficiary's names matched mine and my wonderful soon-to-be wife.... and YES THEY DO!!!!!!!!!!

It was fortunate nobody else was at the post office as I jumped and yelled out in celebration!!!! I never would have dreamed getting it in 43 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day VJers!!!!!!!! Time to enjoy a beer!!!!