Does the NVC ever respond to emails?

[thongd4me 69]

Sent to:

NVCINQUIRY@state.gov

Subject: My K-1 I-129F petition has been approved by USCIS - Can you confirm it was sent to the US Consulate in Bangkok?

I received the I-797, Notice of Action form indicating approval valid from 10/14/2009 to 02/14/2010 for I-129F

Petition for Fiancee, dated October 14, 2009. I have tracked it through DHL to the Consulate in Bangkok

Tracking # Status

8789467190 Shipment delivered.

Signed by BOONTAM U.

10/20/2009 9:54 am

10/16/2009

PORTSMOUTH, NH BANGKOK, THAILAND

Can you confirm that this was for my case and if so, what is my new case number (if any)?

Many thanks,

Petitioner:

My Name

DOB 99/99/1999

Beneficiary:

Her Name

DOB 99/99/1999

[ThaitoUSA 15]

You can call NVC, obtain your case number, which if memory serves correctly begins with BNK, and then email Bangkok consulate directly. That's what we did and received a prompt reply from them confirming the receipt of our petition as well as a link to Packet 3 online, so we needn't have waited for the mailed hardcopy.

[thongd4me 69]

You can call NVC, obtain your case number, which if memory serves correctly begins with BNK, and then email Bangkok consulate directly. That's what we did and received a prompt reply from them confirming the receipt of our petition as well as a link to Packet 3 online, so we needn't have waited for the mailed hardcopy.

(copied from my reply to you on another thread)

I'll do that next week when I return to NY. We've completed the application for the police report

and did the medical check yesterday (with another vaccination pending another visit), so there

isn't any real rush to call the NVC; I wish they would respond to emails but hey, they're only

the government, they make all the rules. I'll try to get a response from the BKK consulate

before I leave Thailand tomorrow. My affidavit of support is 100% ready to roll.

Additional info: auto reply from NVC; I forgot to include my USCIS case number on the email

I showed in my original post here; I will correct that now.

NVC Inquiry to me

show details 8:50 AM (14 minutes ago)

PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS AUTOMATED NOTIFICATION

Please be advised that, as of April 4th, 2008, our office revised our

guidelines for communication between the National Visa Center and the

public. We are now required to verify case specific information each

time we receive an inquiry.

According to U.S. law, the National Visa Center is only permitted to

discuss details of a visa case with authorized representatives and when

provided with all of the following information:

* NVC case number or CIS receipt number

* Petitioner's name and date of birth

* Beneficiary's name and date of birth

* Your full name

If you are the legal representative, and your G-28, Notice of Entry of

Appearance as Attorney or Representative, is not on file at the NVC,

please include a copy of your signed G-28 showing that you are the legal

representative as well as the following information:

* NVC case number or CIS receipt number

* Petitioner's name and date of birth or Beneficiary's name and

date of birth

* Attorney's law firm name

* Attorney's law firm address

* Your full name

If you are corresponding regarding an I-140 petition you must provide

the following information:

* NVC case number or CIS receipt number

* Name of the petitioning company

* Beneficiary's name and date of birth

* Your full name

If you are the petitioner, principal applicant or legal representative,

please notify the National Visa Center with any changes to your mailing

address, email address or phone numbers.

Please include this required information on all future inquiries

directed to the NVC. If this information has not been submitted with

your inquiry it will be requested.

Please do not respond to this inquiry.

Thank you,

National Visa Center

[thongd4me 69]

So the answer to the question posted in this thread is tentatively Yes, because so far I got an autoreply.

Did anyone get an actual reply to an email to the NVC if you only had your USCIS receipt number to show them?

[Lisa and Ian 7]

Normally, you can expect a response from NVC in 2 weeks. I wrote to NVC frequently, as my petition had an extended layover of 34 days there.

NVC recognizes either your USCIS number and/or your NVC case number.

You should call NVC and ask them for your case number. It's what you'll use as a reference to DOS and the embassy from here on out.

When you call, ask which day it was shipped. Then have them confirm which embassy it was mailed to.

Then call the Dept of State (or the embassy, if you like) and ask them for status.

Good luck!

Edited October 30, 2009 by Ian and Lisa

[Lisa and Ian 7]

NVC

Hours: Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 12:00 AM (EST)

Tel: (603 334-0700).

Always follow the prompts to speak to an operator

DOS

Dept of State (DOS)

(202) 663-1225 press 1, then 0 for a live person

[ScottThuy 140]

they will likely respond after they send it to the consulate...

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

they will likely respond after they send it to the consulate...

This was my experience.

[thongd4me 69]

NVC

Hours: Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 12:00 AM (EST)

Tel: (603 334-0700).

Always follow the prompts to speak to an operator

DOS

Dept of State (DOS)

(202) 663-1225 press 1, then 0 for a live person

Thanks so much for your 2 posts. You filled in a bit of info that I suspected but was

not frequently stated clearly (that the NVC case number would carry forward to the

consulate until the visa was obtained or denied). To those who've been there it must

seem like a stupid question but for us who haven't it is most helpful to know.

Thanks again,

TD4Me

[thongd4me 69]

they will likely respond after they send it to the consulate...

This was my experience.

With 20-20 hindsight, the NVC step was just a FLASH (over in a second) as I did go through the VJ recommended DHL tracking which

confirmed that my case went to BKK. I also got no confirmation from the consulate, but since we got the packet3 official letter from the

consulate on my last day in Thailand (Saturday) while we were both there to greet the mailman, all is well and we are both very happy.

We acted on the receipt of the NOA2 on October 14 and the presumed receipt (by BKK consulate) of my case on October 20 (through DHL

tracking) in getting both the police report and the medical exam out of the way. She was so happy that I was by her side when she went

through these steps, but doesn't feel I have to be there for her during the interview (which in fact I am barred from in BKK).

So my best advice to those waiting for the NOA2 is that if you want to make a pre-interview visit, do it for the police report & medical

exam and just to be together, not for the interview. If you want to go for the interview you can have no impact on that (other than to

help with the questions in advance of the interview, which you could also do by regular chats from the US). You may also want to be

there for the interview if the intention is to travel together back to the US (one couple which we met in BKK were in fact doing that).

Once the interview is done, most beneficiaries will have many loose ends to take care of (disposing of possessions, family matters,

winding down a business or a job, etc.) which take time and the 3 months' validity period of the visa is designed to help with that.

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

they will likely respond after they send it to the consulate...

This was my experience.

With 20-20 hindsight, the NVC step was just a FLASH (over in a second) as I did go through the VJ recommended DHL tracking which

confirmed that my case went to BKK. I also got no confirmation from the consulate, but since we got the packet3 official letter from the

consulate on my last day in Thailand (Saturday) while we were both there to greet the mailman, all is well and we are both very happy.

We acted on the receipt of the NOA2 on October 14 and the presumed receipt (by BKK consulate) of my case on October 20 (through DHL

tracking) in getting both the police report and the medical exam out of the way. She was so happy that I was by her side when she went

through these steps, but doesn't feel I have to be there for her during the interview (which in fact I am barred from in BKK).

So my best advice to those waiting for the NOA2 is that if you want to make a pre-interview visit, do it for the police report & medical

exam and just to be together, not for the interview. If you want to go for the interview you can have no impact on that (other than to

help with the questions in advance of the interview, which you could also do by regular chats from the US). You may also want to be

there for the interview if the intention is to travel together back to the US (one couple which we met in BKK were in fact doing that).

Once the interview is done, most beneficiaries will have many loose ends to take care of (disposing of possessions, family matters,

winding down a business or a job, etc.) which take time and the 3 months' validity period of the visa is designed to help with that.

Glad to see that you made it through NVC without a detour through AP.

For countries where the consulate's visa unit does not permit the USC to accompany the fiance/spouse to the interview, many USCs have elected to nevertheless be in-country at the time of the interview for moral support. In addition, you can give your passport to your SO to take inside with her—this provides irrefutable proof that you're waiting outside for her, and can strongly buttress your case for bona fide relationship.

Also, K1s are issued with a validity of six months. Three months (90 days, to be precise) is the period of authorized stay when the visa holder enters the US on the K1, during which time you must marry (and, preferably, file for AOS to avoid any time out of status).

Edited November 2, 2009 by Stephen + Elisha