US Immigration from Czech Republic

Hi guys,

I got to the US on a K1 Visa in July 2023, married my husband in August 2023 and filed for AOS at the beginning of September 2023. I got an RFE the same month regarding the affidavit of support, responded within 10 days. Initialy my field office was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (3-4 hour drive from where we live). Had to do biometrics there twice. Since October 11, 2023 I had not heard from USCIS until this Monday, October 14 2024. Got an email they have taken an action on my case...I log in to see "interview was scheduled". I was pretty shocked TBH because 1) I provided pretty strong evidence that our marriage is legit in the AOS packet 2) they work on a federal holiday...? 3) no notice about the interview in the Documents tab on my USCIS online account

The next day I managed to chat with an agent through EMMA and ask about the interview and they gave me a date and location and apparently we will have to go to Detroit now? Which is like 7-8 hours from here.

I'm honestly pretty tired from dealing with USCIS for almost 4 years now. First, the K1 took forever, now this...and seeing all the people who filed this year getting approved without an interview just really grinds my gears.

I've seen a few people getting their interview scheduled and then cancelled and eventually approved, I'm not holding my breath this will be my case but...has anyone on here experienced anything like this?

(Apologies for the long post)

Hello,

I am getting EB-2+NIW immigration visa. As I understand it, on my Interview I will get a stamp in my passport and a sealed packet, which I will hand out on my Point of Entry to the States. I fill a form there to get the physical Green Card, but it will take up to 90 days to obtain the card. In meanwhile, I can work if I obtain EAD. But I got NIW (National Interest Waiver), which is supposed to mean that I do NOT need work permit.

Does it mean I can start working as soon as I enter the States?

What do I show to the prospective employer - the passport stamp?

I'm really scared of the up to 90 days period I would have to stay without work and therefore without health insurance.

How can I work before I receive my Green Card as a EB-2+NIW holder?

Thank you.

Hello.

TL/DR: What is the email NVC sends electronic version of Welcome Letter from, so I can whitelist the email address?

I did not get my Welcome Letter from NVC. I need it for the included Cover Sheet, to be able to submit documents. So I Asked NVC to resend it. They did, but I didn't receive anything. I think, if they send it by email, that maybe my email provider has too aggressive spam filter and would like to whitelist the email address, so the spam filter lets it into my inbox, before I ask them to resend it yet again. Could someone who received the Welcome Letter copy through email please let me know what email address they sent it from? Thank you very much.

Hello, I'm a USC living in Prague with my Czech wife and our kids aged 12 and 17. She tried to get a B1B2 visa in December of 2023 and was denied by 214(b). I can't quite figure out how to get around this problem.

Firstly, we do indeed want her to get a tourist visa even though a K3 shouldn't be a problem, because we don't plan to move any time soon. We've been together since around 2003, other than a few trips (6 to the US), we've spent the time living in Czechia where both of our children (12 and 17) were born and go to school. Her parents and brother also live nearby, and she has a job and is enrolled in continuing education.

My wife has had 10 year B1B2 visas in the past, and getting them had never a problem. Her last renewal was in 2008, after that, ESTAS were available in Czechia and were popularly known as "visa waivers." Without any real research, we assumed they worked the same as visas and went on a trip to the US in 2019, which went fine. In 2021, COVID was tailing off and it was possible to travel overseas again. Consulates were closed, so she got another ESTA and we went back, but this time for four months rather than the two months we'd gone each time before.

As we found out, this was an overstay for the ESTA, so another is no longer an option. However, I believe she should still be able to get a tourist visa. After this, her first attempt to get a B1B2 was June 2022, which was denied for 214(b). So, I did some research and found out that she needed to prove strong ties to Czechia, and we put together a package of documents detailing her parent's, brother's and our real estate here, the children's schools, and her job. None of that mattered, though because the consul didn't look at it,

I wasn't allowed at the interview, so I don't know in detail what was said, but one question my wife told me about was how she was able to travel when flying to the US was only allowed for USCs. The correct answer is that spouses of USCs were also allowed, although she didn't remember that at the time of the interview. Another question was who she knows in the US, and the correct answer was a number of people we'd met on prior trips. Unfortunately she replied no one, to which the consul said, but what about your husband's relatives? We had met my brother on one trip, but he's hardly the reason we travel there.

So, I have several thoughts: How do you convey strong ties to your home country when your supporting documentation doesn't get looked at? Is "proof" of strong ties even possible? Is it possible to add information to the DS-160 since the documents you bring don't get looked at? Is a 214(b) denial a kind of a catchall when the real reason lies elsewhere?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I self-petitioned for EB-2 with NIW on 17th January 2023 and had it approved in April 2023.

My case was resent to NVC. By Visa Bulletin, since January 2024, the Date for Filing for my visa category is 15th February 2023, so as far as I found out, I should get Welcome Letter and do the steps needed to become Documentarily Complete.

I never got a Welcome Letter or another contact from NVC.

I contacted NVC, got my login info. I paid fees, submitted DS-260, but there is no option to upload documents.

As far as I know, there are three ways to send documents:

- upload to CEAC : can not do because the option is missing (I am self-petitioned so I do not need Affidavit of Support)

- send by mail: can not do because one NEEDS to include Cover Sheet from Welcome Letter, which I never got.

- send by email: maybe I should try this? But they write one shouldn't unless specifically asked. But then, NVC didnt bother ask or inform me of anything so far.

I also contacted NVC about not having the Cover Sheet, twice. I got a generic reply to the first, and that they are resending the Welcome Letter to the second. After that, I got into my mailbox a letter, that they resent the Welcome Letter. I did not get the Welcome Letter itself. I'm lost, how do I submit the documents? Anyone faced similar issue?