gringainchile

Hi, just to give people a sense of timing (or lack thereof)....

Our application was approved by USCIS on Jan. 8, received by NVC on Jan. 16. It is now February 14 and while NVC will admit to having the application, they haven't assigned it a case number. In other words, no one has so much as looked at it. In other words, the "10 to 20 business days" to get it into the system is BS.

Sorry if I sound grumpy. If we had known it would take 8 months plus (no end in sight yet) to get a green card for my husband, after 20 years of marriage and 2 kids, we would have made VERY different plans. Grrrr.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Kora

Somehow my last comment didnt quote! Congrats from another gringa married to a chilean Do you have children together? If so, the embassy told me last week that you can apply for an expedite through the NVC process, essentially sending the case directly to the embassy!

Thanks to all for your kind words. What a crazy process. Yes we have 2 children together, and my husband is talking to his contacts in the consulate (he works in a Chilean government ministry, so knows people there) to find out if an expedite is possible.

One word of advice to all: my husband got his green card for the first time in 1993, and we lived in the US for 13 years, during which time he didn't become a US citizen (at first it wasn't possible because he would have had to renounce his Chilean citizenship, and then later he just didn't get around to it). Then we moved to Chile and because we were there for 7 years, he had to give up his green card, and we thought it was no big deal because it was fairly quick to get it the first time. BIG MISTAKE. especially if you have children.

Yes our application was transferred to CSC on December 10.

Woohoo!!!! Just got this email message:

Application Type: I130 , IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN
Your Case Status: Post Decision Activity
On January 8, 2014, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I130 IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCE(E), OR ORPHAN. Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

Our receipt date was July 9, so that is just about 6 months exactly.

YAYYYYYYYY!!!

My husband is in Chile, and was planning to come here in about a month on a tourist visa (yes, while his application was still pending, because he hasn't seen me and the kids in 4 months).

Does anyone know how long post decision activity takes? The Chilean consulate is fairly efficient. If he does come on the tourist visa, can he just stay here and do the interview here?

Thanks!

Hi, my husband and I (me US, he Chilean, we live in Chile) submitted the I-130 in late June, but we forgot to include the email notification form (doh). The check for the application fee was cashed on July 9, but other than that, we have heard nothing. Is it normal for the NOA to take this long to arrive?

We've been married 20 years, 2 kids, own property in the US, and my husband had a green card for 16 years. I'm concerned that we should have put a US address on the application rather than our foreign address for speed. any thoughts?

Thanks

Hi, thanks for your answer. the kids were actually born in the US and they have passports so no problem there.

I'm a little confused about what you mean by NBC and NVC (pardon my ignorance, you'd think we know this since we went through the process in 1993(!) but things have changed A LOT).

thanks

Whoops, I forgot to say that we are applying for an immigrant visa for my husband so we can return to the U.S.!

Hi,

This may be kind of a silly question but here goes.

I am a US citizen and my husband is a Chilean citizen. We have been married for 20 years. We currently live in Chile but previously lived in the US, he had a green card but had to give it up after we had lived in Chile for a couple of years.

My question is this: According to the consulate here in Chile, we can't file through them anymore, we have to file directly to the US. And then of course, my husband has to stay in Chile and await his interview, etc. But what about me? Can I stay in Chile while we are waiting? Can I go back to the US before the process is finished (which I am thinking about doing to put our kids in school in September)?

My mother is going to sponsor my husband so the issue of support is not a problem.

Thanks!