Bh_sarah

Yep, they start off the week super strong and it could be because of weekend work. My approval came early on a Monday on the system but our notice said we were approved the previous Friday. Maybe they have agents to take care of each step and/or focus on just some things during the weekend/leave RFEs and other actions to be updated on weekends? No way to know for sure. I know this feeling. But it's coming, don't let anxiety take over! Rooting for you.

I think they tried to compensate the holiday Monday, but this is a huge number compared to other days after a holiday! Exciting for the other 2022 months!

Today's numbers [May 30th, 2023] A bunch of approvals today – but all except 3 are from RFEs. Good day nonetheless. And we finally hit 2000+ approved!!! 47500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 48000 - 2 approvals (from RFEs), 1 withdrawal 48500 - 2 approvals (from RFEs), 1 denial (from RFE) 49000 - 4 approvals (from RFEs) 49500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 50500 - 1 approval, 3 RFEs 51000 - 3 approvals (1 from RFE), 1 denial (from RFE) 51500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 52500 - 2 approvals (from RFEs) 53500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 54000 - 2 approvals (from RFEs) 55000 - 1 expedite request denied, 1 withdrawal 55500 - 5 RFEs 56000 - 3 approvals (from RFEs) Today's totals: 23 new approvals (20 from RFEs), 2 denials, 8 RFEs, 2 withdrawals Totals so far: 2018(+23) Approved 314(+2) Denied/Rejected 515(-24) RFE/RFERs 359 Pending Cases 161(+2) Withdrawals Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yTdQDjmS6ik3bPNGmThSc0jFUszsiGcXurI1hT_Jcw/edit?usp=sharing

Congrats on your approval! The NVC timeframes only consider the date they received the petition from USCIS. On the back of your approval notice, you will see that USCIS asks for 30 days for them to send the petition to NVC. However, the real timelines from people that were approved in March tell us that they are taking 60-90 days to send the approved petitions to NVC. So even though NVC says they're working on petitions that were received on May 2nd, these petitions were probably approved 60-90 days before, in March. I am yet to see people that were approved in April get a case number, right now I'm only seeing early March ones. I will start contacting NVC to see if my petition arrived when I complete 30 days of waiting post NOA2. But I am only expecting a case number 70-90 days after approval.

Already answered you on the FB group and I hope more experienced members here will know for sure, but to me it’s a crazy idea to have a child just to have a higher chance to be approved at the K1 interview. Even if you do plan to have children in the future, don't rush it thinking it will help. This is a lifetime responsibility and there are many other implications around a pregnant fiancé, especially because she will depend on your income and your health insurance. If the only red flag you have is the first K1 petition you left to expire (because of the lawyer/covid as you said), then always be truthful about it if they ask you about that. And as you told me, you have evidence you tried to save the first petition so present that too. Wishing you get your NOA2 soon!

Today's numbers [May 26th, 2023] Happy to see 3 approvals not from RFEs today! 46500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 47000 - 1 RFE 47500 - 1 RFE 49500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 50000 - 1 RFE 50500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 52500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 53000 - 1 RFE, 1 other 53500 - 1 approval, 1 denial (from RFE) 54000 - 1 approval 54500 - 1 approval 55500 - 1 approval Today's totals: 8 new approvals (5 from RFEs), 1 denial, 4 RFEs, 1 other Totals so far: 1995(+8) Approved 312(+1) Denied/Rejected 539(-1) RFE/RFERs 372 Pending Cases 159 Withdrawals Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yTdQDjmS6ik3bPNGmThSc0jFUszsiGcXurI1hT_Jcw/edit?usp=sharing

Today's numbers [May 25th, 2023] Happy about the 6 approvals today! 46500 - 1 RFE 47000 - 1 RFE, 1 case transferred (counted as withdrawal on my spreadsheet) 47500 - 1 approval (from RFE), 3 RFEs 49000 - 2 approvals 52000 - 2 approvals (from RFEs) 52500 - 1 approval 55500 - 1 RFE Today's totals: 6 new approvals (4 from RFEs), 6 RFEs, 1 case transferred Totals so far: 1987(+6) Approved 311 Denied/Rejected 540(+3) RFE/RFERs 379 Pending Cases 159(+1) Withdrawals Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yTdQDjmS6ik3bPNGmThSc0jFUszsiGcXurI1hT_Jcw/edit?usp=sharing

Today's numbers [May 24th, 2023] Only 1 approval from untouched cases today 😕 49000 - 1 approval 49500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 50000 - 1 RFE 52000 - 1 approval (from RFE) 53500 - 1 expedite request denied 54000 - 1 approval (from RFE) 54500 - 1 withdrawal 55000 - 2 RFEs 56000 - 1 approval (from RFE) Today's totals: 5 new approvals (4 from RFEs), 3 RFEs, 1 withdrawal, 1 expedited denied Totals so far: 1981(+5) Approved 311 Denied/Rejected 537(-1) RFE/RFERs 388 Pending Cases 158(+1) Withdrawals Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yTdQDjmS6ik3bPNGmThSc0jFUszsiGcXurI1hT_Jcw/edit?usp=sharing

Today's numbers [May 23rd, 2023] Only 2 approvals from untouched cases today. Also, I reviewed my withdrawals numbers and found some missing. 47500 - 1 denial (from RFE) 48500 - 1 approval 49000 - 1 RFE 49500 - 1 other, 1 withdrawal was closed and removed from the cases 50000 - 1 approval 50500 - 1 approval (from RFE), 1 withdrawal was closed and removed from the cases 51000 - 1 withdrawal (not counted before) 51500 - 1 withdrawal (not counted before) 52500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 53000 - 1 approval (from RFE) 53500 - 2 approvals (from RFEs) 55000 - 1 denial, 2 RFEs 55500 - 1 other 56000 - 1 approval (from RFE) Today's totals: 8 new approvals (6 from RFEs), 3 RFEs, 2 denials, 2 others Totals so far: 1976(+8) Approved 311(+2) Denied/Rejected 538(-5) RFE/RFERs 393 Pending Cases 157 Withdrawals Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yTdQDjmS6ik3bPNGmThSc0jFUszsiGcXurI1hT_Jcw/edit?usp=sharing

Join this topic of those approved in April:

Oh no worries at all! Thank you for your kind words!! 🤍 And for always rooting for me! It was not easy to go through it but this phase is done, now just hoping the NVC doesn't leave me behind as well! haha hope you hear something from them soon too!

Today's numbers [May 22nd, 2023] System seems to be back. It was also not working well Friday seeing the many approvals on a Saturday. Counting everything from Friday to today below. No approvals from untouched cases 48500 - 1 RFE 49000 - 1 approval (from RFE) 49500 - 3 approvals (from RFEs), 1 case reopened 50000 - 1 approval (from RFE) 51000 - 2 approvals (from RFEs) 52000 - 1 approval (from RFE) 53000 - 1 approval (from RFE), 1 denial (from RFE) 53500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 54500 - 1 approval (from RFE), 1 RFE 55000 - 3 RFEs 56000 - 3 approvals (from RFEs) Today's totals: 14 new approvals (all from RFEs), 5 RFEs, 1 case reopened Totals so far: 1968(+14) Approved 309(+1) Denied/Rejected 543(-10) RFE/RFERs 398 Pending Cases 157 Withdrawals Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yTdQDjmS6ik3bPNGmThSc0jFUszsiGcXurI1hT_Jcw/edit?usp=sharing

Oh yes, haven’t thought about adding her to the insurance. Could be the best option (if it’s simple/there’s no additional costs for you). I did look it up and seems that the insurance doesn’t need to be in her name in CA. Like when teens get their parents’ car do the test, they don’t need to be named in the insurance. But DMV would definitely have the last word. And if she’ll use your car anyway, adding her to the insurance is the probably the best approach here (also looking at her driving after being issued the DL).

Hi, all. I know a lot of the Friday activity was only reported on Saturday and I wish I could update the spreadsheet today but USCIS system seems down since morning. No way to see the numbers. I will try again tomorrow. Stay strong!

I feel you might want to call California DMV for that and please don’t take my word as final, but if it works just as Canada, then the car she used for the test just need to have a basic insurance. I feel they just want to know the car is insured (especially when it comes to 3rd party damage) so she can have the test. I had to take the test in Canada when I already had the DL from my home country and it could even be a rented car, as long as I could prove it was insured. But I’d call DMV just to make sure, it could be different there, of course. Hopefully someone who’s been through that in California will chime in here too (or maybe create a topic specific for that here and I’m sure people will help you!) Another question… how long it took for your wife to get her EAD and AP?

Today's numbers [May 19th, 2023] Not a nice day for us Feb filers I will go through my spreadsheet during the weekend to check. I also need to confirm withdrawals numbers – CaseTracker doesn't exclude them from other action, so there may be manual mistakes from my end. Stay strong those still waiting. 48000 - 1 denial (from a RFE) 49000 - 1 denial, 1 RFE 49500 - 1 withdrawal (+ minus 1 approval I need to research where it came from) 53500 - 1 denial (from a RFE) 55000 - 3 RFEs 55500 - 1 approval (from a RFE) Today's totals: 1 new approvals (from RFE), 4 RFEs, 3 denials (2 from RFE), 1 withdrawal Totals so far: 1954 Approved 308(+3) Denied/Rejected 553 RFE/RFERs 403 Pending Cases 157(+2) Withdrawals Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yTdQDjmS6ik3bPNGmThSc0jFUszsiGcXurI1hT_Jcw/edit?usp=sharing

I may be biased seeing the Feb cases on a constant basis for more than a year now, and I know the month is small and there are less cases, but I feel they completely rushed through February and left a lot of cases behind, especially the late filers. And these left behind are not getting the attention they need, but instead RFE approvals are being favoured. Not so many filers here that are still waiting, but there are plenty on FB. Way more than January and December filers waiting. We’ll see about March now that they started May. It’s definitely unfair to Feb filers to see cases from May being approved, to see people waiting less than a year while some people are over 15 months waiting with little hope to get touched.

Today's numbers [May 18th, 2023] Hopefully more approvals will show up tomorrow! My heart is with you all still waiting. This is frustrating as hell. 47500 - 1 approval 48000 - 1 approval (from RFE) 48500 - 1 approval 49000 - 1 RFE 52500 - 1 approval (from RFE) 53000 - 2 approvals (2 from RFEs), 1 RFE 53500 - 2 approvals (1 from RFE) 54000 - 1 approval 54500 - 1 approval Today's totals: 10 new approvals (5 from RFEs), 2 RFEs Totals so far: 1954(+10) Approved 305 Denied/Rejected 553(-2) RFE/RFERs 408 Pending Cases 155 Withdrawals Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yTdQDjmS6ik3bPNGmThSc0jFUszsiGcXurI1hT_Jcw/edit?usp=sharing

Oh she's way more advanced than me! I was so bad at motorcycle lessons I simply canceled the motorcycle category of my licence and got just the car one haha! I literally fell a thousand times. And manual may be tricky if she's used to automatic, but nothing that can't be learned if she is used to driving already. One of the reasons why I had a fear of driving here was the manual transmission. It would stress me out, I would get the wrong gear, the car would fail, people would start with the horn! haha automatic transmission was a blessing to me so that way I had one less stressor. But if she rides motorcycles and uses the clutches, I think she'll be just fine. But yes, classes for license holders (a even if you can find it, classes on a manual transmission) should help her ease in. On an additional note, I feel you're already being a great support for her for trying to make her adaptation as easy as possible and taking care of every step. There's so much change involved, and sometimes things we can't even anticipate. Most of us Brazilians are great at adapting to situations, so having your help will make it all be even easier!

Yep, I survived as a pedestrian for 2 years in Canada. Can't rely on public transportation either. It wasn't fun. Especially when there is snow and cars splash you with that nasty mixture of water and dirt! hahah and I see, I'm from the interior as well but it's the southeast and in a city that is growing fast, transit is becoming unbearable. Big cities and federal highways here give me driving anxiety and I developed a terrible fear. I feel she will be fine, but of course it takes time to get used to things, especially new traffic rules. I second @AndiB suggestion. I took a 1-hour driver's class in Canada and it really helped me start driving. You can also go with her when there is less movement (no rush hour) as a routine and take it from there. I still don't know how I managed to be comfortable with taking a left or a right turn while on a traffic light (with straight traffic flowing) in Canada because this is an unconceivable idea here. I would say it's easier to get used to US transit than Brazil's transit, she'll be just fine once she gets the hang of it.

Thank you! I will take my NVC waiting time to research those clearly and take note. It's not a priority to me, but it's good to know the possibilities and not miss something along the way. And I gotta tell you Brazil traumatized me when it comes to driving. I was only able to really drive in Canada and it took me ages to be comfortable (and only because being a pedestrian in North American cities is more dangerous than driving). I got a small car out of fear. But then I got way too comfortable on the highway with no speed cameras or big trucks around like we do! haha Now I can drive in Brazil but it's not my favourite thing to do. If she is used to driving in Brazil, especially in big cities, normal US transit will look like heaven to her. Cars are bigger, but parking lot spots, the lanes, and the spacing between cars is also bigger there than here which is great for being more comfortable driving.

I see, I didn't know being a resident made a difference, will need to check specifics for Missouri (not easy when their official website simply blocks my Brazilian IP). There are a few threads here on VJ but I am still to find a recent one. And I am not even sure if I will drive if I am indeed able to, my fear of driving just was recently overcome and I need time to get used to driving in new places... so 3 months doesn't seem enough either! haha Hopefully we won't need to wait too long when the time comes, but of course is nice to be prepared.

It's a Missouri thing too as far as it seems But some people say they can get someone to agree to give you a license if you show the AOS filing notice, but depends on the DMV (saw these statements here on VJ but need to research more). I feel we can drive for the first 3 months with a foreign license (as long as it's in English). Doesn't that apply to us too?

My goodness, you are right. I didn't search for other forms, but searched VJ timelines from my country whose I-129f was transferred to Vermont and they take about 6 months to get approved and about a month to receive a case number from NVC. Too bad I have a clean background and haven't been transferred, huh? haha

It's great that you at least have a receipt number to check it online, but I would also be more assured if I had the paper notice. Did you try opening a request at https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/Intro.do? Maybe this can help!