Dan and Akari

I know right. It’s almost as if the system were designed and periodically updated to actively avoid getting you to a live agent. I realize a LOT of people are going through some form of immigration and I’m sure the call volume is overwhelming, but there’s no reason for it to be this difficult.

We found another combination that worked. Thank you. It is my understanding that “infopass” now prompts the bot to ask why you need Infopass leading to another endless loop. Apparently despite the fact they confirmed our address at her interview and me completing an I-865 in February, USCIS said the delay was due to our address. Hopefully we will get her card soon

Understood but I don’t want to wait a year and have to extend. Given my experience with USCIS so far you have stay on top of every step to get anything done. And we are using the IOE receipt number from when we paid IV online. However when we do e-request you must also select which form you are inquiring about. The only viable option is to choose I90 but then the system says the receipt doesn’t match the form. No other form choice is viable.

Thanks. Good luck seems to be the mantra. The automated voice system is useless and the live agent directs you to the phone line which, as stated above, is useless. I feel like I am in a circular firing squad. Here is a screenshot of my wife’s interaction with a live agent tonight

Simple question. How do I get to a human at USCIS? If you are interested, here is the background/ my rant: Paid my wife’s IV fee August 2, 2024 before traveling to the US. We arrived in the US, POE Atlanta August 7. When I check green card status online the status is still Immigrant Visa Fee Payment Received after >90 days. Tried to submit e-request. Form asks for receipt number, which we have, and form number. What form number do I select? Ko form other than I90 is relevant but when I choose i90 I’m told the receipt number is wrong. Tried live chat. Made it to the point of getting an agent, answered all identity questions only to get an auto response to call USCIS with my wife present. Called MULTIPLE times. Try to explain to the bot answering the phone that my wife has not received her green card. Bot says I can check status online and asks if I want website info emailed or texted. I ask to “speak with an agent”. Bot replies that she can’t transfer me to an agent until I tell her what I need. This is an endless loop. What am I missing???

After your petition is approved your case is sent to NVC. After you complete the steps at NVC (AOS and IV application), you will be put in the queue at your embassy for an interview date. Every embassy is different based on staff and case loads. Where will you be interviewing?

I don’t think there’s any discernible pattern to the approvals outside the “normal processing time”. We have asked ourselves multiple times why we were approved in the timeframe we were. We can’t identify any reason but if we do we identify one, will share it with the world. We filed K1 May 12, 2023 Decided to switch to CR1, married July 2023 Filed CR1 August 2, 2023 Filed K3 immediately after receiving NOA 1 I-130 approved January 25, 2024 Approved at interview at embassy July 27,2024 Had my wife not been delayed for TB sputum testing for 10 weeks, we could have potentially been finished May 20, 2024, about 9 1/2 months after filing our I-130. We don’t know if switching from K1 to CR1 or the K3 helped. We are just grateful something worked in our favor. We sincerely hope everyone gets approved as quickly as possible because the waiting and not having any idea of how long the wait will be is the most difficult part of the journey aside from being separated from your loved one.

You can see all updates on our timeline. My wife was approved July 26 and she arrived with me in the US on August 7

My wife had her interview on July 26th in Bangkok and was approved. Visa status just changed to "Issued". We sincerely hope everyone gets good news soon, and you are all reunited with your loved ones as soon as possible.

I’m sure you’ve probably already done this but make sure you read and become intimately familiar with all the instructions specific to the embassy where you will be interviewing. For example my wife is Burmese living and interviewing in Thailand. The Thai Royal Police provide their certificate in English which is nice because no translation is needed. Her Myanmar police certificate required translation and notary. If the police certificate is in Chinese it will need translation and notary which I also suggest doing whilst in China. It is my understanding that police certificates are valid for 2 years as long as you don’t return to the issuing country in which case you then need to obtain an updated certificate.

I also filed I-129f for K3. Around the same time we received NOA2 I saw the status of the I-129f change to Case closed benefit received by other means I am assuming that since you filed the K3 in October and received your NOA2 in December, it took time for USCIS to get the K3 caught up to the I-130 hence the reason for the letter in July. I am sure you have read that K3 has around 0% chance of being approved, but filing K3 can potentially speed up I-130 approval. However, there is no empirical evidence to support that conclusion. In our case I think it helped because I filed K3 one month after filing CR1 and we received NOA2 in 5.5 months. However our K3 was not approved. Like @Boiler said, it was administratively closed because the CR1 petition was approved. I really hope that you get your IL soon and you are reunited in the US asap.

Thank you for the prompt reply and clarification.

I checked the IRS website last week to get a copy of my transcript to upload for 2023 for my wife’s upcoming interview. Message on the website said something to the effect of me not filing despite the fact they cashed my $10k check in March. Tried calling several times but couldn’t reach anyone. My sister checked my mail today and lo and behold there was a letter from the IRS saying basically that they received a return with my name and SSN and need me to call them to verify my identity so they can continue processing my return which they say takes 9 weeks I plan on printing a copy of the letter for my wife to take with her to her interview on the 26th of this month. In March I uploaded my 1040 and all supporting documents like W2, 1040’s etc to CEAC. I also uploaded a printout from Wells Fargo showing the IRS cashed our check. Could the fact that the IRS is saying I didn’t file somehow affect our case? I wouldn’t think so but wanted to ask the greater community for feedback.

We realize that it is difficult being apart but try to keep a positive attitude and definitely don’t pay attention to the USCIS estimates because they are useless. We suggest using this time to research the next phase of your journey which is NVC. There is a lot of paperwork to gather and upload and you need to pay attention to all the little details which I guarantee will spark more questions. The more familiar you are with the requirements, the faster you can submit the required documents, get DQ’d and get your IL. Keep the original of everything you submit. While waiting for your IL, research medical exam requirements and the interview requirements for your embassy. Not saying you must take our advice but in our experience submitting the petition and waiting on USCIS, while agonizing, was the easiest part of this process. We researched a lot and feel that staying a step ahead has made all the difference. We are sure that you will all be getting emails soon and best of luck to you all.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. y wife has all of her originals, and knowing what I know about Myanmar, I am sure that each township has a slightly different form. My wife's form does reference her national ID card number, her parents, address in Yangon and was signed by someone at the police station and my wife, then stamped. We then had it translated and notorized in Yangon. I uploaded it again(attached redacted version in my original post), and she will take the originals with her. I am sure everything is fine. It's just odd (or maybe not odd) that they were asking for something we already submitted and they approved.

It’s in the general email about her interview, but I would consider a direct request; however, this is her second interview because she got flagged for TB testing before her first interview. Her first interview letter asked for completely different information to be uploaded. I uploaded relationship evidence in her section on CEAC’s website, but I didn’t upload that evidence onto my section of the website. Consequently, the request to upload evidence into my section is legitimate. Relationship evidence is not a requirement to upload and there is no specific folder for relationship evidence when you upload documents so I never uploaded any into my section. I’m not concerned because since we officially married last July I’ve visited her in Thailand 7 times for a total of around 6 months. Before the marriage we lived together in Thailand together for 6 months. My family has visited us in Thailand, I’ve visited Myanmar 4 times, her family has visited us a half dozen times, all of this chronicled with photos, passport stamps, receipts and we own a house together in Myanmar,etc amounting to a mountain of legitimate relationship evidence that I uploaded into her section already in March. My concern, and the reason for my post, was the fact that we already uploaded her Myanmar police certificate and it was accepted by NVC in March. I wasn’t sure why they were asking for something they already had unless there was something wrong with what we uploaded.

Standard wording: “Prior to your interview, you must scan and upload the following documents into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website by accessing the following link: https://ceac.state.gov/IV/Login.aspx   Petitioner’s heading  -         Evidence of relationship between petitioner and applicant such as photographs etc. Applicant’s heading - Valid Myanmar Police Certificate and translation Just wanting to make sure this is just standard and it’s merely an oversight on the part of the embassy since the document is clearly on the ceac site and wanting to know that I’m not missing something else. I’m sure I’m overthinking but I prefer to research now rather than find out something at the interview that could have been avoided.

Not questioning whether or not the document is there. I can see it’s there, and I know it’s valid because she went back to Myanmar in February to get it and hasn’t been back to Myanmar since. My question is are they questioning the validity of the document that is obviously there. If this message is simply that they don’t think it’s there then I am not concerned. My concern is that there is something wrong with the document we uploaded.

My wife's interview letter (Myanmar citizen, residing in Bangkok) from the Bangkok Embassy states that prior to her interview we must upload a Valid Myanmar Police Certificate and translation despite the fact that we uploaded one that was accepted by NVC in March 2024. She has not returned to Myanmar since then so the certificate should still be valid. After getting stuck for 10 weeks in the sputum test debacle, we don't want any surprises at her interview on July 26. Attached is a redacted copy of the certificate and translation we submitted. I uploaded it again and hope it will suffice, but I want to make sure I am covering all my bases. Myanmar Police Certificate redacted.pdf @ThailandRand @Mike E I saw your thread below, similar but not exact issue last July so I was hoping you could chime in.

Understood, and I was planning on contacting the embassy at some point before her scheduled interview to get clarification. However, I anticipate getting the same answer, maybe worded differently, and I anticipate not having any further clarification. Nonetheless, I will contact them within the next couple of weeks. Your response brings to light that I should have worded my request differently. I am looking for anecdotal references of anyone who has tried the approach I am contemplating. I want to clarify that I am not trying to circumnavigate the system. If it is a hard fast rule that we "must" wait until we receive medical clearance before we can even attempt to reschedule her interview, we will abide by the rules. If there are no hard fast rules, then we may try to take the aforementioned approach. By way of example, instructions are clear that you CAN NOT schedule an interview at a date earlier than your currently scheduled interview. If you do so you will not be interviewed on the earlier date and you must wait to reschedule. To me, this language is clear. I can see that their potential train of thought is that we should wait for everything to be cleared so the available appointment dates can be utilized by those who are ready, except we received her initial interview date from NVC before her medical exam was even scheduled. Again, if anyone has anecdotal reference, I would be interested in hearing it.

I am simply looking to see if someone has a definitive answer for my question of whether or not it is a requirement to wait until after your medical exam is complete (in this case sputum test results are returned negative and panel physician signs of on medical packet) or just a request? Email received from BKK embassy states: ”If you are not able to go to the interview on your scheduled date, you can reschedule the appointment after the original interview date from the NVC (20-MAY-2024) has passed, and after the hospital clears the medical examination.” Are there any ramifications to simply waiting until the original interview date has passed and the next day rescheduling the interview far enough in the future so it will occur after the expected date the results of the sputum test will be received? Is there something systematically that prevents me from rescheduling as described above, I.e they see we don’t have complete medical and traveldocs won’t even allow me to reschedule without medical exam? Wording in the email is that you “can” reschedule. Does that mean it is a hard fast requirement that we “must” wait for complete medical, and if I try to schedule something before receiving the signed off medical packet (in an effort to secure an appointment before her medical expires and we stuck doing this all over again) but after the expected date to receive the signed off packet, we will somehow get our wrist slapped? I realize that I am splitting hairs with interpretation, hence the reason I asked at the outset for someone who can provide a definitive answer and not just provide their opinion on the wording in the email.

Hey @LennyO we didn’t get that second email, but the IL email said we needed to ensure we uploaded everything and had this statement: “Your documents may be rejected if uploaded under incorrect heading or in separate files.” I’m sure you did this but make sure you upload the documents into the proper category/ heading from the drop down list of document type. Probably not related but maybe worth double checking.

Posting update for posterity. Specific to Bangkok embassy per the instructions above... If you are required to submit a sputum sample for smear and culture test for TB, and you won't have the results to complete your medical packet before your interview, you must email visasbkk@state.gov and inform them of this situation. You will receive an autoresponse email that states: "Thank you for contacting the Visa Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. We will review your email as soon as possible. For immediate resolution to most inquiries, please see our helpful Visa Navigator or detailed information on our website. Due to the high volume of inquiries received, if your inquiry can be answered by the information on our Visa Navigator or on our website, you will NOT receive a response. If you are contacting us regarding a prior issue or following up on your visa application, please use the Visa Navigator for instructions on how to contact us. Please note that we DO NOT respond to general questions about visa services or the visa application process from this mailbox. For inquiries related to visa interview appointment scheduling, visa application fee payment, passport delivery status; please contact our U.S. Visa Service Desk at support-thailand@ustraveldocs.com or contact the call center at 02 105 4110 (Monday - Friday, 08:00 - 16:00, except on holidays). " Reviewing the Visa Navigator and Website, you will see instructions that indicate: Who Is Eligible To (Re)schedule An Immigrant Visa Appointment? You may only schedule a new visa interview appointment if falling under one of the following categories: I failed to attend the IV interview appointment scheduled by the NVC (or KCC for DV). My petitioner or I filed an IV petition through the USCIS office in Bangkok (before this office’s closure) or through the Bangkok Immigrant Visa Unit, and the IV Unit has asked me to schedule an appointment. My IV case was expedited through the NVC, and the Bangkok Immigrant Visa Unit has asked me to schedule an appointment. I am a follow-to-join IV applicant. The principal applicant has already applied for or been issued an IV, and the Bangkok Immigrant Visa Unit has asked me to make an appointment. Others such as second interview, oath renewal, reaffirmation, and the Bangkok Immigrant Visa Unit has asked me to schedule an appointment. You cannot reschedule your visa interview appointment date earlier than your initial interview appointment date. If you do so, you will not be interviewed. If you meet any of the following conditions, do not reschedule an immigrant visa interview appointment. Instead, please submit an inquiry to visasbkk@state.gov You have been interviewed. You are the principal applicant and you have not contacted the Embassy for more than a year. Your case is not current for processing based on the current cut-off dates. This includes retrogressed cases. Your visa class has been changed. Pay close attention to the wording to determine what you need to do since the autoresponse email says you won't get a reply if you find the answer to your inquiry on the Visa Navigator or Website. My wife is the primary applicant, and she never contacted the embassy, so we simply waited to receive a reply. Within 48 hours we received a reply from visasbkk@state.gov with the following instructions: Your case's interview date was provided by the National Visa Center (NVC). If you are not able to go to the interview on your scheduled date, you can reschedule the appointment after the original interview date from the NVC (20-MAY-2024) has passed, and after the hospital clears the medical examination. Please follow the instructions below to re-schedule your appointment after the date of your original interview has passed: Log in to https://www.ustraveldocs.com/th/. If you scheduled an appointment in the past, you should use the same email address and password as before. If this is your first time visiting the website, please create a login. Click the New Application/Schedule Appointment tab on the left Select Immigrant Visa, then All Immigrant Visas, then your visa class. Complete your personal information and passport details Add dependents, if any Answer the questions as “Yes” or “No” to continue Specify your document delivery information and update your case ID Schedule your appointment from the open slots visible in the appointment calendar. NOTE: If there are no available appointments, that means all appointments are filled. We frequently open additional appointments. Please continue to check the website for available appointments Once your appointment is successfully scheduled, click on Printable Version, and print two (2) copies of the Appointment Confirmation page. You will need both copies: · One copy is to show the hospital for your medical examination (if you have not completed your medical examination or if your medical examination is expired and you must get a new one). · One copy is for the Greeter when you arrive at the Embassy on the day of your visa interview. Hopefully this proves beneficial for anyone who may go through a similar experience in Thailand. 9 weeks to go before we get the results of the sputum culture!!

@Sid86Curious how things turned out for you. Were you able to finally get an interview after the second medical exam and sputum test? What country is your spouse interviewing in? We are unfortunately finding ourselves in the same situation. My wife's sputum test results should be finished by July 8, but I logged into ustraveldocs just to see what the appointment horizon looks like. Earliest appointment was 12 weeks out. I realize that appointment openings can change daily, but at 12 weeks out, we would have an interview and maybe 2-3 weeks to get her passport back and travel to the US before her medical exam expires. And I get that we must jump when they say jump, but that doesn't mitigate the fact that having a requirement to retest for TB right after immediately being tested negative for TB is insanity. I would understand if X amount of time had elapsed since your negative results, but back-to-back tests is overkill. Saying basically that it is what it is doesn't help.

I appreciate you commenting. It is my understanding that the unreliable nature of the skin test is why it was discontinued in favor of the sputum smear. We don’t anticipate any doomsday scenario, and we remain in positive spirits that her test will be negative. We’ve been fortunate to have our I-130 approved in a little less than 6 months and have an interview scheduled 9 1/2 months after switching from K1 to CR1, so we are grateful to be where we are in the journey despite this setback. We have been told the sputum test is what we need to do, and even though it stinks to wait another potential 10 weeks, we will comply and jump through the appropriate hoops. We will plan accordingly once we receive the results rather than fretting over it now.