Edward and Jaycel

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services <uscis@messages.dhs.gov> The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing an interim final rule to implement immigration fees and requirements from the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Act of 2025 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act). H.R. 1 created new fees to increase funding for immigration enforcement operations and ensure aliens pay for immigration services. On July 22, 2025, USCIS published a Federal Register notice implementing a filing fee for Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, and an Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) to be paid each calendar year an asylum application remains pending. Annual Asylum Fee In an effort to satisfy the statutory mandate that DHS require payment of the AAF, the interim final rule establishes that if an alien does not pay the AAF within 30 days of notification, USCIS will reject their pending asylum application. If an alien does not have legal status in the U.S., USCIS will also initiate the alien’s removal. If USCIS rejects an alien’s asylum application, the following additional consequences apply: USCIS will deny any pending Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, based on the asylum application; and Aliens who were approved to work based on the pending application will lose work authorization immediately. Additional Updates This rule also implements additional requirements outlined in H.R. 1: Form I-589 filing fee: USCIS will now keep the filing fee for Form I-589 if the agency rejects the form as improperly filed. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) employment authorization: USCIS is updating regulations limiting the employment authorization period for those under TPS to one year or the remaining TPS designation period, whichever is shorter. Form I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document, filing fee: The rule establishes a minimum $24 fee to file Form I-102, in addition to other required fees. The interim final rule is effective May 29, 2026. USCIS will reject any Form I-102 without the proper filing fee if it is postmarked on or after May 29, 2026. Additionally, USCIS will reject pending Form I-589 asylum applications for aliens who fail to pay the AAF effective May 29, 2026. DHS will receive public comments submitted on or before June 29, 2026. Please do not reply to this message. See our Contact Us page for phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

Best of luck! We will be 1 year behind you

Just the NBI Clearance, CENOMAR, PSA Birth Certificate, Medical exam report in the sealed brown envelope from SLEC, Passport, I-134 & Supporting Docs, Proof of relationship since (Consular Officer probably won't look at this if you filed strong evidence with the I-129F though they could ask for it but she will definitely need it for the CFO seminar so it's good to have something prepared)

HAHAHAHA Yeah it was the same here while we were waiting for the process to be done. We alternated shifts so when it was daytime here, I was checking the site and when it was daytime in the Philippines, Jaycel was checking the site. I think we got lucky and got an appointment from someone who cancelled because when it showed up, it was the only appointment available for that whole month.

Happy to help! Be prepared to be frustrated trying to find an open interview slot in the portal... It took Jaycel and I logging on every hour for two weeks straight before we found a slot. It's the worst part of this stage of the process.

You don't have to wait for Manila... you can start filling out the DS-160, registering for the portal to schedule the VAC & Interview appointments, etc., start gathering the civil docs you'll need (NBI Clearance, CENOMAR, PSA Birth Certificate, etc.)

I believe that the passport control at NAIA is in the secure area so there is no way for your wife to meet you there coming from the non-secure side.

You got a 221g which is technically a refusal and the CEAC status will often change to "Refused" while they process the receipt of the documents they asked for. The case type changing to "Nonimmigrant" happens to every K-1 Visa case before the visa is issued because it is a Nonimmigrant visa and has to be issued by the NIV section at the embassy. It says the case was updated on the 21st which is good - It means someone is touching the file. Stay strong and watch your emails - The embassy will notify you if anything else is needed

Congrats fellow Citizen!! 🎉🎉

Awesome... Keep us posted!

That's exactly the way to do it

Nathan we went through the K-1 process so we didn't upload docs to NVC however we have close friends that recently got a 221g at the interview because the embassy wanted an Advisory on Marriages (CENOMAR request that results in them finding a marriage on record) from the beneficiary AND petitioner. I would recommend logging onto PSA Serbilis and ordering a CENOMAR for each of you and have it delivered to your wife to take to the interview with her. Everything else you listed that the NVC asked for is what they were asked for and the only thing they were missing was the AOM at the interview. Also make sure you have listed all your wife's social media. They are really cracking down on that.

Thank you both for the kind words.... Jaycel and I know how lonely and daunting this journey can be and just like to help where we can

Woo Hoo!!!! 🎉🎉 That's fantastical news!!

Most cases do involve filing the N-400 while the I-751 is still being "processed" (left in a pile somewhere) thus forcing USCIS to adjudicate the I-751

Make sure you bring the original letter with you on any international trips or you may encounter problems being allowed to board your return flight back to the US

The original that they send you in the mail is printed on security paper with a watermark

1. Put the actual start date of her residence 2. If you have a Passport and put your Passport number in the "Passport Number" field, you leave Item #48 "Travel Document Number" blank. That item is in case you don't have a passport but do have an alternate "Travel Document" issued by a government. "Country of Issuance" is your home country not the location where it was issued.

I've read about this happening in other forums.... It looks like someone called the incorrect payment amount to USCIS's attentionand they have been rolling out 2nd receipt notices over the last week or two

For the photo evidence, we inserted 3-4 to a page on Microsoft Word, added a text box underneath each pic (to describe who, what, when & where) and then we saved a copy as a PDF for ease of printing out / uploading

Yes almost all embassies require you to pay the NonImmigrant Visa Fee for the K-1 before they will allow you to schedule the appointment

I'll add a suggestion here - Use the Public Inquiry form at NVC's website below. It generally gets a faster response than regular email. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html

This is what I would recommend based on my experience with my wife (then fiancée awaiting our case number from NVC) About 2-3 weeks after your status changed with USCIS saying they sent your petition to the Department of State, make an inquiry to the NVC asking for your case number via the public inquiry website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html When you make the public inquiry with them, there is a button to attach files. Attach the Approval Notice of the I-129F. In that inquiry, in addition to asking for the case number, you should also ask them to update the email addresses for you and your fiancé(e) by saying something like: I would also like to make sure you have the petitioner and beneficiary emails updated in your system as follows: Petitioner Name: John Smith Petitioner email: john.smith@email.com Beneficiary Name: Jane Jones Beneficiary: jane.jones@email.com I have attached the approval notice for my form I-129F for your review. We did this and after that we got our case number (on the 2nd inquiry) and my wife and I got every email from the NVC and the embassy throughout the whole process.

This is what I would recommend based on my experience with my wife (then fiancée awaiting our case number from NVC) About 2-3 weeks after your status changed with USCIS saying they sent your petition to the Department of State, make an inquiry to the NVC asking for your case number via the public inquiry website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html When you make the public inquiry with them, there is a button to attach files. Attach the Approval Notice of the I-129F. In that inquiry, in addition to asking for the case number, you should also ask them to update the email addresses for you and your fiancé(e) by saying something like: I would also like to make sure you have the petitioner and beneficiary emails updated in your system as follows: Petitioner Name: John Smith Petitioner email: john.smith@email.com Beneficiary Name: Jane Jones Beneficiary: jane.jones@email.com I have attached the approval notice for my form I-129F for your review. We did this and after that we got our case number (on the 2nd inquiry) and my wife and I got every email from the NVC and the embassy throughout the whole process.

Congrats!!! 🎉🎉 And yes, we have been regularly stashing away marital bona fide evidence ever since Jaycel got her GC last July. We are just 1 year away from ROC now and we are already starting to organize so it's not a mad rush at the last minute