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| Naples, Italy |  Review on October 29, 2014: |
jbry
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Hi Everyone,
This is my review for filing for a CR-1 visa for my spouse. I am the petitioner and US citizen and my husband is an Italian citizen and is the beneficiary. We went through this process without an attorney. I was also with him in Italy a majority of this process so we could be together. It took us over a year to enter the US together from the first date we sent our petition at USCIS.
USCIS & NVC is the worst part of this whole process with all the waiting and stress. BUT believe it or not the medical and interview is a breeze!
Here is my timeline to date for this case:
USCIS PROCESS:
Sent i-130: October 4th, 2013
NOA1: October 8th, 2013
NOA2: March 26, 2014
NVC & CONSULATE PROCESS:
Received case from USCIS: April 29th, 2014
Received Case Number: May 29th, 2014
Received DS-261/AOS Bill: June 3rd, 2014
Paid AOS: June 3rd, 2014
Submitted DS-261: June 3rd, 2014
Sent AOS Packet: June 5th, 2014
DS-261 reviewed via NVC agent on phone: July 10th, 2014
Received DS-260 Bill: July 18th, 2014
Paid DS-260 Bill: July 18th, 2014
Sent Packet IV: July 21st, 2014
Submitted DS-260: July 22nd, 2014
NVC Received Packet IV: July 22nd, 2014
Received False Check List for AOS via email: July 23rd, 2014
NVC Scanned Packet IV: July 28th, 2014
Received 60 calendar day review email due to backlog: August 5, 2014
NVC Case Complete Email Received: September 23rd, 2014
Case Complete via phone call to NVC: September 16th
(Was not given interview date. The NVC agent said to call back later in the week and check)
Called NVC For Interview Date & was told to call back next week: September 24th, 2014
Called NVC For Interview Date & was told November interviews were started to be scheduled as of today: October 1, 2014
Called NVC For Interview Date & was told no interview date yet and to call again tomorrow: October 2, 2014
Called NVC For Interview Date & SCHEDULED!!!! October 3, 2014
Interview Date: November 26th, 2014 9:30am
Received P4 Letter via email (Interview Letter): October 8th, 2014
Documents left NVC and are in transit to the consulate: October 9th, 2014
Documents arrived to the consulate from NVC: October 14th, 2014 (longer delay because of holiday weekend)
Emailed consulate to request a sooner interview date: October 14th, 2014
NEW INTERVIEW DATE October 28th, 2014 9:30am & MEDICAL DATE October 27th, 2014 8am: October 15th, 2014 via Naples Consulate email
Visa Issued: October 28th, 2014
Visa arrived in mail: October 29th, 2014
POE: November 3rd, 2014 at JFK
Did not receive any REAL checklists- Thanks Saylin!
DOCS SENT FOR AOS TO NVC: (This is all about the petitioner)
1. AOS NVC cover letter
2. Personal cover letter dated and signed by petitioner
3. Form I-864 signed and dated
4. 2013 Federal Tax Return (had to amend it so tax transcript was not valid)
5. 2012 Federal Tax Return (had to amend it so tax transcript was not valid)
6. 2011 Tax Transcript
7. Letters of Employment (Have two jobs one independent contractor and one W-4)
8. Pay Stubs for the whole year
9. Bank Statements since opened bank account (for paychecks proof)
10. Photocopy of biographic data page of petitioner's passport
DOCS SENT FOR IV PACKET TO NVC: (This is all about the beneficiary)
1. IV Packet NVC cover letter
2. Personal cover letter dated and signed by beneficiary
3. 2 passport sized photos of beneficiary with NVC case number, full name, and date of birth written on the back of both photos in pencil
4. Photocopy of biographic data page of beneficiary's passport
5. Photocopy of biographic data page of petitioner's passport
6. Original birth certificate plus photocopy of beneficiary
7. Original Estratto di Nascita plus photocopy of beneficiary
8. Atti Integrale di Nascita plus photocopy of beneficiary
7. Original marriage certificate plus copy
8. Original Stato di Famiglia plus photocopy of beneficiary
9. Original Police Certificates plus photo copy
P4 LETTER (This is received via email)
1. Print a few copies. You will need it both for the interview and medical.
2. Bring the whole letter with you. Mine was 4 pages long.
3. This document is written confirmation for your interview appointment and tells you the things you need to bring.
4. The standard things to bring are:
any original documents that NVC requested that you DID NOT submit
if physician gives you the medical exams results, bring to interview in the envelope sealed by the medical office
2 passport sized photos FOR INTERVIEW (you will need 2 more for medical) 50x50mm
a valid unexpired passport
photocopies of all documents you submitted to NVC
new police records if yours had expired (Italian police records are only valid 6 months. The P4 letter says a year, however this is a standard letter. It is 6 months valid)
any additional documents listed in the US Embassy or Consulate specific interview guidelines
4. Following that they give you a key with letters and you need to check to see what other documents you need to bring to the interview.
THINGS TO KNOW:
1. Make sure your NVC case number is on every single piece of paper you send to NVC. I used avery labels. This is now required from NVC to avoid them from misplacing the documents.
2. Print out every single confirmation page you get from NVC you will need these at the interview
3. Print out all of your notices from NVC just in case they ask for things at the interview
4. Passport photos must be 50X50mm. We printed 8 to be safe.
5. Passport photos are only valid for 6 months. So if you mailed your AOS to NVC and you interview date is more than 6 months later, you will need new passport photos for the interview.
6. Italian Police Certificates are only valid for 6 months
7. You need two different Italian Police Certificates (Certificato Generale del Casellario Giudiziale & Certificato Dei Carichi Pendenti)
8. We got both Italian Police Certificates with an apostile so they are legal in USA
9. You can only contact the consulate about your visa via email at IVNaples@state.gov. You can not call. Make sure you include your surname and case number in the subject line of your email.
10. If you want a sooner interview date, email the consulate and see if they have a sooner date AFTER the documents are received from NVC.
11. If you go to the CEAC site and click on the tab "Check My Visa Application" when it says "IN TRANSIT" that means your documents are in transit to the consulate and have left NVC.
12. If you go to the CEAC site and click on the tab "Check My Visa Application" when it says "READY" that means your documents are at the consulate.
13. If you have any documents that have updates present them to the consulate officer when you get called to the window the first time. They will check over all your papers before you have everything before the actual interview. (We have several updates: I-864 form, employment letters, bank statements, both police certificates, and DS-260)
14. If you make a mistake on the DS-260 tell the consulate officer when you get called to the window the first time. They will check over all your papers before you have everything before the actual interview and update it into the database on the computer. You CAN NOT edit or resubmit the DS-260 after you submit it to NVC.
15. BE ORGANIZED for the interview. Things will go so much smoother (not wasting their time). Use sticky notes to label papers and folders to do this. Know where every piece of paper is.
16. Have copies of EVERYTHING for the interview. I have at least 2 copies of everything so if the consulate needs anything I still have at least 1 copy.
17. Must have copy of appointment letter. Print several copies to be safe since you need it for the medical and interview at the consulate.
18. All Italian medical exams are scheduled the day before the actual interview.
19. Have a couple of copies of the documents for mailing your visa.
20. As of right now all CR-1 & IR-1 visas are mailed via DHL after the interview is completed and visa issued. You can not pick up the visa anymore.
21. After the visa has arrived the beneficiary has 6 months to leave. After that the visa is not valid anymore and you need to go through the whole process again.
22. All green card holders are required to have health insurance. If you fail to have health insurance you will get fined on your taxes the upcoming year.
23. Download the free app "Magicjack" to call for FREE to the USA (landlines and mobiles). We used this to call NVC all the time for free.
24. P4 letter aka Interview letter is emailed to both beneficiary and petitioner. It is addressed to the beneficiary. We received ours 5 days after interview date was received via NVC phone call.
25. DO NOT carry your documents to the interview at the consulate in a bag or backpack. You will not be able to enter! Literally only carry your documents needed for the interview, passport, and wallet. I do not recommend you bring your cell phones because they take those away at security and it isn't their responsibility if anything happens to your personal items. We brought all documents, passports, and wallet.
26. There is a new rule with the consulate and you CAN NOT enter really early to the interview at the consulate any more. Arrive 15min before your interview time and they may let you in. You will be told to "take a walk" until they allow you to enter the consulate for your interview time.
26. I do not recommend you book travel to go to the US before your interview because you need to wait for your visa to arrive in the mail now. The consulate allows up to 5-10 business days for you to receive it but it usually comes within a few days.
27. Any foreigners in Italy that stay longer than 90 days are considered residents even if your domicile is in USA. We will need to have a Permesso Di Soggiorno Per Straniere (Foreigners’ Permit Of Stay) or visa to stay in Italy legally with your spouse during this process.
Great links to read for more info on this process from Naples website:
http://italy.usembassy.gov/visa/iv/application.html
http://italy.usembassy.gov/visa/iv/faq-immigrant-visas.html
DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF FOLDERS:
AOS Packet (all documents sent for AOS packet)
Original Certificates
Copy of Certificates
Proof of Relationship (Photos from before wedding, wedding, honeymoon, and after. Trips together, passport stamp copies, flight receipts to see each other, cards we sent each other, conversations on skype, whatsapp, and viber)
NVC (every confirmation, notice, and email NVC sent us)
Health (all health documents needed for medical)
Co-sponsor (we have a co-sponsor lined up just in case the consulate officer says we need one. This is to assure we have no delay getting the visa.)
MEDICAL REVIEW:
-Bring 1 passport photo to the medical
-Opens at 7am
-Arrived at 7:25 via taxi (cost 10 euro) only took 10min from the B&B Casa Mira Napoli
- There was very little people there at the time only a hand full waiting.
-When you enter the doors you will see two ticket machines to your left & right- PRESS “A” and it will bring your ticket
-We were called only a couple of minutes later to the desk, which is set up like the post office. The lady took the beneficiary’s passport to make a photocopy
-We were directed to sit to the right and wait for our name to be called.
-About 10min later my husband went to get the blood test taken and returned to the seating area 5 min later. (make sure you bring all health documents with you every step of the way to avoid delays)
-Another 3 mins of waiting and my husband was called in to go get his chest x-rays, pay 170 euros, and show immunizations. This took a while because of how many things you have to do.
-During the above process my husband was asked some questions: Where he was going to live in USA? What was his phone number? Residence in Italy?
-He then returned to the waiting area again for about 10mins
-Next was the actual physical
-Right after the physical was completed we got to leave. We were out of there at 9:30am
-The doctor told my husband to go to the interview tomorrow at 9am not 9:30am
-They didn’t take any paper work just filled out their own
-The whole atmosphere was really relaxed and moved along very well.
INTERVIEW REVIEW:
-We left the B&B at 8:45am & arrived at the consulate for 8:50am
-We were allowed to enter at that time. The security check point is actually outside in a separate mini building before the actual main building.
- We showed our passports and passed through the medical detectors. The officer then gave us a number and that was the number we were called for that day. Next we were off to go into the inside of the building to the SECOND floor where the interview room is.
- We took a seat and waiting to be called. They will announce the number in both English & Italian and then the beneficiary’s last name. It is again set up like a post office with the seats and windows. There is a TV for entertainment, bathrooms, café, and water.
-We waited a good 20 minutes to be called to the 1st window. She was a very very nice lady and complemented us on our paper work being so organized and us so prepared. She went through the packets we sent to NVC and actually gave some papers back that we didn’t need to submit. She asked if the passport photos we previously submitted were okay to use and we said yes. She also gave us a couple of documents on the next steps for the visa if accepted.
-She then took my husbands finger prints for both hands and then told us that everything looked good and to take a seat and wait for the interview to be called.
-After another 15min we were called to the 2nd window and this time it was a gentlemen who was also very kind. He thanked us for being there today and told me that once my husband swore to oath I could not speak until after the interview. Next my husband raised his right hand to oath and said yes and then they jumped right into the interview.
-The questions that were asked were: When did you meet your wife? Have you met your wife’s parents? What’s your wife’s mother’s job? When do you plan to go to USA? Do you have a job currently? When did you stop your job?
-Then next the magical words YOUR VISA HAS BEEN APPROVED!!!!
-He said NDL would send an email the next day with the tracking number and we would have the visa in a couple days.
-We exchanged friendly thank you’s etc. and then left the building.
-Again they staff made us feel welcome from the moment we entered security which really helped to be relax through the actual interview. They are all terrific!
We stayed at the B&B Casa Mira Napoli. Gina, her son, and the cleaning staff are also very very kind people. Her son picked us up from the airport for 25 euros and escorted us inside and gave us the low down on Napoli and how to B&B works. A lot of people who stay there are people who are going to the consulate because it is the closets B&B or hotel to the consulate. Her son also arranged for us to get a taxi to the medical and to go back to the airport for our returned flight. There is free wifi there and breakfast is also included. It is very clean and we hand the blue room so we could have our own terrace overlooking the city. Overall a great place to stay and would go back to stay there again for any future Napoli visits.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions during your process- happy to help! ☺
(updated on October 29, 2014)
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #15485