Gavin + Heather's US Immigration Timeline
Immigration Checklist for Heather & Gavin:
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USCIS I-129F Petition:
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Dept of State K1 Visa:
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USCIS I-485 Petition:
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USCIS I-765 Petition:
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USCIS I-131 Petition:
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USCIS I-751 Petition:
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USCIS N-400 Petition:
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K1 Visa
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Vermont Service Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
London, United Kingdom |
| I-129F Sent : |
2012-02-04 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2012-02-09 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
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| RFE Reply(s) : |
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| I-129F NOA2 : |
2012-08-07 |
| NVC Received : |
2012-08-17 |
| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
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| NVC Left : |
2012-08-22 |
| Consulate Received : |
2012-08-28 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
2012-09-08 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2012-09-05 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2012-09-26 |
| Interview Date : |
2012-10-04 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2012-10-11 |
| US Entry : |
2012-10-12 |
| Marriage : |
2012-10-27 |
| Comments : |
Packet 3 took ages in the post, so downloaded and printed off the forms instead - which was what Packet 3 instructed anyway. The only difference was that Packet 3 tells you not so send in things that the forms say you should. |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 180 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 238 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
Washington DC |
| POE Date : |
2012-10-12 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
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| Biometrics Taken : |
Yes |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
Friendly, no problems |
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Adjustment of Status
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Washington DC |
| Date Filed : |
2012-11-14 |
| NOA Date : |
2012-11-16 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2012-12-20 |
| AOS Transfer** : |
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| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2013-08-30 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
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| Greencard Received: |
2013-09-09 |
| Comments : |
Biometrics at Alexandria, VA. Still awaiting news, end of February they said they were processing September applications. Now at the end of April, you'd think they'd be on to November now, so we shall wait and see.
Just under 10 months from filling to when it was received, as a guide for anyone reading this. |
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Employment Authorization
Document
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Washington DC |
| Filing Method : |
Mail |
| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2013-03-07 |
| NOA Date : |
2013-03-11 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
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| Approved Date : |
2013-04-25 |
| Date Card Received : |
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| Comments : |
First EAD sent with AOS application, the application was misplaced at the National Benefits Centre or the Washington office. So I had to re-apply. Approved on 2013/04/25 |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your EAD was approved in 49 days. |
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Citizenship
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Lewisville TX Lockbox |
| CIS Office : |
Washington DC |
| Date Filed : |
2017-08-07 |
| NOA Date : |
2017-08-15 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2017-09-05 |
| Interview Date : |
2018-04-12 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Oath Ceremony : |
2018-06-14 |
| Comments : |
The interview took just under 20 minutes for me. The English reading and writing tests first followed by civics test and N-400 review.
My questions were...
How many Representatives are there?
How often do we vote for Representatives?
Who is Chief Justice now?
Father of America?
When do you vote for President?
Name a battle/war fought in the 1900s?
All easy and problem free. It was the Washington field office, there’s a parking garage to park in, $7 for the first few hours I think it was. I was in and out in around an hour and a half. |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
October 11, 2012 |
| Embassy Review : |
Well that was all bit surreal. I got to the embassy for 07:05, there were two queue points, one for US citizens and one for visa applicants. I was the first there, some other people turned up and a lady come over to ask if any of us had electrical equipment or key fobs etc. Some did, so off they went directed to near by chemists that can store these things for a small price.
The lady then checked my letter and that I was on her list. After that, I was asked to wait by a pillar where I took off my belt and put it, my keys and money etc in my bag - in preparation for security. Security it pretty much the same as the airport, put your bag on the belt and walk through the scanner and pick up on the other side.
You then leave this small building outside the embassy and walk to the right, around the embassy to a different entrance. At reception I handed over my letter, MRV and passport. The receptionist then printed off some barcode labels and stuck them on the letter. She directed me up some stairs on the left to the waiting area. I was sitting down by 07:33. At 08:00 the first numbers were called. All N numbers, 1 through 5 and then at 08:03 my number I901 was called (I for immigration I believe).
I went up to window 1, where the lady asked for my letter, MRV and passport. I tried to explain to her that there was a mix up with Packet 3 and I had sent some stuff with it that they hadn't required. She wasn't too sure what I was saying, but we got there in the end and she popped off for a couple of seconds to retrieve my file. I had sent my birth certificate, the I-134 forms for Heather and her father, pictures with the I-156 forms, police certificate and receipts for the engagement and wedding rings.
She worked through the forms and asked when I was planning to leave, I said next week, she asked for a day, so I said October 12th. She wrote this down on a form. While she was doing this, I noticed that on the forms I'd sent in that there was writing on them - so I don't know what processing they'd already done on them. The only other thing she asked for was Heather's letter of employment. She gave me a pink slip of paper and affixed one of the barcode labels to it that I had gotten earlier. She then told me to sit and wait to be called again. I sat down at about 08:15. So 12 minutes work so far. Oh and she gave me the CD from the medical.
At around 09:00 my number was called for window 16. There was an American guy there and he said "Hello", asked me to write Heather's full name on a form and sign it. He then asked me to raise my right hand and swear that I'd tell the truth, which I did. He then very quickly asked a few questions.
When we met?
Where we met?
How we knew the mutual friends at the engagement party that we met at?
How old am I and how old is Heather?
Do I have any job leads? (I said not at the moment)
Do I have any savings? (Yes and I'm taking it with me)
I barely had chance to answer before the next question was coming. Some answers I didn't get halfway through before the next question came. He then flicked through some photos that we sent in back in February with our I-129F submission and gave them and my birth certificate back to me. At which point he said "Pleased to say you're approved, please take the pink slip to the courier".
That was it, the interview lasted less than 5 minutes!
Wow, stunned at how quick that was. Oh, and my amazing folders of evidence, not needed Still, I was glad I had it. My overall impression was that we had been approved already and the interview was just a case of going through the motions.
Really happy with the experience. I only wished it was possible to find out when they would give the passport/visa packet to the courier. On research and my experience, it seems that DOS is the place to call to find out when the visa has been issued. Once it's issued it looks like it takes the embassy a couple of days to give it to the courier. Then the courier seem to deliver next day.
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| Rating : |
Good |
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Timeline Comments: None yet, be the first!
*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the
USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.
** Not all cases are transfered
ver 5.0
