Ms Hogan's US Immigration Timeline
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Petitioner's Name: M
Beneficiary's Name: M
VJ Member: Ms Hogan
Country: Canada
Last Updated: 2016-04-01
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Immigration Checklist for M & M:
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USCIS I-130 Petition:
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Dept of State IR-1/CR-1 Visa:
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USCIS I-751 Petition:
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USCIS N-400 Petition:
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IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
National Benefits Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
Montreal, Canada |
| Marriage (if applicable): |
2012-10-20 |
| I-130 Sent : |
2012-10-29 |
| I-130 NOA1 : |
2012-11-01 |
| I-130 RFE : |
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| I-130 RFE Sent : |
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| I-130 Approved : |
2012-12-11 |
| NVC Received : |
2012-12-17 |
| Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : |
2013-01-07 |
| Pay AOS Bill : |
2013-01-07 |
| Receive I-864 Package : |
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| Send AOS Package : |
2013-01-08 |
| Submit DS-261 : |
2013-01-04 |
| Receive IV Bill : |
2013-01-08 |
| Pay IV Bill : |
2013-01-08 |
| Send IV Package : |
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| Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter : |
2013-01-08 |
| Case Completed at NVC : |
2013-01-28 |
| NVC Left : |
2013-02-06 |
| Consulate Received : |
2013-02-07 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
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| Packet 3 Sent : |
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| Packet 4 Received : |
2013-02-06 |
| Interview Date : |
2013-03-06 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2013-03-08 |
| US Entry : |
2013-03-14 |
| Comments : |
OUCH! 3 hours to complete the process. Not because of an overload of people, not because of any problems with our documents. Just simply slow! We arrived at the Peace Bridge and it wasn't busy at all. We do this every 2-3 weeks so know the good times to cross. Well at 6:10 we went into secondary and we didn't leave until 9:07. We just sat waiting and waiting. I saw the officer pick up our passports and start working on them about 60 minutes after we arrived. Then he proceeded to go on his dinner break. He just left everything at his work station, disappeared, then came back about 40 minutes later and picked up where he left off. He was very kind when he called me up and explained he still had a lot to do before we were complete but that he would work as fast as he could. He saw that the kids were getting pretty restless. Finger prints and signatures were done quickly and the rest was up to him. No questions other than when I actually intended to move full time and making sure I knew I had to be in the U.S. for at least 6 months of the year etc. It was tiring with 2 little kids and not being allowed to bring electronics in (DS would have kept them busy the entire time!).
After 3 hours though we were congratulated and handed our stamped passports and welcomed as Permanent Residents! |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-130 was approved in 40 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 125 days from your I-130 NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
CDN-USA Border |
| POE Date : |
2013-03-14 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
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| Biometrics Taken : |
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| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
OUCH! 3 hours to complete the process. Not because of an overload of people, not because of any problems with our documents. Just simply slow! We arrived at the Peace Bridge and it wasn't busy at all. We do this every 2-3 weeks so know the good times to cross. Well at 6:10 we went into secondary and we didn't leave until 9:07. We just sat waiting and waiting. I saw the officer pick up our passports and start working on them about 60 minutes after we arrived. Then he proceeded to go on his dinner break. He just left everything at his work station, disappeared, then came back about 40 minutes later and picked up where he left off. He was very kind when he called me up and explained he still had a lot to do before we were complete but that he would work as fast as he could. He saw that the kids were getting pretty restless. Finger prints and signatures were done quickly and the rest was up to him. No questions other than when I actually intended to move full time and making sure I knew I had to be in the U.S. for at least 6 months of the year etc. It was tiring with 2 little kids and not being allowed to bring electronics in (DS would have kept them busy the entire time!).
After 3 hours though we were congratulated and handed our stamped passports and welcomed as Permanent Residents! |
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Lifting Conditions
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
California Service Center |
| Date Filed : |
2014-12-15 |
| NOA Date : |
2014-12-17 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2015-01-06 |
| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2015-05-27 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
Yes |
| Green Card Received : |
2015-06-03 |
| Comments : |
Not much to share about this. Very straight-forward process. No RFEs. Nothing to share of any use other than keeping items throughout your time together so they're ready to be filed when your window opens up. |
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Citizenship
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Phoenix AZ Lockbox |
| CIS Office : |
Cleveland OH |
| Date Filed : |
2015-12-15 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-12-17 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2016-01-11 |
| Interview Date : |
2016-03-22 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Oath Ceremony : |
2016-04-15 |
| Comments : |
Easy! Awesome! DONE! |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: Montreal, Canada
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
March 7, 2013 |
| Embassy Review : |
Here we go... it's gonna be long... you ready?
My husband arrived at the consulate at 6:35. He went ahead of us so the kids could have something to eat at the hotel before we went out to meet him. We had walked over the night before to make sure we knew where to go. He was first in line. Someone else showed up a few minutes later and by the time I arrived with the kids at 7:05 there were about 8 people there. The doors were opened by security promptly at 7:30 and we were allowed in.
The woman at the door only asked for our Loomis info and passports. She checked for our names on the list based on that. After finding each of us on the list, she put the sticker on the back of the passport, wrote the reference number for Loomis on the sticker and sent us in to security. She did NOT ask to see my husband's passport though we had it with us.
Security was quick and painless. Coats off, belts & watches off, empty pockets into the bin and walk through the scanner. All set, easy peasy!
Then... down the stairs to the infamous waiting area in front of the elevator. We sat right by the door of course since I studied the guides here so thoroughly. There were a couple other guys who have been on VJ but I don't know their screen names as they don't post regularly however we all pretty much stuck together.
8:05 doors to the elevator opened and we were told to go up to the 19th floor. We were at the back left of the elevator, and CRAMMED in there with 12 people, my kids got squished a bit but again, the other VJ guys were with us so I felt like I had 2 extra guardians around us as well as my husband. Whether it was intentional or not, I don't know, but I was glad to have them there.
Elevator doors opened, I zipped around the corner to the window for the number. The window is labeled 14a/14b. If you were to follow the yellow arrows on the floor you would be standing in front of some hand sanitizer! Near the window, but not quite where you need to be. We waited... and waited... I could see someone stirring around behind the blind but it felt like forever before she actually opened the window. I believe we stood there for a good 10-15 minutes. She asked for our appointment letters and passports and handed me...
The much-coveted C1 ticket. We proceeded over to the seating area. Did some more waiting until a lady at Window 4 told her co-worker at Window 1 "They're giving out numbers already!" A few minutes later I was called up to Window 1.
It is now 8:30ish and I believe I had someone who may have been relatively new. It took at least 20 minutes for her to get through our items. I was ready and waiting with each item in-hand as I watched her go through the files. I found it very difficult to hear her and had to ask her to repeat herself many times until she finally turned up the speakers (which weren't on until that point) because I was having to hear her through the glass only! She went file by file. She was VERY slow. We did all of my items first, then each of the kids. She asked for medicals and photos first. I knew she wasn't going to take the CD of the xray but I held it out to her, she told me I could just put it back away as she didn't require it. Medicals get opened and put into the file folder. She scanned/photographed the photo and then put those in the file folder. She asked for original birth certificate next. For mine she also asked for the original of my divorce certificate. She seemed irritated that my husband's divorce certificate was in there (it was also in my kids' files since it was required for the I-130) and kept saying "this doesn't need to be here." I was also asked for my original marriage certificate. That was it.
The kids were the same thing minus the marriage certificate. She looked through everything and asked if I had any custody paperwork. No custody paperwork was included with the I-130 or at NVC stage since it wasn't asked for. I did of course have it with me. She took the original and asked if I had copies of it, OF COURSE I had copies of it for each of the kids! Come on, doesn't she know how much time I spend on VJ? lol The kids each had new passports so she had to update their info in her system based on that but it only took a moment. She did question WHY I renewed my older son's passport when it isn't due for renewal for 2 more years. So I had to explain to her that one son's passport would have expired in May (younger kids' Canadian passports are only good for 3 years as you know) and that it is easier for me to renew both of them at the same time. /sigh... at this point I'm getting tired of standing there as I hear the numbers continue to go by at the other windows. She is VERY slow!!
Finally we get back to my file and we do my fingerprints. I'm told to go sit down and wait to be called again.
It is now about 8:50. We wait a few minutes, about 5 probably and then we get called to Window 10. I could hardly understand when they called us. I knew we'd been called but didn't clearly hear where to go. Someone pointed me toward the hall so that's where we went. I got a lovely gentleman with black hair and glasses. He was very kind and smiley. While he was sorting through our files, a lady who seemed to be helping him checked in a couple times. She asked how it was going, he said, "I'm just getting started." I was at the window with my binders, my kids and husband were just behind me. I was truly surprised, though I'd been warned, that there was just a window to stand in front of and not a room or seating. The lady came back, while he had my younger son's info up on the screen and she said "Oh my gosh, he's gorgeous, so cute, is he here? I want to meet him." I had to get him to the window where he proceeded to put his hands on the counter, and his chin on his hands and said "hi" in his flirty 4 year old way that all the women love. It is his curly ginger hair and green eyes that get them every time! Anyhow, we all had a laugh about that.
The rest went like this:
1. Read the 'I swear to...' and while I was doing so he was actually talking to his co-worker which I found funny.
2. Fingerprints for me and then for each child after confirming that I was willing to swear for them too.
3. He went through every file and handed back each original to me. He was slow at typing and clicking but there was no discussion during this part. He just looked at each item.
4. Our CO asked if that was my husband with the kids, when I said yes he said they could go back out and sit in the waiting area and if we needed them we'd call them back.
5. He looked at the I-864 and 2011 tax transcript and stamped each file's copy of it.
6. He then asked me how we met, how the relationship progressed, how long the drive was between each other and the date we got married. He then seemed to try to trip me up with a question about my husband's divorce by saying "so when you got married, your husband was just finishing up his divorce" to which I politely responded, "Actually his divorce was complete over 2 years before we got married." I'm pretty sure he smiled a little at that point.
Then... he typed... and clicked... and clicked... and typed... for five minutes, I timed it. I heard other people being drilled around the corner. I was listening to other people's questions and answers. They were getting asked a LOT of questions and having to explain a lot. I was starting to grow concerned because he wasn't saying anything. He just kept typing and clicking so slowly. The infamous dreadlock lady came by to check on him a couple times. He said he was fine. So he MUST have been slow.
I was waiting for him to ask me more questions but he finally stopped clicking and said "Congratulations, all of your visas are approved." My hand went to my chest to calm myself because I thought I might burst into tears. I had waited those last few minutes for him to say something or ask another question. The silence was stressful to me. He handed me the letter and talked to me about the $165 fee we each have to pay and explained about the courier service. I did actually ask him about the original AOS & I-864 package and whether or not I needed to give it to him since nobody asked me for it. I was a little concerned that maybe it got missed since he seemed to need some help and that the lady at the first window seemed to be new. I didn't want to get a notice later that they forgot about it. He confirmed with his colleague that no, EP applications didn't need to present it and the electronic copy was enough. I don't know if that's the case for everyone but it was the case for us.
That's pretty much it! What a great feeling to be done.
Time through the front door: 7:30.
Time back out again: 9:15.
WHAT A RELIEF!
I don't think I'm missing anything but I am available to answer questions by PM if anyone has them at any time.
Sorry so long, just want to share as much as I can.
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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
