Abby&Mario's US Immigration Timeline

Petitioner's Name: Abby Beneficiary's Name: Mario VJ Member: Abby&Mario Country: Colombia Last Updated: 2017-01-28 Add Comment to Timeline Register or log in to follow this timeline

Immigration Checklist for Abby & Mario:

USCIS I-130 Petition:       Dept of State IR-1/CR-1 Visa:     USCIS I-751 Petition:   USCIS N-400 Petition:

IR-1/CR-1 Visa Event Date Service Center : California Service Center Transferred? No Consulate : Bogota, Colombia Marriage (if applicable): 2014-01-11 I-130 Sent : 2014-03-28 I-130 NOA1 : 2014-04-01 I-130 RFE : none I-130 RFE Sent : I-130 Approved : 2014-04-17 NVC Received : 2014-04-29 Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : 2014-06-03 Pay AOS Bill : 2014-06-04 Receive I-864 Package : Send AOS Package : 2014-06-24 Submit DS-261 : 2014-06-03 Receive IV Bill : 2014-08-06 Pay IV Bill : 2014-08-07 Send IV Package : 2014-08-29 Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter : Case Completed at NVC : 2014-10-30 NVC Left : Consulate Received : Packet 3 Received : Packet 3 Sent : Packet 4 Received : 2014-11-12 Interview Date : 2014-12-01 Interview Result : Approved Second Interview (If Required): Second Interview Result: Visa Received : 2014-12-05 US Entry : 2014-12-29 Comments : Processing Estimates/Stats : Your I-130 was approved in 16 days from your NOA1 date. Your interview took 244 days from your I-130 NOA1 date.

Lifting Conditions Event Date CIS Office : Date Filed : 2016-10-29 NOA Date : 2016-10-31 RFE(s) : Bio. Appt. : 2016-12-15 Interview Date : Approval / Denial Date : Approved : Got I551 Stamp : Green Card Received : Comments :

Member Reviews:

Consulate Review: Bogota, Colombia Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Event Description Review Date : December 1, 2014 Embassy Review : Our appointment was for 9:30 a.m., so we arrived at 8:45. There were two lines-- one for non-immigrant visas and one for immigrant visas. The immigrant visa line was actually pretty long, so I had to go to the front and yell at a security guard to get his attention so I could make sure we were in the correct line. Then some staff came out in turquoise-colored coats helping people. Why they don't just put signs above each line specifying who needs to be where is beyond me. We checked in, got green stickers and went through security. All I had to say to get through was that I was the petitioner. My husband's name was on a list, and they crossed it off. At no point in the day did anyone so much as look at my passport to make sure I was who I said I was. This first step took about a half an hour. Oh, in case you were wondering, you get to keep your cell phone on you, but don't expect wifi of course. After the security check, we walked past one more checkpoint right to the outside waiting area, where there are numbered windows, a small café and airport-style rows of metal seats. The girl at the checkpoint directed us to a woman in front of the windows who was handing out numbers. We got 38 and they were only on 22, if I remember correctly. Finally, at around 10:30, they called 38 and we went to one of the windows where a Colombian embassy worker took my husband's papers, asked him a few questions in Spanish (he answered using a black telephone), gave us some unnecessary papers back and told him to sit back down and wait to be called again. I could tell she was nice, because my husband was laughing and joking with her a bit. This took less than 10 minutes. Then came the long wait. I would suggest wearing more layers than you think you need to, since you'll be sitting still outside. I lived in Bogotá and know how crazy the weather is, so I was prepared. In the few hours we waited it went from sunny to overcast, then windy, then rainy and cold, then sunny again, just to give you an idea. Finally, at about 12:15, my husband was called by name and we went up together. He was asked a few basic questions in Spanish by an American: What is your name, when did you get married, when did you meet your wife and where will you live. (My husband started to give her the address, but she said just the city was fine.) The woman was very nice and smiley. Then she just said congratulations, your visa is approved and gave him the info on the green card fee and the domestic violence handout. She said his passport should be delivered in 15 days and confirmed the DHL location we had selected online. All in all, we were very pleased by the experience. Everyone was very nice and not at all intimidating. I took off one star only because of the ridiculous wait. I honestly don't think the appointment time matters. What appears to actually matter is the number you're handed when you first walk in. My theory is that they only hand out appointment times to stagger arrivals, but of course I don't know that for sure. Rating : Good

POE Review: Houston Event Description Entry Date : 2014-12-29 Embassy Review : Pretty uneventful. We waited in the resident line, got to the officer and once she finished the conversation she was having with the guard who brought her a Coke, she barely looked at us. She had a thick Caribbean accent, so when she started asking questions while still staring at the screen, I (USC) went ahead and answered because we weren't sure who she was talking to and I could tell my husband didn't quite understand her. This didn't seem to be a problem. Then I asked her about the typo in my middle name on the immigrant data summary sheet, and told her that I had an email from the embassy saying it was fine, but she ignored the e-mail and insisted on going over the whole sheet to make sure everything else was okay. Then she asked me if I though my husband's green card would get to my house with the typo in my middle name. I said yes, because the address was correct. It remains a mystery why she couldn't just correct the typo. After that stage, a man came to take him to the little room nearby and he nicely told me to wait outside because "there just isn't enough room in there." After about 20 minutes, my husband came out. The only reason it took so long was because there were a lot of people in there. He said the guys were nice; they even joked with him about not shaving off his beard before traveling ("Didn't your wife tell you to shave that off?"). Welcome to the United States, etc. Harassment Level : Low

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

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