Ally86's US Immigration Timeline
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Petitioner's Name: Alicia
Beneficiary's Name: Chris
VJ Member: Ally86
Country: United Kingdom
Last Updated: 2021-06-01
** This timeline is also linked with a second member. **
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Immigration Checklist for Alicia & Chris:
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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 : |
Texas Service Center |
| Transferred? |
California Service Center on 2014-03-12 |
| Consulate : |
London, United Kingdom |
| I-129F Sent : |
2014-03-04 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2014-03-11 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
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| RFE Reply(s) : |
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| I-129F NOA2 : |
2014-04-11 |
| NVC Received : |
2014-04-23 |
| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
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| NVC Left : |
2014-04-25 |
| Consulate Received : |
2014-05-02 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
2014-05-07 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2014-07-29 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2014-08-06 |
| Interview Date : |
2014-08-29 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2014-09-11 |
| US Entry : |
2014-10-13 |
| Marriage : |
2014-11-13 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 31 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 171 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
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| POE Date : |
2014-11-13 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
Yes,EAD Card |
| Biometrics Taken : |
Yes |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
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Adjustment of Status
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Phoenix AZ |
| Date Filed : |
2015-01-09 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-01-14 |
| RFE(s) : |
2015-02-04 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2015-02-03 |
| AOS Transfer** : |
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| Interview Date : |
2015-07-13 |
| Approval / Denial Date : |
2015-07-13 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Greencard Received: |
2015-08-12 |
| Comments : |
There was a bit of a delay but not too much; we waited about a half hour beyond our interview time but the whole experience was swift and painless.
He asked for our IDs, asked us questions about each other (Where we work, how we met, etc). Nothing a legitimate couple would be unprepared for.
We volunteered our photo album and wedding photos and he asked me (the beneficiary) to name people in the group photos.
After asking some standard questions (that are present in the application for the ESTA) like: Have you ever been arrested, etc.
Overall a pleasant experience, but we were under the impression from our biometric appointment that cellphones would not be allowed, and so we kept ours at home - we don't drive, and rely on Uber to get around, so we had to call from the office to have a friend request an Uber ride on our behalf.
When we got there though they had changed their policy so that cellphones were in fact allowed but had to be switched off. Disappointing, but we were prepared for it. |
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Employment Authorization
Document
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Chicago National Office |
| Filing Method : |
Mail |
| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2015-01-09 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-01-14 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
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| Approved Date : |
2015-03-23 |
| Date Card Received : |
2015-03-07 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your EAD was approved in 73 days. |
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Lifting Conditions
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
California Service Center |
| Date Filed : |
2017-05-11 |
| NOA Date : |
2017-05-19 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2017-06-07 |
| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2018-08-14 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
Yes |
| Green Card Received : |
2018-08-18 |
| Comments : |
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Citizenship
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Online |
| CIS Office : |
Sacramento CA |
| Date Filed : |
2020-04-07 |
| NOA Date : |
2020-04-08 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
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| Interview Date : |
2021-05-25 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Oath Ceremony : |
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| Comments : |
Office: Sacramento, CA.
Had to navigate the tricky one way streets of downtown 'Sac' in order to get here. Discovered that the parking lot was just for office staff and was gated off. Followed signs to free public parking, which ended up being on the other side of the one way system we just got into, on the roof of a parking garage. So that was fun getting in. Was also not free. Ended up paying $7 for 1h 20, but it is what it is.
Airport-style security at the front door. Due to covid, a bunch of people were waiting for their 15 minute window to enter the building, so I asked if anyone was ready to enter and just waiting to be called in. Nobody was ready yet so I approached the first door and waited to be waved through to the security zone. I handed my letter to the guard and told him why I was there.
Answer the obligatory questions about not being a convicted felon, carrying any weapons, being a terrorist, etc. For me these were all NO, but YMMV. I hope it doesn't (!)
Due to covid I also had to answer out loud yes or no to the questions on a card at the entrance (any symptoms, any contact with people who tested positive, travel outside of the US within 14 days etc). Again these were all nice and easy NO's for me.
Go through security and remove watches, belts, etc. The usual. Proceed to the correct floor and find my way to the right room (after getting lost at least once!). After the security it was all very informal, like a doctor's appointment. Everyone including the security was professional and pleasant.
I had realized after I was sworn in by my interviewing officer that I had left my green card in the car. So glad he was understanding and allowed me to go get it as I was parked in the next building. I did have to (understandably) go through security all over again. Took an extra 10-15 minutes including time to race back to my car and get my ID and come back again, and wait for my interviewer to be finished with an issue he took the opportunity to work on while I was away; so no big deal. My own fault.
The actual interview was very easy. I had to answer an English language test (read back a sentence to the officer), use my finger as stylus on the tablet, to write a statement in English, and that was that. As an English national, I am very obviously fluent in the English language, so again YMMV if your first language is not English, or your grasp on the English language is not strong.
The next part of the interview was ten of the 100 questions I had practiced so much. In the end the ten chosen supposedly at random were some of the easiest (for me) to answer. None of the dates or people's names I'd rote-learned in the last few weeks and months were necessary. I did plan to name the names of current state representatives, senators and chief justice when questioned, but it was not needed.
The interviewer kept a poker face, simply recording what I had said into his computer, without giving anything away. As it was so informal, I was pleased and surprised to hear him say 'Okay, good. One hundred percent, well done'.
That was a weight off my shoulders; I'd expected the nerves to get the better of me and get writer of the Bill of Rights mixed up with that of the Declaration of Independence, or Federalist papers, or something and ruin my chances. The third and final part of the exam was answering the usual questions we're all used to when filing USCIS documentation or applying for ESTA waivers. Not a felon, never trafficked humans, not applying to commit visa fraud, etc. I was asked if I was willing to take up arms and fight for the United States if the law requires it. I was not expecting this particular question but when you think about it, "are you willing" and "if the law requires it" is kind of no contest. Answered a very compliant 'Yes sir' and continued.
As my paperwork did not list the question about being a part of the Nazi party over forty years before I was born, it threw up a red flag and he had to manually correct my 'blank' response into a 'No', for which I had to sign; and I did so happily.
At this point my interviewer congratulated me, told me I had passed and began printing out the documentation to show it was all official and told me when to expect my letter that says my ceremony has been scheduled, and which location to expect it at.
Exchanged pleasantries, in lieu of a pre-covid handshake and was guided out the exit path. Eight years in and this entire process of I-129F to N-400 was (almost!) over. Now I just await finding out when I am scheduled to take my ceremonial pledge of allegiance to my new country.
After filing with the Phoenix offices in the past before moving, I had heard negative reviews about branches back East, and did not know what to expect in the Golden State, but just as in my other experiences with the state next-door, everything was pleasant and despite the bureaucratic nature of a process such as this, have never had anything bad to report. From the embassy in London, to the most recent experience in Sacramento, everything has been pleasant. |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: London, United Kingdom
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
September 1, 2014 |
| Embassy Review : |
I took the coach to London on the morning of my interview to arrive in Victoria about 7.15am; my interview time was 9:00am. I used the CityMapper app on my phone (highly recommended) to find my way to North Audley Street, where Gould's is located.
Walking from Victoria station(s), you'll likely pass the embassy itself, which is a large, unassuming building with a giant golden eagle atop it. I started to notice a handful of people gathering outside at this point.
I checked in my bag into Gould's (I was carrying my travel pillow, phone, charger, soft drinks and snacks along with my documents. I expected security to be like the airport so didn't want to risk losing anything). It cost £3. They give you a little locker-room/raffle ticket and take your phone number. So you can take your phone into the embassy now - but just make sure it's switched off at the window.
Made my way up to the embassy, greeters will ask you to join the queue on the left, and to have your DS-160 ready, this is the confirmation page with the barcode on it. You also need that instructions page printed from the visa payment website.
When I got to the desk outside (not long after about 3 minutes max), a very polite gentleman reassured me after he had to call up someone about not being able to find my name. I freaked out, thinking I'd got the wrong day somehow. Turns out he was looking on the wrong list and didn't realise I was for immigration, not visitation. Upon realising this, he apologised and led me through the second queue and up to a security officer who told me to wait at the security booth.
They let in 4 at a time into the security booth. Be prepared for airport-style security. Empty your pockets of loose change, cellphones, metal objects. Take off your belt if applicable. Leave your jewelery on, and walk through the scanner. Collect your things and don't belt-up in the room; they like to keep a steady flow of people not milling around in there after they have to. The door needs a slightly forceful push (or it may have been a pull).
Check-in to the reception desk right in front of the main doors after you go up the steps, and they'll direct you up to a waiting area and give you a sticker on your DS-160 with your ticket number on it. Watch and listen for this on the big screen and PA system and go to your instructed window.
Questions I was asked were simple things like "how did you guys meet", "has she been here?", "what date did you meet?" etc. Non-invasive stuff like that. I had a younger African-American lady for the first interview, and an older African-American lady for the second one. Both were friendly and calming - nothing like some of the CBP officers I've had in the past :P
After a long wait and repetition of some of my answers to the second lady, she simply said: "Okay, I'm going to recommend that your visa is approved and you should receive it within ten working days. You're all set!" Sounds familiar, some of the K1 London reviews say the same thing. I wonder if this lady has only K1s to deal with all day! It must be a nice feeling approving all those couples, if she does!
She walked away to file my documents before I could finish saying thank you very much in a typical British bumbling fool kind of way. I collected my documents and made my way back down the hallway to the waiting room. I had to ask the lady on the desk if there was anything I needed to hang around for; 'she said I was all-set, can I just leave now? Is that everything?' I asked with a smile on my face. "Yeah! If you're all done, that's it"
Overall, everybody was really friendly while still maintaining a official government atmosphere. I didn't use the snack bar in the waiting room because I was too scared of missing my number. There was a moment of hysteria amongst the staff for a few minutes when one of the officers had left his PA mic open, and the questions 'So, where did you study?', 'Is this your only passport?' and others came over the loudspeaker. That gave some people a chuckle and settled the nerves of a few I imagine. 
tl;dr: Legitimate petitions need not worry if their Consular interview is at London |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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Local US CIS Office Review: Phoenix AZ
Review Topic: cis_topic
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
February 17, 2015 |
| Embassy Review : |
Right now we're still waiting for the EAD and AOS to be approved, but have had the biometrics appointment.
Outside there was a collection of people hanging around with miniature US flags, near a pasted-on replica of the Statue of Liberty. Nice touch for a government office, that you wonder how they had the funding approved as it's pretty non-essential; but I guess it's in their financial interest to garner further applications by maintaining a positive image.
When we went inside, it was a spaced-out room which looks very much like airport security areas, albeit with older looking equipment and only a handful of guards working the line. We were told we cannot have any mobile phones in our bag and that my wife would have to take them back to 'our vehicle'.
Our vehicle was a cab, which had already left, with no intention of remaining available as a storage unit, so that idea was out. Instead, my wife simply had to wait outside until I was finished.
Overall it probably took an hour. A middle-aged security guard asked me if I was from the UK or Ireland and made small talk about his Irish niece, which helped calm my nerves a bit. He asked if I knew where to go, what kind of appointment was I here for, and directed me to a glass room across the way.
Inside this enclosure was a waiting room, a large TV tuned to CNN (cable TV is also a non-essential expenditure for which you wonder how they got approved for funding) with the sound down, and a very cheerful receptionist. Occasionally the staff would come out of the back office to wave people's ticket numbers through and chat with the front staff. All seems very cosy.
I was seen by a German lady who naturally, must have been in these shoes once herself as a former immigrant. She was very professional, courteous and friendly, and sanitized the fingerprint reader before and after putting my prints onto it. A nice touch that you won't see happening in CBP lanes at peak time at LAX!
The guy on the desk waved goodbye and said 'thank you', as he had to everybody else. Extremely courteous and pleasant experience, once you got past the body scanners, and highly unusual for a US government official building. A total galaxy away from the drab, dreary and depressing monolithic dread that is the Social Security office.
On the way out, a gentleman in a suit was holding up what looked like it simply must be a Certificate of Naturalization in one hand, and another of those miniature American flags in the other. A good day for him, that I look forward to living myself when it's my time, in about three years from now. |
| Harassment Level : |
Very 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
