sharpnsexyoak's US Immigration Timeline
Immigration Checklist for Bernadette & Tim:
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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? |
No |
| Consulate : |
South Africa |
| I-129F Sent : |
2014-07-25 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2014-07-31 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
2015-03-02 |
| RFE Reply(s) : |
2015-03-05 |
| I-129F NOA2 : |
2015-03-19 |
| NVC Received : |
2015-04-07 |
| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
2015-04-24 |
| NVC Left : |
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| Consulate Received : |
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| Packet 3 Received : |
2015-04-23 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2015-05-08 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2015-05-11 |
| Interview Date : |
2015-06-25 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2015-06-27 |
| US Entry : |
2015-07-04 |
| Marriage : |
2015-07-25 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 231 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 329 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
Orlando |
| POE Date : |
2015-07-04 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
No |
| Biometrics Taken : |
No |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
A long wait in the usual queue, followed by an equally long wait to be briefly interviewed in a private office. During the interview I was asked some basic questions and reminded of the basic conditions of the K1-Visa including the 90 days in which to be married. |
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Adjustment of Status
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Orlando FL |
| Date Filed : |
2015-09-21 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-09-24 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2015-10-15 |
| AOS Transfer** : |
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| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2016-01-29 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Greencard Received: |
2016-02-05 |
| Comments : |
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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 : |
2015-09-21 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-09-24 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2015-10-15 |
| Approved Date : |
2015-11-30 |
| Date Card Received : |
2015-12-21 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your EAD was approved in 70 days. |
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Advance Parole
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Chicago National Office |
| Filing Method : |
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| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2015-09-21 |
| NOA Date : |
2015-09-24 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Date Received : |
2015-12-21 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your AP was approved in 70 days. |
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Lifting Conditions
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
California Service Center |
| Date Filed : |
2017-12-08 |
| NOA Date : |
2017-12-15 |
| RFE(s) : |
2019-04-22 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2018-01-03 |
| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2019-08-14 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Green Card Received : |
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| Comments : |
This was a very long and drawn out process for a number of reasons. My wife and I filed the petition jointly in December 2017 and approximately 8 months later we got divorced. Following the divorce I left the USA and went to Ireland and the UK. I returned to the USA 3 months later. In January of 2019 I filed a request for a waiver to allow for the application to be filed as an individual as I was now divorced and would be staying in the USA.
Some time later I received a Request for Evidence (RFE) stating that myself and now ex wife had failed to prove our marriage was in good faith. The areas highlighted were co-habitation and financial.
This said, I then set to work over the next 2 months gathering additional evidence to prove the marriage was legitimate. Admittedly my ex-wife was not very helpful and only provided a small amount of evidence in terms of paperwork and written statements following numerous requests. (In hindsight she was very uncooperative)
Before submission I consulted with an immigration attorney twice to confirm what would be good evidence initially and once gathered I had him go over it. (He was not overly confident, but stated if it went to court it would certainly be enough).
Having collected all I could (the list of evidence is long) I submitted it all neatly and simply and hoped for the best. Approximately 50 days later I got a case status update saying that my new card was being produced. It was a nerve wracking experience that I'm sure many lose sleep over and right now I am happy that I have some options. |
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Citizenship
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Online |
| CIS Office : |
Orlando FL |
| Date Filed : |
2020-11-11 |
| NOA Date : |
2020-11-16 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2021-02-01 |
| Interview Date : |
2021-05-07 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Oath Ceremony : |
2021-06-30 |
| Comments : |
Biometrics was waived, no refund issued.
A decision could not be made at interview as they got their dates wrong and said I applied too early. This was later corrected, and about a month after the interview and the oath ceremony was scheduled. |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: South Africa
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
June 25, 2015 |
| Embassy Review : |
Today I went for my K1 Visa interview and after nearly a years worth of filing and refiling various bit of paper work it came down to this, the final hurdle.
The interview was scheduled for 13:00 at the Consulate in Sandton, Johannesburg (It is literally opposite the Sandton City Mall on the corner of Rivonia Rd and Sandton Dr). I have lived in Johannesburg for over 23 years and was very familiar with the area. That said, my advice is to leave 1 1/2 hours prior to your interview so that you get there early. You maybe sitting out there in the sun for a while but trust me when I tell you the queue does build up quickly, and that it not a quick process to actually get into the consulate.
The security check is fairly simple and is managed by the usual "intellectual powerhouses" that you would expect from your average car guard. They are pretty dense and unprofessional to say the least and on the whole are a poor reflection on the US consulate itself. Pack light and expect to be stripped of all your electrical devices. You will only be allowed in with the very basics.
Once I had cleared security I simply followed the yellow painted foot steps on the pathway through a rather lovely garden until I reached another building. This was the building where the interviews were done.
As I entered I was given a ticket with a number on it and asked politely to take a seat in the nicely laid out waiting area. To the side of the waiting area was what would be best described as a row of booths one might find in a local bank. The kind with thick plate glass separating you from the individuals on the other side and a small opening at the base for passing your paper work though. There are phones you are supposedly meant to talk into but these where not used for some reason.
I sat and waited for about 15 minutes while chatting with the others I had met in the queue earlier and then my number was called along with which counter to go to. At the counter I met a polite South African lady who asked for my various bits of documentation which included the following:
- Passport
- Photographs (I gave them 4 instead of 2 just to be safe)
- Unabridged Birth Certificate
- Police Clearance Certificate
- I-134 & Evidence Of Financial Support (They do accept sponsors)
- Relationship Evidence
On a side note, they did not ask me for my DS 160 - Confirmation Page, that said, it is best you have it just in case (I certainly did). Come prepared and have at least 1 copy of every document as a backup.
Once I hand given over all of this I was instructed to go around the corner near the entrance of the building and make a payment of $265. They accept both Cash and Cards. Personally I would suggest using a card as it is both far easier and safer.
I then proceeded back to the waiting area and sat and read through the simple document I had been handed by the lady who took my documents. It was a printed pamphlet describing the rules in the USA regarding domestic violence and abuse and gave out numbers and names of support groups while outlining the rights of immigrants and so forth. Read this, they expect you to and may ask you questions about it.
After around 45 minutes I was called up to another counter for what would be my interview. Be aware, the interview takes place at the counter and in front of anyone in the waiting room. Don't be put off though, I found the questions to be simple and if you are in a genuine relationship you have nothing to worry about. I was asked the following:
- Where did you meet?
- What do i do for a living?
- What does she do for a living?
- When are you planning on leaving for the USA?
- Is this a photo of her?
After this the very polite American man behind the counter thanked me for my time and proceeded to hand me a pink slip and told me it would take a few days to sort the visa out but I would be contacted once it was in my passport and I could come and collect it. At this point I was beyond thrilled!
I did manage to remember to ask one question that had been burning in my mind for a while before leaving though. When I book a ticket to the USA do I need to book a return ticket as this is technically a non-immigrant visa? He pretty much said no but admitted he wasn't sure and advised me to ask the airlines...
All in all, it was a good experience and it went very smoothly. Prepare and have all the documents and more and you will be just fine. |
| 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
