K+P's US Immigration Timeline

Petitioner's Name: K Beneficiary's Name: P VJ Member: K+P Country: Cambodia Last Updated: 2021-04-20 Add Comment to Timeline Register or log in to follow this timeline

Immigration Checklist for K & P:

USCIS I-129F Petition:       Dept of State K1 Visa:     USCIS I-485 Petition:   USCIS I-765 Petition:       USCIS I-131 Petition:       USCIS I-751 Petition:   USCIS N-400 Petition:

K1 Visa Event Date Service Center : California Service Center Transferred? No Consulate : Cambodia I-129F Sent : 2014-11-07 I-129F NOA1 : 2014-11-17 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2014-12-04 NVC Received : Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : 2014-12-30 NVC Left : Consulate Received : 2015-01-08 Packet 3 Received : Packet 3 Sent : 2015-01-21 Packet 4 Received : Interview Date : 2015-05-21 Submit Review Interview Result : Administrative Review Second Interview (If Required): 2016-01-27 Second Interview Result: Approved Visa Received : 2016-02-05 US Entry : 2016-03-05 Marriage : 2016-03-11 Comments : Beneficiary Birthday date correct in all 129F paperwork, but entered into computer wrong by govt. This prevented us getting status at NVC. Embassy had to correct which caused delay. Embassy did not schedule interview when DS-160 submitted in January as it should have been. Resent same paperwork in March, and this time interview was scheduled. Interview dates and status: 21 May: initial interview - Admin review, embassy wants more time to review paperwork. 27-May: (via phone) embassy wants early age pictures of K2 with family and bio father to come to embassy. 28-May: (via email) embassy wants photos only at this time, not bio father. 1-June: Go to interview #2. Consulate looks at photos, not enough evidence. Suggests Maternity DNA test. Also told we must fix K2 passport (English name spelling error). *** AUG 16 2015 update >>> Still waiting for US Embassy Phnom Penh to schedule DNA collection appointment. Passport fixed, cost $310 extra. *** Oct 10 2015 update >>> 2.5 weeks after sending email asking to confirm we are on the waiting list for DNA collection appt, we were told that we will receive an email in 3-4 weeks stating how to make the appointment. Finally some progress. Been waiting since early June. ***update 26 Oct 2015: DNA collection appointment now set. 5 Nov to pay fees, 6 Nov to collect specimen. Hurray! Processing Estimates/Stats : Your I-129f was approved in 17 days from your NOA1 date. Your interview took 185 days from your I-129F NOA1 date.

Port of Entry Review Event Date Port of Entry : Seattle POE Date : 2016-03-05 Submit Review Got EAD Stamp : No Biometrics Taken : Yes Harassment Level : 5 Comments : See review. Also arrived in Los Angeles on 1/5/17 using advance parole paperwork. Absolutely no problems entering. Officers were professional and even cheerful. What a contrast from our first POE.

Adjustment of Status Event Date CIS Office : Denver CO Date Filed : 2016-04-04 NOA Date : 2016-04-16 RFE(s) : Bio. Appt. : 2016-05-12 AOS Transfer** : Interview Date : 2017-04-25 Submit Review Approval / Denial Date : 2017-04-25 Approved : Yes Got I551 Stamp : No Greencard Received: 2017-04-29 Comments : Interview went well, despite our interpreter not showing up until the interview was over.

Employment Authorization Document Event Date CIS Office : Chicago National Office Filing Method : Mail Filing Instance : First Date Filed : 2016-04-04 NOA Date : 2016-04-16 RFE(s) : Bio. Appt. : Approved Date : 2016-04-15 Date Card Received : 2016-07-06 Comments : Valid until 2017-07-05 Processing Estimates/Stats : Your EAD was approved in 11 days.

Advance Parole Event Date CIS Office : Chicago National Office Filing Method :   Filing Instance : First Date Filed : 2016-04-04 NOA Date : 2016-04-16 RFE(s) : Date Received : 2016-07-06 Comments : valid until 2016-07-05. Processing Estimates/Stats : Your AP was approved in 11 days.

Lifting Conditions Event Date CIS Office : California Service Center Date Filed : 2019-01-25 NOA Date : 2019-01-29 RFE(s) : Bio. Appt. : Interview Date : 0001-01-01 Approval / Denial Date : 2019-12-11 Approved : Yes Got I551 Stamp : No Green Card Received : 2019-12-18 Comments : Concerns: Joint I-751 application, but I-797 only list petitioner, not child. Hopefully a letter will arrive to extend child's green card expiration date. Note, no letter arrived, has to get infopass appt to get stamp in passport. Update: No letter for daughter arrived, so made infopass appt and got stamp in daughter's passport. 10 year green card arrived without notice. No appt. Assume because we traveled a lot internationally and always came across border together. Also adopted daughter, so no concern about fraud. Daughter received US passport a few months earlier, but still received new green card, so will need to send back.

Citizenship Event Date Service Center : Online CIS Office : Denver CO Date Filed : 2020-03-11 NOA Date : 2020-03-13 Bio. Appt. : Interview Date : 2021-02-26 Approved : Yes Oath Ceremony : 2021-05-21 Comments : Naturalization notes: Biometrics scheduled for Spring 2020, but not performed due to Covid. Notified with Interview letter (received electronically Jan 2022), they can use previous biometrics. Citizenship proof (U.S. passport) for adopted K2 received on Nov 7 2019. Wife has to file N400. Done on 3/11/2020. Biometrics scheduled, but not done due to pandemic. (Later reused biometerics) Interviewed at USCIS Centennial Office. Passed test, but needed additional evidence of current marriage status (ie showing both names on bills/ownership etc before approval will be granted. Evidence reviewed by USCIS (approx 8 April) and received notice oath ceremony will be scheduled. Received date for Oath Ceremony on 21-May. Unfortunately no guests are allowed to attend.

Member Reviews:

POE Review: Los Angeles Event Description Entry Date : 2017-01-05 Embassy Review : [Entry using Advance Parole documents] My wife and daughter originally entered the USA in March 2016 as K1 and K2 visa holders. We applied for AOS in April 2016, but that paperwork has not been processed yet. We applied for and received Advance Parole. We used this paperwork to return to the USA this January (trip due to health issues of my wife's mother). We had absolutely no problems going through the entry process. We were sent to secondary inspection, but only because the original passport control officer said he did not have the necessary Advance Parole Stamp at his desk. We waited maybe 1/2 hour there for our name to be called. The only question that was asked of us was whether I was the petitioner. When I answered yes, the officer asked for my passport too. Processing took just a couple of minutes. Both officers were professional and friendly. The officer did keep one of the two copies of my daughters AP paperwork. My wife had a combination EAD/AP card, and see got that back. Harassment Level : Low

Local US CIS Office Review: Denver CO Review Topic: cis_topic Event Description Review Date : April 26, 2017 Embassy Review : note: this writeup covers 2 interviews. My wife and daughter (K1 and K2 AOS applicants). They both received separate interview letters, the appointments were scheduled 15 minutes apart. In reality, the 2 appointments were combined into one, interviewed by the same officer at the same time. After presenting our appointment letters / passports to the security officers inside the entry door, we were then directed through the metal detectors. Think TSA, we even had to take off our shoes. The signs directed us to the second floor. The elevators were right there. Once we exited the elevator, we submitted the appointment letters to 2 gentlemen sitting at a small desk nearby who assigned the cases to an interviewing officer and told us which door (A,B, C, ...) we would later be summoned through by the interviewing officer. They wrote the door letter and assigned officer's name on the appointment letter and gave it back to us. We went and sat near the specified door and waited for our name to be called. We only waited 5 or so minutes, when both names called by a person who identified himself as Officer Wise. Before we got too far, I told him we had arranged for an interpreter, but she had not shown yet, but she was expected here shortly. He paused, and said OK, we'll wait a few more minutes. Go back and sit down in the waiting area and I'll call you in a few minutes. We waited another 10 minutes or so for Officer Wise to call us back to the door. Our interpreter still hadn't shown. He asked if I was able interpret for her, I told him that I could, but that I would only be using simple English - she understands simple English, just not complicated English. I told him that I was only worried about the large number of yes/no questions on the paperwork that contained words like paramilitary, and so on. He said OK, we will try to proceed without the interpreter and see how it goes. He led us a short way to the his office. There were 3 chairs across from his desk and we sat down. He asked for our passports for proof of identity and we had to swear to tell the truth. He asked me (the USC) the bulk of the questions, starting off with the names and birthdays of my wife and step-child. He asked if we were still at the residence listed on the paperwork. (yes). He told me the dates of entry (initial entry and one parole entry and asked me if that sounded correct. (yes). He asked how we met (I gave him the 2 min version). He wanted clarification again on where I met her (since my story involved multiple countries as part of background to meeting her). I told him in Cambodia. He then asked my wife, Have you ever been arrested? At this point, I helped her by saying "police" and pretending I was being handcuffed behind my back. She then understood and said "No". He then asked if she was part of a communist group. This question she understood and answered "No". He then turned back to me, and asked how I was employed. I told him I was retired. He asked me several questions about what I did before and who I did it for. I told him, and he recognized the organization I mentioned. He asked me if I met my wife more than once before she came to the USA. I said "yes". He asked me how many times. I stated "At least 4 or 5 times", and my wife was in agreement with those numbers, even though she wasn't asked. He then asked for documents with both our names, such as bank accounts, and/or pictures etc. I asked him if he wanted to see the originals or the copies, and he replied, "The Copies". I gave him 2 stacks, one related to my wife and one related to my daughter, each stack held by a mini binder clip. He looked through the stack briefly and seemed pleased by the contents. We also placed 2 large photo albums on his desk and he took a few minutes to flip through the pages. He then asked, "So you went to Yellowstone"? to no one in particular and all us nodded or said yes. He then said "Thanks for being so organized", and said that everything that was submitted looked good. He need to check a few more items, but if it all checked out, he said we should received the 2 year conditional green card in a couple of weeks. He explained that we need to file additional paperwork between 90 to 30 days before the cards expiration date to remove the conditions and get the 10 year version. I asked him, "Do we file the same I-485 form again"?. He said "No, it will be a I-751". He then asked us if we had any questions for him. I told him I was planning to adopt my step-child and asked him a few questions relating to name changes for each of them, can it be done now (with the green card in hand) through the Colorado Court system. He didn't know much about the process, but I didn't get any sense that it would be a problem on USCIS's side if we got it through the court system. All in all, this was a good process I thought. Officer Wise had all the personable skills that one desires when dealing with a large organization. We were treated with respect throughout the entire interview. The door assignment at the beginning of the process worked extremely well. Much better than the DMV or Social Security number based systems, I thought. Items we brought to the interview: Appointment letter Passports most recent 1040 (two pages) bank/financial statements with both names Car Title with both names Cell phone bill showing 2 lines Medical Insurance letter showing all 3 names Dental receipts showing both names and using my cc to pay Company paperwork showing married, and dependents. Marriage Certificate US entry paperwork (initial entry and parole entry dates) School grades and my signature when I received them Ski passes for father/daughter 529 plan for daughter Airline receipt for 3 passengers School reading log (signed every day since school began). (No copies made of this item) One large photo album showing pre-US-entry pictures (Cambodia family and travels) One large photo album showing post-US-entry pictures (US family and travels) Harassment Level : Very Good

Timeline Comments: 1



*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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