stfiii's US Immigration Timeline

Petitioner's Name: Spencer Beneficiary's Name: Veronica VJ Member: stfiii Country: Mexico Last Updated: 2019-07-15 Add Comment to Timeline Register or log in to follow this timeline

Immigration Checklist for Spencer & Veronica:

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 : Juarez, Mexico I-129F Sent : 2015-06-18 I-129F NOA1 : 2015-06-23 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2015-07-22 NVC Received : 2015-08-06 Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : 2015-08-10 NVC Left : 2015-08-12 Consulate Received : 2015-08-14 Packet 3 Received : Packet 3 Sent : Packet 4 Received : Interview Date : 2016-03-15 Interview Result : Approved Second Interview (If Required): Second Interview Result: Visa Received : 2016-03-23 US Entry : 2016-04-15 Marriage : 2016-05-21 Comments : 6/18/2015 - We've finally turned a corner and mailed off the I-129F. The paper work has been ready for over a week, but we had a delay with my Fiance being able to obtain a 2x2 passport style photo. For some reason this was a very difficult photo to obtain in Mexico and it took three different photo studios before we finally got what we needed. The last studio got the size of the photo right, but then they refused to give my fiance the digital file so she could email it to me. So with photo in hand she had to go somewhere else to get the photo scanned so she could email it to me. Once I had the digital file, I then needed to find a photo processing center that would allow me to upload and print copies of the photo in the correct size format of 2x2. Walgreens webpage would not do it for me. I was able to upload and format the photo on the Walmart web page and pick it up in the local store 1 hour later. Now we wait for NOA1 and Hopefully NOA2 shortly thereafter. 6/19/15 I-129F arrived in Texas Lockbox. Signed for by C THORNQUIST. 6/24/15 Check was cashed and received notice that my I-129F is on its way to California. Processing Estimates/Stats : Your I-129f was approved in 29 days from your NOA1 date. Your interview took 266 days from your I-129F NOA1 date.

Port of Entry Review Event Date Port of Entry : San Diego POE Date : 2016-04-15 Got EAD Stamp : No Biometrics Taken : Yes Harassment Level : 5 Comments : Otay Mesa Border Crossing from Tijuana to San Diego. I picked my K1 Fiancee up along with her two K2 daughters at the Tijuana airport. We departed the airport and made our way to the Otay Mesa POE by car. The drive to the border was very confusing because there was construction and roads were closed off, the lines were very confusing also, but we eventually made it to the front of the line. We were greeted by border guard Walker. He was very polite and friendly. I told him I'm crossing the border with my K1 Fiancee Visa and two children with K2 Visas. He made light of the situation "oh man, why did I have to get this" and I made a joke about Walker Texas Ranger. overall, Walker was friendly and in a good mood. He confirmed that the three people who's passports I handed to him where the three people that I had in the car with me. He then placed a yellow piece of paper under my windshield wiper, handed me the sealed packets back along with the passports, told me to drive to secondary and wait for someone to come up to the car. As we waited in secondary, a border guard came up to the car, I leaned out the window and told him we're here on a K1 and K2 Visa. He glared at me and said 'I know how to read, shut your car off' He then grabbed the yellow paper out from my window, then gruffly told me 'start your car and follow me' he then proceeded to walk away and with exaggerated hand gestures pointing the way for me to follow him. After got to the second parking area, he again very gruffly told me to shut my car off, then he pointed to my fiancee and her two kids, and said 'You, you and you follow me', then at me he said 'you stay in the car' I was thinking, great, out of all the people who can help us I get the guy who wants to be an A-hole to everyone. This guy needs to be put onto latrine duty for the rest of his life. He doesn't deserve to deal with people. then a woman came over to my car with a drug dog, she asked me to open the trunk, and pull out a couple suitcases. I didn't get her name but she was professional and nice and treated me like a human being. I inquired about her dog, and we had a conversation about rescue dogs, and we talked about my rescue dog at home, and how I have trained him to track scents. She was very nice. After she was done with my car she said I could go inside and wait with my fiancee. I went inside and found my fiancee and daughters sitting on the bench waiting. We had a real nice lady by the name of Lopez going through our paper work and entering information into her computer. She had to refer to a large poster behind her on how to process certain items on the K1 visas. After a while she called my fiancee up, took her photo and her finger prints. Then next she called the daughters up one at a time and did the same thing. Then after a few more minutes she called us up, handed us the passports back, informed us that the k1 visa only allowed one entry into the unites states. All three received the I-94 with the 90 day expire stamped on it. We thanked her, and we were on our way. We did not have to pay any fees. The total process took about 30 minutes.

Adjustment of Status Event Date CIS Office : Los Angeles CA Date Filed : 2016-06-17 NOA Date : 2016-07-04 RFE(s) : 2016-08-19 Bio. Appt. : 2016-07-21 AOS Transfer** : Interview Date : 2016-12-14 Approval / Denial Date : 2016-12-14 Approved : Yes Got I551 Stamp : No Greencard Received: 2016-12-21 Comments : Went to our Biometrics Appointment in Oxnard 9 days early. There was no line and no waiting. No one asked any questions about why we came early. We just walked in, handed our paper work, and took care of Biometrics. (We did have to go home and come back as they required us to show the marriage certificate. This is because my wives name on the Appointment letter was her new married name and the ID she showed was her passport with her previous surname on it). Other then that one snag, it was easy breezy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------> AOS Interview took place in Chatsworth California at USCIS Parking garage across the street from the USCIS building. Parking is free. USCIS allows you to bring purses, briefcase, earrings, jewelry, watches, cell phones, etc.. They follow the same rules as the courts. So it's not as strict as Consulate interviews. We showed the guard our appointment letters and he let us get into line. They put my brief case through a X-ray scanner. and we all had to walk through a metal detector. Once we got into the waiting room we took our interview letters and dropped them into a box at one of the windows. The lady said to wait in the seats and our name would be called. The waiting room is nice, clean, the chairs are nice and padded. Plenty of seating room. After 10-15 minutes our names were called. We went to the window and were asked for ID's. We provided our passports which were accepted. After she verified our passports we were given a number and told that all four of us would be called together as a group. (Myself as the US citizen, my wife and her two daughters) When we were called we all went into the back offices with Officer Grant. He was professional, polite, and pleasant person to work with. He had no attitude towards us, and he was very helpful. He told us right away before even going through anything that we were approved. (YA-HOO) Then it was just a matter of verifying and checking off name, address, he asked my wife to confirm her mother's name and her father's name. He then asked her to verify our address. That was it. I mentioned the girls were traveling for the holiday so he went out of his way to provide us with signed and stamped green card approval letters. He said for the girls to take those letters with them when they travel so they definitely won't have any problems coming back across the border. Afterwards I asked Officer Grant for a good breakfast recommendation nearby. He pointed us towards Brent's Delicatessen. The food there was just what you would expect from a good Jewish Delicatessen. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. in 2 years and 6 months time we will file our N-400 per officer Grant. Currently at this time, 3 months before green card expires we are filing the I-751 to remove the conditional status to permanent status.

Employment Authorization Document Event Date CIS Office : Chicago National Office Filing Method : Mail Filing Instance : First Date Filed : 2016-06-17 NOA Date : 2016-07-04 RFE(s) : Bio. Appt. : 2016-07-21 Approved Date : 2016-09-26 Date Card Received : Comments : Processing Estimates/Stats : Your EAD was approved in 101 days.

Advance Parole Event Date CIS Office : Chicago National Office Filing Method :   Filing Instance : First Date Filed : 2016-06-17 NOA Date : 2016-07-04 RFE(s) : 2016-07-04 Date Received : Comments : Processing Estimates/Stats : Your AP was approved in 101 days.

Lifting Conditions Event Date CIS Office : California Service Center Date Filed : 2018-09-17 NOA Date : 2018-09-24 RFE(s) : Bio. Appt. : Interview Date : Approval / Denial Date : 2019-07-08 Approved : Yes Got I551 Stamp : Green Card Received : 2019-07-13 Comments : mailed the I-751 today. Now for the long wait. Wish us luck!

Member Reviews:

Consulate Review: Juarez, Mexico Review Topic: K1 Visa Event Description Review Date : March 16, 2016 Embassy Review : Let's start at the beginning. We stayed at City Express. It was a very cheap, and simple hotel. Beds were comfortable, they had AC, and a simple free breakfast buffet and free coffee all day long. City Express is on the same side of the street as the Mission Mall which has a state of the art theater, and it's a new and nice mall. there is also a Starbucks next to the mall. From City Express there is a bridge that goes over the road to the Clinica Medica Internacional, and to the Consular. Day 1, we went to the Clinica at 7AM. There are two buildings, a front building next to the road, and a back building. You want start out at the back building. There the receptionist will take your Consular invitation letter and the passports. We were here on a K1 which means we didn't have to do Vaccinations, however, the receptionist tried to tell us we needed too do them, and we had to argue with her, and she had to check with a supervisor, who then confirmed that we didn't need vaccinations. Next, our number was called right away, even though there were other people who arrived before us. They took my fiancee and her two daughters over to the main building where they do the exams. I was able to follow them over to the exam building after I explained I would be the person paying for the exams at the end of the appointment. The exam went smoothly, they asked my fiancee and her daughters if they ever did drugs, they also asked if they ever had any major diseases or major surgery. They also asked if they had ever been to jail, if they have any criminal records or tattoos. After the exams, I was taken to a room with a locked door, to pay the cashier, who is located behind a thick glass window. I was given a receipt and I was given the passports and the interview letters back at that tine. Then we came back at 2pm, we went to the back building, showed our receipt, and we were told to sit and wait. Then they started calling people in alphabetical order by the last name to give the results of the exam in a sealed black plastic envelope. Do not open this envelope. They also gave CD copies of the exam. We haven't looked at the CD yet to see what's on it. On Tuesday we went to the Consular at 7:00AM. My fiancee and her daughters went into the building, I sat next door to the consular building at the white tables next to the Extra Convenience store. After about two hours my fiancee came out, I saw her, and she gave me the thumbs up signal indicating we were approved. I asked her for specific information about the process. Here's what she had to say. Once she got into the consular building they went through security and then were given a ticket with a number. Then they separated the groups of people by the type of Visa's that were being applied for. My Fiancee was taken to the second waiting room which is inside the building and had chairs. When there number was called they went to a window, and the person on the other side, asked my fiancee to show her documents. They then put the documents in the correct order for her. Then they gave the documents back and they had her sit back in the chairs again. Then my fiancee was sent to a second representative behind the glass window, this was the official interview. They had my fiancee and her children swear an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They asked her to confirm her name, and the children to confirm their names. they then took electronic finger prints from my fiancee and her two daughters. they they asked her two daughters the following questions. 1. Have you ever been in the US? 2. For how long? 3. Have you ever been in the US more then 3 months? 4. what kind of visa did you use to enter when you went to the US? Then to my fiancee. 1. You're here for the k1 Visa? 2. Have you ever been to the US? 3. If yes, how long ago was it 4. how long did you stay in the us 5. do you have any tattoos 6. did you ever work in the US 7. Do you have any criminal records, or been in jail? 8. have you ever had any problems with the justice? 9. How did you meet your Fiance? 10. How long have you been in a relationship? 11. Then he asked if I was legally divorced? 12. Then he asked my Fiancee if this would be her first marriage. 12. Then he asked for copy of my divorce certificate 13. Then asked where will you live when you go the US? Then he said congratulations. I hope that you will enjoy your stay in the United States. My Fiancee thanked him a million thank you's, and his only response was "I have nothing more to say" My Fiancee asked where she could get the DHL Tracking number since we opted to have the Visa mailed to her hometown. The Consular gave her a piece of paper and said for us to log into the https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-mx/iv/users/sign_in web page and that our Status would update to show a DHL Waybill Number. Rating : 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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