Elghazi2008's US Immigration Timeline
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Petitioner's Name: Alissa
Beneficiary's Name: Redouane
VJ Member: Elghazi2008
Country: Morocco
Last Updated: 2018-12-15
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Immigration Checklist for Alissa & Redouane:
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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 : |
Vermont Service Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
Morocco |
| I-129F Sent : |
2008-07-21 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2008-08-07 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
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| RFE Reply(s) : |
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| I-129F NOA2 : |
2008-12-14 |
| NVC Received : |
2008-12-22 |
| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
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| NVC Left : |
2008-12-28 |
| Consulate Received : |
2009-01-05 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
2009-01-12 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2009-01-27 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2009-01-12 |
| Interview Date : |
2009-02-02 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2009-02-12 |
| US Entry : |
2009-02-20 |
| Marriage : |
2009-05-16 |
| Comments : |
We had a lot of trouble getting the proof of not being married for the interview. The first office (that we had to go to in order to get the paper) refused to give us what we needed for two days.
Interview went well but interviewer asked that we supply a letter from my parents more or less saying that they plan to supply us with food, board, and financial support when needed...In other words, being that the two of us are so young, are my parents aware and supportive of our relationship? Thank goodness, the answer is yes....
****Called Casablanca with fax number trouble and so on. Man who answered the phone tried to tell me that I needed a completely different affidavit of support and that it had to be the original. However, after I got somewhat forceful with them, they either accepted the e-mailed copy I sent them or they just decided not to require one from us, because his visa was issued two days later.*** |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 129 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 179 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
JFK |
| POE Date : |
2009-02-20 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
Yes,Passport Stamp |
| Biometrics Taken : |
Yes |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
The airport staff were very nice and patient. My fiance had no trouble, the security and so on were just very slow. His plane landed at 2:35pm and he did not walk out of the terminal until after 5:30pm.
Found out later, when we applied for his SSN, that his status was not entered correctly into the SS databases, he was put into the computers as being on an F-1 visa, not a K-1. We were told that we will still get his SSN and card, it will just take a little longer, that's all. |
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Adjustment of Status
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Syracuse NY |
| Date Filed : |
2009-11-28 |
| NOA Date : |
2009-12-04 |
| RFE(s) : |
2009-12-22 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2009-12-29 |
| AOS Transfer** : |
2010-01-21 |
| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2010-02-19 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Greencard Received: |
2010-02-27 |
| Comments : |
We mailed our application on 11/28/09, it was received 11/30/09, and we had the NOA in the mail on 12/08/09! Check cleared 12/07/09. |
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Employment Authorization
Document
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Syracuse NY |
| Filing Method : |
Mail |
| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2009-11-28 |
| NOA Date : |
2009-12-04 |
| RFE(s) : |
2009-12-22 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2009-12-29 |
| Approved Date : |
2010-01-26 |
| Date Card Received : |
2010-02-04 |
| Comments : |
(We mailed our EAD application with our I-485 on 11/28/09, it was received 11/30/09, and we had the NOA in the mail on 12/08/09! Check cleared 12/07/09.) ***Biometrics was much more stressful than it should have been*** |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your EAD was approved in 59 days. |
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Lifting Conditions
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Vermont Service Center |
| Date Filed : |
2012-02-17 |
| NOA Date : |
2012-02-22 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2012-03-19 |
| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2012-10-27 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Green Card Received : |
2012-12-14 |
| Comments : |
10-year card ordered 11/05/2012. Not sure of exact approval date but we know we got the approval e-mail in October sometime. GC was originally sent to old address despite AR-11 submitted beforehand. USPS held it at our old post office for over a month but denied having it every time we called. When GC finally came to the correct address, we realized USCIS had originally sent it to our new box address but our old city so that's probably why USPS claimed they didn't have a package for our old address! Go figure... |
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Citizenship
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Online |
| CIS Office : |
Buffalo NY |
| Date Filed : |
2018-03-17 |
| NOA Date : |
2018-03-23 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2018-04-09 |
| Interview Date : |
2018-10-23 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Oath Ceremony : |
2018-11-07 |
| Comments : |
3/17/2018: Filed N-400 online, not through mail. Submitted minimal documentation as proof.
6/13/18-6/30/18: Traveled abroad to Morocco. I was flagged for extra security both when leaving the states and when leaving Morocco. Additionally, our flight out of Morocco was flagged - every single person was patted down, bags searched, and several of us had our hands and belongings swiped with a wand with a cartridge that got plugged into a reader of some sort later, presumably looking for traces of explosive materials. Husband flagged for "questioning" upon re-entry to the US and then they just asked him if he had any fresh fruit with him.
7/21/18: My husband gets email notifications on a regular basis letting him know that his case is still pending. Status online indicates that as of the bio appt date, his case is "being actively reviewed by USCIS".
9/19/18: status updated to "interview and testing".Syracuse is closer to us but interview will be in Buffalo, NY instead.
10/23/18 The interview took all of 5 minutes once he was called in. Definitely wish we didn't have to do the 7 hour round trip, but we are finally done. My husband was given a choice of where he'd like to have his oath ceremony.
11/7/18 Ceremony at courthouse in Ithaca, NY. Live music, professional photographer, snack table, voting registration table, everybody very friendly. People running the ceremony delayed several times to make sure family members traveling from a distance could all be there (very kind but problematic for family members who had to return to work). Guest speaker had a nice message about not giving up your cultural identity or forgetting where you come from. It's a relief to have this process over with but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit heartbroken at the same time because it does feel like a piece of our identity has been stripped from us - I just didn't expect to feel that way. |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: Morocco
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
November 14, 2009 |
| Embassy Review : |
11/14/09 UPDATE:
The Consulate had asked us to fax a copy of the affidavit of support signed by my parents but their fax machine was apparently not working, so my father and I both e-mailed it to them...No response for a few days so I had my fiance call the Consulate. After redirecting him to six different offices / phone numbers, they finally told him that the I-134 affidavit was not the right form, they wanted the I-864. Of course, my fiance had noooo clue what the difference between the two was, so he just assumed they were right and was extremely upset with me over having the wrong form. This made me angry because they were just pulling him around on a wild goose chase, so I called them up myself...All I have to say is that I'm very glad that I was in Morocco and did not have to spend $1.25 / minute to haggle with them. I ended up speaking with the same man that spoke to my fiance, as he said "I think your husband just called and I told him that you need a different form". I had absolutely no time for niceties so I lit into him... "First of all, he is NOT my husband YET. But more importantly, YOU are incorrect about the forms. The I-864 is for already married couples. WE are required to file the I-134 affidavit as we are not yet married." He had just enough nerve to say "um, no ma'am, this is correct, you need the I-864". So naturally, I told him that I needed to speak with either an interviewer or his supervisor and I didn't care which. He came back with, "Well maybe your case is a special case, let me check, um hold on ma'am"...then I hear him telling some woman in the background about the issue and explaining how THIS WOMAN was insisting that she had the right form and how he was trying to explain that I was wrong...then I hear "NO! She's absolutely right....mumble mumble mumble" A minute goes by, he comes back to the phone and all I hear is "Ma'am? Um Ma'am? Do not worry about the affidavit, ma'am. Just tell your fiancee to bring his passport at 3:00 (or 1:00, I can't remember which) on the 12th." I asked to make sure he would be receiving his visa, was told yes, and hung up....
My fiance entered the US 9 months ago and we have been married for 6 of them. 
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ORIGINAL POST January 2009:
My fiance's interview was originally scheduled for February 1 (Sunday), but about two weeks before the interview, the Consulate called to reschedule for February 2 (Monday) since I assume that the Consulate isn't open on Sundays for interviews. His brother and I waited down the street in the '1919' cafe. My fiance spent a total of 3.5 hours in the Consulate.
Once inside the Consulate, my fiance waited about 15-30 minutes before a Moroccan man called his name to take his packet 3+4 paperwork and visa application fee. The man asked my fiance a few questions about our relationship and was very impressed that my fiance spoke English so well. He commented that my fiance's English was better than his and he couldn't believe that my fiance only studied English for 3 years in HS.
When the time came, he was interviewed by the oriental woman. He said that she was very nice to him and she seemed impressed by his English as well. She asked various questions including:
-What does your fiance love most about Morocco?
-Where has she worked in the past?
-What did her jobs entail?
-Where does she live?
-She was afraid to come to Morocco at first, what changed her mind about coming?
-What do you and your fiancee have in common?
-What was the last movie you watched together?
The documents for proof were few and far between. They included:
-my US passport
-copies of my flight itineraries, boarding passes (from both trips)
-copies of my return tickets with the updated flight change stickers on them
-a letter of explanation written, signed, and dated by me two days before the interview
-3 small albums of pictures from our engagement celebration with his family
-16 pictures from various dates before and after the engagement (including a screen shot of my family and us on video chat Christmas Day)
-the letters of intent and circumstance that were sent with our I-129F, newly signed and dated
-1 page of MSN conversation
-11 e-mails (8 from me, 3 from him)
-3 screen shots of oovoo video calls
-2 'snail mail' letters I sent to him after my first trip
-2 FedEx receipts from when he sent his half of the paperwork required for I-129F filing
-Copy of the medical exam results from the doctor
-originals of all my flight itineraries, tickets, boarding passes, etc. (just in case)
When all was said and done, the interviewer told my fiance that she had absolutely no doubts about the validity of our relationship but that she wanted a letter from my parents stating that they would provide support to us if/when we needed it since we are so young and we plan to stay with my parents for the first few months after my fiance arrives in the states. As far as I know, the interviewer is not requiring an I-134, but simply a letter written and signed by my parents supporting our relationship. She told my fiance to bring that to the Consulate any day after 1:30pm and the processing of his visa would begin immediately. |
| Rating : |
Good |
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Local US CIS Office Review: Syracuse NY
Review Topic: cis_topic
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
March 22, 2012 |
| Embassy Review : |
My husband's biometrics was at 8am in the morning. We drove up to Syracuse the previous morning and stayed at the EconoLodge on James Street which ended up being only a five-minute drive to the office. We got to the office around 7:45am and the building was locked so we ended up waiting around until some guy got tired of waiting outside and got into the building through the parking garage. Once they opened up the doors, my husband was the first to go in. I waited in the car with the baby but I could see that the spouses weren't being let into the office anyway, they were all sitting on the windowsill in the hall (last time we were here, we were the only ones at the office so I was allowed in). It only took about ten minutes for my husband to get inside, fill out the form they handed him, and get his fingerprints taken and whatever else he had to get done... Since we were out of work for the rest of the day anyway and our commute was about 4 hours long, we decided to take the baby and spend a few hours at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnett Park which opened at 9am (about 1.5 miles from the Syracuse office). It turned out to be a pretty enjoyable day, especially since our work schedules don't often allow for us to do fun things together. |
| 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
