marriedtomrg's US Immigration Timeline
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Petitioner's Name: Rick
Beneficiary's Name: Kaye
VJ Member: marriedtomrg
Country: Philippines
Last Updated: 2018-07-26
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Immigration Checklist for Rick & Kaye:
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USCIS I-130/I-129F Petitions:
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Dept of State K3 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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K3 Visa
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
California Service Center |
| Consulate : |
Manila, Philippines |
| Marriage : |
2009-01-05 |
| I-130 Sent : |
2009-05-08 |
| I-130 NOA1 : |
2009-05-14 |
| I-130 RFE : |
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| I-130 RFE Sent : |
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| I-129F Sent : |
2009-05-19 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2009-05-26 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
No RFEs :) |
| RFE Reply(s) : |
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| I-129F NOA2 : |
2009-08-28 |
| NVC Received : |
2009-09-01 |
| NVC Left : |
2009-09-04 |
| Consulate Received : |
2009-09-14 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
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| Packet 3 Sent : |
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| Packet 4 Received : |
2009-09-17 |
| Interview Date : |
2009-10-08 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2009-10-15 |
| US Entry : |
2009-10-21 |
| I-130 Approval : |
2009-08-28 |
| Comments : |
Update as of 10-21-2009: Changed departure date from 10-23-2009 to 10-21-2009. Went through Atlanta POE. Reunited with husband in Florida! :D |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 94 days from your NOA1 date.
Your I-130 was approved in 106 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 147 days from your I-130 NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
Atlanta |
| POE Date : |
2009-10-21 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
No |
| Biometrics Taken : |
Yes |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
Nationwide system went down for about 20 minutes before our line started to move. The immigration officers were very friendly. Spoke with a medical officer re: Pippo's previous primary complex condition. Depending on the school your kids will go to, some parents with a similar situation have to report to their local county health office before bringing their children to school; some schools will accept your children into school and ask you to submit your child's transcribed medical records within 10 days. |
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Adjustment of Status
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Jacksonville FL |
| Date Filed : |
2010-09-09 |
| NOA Date : |
2010-09-17 |
| RFE(s) : |
No RFEs |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2010-11-12 |
| AOS Transfer** : |
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| Interview Date : |
2011-01-12 |
| Approval / Denial Date : |
2011-01-12 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Greencard Received: |
2011-01-25 |
| Comments : |
January 25, 2011: Kaye and Pippo received 10-year green cards dated January 20, 2011 :D Woohoo!
January 24, 2011: Kaye received welcome letter dated January 14, 2011 :)
January 20, 2011: Received Pippo's welcome letter dated January 14, 2011 :)
January 14, 2011: Card production ordered
January 12, 2011: AOS approved for Kaye and Pippo!
December 18, 2010: Pippo received her SSN in the mail!
December 10, 2010: Applied for Pippo's SSN
December 11, 2010: Received AOS Interview Letter dated December 3, 2010. Interview on January 12, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. Pippo's interview is the same day at 9:30 a.m.
November 29, 2010: Went to the mailbox after Thanksgiving weekend to find our EADs in the mail!
November 19, 2010: I-765 Files touched again, received another SMS alert, EAD card production ordered
November 16, 2010: Received SMS update, EAD card production ordered for both of us :D
November 15, 2010: All files touched again.
November 12, 2010: Biometrics complete! Found out Pippo's actual A# It was almost not funny! I-765 files touched the same day.
October 23, 2010: Received mail from Jacksonville ASC dated October 15, 2010, biometrics appointment successfully rescheduled to November 12, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.! :D
October 13, 2010: USPS e-mailed Delivery Confirmation, letter received by J. JIANG
October 12, 2010: Sent Jacksonville ASC letter to reschedule biometrics via USPS Express Mail.
October 9, 2010: Received letter from NVC re: Pippo's case number...huh? We're already here on K3 and K4, peeps. :P
October 7, 2010: Daughter's I-485 and I-765 were touched but not mine. lol
Sept. 27, 2010: Received biometrics appointment letter; appointment at Jacksonville ASC on October 14, 2010 8:00 a.m. :D
Sept. 22, 2010: Check was cashed. :)
Sept. 20, 2010: Received NOA1 hard copies in the mail! :D
Sept. 16, 2010: Received e-mail and SMS notice that applications have been received, case numbers provided starting with MSC. :) Waiting for NOA1 hard copies in the mail.
Sept. 11, 2010: Received e-mail from USPS, package delivered at Chicago Lock Box.
Sept. 9, 2010: Sent I-485 and I-765 (renewal for me, and first application for Pippo) via USPS with Delivery Confirmation. |
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Employment Authorization
Document
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Saint Albans VT |
| Filing Method : |
Mail |
| Filing Instance : |
First |
| Date Filed : |
2009-12-08 |
| NOA Date : |
2009-12-18 |
| RFE(s) : |
No RFE |
| Bio. Appt. : |
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| Approved Date : |
2010-01-27 |
| Date Card Received : |
2010-02-01 |
| Comments : |
Update as of 02 Feb 2010: Applied for SSN...should have the card in 2 weeks.
Update as of 01 Feb 2010: Card arrived in the mail today! WOOOOOHOOOO! :D
WOW, I can't believe how fast they processed this at Vermont! :-D Have to wait to receive the actual approval notice with instructions. |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your EAD was approved in 50 days. |
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Citizenship
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Online |
| CIS Office : |
Jacksonville FL |
| Date Filed : |
2018-02-23 |
| NOA Date : |
2018-02-23 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2018-03-08 |
| Interview Date : |
2018-05-10 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Oath Ceremony : |
2018-07-25 |
| Comments : |
Applied online using the USCIS N-400 Online system :)
Was scheduled for biometrics on 3/13, but since I filed for a replacement GC, I was able to complete this 3/8 |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: Manila, Philippines
Review Topic: K3 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
October 8, 2009 |
| Embassy Review : |
Interview Date: October 8, 2009 (7:00 a.m. appointment)
We arrived at the Embassy before 6:00 a.m. There were four lines, one was for K1/K3. We went through that line but the security guard stationed behind the concrete barrier near the street asked us what time our appointment was and asked us to transfer to a different line. We followed, though I had doubts. I asked my daughter to ask a different security guard at the front of the K1/K3 line to ask if that's where we should go. He said yes, and I moved back to that line.
The guard checked our appointment letter and asked for a valid ID. After that we were led to the waiting area where there were about 5 benches where a line of people were waiting to be called inside the building.
They started letting us in just after 6:00 a.m. We went into the Immigrant Visa Unit where we were asked to bring out our DS-156 and DS-157 forms. Our pictures were not glued or stapled onto the forms, so I had to walk over to one side of the room to glue our pictures on them. When I returned, I handed the woman collecting the forms the following:
- DS-156 forms (2 copies eahc for Pippo and I)
- DS-157 forms (2 copies each for Pippo and I)
- the blue copy of our BDO payment slips (US$ 131 each)
I missed one entry (estimated dearture date), so I entered the missing entries on all the DS-156 forms.
We then fell in line in front of a booth where there were 2 windows, two women behind the windows would take the forms, stamp them and ask the following:
- how many applicants are present?
- are you pregnant? (how many months?)
- where is your passport?
- (if you answered that St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic took it) what did St. Luke's tell you?
- do you have to return to St. Luke's for more tests?
After that they would give you a number, two (2) Air21 forms (with instructions to fill them up after the final interview) and ask for you to wait to be called for fingerprint scanning. We didn't wait very long, about 10 minutes, then we were called to Window 16. The lady behind the window asked our names and birthdays. She only took my fingerprints, our daughter was exempted (she is 10 years old). When we were done, we were asked to wait again to be called by one of the pre-screeners.
We didn't wait long again, maybe about 20 minutes then I saw our number flashed on the screen with the window number we should go to (Window 15, right next to the fingerprint scanning window). The pre-screener was very nice and friendly. She asked for the following documents:
- NSO Birth Certificate (mine)
- NSO Marriage Certificate (Rick and Kaye; the pre-screener thought there was a discrepancy between my birth certificate and my marriage certificate, I just pointed out that they typed my first name above my second name...so she encircled it with a pen)
- Proof of termination of prior marriage
Rick:
> certified true copy of Rick's divorce decree
Kaye:
> annotated NSO marriage certificate (Kaye's previous marriage)
> certified true copy of Kaye's annulment (she asked if they could keep it, I asked her if a photocopy would be ok, she said yes, so I gave her a photocopy)
- NBI Clearance
- I-134 affidavit of support (I asked if they needed a separate one for my daughter, she said just one original will suffice)
- evidence of ongoing marital union (I gave her photocopies all bundled and she asked for actual pictures, wedding and non-wedding photos)
She also asked the following questions:
Kaye
- how long have you known your petitioner?
- how did you meet?
- when was the first time you met in person?
- when did you get married?
- does he have children from his previous marriage?
Pippo (our daughter)
- what is your full name?
- when is your birthday?
- how old are you?
Of all documents I forgot to photocopy Rick's 1040 (at this point I saw the big red stamp called APPROVED in the middle of our I-129F petition). lol So I gave them my only copy (which Rick has on file as a PDF). When she checked to make sure she had everything, she told us to sit down and wait to be called for final interview.
This is where we waited for about an hour. The numbers flashed on the screen were not being called consecutively (this was explained on the number tag they gave me). Windows 27 to 32 were the interview rooms, which had sliding wooden doors. We saw our number flash around 9:30 a.m., and asked to wait outside Window 28.
When we were called in, the Consular Officer (young American Caucasian male) greeted us in Tagalog (Magandang umaga Mrs. G---.)
He asked me for my full name and birth date. He also asked Pippo for her full name, birth date and how old she was.
He stopped for a minute because the Consular Officer at Window 27 (young American Caucasian female) asked him a few questions.
When he was done, he came back and apologized for making us wait. The he asked me:
- how long have you been married?
- how did you meet? (we talked about this a lot, since Rick and I met through a well-known dating site...the CO thought it was a good love story lol)
- when did you get married?
After that, it was mostly conversational. I work for a Canadian immigration firm and we got to talking about the differences between the Canadian and American immigration systems and processes.
Then he asked me if I was previously married. When I said yes, he asked me to explain the annulment process. I said, well...it was 20 months and the cost was equal to the amount we spent for the wedding. He laughed out loud. (I didn't expect that, so I laughed too and felt really relaxed).
While he was checking our documents, he apologized (surprise, surprise) that my husband and I had to wait so long during this process. After that, we went through the forms and was marking things down and checking things on the computer.
In a short time he turned to us and said "Your visas have been approved, please go to Window 37 for further instructions on the delivery of your visas, you should get them by Monday (October 12) or Tuesday (October 13)." 
We waited outside to be called at Window 37 (Immigrant Visa Releasing). When they called my name I got up and we wound up the last in line. When we got to the window, the young Filipino man there checked our documents again and asked us for our Air21 forms (I had filled them up earlier while waiting). After making sure our forms were correct and complete, he handed my my appointment letter with the famous pink slip attached :D We were directed to the Air21 counter near the door and I paid the courier fee (Php 205 each).
When we finished, it was 10:00 a.m. It was a very pleasant experience.  |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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Local US CIS Office Review: Jacksonville FL
Review Topic: cis_topic
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
November 12, 2010 |
| Embassy Review : |
My daughter Pippo and I went for our biometrics appointment (darling husband Rick got off work to drive us), it was set at 10:00 a.m. Thought we were going to be late, we missed the turn from the exit ramp and went way past the street we should have turned into. :P
Arrived there at 9:30 a.m. Guard asked for our appointment letters and ID. He looked at Pippo's picture and at her and looked at me, said "Seems she's changed a lot in a couple of years, huh?" I said, "Actually, it was just last year. She lost a lot of weight." He also told us out front that we couldn't bring any food or drinks inside, even candy; we couldn't bring any perfume or any aerosol products like pepper spray and the like. Went back to the parking lot to leave my purse because I had coffee candy in it. lol If they caught you with any "contraband," they would confiscate it and it will not be returned.
Got inside, there was only us and an Indian couple in the waiting area. We each took a number and filled out some forms, then put our forms in a pink box with our appointment letters.
A woman called Pippo's number and asked if she had an SSN, I said no, se doesn't have an EAD yet. Then called us again because I had put my A# on both our forms...apparently she had her own, but I explained that on her NOA2 there wasn't one printed, nor were we informed during the process that she had one. The woman acted like no-no-no-no-no-no...everyone has their own A#. So she asked one of the supervisors to do a check...and there it was, her A# was written in red on her appointment letter (without the 0 in front, as usual). I appreciate she was trying to do her job, but there was no need to make us feel like we were criminals or trying to pull a fast one. She made us feel pretty stupid, and we're not. It was an honest mistake and could have been communicated better.
I had my biometrics done first, Pippo's was done several minutes later after they retrieved her A# from the system. All in all we were done in under 30 minutes.
The security guards were very nice, though...but those two ladies who went over the forms and conducted the fingerprinting process were not so nice...hence the 3. |
| Harassment Level : |
Moderate |
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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
