VeraVimes's US Immigration Timeline
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Petitioner's Name: James
Beneficiary's Name: Vera
VJ Member: VeraVimes
Country: Netherlands
Last Updated: 2011-08-25
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Immigration Checklist for James & Vera:
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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 : |
California Service Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| I-129F Sent : |
2010-06-30 |
| I-129F NOA1 : |
2010-07-12 |
| I-129F RFE(s) : |
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| RFE Reply(s) : |
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| I-129F NOA2 : |
2010-11-18 |
| NVC Received : |
2010-11-26 |
| Date Case #, IIN, and BIN assigned : |
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| NVC Left : |
2010-11-30 |
| Consulate Received : |
2010-12-06 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
2010-12-03 |
| Packet 3 Sent : |
2010-12-09 |
| Packet 4 Received : |
2010-12-21 |
| Interview Date : |
2011-02-09 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2011-02-14 |
| US Entry : |
2011-03-22 |
| Marriage : |
2011-05-05 |
| Comments : |
Last and only touch was July 21. Visa was issued on Valentine's Day (how fitting!) and I received it in the mail on the 15th. |
Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-129f was approved in 129 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 212 days from your I-129F NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
Chicago |
| POE Date : |
2011-03-22 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
No |
| Biometrics Taken : |
Yes |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
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Adjustment of Status
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
Chicago IL |
| Date Filed : |
2011-05-27 |
| NOA Date : |
2011-06-03 |
| RFE(s) : |
2011-06-30 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2011-07-05 |
| AOS Transfer** : |
2011-07-20 |
| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
2011-08-11 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Got I551 Stamp : |
No |
| Greencard Received: |
2011-08-17 |
| Comments : |
RFE for a more recent tax return - we only had up to 2009 when I mailed it in. |
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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 : |
2011-05-27 |
| NOA Date : |
2011-06-03 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2011-07-05 |
| Approved Date : |
2011-07-19 |
| Date Card Received : |
2011-07-22 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your EAD was approved in 53 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 : |
2011-05-27 |
| NOA Date : |
2011-06-03 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Date Received : |
2011-07-22 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your AP was approved in 53 days. |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
February 17, 2011 |
| Embassy Review : |
Please beware, this is a very detailed account!
I was lucky enough to have my fiance join me at my interview on February 10th 2011. We arrived a little early and were told to wait outside the gate until the appointment time of 2.30pm. About 5 other people also had an appointment at that time, but no K1s.
First they checked our bags and were told to turn off and take the battery out of any electronic devices (I'd already heard about this and we didn't bring any - a little warning, if you have an iPhone or the like, try to leave it at home, because the woman behind us couldn't work out how to take the battery out and they made quite a fuss about it, although she was let in, no problem.) Then we were let into the embassy one by one, where another man checked our bags and had us walk through a metal detector. He then told us to queue for window number 5.
After waiting about half an hour it was our turn. A very friendly young woman asked me for some documents (passport, birth certificate plus a photocopy, two passport photos). Then she asked for the I-134 plus evidence. Of this she only wanted the original I-134 form and photocopies of the evidence.
We brought 4 months' worth of paychecks, his full tax return for the previous year, bank statements from his checking account, a letter from his employer also stating he has life insurance, and a certificate of deposit.
After stapling all that together and putting it in my file, she asked for my postage (I went to my local post office and bought a €7,- stamp for "Aangetekende brief", which she was very happy about, but the people before me just had €7 worth of regular stamps and that was also fine.) Then for proof of my payment of the visa fee (I'd paid by internet banking and printed a screenshot of my online bank account). She got it all together and asked me to wait until my name was called for the interview with the consular officer.
We waited another 45 minutes approximately. They had the heating up very high so it was a little uncomfortable, but the vibe in the waiting area was good. Finally we were called to the window next to number 5. The man told me to raise my right hand, and that my fiance should, too, if he wanted to participate, and we had to swear to tell the truth.
He asked me how we had met and how long we had been a couple (I was an intern at the music school he works at, nearly 3 years ago). Then he was straight in with the question I was nervous about: Is the age difference a problem? (I should add here, my fiance is 35 years older than me, and the age difference has never been a problem). We assured him it wasn't. He asked a little further whether my father had met him and if he approved, I told him my family had all met him and they loved him. Then he went through our original I-129f file and went through the photographs we'd sent in with it. There were only two or three, and he asked me if I had any more. Thank God I'd decided to print a few more just the day before! I gave them to him, he flicked through them very quickly and mumbled 'Awesome' and gave them back.
He shuffled some papers, looked up and said, 'You will receive your passport in a week.' I gave him this amazed look and asked him if that was it. He sort of smiled (this guy had the straightest poker face) and said that yes, that was it, it was approved. So we quickly picked up our coats and left. Approved!
All in all, it was very easy and the people were very pleasant. Even before the interview, they were extremely helpful on the phone, and their correspondence and instructions were clear and easy to understand. I had every document and copy that they asked for, and that made it smooth sailing. I would follow their instructions to the tee, have a file with you and know where everything is so you don't get flustered. Both officers we dealt with could speak both English and Dutch. Since we had a bit of a red flag with the age difference, I was worried, but there was no need to be too nervous. Be prepared and it will all go well!
Sorry for the length of this review, but I thought the detailed info on the questions and proceedings would be appreciated. It was a week ago, so I may have forgotten one or two things, but this is pretty accurate. And I received my passport and visa yesterday! |
| Rating : |
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
