Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	APPROVED!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!	WOW - Congratulations! Good to see more approvals rolling in!!!! Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-09-13 07:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Of-169 ? And a Q about DS-230 part II	FYI - The DS-2001 form on the embassy site is dated November 2002 and there is (obviously then) no OMB#. It amazes me that some of these forms are so out of date! So if there are ever conflicts in what we read between the DOS site and the London Embassy, is it generally safe to assume that the DOS version is the most current? I'm really glad this came up. Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 13 September 2006 - 07:49 AM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-09-13 07:46:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Of-169 ? And a Q about DS-230 part II	Sockmonkey, I'm pretty sure Aussiewench is saying that the DS-2001 form no longer needs to be completed at all. I'm a little wary of the forms on the Embassy site. The version of the DS-230 they link to is formatted a little differently than the one on the State Dept pages, and has an expiration date of May 2004. The DS-230 on the State Dept site expires July 2007. Unless someone tells me otherwise, I'm going to go with the form on the State Dept site. Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-09-12 08:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 approved	Great news! Is the feeling you have now worth the wait? Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-09-13 08:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	About the photos	Thanks, Aussie, for your response and reassurance. You're right, I stress easily. We've been feeling so confident these last few weeks that I was surprised to find a potential glitch. Apparently not a big deal. Good to have your input. Alice, our NOA-1 date is the same for the I-129F. Race you to the interview?! JenM Seriously, Jen. Don't sweat it until you have to. And yep, the race is officially on! B) Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-09 15:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	About the photos	JenM, My husband and I also sent the 1.5"x2", British-style passport photo. No RFE yet, and we're running neck to neck with you time-wise. Lorelle, I'm glad you got to this first. Your answers are almost invariably enough to be the last word around here. Many thanks, as always. Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-08 15:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Documents for DS-230 apart from that?	So when is the visa photo sent along - or does it just go to the interview? And is this the part where it is advised to send along the originals plus one photocopy of each document? Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 10 October 2006 - 07:33 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-10 19:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Flowchart for CR-1/IR-1	Heh Alice Just thought you's like to know we have very similar time line to you...and we got email today that I130 approved...only 70 days....US / Uk relationship...pretty good...hope you get yours soon!!!! Clare There seems to have been a rush of UK/US submissions in that little time frame. It will certainly give us some people to keep an eye on. Nice to share the journey with you! Congratulations on your approval - very encouraging! I can't wait to have that feeling myself, hopefully within two weeks. Do you honestly think the speedy progress has anything to do with where the beneficiary is from at this stage? When the Petitioner is the one who is under the most scrutiny? Well, if it's true, then I must say I can't complain ... . Back to the original thread, since the CR-1/IR-1 flowchart idea hasn't gotten much response and not too many people have anything to say about what said flowchart should include, I'm going to take some time to study this weekend and work out a rough draft myself. If none of the veterans chime in or help out, then at least I'll have it for my own use, though I bet I'll still have just as many questions that way! Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-12 12:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Flowchart for CR-1/IR-1	heheh.. I was thinking just what Jen is.. it's the best way to really 'get' it---for me anyway, writing really helps. Didn't mean to smack you, just that it is a good idea, I don't have time to do it, a lot of people here don't realise that all the info here is user created (and Ewok designed!) and thre aer a lot of people here with good info to contribute. So, let's have at it here. Someone PM MrGuest to the table and why don't you start a rough outline? We'll all fill in as it goes. (Special thanx to devilette for getting the K-1 Guide updated this same way!). Okay, okay! Teamwork time. - Gather documents, prepare I-130 package and mail to your designated USCIS Service Center - 1 to 3 weeks later, receive NOA-1 in mail - Register on USCIS website so you can check case status - Begin collecting basic documents for the DS-230, I-864 and interview - 2 to 4 months later, approval of I-130 - 2 to 3 weeks later, NVC assigns case number ... but then ... Now from here I have a question. Do we write the flowchart to include James' Shortcuts, or is that a bad idea? Honestly, I think we may actually need two flowcharts - one for those who do not wish to use the Shortcuts, and one for those who do. Capt Ewok, it is my understanding that VJ does not want to suggest the use of the shortcuts too strongly, so I understand that you may not want to include their use in the only flowchart on the site. But on the other hand, those who use the Shortcuts might need this flowchart even more than those who wait out the tranditional system. Opinions? I for one want to see a detailed flowchart that includes the Shortcuts. Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 10 October 2006 - 07:23 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-10 19:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Flowchart for CR-1/IR-1	Are you volunteering? Start a thread & let's start picking the guide apart---all of these things are user-created. Maybe MrGuest would let us borrow whatever tool he used to do the layout on the K-3 one? Go for it! I'm barely competent enough to log on to the forums, let alone produce a flowchart like that gorgeous hunk of info Guest123 brought to the party. But if all it takes is for someone to start a thread, well, consider it started! Y'know Meauxna, I almost didn't post that because I didn't want to seem like the kind of girl who wants something done but doesn't do it herself. I'll be darned if you didn't come along and whack me right between the eyes! Seriously, my knowledge and skills are more than a little bit limited in this area. Heck, that's why I want to see this thing done in the first place! Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 10 October 2006 - 03:47 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-10 15:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Flowchart for CR-1/IR-1	Member Guest123 initiated a thread that resulted in an absolutely brilliant and super-helpful flowchart for the K-3, now posted on VJ. Thanks a million! The thing that I found most useful about it was the column with the hints on what the couple should be doing/preparing at any given time. Is there any plan to do a similarly-formatted chart for the CR-1? It would be great to have a comprehensive resource. The existing NVC flowchart is very useful, but with the complete start-to-finish process delineated and the hints and time-frames added it would be absolutely invaluable. If this was addressed and dismissed already, my apologies. Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 10 October 2006 - 03:16 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-10 15:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Letter from prospective employer at interview?	I'm no expert on the interview process, but if your case is straightforward and clean, and since it isn't necessary to provide this sort of information at the interview, I'd skip it. For the record, though, I used to work in Human Resources at a University and we dealt with this sort of thing regularly. You can legally interview and be offered a job here on a tourist visa, but you cannot perform any work while you're here visiting. If you decide to present a letter, simply state in your visa interview that you had connections and the job interview happened very informally. No need to complicate things by saying you've sat in on any meetings, though actually it isn't illegal as long as you're not getting paid. Congratulations on your new job! That's a lucky break - and an enviable one. Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 18 October 2006 - 11:27 AM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-18 11:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 Approved in 66 Days	Okay! Now we're getting somewhere! I just got an e-mail stating that our I-130 has been approved. Yippppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Happy, Happy Alice P.S.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-10-26 10:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-130 Approved !	That's great news! So I guess the race is on again?	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-02 21:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Is it time to contact UCIS?	It has been over 100 days since we filed our I-130 (July 26, 06) Do you think I should contact USCIS? Me and my husband were thinking of contacting the congressman to see if he can do something for us if we dont hear anything by the end of the month. There's no harm in calling USCIS, but be prepared that CSC's current timeline states they are processing I-130's from May 2, so your case does not fall outside the acceptable time frame yet and that's probably what you'll be told. Of course we all know that people who applied well after that are already seeing approvals, but USCIS leaves themselves a full six months of wiggle room before they can be effectively brought to task. Because of this, your congressman almost certainly won't intervene until you're at the six month mark. Even though I applied after you and was approved before you, I don't think it's right or fair. I honestly do feel petitions should be approved on a first come, first served basis, and in I would have had no problem waiting my turn. I'm sorry you feel so helpless. I hope to see you post about an approval soon. Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-07 15:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	RFE's on I-864	Is there something significant about October 26? The CSC sent ours to the NVC after that date too. Love your avatar, and your screen name! The only reason why I singled out that date is because it's the date of our NOA-2. People have been posting about how slow the transfers from CSC to NVC have been, so I wanted to note for those with a similar time line that my I-130, approved on Oct 26, is already in the NVC system. Best of luck to you in the next phase! Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-12 16:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	RFE's on I-864	This is really meant for "girl 37", but I'd be equally curious to hear from others. Girl 37, what was the RFE on your I-864 for? I'm getting mine together right now, and I'm curious to find out about potential stumbling blocks. Since you were very efficient in your process, I assume you were also pretty well prepared ... or at least thought you were! Thanks, Alice Oh, and I called and got a case number from NVC today. Wednesday they didn't have me in the system yet, but today they did. For those of you with similar I-130 approval dates to mine, make note that CSC therefore apparently forwarded some cases after Oct 26. Fingers crossed for all of us! Edited by Slithytoves, 10 November 2006 - 07:29 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-10 19:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	How long before Choice of Agent e-mail is acknowledged?	Thanks for your answers. Happy Thanksgiving! Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-22 12:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	How long before Choice of Agent e-mail is acknowledged?	I sent our DS-3032 e-mail on November 14th. Today is one week, and I have yet to receive a reply. How long does it usually take for the NVC to respond to this? Thanks, Alice I'm re-reading this, and it looks so silly to expect anything related to this process to be done in one week! But since it's an e-mail thing rather than a snail mail thing, I thought I'd ask just to see what the deal is. Edited by Slithytoves, 21 November 2006 - 10:26 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-21 22:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Collecting stuff for I-864	Thanks, guys. Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-27 11:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Collecting stuff for I-864	Hello, All. Hope everybody had a great holiday weekend. Looks like there was a little burst of NOA2's over the last few days - congratulations to you! I am making a pile of things to send with my I-864EZ. Before you say anything, I know I am about to mention items that aren't required with this form, but I'd rather be on the safe side. I already have the 6 months' worth of paystubs and three years' worth of tax transcripts. Here are my questions: 1. Photocopies are okay for all of this stuff, right? Is there any supporting documentation that needs to be sent as originals? 2. When sending bank statements, should I black out the account numbers (also relates to #3, below)? 3. I am going to get a letter from my bank: stating that my accounts are joint with my husband (only the primary account holder is listed on the statements), stating how long they have been open and how long he has been on them, and giving the average monthly balance for the last 12 months. Is there anything else I might want to include? Should the account numbers appear in this letter, if I have multiple checking and savings accounts and he is only on some of them? 4. What does a letter from my employer need to include beyond current salary, date of hire and position? 5. Can anybody think of a reason why I shouldn't send any of these things? Thanks, as always. Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 27 November 2006 - 08:58 AM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-27 08:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Updating timeline when using James Shortcuts	I need to update my CR-1 time line, but I am using the shortcuts and I don't want to screw up any statistical information the webmaster gathers here. For "received" dates on the AOS Fee Bill and the I-864 package, do I put the dates the forms were generated, or the dates when I got them in the mail? If I use the dates when the materials hit my mailbox, the dates when I sent the forms in will be out of sequence. Just want to be accurate. Thanks! Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-12-06 09:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-864 Package Missing Authorization for Release of Tax Data	I got our I-864 packet a few days ago and the Tax Data form wasn't in mine, either. I had already sent out the Shortcuts version of the packet to the NVC, so I'll just have to cross my fingers that it's okay that I sent the self-generated Tax Data form. Since some people are still getting it, I doubt the NVC folks will notice. I was surprised that the packet didn't actually contain any forms at all, but instead directed me to the DoS website to download and print the forms myself. When did that change? I clearly must have missed a memo ... but I do consider that a step in the right direction for the process as a whole. Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-12-12 19:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	DS-230 Scenario Reversed	I'm kind of curious about this one, myself. I'm off to see my Sweetheart next Monday through the first of the year, and it's conceivable our DS-230 packet may come when I'm gone, too. I'm also pretty sure that all we need to mail back is the form, the bio page and the barcode page ... but is there someone who has just done this who can confirm? I could bring the things I have ready on my trip, and mail them to the NVC from there ... . Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-12-12 20:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Has anyone been sent an I-864EZ yet?	When I received my I-864 packet in the mail the first week of December, there were no I-864 forms in the packet at all, of any variety. There were simply instructions with a web address, requesting that I download the forms myself. It was a bit of a surprise to me, honestly since I hadn't read any posts from members who had mentioned this apparently new development. It certainly made my use of James' Shortcuts feel all that much more secure. And FYI to anyone just getting around to this part of the process, the barcode sheet I had self-generated matched the one from the NVC exactly except for the little asterisks on top, which as VJers know is perfectly okay. Hope everybody here who celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other timely holiday has had a safe and happy festive season. I have been lucky to spend Christmas/New Year's in England with my husband, and our heartfelt good wishes go out to VJ couples everywhere, especially those who have been apart for the holidays. Peace to All, Alice and John	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-12-29 09:06:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR-1 in hand, but have a problem	One last angle. It seems to me that if we attend our scheduled InfoPass appointment about this issue, we will probably be told there is nothing to do but wait for the permanent greencard. It seems unlikely that the problem described in my original post can be "fixed" without USCIS somehow sending John's passport away, which as I said before is his only photo ID at the moment. Can anybody think of a scenario where the corrected date in the passport/visa will be a problem after the "real" greencard arrives? The "real" greencard bears a photo, doesn't it? So we won't really even need to use the one in his passport once the other one is in hand, right? Does anyone think we just cancel the InfoPass appointment and use the visa/passport for whatever we can until the "real" greencard comes? Sorry I keep coming back with more questions. After reading all of your kind responses, we are doubting the trouble and expense required to drive to Charlotte ... . Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 24 May 2007 - 02:26 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2007-05-24 14:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR-1 in hand, but have a problem	He should get his Greencard in the mail in the next few weeks.... so what is stamped in his passport wount be an issue.... once he has the Greencard it is good for travel and work.... he can use this to get his drivers licence ans SSN.... Kez Thanks, all of you, for you replies. This does explain some things ... very helpful indeed. How many weeks does the greencard usually take? Is there a way to check up on it, to make sure at this point that it will be issued properly/in the right amount of time? After finding out that the SSA never got word that he wanted to be assigned a SSN, I'm becoming distrustful and feel the need to do what I can to follow up on things ... . Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2007-05-22 10:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR-1 in hand, but have a problem	Hello, everyone. My husband arrived last week with a CR-1 from the UK, but we have a bit of a problem. On the page opposite the actual visa, the following message is stamped in red: "Applicant advised of the provisions of Section 216 and of the procedures for having the conditional basis of his/her status removed" Next to that stamp, the officer at the Port of Entry handwrote 5/14/08, then wrote a 9 over the 8, as the visa is supposed to be good for two years. My husband was buzzing from the experience at the time, and didn't notice this had occurred. The officer didn't initial the change or write his ID number or anything. Just a hand-corrected date. You can imagine what is happening. The DMV won't give him a driver's license because his visa looks tampered with, and the Social Security office (who were never informed that he had requested a SSN to be issued although he did all the right things to have this done for him) won't process a card for him, thus he can't apply for work until this is resolved. We have an Info Pass appointment for next Tuesday (Charlotte, NC), and will bring the troublesome visa for their review. I have tried to get some idea via telephone of what will likely have to happen to resolve this, but have had no luck. I assume they'll need to keep the visa to correct it ... but for how long? John really needs to start working. At least he can drive for 90 days on his UK license here, but if the immigrations people take his visa he'll have no photo ID whatsoever. An aside: we noticed a line on the visa page itself, in small black letters near the bottom, that says "Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year". Isn't the CR-1 a 2-year visa? So far both the Social Security office and the DMV have misinterpreted this to mean his visa is a 1-year deal. I'm concerned that a prospective employer who hasn't seen a CR-1 before will think the same. Please lend me your expertise. This is getting a little stressful. Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 22 May 2007 - 07:53 AM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2007-05-22 07:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Timeline on I 130 Approvals	Great idea. Name ------------------ NOA1 --------------- NOA2 ------------ Case Complete --------- Interview The_dip_sticks ----- 06/15/06 ----------- Pending BradyVicky ---------- 06/22/06 ----------- 8/29/06 -------------- Pending MarocAmer ---------- 07/17/06 ---------- Pending Our mao ------------- 07/27/06 ---------- Pending rizthomson ---------- 08/21/06 ---------- 10/03/06 ------------- Pending knowledge ---------- 08/28/06 ---------- Pending Slithytoves ---------- 08/30/06 ---------- 10/26/06 ------------- Pending Natty Bumppo ------ 09/08/06 ---------- Pending Heina ---------------- 09/11/06 ----------- Pending dougyceci ----------- 09/13/06 ----------- Pending Arpita & Deven------ 09/19/06 ---------- Pending Dennis & Ezgi-------- 09/21/06 ---------- Pending TongandWei -------- 09/25/06 ---------- Pending StarProg ------------ 10/18/06 ----------- Pending Edited by Slithytoves, 15 November 2006 - 10:19 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-15 22:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-864 income & tax questions	Hope that helps. Thanks, Meauxna. Your posts always do. Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-17 13:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-864 income & tax questions	Thanks to all three of you for taking the time to reply. I got some great information, and am now very confident in what I should send. Yodrak, in answer to your comment on item #3, I've found from spending a few months at VJ that there are a lot of things not adequately covered in the instructions. We've avoided a lot of little pitfalls already just by reading experienced answers to thoughtful questions here. Better to ask, no? Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-16 16:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-864 income & tax questions	The 'last filing year' will be 2006 if I submit the I-864 after January 1. Please read my post again ... if one of the options I am asking about involves sending them my 2006 W-2, then we're talking about a scenario where my I-864 isn't sent until 2007. That's why I asked. Yodrak? Aussie? Meauxna? Can any of you support or clarify any of YuandDan's answers? No offense, YuandDan, but since you didn't read my post very thoroughly I feel the need for a second opinion. If that second opinion supports yours completely, then I apologize in advance for doubting your answer. Alice	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-15 22:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I-864 income & tax questions	Hi, all. I'm gathering documentation in support of my I-864, and I have three questions. 1. I have an official letter from my employer that states my exact gross salary (not something I requested for this process ... I get them annually anyway), but the total income from my W-2 never matches this number due to pre-tax deductions for health/dental insurance. I feel like I should send the employer letter with my I-864 because my gross salary is higher than the W-2 reflects, but since I also have to send tax returns I feel like it might create a problem when the adjudicator sees that the numbers don't match. What should I do? 2. If the time comes to submit my I-864 before I have prepared my 2006 tax return, do I: a ) Send NVC the returns for 2003-2005 instead? b ) Send the 2004 and 2005 returns plus my W-2 for 2006? c ) Send the 2004 and 2005 returns plus a "rough draft" of my 1040 for 2006? d ) Other? (please advise) 3. If I owed taxes on my last three returns, should I send proof that the tax was (eventually) paid in full, or won't they care about that? A related concern that may be answered by your response to part one of this question ... I will owe tax this year as well, which is why I would be inclined to file closer to April. If I have to send the I-864 before I can pay this new tax bill, will it matter? I'm sorry these questions are rather boring and complicated, but I didn't find these issues in the archives. Thanks for your help & advice, Alice Edited by Slithytoves, 15 November 2006 - 10:09 PM.	Slithytoves	Not Telling	United Kingdom	2006-11-15 22:08:00