Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	USCIS has turned my marriage into a joke...	These are the stories that need to be published in the New York Times!  I wonder if anyone could figure out a way to copy this forum and get it to the author of the article?  Kaylara, you were interviewed.  Is there anyway to contact <I forgot her name> and get her to read these?   Sukie I can point her here. I'd rather not post her contact info here because I'm afraid that she'd be inundated.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-02-24 10:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	USCIS has turned my marriage into a joke...	Me and my husband have been living overseas for the past 7 years with our 3 children. We have never been separated during those years except for a 3 month period where he had to file a similar petition for residency in a third country. We only started this I-130 process for me in November, so I know we have a long way to go. My husband will have to move back to the US soon due to his residency here expiring upon graduation and so will mine, which means I will have to go back home and wait out this immigrant visa thing. Although it has not happened yet I have severe bouts of anxiety and at times depression at the thought of being away from my husband for an unknown period of time, and raising our three young kids on my own. I do not have much of a support structure in my home country and am dreading the thought of going. I don't know how I will cope when it actually happens! I pray things speed up soon for all of you. We were in the same position. I wound up coming back to the US ahead of him with the kids because we thought we'd have a hard time re-establishing domicile.  *hugs*	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-02-24 10:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	USCIS has turned my marriage into a joke...	I have question for those of you that are at your wits ends and completely frustrated with the whole process.   When did the frustration and anger start to take hold? How has it affected your relationship?   I have a priority date of Sept. 26 th.  So far we are ok...but some days seem to take forever.   My PD was March 20th. (I'm at the NVC now, but no case number yes.) I didn't start getting upset at all about things until September. About 8 1/2 months in I started having a really hard time. Christmas sucked. And even since then I've had some very, very low points. This past Friday was probably the lowest. I've been trying to channel my anger into useful action, and have been successful most of the time with that.    As far as my relationship with my husband goes, we're making the best of a bad situation. We talk about it a lot, and try to cheer each other up. We don't fight. We talk about the kids, and discuss job options, and what we need to get done once he gets here, or paperwork. We discuss science and news, or history, or music, or linguistics. Sometimes he plays the trumpet for me or shows me the new musical composition he's working on. Or we sing. We try to maintain some sense of normalcy. And sometimes we just vent at each other. We've already done the LDR thing, albeit 8 years ago, so we know how to deal with our relationship having these limitations at the moment. It's not pleasant in any sense of the word, but we'll get through it. The kids are not holding up as well, and that's probably the hardest part of this.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-02-23 22:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	USCIS has turned my marriage into a joke...	yup, I'm completely fed up too. today was a really bad day for me My bad day was Friday. I was looking up airfares ready to say "Screw this." and go back to the Netherlands. Wound up sitting here crying for a few hours instead.  Now my husband and I are talking contingency plans.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-02-23 22:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	USCIS has turned my marriage into a joke...	Me and my kids haven't seen my husband in almost exactly one year. I'm so over this bullcrap.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-02-23 20:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	4 days with yellow triangle and still not payable... let's hope for today... Call and tell them. I did, and they had a supervisor check it out and I could pay the next day.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-28 09:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	I think I would bite their living head off if someone said that to my spouse.   My husband let me deal with it myself, and backed me up, and then we cut the guy out of our lives.    We also had lots of people yell at me for speaking English with my kids because "they'll never learn Dutch" and when I wouldn't stop because damnit they're my kids and I want them to be bilingual, they went around my husband and I and harassed my daughter. Every time she was with them, they would tell her, "No, in the Netherlands we only speak Dutch, and in America you only speak English." We didn't find this out until months later when she refused to speak English to us at all. We're STILL having problems with this.     I have friends whose kids are bilingual (English and Dutch) and their kids get worse grades in school just because one of their parents is American. Every kid in the same classes as their kid who had a foreign parent gets worse grades, regardless of whether or not they actually did worse. They could have aced the test, and the teacher gives them the equivalent of a 'C' because they "felt" that was an appropriate grade.    At some point, it just wears you down. My husband is awesome, but I couldn't deal with the rampant and growing racism, sexism, and xenophobia where we lived in the Netherlands. I started hating leaving my house because I'd get nasty things yelled at me every time I left the house. If we allow the little acts of hatred to pass un-checked, we are paving the way for greater acts of hatred.    No one should be subjected to that treatment. No one deserves that. If you're against one kind of immigrant because of their accent, or language, or perceived immigration status, and think it's okay to be nasty to them because of it, then what must you think of my husband? My children were born in the Netherlands and were dual citizens. They're smart kids, they might not understand the words but they'll understand the sentiment and hatred leveled at foreigners. And they're going to internalize it and apply it to themselves.    Forget that #######. Treat every one decently and we're cool. Start being a jerk, and I'm going to call you on it.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-27 10:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Great news! They've been doing well reviewing packets lately, I hope your case complete is just a week or two away. Goodness knows you've waited long enough already. You too! It's never easy being away from your loved one(s) but even worse when you're dealing with the insanity that is the USCIS. I have to say, at least the NVC seems to be a better and more responsive organization.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 22:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	I'd imagine Europe in 2013 would be... um.. not vile and obnoxious    huh   never mind.. No, I didn't say that Europe was vile and obnoxious. I said that I had vile and obnoxious comments lobbed at me on a daily basis, just because I had left my house.   For example:   Walking my dogs in the middle of the day, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and with a bandanna on my head because I had been cleaning my house. I had some random guy walk up to me and ask me if I was an illegal Polish hooker.   Someone asked my husband if I was allowed to leave the house by myself, because I was obviously a Moroccan.   "Are you a mail-order bride?"   After an African American electrical engineer moved in down the street from me, I heard that our neighborhood was going to ###### because of all of the Allochtonen. (Dark foreigners who aren't from Europe.) The only foreigners on the street were me, a Canadian, and the African American engineer. Don't you know our property values are going to drop now?    "If people are racist and nasty to you, maybe it's because you're just not trying hard enough to be Dutch. You know you deserve it." - This was from one of my husband's friends, who immediately became an ex-friend.    And again to my husband: "Your wife is an illegal alien. I'm going to call the IND (Dutch version of ICE) on her and have her deported."  Yeah, go ahead lady. My mother-in-law works for the IND, and she'd throw me out herself if I was doing anything illegal.    Or the Muslim woman who was on the bus with me, and asked a Dutch woman in the chair across from her (in perfect Dutch, no less.) whether the bus went to the local market and whether their was a post office there. Swear to the gods, every Dutch person on the bus ignored her to the point that she was almost in tears. No one would talk to her. When I told her where the bus went, she was so thankful to be treated like a normal human being that she hugged me. I was completely horrified at all those people. Who the hell does that kind of #######?   And on, and on, and on...    For 8 years. And it's getting worse there.    Like I said, I expected better from Americans. But it's the same ######, different continent for some people.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 21:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Ahh ok. Mine says they'll review DS-260 when they receive supporting docs, which they scanned in yesterday, so I'm twitchy wondering if they'll look at it now or what. Erf. Just a few more days for you, me thinks! We're really in the home stretch now!	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 21:36:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Well, I just called and double checked with Agent Mel (Who sounds exactly like Agent Gus, btw.) And he told me it was because the AOS was reviewed and accepted, with no checklists, and now I just have to give them some time to review the civil documents and the DS260. You know I'm doing a happy dance over here!	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 21:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	YAY!	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 21:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Oh gosh! That's a whole new dimension of ####### to deal with. I can't stand when people go off on rants about illegals when they hear my husband is immigrating. I guess it's the only awareness of immigration they have, but they're not even close to the same thing! Fortunately Boston is a liberal city and I rarely get that reaction :/   I don't even listen to it anymore. I cut them off and tell them that it has nothing to do with me, my husband is coming in legally. Them: "Oh yeah, then you should totally hate those line jumpers!" Me: Um, no. I completely understand why they do it. I've been without my husband for over a year. But that's neither here nor there because legal immigration has nothing to do with illegal immigration.   Them: "But... But..." Me: No, now you stop talking. You have no idea what you're talking about, and you're trying to tell me, who has been going through it for over a year, how it works. You have no &^%%$#%@$ clue. So now you shut up. Unless you have something profound and helpful to tell me about the LEGAL process, I don't want to hear a goddamn thing you have to say about immigration. Go be xenophobic and racist somewhere else.      Understand, I'd come to expect that behavior in the Netherlands. I was subjected to that ####### on a daily basis. I've had the most vile and obnoxious comments thrown my way because I have dark hair and eyes, and I can get tan instead of burning to a crisp in the sun. I expected better of people in NJ. (Especially people in my own family. If I hear that my husband doesn't count as an immigrant because he's a white, red-head who speaks English one more time, I'm going to seriously lose it on a cousin or two of mine.) Being subjected to those kinds of attitude is terrible and depressing and dehumanizing, and I will not subject anyone else to it nor let it pass by unchallenged in my presence.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 21:19:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Awesome! I mean, in the weird kind of way that incorrect information and misleading updates have always been exciting on VJ =x Did your checklist have the same text as mine re: IV civil docs? Mine says the following:    ____-Fee Payment You still need to pay the immigrant visa fee. You can pay online.... yaddada yaddada yaddada   When I called before and spoke to Agent Ariel: She told me that I got it because my AOS was reviewed and accepted, and it looked like it was all good. I'm calling now to double check that and make sure that they're showing my IV package is in the building.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 21:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	They won't give your other half a visa without the 2013 return I was told by Agent Jack back on 2/27/2014 that 2012 is fine for the AOS until tax day. If you're sending in your AOS before that, you're fine, but if your interview will be after tax day, then you will need to bring the 2013 return to the interview.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 21:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Tonight I received the false checklist Jim warned me was on the way last night. Is a false checklist any indication of when the review might actually take place? Anyone here who's received one for the IV packet, when did you get it approved? My optimism is getting the better of me and I'm wondering if having received the checklist is a sign that our form is actually ready for review. Someone bring me back down to earth please! I got a false checklist tonight too! Calling again to make sure, because I don't trust just one answer from them.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 20:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Congratulations!!!     Your posts always crack me up!! Also, so great you are capturing screen shots/documenting everything so we will have an updated version of the NVC online process for people to get familiar with while waiting to submit things.      YAY!!!!!!  So excited for you. I think you should have been granted some special expedite on your petition just based on how much help you have given to everyone over this whole process - from the March 2013 filers and on That's very sweet, but I just want people to be treated properly. Everyone going through this process deserves real answers and some modicum of respect. Not bullshit and derision.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 10:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	try calling again, until operator "Todd" or "Gus" answers your call...   they're the most helpful ones.... gives the most info and explains well Todd is during the day, Gus is at night. Jim is also at night, and is very good.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 10:43:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	IV package sent yesterday. IV shows paid today. DS260 available, and I'm about to start filling it out. Omg, so relieved to be finally getting this done.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-26 09:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	I've always wondered what DR stood for! Thanks for finally easing my mind! If you ever get Gus again, ask him what CMR stands for I will!	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-24 22:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	I just got off the phone with Agent Gus. The IV cover sheet says to sent the supporting documents to Attn: CMR. But the website says to send them to DR. Agent Gus told me it would probably only cost me a half hour if it got routed to the wrong place, but DR stands for Document Review, and is the correct routing for your IV package. (Not sure about the AOS documents.)  Just giving ya'll a head's up.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-24 22:06:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Congrats Saylin!	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-24 16:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	My IV fee for my Mum shows as paid and the DS-260 is available. I'm scared to fill it out - I just clicked on it and looked briefly, and clicked out of it again! Its so fricking detailed and I think I might need a glass of wine before I tackle it Still waiting on mine.   Damn!!!! Nor'easter tomorrow in New England.   Looks like they will be close tomorrow. Tomorrow or Wednesday.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-24 11:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Wish I could! I can't even get them to invoice my husband's IV. They've had it done since Friday. If it's not done by 5 today, I'm calling again.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-24 09:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	On the phone with NVC right now. They had the 401 error before with their agents, but were unaware that those of us on the outside were getting those errors. I'll let you know what they tell me when they come back. (On hold again.)    Ok, they said to send an email to them (at the NVCinquiry) with your case number and let them know what's happening. They said to take a screen shot and attach it to the email.  Edited by Kaylara, 24 March 2014 - 09:30 AM.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-24 09:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	I try login in ceac but an error appears.. "401 - unauthorized: access is denied due to invalid credentials. You do not have permission to view this directory or page using the credentials that you supplied.." Anyone who experience this error? I'm having this right now with IE, but not with Chrome.  Weird. I think I might call and bug them about it.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-24 09:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Waiting to pay AOS fee! How long does this triangle of doom take to be available to pay the fee For me it was within the same day. I'm waiting to be able to pay now, because I have my triangle of doom, but it won't allow me to do the transaction yet. I'm just checking every half our or so. (I'm waiting for the IV though.)	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-21 11:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Called them yesterday and they told me it can take up to give business days and that a supervisor will look into it. Blah blah blah. I call stall tactics. I called yesterday about my IV fee and they said they'd get a supervisor on it, and today I actually have my triangle of doom. Since nothing has happened on your case, I'd call again because it's been over a week and you're concerned, and they have been having issues with the payment portal.  You could even phrase it as that: "I know that you're having problems with the payment system, so I wanted to let you know that I'm still having XYZ problem. They said they'd have a supervisor look at it yesterday, but if they did anything, it didn't resolve the problem."    It could be a programming/technical issue, is my point. Calling and letting them know will help them see that whatever they're doing hasn't resolved the issue yet. And worse comes to worst, calling shows that you're going to be very proactive and will keep calling until the issue is resolved.  Edited by Kaylara, 21 March 2014 - 10:18 AM.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-21 10:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Finally got my triangle of DOOM.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-21 09:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Really frustrated that our AOS fee still says "in process" even though it's been over a week and the money was removed from our account Call them. They've been having issues with their payment portal. They told me yesterday if I had a problem to wait a day. But I'd call them and tell them what's going on. Maybe they can shake it. Really frustrated that our AOS fee still says "in process" even though it's been over a week and the money was removed from our account Call them. They've been having issues with their payment portal. They told me yesterday if I had a problem to wait a day. But I'd call them and tell them what's going on. Maybe they can shake it.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-21 09:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Hi Saylin, Naam checkin in Case# and IIN# assigned today; I also updated the email addresses - the NVC phase begins today. Hurrah!	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-21 09:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Lucybelle,   I brought our dog over from the Netherlands last December (1 yr old Jack Russell) and it went fine. When you board the plane just ask the crew if they can double check if your dog in on board. They happily do that. I didn't have a lay over but was told that if you have a lay over for more then 3 hours, most airlines will let you dog out to relieve itself. And the airline (Delta) would not allow our dog on board if it had taken any tranquilizer so check the airline. My dog is fell just within the rules to be able to bring her in the cabin. We actually chose flying United because she could fly in the cabin with us. (She has severe anxiety issues, especially separation anxiety. We didn't want to spent 8 hours on a plane listening to her hysterical howls. And she would have. The entire time.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-03-20 10:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - February 2014	I received an email today that I can pay my AOS  fee.  Am I supposed to send in something before I pay it or along with it?	GodisMyGuide	Not Telling	Dominican Republic	2014-02-10 20:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - February 2014	Thanks Saylin!!! You're a life saver!!   Not sure, you'll just have to wait and see. If you don't get a checklist, make sure you mention this at the interview, so it can get corrected.     Doesn't matter which you answer (neither answer will get your visa application denied). Just answer what's applicable for your case. If you don't currently have vaccines and/or proof, then write 'no'. Most people who say no just explain that they'll get it all done at the medical. I answered yes since in my case I did already have all the vaccines and a vaccination record to prove it.     As you've read, as long as you give over both email addresses to an operator, then all correspondence is sent by email, so the DS-261 is a moot form. Just put your US address, it's better, just in case NVC does mail anything.   The consulate doesn't mail you anything by the way. The last piece of correspondence you're going to receive is the interview letter from NVC.     The address on the DS-261 doesn't pertain to where the green card will be sent. That address is on the DS-260 and specifically states in the question that that will be the address used to mail the green card.     Are you referring to the "checklist" on post 2? If so, yes, since this thread is geared for IR-1/CR-1 visas, it's more for a spousal application. But most everything can still be applicable to derivative visas. You can find the list of required documents here: http://travel.state....mit-to-nvc.html (obviously some won't be applicable).	GodisMyGuide	Not Telling	Dominican Republic	2014-02-07 11:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - February 2014	Thanks Stacey!!! I would put your address. Especially if that's where you both are going to live when he comes. I'm pretty sure that's where they will send the green card. I believe that's where they think he will live. Your going to want the address where he is going to live on his green card. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.	GodisMyGuide	Not Telling	Dominican Republic	2014-02-07 11:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - February 2014	Hi All   I finally was able to sign onto the DS-261.   Question, for the physical address that it asks for would it be better to put mine here in the US?  If I don't put mine in the US, my husband wants me to put his sister's address because she runs a business and the mail would be a better guarantee of getting there than to his house address. (He lives in the Dominican Republic and the mail there is HORRIBLE)  If I were to put his sister's address would that mess something up for the Visa Process?     Based on what I've read anyway it seems that NVC sends everything through Email anyway.  I'm just afraid of when it's the consulate's turn to send something.   Thanks!!!	GodisMyGuide	Not Telling	Dominican Republic	2014-02-07 09:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Hello All   Congrats Saylin your new job!!! It's more than well deserved.   Question, my husband was registered in high school under a different last name due to a clerical error.  Is it better on the DS-260 to put that he didn't attend high school?	GodisMyGuide	Not Telling	Dominican Republic	2014-03-25 11:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Hi everybody   Question:   I'm filling out the DS-260 and it asks about my husband's high school.  He went to high school under a different last name due to a clerical error.  Should I just put that he didn't go to high school?     Thanks!	GodisMyGuide	Not Telling	Dominican Republic	2014-03-24 14:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - March 2014	Is the Ceac.state.gov website down or is just me today?	GodisMyGuide	Not Telling	Dominican Republic	2014-03-21 08:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - January 2014	I got my approval from Nebraska on Jan. 3 and it was sent out to the NVC on the 6th. Gathering our the final pieces of paper right now and we're waiting for it to get to the NVC.	Kaylara	Female	Netherlands	2014-01-08 10:56:00