Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Thank you so much, I am copying and paste this for future inspiration and I have been reading Saylin's guide but I think USCIS has frozen my brain but plan to thaw it out soon.   Thank you again you are a blessing and will be praying your reunited with your lovely family soon.      Soloenta,   Saylin's wiki is fabulous and full of information.  But I might suggest something?  Focus on the specific point of your journey you are currently on.  Of course, read the whole wiki, but really concentrate on where you are.  It's so overwhelming to try to absorb it all at once.   For example, I read through Saylin's wiki several times when I got to NVC, but the other day, after I had submitted both my AOS and IV packages, I went back and read about checklists, and how interviews are scheduled.  I waited to really hone in on this info until I was there.   With a frozen brain from USCIS (I laughed at this - I know exactly what you mean!), thaw it out a little at a time!   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-12 06:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Do you guys know how long police certificates remain valid? Mine is 4 months old, and I can't find any official references as to whether they are good for 6 months or 12 months.    It depends upon the country who issued it.  In some countries, it's only good for a very short period of time.  In others, it's good for up to a year.  You'll have to search by specific country.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-12 06:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Okay, appoint myself as agent and pay to ship it to the US. Yeah, I figured the price would be expensive, but I would much rather do that and be SURE of what we are sending in and that it is okay, then leave it to someone else.   Can those things be sent in one package?     No snail mail from NVC; form is pointless. Phew. Thanks. It was really worrying me, hearing this makes me feel much better, thank you!   Ivy, I'm so glad you are finally here at the NVC!   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-11 19:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	I'm not sure what an MCN is. And for the K-1 process, you'd get better/more relevant information in the K-1 section of the VJ forums:)    I guessed "Manila Case Number"....   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-11 15:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	thanks you fro all of the answer about going back to country to accompany my parents. yes. my country is Myanmar. they are some risk in my country to get visa . so i better go . but i will contact embassy first to get permission . thanks for the info about that too. today i got civil doc from my parents. my mom born in HMAWBY ( i believe you guys will not knows). in her passport it said place of birth HMAWBY. of course in birth certificate, it is in our native language. so my mom got her lawyer to translate in english. and the lawyer( notary same in my country) spelled HMAWBI. i don't have lawyer for my case and there are really  really few people to know my language . so i can't translate in here again unfortunately. my mom can't translate again until next 2 week because we have our country new year and all the gov office including office close for 10 days. so i am so depress that my case going to be delay because of that HMAWBI instead of HMAWBY. so i am thinking i will send that wrong translation and making a statement that they both are the same city because we don't have standard english translation on our city name. would that be good? any idea please. sorry for long letter.  thanks a millions.     Koekoe, I'm not sure any of us can say what NVC will do with this.  I, myself, would have no problems with it, but unfortunately, it will probably depend upon the person who reviews your file.  As far as your sending a letter with an explanation, that sounds like a good idea to me.  But you might also wish to wait to see if the file gets through without any problems without your letter - but have the letter ready to send.   I do not think (my opinion only) it will be a problem at the Consulate in Myanmar, as the people there will have full understanding of your written language and how it is translated into Roman characters.   The only problem I see with sending a letter with your packet is that someone may then force you to get a "corrected" translation to match the birth certificate.  But if you DON'T send a letter and they discover the discrepancy, then you would get a checklist.   Just to let you know - in my case, I was born in Germany, and I have always written the state of my birth as "Rheinland-Pfalz", which is, of course, the German.  This is how I typed it into my AOS form.   I found out that this is usually translated into English as "Rhineland-Palatinate".  I'm not going to worry about it, as the person who is reviewing my file won't know the difference!!!!!   Best of luck to you and your parents.   Sukie Edited by Sukie, 11 April 2014 - 12:56 PM.	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-11 12:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	How old is the applicant completing the DS-260? I ask because I think the age you enter is what determines what questions will be available for you. My wife and I are in our 30's, so she had to answer all the normal questions: places she lived since age 16, previous employments for the last 10 years, and higher education institutions she attended. When I completed the DS-260 for my 13 year old daughter, I did not get prompted for any of those questions. Obviously my daughter wouldn't be asked something like employment for the last 10 years, etc.   I believe there are other age-specific or situation-specific or country-specific questions as well.  On my spouse's DS-260, she did not get asked about membership in "professional organizations" - even though she had been a member of two professional nursing organizations.  My attorney suspects that because my spouse is now retired, that question didn't pop up.   It's a continuing mystery - this USCIS and NVC stuff....   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-11 07:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	WOW thank you Sukie this will help so many including me,  I truly appreciate your time and help you have given so many including myself.      It has been suggested to have the medical portion done after we get the case and IV numbers but how long is the medical exam good for are we not jumping the gun if we do this?  Also how long is the Police report/clearance good for?      I'm confused on the constant calling we will have to do.  I am presuming they will send us the packets after we pay the fee?  If so do they tell us to pay the fee or do we have to become psychic and just go for it?       Almost forgot what does NSW and QLD stand for?      Thank you again for any help you can give me or anyone else who would like to chime in.  Hope I'm not being to annoying just trying to prepare myself for what is to come and not get to depressed as I did at USCIS.      Soloenta,   The answer to all questions is "it depends" <big grin>.  Regarding medical:  in some countries, you must have specific instructions from your embassy/consulate to take with you to the medical exam.  Same with Police Reports.  In some countries, you can go ahead and schedule the exam/police report as soon as you have your Case number.  It depends on YOUR country as to how long the medical and the Police report last.  I suggest you search for a forum specific to your country for the answers.   NSW and QLD are the abbreviations for the Australian states New South Wales and Queensland.  WA stands for Western Australia.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-11 07:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Hi   Having just got our NOA2 this week (and very relieved to have got it too) we now are at the NVC stage.   I have read the very thorough NVC process that Saylin has kindly provided, but still have a couple of questions that I am sure someone here can answer (well I at least hope so!)   Do we have to call the NVC or will they contact us? What is a reasonable timeframe that we can expect this stage to take? Do the NVC schedule the medical and appointment at the consulate (in our case this will be in Australia)? Do both the petitioner and the beneficiary get contacted by the NVC? Is the process easy to follow, or should we get a lawyer involved? Is Electronic Processing available to citizens of Australia (I'm the beneficiary and am from Australia) We had no issue with the I-130 stage, and think we should be able to follow the NVC stage  - am just having a bit of trouble seeing the forest for the trees at the moment!   Hi Bulwara Road.  My spouse is a Queenslander.  Some of these answers are state-dependent - check the Australia forum for good info, too.   1.  NVC does not initially contact you on a timely basis.  Since you do not have an attorney, you MIGHT get a snail mail letter from them with your case number, but it will take forever.  Most of the people on this list are very proactive in calling the NVC.  Some call every day - multiple times.  I, myself, call when I think I'll get answers!  It can take from 6 days to 4 weeks for your service center (I was at Texas, and it seemed to take forever) to ship your NOA2 info to the NVC.  A week after your NOA2 date, try calling the NVC to see if they have received the file.  If they have not, call the USCIS service center where your file was and see if they can confirm they have SHIPPED it.  After the NVC has received your file, it is averaging 20-30 BUSINESS days for a case number to be assigned.  I waited 20 business days before I started calling them about my case number.  In my case, it took 23 days.  When you get them on the line, and they give you your case number, be sure to give them your email address, your spouse's email address and ask for your IIN (Invoice) number.  You need your case number and your IIN to be able to sign into the CEAC site.   2.  Nothing is reasonable.  The average time, according to Saylin's wonderful spreadsheet, is 58 days from case number to case complete.  And, I'm assuming that means no glitches.  From this forum, I've learned that appointments at embassies/consulates are usually scheduled during the first week of the month - so after case complete, it could be 4-8 weeks for you (Australia is not that busy - and, from what I can tell, schedules interviews fairly quickly)   3.  Here is where it gets very state-dependent...The NVC will schedule your interview date, but YOU must make your own medical appointment, and have your results ready before your interview.  If you are from NSW or QLD, you must also get your police report during this time - as the NSW and QLD police send your Police Clearance DIRECTLY to the Consulate.  I believe WA has a slightly different process too.    4.  If you give both emails to NVC, you will both get emails.  However, in the case of our DS-260 confirmation, only the applicant (my Aussie spouse) got the email.  I (the USC) did not.  Quite frankly, this is the ONLY email we've received from the NVC.  All other info I've gotten, I've gotten when I've called.   5.  The process is easy to follow.  Unless one of you has a police record, or a messy divorce, or child-custody problems, you probably don't need a lawyer.  VisaJourney is FABULOUS.  Some of us who are using attorneys have been teaching the attorneys what to do.   6.  Sorry - no EP for Australia.   If you have other Australia-related questions, you can PM me.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-11 04:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	i am planing to go down to my country while my parents do interview. so not sure it will help if my parents got some problem that they can't explain well so may be i can inform to the officer while he is doing interview to my parents. would that be good idea? any suggestion???   Some embassies welcome petitioners and some do not.  You will need to contact the Myanmar (I'm assuming this is your parents' country) consulate/embassy and find out if you are allowed to come with them.   In my case, I am allowed to attend the interview with my spouse in Australia, but she has to contact the consulate first and get email permission from them.   Our attorney told us that the foreign embassies often like the USC to come to the interview - it shows that they are really interested if they come to the foreign country.  But not all embassies/consulates allow the USC to come.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-10 18:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Haha nice work! I called them back and they gave me the invoice number, as well. They said they'll send an invoice e-mail in the next 5 days. Not sure if I'll be able to pay the fee before I get the e-mail, but I'll try.   You know what?  Neither my attorney, nor I, received ANY emails with an invoice number.  My poor attorney was very confused that I was way ahead of her.  I had assumed that the attorney would get an email as soon as the invoices were ready to pay.  NOT!   And I agree - we here on VisaJourney should open an office to help people fill out forms!     Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-10 17:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Okay I'm quoting myself but I just found this link on VJ about someone else in a similar situation and apparently you cannot file MFS or MFJ or married at all if you're doing e-filing when your spouse is a non resident without a SSN. So I'm assuming we're ok with my husband having filed Single.   http://www.visajourn...the-past-2-yrs/   Your assumption about "we're ok" is incorrect.  You may NOT legally file as "single" if you are legally married.   This fact is correct:  You cannot e-file MFS or MFJ or married at all when your spouse is a non-resident alien without an SSN.  You must print out your return and file it manually until the NRA spouse gets an SSN.   While the IRS may accept the return filed as single, because the IRS does not share information with the USCIS or NVC about your marital status, it may cause the NRA spouse serious grief at the interview, and, in subsequent years, cause the couple great grief with the IRS.   Your husband will need to amend his tax return.  You may get through your interview just fine - or you may not.  Just get him to go ahead and amend his return now so you can demonstrate that he understands his mistake and is trying to correct it.   Remember, it would be VERY rare to find an accountant that is fully versed in immigration law, just as it would be very rare to find an immigration attorney that is fully versed in tax law.   I happen to be a petitioner who is retired from an accounting firm.    Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-10 06:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	What's with the "sign the I-864 in Blue Ink" bit?  The form states that you must type or fill it out in BLACK ink.  I signed mine in black ink, so I hope this doesn't slow anything down.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-09 16:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	MY DS260 is available  YAY ! ! ! !   I just want to go home now and call my husband to complete it and submit.  I CAN'T CONCENTRATE AT WORK TODAY !!!!   NVC said I do NOT need my divorce decrees in the IV package. I forwarded the message to the lawyers office since they are too busy to answer my call.   Why is it that I know more than they do and it is their profession?????  We should all work for immigration lawyers.   Funny you should say this, LoveMyTico...my attorney told me I should be working at her office!  I had to correct her on the Total Income vs. Adjusted Gross Income today.  She was shocked and horrified at her mistake, but incredibly gracious when she told me I was correct.  I told her that VisaJourney had been MY teacher.  I believe our AOS and IV packets are being sent today, and the DS-260 will be complete as soon as she hits "enter".  Wow.  What a journey!   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-09 15:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	For those using attorneys:   I was assigned my case number on March 28, and found out the case number/IIN on March 31st when I happened to call NVC.  I am using an attorney, so I was very pleased when my yellow triangles appeared as of April 2nd.  I was mildly irritated when, on April 6th, the invoices had not yet been paid by the attorney - so I paid them to get the process on the way.   On April 7th (Monday), I sent copies of the receipts to my attorney's office.  On Tuesday, one of the attorneys in the office wrote to me, telling me she was working on my case, but she couldn't do anything without the IIN.  When and how does the NVC notify the attorney on record of the Case number and IIN?  I thought the attorney got an email from NVC when the case number was assigned!?   Anyway, the money has been deducted from my account, and my signed I-864 is ready to be shipped tomorrow, and the attorney is preparing the DS-260 now - so we are on track (as long as the stupid web site stays up).  But I am VERY confused that NVC has not contacted my attorney's office!  And I have received NO emails, nor any instructions since giving NVC my email address.  Is something screwy here, or am I clueless as to the process?  (Highly likely!!!!)   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-08 15:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Yep. I did know about the PCC but sent one in anyways, didn't want to take a chance on that, you never know with them. Just didn't know that they wanted originals for birth and marriage certificates.   I think the word "certified" really confuses people.   Example:  My spouse never had a birth certificate.  In her country, at the time of her birth, the birth was recorded (by hand) in a large ledger for the city in which she was born.  The Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages now issues a "certified copy" of her information.  It is NOT a birth certificate, since one never existed.  She could never submit an "original" birth certificate.  But the Department "certifies" that the information on the piece of paper they send you is correct.  It has a fancy seal on the paper.  So...that is a "certified copy" - not an original.  It is a document that is issued by the "department" that would normally hold the information required on the document you receive.   In some countries, people are used to taking a photocopy of an important document and having a qualified person - such as the clerk of a court, or a justice of the peace - "attest" or "certify" that the photocopy is exactly the same as the original.  As far as NVC is concerned this does not qualify as a "certified" copy.   Your spouse needs to have a copy of her birth certificate and your marriage certificate that are issued by the legal jurisdiction in which her birth and your marriage took place.   These may not be the "originals", but if the paper is issued by them, and contains the exact information on the "originals", then that is what NVC needs.  Of course, if you have the original documents, by all means, send them in.   Good luck!   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-07 20:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	AOS fee has been invoiced with a yellow triangle sign, we've been trying to pay but it keeps saying processing and times out without comfirming processed or paid. Is anyone having the same problem or is there something we are missing.   I had that problem a couple of times last night.  After you fill out your banking information, you need to click the "I agree" box.  After you click on that box, the page resets itself and THEN you can submit the payment.  I was too impatient the first couple of times.   See if this works for you.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-07 13:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Thank you Ms. Goyave!	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-06 15:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Hooray!!! I am going to pay them tonight!!!!	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-06 15:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Sorry for the duplicate post... Sukie Edited by Sukie, 06 April 2014 - 02:23 PM.	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-06 14:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Ok, I feel like a dork, but I cannot find the answer to my question anywhere, and I promise I have read all 69 pages and the Wiki. I have a lawyer. I also have a 261 showing on my page. I assume I just ignore it?? I also have yellow triangles with exclamation marks in them. If I hit "pay" it looks like I could fill out the info to pay. I am perfectly willing to pay these invoices but I don't know if my lawyer has already started the process. If you attempt to pay does the status change to "in process" immediately??? I do not want BOTH of us to be trying to pay! Some people mention "locked" triangles. Is that the same as exclamation points?? Can someone explain the symbols? I just want to get those invoices paid. I gave our emails to NVC last Monday but have gotten no emails with any instructions at all! Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-06 14:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Waiting desperately to throw money at the government is one of the oddest feelings I've had through this whole process. I don't want to think about how many times I logged into CEAC with fingers crossed for a bill    Also now I really want a bowl of Cocoa Puffs.   Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs!!!!   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-04 20:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - April 2014	Oh, Saylin, I miss you.  It's just not the same without you here in the forum!   My triangles of doom appeared on Monday, and, since I'm using an attorney, I'm watching carefully to see what happens.  I tried to "pay" them tonight - just for fun, and got the "incorrect" message - so I'm hoping the invoices are ready tomorrow, and my attorney will be on top of them!  She's been fabulous so far - but I'm watching anyway!   Just twiddling my thumbs.   Saylin, how did your first week at your new job go?  How many boxes have you unpacked?   Sukie Edited by Sukie, 03 April 2014 - 08:11 PM.	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-04-03 20:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Sukie That sounds great. Will you guys be living in New York. We will be in upstate NY. We lived there for seven years before and are going back yo the same place. Have a good Sunday.   Waving from Queensland.  We're in the Hudson Valley - halfway between New York City and Upstate!   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-06-01 04:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Hi Sukie Is your lawyer in Sydney and are they US immigration specialists. Ours are and she is great.   Our attorney is in New York City (I'm the New Yorker).  She works for the #1 firm for helping same-sex couples immigrate.  In fact, she actually wrote the manual and teaches other immigration attorneys about the AOS and IV submissions.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-31 16:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Bulwara - you are near Sydney?  So your home state is NSW?  If so, you need to go to your local police station and request a fingerprint check.  You need to put your Case Number on the request for a police certificate, and have the correct address for the Sydney Consulate so you can put it on your request form.   Your police report will take about 4 weeks and will be sent directly to the Sydney Consulate.   PM me if you need more specific info.   Sukie Guys I live in Adelaide and got Fingerprint police certificate a couple months ago and they didn't need a Case Number. Just ticked box that it was for US visa. Good luck.     It all depends on your state.   You didn't need a case number because the report is sent to YOU!  For NSW/QLD, the report is sent directly to the Consulate - NOT to the petitioner.  If you don't have a case number attached, they don't know whose it is!   Sukie       Okay Sukie this is what you do. You are going to send NVC an email and in the Subject line with your Case# you will write "Unobtainable Documents"   You will tell your story and how long you been dealing with this mess and request that your case be completed and you will have the embassy deal with it.   NVC has this unwritten rule that after 2 months they will let you go. IF you ask but you have to have the right wording.   Remember NVC is just an intake document center and don't approve anything just accept and they will gladly pass you on to the embassy.   Give it a shot. And yes I did do this. All I sent to NVC was a marriage license and the DS-230 back in 2013.   Give it a whirl. Report back what they say.     Did this already, dwheels.  Scanned in May 14th. So did my attorney. Scanned in May 9th.  I'm just waiting for them to open the email/packet to read this and realize their mistake.   Sukie   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-31 16:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Hi, No stress - my anger wasn't directed towards you or other people who are lucky I'm happy for you! Just angry on the system...  We have a lawyer too, but this lawyer didn't bother to check if all pages of the AOS forms were present.. So we had to send in a new version. That's why we are still waiting and I advise people not to take a lawyer - not worth the money.    And our lawyer is great - and she made no mistakes.  But NVC made mistakes and has penalized us with more than a month of delay.  So yes, it is the system that is unfair.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-31 06:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Hi   I am still very confused about the whole process, and still after reading Saylins wiki I just cannot get my head around this whole process (and it makes me feel dumb)   Here is where we are at.   We have our case number, and we paid the $88 fee about a week ago. After a few days of waiting, I worked out where the AOS forms (I-864) were and we printed them off.   Now it seems that seeing both my wife (who is the USC) and myself are both together in Australia, we are very confused as to what we are meant to do with Part 6 of the form. She is currently employed in Australia, so should we be filling in Part 6 with her Australian income and job?   Will this income be taken into account?   It makes sense that it doesn't, but I can't find anything that tells us one way or the other.   The other thing I can't find any information on is when I am able to pay the Part  IV fees. Am I able to access whatever form I need to complete before we pay this fee, and what things will I need to lodge with the fee (like a police certificate, and can I get this now or does it have to be obtained within a certain timeframe in regard to the filing of my visa application).   Thanks       Bulwara - you are near Sydney?  So your home state is NSW?  If so, you need to go to your local police station and request a fingerprint check.  You need to put your Case Number on the request for a police certificate, and have the correct address for the Sydney Consulate so you can put it on your request form.   Your police report will take about 4 weeks and will be sent directly to the Sydney Consulate.   PM me if you need more specific info.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-31 05:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Question abt AOS documents. I read Saylins thread and also cover letter....only the transcripts were sent and not W2's per her spreadsheet. Is that the rule to follow because I only printed out IRS transcripts +letter from employer and check stubs. Thanks kindly for help!   If you have IRS transcripts, you need no other tax documents for prior years.   If you do NOT have an IRS transcript for a particular year, you must submit a copy of the tax return (all pages), W-2s (or the equivalent proving your wage-like income), and 1099s (proving interest income from deposit accounts).   If you submitted 2011, 2012, 2013 IRS transcripts, plus your Employer letter and payment stubs verifying your current (2014) income, you are fine.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-30 21:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	I'm in the same holding pattern as Life, Lucy, and Love.  Oh, and LindyStephan....  what is it with the Ls?   I called tonight and got Ariel, and immediately told her I was calling on Skype, since they get nervous if it sounds like we are on speakerphone.  She said nothing was new, it would take 30 days, and I could tell she was reading from a prepared script. (May 9 checklist scan).   So I put on my most pitiful voice, and asked her what the protocol was when the NVC reviewer had mistakenly interpreted a requirement.  I mewled (love that word) that Australia only requires one Police Certificate, and that it was totally impossible to give NVC what it thought it needed.  I said that our file had everything complete at the end of April, and here we were a month later, and that we'd be there for 20 years if someone didn't take a look at the file to see that the PCC request was a mistake.   She actually listened.  And she put me on hold for a long time.  And she came back and kept talking about the Queensland PCC, which I told her had been applied for and would be sent directly to the Embassy. She said that was fine. And then I said, why isn't our case complete then?   And she told me she was referring it to a supervisor.   Honestly - why didn't the first two representatives I asked for supervisor review do this?   Anyway, even though I don't have the news I want, I was thankful that someone finally listened to my sob story.  I think being confused and asking questions makes them more human sometimes.   I don't think it is going to make any difference time-wise - as our mail would have been opened next week anyway, but honestly - if a supervisor looked at the file, it would be complete.   The only thing that was unfortunate was the Ariel read me the instructions they have:  that you need an Australian police certificate from your state of residence AND ANY OTHER STATE WHERE YOU HAVE LIVED FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS.  This is the the "incorrect" bit.  It's their own d@MN*D instructions that are incorrect.   So why aren't any other NSW/QLD Aussies getting slapped with this?????  Have all the other Aussies only lived in one state their whole lives?  I cannot believe that.   Anyway - that's my status report.  May 9th scanned input is still not being dealt with.  But maybe I'll get good news soon.   Sukie (now in Australia) Edited by Sukie, 30 May 2014 - 08:05 PM.	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-30 20:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Guys, I need help, and I don't know who to ask for this.   I gave my lawyer my checking information, account # and routing#.. she paid the AOS fee on the 20th and it showed paid on the 22nd. The money was never removed from my account. I read on here that for everyone the money is removed from the account and AFTER that it shows as paid. So I called her and she said that she did use my account to pay for it. Confused, I called the NVC and I got a very very rude women on the phone. She told me even if it shows as paid, if the money wasn't taken out of the account then it's not paid. Has anyone heard or had any experience with this happening. Does it ever take longer than usual for the money to be taken out, and how can it show paid if the money was not received?   Jay,   Tell your lawyer that you need the fee receipt for the payment, and double-check the ABA# and your account number.  If they are correct, then call your bank and ask them if an ACH (Automated Clearing House) transaction was presented on the date your lawyer says it was paid (or day+1 or day+2) and rejected for some reason.   If your attorney cannot produce the fee receipt, then there is something really wrong.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-28 17:55:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	The thread is kind of dead today. What's going on friends? Nobody is calling NVC for updates?   We are all too depressed to call, etrangais.  I have gotten so upset when I have called 2 and 3 weeks ago - I've just given up.  When someone indicates that they are looking at mail from May 8/9, maybe I'll call.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-28 17:42:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	FYI: Our package was received on May 7. Just called and NO news yet! It took me almost 40 minutes to find out... Very busy today!   The day they physically receive your packet/response/email doesn't mean a hill of beans.  The counter starts when they SCAN the packet/response/email into the system.   So frustrating.  My attorney sent an email on May 7.  My checklist response physically reached NVC on May 8.   My file says something was scanned on May 9 and another something was scanned on May 14.  Don't know which is which, but my "days" have to start from the 9th, not the 7th.   My attorney and I essentially sent the same email/checklist response.  I'm not sure if I've screwed myself and they start counting from the LAST day something was scanned.  Either of our responses will deal with the blasted unnecessary/unavailable police certificate.   Steaming in Queensland,   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-28 17:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	This morning I was talking with my partner about my anger and disgust with this process.  I'm the USC, and I have done ALL the prep and have handled the whole process.  I'm now in Australia - I had booked my ticket to arrive mid-May assuming we would have a June interview. At least we are together at this time.   Anyway, she doesn't like it when I get so frustrated and angry - my aura must turn flaming red or something.  She asked me if all the time I spend on VJ just riles me up more.   I told her that VJ is what has kept me sane.  That having people with stupid checklists - like LoveMyTico - helps me understand that we are not being singled out.  I said how much we help each other out - that those of us who have made it through help those who are still behind.   I chose not to call NVC on Friday night, US time.  I knew that if nothing had happened on my case, I was going to be livid all weekend - it will be WEDNESDAY here in Australia before I might get any progress (because of the Monday US holiday).  My checklist response wasn't scanned in until May 9th - and it is obvious that they are not reviewing checklist responses before about 13-15 working days.    So I think next week will be our week for case complete.  We are so screwed as far as a June interview at this point.  I just hope we get a July one!  We had return tickets for July 7th - luckily we can change these easily.   Thank you, VJ friends.  I really could not do it without you.   And congrats to those who have actually gotten supervisor reviews.  I asked specifically for a supervisor review since my checklist is an NVC mistake - not mine.  I was denied twice.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-24 00:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Hi, I have a question please, for the photo to be submitted on the IV packet.   What is the format of the beneficiary's full name? Should it be surname first? Does it need to be in block letters?   What is the format for putting in the birthday too?   I'm sorry if I'm asking very trivial questions and thank you so much in advanced.     Essysita, I have seen two forms of name:   SURNAME, OtherName1 Othername2         and        Othername1 Othername2 SURNAME   For dates I always use:   DD Month YYYY  unless it specifies the format    Today would be 23 May 2014   4 months from now would be   23 September 2014   This makes it abundantly clear to anyone reading the date what it is.   Now...if the form specifies mm/dd/yyyy, then do that.  But if there is no specification, I recommend DD Month YYYY     Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-23 01:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	my checklist was emailed  like 12 hours after I found out about it over the phone.    I sent a revised AOS 2 days after the lawyer sent the incorrect AOS and I used the original bar code page.   Just write a cover letter and mail it off.  If they are going to play games then you can just mail it off and get it received so you don't have to waste time.  At least that is what I would do   I found out about the fact that I was going to get a checklist on a Friday, and I didn't get the actual document until the next WEDNESDAY!  So inefficient.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-22 20:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	thank you for this information.  i know how you feel, but we'll get through it.     i assume that when you sent off the reasons behind why you can't provide the PCC that they said it would take 20-30 business days to review your response?   You are correct - 30 business days to review a piece of paper that proves they are wrong.  From a website that THEY sent ME!!!!  Didn't you hear me cussing?  I think the whole WORLD knows how unhappy I am at this moment!!!   I understand why the reviewer got confused, but I am FURIOUS that we have to pay the price for it, and that even my ATTORNEY'S letter got the "30 business days" routine.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-22 02:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	can you describe what happened with your bogus checklist and how you're handling it?  im in the same sort of situation with my marriage certificate.   Dirk - the checklist was for a PCC for one of the states in Australia where my spouse had lived 20 years ago.  Australia has had a centralized fingerprint register for over 20 years - so you don't ask for a PCC from EVERY state where you have lived - you request one through the state of your current residence.   In the checklist we got, it had instructions for every state and territory from Australia...   If you live in Queensland <instructions> If you live in Western Australia <instructions> etc.   My spouse lived in Victoria 20 years ago (she is from Queensland now).  If you go to the Victoria Police website that is PRINTED ON THE CHECKLIST (!!!!!) it says in the second paragraph:   "Victoria will NOT issue a police checklist interstate."  This means..."if you live outside of Victoria, the Victoria Police will not issue you a police report".   When I finally got someone (and it took me 4 days calling to find someone who could help me) who cared enough to ask a supervisor, I was told to "write a letter explaining that xxxx cannot get a police report from Victoria".  So I copied the Victoria webpage, and highlighted the line about no issuance to interstate people in bright yellow, wrote a note to explain that fingerprint reports in Australia are CENTRALIZED, attached my checklist cover sheet and returned it by overnight mail.   In addition, my attorney essentially wrote the same letter, attached the same documents, and added a great one from the Department of State that clearly shows that you only need ONE PCC from Australia.  She sent her email to the NVCAttorney mailbox.   In your case, you need to walk them through your document.  I would write a letter and state again that you sent the ORIGINAL document, and here are the things that prove it is original.....   Does it have a special stamp or seal?  Describe the stamp and where it is located. Does it have a unique serial number showing it was recorded?  Tell where the serial number is located. Does it have anything on it to indicate that it is recorded in xxx courthouse, or xxxx book in xxx department?  Describe this.  Attach a photocopy of the original and point out all these items clearly on the photocopy.   And...I would make sure the photocopy CLEARLY looks like a photocopy - and not like the original document - such as, print it in black and white if your marriage certificate is in color.   Best of luck.  I'm so furious that I have to wait 30 days for them to clean up their own blinking mistake.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-22 01:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	Hi Sukie,   We only provided a Western Australian Police Certificate. I have never even heard of a Fingerprint Check.   Is this what you were checklisted for??   Thanks!   You are OK.  WA does things a little differently.  We were checklisted for a Victoria PCC even though my partner is from Queensland.  Yes, she had lived in Victoria 20 years ago, but in Australia, you only need ONE PCC, and you have to apply through your state of residence.    Somewhere in someone's PCC instructions is a line that says "if you lived in another region of your country for over six months, you must get a PCC from that region."   That has not been true for Australia for over 20 years, but the d*&$^d instruction is still in NVC's book - and the reviewer checked that she needed TWO PCCs.   In some states, you can either request a "name check" or a "fingerprint check".  WA only has the APC.   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-22 00:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	its not so much receiving the case number as when the last package was scanned at the NVC,    I'm so angry because if they didn't check list me for my husbands birth cert ( they said its not the original...but it is)  we would have had a CC on May 1st.    they scanned the checklist package on May 8th and we are playing their stupid waiting game again...     Does anyone have an idea of what day they are processing ?  Last I heard it was April 30th.( Wednesday) That seems to be a bit behind the norm... or am I going nuts?    Is it too much to ask for them to review my frigging package by Friday this week?  or am I dreaming again?   Here comes another Holiday!!!   Probably a skeleton staff on Friday as many people take off Friday to make it a 4-day weekend...     Oh how wonderful for us.....   Sorry, but I just don't feel very positive these days !!!   I'm with you, LoveMyTico.  If they had not issued me a bogus checklist for something that 1) isn't necessary and 2) is unobtainable, we would have had case complete on April 29th.  I knew about the checklist on the 29th, but didn't get the email until May 7th.  My response was in their hands on May 8th.  My attorney wrote to them on May 7th.  One of these things was scanned in on May 9th (we don't know if it was MY response, or the attorney's response) and one on May 14th.   And still we wait.  There really needs to be a person who deals with NVC mistakes...like mine, and like that poor woman who sent in a certified marriage certificate, and the reviewer didn't even see the serial numbers along the side.   I'm in Australia now - so calling NVC is a little tougher (because of the time difference).  I'll call tomorrow and see if they have deigned to look at my response to their mistake yet...   Sukie	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-21 23:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - May 2014	My checklist specifically stated FINGERPRINT checks for all states. Don't risk it with NVC. Go for fingerprints.	Sukie	Not Telling	Australia	2014-05-21 12:37:00