ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHuge confusion
Also, if your wife filed only an I-130 and not an I-129f then you will be applying for an IR-1 visa rather than a K-3. That's a good thing, you'll get an immigrant visa, it just means that there is more processing done at NVC than for the K-3.
You should read the guides above and also this: http://www.visajourn...wchart_v1-2.pdf which explains the process at NVC after your I-130 is approved, as well as this: http://www.visajourn...he_NVC_ShortCut. Those are some shortcuts to get through NVC faster and it'll give you an idea of the forms and certificates you can work on gathering while you are waiting for your approval.

Some people can get through NVC in a month or less, for others it takes 2 or 3 months. Preparation really helps with that step so do read up on the links above.

Edited by imaisha, 26 May 2009 - 09:31 AM.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-26 09:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHuge confusion
Are you sure that you got an approval notice?
If she applied in January then what you most likely received 4 months ago was your NOA1, the notice stating that they have received your petition and it is pending.

Did the letter specifically state that your petition was approved and forwarded to the National Visa Center?

The processing time for the I-130 is currently about 6 months, so if you mailed it in January you can expect your approval around July. If you fill in a timeline VisaJourney will give you a more accurate prediction based on the approval times of others here.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-26 09:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHelp about NVC
Have you gotten your NVC case number yet? Have you given them your e-mail address?
If not, call NVC now and check the automated system using your USCIS case number. The number is (603)334-0700

NVC got my case a few days after yours and I just got my AOS fee bill via email on Thursday.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-23 19:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresRE:Evidence of relationship(pictures vs.paperwork
and be very careful with money transfer receipts. depending on your country they might consider it a red flag for marriage fraud.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-28 15:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNext step after NVC received the case?
i got the DS-3032 and AOS fee bill via e-mail on the 10th day. it just takes a little waiting (like i'm doing now for the IV fee bill sad.gif ).
definitely give them your email address and you'll receive all the forms as soon as they are generated rather than waiting for the mail.

Edited by imaisha, 28 May 2009 - 12:14 PM.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-28 12:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresExtention of CR-1??
eek. i see now sorry. your sister's wedding! right? i hope so! congrats btw...
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-02 13:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresExtention of CR-1??

[/quote]

Thanks sooo much I really appreciate it!! that is great to know-- roll on the wedding and the states yahoo!!! biggrin.gif
[/quote]

Oh hold on a second there. The wedding? Did you receive a CR-1 visa or a K-1 visa? Are you married already?

What we've written only applies to the CR/IR-1 visa (for spouses). If you have a K-1 visa (for fiances), you will NOT get the stamp.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-02 13:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresExtention of CR-1??
QUOTE (Annie+Mike @ Jun 2 2009, 01:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (imaisha @ Jun 2 2009, 12:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
If it's CR-1 (rather than a K-1 like your profile says) why don't you enter before then, get the I-551 stamp and then go back to Ireland? Once you have the stamp you can travel freely and you'll probably save on shipping costs- two trips, two chances to bring things over in your suitcases!



wow thats great-- thanks so much for the info-- where do I get teh I-551 stamp? at immigration at the airport?? is that time limited??? thanks for the info sooo helpful


yes that's the stamp that you get when you go through immigration at the airport. they'll take your brown envelope, process you, stamp the passport and then you'll officially be a permanent resident. it's meant to act as your green card until you get the physical one in the mail. i think the stamp will be valid for a year (even though your conditional residency is for 2 years).

Edited by imaisha, 02 June 2009 - 01:03 PM.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-02 13:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresExtention of CR-1??
If it's CR-1 (rather than a K-1 like your profile says) why don't you enter before then, get the I-551 stamp and then go back to Ireland? Once you have the stamp you can travel freely and you'll probably save on shipping costs- two trips, two chances to bring things over in your suitcases!

Edited by imaisha, 02 June 2009 - 12:51 PM.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-02 12:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresopening the immigration envelope after the visa isseu
QUOTE (bleusiste @ Jun 3 2009, 04:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
it s going to be complecated or not ?


whether complicated or not it must be done. they will not accept the envelope at POE if it is open. the embassy will let you know exactly what you need to do. best to contact them ASAP.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-03 15:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresover 6 months now
QUOTE (worried @ Jun 4 2009, 12:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I hope this doesnt sound stupid, but would this be the state senator or the federal and what is the best means of contact...via phone or to seek an appointment.the reason being that i currently live out of my homestate
thanks


You should contact your U.S. senators, not your state senators. Contact your U.S. congressman as well.
You should call their office and ask to speak to the person in constituent services who deals with immigration cases. They'll let you know whether they want you to mail or fax them the information they need. I made the mistake of just mailing my paperwork to one senator's office as their website requested and I didn't get an initial call back until weeks after I got my NOA2. I got a much better and quicker response when I actually spoke to someone at my other senator's office.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-04 07:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureswish me luck!
BobbeD, we've got a little thread going just for UK CR-1 filers since there are so few of us compared to all the K-1s. Feel free to join us. We'd love to hear about your progress and get some information down for the CR-1ers after us now that we're all coming out of hiding. You can find us here:

http://www.visajourn...h...198808&st=0

Edited by imaisha, 01 June 2009 - 01:56 PM.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-01 13:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNOA1 and Money Order to USCIS
in my case last october my check was cashed two or three days after i sent it and i received the NOA1 a few days later. i think in total it was about a week from mailing to NOA1. three weeks seems like kind of a long time. i read recently that someone else called and insisted on speaking to an officer rather than a customer service rep to get their case number and make sure the package had arrived. it might be worth checking in on it. though i don't know how long they're taking to do NOA1s these days, a month would definitely be too long to wait.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-05 20:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresspeeding up the CR-1
definitely do NOT file the 129f. it slowed me down. whenever i called the operators at USCIS always asked me why i bothered filing it.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-05 12:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWe are all wondering, I'm sure...
you shouldn't feel too bad about not calling. while i once got a helpful operator who told me that it was on an adjudicator's desk, every other operator was useless. i called AFTER my approval and the operators could not see that it had been approved. i didn't find out until a week later when i got the hard copy of the NOA2. when some of them say they can only see what we can see online they might not be kidding. my case status still hasn't updated online, a month after approval. i'm sure if i called and spoke to an operator now they'd still tell me it's pending.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-26 15:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 interview for CR-1
QUOTE (Arthur Roberta @ Jun 3 2009, 03:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It will be a beneficiary interview and we were informed by USCIS. I guess London will get to know me a little earlier than anticipated, at least I hope so. I personally view it as a good thing except of course elongating the process.

Best wishes to all
Arthur and Roberta


This has been puzzling me all day. Did they notify you in writing? Was it perhaps an operator who was mistaken? Did you speak to a supervisor about it? It's definitely a great thing that they are at least doing something with the petition, but I can't imagine why they would need to meet with the beneficiary alone. Please do keep us posted on what happens from here and good luck! smile.gif
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-03 16:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 interview for CR-1
QUOTE (Arthur Roberta @ Jun 3 2009, 08:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I have been informed that I will have an I-130 interview (beneficiary interview) as yet to be scheduled. Can anyone shed any light as to why this may be the case as this just prolongs what has already been a long process. We have a NOA 1 date of 20th Oct 2008 and from what I can gather should the interview be successful then the I-130 would be forwarded to NVC for continuation of processing.

If there is anyone who could shed light on this I would be grateful.

Arthur


How strange- haven't heard of this one before. How were you notified? Was it by USCIS or the embassy? Sorry they're giving you this trouble- maybe it's a mistake?
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-03 08:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVJ Timelines - Igor's List
My approval came right in the middle of the window my timeline gave me. It changed a few times but toward the end it was always pretty accurate. My timeline disappeared for a bit too. It'll come back- don't worry.

As for Igor's List, I stopped looking at it. It was too depressing to see how many people were still pending after 10, 11, 12 months. My approval took 7 months so by then the old Igor's list was useless since i'd dropped off of it and the new one was just an unpleasant reminder of how long it had been.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-12 14:06:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresGot RFE then Case complete
QUOTE (noob @ Jun 12 2009, 07:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Anybody have this experience that I got RFE email June 1 then got case complete and June 3 with interview date on July28.
RFE was for proof of self employment asking for recently dated business letter or business license.Before I can send them my business license I received the email case complete and schedule for interview.Any body got answers?Thanks...


Hmm... you didn't ask any questions so I'm not sure what to answer, but you should definitely still prepare the proof of self employment to bring to the interview with as the embassy may require it.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-12 19:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIR-1 or K-3?
This question has been asked about 1 million times. Please search and read through the forums before asking questions that have already been answered in other posts/ the guides. I don't mean to sound harsh... just waiting for the day when the K-3 is eliminated entirely and this never comes up again.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-12 19:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Questions
Sounds like they never lived together in the US. They got married wherever they got married and have lived together in the UK ever since. Now they will be pursuing the IR-1 visa.

Casandra, I don't think you will have any problem stretching the process out over the course of two years. You should plan on just under a year to get the visa normally (6 months @ USCIS, 1-2 months @ NVC, 1-2 months wait for the interview). You can delay processing at NVC for up to a year though. It's all just about when you send in the papers. As long as you are still in contact with them, they'll keep the case open. Once the interview is scheduled in London you can contact the embassy and ask them to push back the date by a few weeks if you really have to. Then he'll have 6 months to enter. By that time you should be pretty close to the two year mark. If he needs to go back for a few weeks he absolutely can. The good part of the CR/IR-1 is that he can travel freely. I don't think you have to worry too much.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-13 18:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHey maybe someone can help me??
you can also call the DOS. i think they're able to tell you whether or not the visa has actually been printed yet. then you'll know if it's a delay at the embassy or with the delivery service etc. call 202-663-1225 press 1 and then 0.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-13 18:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK-3 to CR-1
Oh well if that's the case then no worries you don't have to do anything just yet. Just sit back and wait for the approval then just follow the CR-1 path. Lots of other people post that question looking for a quick fix to get this done faster once they realize they don't want the K-3 which is why I said all that.

I'm in the same position now as you will be. I'm just following the K-3 to see if I can flip the interview into a CR-1 once our paperwork gets there. If not we'll just ignore it and take the later interview date.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-13 18:46:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK-3 to CR-1
QUOTE (Nlove @ Jun 13 2009, 06:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
My I-130 and I-129 is till pending at USCIS for the K-3 visa. I want to withdraw the I-129 to pusue CR-1 visa instead. Do you guys think by withdrawing the I-129 it will cause an issue? wink.gif


I'm almost positive that you cannot withdraw just one of the petitions. Maybe someone else here has tried. It wouldn't make a difference one way or the other though. You've already got your spot in line- withdrawing the I-129f won't move you up any higher. Might as well just let it play out and then after approval just ignore the K-3 process and continue on at NVC for the CR-1.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-13 18:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIm a stay at home mom, my dad completing the AOS for my husband.
QUOTE (jjhanekom @ Jun 13 2009, 12:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
these forms are confusing us. My dad makes roughly about $70pa. Would that be enough? I completed the I-864, obviously with $0 income, and gave the I-864A to my dad to fill in. He just needs to get all the proof paperwork.


$70 per annum? What is $70pa?

You will have to meet at least 125% of the poverty guidelines for 2009, found here: http://www.uscis.gov...form/I-864p.pdf
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-13 12:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIm a stay at home mom, my dad completing the AOS for my husband.
There's a bit of a benefit in the I-864A in that the income of the sponsor and the household member are combined.
With the I-864 the joint sponsor must be able to support the immigrant with only their income.
If you have absolutely no income it makes no difference, but for others who may have some income it could be worthwhile for them to be able to add it to another person's.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-12 15:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHow long does it take for case completion after DS-230
QUOTE (waitingforhoney @ Jun 15 2009, 11:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I have read somewhere in VJ that NVC assigns interviews on 2nd and 4th week of the month. is it true?


no. they'll tell you that they only schedule the 2nd week of the month but this month loads of people got interviews in the first week. for the past few months quite a few people have also found out at the very end of the month. doesn't seem like there's much rhyme or reason, but they will always tell you only during the second week. here's hoping we make it in time for july scheduling...

Edited by imaisha, 15 June 2009 - 03:09 PM.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-15 15:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHow long does it take for case completion after DS-230
I'm waiting too! Our IV packet arrived on June 3rd, NVC attached it to our case June 6th.
We got 2 false RFEs for it on June 9th and June 11th after the Affidavit of Support review was completed.
Still waiting... hopefully this week smile.gif

What's your timeline like?
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-15 08:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 cancellation
QUOTE (sanj @ Jun 16 2009, 06:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I remember reading somewhere here that there is a fee associated with the cancellation for K3 to proceed with CR-1. Is that still applicable? When we asked the embassy earlier to switch the appointment date (even though it didn't work), they didn't specify that we have to do anything particular to cancel K3. Any ideas? Thank You.


There is no fee. Just don't follow through with it.
There are fees associated with the CR-1 process that need to be payed to NVC but it looks like you're past that already.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-16 07:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresGot my visa... what happens next
Congratulations Graham ni!

Yes, if you ticked the box requesting a social security number that part should get moving on its own once you get there. Unfortunately many people have waited and waited and it never came, so it might not be a bad idea to stop by the social security office a few days or maybe a week after you arrive. If the number has already been assigned they can give it to you, or you can fill out the paperwork and they'll start the process then.

Your passport won't be held for any amount of time once you're through POE and you'll have an I-551 stamp which will stand in for your green card until it arrives. You can travel with that stamp immediately.

And lastly, we've got a little thread going for UK CR-1 filers. If you felt like stopping by and maybe telling us a little bit about how your interview went we'd love to hear it. There are quite a few of us coming up to that step this summer so we're eager for any information you've got since there are so few immigrant filers in the UK forums. You can find the thread here: http://www.visajourn...h...98808&st=80

Congrats again and best of luck smile.gif

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-15 08:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIS THIS NORMAL????
QUOTE (trinket @ Jun 16 2009, 02:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It is normal to issue the VISA at a later date. There are other procedures to complete after the interview and the official VISA might have been printed out on your BIL's passport 2 days later.

About what to do, he can call up or go to Consulate and see whats happening. As he is going tomorrow, so hopefully he will get some clear answers.


It is normal for the visa to be printed two days later. It's not normal for it to still not be delivered 19 days after it's printed and the courier has no record of it. Hopefully the consulate will have some answers for you...
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-16 13:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresany one know this answer?
QUOTE (paradiselost @ Jun 16 2009, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
i need an answer not someone to tell me good or bad.


The terms of service that we all agreed to when we joined this site state that we will not:

Condone or instruct, either directly or indirectly, others on how to commit fraudulent or illegal immigration activities in any way, shape, manner or method.


No one will help you try to cheat the system here. Sorry.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-16 13:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHow likely is an interview for July?
QUOTE (TomandBelkis @ Jun 12 2009, 12:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I called, and there isnt anyone there on Fridays. sad.gif so I will try Monday. It says only between 2:30pm and 4:30pm mon thru thursday. I hope you are right about not being backed up.


Don't call the embassy. NVC will be scheduling your interview and you need to call them. The information you found on the website is out of date and refers to an older system where there was a difference between appointment posts and standard posts. The NVC now schedules all CR/IR-1 appointments. They are open today(Friday) and every weekday (M-F) until 12am. The number is (603)334-0700. Follow the prompts to speak to an operator.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-12 12:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIV bill receipt retrival
QUOTE (elkfarmer @ Jun 17 2009, 05:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I paid the I-V bill online in March 2009. I did not "save" it on my computer. I printed a copy. I do not have that copy any longer. The NVC will not let me into the online system. It tells me, there is not any more information on the case. I was wanting my wife to take a copy of the receipt marked PAID, for the interview at the Embassy, just to prove the visa was paid for. Anyone have any ideas ?


Not necessary. NVC wouldn't complete your case if you didn't pay for it. Don't worry about it.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-17 18:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNo word from USCIS ins 2006 on NOA2
QUOTE (Adrian Melendez @ Jun 19 2009, 05:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So here is the update.

My brother-in-law made an appointment with USCIS by using “InfoPass”. According to him Immigration told him that the case was still active and for him to submit the form I-485. It makes no sense to me but he is going to do it anyways. Thanks again for all your help.


That's crazy... but great news!
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-19 16:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNo word from USCIS ins 2006 on NOA2
QUOTE (Adrian Melendez @ Jun 11 2009, 02:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The problem is there is no evidence that the case was ever sent to NVC. When he calls USCIS they tell him the petition has been approved and to wait for further instructions.

I read somewhere that they issue out a cretin number of Visas each year, and that beneficiaries with US petitioners get first dibs then it goes to the person that has been waiting the longest. Is it possible that they are waiting for a Visa number to come available before sending it to NVC? He is going to call USCIS tonight.


i'm not sure where you read that. perhaps you're misunderstanding the quota system? if his priority date came and went then the visa became available but because he did not pursue it he lost his place in line. i'm not sure how much more information USCIS will be able to give you. he should try calling NVC himself and speaking to an operator. they're available until 12am EST and if you're lucky they'll be able to see cases that old.

i'm 99.9% certain he is just going to have to refile though.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-11 14:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNo word from USCIS ins 2006 on NOA2
Unfortunately if the NVC has no contact with you after one year then they close the file which is why the AVR has no record of his case. He'll have to refile with USCIS if he wants to try again. I'm not sure what things were like 3+ years ago or how they got in touch with petitioners back then but I'm assuming the NOA2 still said that the petition was sent to the NVC and he really should have contacted them if they didn't get to him. Waiting 3+ years was definitely too long to start wondering sad.gif but hopefully the process will be easier for him this time with visajourney to guide him.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-10 21:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 NOA 2 Receipts
That does seem like a long time- I got mine in 5 days. You might try calling and asking them to resend it. Sometimes they ask that you file another form and pay an exorbitant fee for a new one and I think they're more likely to do that after a longer period of time, so if you want it it's probably best to request it now. If they tell you to pay the fee, just hang up and try again later with a different operator.

It's not necessary though. You won't need it for anything down the road, so if you aren't able to get it then I wouldn't worry.

And a month and a half after approval our status on the website hasn't changed either. Nothing to worry about.

Edited by imaisha, 19 June 2009 - 11:56 AM.

imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-19 11:55:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAfter CR1... what's next?
QUOTE (jiskat08 @ Jun 5 2009, 05:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I am starting to think about my POE (just being optimistic).. So, once I arrived in USA, I know that I will be receiving my 2 year green card and SSN (it depends if they're going to deliver it automatically OR I need to apply my SSN in the office)

My question is, what form(s) should I need to fill up and what are the next steps for me to update my CR1 Visa when I'm already in USA?

Kindly, give me the link so that I can start reading it..

Many thanks!


Kathy


What do you mean by "update" it? Do you mean removing conditions in two years? That info is here: http://www.visajourn...p;page=751guide
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-05 05:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMay I email the ds3032 form before that NVC had generated it
My hardcopy was also accepted first. I printed out my own barcode, affixed with glue stick and wrote the case number at the top as well.
imaishaFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-19 14:28:00