Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	What's the record time to NOA 1 ?	If your check is cashed, and you can obtain a copy of it, your case number should be on the back and you can use that to sign up on the USCIS website for tracking. Hope you hear something soon Thank you that's a really valuable idea- Carolyn can call her bank in the US and check that out... If it isn't cashed then I guess we are left with calling Nebraska as London will just say they sent it there... However Nebraska will say they sent it to California - and California will say that without a reference number they cannot check it out oh dear I am getting pessimistic... let's see what her banks says first....many thanks again Alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-02-18 12:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	What's the record time to NOA 1 ?	Decided to apply for I-130 at XMAS applied January 9th and the application did the full circuit of Nebraska > California > Our house in the UK > London USCIS > Nebraska and still waiting for NOA1 Without an NOA 1 ref number is there any way to find out where it is at and what is happening ? We can't even get our first step on the ladder it seems.. alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-02-18 11:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	contact number for USCIS Nebraska from overseas	National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283 I thought that was the freephone number that only works from inside the USA ??? am I wrong ? I hope so	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-01-14 17:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	contact number for USCIS Nebraska from overseas	In the case where a petition is lodged overseas but direct to a US service centre (in our case Nebraska) how do we phone them ? Do we have to use the London USCIS line (£1.20 per minute) ??? or is there an 'ordinary number' in Nebraska we can call on (1 penny per minute) thanks alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-01-14 06:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Is there a time limit?	I live in the Republic of Ireland, not the UK. I am a permanent resident here; and since I can provide my permanent resident details I can go directly through London. This information is now on the Dublin Embassy Website as well. London's e-mail to me: Yes, you can file here. Please make note of the following exceptions from the checklist: UK Residency - Substitute ths for Irish residency - you will need to submit an Ireland entry stamp showing that you have permission to reside/work in Ireland. You also need to show that your principal residence is in fact in Ireland. Self-addressed stamped envelope - just provide a self-addressed large envelope; no stamps. USCIS - London heck - well thats good luck ! in the UK they insist on permanent unconditional residency - ie 2 years seems that doesn't apply in Ireland London will not deal with us and neither will USCIS in the USA as we don't live there Looks like we may have to move to Ireland ! ok hope it goes smoothly- someone deserves good luck from this system alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-12 03:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Is there a time limit?	Sorry to put a possible dampner on this but London rejected us for DCF as Carolyn (USC) has not been a UK resident for 2 years - they send it to a US service center who send the noa1 to the last US address (ours is sold) where it was returned to the service center and the case is then frozen - but they dont tell you- so you wait patiently month after month. Thats where we are Do you circumstances fit this ? the VJ timelines give an average of 320 days and thats if it goes smoothly We want november 2007 but hope is fading alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-10 14:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	USCIS have gone totally insane !	Thanks for your thoughts on this meauxna As Carolyn actually gave the address over the phone, rather than using the address update link on the USCIS website, and as the file was shown as touched afterwards, i am hoping that bit went ok... I know you state that we have to learn all these little foibles of the USCIS and its our responsibility to do it before filing, but really its horrible for the first timers and all the hints are on VJ and not on the USCIS site ( government of the people, by the people, for the people ?) - I am an old hand at this and i am getting badly caught even before NOA1 - so what chance the total green horns ? I started the post as a cry for help for us - but I think its really useful for others reading it before they file.. It has always struck me that the posted guides are fair enough but all these tricks of the trade are not laid out in one place for people to learn - for instance the public email addresses of London USCIS and California are, I am sure you are right, scattered all over VJ and the problem that we have hit must have been explained x times in the last x years - but we all have to search and search and then we are still not sure... wouldn't it be nice to have a posted list ? For instance I was in the depths of despair (again) when the US social security spelled my name wrongly and I thought i wouldn't be able to get a SS number and insurance or a driving license until it was sorted out - MD Young found the regulation which says if they spell it only one letter wrong they should accept it - i showed them that and they did - instant elation ! i saw other vjers with the same thing - so wouldn't the inside tricks on SS as a pinned item be great ? However my point is that all these tricks need setting out on a pinned guide - not the official system but the real world of little hints and tricks which are so important... such as james' short cuts which i am going to have a bash at... yes i know its all on here but its scattered far and wide and recent and ancient - and no i'm not skilled enough to do the job.. I really don't think there are that many tricks - its just that we all keep making the same mistakes so VJ is so repetative...and so fragmented a book called 'the essential secret tips to achieving US immigration' would be a sell out any volunteers ? !!!! alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-13 14:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	USCIS have gone totally insane !	thanks yodrak.. our previous experience of an attorney (last time we went through this in 2005), was really bad - I was telling him what documents he had to send and he said they were not necessary. So he applied without them and we picked up an RFE for those specific forms. With the first packet , he didn't send it for 2.5 weeks because his mother was ill and he was having a nervous breakdown... When it started going slowly he said he didn't have any special contact with USCIS Moral of the story is to research the prospective lawyer to see what he is like I suppose perhaps VJ need a 'recommended attorneys' section where we can swap horror stories - i suppose that would be libel though ! anyway we are going to send a short letter to California to say now they have a US address on file, can they assure us that the issue is cleared and the case is in line to proceed without delay...... they didn't even know it had been sent to them by London USCIS ! perhaps they might even answer it - but to which address i have no idea... I am a bit optimistic tonight as we have a case reference number and it is logged as feb 12th - so perhaps another 10 weeks or so we might be surprised with a case completed...in other words we probably haven't lost any time since feb 12th since they seem to just kick around the office until the 14 weeks or so goes by, then someone sits down with a cup of coffee and tries to find some technicality on which to refuse it - failing which it is approved. I think it's going ok now.......it was touched yesterday and it doesnt say sent back to london yet again - I think so.... alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-13 11:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	USCIS have gone totally insane !	hi alan, I realise you are experiencing a lot of frustration with this. However, I've noticed that you can jump to conclusions and accept and state them as fact; this thread has a few examples. My only 'problem' with that is the upset it causes others who read your authoritative statements as fact, which confuses others further and perpetuates rumors. I apologize if my replies to you have been tense in that regard in the past. Most USC expiates do not wind up in your reasonably unique situation. If they are filing to a US Service Center instead of abroad, they include a valid US mailing address. I can understand not wanting to burden Mum; you can start looking for other solutions. Such as: -a trusted friend or colleague in the US who will accept and forward mail in a timely fashion -a professional service that will be your mailing address and mail forwarding service -retain and name as agent a US immigration attorney; they will receive a copy of all of your USCIS notices -USC returns to the US to manage her mail and local business -a forwarding order from Mum's house to your UK address (least favorite for me) Your USC is expected to be 'domiciled' in the US--not be a con tactless orphan. This is part of what qulifies her to sponsor your immigration. Bear in mind that the only mail that should be coming from USCIS now is "NOA2". From there, the case is forwarded to NVC. Changing your mailing address with CSC is not going to be a simple one-step process. Once you're "in", it is hard to change things. If you have the email address for the CSC in addition to a mailing address and a phone number (or a fax if you can get it) use as many of these methods as possible and include as much biographic and case information (A#, SS# etc) as you can to identify your correspondance. You may or may not get any type of confirmation of this activity. Changing addresses mid-case is often a problem-increaser. Be vigilant. The number on the back of your check was not "wrong". It simply was not your WAC#. From my reading, I see that the first form from the NVC is a "Choice of Agent". You will have a chance at that time to specifically choose the address your mailings from them go to. This CAN be an overseas address (expect delays due to local mail, but shouldn't be too bad with UK). I cant understand why VJ isn't full of expatriate USC's in this same situation ? if they are not eligible for DCF, then do their files get marked up as 'undeliverable notice ?' when they file direct with the USA When London cracked down on the turn-around DCF a couple/few years back, there were a few people that fell into the situation of not being allowed to file in London, but not really 'living' in the US either. A couple of experiences like yours, and people quickly realized that if they were going to send I-130 to a US Service Center, they had better use a US address, even if they were living abroad. Even my I-130 filed *abroad* was requested to have my US address on it. I know that you do not like that it doesn't make sense to you. My UK fella says: That just the way things ARE. I hate it when he says that. You have your on line case registration. You can keep an eye on your file and any progress. Unless you are planning to file I-F to pursue a K-3 visa, you do not *need* the NOA1. If you are planning to apply for a K-3 visa, pray tell why. As always, I wish you peace of mind and a trouble-free visa process. Good stuff Meuxna Carolyn has mail forwarding from her post office in Wisconsin but USCIS stuff has a 'no forwarding' thing so gets returned. No way am I going anywhere near K3 - I want to a 10 year unconditional green card on November 5th and then I can leave this stuff behind. I have been within a spit of my AOS interview after K1 in the past so doing it all again is taking its toll - I know what is up ahead.... It is such a pity that the UK USCIS/Embassy just say 'if you are UK resident less than 2 years -file in the US' and don't say that 'without a US address you are a dead duck' Anyway Carolyn talked california into giving her the number and last night they took her mother's address over the phone and it has been touched yesterday! actually the website has a facility for changing the address. I totally take your point that any change of address is highly risky as their failure rate is so high -and so I am going to keep my UK owned house empty even though we are renting and living in another part of england - as we are scared of trying to change that address with USCIS. It sounds like the VISA office in new Hampshire is somewhat easier to contact so we are hoping for an easier ride with them. We were trying to be truthful in putting her UK address on the form as she is an official legal resident here - I suppose the only way to get a US address on file is with a covering letter at the start - or lie about your actual address.. Not sure about your comment that what I have put is inaccurate or scaring the punters as this is a factual record of what we have been through in the last 2 months by following instructions from london - it clearly says on their website that less than 2 year residents must file at the service center covering their last place of residence. We did - Nebraska . Then it went to california who rejected it and said file in London. then London rejected it and sent it to Nebraska and then California.. then California made a oho-hair because the address said UK... I know the difference between domiciled and resident so I reckon we have that covered as Carolyn's furniture is in storage and she has her bank accounts/pensions etc intact in the US We didn't do anything wrong with our application as far as I can see and our circumstances are far from unique as I know there are USC's in the UK with less than 2 years residency and have no idea that they have to use a US address - I have pm'd them in the recent past - I know there are others. I reckon this case applies to lots of people who are ready to file and they need to know what will happen. If carolyn had not called California and found out that our file had been sat there for a month with a returned notice, we could have waited forever (or until they marked it expired). Both people on VJ and the London USCIS said 'just be patient' - and all the time it was held and the USCIS didn't contact us - our application had our UK address and 2 phone numbers but they couldn't be bothered. Actually both the supervisor and the first agent carolyn spoke to had such bad english that she spent nearly 20 minutes having to spell common words even though she speaks very clearly - so it is a real struggle trying to explain the facts to them......what a nightmare this thing is...the last woman last night was talking about sending it back to London yet again for consular filing - (RD round trip) even though it was forwarded to them by London who said they wouldn't take it... if that happens you can book my padded cell right now... by the way, does anyone have an email address for california csc in case it gets even worse - its the first time i have heard of the existence of such alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-13 07:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	USCIS have gone totally insane !	meauxna (post4) thank you for that as my mind was slowly working round to thinking that the case isn't held up... I have the WAC receipt number for California (Carolyn badgered him into giving it to us after 20 minutes of intense validation questions - the number on the check was wrong !) and I have added the case to my portfolio at USCIS online.. when i double click the number to get detail, it says that the NOA1 has been returned to them and asks for a mailing address in the US With the usual hysterical reaction of some of us VJers, I assumed this meant the case was held pending a valid address but I am thinking you are dead right and it isn't held... If we give them Carolyn's mom's address they will just update the online case to say address now received ? Can we be assured the case is proceeding ? Will NOA2 go that address ? - silly question of course it will. but what about the visa stages, will new Hampshire start sending stuff there (affidavit) or will they use the UK address on all the forms Carolyn's mom is old and we don't want to give her lots of trips to the post office.. I feel the fog of war lifting a bit (until later stages) I cant understand why VJ isn't full of expatriate USC's in this same situation ? if they are not eligible for DCF, then do their files get marked up as 'undeliverable notice ?' when they file direct with the USA Surely not every USC has family etc in the US... there must be some orphans there.... alan Edited by saywhat, 12 March 2007 - 02:16 PM.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-12 14:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	USCIS have gone totally insane !	Story so far - we are both resident in the UK Filed at Carolyn's last place of residence (Nebraska office covering Wisconsin) per USCIS London instructions. They sent it to California who sent it back to us in The UK saying file in London We file again in London and they send it to Nebraska who send it to California The application has our UK address on it but with a covering letter saying it has to go to Nebraska but the house in Wisconsin is sold and please do not send ANY correspondence there - send it all to the UK Ok now we wait a month eagerly greeting the mailman to get NOA1 Nothing Yesterday Carolyn called California - a chap answered who was the supervisor but could hardly speak English. He said the USCIS cannot send NOA1 to an address outside the US so they had sent it to the Wisconsin address even though they knew the house was sold and had new occupiers. It bounced from the US post office and they have put our case on hold. He can't send us a NOA1. If she had not phoned the application would have stayed on hold until it expired and nobody would have contacted us ! stalemate He suggests we contact London USCIS on the fortune a minute line.. I will try on Monday but no doubt they wont speak to me as Carolyn is the petitioner (she will be at work) Is it me or are this lot totally insane ? Why do they mail to an address they know is non existent and then fail to contact us at our stated address with 2 phone numbers when it is returned to them as undeliverable !!!! We have been at this now since 9 January and getting no nearer to NOA1 !!!! What is other people's experience with both being non US residents at the time of filing ? How did you get NOA 1 ? help we are sinking !!!! alan Why your wife didn't file for DCF in London? http://london.usemba...i130filing.html London said they would not do DCF as she has been an official UK resident for less than 2 years...in that case they send it to the last place of residence in the US. We are going round in circles - London will not take it and California will take it but only if Carolyn is living in the US... In other words, any US Citizen resident in the UK (and many other countries) for less than 2 years cannot successfully file either in the UK etc or in the US - they live in limbo land Can you believe that ? We are totally stuck ! Has anyone got any experience of this idiocy ? alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-10 14:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	USCIS have gone totally insane !	Story so far - we are both resident in the UK Filed at Carolyn's last place of residence (Nebraska office covering Wisconsin) per USCIS London instructions. They sent it to California who sent it back to us in The UK saying file in London We file again in London and they send it to Nebraska who send it to California The application has our UK address on it but with a covering letter saying it has to go to Nebraska but the house in Wisconsin is sold and please do not send ANY correspondence there - send it all to the UK Ok now we wait a month eagerly greeting the mailman to get NOA1 Nothing Yesterday Carolyn called California - a chap answered who was the supervisor but could hardly speak English. He said the USCIS cannot send NOA1 to an address outside the US so they had sent it to the Wisconsin address even though they knew the house was sold and had new occupiers. It bounced from the US post office and they have put our case on hold. He can't send us a NOA1. If she had not phoned the application would have stayed on hold until it expired and nobody would have contacted us ! stalemate He suggests we contact London USCIS on the fortune a minute line.. I will try on Monday but no doubt they wont speak to me as Carolyn is the petitioner (she will be at work) Is it me or are this lot totally insane ? Why do they mail to an address they know is non existent and then fail to contact us at our stated address with 2 phone numbers when it is returned to them as undeliverable !!!! We have been at this now since 9 January and getting no nearer to NOA1 !!!! What is other people's experience with both being non US residents at the time of filing ? How did you get NOA 1 ? help we are sinking !!!! alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-10 06:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	tell me guys what can i do?	yes don't leave things in the hope that something will fall through your mailbox - call em up until you are surer that you know what is happening - but then , as the others are saying, you have to try and do something else once you have done all you can for now... I have been through this all before so I know about high blood pressure and I am the first to get paranoid and hysterical about what they do - which seems like on purpose - but it doesnt help and most times it all works out ok in the end.. alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-13 06:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Cryptic USCIS - are we approved ????	been working through VJ searches of 'manufactured' and i am pretty sure they have simply resent the NOA1 we were due Feb 12th i really thought we were approved... seems these dumbos can't even concoct a standard letter without screwing up and saying we are approved when we aren't - it isn't even proper english... My decision to not enter until we have been married 2 years and therefore avoid AOS and removing conditions is proving very sound - i refuse to let these people run my life for the next 2 years... I could kick myself for believing the 'previously approved' stuff for a while - they are just cruel by incompetence thats all	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-04-10 13:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Cryptic USCIS - are we approved ????	Dear VJers - help ! We have had awful trouble with USCIS sending our case round the houses to Nebraska and California and back to us and then to London and Nebraska and California - until we are dizzy !!! we entered an electronic form to change our address a few days ago and today(just now) we got this email - it refers to 'earlier approval' so I am hoping we are approved although that would be an incredibly short time.. does anyone recognize this phraseology and could it really mean we are approved ? or is it something to do with the address change form ? alan ok this is their email >>>> *** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL *** The last processing action taken on your case Receipt Number: (alan and Carolyn's case number) Application Type: I130 , IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCÉ(E), OR ORPHAN Current Status: Document OTHER THAN CARD manufactured and mailed. On April 9, 2007, we mailed the document we manufactured based on our earlier approval of this case, and mailed it to the address on we have on file. You should receive the new document within 30 days. If you do not, or if you move before you get it, call customer service. If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283. *Current processing times can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov under Case Status & Processing Dates. *** Please do not respond to this e-mail message. Sincerely, The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) hi its andy,looks like a notice to say they have made a decision on ? cant understand why they dont just send one letter with approval,we have had similar stating more or less the same and then received the {in our case denial!!}a few days later ,so i would expect another noa soon ,i think!! we never did get the NOA1 as we both live here in the UK and they can only send to a US address - we have supplied a US address now so perhaps they have re-issued the NOA1 ? It really is cruel though because it mentions 'earlier approval of this case' and it really got my hopes up that they have issued noa2 -- guess we just have to sweat it out for a week or so--unless another veejay person has had an identical message and can confirm what it means - heres hoping someone will put us out of our misery..........	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-04-09 13:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Cryptic USCIS - are we approved ????	Dear VJers - help ! We have had awful trouble with USCIS sending our case round the houses to Nebraska and California and back to us and then to London and Nebraska and California - until we are dizzy !!! we entered an electronic form to change our address a few days ago and today(just now) we got this email - it refers to 'earlier approval' so I am hoping we are approved although that would be an incredibly short time.. does anyone recognize this phraseology and could it really mean we are approved ? or is it something to do with the address change form ? alan ok this is their email >>>> *** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL *** The last processing action taken on your case Receipt Number: (alan and Carolyn's case number) Application Type: I130 , IMMIGRANT PETITION FOR RELATIVE, FIANCÉ(E), OR ORPHAN Current Status: Document OTHER THAN CARD manufactured and mailed. On April 9, 2007, we mailed the document we manufactured based on our earlier approval of this case, and mailed it to the address on we have on file. You should receive the new document within 30 days. If you do not, or if you move before you get it, call customer service. If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283. *Current processing times can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov under Case Status & Processing Dates. *** Please do not respond to this e-mail message. Sincerely, The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-04-09 12:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR1 in london	sorry to ask, but why did they deny the k-3? was it anything other than an immigration matter? could you say please, as i flew back after getting married on a k1, had to come back before aos due to medical condition and we couldn't afford treatment in the usa. i stayed 6 weeks after we got married, in the build up to saving for an aos. now applying for Cr, I'm wondering if I'll need a waiver? IR1. any opinions please? thanks We had to file the I-601 because when he was yrs old he took a cassette tape from Woolworth on a dare from a friend and got caught and got a Pound fine. So they denied us the K-3 because of that so then we had to file the I-601 to get the K-3. see we got married yrs ago in the US then moved to England for yrs and then we came to the US in Jan of 05. I'm afraid I knew nothing of DCF at the time or we would have done that. So we went way around the block. The I-601 is for police records and I think the I-212 is for overstays. You have days after your K-1 expires before your an overstay and fall under a yr ban from the US I believe. Hey do you know on the D'S-230 part 2 on line 33a if I need to ask for a SS# for my husband? He already Rev a SS# with his work permit, would that be the same SS# he would have keep once he has his greencard? and it ask if he was assisted completing the DS230 and since I filled it out is ok to say yes to that or should I say no to that question? How horrible to have such a petty thing come back to haunt you both. Yes, use the SS number he was issued when he in the states. It will never change. I'm not sure about your second question. The purpose of the question might be in case a lawyer or a translator filled it out. Now see on question #31 on the D'S it ask if you ever been charge or arrestedor convicted of a crime.I dont know if I should say yes or no? when in a hole - stop digging no such offence as shoplifting - it's theft under the theft act 1968 so i would suggest answering all questions truthfully with a brief explanation of the circumstances and that way it won't end up going on for ages which is what they do to you if they start discovering unthruths... With the circumstances you describe and having done the k3 before, I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem I sympathise with your total fedupness with immigration stuff. Having done 2 K's and then this I-130 and i am wilting under the years of effort - especially as my USC wife got her UK green card in 20 minutes at the UK Consulate in Chicago. However, we have no choice and must soldier on - just don't try and short cut it by lying or not doing the full forms as you can see VJ folk who sentence themselves to years of delays by digging themselves in a hole with the USCIS - honesty is the best policy (where there is any chance you will be found out !) oo I am awful alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-04-21 05:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Visa on Hand! Praise God	yabberdabberdooooooooooo good on yer we are aiming for tampa 5th november so treading your footsteps- must feel great - relish it ! alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-02 10:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	The end of the beginning - got I-130 approval	As Winston Churchill said - "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." We contacted London early January and they said Carolyn had not lived 2 years in the UK so she must send it to Nebraska-her last residence office. We sent it there and they sent it to California and they sent it back to us in the UK and said file it in London because we are both UK resident. So we filed it in London and they sent it to Nebraska who sent it to California. We could not get a NOA1 until a couple of weeks ago as they would not accept any address outside the UK even though we are officially resident in the UK. When we called to give a US address they said they were minded to cancel it off and send it back so we could file in London - even though London had sent it to them - it had then taken over 2 months to get NOA1 and we were going nuts ! anyway i just got an early morning (California time) email to say we are approved May 1 - hoo-bloody-ray is what I say My pal Mellie got to this stage and blew up balloons only to have her petition lost !!!!! by NVC and told to start again...luckily she did DCF in Australia - but no way I will relax until I get the visa November time I estimate... I look forward to the end of the end in Tampa airport when I get the 551 stamp - I know they will lose the green card but i will be there by then... alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-02 10:26:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	thanks for that folks - my problem is that there are only 9 digits on the back of the check so i was trying to figure out what positions 3 4 and 5 should be given 24 hours with my pencil i could probably figure the likely work days from October 1 to a couple of days before the check was cashed however I am in big trouble here at home for obsessing so i will try and wait some more... but if we lose another 2 months and have to submit another application it will be awful.. we will be 4 months behind schedule to even start again I know all the things that can go wrong even though they have cashed the check once I get noa1 the rest of the process is easy right ? let's hope thanks again alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 14:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	nope october first to feb 20 is around 142 days i tried 139 to 144 after the 07 and it still didnt work so i will have to wait for carolyn to call the bank again or wait til xmas for the noa1 that might never come... they might send it to the old address in wisconsin even though we said in capital letters in the covering letter that the address is the UK one and the wisconsin house is sold..paranoia ! I wonder if anyone has ever tried calling them and saying they havent got the noa1 and just give them the name and address and ask em ? I suspect they would just blank us if we tried...	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 13:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	Hi Alan, I used to know what the receipt #'s stand for...actual I should have that somewhere at home but Riblit is correct. All I-130 filed w/NSC are being sent to CSC and the receipt # starts w/ WAC then it will have a space and 10 digits. It will be the one starting w/ 0710. The first two digits is the year and the other three is the "work day" from the beginning of their fiscal year which starts 10/1. I had to figure it out b/c on their website it said my petition was recv'd on 1/6 but the NOA1 had 12/29. When I did some research to determined what the receipt #'s stand for I realized how they came up w/the 12/29 as my receipt date. If you need add'l info on figuring out your # please PM me, I might be able to assist you a little further. Anna Anna thats wonderful info ! I wanted Carolyn to call her bank for another shot at the number on the check - but she says I am "obsessing" and is ticked off with me... I probably am actually ! that info would fit because the check cleared 23rd jan so possibly the receipt date will be around the 21st feb which is say 41 days from the start of their year. So position 2 should be something like 41... I will try a few combinations like that and report back - exciting stuff this detective work i will try 07410 instead of the 0710 that the bank reported and come back.... oops 10/1 is october right ! jeez limeys ! ok i will count back !	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 13:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	Hi Alan, I used to know what the receipt #'s stand for...actual I should have that somewhere at home but Riblit is correct. All I-130 filed w/NSC are being sent to CSC and the receipt # starts w/ WAC then it will have a space and 10 digits. It will be the one starting w/ 0710. The first two digits is the year and the other three is the "work day" from the beginning of their fiscal year which starts 10/1. I had to figure it out b/c on their website it said my petition was recv'd on 1/6 but the NOA1 had 12/29. When I did some research to determined what the receipt #'s stand for I realized how they came up w/the 12/29 as my receipt date. If you need add'l info on figuring out your # please PM me, I might be able to assist you a little further. Anna Anna thats wonderful info ! I wanted Carolyn to call her bank for another shot at the number on the check - but she says I am "obsessing" and is ticked off with me... I probably am actually ! that info would fit because the check cleared 23rd jan so possibly the receipt date will be around the 21st feb which is say 41 days from the start of their year. So position 2 should be something like 41... I will try a few combinations like that and report back - exciting stuff this detective work i will try 07410 instead of the 0710 that the bank reported and come back.... Edited by saywhat, 05 March 2007 - 01:13 PM.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 13:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	It should be the 0710 I think...and the first three letter for California are WAC. I'm pretty certain the first two are for the year. My first 4 were 0616. I'm not sure about Vermont. thanks for that - I reckon it will be WAC in that case- but the bank only gave us 9 numbers so we are short of one.. i have done all sorts of guesses but its not having it...I thought california was csc so thanks for that valuable info alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 11:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	As far as i know, case numbers all start with 3 letters. WAC is one sequence, I dont know what determines which letters they use, maybe the case type. But anyway its printed in the endorsement of the check, 4th line down. I reckon the letters are the service center - eg California Service center is CSC and nebraska is LIN (LINcoln nebraska).. I will ask Carolyn to call the bank again and search for clues.... Does anyone have a recent California NOA1 which starts 0710 or 6118 ?	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 10:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	My fiance got a notification in his email from the bank about his check was cashed and along with it there was an attachment of an image with poor quality one, and there were serial numbers on it. Ours starts with WAC one. We could only read that so he made an order to his bank to send him the original check. But NoA1 hard-copy came sooner, from it finally we could find out our number. Damn annoying if for NoA1 you have to wait for 2 months. Hmm, maybe should just wait for others here to post their better opinion. Hang in there . many thanks - hoping someone will recognize the number sequence starting with either 0710 or 6118 on recent NOA1's I remember only 2 service centers deal with I-130's now but cant remember which other apart from CSC portfolio log in screen has gone weird now so couldnt log in if i had it ! Total faith that a vj'er will spot this and offer the solution using the number sequence..... If it goes wrong now it could be another 2 months just to get noa1	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 10:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	Do you see anything with either EAC, WAC, LIN, or SEC one ? Carolyn rang her bank in Wisconsin and they quoted those 2 numbers but didn't mention any letters do all the Nebraska I-130's go to CSC bit apprehensive about trying lots of prefixes in case system locks me out Edited by saywhat, 05 March 2007 - 10:07 AM.	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 10:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	help please with NOA1 number	Story so far > filed early January with Nebraska -usc wife's last address > they sent it to California who sent it back to us in the UK saying file in London Filed in London - they sent it again to Nebraska 6th Feb - now sweating on NOA 1- so much can go wrong Carolyn rang her bank and her cheque (check) cleared 23rd February on the back are 2 numbers the first is 9 long and starts with 0710 the second is 10 long and starts with 6118 Tried to register the case on line by trying both these numbers with either CSC (California)or LIN(Nebraska) in front of the number - as i believe the I-130's for Nebraska are sent to California ??? It wont accept either !!!! and still no NOA1 ! 2 months into this and no NOA 1 !!!! Everyone gets NOA1 in 3 days - so this is really despairing time - I know if we ring they will do nothing without the number any clues please as to how we can discover if we have a case number ? thanks Alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-03-05 09:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	mailing agent and aos bill early	Looking at some folk's timelines, they have mailed aos payment and emailed the agent form as soon as NVC assigns a number but before NVC have produced the agent/aos bill... James' short cuts say to wait until these documents are produced but mailing from the UK, I reckon the documents will be produced or nearly produced when my aos payment arrives at the NVC Any successful experiences please ? alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-08 09:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IV fee bill - info please	It gets worse ! Found this at NVC >>> How much are the fees for the National Visa Center’s Services? The Affidavit of Support Fee is $70. The Immigrant Visa Fee is $335 and the Security Enhancement Fee is $45. Should I arrange 2 cheques - one for $70 and one for $380.00 ? ie is the iv bill always for $380.00 at the moment and is there a chance it will increase in the next month or two ? It will take a while to get such a check here in the UK but I need advice please from someone who has recently sent these in..... many thanks alan The AOS fee and the IV fee are two separate fees, sent in at two separate times with the two separate fee bills -- the AOS/I-864 fee bill (the first one, which is generated a couple of weeks after your case number is assigned along with the D'S-3032 choice of agent form) and the IV fee bill. So you will need two separate checks -- one for $70 and one for $380. Although USCIS (an agency of the Department of Homeland Security) is threatening to raise its fees as early as June 1, I have seen nothing indicating that the Department of State is raising its fees. And, yes, the IV fee check should be made out to the Department of State. fantastic ! many thanks - i will order the two checks - they are £15 ($30) each from my bank but I will save that the first time I fill my gas tank in Florida ! I reckon they will be valid for 6 months so I might as well order them now then i am on the starting blocks - tested the barcodes etc and worked very well with 'paint' program to get rid of logo before copy/paste.. worried about keeping up to date with word forms for fee bills if they change so i will keep checking on James shortcuts version 2 - excellent - a real life saver - many thanks - alan You're welcome! And don't count on saving too much on gas here in Florida because prices are at an incredible record high now and are still going up, though of course I suppose they are still relatively lower than the UK. Also, although you aren't going to get to this point for almost a couple of months, note that the link to the DS-230 coversheet in version 2.0 of the shortcuts is to the old coversheet -- I just provided the link to the current coversheet in the post following version 2.0. I knew I had seen you refer to a new coversheet somewhere - thats brill- I will keep my eye on the versions between now and when i need it... most SUV's fill up here for $150 to $200 and my little GM banger costs $90 so I am hoping to transfer the difference to my beer budget on arrival... Just been to France - $5 for a really small coffee in a street cafe (all of them) As long as they don't lose the file between USCIS and NVC (They lost my friend's file at that stage) then I will breath again... I use 0844 861 21 21 to call nvc from uk - one penny per minute which is superb... Thanks again James - you are really helping a lot of people to get through a really tough but so important process -Alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-09 07:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IV fee bill - info please	It gets worse ! Found this at NVC >>> How much are the fees for the National Visa Center’s Services? The Affidavit of Support Fee is $70. The Immigrant Visa Fee is $335 and the Security Enhancement Fee is $45. Should I arrange 2 cheques - one for $70 and one for $380.00 ? ie is the iv bill always for $380.00 at the moment and is there a chance it will increase in the next month or two ? It will take a while to get such a check here in the UK but I need advice please from someone who has recently sent these in..... many thanks alan The AOS fee and the IV fee are two separate fees, sent in at two separate times with the two separate fee bills -- the AOS/I-864 fee bill (the first one, which is generated a couple of weeks after your case number is assigned along with the D'S-3032 choice of agent form) and the IV fee bill. So you will need two separate checks -- one for $70 and one for $380. Although USCIS (an agency of the Department of Homeland Security) is threatening to raise its fees as early as June 1, I have seen nothing indicating that the Department of State is raising its fees. And, yes, the IV fee check should be made out to the Department of State. fantastic ! many thanks - i will order the two checks - they are £15 ($30) each from my bank but I will save that the first time I fill my gas tank in Florida ! I reckon they will be valid for 6 months so I might as well order them now then i am on the starting blocks - tested the barcodes etc and worked very well with 'paint' program to get rid of logo before copy/paste.. worried about keeping up to date with word forms for fee bills if they change so i will keep checking on James shortcuts version 2 - excellent - a real life saver - many thanks - alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-09 07:04:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IV fee bill - info please	It gets worse ! Found this at NVC >>> How much are the fees for the National Visa Center’s Services? The Affidavit of Support Fee is $70. The Immigrant Visa Fee is $335 and the Security Enhancement Fee is $45. Should I arrange 2 cheques - one for $70 and one for $380.00 ? ie is the iv bill always for $380.00 at the moment and is there a chance it will increase in the next month or two ? It will take a while to get such a check here in the UK but I need advice please from someone who has recently sent these in..... many thanks alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-09 06:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IV fee bill - info please	oops me again ! if the VJ folk reckon the Halifax PLC (UK) bank draft is ok so long as its drawn on the bank of new york, who should i have it made payable to ? I know it will say on the IV bill, but I have to do this well in advance here in the UK.. Is it $380.00 made payable to 'Department of State' like the AOS bill for $70.00 ??? James' short cuts don't have a specimen of the IV bill and I can't find one.. alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-09 04:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IV fee bill - info please	Just working through James' short cuts-getting ready- and I see that the AOS fee bill needs a $70.00 money order or cashier's check. As we are both resident in the UK, this is going to require some fancy footwork unless anyone can think how to obtain such a beast in the UK from presumably a US bank branch here..... Then I wondered about the IV fee bill - is it $70.00 again ? and must it have the same cashier's cheque/money order ? Wow just when I thought I understood the short cuts (version2), I suddenly noticed this beasty ! Alan of course the IV bill is $380.00 .. the Halifax plc do an 'international draft' for £15.00 drwan on bank of new york - do we reckon this is ok ? alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-09 04:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IV fee bill - info please	Just working through James' short cuts-getting ready- and I see that the AOS fee bill needs a $70.00 money order or cashier's check. As we are both resident in the UK, this is going to require some fancy footwork unless anyone can think how to obtain such a beast in the UK from presumably a US bank branch here..... Then I wondered about the IV fee bill - is it $70.00 again ? and must it have the same cashier's cheque/money order ? Wow just when I thought I understood the short cuts (version2), I suddenly noticed this beasty ! Alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-09 03:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Will the fees ever end?	That's right - do not, under pain of nervous collapse, read what it will cost to become a citizen after the 3 years ! when you have won the lottery - look up the N400 fee to naturalize (new one) I am going to start my own country the next time a volcano rises out of the Pacific and do it for half the price.. The first laws will include free beer on Saturdays and no clothes allowed except for people I don't fancy, where it is compulsory alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-13 10:44:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Ethnic/Religious Fears...	I'm glad you understand what I'm trying to say... Each time I'm the ONLY American on a flight and yet I'm also the ONLY person from the flight detained for "homeland security" questioning while entering my own country I'm reminded about how much of a "big deal" my religion is to some people... yes I wasn't trying to be alarmist as I don't think the US is underhand - just the opposite - I think they do things a bit roughly and too out in the open sometimes when they can be just as effective at protecting the country by being a bit more diplomatic. I am sure they can scrutinise everyone on visa waiver - I am sure they do - and as a regular traveller I sure want them to - but this stark policy proposal is just going to get people's backs up and fuel some excitable youngster when it could have been done better. getting back to the main point of the post - there are some real rednecks around in some of the states but the Government seem very fair to me - they do what they have to with security but I reckon that non-trouble makers will NOT have a problem being treated equally. When I lived in Wisconsin I was shocked at how many educated and fair thinking and gentle and intelligent people were around - I was expecting the stereotype redneck - but it's a big country ! yes that made me want to go back.... as far as being pulled out of line - yes i bet that hurts - but they are being a bit simplistic - if you were a suspicious person they shouldnt do that - but they should follow you night and day - so at least while they are being obvious about it, it's likely nothing too duplicitous is going on - when they wave you through you can start to worry ! seriously though , you have my sympathy with the present situation and lets hope someone makes some big moves to get peace soon so we can all get back to where it used to be ...alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-13 12:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Ethnic/Religious Fears...	Ethnic sorting is alive and well ! Do you know that Americans who looked (etc) Japanese were put into concentration camps in the USA during the second world war ? You should. I live in Blackburn Lancashire England where 25% of the population is Moslem. This week the US floated the idea of requiring British Citizens (including British Born) with Pakistani backgrounds, to apply for a visa to visit the USA whilst all the rest of the Brits can come in on visa waiver. There are practical problems because most people's parents were born in India because Pakistan did not exist... My point is that if splitting the flock into sheep and goats is proposed this week, you can tell that what happened in the past is alive and well. Of course anyone with an obviously Moslem background will have deep security checks - but no I don't think there is any intent to refuse people's rights to immigrate... but be aware - we Brits are not all the same any more... some will stand to the left and some to the right I am a white atheist by the way - but if were a Moslem I would be highly offended by this suggestion as a Brit is a Brit- what the US is after can, (and I am sure is) done by security checks anyway without this proposal which is demeaning to a Briton born in Britain. They sure pulled Cat Stevens out of the line visa waiver or no alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-13 10:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	tax data authorisation form	When I got the AOS packet, the Tax Authorization form was not in there. I did not send it and it seems to be O.K with NVC hey thanks for contributing - I knew I had seen something about it but could not figure out where.. Does anyone know when they stopped asking for the tax form ? alan....	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-14 02:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	tax data authorisation form	I am sure there was some doubt as to whether this is still required - can any recent receivers of the AOS pack say for definite whether this form is still included ??? ALSO !! Has anyone any theories about why the NVC system is like it is ? for instance why don't they take credit/debit cards over the phone and why get the bills paid before they send the forms out ? why not just say 'attach a bankers check for $380' I have a theory - sometime in the past, their staff were swamped with work so they invented a system to shove the work out into the future and create a waiting line - it took the pressure off but now they are stuck with it. If they just asked you to attach a check to the form it would swamp them again in the short term second theory - they want to give immigrants breathing time to see if they really want to emigrate third theory - the USA is a highly neurotic society that lives on vitamin sales etc - they don't want anyone to enter until they have had their head thoroughly messed up by the immigration process and are ready to start buying mental health services on landing many thanks alan	Captain Oates	Male	England	2007-05-13 10:01:00