Alba2018

CR-1 (Close Relation) Marriage based Visa Timeline:

Background: UKC (UK Citizen) met partner USC (USA Citizen) online several years ago and both travelled frequently UK-USA.

Married in USA 27th Jan 2019  UKC entered USA under WWP and married. UKC subsequently left USA.

Engaged an Immigration Attorney to hopefully simplify the process and avoid any errors which may delay the process.

Documentation and evidence required (By Attorney to be sent to DHS)

Petitioner (USC)
• I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative)
• I-130A (Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary)
• Marriage certificate (original provided and copied)
• US passport as evidence US citizen (original provided and copied)
• Copy of all stamped pages - UK entry stamps (originals provided and copied)
• 2 passport photographs (originals)
• Divorce Certificate (original provided and copied)
• Photographs showing us at various locations and stages of our relationship (originals provided and copied)
• Copies of Birthday, Xmas etc cards with dated envelopes (originals provided and copied)

Beneficiary (UKC)
• Passport Biographic page (Colour Scan)
• All stamped pages - US entry stamps (Colour scans)
• Birth certificate (Colour scan)
• 2 Passport photos posted UK to USA Attorney (originals)

11th March 2019 Attorney posted application and evidence. Cost $535 DHS & $500 Lawyer.

I-797C NOA1 (Notice Of Action) Received
(Issued to communicate receipt of payments, rejection of applications, transfer of files, fingerprint biometric, interview and re-scheduled appointments, and re-open cases.)

Delivered to my spouse by post from DHS (Department of Homeland Security)
• Received date: 13th March 2019
• Priority date: 13th March 2019
• Notice date: 18th March 2019

That’s all folks …. For now 

tom169

Good luck with the process. Hopefully you have a competent immigration attorney. Generally folks here DIY It unless there are foreseen problems such as a criminal record.

Note that CR-1 means conditional resident.

Alba2018

Thanks.
Attorney deals with complex Immigration cases and said ours appears very simple.
Yes, I have a CIMT aged 16 maybe 17 (UKC) over 30 years ago so thought it best to use an Attorney.
Attorney stated it was hardly likely to be an issue but not definitive.

I noticed my error but alas can't seem to edit my original post!?

Rete

Curious why he send the I-130 and evidence to the DHS and not the USCIS.

Since you will be going for the CR-1 visa, your criminal record will not come into play until your interview at the US Embassy. There is little, if any, that the attorney can do for you at that stage other than help you with preparation of a waiver of inadmissibility if one is required if you are denied at the interview.

Alba2018

As I cannot edit my posts it's not possible to correct errors in OP.

As I'm not in USA and not receiving the information directly then I can't be 100% accurate. Cheque was written out to DHS and NOA was received from DHS so I assumed info was sent to DHS.

civilservant

All notices are labelled as from the Department of Homeland Security even when sent from USCIS, since USCIS is a department of DHS.

Pulaski

You get 2hrs, literally 120 minutes, to edit/ correct a post on BE.
Well engaging an attorney necessarily adds extra steps, and possibly delays, depending on their priorities and availability of their staff. It could spend a number of days sitting on someone's desk - that has happened. So the balance of probabilities is that you have added a few days to process, but it could be longer.

Also attorneys have been known to either make mistakes and/ or over complicate things - after all, they benefit from billing extra to solve the problems, even ones they may have caused themselves.

Alba2018