Just mailed off I-130
 

We married; mailed off our I-130 & G 325-A forms. Now we wait. I went over the paperwork I don't know how many times to make sure I had everything answered, and went through the instructions just as many times to make sure I had all the documentation they required. Every time I did, I found something else I was lacking. I feel like I've forgotten something still, and am scared to death something will be wrong and it'll be sent back or whatever they do in those cases and our waiting time will be increased. I swear, this is so stressful. I think I'd have better odds winning the jackpot on Jeopardy! than going through this process!

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

I have just posted my I130 but to the London embassy, are you filing in the states? If not then the London website has removed the G325-A forms and replaced it with the I130A instead and updated the checklist to show this. Good luck with the process :thumbsup:

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Good luck, Shrinky! I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine, and I am certain the anxiety is normal. My husband and I are also in the first stages of the CR-1 process and are currently waiting for our NOA2, having filed the I-130 back in October. Hopefully any day (/week) now!

I'm keeping a timeline thread, which I'll update as and when anything changes - hopefully it might give you a rough idea of current average processing times, fingers crossed (in both our cases) without any RFEs. :thumbsup:

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

I'm glad I posted....saw AndyMan74's post and went back to check....the forms have been updated since we downloaded, completed and printed.

We're having to go back now and redo everything. I'm crying now.

It's asking for a form I-94 record number....he doesn't have that! That's what they turn in at customs when they get their passport stamped! They also ask for a travel document number - what is that?!

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

DOH! One good tip is to always check you have the latest version of the forms before posting off your documents. You may still be ok with the older forms so don't panic.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

The I-94 is now available online to download and print.

Rene

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

You've already mailed everything. Don't take any further action until you hear from USCIS. If they need updated forms, they'll let you know. If you send in another package, it will just confuse them.

Rene

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

It's only required if the beneficiary is in the US at the time of filling in the form.

The I-94 can be retrieved online at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/recent-search

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

We're fixing it now....goodness gracious.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

I agree. If USCIS want anything they will mail you. Don't send anything to them without it being triggered by them first. They will provide instructions if it is required.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Ok, will hold off. I'm going to need y'all for this process....I'll screw it up without the help!

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

This is what is written on the I-130 form "Edition Date" tab on the USCIS website.

02/27/17. Starting 04/28/17, USCIS will only accept the 02/27/17 edition. Until then, you can use the 12/23/16 edition

Plus under the "Special Instructions" tab it says

If you are using the 12/23/16 edition of Form I-130 to file for your spouse, you must also submit two Form G-325A, Biographic Information: one for you and one for your spouse.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Chicago lockbox has our paperwork. I just put hubby on plane back to Scotland. Now we wait. I'm so nervous about everything, and I hate being separated from him.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

As Ian here always says, focus on the goal, not the journey. :) My husband and I are five months into this process, and it certainly does leave you a lot of time to think, but I try and use that time to be excited about what lies ahead at the end of it all. For me, something switched once we'd sent off the paperwork, and any nerves/apprehension/sadness I'd felt about leaving my family and starting over (the sadness was rife!) completely left me, and pure excitement took its place - it's a lovely feeling and one I don't mind clinging onto while it lasts! It's different for the USC, of course. But perhaps that excuse for endless happy daydreams is the upside of this long wait. :)

Wishing you lots of luck - hopefully this first part of the process can go quickly and without further hitch for you now. :fingerscrossed:

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Thank you KK. I'm just hoping that the approval of the I-130 doesn't take forever, but then I'm massively freaking out about what happens after that. Do they tell you what paperwork comes next? Will the next step(s) be clear?

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

They do! :nod:

I am yet to start the second part of the process, so can't speak to you from personal experience, but this wiki is very helpful for giving a base idea of what to expect - CR-1 : British Expat Wiki - and I also find it very helpful to keep to this forum regularly and read about other peoples' experiences and timelines.

From my understanding, once our petition (I-130) has been approved, our case gets transferred to the NVC, at which point we are invited to apply for our visa. We need to complete the affidavit of support (I-864, or I-864EZ, depending upon your circumstances) and the immigrant visa application (DS-260) at this stage; we also need to pay the various fees that accompany these forms, and can then book our medical and interview. I am certain there is a lot more to it than this, and of course every case is different! There are so many people on these forums who are far more knowledgeable than me, and I'm sure they'll be around to assist you. Until then, this is a very base idea, and sometimes it's good to see it simplified a bit. Definitely have a read of that wiki!

At some point, your husband will need to apply for an ACRO (police report) and also make sure he at least has a copy of his vaccination records (I applied and paid for my full medical records to be on the safe side as I have past health issues). I made the mistake of ordering my ACRO a bit too early in the process, as although they're valid for a year for immigration purposes, they ought to be no more than six months old at the time of the medical (though some on this forum who made the same mistake as me have said this wasn't an issue for them). I recommend your husband applies for his ACRO once you've received your NOA2. But you can at least organise the medical records at this stage, and that's one thing ticked off the list. It's good to feel like you're doing something! :)

I am equally apprehensive and will no doubt have a ton of questions once the day arrives for my husband and I to start this second part of the process! We are due our NOA2 any day/week now, so we are slightly ahead of you - I will be updating my timeline thread with details of our journey, so please do feel free to follow that as I'm sure there will be kind, knowledgeable people offering sound advice all over it when I start panicking about what comes next. http://britishexpats.com/forum/marri...ourney-886824/

Good luck! And definitely stay active on this forum - read everything posted in the Marriage Based Visas group, especially, because even if the specifics of a particular thread don't apply to you, they are always very informative and often open our eyes up to something we've missed that might very well affect us. :)

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Everything KK85 said. A very well written and informative post (-:

Our I-130 was just filed last week in London so we have about 75-90 days to wait for NOA2. Role on May/June :thumbup:

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Just out of curiosity where in Scotland is he from? I'm from Glasgow!

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

If you filed in the UK then you are not doing the same process as KK85 or Shrinky. They are doing the CR-1 through the US service center filing. So their process at this point until it reaches London is different than yours.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Notaclue - hubby is from Perth. His dad is from Glasgow though.

Does anyone know if there is a website that you can login to and check the status of I-130 and the rest of the paperwork as it processes?

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

You really need to make this your to-go first place each day. The first indication that your paperwork is being processed is when your check is cashed or you receive your first NOA. There isn't a site that I'm aware of for tracking the process, at least not until the paperwork goes to the NVC.

All these things are talked about often so by reading the many posts from people in your situation, you will learn more of the ins and outs than you thought possible.

I know you are anxious but please put that aside. Just because you are now married and apart doesn't mean that the relationship is not valid and that either one of you will stop loving the other. You will not die from heartbreak of separation. Rene and her husband have never lived together and they have been married for close to or more than 15 years now. I have lived apart from my husband with only occasional visits twice a year for 5 years. The marriages survived as did the feelings for each other. Yours will as well. Just get on with your life. You have so much to do to prepare for your husband to make his home with you. Concentrate on that and you will be fine.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Comments deleted. Edit: my apologies, I have just realised Rete's comment was directed to AndyMan74, not Shrinky, so the information I provided was incorrect.

I agree with Rete, that this forum ought to be your first port of call for any questions, and definitely for your reading and research. :thumbup: There is a platform on the USCIS website (here: https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do) on which you can view the status of your case, but you can't use this until you've received your receipt number (it'll be on your NOA1), and the general advice is to take everything you read there with a pinch of salt anyway, as it is not always updated and the information it does get updated with is minimal. Besides which, the status of my case hasn't budged for over five months, so repeatedly refreshing and hoping for a change can be quite soul-destroying!

Keep your eye out on the mail for your NOAs and for your future instructions, and become a regular on this forum. :)

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Thank you KK.

They cashed our check. I hope this means they approved I-130.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

You're very welcome!

It means they've received your petition, but not that they've approved it. The approval is the bit that takes 4-6 months to process, on average. Soon you will receive your NOA1 (notice of action) in the mail, which serves to inform you that they've received your case and it's been forwarded to a service centre, where it will be added to the pile of I-130s to be worked on.

They'll notify you when they've approved your petition with an NOA2, which will be several months from now, and at which point your husband will be invited to begin proceedings to apply for the visa. Until then, you just sit back and wait! :)

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

4-6 MONTHS? I thought it was 3-6 weeks to approve the petition and then the longest bit was everything after that. And so he cannot visit during this time....glad to know this.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

If the I-130 was filed in the USA, then yes, it's months until the next step.

He IS allowed to visit during the process.

Rene

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

He can come to visit you at any time in this process.

This first part (the I-130 petition) is actually the longest part, usually. The advice commonly given in this forum is to expect the I-130 petition to take 4-6 months, and allow 3-5 months for what comes next. At the moment, the general consensus is that the entire process takes between 8-10 months, start to finish.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

I keep getting confused on the visitation thing. I've heard everything from he cannot visit here at all during the process to he can visit, but only AFTER the I-130 is approved. So he can visit while waiting for the I-130 approval?

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

He can. I am in precisely your husband's position (five months wait, so far!), and went to visit my husband in February. :) All the usual rules apply for the VWP - he can come to visit you and stay for up to 90 days.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Yes! Like Rene said: visiting is allowed.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Thanks y'all. I feel better now. For right now, he has to visit me as I spent all my leave time at work LAST YEAR visiting him. LOL So this works...I feel relieved.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

Yes.

Rene

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

SDD: I have to ask this. Are you a reading member of Visa Journey? I ask because their information is so distorted and so incorrect that it can be mindboggling. That can also be true of many other sites and yes, sometimes if someone does not read a thread all the way through, it can be said of this site as well. Fortunately, MBV has members who are quite knowledgeable and great at research so somewhere in a thread a misconception will be corrected by someone.

Also you appear to be confusing the two CR-1 processes. There is one that is Direct Consular Filing (DCF) where the I-130 is sent to the US Consulate/Embassy and the I-130 filing stateside for the ultimate CR-1 which is the one you are doing. They have different timelines for the approval of the I-130 and different steps for you as opposed to those doing DCF. You will be doing the affidavit of support at the NVC. The DCF'ers will do it at the US Consulate. Thus, your petition will take longer than the DCF'ers because of the multiple steps and services centers your petition needs to work through in the US before being sent to the UK. Hope this helps you.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

We are not DCF. This is the only expat site I visit. So now I'm curious what the difference in timelines are. Is it 4-6 months for us, or is that DCF?

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

The shorter timeline of 4 to 6 months is DCF.

Your timeline, as we've said, is about 8 to 10 months.

Rene

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

I know you aren't DCF because you sent your I-130 stateside.

Stinks doesn't it but this is what happens when you cut out the middle man, i.e. USCIS from the equation. The time will go fast. You will have the rest of your lives together. :amen:

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

We had to wait 5 months for our I-130 to be approved, and then another 3 weeks to receive the case number before we could proceed to the next step.

It has been over 2 months since we submitted the DS-260 and supporting documents. When we contacted them for a status update, we were told it's now taking at least 11 weeks from receipt for processing, and that our application is now being processed. 2 weeks later, and we are still waiting.

I don't know how long it takes for my application to be sent to London once approved, or how long I have to wait for a medical and interview dates. And with the possibility of 'extreme vetting' taking place, I suspect processing times will just get longer.

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

I saw your name pop up on another thread earlier, ivanidea, and wondered how you'd been getting on! I'm sorry to hear you're still in the thick of the waiting game. :zzz: Really hope things start to hurry along for you soon - so close to the end now!

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

When I discussed the matter with my boss, I explained that if everything went to plan and followed the expected timetable of 8-10 months, then I'd be handing my notice in April/May.

I suppose it's still possible, although I don't think I'll be in the USA for our first wedding anniversary in June :(

Re: Just mailed off I-130
 

I know it's no good to be speculative in these situations, but from every recent timeline I've seen, once the NVC has completed their bit and sent instructions for interview, everything seems to happen very quickly and all at once. I'll be keeping everything crossed for you. My husband and I are hoping to be reunited in time for our 1st anniversary (9th September), too. :fingerscrossed: