Joe D.

Hi guys and gals,
On 1/23 my wife and I got NOA2 for our K3, filed on 10/28.

Then today I was surprised to find another letter in the mail from
USCIS in Vermont. When I opened it I was bewildered to find an
approval for our I-130, filed on 10/14/03. I was sure this wouldn't
come until sometime in 2005.

So now, what should we do?????
Should we proceed as planned with the K3 and take care of the I-130
later? I'm not even sure what the right steps are after the I-130
approval, as I haven't even begun to research that part of the journey
yet.

Very confused right now. And very excited!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you everyone, especially S.A.

BEST,
joe

shepslady

First of all Congrats on both approvals in good time too. Sorry I cant offer any advice on this one but will be watching with interest to see if you get any answers.
Seems to me the longer you try to stay on top of these things the more confusing it gets
Goodluck
Regards
Shepslady

Joe D.

friendly ^bump^

[email protected] (Joe D.) wrote in message news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > Hi guys and gals,
    > On 1/23 my wife and I got NOA2 for our K3, filed on 10/28.
    >
    > Then today I was surprised to find another letter in the mail from
    > USCIS in Vermont. When I opened it I was bewildered to find an
    > approval for our I-130, filed on 10/14/03. I was sure this wouldn't
    > come until sometime in 2005.
    >
    > So now, what should we do?????
    > Should we proceed as planned with the K3 and take care of the I-130
    > later? I'm not even sure what the right steps are after the I-130
    > approval, as I haven't even begun to research that part of the journey
    > yet.
    >
    > Very confused right now. And very excited!
    >
    > Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
    >
    > Thank you everyone, especially S.A.
    >
    > BEST,
    > joe

jjrimell

This was our understanding. I got my I-130 approval just before I actually got
the K3 in my hand.

The I-130 process still has several months to go after the basic approval, so I would definately finish getting the K3.

Once you have a K3 and are in the US you have a choice.

1. you can file an Adjustment of Status and get your green card that way.
2. you can ignore the AOS and allow the existing I-130 process to run its course.

We decided that since we had the I-130 approval, that option 2 would be faster. It does mean that I have to return to London for my interview but that is not a problem for me. I can tell you what happens with the option 2 route, as we are still in that process. It involves a lot of forms going back and forth to the NVC and some unexpected demands for money!

1. National Visa Center(NVC) in Portsmouth, NH, sends potential greencard recipent a "confirm your address" form. You send it back.
2. NVC then sends the petitioner a demand for $65 "or else they will stop processing the case". They say that when they receive the money they will send youa blank Affidavite of support I-864. you are not allowed to obtain the form by any other means eg download off website. (it is really the processing fee)
3. NVC then sends a demand for $335 "or else they will stop processing the case". This is the DS230 processing fee.
4. NVC sends blank addidavit forms to petitioner. You get them filled out and send them back
5. NVC sends blank DS230 form. You get them filled out and send them back. This is identical to the K3 DS230 form btw!
6. NVC sends everything to London embassy and you do the whole interview thingy again.

We have just sent back the DS230 forms, so hopefully in a week or two I'll hear about my London interview date.

One thing of note: The Green card needs more vaccinations that the K3. This is the list of vaccinations I have been told I must have (I haven't heard of some of then).

mumps,
measles,
rubella,
polio,
tenanus and diptheria toxiods,
pertussis (???)
influenzae type b (Hib) and,
hepatitis B,
varicella,
pneumococcal
influenza

I recommend you get them done at your own GP because the doctors who do the embassy medical charge a fortune for them.

Going back to our original choice; we still think we were right in not going for option 1 (filing an AOS). The AOS itself needs to get approval which we thought would take a while. Given that we had I-130 approval, we were (are) sure that what we are doing is quicker.

Incidently, on arriving in the US on my K3, I filed for the EAD straight away. It took 1 month for them to send us the receipt (NOA1) and it will be another 60 to 90 days from when I have my fingerprints taken which itself isn't until end of march. We reckon we will have the greencard before the EAD arrives! Work authorisation is a race between the greencard and the EAD and we think that the greencard is in the lead!!!

Good luck (and mind your head in the doctors toilets )

John

Dorceia

Congratulations!! We also have two petitions that were approved (I129f(K3) and I130). My husband will come over on the K3 2/19/04 and go back for his I130 interview since we started that process first. We should have an interview for the I130 around April/2004. Good Luck with whatever route you choose.

Rete

Actually I don't think you have a choice if the I-130 is approved you HAVE to go that way with the US Consulate. The K-3 will not be processed if the US Consulate is advised that the I-130 has been approved stateside.

For you the approved I-129F apparently was received by the US Consulate and your K-3 processing started before they were advised of the approved I-130. The OP is running neck and neck on this approvals. Will be interesting to see what transpires.

Rete

Hypertweeky

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Folinskyinla

Hi:

It depends. It pays to remember that the K-3 is still a pretty new beastie and not all the kinks have been worked out.

You may be able and will want to do BOTH if you can.

There are a lot of factors to be considered.

Good luck.

Joe D.

Thanks for all the input folks.
We really appreciate the help. I called my congressional assistant
who has been helping me from time to time and shes going to see if she
can find out which route may be quicker for us.

I'd love to have my wife enter as a permanent resident, but then
again, if that's going to take another 3-4 months, I'd be happy with
the k3...I just want her here ASAP!

I'll keep you guys posted.

When I started this process back in July I never dreamed I'd have the
situation on my hands where the I-130 was approved so soon!



Folinskyinla <member4043@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > Originally posted by Joe D.
    > > Hi guys and gals,
    > > On 1/23
    > my wife and I got NOA2 for our K3, filed on 10/28.
    > >
    > > Then today I was
    > surprised to find another letter in the mail from
    > > USCIS in Vermont.
    > When I opened it I was bewildered to find an
    > > approval for our I-130,
    > filed on 10/14/03. I was sure this wouldn't
    > > come until sometime in
    > 2005.
    > >
    > > So now, what should we do?????
    > > Should we proceed as planned
    > with the K3 and take care of the I-130
    > > later? I'm not even sure what
    > the right steps are after the I-130
    > > approval, as I haven't even begun
    > to research that part of the journey
    > > yet.
    > >
    > > Very confused right
    > now. And very excited!
    > >
    > > Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
    > >
    >
    > > Thank you everyone, especially S.A.
    > >
    > > BEST,
    > > joe
    >
    > Hi:
    >
    >
    > It depends. It pays to remember that the K-3 is still a pretty new
    > beastie and not all the kinks have been worked out.
    >
    > You may be able and
    > will want to do BOTH if you can.
    >
    > There are a lot of factors to be
    > considered.
    >
    > Good luck.