holliethewollie

Hi All.

I hope someone will be able to help me a little. My Mother is a US Citizen and filed petition for me (married, over 21) daughter on an I-130. This was in 2006. Previously, when my Mother was just a LPR and I was unmarried we had submitted an I-130 in 2003, this changed following her Citizenship and my marriage.

Yesterday she recieved an I-797 Notice of Acceptence. It says that the US that the petition has been approved in the Californian processessing centre and will now be sent to somewhere else within the US to then be sent onto the US Embassy in London, who will subsequently invite me for for want of a better word, an interview.

This is all new to me and I am very unsure what this actually means. Does this mean that once invited to the Embassy I will be granted a residency visa? Has anyone else been through this process? Does anyone have any timeframe ideas!?

Thanks so much guys x

Noorah101

Once the I-130 is approved at the service center, it gets sent to National Visa Center (NVC) in New Hampshire, USA. There is stays until your priority date becomes current.

If your priority date is current, your mom will start receiving correspondence from NVC - asking for some fees, Affidavit of Support, choice of agent, etc. When that's all done, they your case goes to London, and they contact you to begin filling out the Immigrant Visa applications, how to get your medical done, and you'll also need a police report.

Eventually you'll go in person to the US Embassy in London for a visa interview. If approved, you receive an Immigrant Visa, which is good for 6 months. Once you use that visa to immigrate to the USA, you become a US Permanent Resident right away as you enter the USA.

When your priority date becomes current, and NVC contacts your mom, the rest of the process probably takes about 4 - 6 months to complete.

Google "visa bulletin" to see if your priority date is current.

For more information, you can also read the US Embassy in London's website under "Immigrant Visas".

Rene

holliethewollie

Rene, thank you so much for your reply. I think I understand. Please excuseme if I am being stupid here, so many people keep telling me different things!

I have reviewed the Visa Bulletinfor April 2010. It provides family sponsored preferences of which I would be considered "Third: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences".

It provides a chart which says that Third preferences for other chargability areas -22 May 2001. Is this the current priority date?

Once again sorry to be thick, I just am a little confused. Thanks again

Noorah101

No problem. That chart shows that they are currently working on I-130 petitions that were filed in May 2001. Your priority date, I believe, is the date on the receipt of the I-130 (NOA). When the date on the visa bulletin becomes the same as the date on the I-130 NOA, then your priority date is current.

Rene

holliethewollie

Thank you so very much. I honestly did suspect this was the case, it was just so confusing as this I-797 Notice of approval, for someone who is desperately waiting, is just a little too hopeful!

I guess, its great news... just now a waiting game!

Thanks once again x x x

S Folinsky

Query: did your mom naturalize before OR after you marriage? You don't say.

S Folinsky

Comment: I see two visa petitions filed there. We don't know which one was approved. We don't have the facts to see if the first one was cut-off by the marriage or not. In other words, the notice just might be incorrect; or it might be entirely correct.

Comment: [not to denigrate Rene's post in any way] A common fallacy is read the visa bulletin as saying how long your case will take. It does not. It simply says what cases are being handled today -- it does not say how many people are in line ahead of you. Further comment: There was a bulge of I-130 filings in the first four months of 2001 due to the "245(i)" provision. Once the cut-off date went ahead of April 30, 2001 last December, there was probably a spike in adjustment filings which then had to be worked through. Since the cutoff will advance next month, this indicates things might move relatively quickly from now on.

holliethewollie

Hi Guys!

Firstly thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post. It is genuinely appreciated.

I have asked mum to get the paperwork and double check the dates for me. As far as I understand, she filed petition for me in late 2003 (not 2001, apologies) when she was just a LPR, for me as her unmarried but over 21 yr old daughter.

I married in Oct 2005, within weeks of this my Mother's naturalization concluded and she became a US Citizen. It would have then been potentially late 2005 or early 2006 when we re-filed, after my marriage.
I am not 100% sure whether we had to completely re-file or whether both her status and my status could just be amended.

I have read something that say if a status changes for either party the previous petition is null and void and the process starts again. Does anyone know if this would be the case here?

@S Folinsky - thank you for your post. That sounds like it could potentially be better news on the timescale for priority dates. I have also heard that Obama has plans to speed this process up also. So fingers crossed!

Thanks again all - I will get my mum to check the papers and come back.