Noa?
 

What exactly does 1st NOA and 2nd NOA mean?

NOA is Notification of Action for short. First NOA is when your documents/application has been received, opened and filed for processing. The second NOA is when the ball is rolling and when you can start getting excited, :)))

Re: Noa?
 

Hi:

The Service Centers respond with a series of communications on Form I-797 which is entitled "Notice of Action" which has been abbreviated as "NOA" on the NG's. If things go smoothly, the 1st NOA will be on "torch paper" and will be the reciept of filing and the 2nd NOA will also be on torch paper and will be the approval notice.

However, it there is an error which prevents filing such as check for improper amount, the your first NOA will be a rejection with the application returned to you.

IF INS needs something more, you will get an NOA on blue paper with an attachment requesting evidence -- however, this is know as the "RFE".

some abbreviations may have multiple meanings -- for example I've seen "AOS" used for both the affidavit of support and for adjustment of status.

When I was in the US Army, we had an acronym of "FTA", a less common definition being "Fun, travel and advenuture" which was NOT what we meant. However, I often think that INS uses a version of "FTA" as a tool of statutory construction.