Updated Flowchart and Wikis

Over the weekend, I finally got around to updating the flowchart and both my wikis to the new process NVC released back in September.

Links to updated information:

NVC Process Wiki

Wiki for Canadian Spouses for NVC (EP and Online Forms)

Flowchart

Wiki on EP and online forms

So, back in January I believe, I started working on a wiki I wanted to put up on VJ about the NVC process for Montreal beneficiaries in relation to electronic processing and online forms. I wrote most of it while going through the process myself. Once our case was complete at NVC, I put the finishing touches on it and finally published it on the wiki section of NVC. The link can be found here. Hope this helps other Canadians and any others that are also doing EP and/or online forms!

~Lindsay

P.S. Still patiently waiting for an interview date! Last week, I saw someone on VJ who had a case complete the day before ours got assigned an interview date for April 20! It's very possible that I can get an interview date for late April! I'm so thrilled that Montreal is getting faster. I can't believe that only last year it used to take 5 months from CC to interview, but now it's dropped to 2 months and below. Go Montreal go! ^_^

DS-230 explained

*Reference link to abbreviations/terms post*

Time to explain the DS-230! This form is the application for an immigration visa and filled out by the beneficiary (me!). It asks basic info about the beneficiary, their parents, locations lived, employment, education, etc.

This form is sent in at the NVC stage along with the I-864 that I explained last week. Before sending in the DS-230 though, the IV bill has to appear in the payment portal, then be paid, then appear as 'PAID'. Once that's done, then the DS-230 can be sent in.

The documents needed for this package are:
-cover letter explaining what is included
-receipt that you paid the bill and it was approved
-part 1 of the form (completed and signed)
-part 2 of the form (completed and UNSIGNED*)
-2 passport pictures of the beneficiary (with the beneficiary's name, date of birth, and NVC case number written on the back)
-copy of passport bio page of beneficiary
-original birth certificate, plus a photocopy**
-original marriage certificate, plus a photocopy**
-original police certificate***, plus a photocopy**

*Part 2 of the DS-230 is signed at the interview after the information is reviewed

**A photocopy of the birth certificate, marriage certificate, and police certificate is needed because the originals will be handed back at the interview and USCIS needs a photocopy for their records.

***The police certificate can either be obtained from the local police station, or in my case also the RCMP.

Back in August I went to my local police station for more information. It would cost me $60 to obtain, be valid for 6 months, and if no problems, would only take a day or two to get. Because it's only valid for 6 months, I'm probably going to get it in December. I'd like it to be valid for the interview as well since I don't want to pay another $60 for another one. I don't want to wait till our I-130 is approved in case it takes a bit longer to get the police certificate. But I guess I'd rather pay a second $60 than be delayed awhile at NVC. So watch out for a post in December about the police certificate (unless I change my mind).

I also saw a few people on VJ getting RFE's for prior visas. They've all been about J1 visas, but even though I had a different visa, I'm still going to include an explanation of my previous visa, just to be on the safe side. I had an L2 (child of an L1 visa holder) back in 2005. My mother had an L1 (intra-company transfer) when her work moved from Quebec to Florida. I moved back to Quebec 2 years later when I finished high school. I'm going to try to get from my mother a photocopy of our notices of approvals and I'm going to include a photocopy of my old passport with the stamp in it from July, 2005 when we went through the border with our visas.

Also, not to forget that the case number must be written on all pages in the package at the top right corner except for the bar-coded receipt page.

If Ben and I opt in for electronic processing, the process is a little different. The DS-230 requires 2 passport pictures, so a photocopy of 2 pictures with different named files should be attached in the email (as silly as it sounds). Also, a scan of the original civil documents. At the interview then the original DS-230 forms and documents are handed in (minus the original civil documents). I forgot to mention this in the I-864 post, but it would be the same thing. Scan all the documents and attach it in the emails and bring in all originals at the interview to hand in (forms, employment letter, pay stubs, etc)

~Lindsay

NVC process explained

*Before I begin, a note: I edited the abbreviations entry to add a few terms that I'll be using today that I forgot to include before*

I thought today I'd give a general overview of the whole NVC process which Ben and I should get into in about 4 months (hoping for less though!).

To start, there are two options for NVC: regular snail mail or electronic processing. But to note, EP is mandatory in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan and optional for those in Montreal, Canada and Guangzhou, China. All other countries are unable to opt-in for EP at this time and have to send in documents by snail mail. Unless there's a sudden slow-down or major problems with EP between now and when we get to NVC, I believe Ben and I will be opting in for EP as it will be cheaper (no sending packages overnight to NVC) and possibly faster.

The NVC process is as follows:

1. Receive NOA2 from USCIS
2. Petition is sent by USCIS to NVC
3. NVC receives file
4. NVC assigns case number (different from USCIS number)
5. Petitioner and beneficiary's email addresses given to NVC operator
6. Email DS-3032
7. Wait for DS-3032 kit and IIN info for payment portal
8. Pay AoS bill once it appears in payment portal
9. When the bill appears as 'paid', send in I-864 forms and documents
10. Pay IV bill once it appears in payment portal
11. When that bill appears as 'paid', send in DS-230 forms and documents
12. Send in additional documents if an RFE is sent [note: if no RFE, then this step is skipped]
13. Wait for SIF
14. Call an operator to confirm that case is complete at NVC
15. Once case is complete, case is sent off to the embassy in the beneficiary's country

If the petitioner and beneficiary are proactive at this process and don't have any problems with RFE's, then one can be out of NVC very quickly, an average of 1-2 months. I even saw on the VJ forums that one person finished with NVC as little as 19 days (and that wasn't electronic processing).

If you have all forms ready ahead of time, it can really speed things up. Ben and I have most of our documents already ready. Just a few things here and there, but I'll go more in depth about these when I write up entries about the I-864 and DS-230 in the coming weeks.

I don't think it's mandatory by NVC, but it's highly recommended by all VJ members that you write your NVC case number on ALL documents. So, as soon as we get our case number, I'm going to write it on all the documents then I can finally scan them all. Ben will do the same with his documents and then send me by email his photocopies. I'll then set up the emails with all attached forms and documents, ready to send them to NVC once we can. I would just have to include the barcode/receipts once the payment portal shows the bills as paid.

If one isn't proactive, this process can take months. You don't need to always wait for NVC to email/mail you things or otherwise contact you. You should be the one calling up NVC and asking if your petition has been received, or if your case number has been assigned, or giving in your email addresses. The only actual waiting you have to do is for your IIN, your bills to appear as paid, and the case complete at the end. Everything else is dependent on the petitioner and beneficiary.

~Lindsay

Electronic processing...

Just wanted to give a quick update. As I said in my last posts, I've been checking the USCIS site every single day to see if there's an update. The last update in the system on our file was September 3rd. Nothing since then.

A couple of days ago, I found an interesting thread on VisaJourney. It was about electronic processing in the second step of our visa process. Once our I-130 gets approved by USCIS, it gets sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). Before I read this thread, we would send in all the forms needed at this step by mail. I soon found out there might be an easier/faster way than regular mail. Electronic processing was introduced in 2009, but only for those with consulates in Guangzhou, China and Montreal, Canada, and only specific visas at that. I checked further and for those applying for CR-1 visas in Canada, they can opt-in for electronic processing! It's not required, but is an optional method than sending forms by mail. Basically, instead of sending the forms in by mail, you attach everything in an email and send it off to the appropriate NVC email address. It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the simple version.

I was reading a related thread in the Canada forum on VisaJourney on electronic processing. I found out all the information I could and begin writing up notes in NotePad. ^_^ There hasn't been anything posted in that thread since April/May, so I don't know if the electronic processing has sped up or improved since then, but I think Ben and I are going to give it a try. I think that if we do everything right and don't get an RFE (request for more evidence), then we can go through the NVC stage quickly.

Unfortunately, I was also reading that Montreal has been on a backlog for quite awhile on handing out interviews. It's been a 4-5 month wait from a case complete in NVC to an actual interview. I'm really hoping this speeds up soon.

Anyways, on to more waiting!

~Lindsay