VisaOfficer:

It can take six to eight months for a case to make it through USCIS -- if the case is documentarily complete and USCIS doesn't have to ask for more information. But that won't affect you, because your priority date is the date a case is filed, and the waiting time for your visa category (F2A) is around a year and a half. So the six to eight months will be absorbed into that period anyway.

Isn't it faster, then, to pursue adjustment of status, rather than consular processing, if one is already in the US or can get there on a non-immigrant visa?

Helloo VO,
Is Cr1/IR1 visa given any preference in terms of processing and wait times at the consulate level? It seems K1 visa moves a lot faster than CR1/IR1 visa even at the NVC level,from what I see around net,looks like you guyz are strict and meticulous with cr1/1r1 visa.Also can one visit even when case is under review at nvc and Pls what kind of visa is required, I kinda see it might affect case and it may look like trying to use another short cut to immigrate,pls advise. Is interview scheduling independently done by nvc? To expedite a case under review at nvc,how can that be done? Thanks

Dear VO

If I am pretty sure of the reason for an administrative process and there is a very good and honest explanation, can I email the embassy and explain or do I wait until the field investigation has concluded? Also, will the embassy be able to confirm if a contact sheet that was filled out and submitted to the embassy the same day has been added to the case?

Thank you for taking the time to read this request.

Dear VO,
I wanna know if the embassy have processed the DNA result for LGS2009669007. We would love to celebrate christmas together with her. Can that be possible? Her medical will expire 30th of december. Please let me know the latest update. Thankd

Dear VO,
Please, my husband who is a US citizen filed a spousal visa for and has just got the approval though we are yet to be contacted by the visa centre here, but my concern is that i was not pregnant when it was filed and I don't know if there is chances of me being refused now that I am pregnant,
oh, lest I forgot, I was refused fiancée visa for not so clear reason and the his lawyer adviced that we get married legally as against only traditional wedding we did.and cos of all the wait , we couldn't postpone starting a family as age is not on our side. And I am presently not working now due to ill health but my last place of work was used in the form,will it be alright if I just tell them that I am not employed at the Moment? Don't know how that will affect my chances.

And what will happen should I give birth here before the interview and approval? I mean to my child as he or she was not in the picture during the filing stage. Though my due date is still far but I don't know how long it will take from this stage of approval to securing the visa.

Ndeedee:
Hi Visa Officer, I am Nigerian living in Poland.. and I will like to know the Warsaw Poland equivalent of the LagosIV@state.gov email which can be used to contact the US consulate in Warsaw for an Immigrant (DV) related question regarding my situation which I have discussed here before.
I have sent a few emails to the publicwaw@state.gov email which I got from their website with no responses. I would really appreciate it if I can get an email with which to contact the Immigrant(DV) Visa section or any DV handling Visa officer of the Warsaw consulate.
Thanks.

Good morning! http://poland.usembassy.gov/poland/contact_plu.html gives their e-mail address as NIV_krakow@state.gov .

veecee29:
Hi VO,please i need clarification on this particular response.
Is their no provision for the report of US citizen birth abroad?What i mean is that if i report to the embassy that my husband (the father of my baby)is a US citizen,won't the embassy give our child the US passport?Cos i wouldn't want to leave a baby behind when my visa clicks and after my wedding next year.

Transmission of citizenship from a parent to a child is a complicated area of law. Below I've copied some of the relevant passages. If you believe your fiance has lived in the U.S. long enough to transmit citizenship, you should make an appointment for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad at our American Citizen Services Unit, http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/service.html . If not, your child will likely need a visa.

Children born abroad to U.S. citizen parents may have a claim to U.S. citizenship. The following is a brief description of (some of) the various circumstances under which a child born abroad acquires American citizenship.

Child born in wedlock to two U.S. citizens: A child born outside of the United States or its outlying possessions to two U.S. citizen parents is entitled to citizenship, provided one of the parents had, prior to the birth of the child, been resident in the United States or one of its outlying possessions. (No specific period of time is required.)

Child born in wedlock to one U.S. citizen parent and one non U.S. citizen parent on or after November 14, 1986: A child born outside of the United States to one U.S. citizen parent and one non-U.S. citizen parent may be entitled to citizenship providing the U.S. citizen parent had been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for five years, at least two years of which were after s/he reached the age of fourteen. This period of physical presence must have taken place prior to the birth of the child.

Child born out of wedlock to a U.S. Citizen father: A child born outside of the United States to an U.S. Citizen father where there is no marriage to the non-American mother is entitled to U.S. Citizenship providing the American citizen father had been physically present in the United States for the period of time as specified in previous paragraphs for children born in wedlock to one U.S. Citizen and one non-U.S. Citizen parent, either before or after November 14, 1986; and
the alien mother completes an "Affidavit to establish paternity of child" at this office before a consular officer; and
the father signs a sworn statement agreeing to provide financial support for the child until s/he reaches the age of 18 years; and
the father provides a written statement acknowledging paternity; or
the child is legitimated under local law; or
paternity is established by a competent court before the child attains the age of 18 years; or
paternity is established through a DNA test.

Children of American citizen parents who are not eligible for U.S. citizenship at birth may be able to acquire U.S. citizenship through expeditious naturalization or an immigrant visa.

HesInMe:


Isn't it faster, then, to pursue adjustment of status, rather than consular processing, if one is already in the US or can get there on a non-immigrant visa?

I'd be careful with that. Misusing a non-immigrant visa is a great way to get deported.

lissagal:
Helloo VO,
Is Cr1/IR1 visa given any preference in terms of processing and wait times at the consulate level? It seems K1 visa moves a lot faster than CR1/IR1 visa even at the NVC level,from what I see around net,looks like you guyz are strict and meticulous with cr1/1r1 visa.Also can one visit even when case is under review at nvc and Pls what kind of visa is required, I kinda see it might affect case and it may look like trying to use another short cut to immigrate,pls advise. Is interview scheduling independently done by nvc? To expedite a case under review at nvc,how can that be done? Thanks

Greetings!

CR1/IR1 visas are given preference in that there is NO waiting period. Once a case is documentarily complete, it can be scheduled for an interview right away. NVC schedules the appointments for CR1s and IR1s, so they're done in batches, a couple months ahead of time. (I've already sent NVC a preliminary schedule for February, for example.)

K1s also have no waiting period, but K1 applicants schedule their own appointments. Thus, if there's an appointment available next week, a K1 applicant can grab it. This usually makes K1s a faster route than IR1s and CR1s. On the other hand, the K1 is technically a non-immigrant visa; whereas people with CR1s and IR1s become Legal Permanent Residents the moment they're admitted to the U.S., K1 holders have to adjust status after they get married. So there are more legal protections for CR1s and IR1s.

People with upcoming K1, CR1, or IR1 interviews can apply for a non-immigrant visa, but it will be much more difficult for them to show that they intend to use the visa properly and depart the U.S. in a timely manner.

Re: expediting cases: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/nvc/immigrant-processing-faqs.html says:

If a visa is available for your relative’s category, and their case involves a life or death medical emergency, processing of your case may be expedited. To request a review for expedite, please submit a letter (or statement) to the NVC from a physician (or medical facility). The letter must include the physician’s (or medical facility’s) contact information, and declare a life or death medical emergency exists. This documentation may be in the form of a scanned attachment to an e-mail.

If a visa is not available, unfortunately there is nothing that the NVC can do to expedite the petition. Immigrant visa processing is governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended, which controls availability of visas. There is no provision within the law that would allow the Department of State to issue a visa to someone for whom a visa is unavailable.

Please see their website for contact information.

fivekids:
Dear VO

If I am pretty sure of the reason for an administrative process and there is a very good and honest explanation, can I email the embassy and explain or do I wait until the field investigation has concluded? Also, will the embassy be able to confirm if a contact sheet that was filled out and submitted to the embassy the same day has been added to the case?

Thank you for taking the time to read this request.

Good morning,

Yes, feel free to e-mail us at LagosIV@state.gov with an explanation. You can ask us to verify that your contact sheet was received in the same e-mail.

fatboislim:
Dear VO,
I wanna know if the embassy have processed the DNA result for LGS2009669007. We would love to celebrate christmas together with her. Can that be possible? Her medical will expire 30th of december. Please let me know the latest update. Thankd

Greetings,

I see the results and they're good. I've made a note in the case that she plans to travel before Christmas, so we can issue a visa with an expiration date to match the medical report. Expect a call from us soon asking her to drop off her passport.

tochimas:
Dear VO,
Please, my husband who is a US citizen filed a spousal visa for and has just got the approval though we are yet to be contacted by the visa centre here, but my concern is that i was not pregnant when it was filed and I don't know if there is chances of me being refused now that I am pregnant,
oh, lest I forgot, I was refused fiancée visa for not so clear reason and the his lawyer adviced that we get married legally as against only traditional wedding we did.and cos of all the wait , we couldn't postpone starting a family as age is not on our side. And I am presently not working now due to ill health but my last place of work was used in the form,will it be alright if I just tell them that I am not employed at the Moment? Don't know how that will affect my chances.

And what will happen should I give birth here before the interview and approval? I mean to my child as he or she was not in the picture during the filing stage. Though my due date is still far but I don't know how long it will take from this stage of approval to securing the visa.

Good morning,

Your pregnancy won't adversely affect the adjudication. Also, it's okay if you're not employed; your employment status would only be relevant if this were an employment-based visa.

Since your husband is a U.S. citizen, he has probably spent enough time in the U.S. to qualify to transmit citizenship directly to your baby. When the time comes, you should make an appointment for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad at our American Citizen Services Unit, http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/service.html . That will enable your child to get a U.S. passport.

A reminder from my non-immigrant visa colleagues. It applies only to non-immigrant visa applicants.

Hello Nairalanders,

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria is pleased to announce that on November 8 its document collection and distribution partnership with DHL is expanding to include a new location in Port Harcourt. Just as with our DHL partner locations in Lagos and Abuja, non-immigrant visa applicants can now have their approved passports and visas forwarded to a DHL collection center in Port Harcourt. Non-immigrant applicants who interview in Lagos or Abuja will see the option of picking up their passport in Port Harcourt when applying online.

Similarly, applicants will be able to submit their passports to the DHL collection center in Port Harcourt as part of the U.S. Mission to Nigeria’s drop box renewal program, just as is currently done with collection centers in Lagos and Abuja. Information on the drop box renewal program is available at http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/niv_dropbox.html.

Processing times for tasks taking place via the collection center in Port Harcourt are expected to take one additional day than when a collection center in Abuja or Lagos is used, as the passports must be transported to and from Port Harcourt. For example, while a passport approved for visa issuance by U.S. Consulate General Lagos is generally ready for pick up in three days’ time from a Lagos collection center, it will be ready in four days’ time from the Port Harcourt center. Please plan accordingly.

The address for the DHL collection center in Port Harcourt is:

GSS Document Collection Center
DHL House, No. 82 Trans Amadi, Ellah Estate
Near Bewac Junction, Port Harcourt

Also, the U.S. Mission to Nigeria would like to remind everyone that when an applicant makes a non-immigrant visa interview appointment via www.ustraveldocs.com/ng they must include the correct confirmation number for their DS-160 electronic application form as part of the required information. Full instructions on how to make an appointment for a non-immigrant visa are available at http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/niv_appointment_instructions.html. Moreover, applicants must include their surname, given name and passport number exactly as they appear in their passport.

In the past some applicants have failed to do this, and instead brought passports or DS-160 confirmation printouts to their interviews which did not match the information provided when the appointment was made. As of December 1, 2014, this will no longer be possible. Applicants who present either passports or DS-160 confirmation printouts that do not match the information provided when the appointment was made will not be allowed to attend an interview. We anticipate this change will make application processing faster and more efficient.

Immigration in the news: President Obama announces changes

The president’s plan is centered around three main priorities — boosting border security, focusing deportation resources on felons and other threats over families, and giving millions of people the ability to apply for deferred action status, granting them three years of protection from deportation along with the authorization to work legally in the United States, according to the White House.

It does not include a path to citizenship or access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. While it does apply to the parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, it does not include a way for the parents of Dreamers — people brought into the country as children — to gain legal status.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/obama-immigration-action-113072.html#ixzz3JgSkVLI5

You can also find a transcript of the President's Nov. 20 speech at http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/transcript-obamas-immigration-speech/2014/11/20/14ba8042-7117-11e4-893f-86bd390a3340_story.html .

Hello VO,

We at the Non-immigrant section of this nairaland don't have the priviledge the immigrants applicants have here.There are loads of questions on our page but no VO to attend to us for weeks now.
Please ma,we will be glad if you can do something about this.Thank you and God bless

VisaOfficer:


I don't see it in the case notes -- BUT -- as you may have heard we are recovering from a major e-mail and internet outage, so we are behind on processing our messages. Please remind me to check again in a few days.

..

Greetings VO
Ceac.gov shows ISSUED since 14th november, but ustraveldocs shows '' there is no status update for this passport'' . Dont know when to go to the collection center.? Please ma whats the next step. Thanks for helping.

[quote author=VisaOfficer post=28210264]

Greetings,

I see the results and they're good. I've made a note in the case that she plans to travel before Christmas, so we can issue a visa with an expiration date to match the medical report. Expect a call from us soon asking her to drop off her passport. [
/quote]
hello VO,
I just want to say u are truly God sent, you do have a very good heart and i wish all consular officers had same...(if wishes were horses!!!!).
May the good lord grant you your heart desires...Amen....
It seems USCIS is experiencing computer issues at this time....hopefully it doesnt cause further backlog of cases...my wife got the NOA1 earlier this month for the i130 and she has filled the 129f....hopefully it helps to speed up our case...
Have a blessed weekend..

eoc4ever:


Good morning ma,

I want remind you ma about checking if the contact sheet have been added to our case file and if there's any updates. LGS2014643058.

Thanks.

Contact sheet received! Please don't ask for updates, because as I posted a couple days ago, I can never give additional information about cases under administrative processing. There are many different reasons for administrative processing, and discussing some but not others is simply unfair to everyone. So I'm afraid my answers about people's administrative processing are never going to be satisfactory.

Politico:
Greetings VO
Ceac.gov shows ISSUED since 14th november, but ustraveldocs shows '' there is no status update for this passport'' . Dont know when to go to the collection center.? Please ma whats the next step. Thanks for helping.

Please contact the collection center directly:

HELPLINE: 094601748
EMAIL: support-nigeria@ustraveldocs.com
WEBSITE: www.ustraveldocs.com

VisaOfficer:


Contact sheet received! Please don't ask for updates, because as I posted a couple days ago, I can never give additional information about cases under administrative processing. There are many different reasons for administrative processing, and discussing some but not others is simply unfair to everyone. So I'm afraid my answers about people's administrative processing are never going to be satisfactory.

Thanks a lot ma. Your help is greatly appreciated

May the good lord continue to bless n protect u.Ma,my passport is at d embassy cos i already. Submitted it before i was made to knw dat my case is no more current,i want to ask dat will i need to come collect it again since it wil b current in dec ,cant it b retrieved n processed?,if it cant.is it possible its collected n submitted same day ?

VisaOfficer:


Good afternoon,

We don't have any updates to report. Please e-mail LagosIV@state.gov and let us know what your new address is. Thanks!

Ok thank you very much. I just pray we get through this soon. I really appreciate all your help. I am going to get my keys now and I will email the new address when I return.

nalacandi

my friends name is rubicon007.

she has been rejected thrice, based on irregularities ranging from: known/unknown pple in the US and then other reasons best known to them, but the 3 refusals were referred to section 214(b)

Now rubicon wants to give it a try again, actually she has applied, filled and submitted the form, interview is stimes in dec BUT, she made a mistake in this submitted form, she has clicked no to knowing anyone in the US, where in her 3 previous applications she had clicked yes to knowing a family member, cousin and ofcourse her brother.

pls whats the best advice as she has to chnge that no to a yes befor her interveiw, all ur advice and suggestions are welcome like asap, thank you, i appreciate thesame support i was given here to be as well accorded to her.

^^^If your friend is applying for non immigrant visa, this is not the thread for such questions.

VisaOfficer:
Immigration in the news: President Obama announces changes

The president’s plan is centered around three main priorities — boosting border security, focusing deportation resources on felons and other threats over families, and giving millions of people the ability to apply for deferred action status, granting them three years of protection from deportation along with the authorization to work legally in the United States, according to the White House.

Great news for families who will be shielded from deportation, but do you anticipate the millions of new applications for deferred-action status in 2015 will clog the system, leading to even longer application times for those of us who seek to lawfully immigrate?

The last time this happened, with undocumented migrants brought to the US as minors -- the "Dreamers" -- wait times trebled: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/immigration-action-government-implement-113108.html?hp=t1_r

Thanks!

VisaOfficer:


Good morning! http://poland.usembassy.gov/poland/contact_plu.html gives their e-mail address as NIV_krakow@state.gov .

In my last interview at Krakow, I was told by the consular officer that handled my NIV case that all immigrant related questions are handled by Warsaw which is why I didn't email krakow..but I think (I hope) I was finally able to send my message to publicwaw@state.gov because I got an automatic reply only after hooking up Microsoft outlook since the contact-the-embassy link provided there opens up the email in outlook.

Sorry for disturbing you guys and thanks for helping. You guys are really doing a great job in Nigeria !!!

.

Hi VO, I'd like to inquire on filling out the form I-134 correctly for I-129F petition. My fiancé just started on a new job this month. On #7 on the I-134, for "I derive an annual income of:", we've read that the amount we should put there is the amount on line 22 from his Form 1040 for 2013. But the figure written there was from his past job. We're confused in filling out the said form, should we write his current salary from his new job or the one on his 2013 1040? Thank you.

VisaOfficer:


Greetings! Your father can't be both a U.S. citizen and a Legal Permanent Resident. It's important to know which he is. If he filed for an F2B visa, likely he's a Legal Permanent Resident. Right now cases filed before Jan. 1, 2008, are eligible to be interviewed, so the wait time is running around seven years.

Oops that's long years.... Is there a way in which I can be with him before then? And if he is a citizen will the wait time be less? Thanks God bless you MA.

VisaOfficer:


Greetings! Your father can't be both a U.S. citizen and a Legal Permanent Resident. It's important to know which he is. If he filed for an F2B visa, likely he's a Legal Permanent Resident. Right now cases filed before Jan. 1, 2008, are eligible to be interviewed, so the wait time is running around seven years.

Oops that's long years.... Is there a way in which I can be with him before then? And if he is a citizen will the wait time be less? Thanks you. God bless you MA.