[Total official filing costs?]

Right. Even the instructions regarding payment seem to contradict themselves. I will inquire early, but I imagine that they send the beneficiary to pay upon completion of the interview, as they do with the petitioner when the i-130 is filed. I'll update here once I find out for sure.

Okay, so DW said that upon passing through security, she went up to the third floor, where she was required to give her DS-260 confirmation page to the gent behind the USCIS window. This is the one on the far side of the room, toward which the seats are facing (Same one where DCFers submit their I-130). Then, she was directed to go to the second floor to pay. The beneficiary then takes the receipt up to the third floor and shows it to the individual behind the previously mentioned window. This individual asks for additional documents. She didn't remember them all, but said that they included all notarized documents, as well as the I-864 and accompanying tax documents. At this point, she was given a number and told to have a seat until her number was called.

 

Hope this adds a bit of clarity to what it means to "pay before" one's interview.

[From DCF to GZ Blue: Our story]

 

Seven months since the interview and still no visa. My wife got two updates on her file the end of December, getting our hopes up, but no movement since.

 

In the QQ group I mentioned above, people who have gone through AP and have gotten their visas have noticed that they have annotations on their visa like:

Quote

Annotation   **

Clearance received on November 20, 2013.

 

 

In general, these folks have gotten their visas shortly after the 'clearance date' noted on the visa. I guess this means that the current backlog is happening at the name checks, not in GZ.

 

Called my senator's office and was told that GZ still hasn't responded to their request for information sent back in October

My wife's IR-1 also had this annotation, but her case never wound up in administrative processing, so I am not sure if the two are related.

[Total official filing costs?]

Right. Even the instructions regarding payment seem to contradict themselves. I will inquire early, but I imagine that they send the beneficiary to pay upon completion of the interview, as they do with the petitioner when the i-130 is filed. I'll update here once I find out for sure.

[Total official filing costs?]

 

Just discovered I have to do the online DS-260. Is that also charged? And when do I get charged?

$325 DCF cases pay this before interview at the consulate, non-DCF cases pay this to NVC in the states.

 

Can this be paid the by USC petitioner during the 8:00 - 10:00am U.S. Citizen Services "window," or must it be done by appointment. Beneficiary's interview is scheduled at 7:45am on a Thursday, so perhaps I need to pay the fee the previous week? (We'll be there early anyway for the medical exam.)