Filing for the first time

[usaRichard]

From http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...types_2991.html

 

Reading their procedure;

 

Assigns a case number to the petition.

Send Form DS-3032, Choice of Address and Agent, to the applicant and the Affidavit of Support processing fee bill to the petitioner.

After the applicant selects an agent, the NVC will send the immigrant visa processing fee bill to the agent. Note: The agent does not need to be an attorney.

 

 

Note: It is important to follow instructions from the NVC carefully. Send the NVC documentation (or paying fees) when they were not requested by the NVC will result in a delay in processing.

 

From all the reading I have done here on CFL this seems contrary in terms of sending (or front loading) the I-130. Or have I missed something. By reading this site, if I wasn't a member of CFL I would simply send an I-130

 

Richard

[dnoblett]

First step is file I-130 to USCIS, only after they approve the petition and send it to Department of State, and then you will do the NVC procedure you linked.

 

How Does My Spouse (Husband/Wife) Get an Immigrant Visa?

 

The first step is to file a Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130 for your spouse (husband or wife) to immigrate to the United States. You file the petition with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) immigration Field Office in the United States that serves the area where you live. For instructions on how to file a petition see Petitioning Procedures: Bringing a Spouse (Husband of Wife) to Live in the United States.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...991.html#Spouse

 

A good starting guide: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...page=i130guide1

 

USCIS: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

[Stepbrow]

From http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...types_2991.html

 

Reading their procedure;

 

Assigns a case number to the petition.

Send Form DS-3032, Choice of Address and Agent, to the applicant and the Affidavit of Support processing fee bill to the petitioner.

After the applicant selects an agent, the NVC will send the immigrant visa processing fee bill to the agent. Note: The agent does not need to be an attorney.

 

 

Note: It is important to follow instructions from the NVC carefully. Send the NVC documentation (or paying fees) when they were not requested by the NVC will result in a delay in processing.

 

From all the reading I have done here on CFL this seems contrary in terms of sending (or front loading) the I-130. Or have I missed something. By reading this site, if I wasn't a member of CFL I would simply send an I-130

 

Richard

 

Hi Richard,

The first thing that you need to do is to file the I-130. That starts the whole process. After it is approved, you will then receive the Assignment of Address and Agent (which can be you) this is the DS3032. you will also get a notice to pay the fee Are you applying for and Immigrant Visa IR1 or a K3?

[chilton747]

As Dan outlined, the I-130 and the NVC are two separate processes. The I-130 is front loaded with relationship evidence and the documents filed with the NVC are only as they request.

[Sebastian]

Richard -

the I-864 and DS-3032 can't be front loaded.

 

Don't sweat that part of it - just wait till you receive notice that it's time to pay the additional fees (which can now be paid online, btw).

 

If you want to get an idea of a shortcut process, review Jim's Shortcuts over on VJ for the I-130/CR-1.

 

Here's the url for Jim's Shortcuts -

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/...#39;s_Shortcuts

 

(Sorry Chilton - I was looking up the url as you were posting it )

Edited July 21, 2008 by Darnell (see edit history)

[chilton747]

Richard -

the I-864 and DS-3032 can't be front loaded.

 

Don't sweat that part of it - just wait till you receive notice that it's time to pay the additional fees (which can now be paid online, btw).

 

If you want to get an idea of a shortcut process, review Jim's Shortcuts over on VJ for the I-130/CR-1.

 

James' shortcuts: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/...hortcut#DS-3032

 

Good Luck!

[Tom and Ling]

As Dan outlined, the I-130 and the NVC are two separate processes. The I-130 is front loaded with relationship evidence and the documents filed with the NVC are only as they request.

 

 

Hi Richard,

 

As Dan and others have said...You file the I-130 first and also front load it . This is your chance to give relationship evidence. Once it is processed and approved..than it will go to the NVC.

 

even though you will be sending to a lock box in Chicago..it will be sent to the Vermont Service Center.

 

Hope this helps..............

 

Tom and Ling

 

If you are the petitioner and you reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, or District of Columbia and you are filing only Form I-130, mail the petition to the USCIS Lockbox Facility. The address is as follows:

USCIS P.O. Box 804616 Chicago, IL 60680-1029

[IllinoisDave]

What they all said.

And GOOD LUCK!

[Tom and Ling]

Hi Richard,

 

There is a fee of $355.00 to file the I-130 and if you are not going for the K3/K4,,,you will need to submit an I-130 for Amanda's son also. I don't know whether you realize this but if you are going strictly for Cr1 than if you and Amanda want her son to come also you will need to file an I-130 for your step-son and that will be another $355.00...

The other money charges will come from the NVC....

 

Tom and Ling

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the reply's I want to be sure and get this right, I appreicate your patience with my questions.

 

Here's our package contents;

 

FC-029 Document

 

I-130 Documents with attached fees

 

G-325A Documents

 

Marriage license & supporting documents

 

Citizenship & birth certificates

 

Documents of custody & guardian

 

Affidavit letters attesting to marriage

Personal statement letter from Richard ****

 

Records of on line chats & receipts from trip to China

 

Records of emails & cell phone calls

 

Photo album of Jiansong & Richard in China May 2nd to May 31st

 

 

From reading the site it sounds as though I should not send the I-130 fee, they will send a fee bill later?

I was concerned by their statement that sending "other" documents would delay the process

 

Richard

[Tom and Ling]

Hi Richard,

 

There are two places you pay fees to........

Of course this is our federal gov....

 

Fees to the Service Center for filing the I-130's, and this will eventually be the Vermont Service Center. Once approved ,than it will go to the NVC where they will extract more money.....

 

How Do I Pay the Fees for the National Visa Center (NVC) Services?

 

The NVC sends bills for certain fees at the appropriate time in the immigrant visa process. It sends bills for these services to the following people:

 

* Bill for processing the I-864, Affidavit of Support to the petitioner

* Bill for immigrant visa processing to the agent

 

The NVC sends a correctly addressed, return envelope with the bills.

 

Remember these important things:

 

* It is important that you use the return envelope provided to you, when paying the fees

* Don't forget to put the correct postage on the envelope

* Don't pay the bill until the NVC tells you to do so

* Don't send payments to the NVC at Portsmouth, New Hampshire

 

Tom and Ling

[Stepbrow]

Thanks for the reply's I want to be sure and get this right, I appreicate your patience with my questions.

 

Here's our package contents;

 

FC-029 Document

 

I-130 Documents with attached fees

 

G-325A Documents

 

Marriage license & supporting documents

 

Citizenship & birth certificates

 

Documents of custody & guardian

 

Affidavit letters attesting to marriage

Personal statement letter from Richard ****

 

 

Records of on line chats & receipts from trip to China

 

Records of emails & cell phone calls

 

Photo album of Jiansong & Richard in China May 2nd to May 31st

 

 

From reading the site it sounds as though I should not send the I-130 fee, they will send a fee bill later?

I was concerned by their statement that sending "other" documents would delay the process

 

Richard

Hi Richard,

 

You have done a very thorough job of research and getting your docs together. Just to summarize what others have said. You will file two I-130's One for wife and one for stepson. Also you have to send the Check for each one in the amount of $355.00 and made out to United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. They hate it when you put USCIS, but I think they still cash the checks. If you don't send the checks they will just send the whole package back. I know because it happened to me.

 

If you didn't download the Instructions for the I-130, I recommend it. After you have read it you will be sure that you are doing things correctly.

[dnoblett]

Hi Richard,

 

There is a fee of $355.00 to file the I-130 and if you are not going for the K3/K4,,,you will need to submit an I-130 for Amanda's son also. I don't know whether you realize this but if you are going strictly for Cr1 than if you and Amanda want her son to come also you will need to file an I-130 for your step-son and that will be another $355.00...

The other money charges will come from the NVC....

 

Tom and Ling

NOTE the I-130 gets filed and fee for step son sooner or later.

 

If going for the superior CR-1/CR-2 True IMMIGRANT visas, then 2 I-130's need to be filed One for spouse and one for step son.

 

If going for K-3/K-4 then can just file I-130 for spouse, and later file I-130 for step son when adjusting status. OR both can be filed up front like for CR-1/CR-2 visas. (I recommend filing both up-front, this gives you the option to decide on K-Visas or NOT)

 

CR-1/CR-2 are superior in the fact that they get green-cards upon entry. NO adjustment of status required.

[usaRichard]

Hi Richard,

 

There is a fee of $355.00 to file the I-130 and if you are not going for the K3/K4,,,you will need to submit an I-130 for Amanda's son also. I don't know whether you realize this but if you are going strictly for Cr1 than if you and Amanda want her son to come also you will need to file an I-130 for your step-son and that will be another $355.00...

The other money charges will come from the NVC....

 

Tom and Ling

NOTE the I-130 gets filed and fee for step son sooner or later.

 

If going for the superior CR-1/CR-2 True IMMIGRANT visas, then 2 I-130's need to be filed One for spouse and one for step son.

 

If going for K-3/K-4 then can just file I-130 for spouse, and later file I-130 for step son when adjusting status. OR both can be filed up front like for CR-1/CR-2 visas. (I recommend filing both up-front, this gives you the option to decide on K-Visas or NOT)

 

CR-1/CR-2 are superior in the fact that they get green-cards upon entry. NO adjustment of status required.

 

Yes we are filing both I-130's for the CR route, thanks for the heads up!

 

Richard

[chilton747]

Hi Richard,

 

There is a fee of $355.00 to file the I-130 and if you are not going for the K3/K4,,,you will need to submit an I-130 for Amanda's son also. I don't know whether you realize this but if you are going strictly for Cr1 than if you and Amanda want her son to come also you will need to file an I-130 for your step-son and that will be another $355.00...

The other money charges will come from the NVC....

 

Tom and Ling

NOTE the I-130 gets filed and fee for step son sooner or later.

 

If going for the superior CR-1/CR-2 True IMMIGRANT visas, then 2 I-130's need to be filed One for spouse and one for step son.

 

If going for K-3/K-4 then can just file I-130 for spouse, and later file I-130 for step son when adjusting status. OR both can be filed up front like for CR-1/CR-2 visas. (I recommend filing both up-front, this gives you the option to decide on K-Visas or NOT)

 

CR-1/CR-2 are superior in the fact that they get green-cards upon entry. NO adjustment of status required.

 

Yes we are filing both I-130's for the CR route, thanks for the heads up!

 

Richard

 

Wise choice.

 

Good luck!!