Electronic proceesing of petitions

[peterd01]

Got the AOS bill today and there was an additional letter / handout saying that we qualified for a "new optional pilot program at the NVC electronic processing of petitions" .... basically everything is scanned in and emailed to and from NVC for the petitioner and the beneficiary. This should cut some time off the wait..

 

Has anyone used this?

Edited April 21, 2009 by peterd01 (see edit history)

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Got the AOS bill today and there was an additional letter / handout saying that we qualified for a "new optional pilot program at the NVC electronic processing of petitions" .... basically everything is scanned in and emailed to and from NVC for the petitioner and the beneficiary. This should cut some time off the wait..

 

Has anyone used this?

 

It's the first I heard of it, but it sounds like a great idea. It's about time they started using modern technology in the process. With many of the PDF forms going to the fillable type, it would make it far easier to complete and transfer a whole package electronically. Before mailing my paperwork, at any and all stages, I scanned it to a PDF document, that included everything, photos, attachments, and so on. I have an electronic copy of that saved to my computer, which I can retrieve, print, or email.

[Dan-Juan]

Got the AOS bill today and there was an additional letter / handout saying that we qualified for a "new optional pilot program at the NVC electronic processing of petitions" .... basically everything is scanned in and emailed to and from NVC for the petitioner and the beneficiary. This should cut some time off the wait..

 

Has anyone used this?

oh sounds great im sure spending a lot on postage 3 times mailed express mail

[Randy W]

With all the shipping of paperwork between petitioner and USCIS, USCIS and NVC, NVC and GUZ, and GUZ and applicant, yes, it's a good idea.

 

It'll be interesting to see what GUZ can come up with as far as holding electronic data in customs, if they eliminate the paper transfer there.

[Missingyou]

First time heard about it, but sounds like it will shorten the process time. Doesn't usually takes about 2 months for CR-1 applicants to send in payments and forms before NVC sends out their package to China? IF so, CR-1/IR-1 route might be catching up with the K route, since the differences now is only by a few months.

Great news!

[Bill & Li Hong]

That's true, I wonder how they got two months behind and how long it would take them to get caught up. I think they like it like that or else they would work a plan to get caught up. I wish I could be late at my job by two months. I wonder how it is at other consulate's around the world. The NVC still seems to think they are turning paper work around in a week per the notice they sent me about P3 coming.

[Sebastian]

this might be good news. i am dubious of words, always - like..

 

it's a pilot program (not so many ppl will be selected to participate)

it's optional for you (petitioner must actively DO something to engage in the program)

.

 

Maybe I'm reading too much into this - maybe it's just for [petitioner]< > [NVC] paperwork collection, where the petition sends in SCANNED documents via email or a web portal upload thingie. My first thought was for electronical transmittal for [NVC] < > [GUZ], but maybe that's not the case.

 

Your words were not so clear - does this mean, really, that NVC will take one's original documents, scan them, and make them available electronically to GUZ? and that GUZ will accept the scanned documents from NVC ? If this is the case (and not something else) then it will be interesting to see 'what happens next'.

 

Electronic use of 'documents' should totally remove the 'document storage phase' at GUZ - which always has been erroneously labelled as 'customs delay'. There's no customs delay - it's only sitting in storage, waiting for GUZ to pick it up. There's been comments about how GUZ must suffer 'consular document delay' on shipments - but that is erroneous - they are using the warehouse , actively, to store casefiles, cause GUZ is backed up. But - that's a whole 'nother thread, ya?

 

Hopefully - the pilot program will make use of 'older technology' that has been hardened for encryption - and the 'release of documents' at NVC becomes instantaneous at GUZ.

 

Thanks for the heads up - I'm gonna pay attention to this one. I do wonder, though - if you were selected because of prior attempts, or because 'the pilot program is ready now'.

 

FWIW, prior to this pilot program - there were ways to 'speed things up at NVC' -

email the DS-3032 -

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/Email_DS-3032_form

 

flowchart of NVC process -

(it's old, but shows the concurrent, parallel branches)

http://www.visajourney.com/examples/NVC_Pr...wchart_v1-2.pdf

 

Shortcuts for NVC -

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/...he_NVC_ShortCut

 

I note that this VJ shortcut list is a bit hard to follow - I suggest you read it through 3 times, and on the 3rd time, make copious notes about what forms go where, and in what sequence, and play around with the barcode generation prior.

 

 

Good Luck !

Edited April 21, 2009 by Sebastian (see edit history)

[Sebastian]

First time heard about it, but sounds like it will shorten the process time. Doesn't usually takes about 2 months for CR-1 applicants to send in payments and forms before NVC sends out their package to China? IF so, CR-1/IR-1 route might be catching up with the K route, since the differences now is only by a few months.

Great news!

 

 

Ya - if one does 'totally postal' phase at NVC - can take up to 2 months. There are published shortcuts , these last 3 years now, that speed up the process somewhat - and combine that with 1) electronic submittal of 'choice of agent' form and 2) electronic payment of all fees (online credit card processing) the processing time at NVC can be reduced to about 3 weeks, total - if one pays attention and stays on top of things. The current record (IIRC) is 11 days NVC processing, done by a VJ member.

 

I dunno though - my I-130 packet is huge - it will be interesting to see if I am a candidate for the pilot program..

Edited April 21, 2009 by Sebastian (see edit history)

[Sebastian]

Here is some mention of the pilot program that Peter mentions..

 

http://www.ilw.com/articles/2008,1021-karpinski.shtm

 

 

see paragraph 6..

A pilot program offering the option of all online submissions is currently underway at the consulate in Santiago, Chile. Communications between the NVC and the applicant are all by e-mail and original documents are scanned and sent electronically to the post. Applicants are expected to bring all original documents with them to the interview. Santiago was chosen as the location for the pilot program since it has a small, low fraud workload.

 

 

So if I'm reading this right - it smells like the 'original document collection' will occur at GUZ on interview day. My best guess, so far, is that it was used in Chile for some time, and now the program is 'opened up' for I-130's 'handled' at GUZ, RSN (Real Soon Now). Pilot Programs are COOL ! I'd certainly like to learn more, la.

 

My mind boggles, need sugar!

Edited April 21, 2009 by Sebastian (see edit history)

[Sebastian]

It'll be interesting to see what GUZ can come up with as far as holding electronic data in customs, if they eliminate the paper transfer there.

 

 

Randy - that's just drop-dead funny. 'Electronic Data in Customs'. Indeed !!

[whome?]

Here is some mention of the pilot program that Peter mentions..

 

http://www.ilw.com/articles/2008,1021-karpinski.shtm

 

 

see paragraph 6..

A pilot program offering the option of all online submissions is currently underway at the consulate in Santiago, Chile. Communications between the NVC and the applicant are all by e-mail and original documents are scanned and sent electronically to the post. Applicants are expected to bring all original documents with them to the interview. Santiago was chosen as the location for the pilot program since it has a small, low fraud workload.

 

 

So if I'm reading this right - it smells like the 'original document collection' will occur at GUZ on interview day. My best guess, so far, is that it was used in Chile for some time, and now the program is 'opened up' for I-130's 'handled' at GUZ, RSN (Real Soon Now). Pilot Programs are COOL ! I'd certainly like to learn more, la.

 

My mind boggles, need sugar!

 

But I see no meantion of GUZ

[Sebastian]

Peter - after reading n writing n searching - I gotta say this to you -

 

GOOD LUCK with using the Pilot Program. It's never fun to be the 'white rat' in the lab test, but the pilot program has some legs to it already with the rollout in Chile last year - I'm betting NVC has shaken out the bugs already during this first rollout.

 

WOO HOO !! YOU ROCK !!!

 

Now Go Get Em !!

 

Warmest Regards...

[Sebastian]

But I see no meantion of GUZ

 

and you won't, not from that article. The linkage I am making starts with Chile, from last year. Peter is stepping into The New Thing.

Edited April 21, 2009 by Sebastian (see edit history)

[whome?]

But I see no meantion of GUZ

 

and you won't, not from that article. The linkage I am making starts with Chile, from last year. Peter is stepping into The New Thing.

but he has a HK case number...not GUZ

[Sebastian]

But I see no meantion of GUZ

 

and you won't, not from that article. The linkage I am making starts with Chile, from last year. Peter is stepping into The New Thing.

but he has a HK case number...not GUZ

 

Take another look?

 

He's started the NVC processing for an I-130, to be interviewed at GUZ. The HKG case number is for the K-3.