Be Aware: The New "Choice of Agent" Fiasco

[azureblue83]

A simple Google search "DS-261 Incomplete" you will see how wide spread this is. And I happened to be one of the victim.

 

After your case is forwarded to the NVC, you would soon received an instruction letter, assigning you a Case Number, and showing you the steps:

 

Step 1. Choose an agent
Step 2. Pay fees
Step 3. Submit visa application form
Step 4. Collect financial documents
Step 5. Collect supporting documents
Step 6. Submit documents to the NVC

 

With this instruction letter, you will also get an Invoice ID to pay your AOS (I-864) fee.

 

You log in to NVC website, and click on their link to file "DS-261" choice of agent. After you submit online, it will show "COMPLETE". You also pay your AOS fee by clicking the "Pay Now" link. A day or two later, you get an email saying AOS fee is now PAID. Ok, good. But you haven't received the IV fee bill yet, so the IV Application link is shown "N/A", can't pass Step 3, have to wait.

 

So you wait a couple weeks and you log in again to see the status of the case. To your surprise, the "Choice of Agent" is now showing "INCOMPLETE". So you do it again. Sending the DS-261 again.

 

WRONG MOVE. The thing is, your IV fee bill is somehow "linked" to Choice of Agent. NVC will send you the IV bill after they process your DS-261. By sending the DS-261, again, you would somehow "reset" the clock. Do not do this.

 

So you ask, "why it is showing INCOMPLETE then?" There are many guesses. The most probable guess is that people click on the COMPLETE link, being curious or ancious about waiting, and the link takes them to the Choice of Agent form again. If they log out or simply close the browser there, the website thinks you are trying to sign a new Choice of Agent form and hence show it as INCOMPLETE next time you log in.

 

So the lesson is: be very very very careful when you do your Choice of Agent DS-261 online. Double, triple check it before clicking on the SUBMIT button. And after that, FORBID anyone in your family to click on that link again.

 

Above are my experiece so far and I've been waiting on the IV bill to arrive for two months now (Since Nov-2014). I'm new to this, so if there are inaccuracy to my understanding of the situation, please let me know too. I'm here to learn also. Hope this helps.

[NUWORLD]

A simple Google search "DS-261 Incomplete" you will see how wide spread this is. And I happened to be one of the victim.

 

After your case is forwarded to the NVC, you would soon received an instruction letter, assigning you a Case Number, and showing you the steps:

 

Step 1. Choose an agent

Step 2. Pay fees

Step 3. Submit visa application form

Step 4. Collect financial documents

Step 5. Collect supporting documents

Step 6. Submit documents to the NVC

 

With this instruction letter, you will also get an Invoice ID to pay your AOS (I-864) fee.

 

You log in to NVC website, and click on their link to file "DS-261" choice of agent. After you submit online, it will show "COMPLETE". You also pay your AOS fee by clicking the "Pay Now" link. A day or two later, you get an email saying AOS fee is now PAID. Ok, good. But you haven't received the IV fee bill yet, so the IV Application link is shown "N/A", can't pass Step 3, have to wait.

 

So you wait a couple weeks and you log in again to see the status of the case. To your surprise, the "Choice of Agent" is now showing "INCOMPLETE". So you do it again. Sending the DS-261 again.

 

WRONG MOVE. The thing is, your IV fee bill is somehow "linked" to Choice of Agent. NVC will send you the IV bill after they process your DS-261. By sending the DS-261, again, you would somehow "reset" the clock. Do not do this.

 

So you ask, "why it is showing INCOMPLETE then?" There are many guesses. The most probable guess is that people click on the COMPLETE link, being curious or ancious about waiting, and the link takes them to the Choice of Agent form again. If they log out or simply close the browser there, the website thinks you are trying to sign a new Choice of Agent form and hence show it as INCOMPLETE next time you log in.

 

So the lesson is: be very very very careful when you do your Choice of Agent DS-261 online. Double, triple check it before clicking on the SUBMIT button. And after that, FORBID anyone in your family to click on that link again.

 

Above are my experiece so far and I've been waiting on the IV bill to arrive for two months now (Since Nov-2014). I'm new to this, so if there are inaccuracy to my understanding of the situation, please let me know too. I'm here to learn also. Hope this helps.

 

It will change back to "INCOMPLETE" because it needs to be reviewed by NVC.

This takes anywhere from 30-45 days to complete (If you open the DS-261 again it will reset the 30-45 days)

Once the review process of the DS-261 it will then change to COMPLETE!

 

That is when you can pay your IV bill

 

I just finished with NVC last week and waiting for GZ now.