All Documents at the NVC

The automated number at the NVC now states that, as of May 27th 2009, all documents are now with them at the NVC (er, you've had them for a week guys). They also state that there should be a decision in about six to eight weeks.

As I've said before, we're hoping for a much shorter waiting period...

NVC (kinda) Acknowledges the Affidavit of Support

The automated message from the NVC has changed to one stating that it's awaiting (my) biographical information . . . which is strange as the forms were sent together (albeit in separate envelopes) and arrived at the NVC at exactly the same time. So they are (sorta) acknowledging that they have the AOS (that's Affidavit of Support not Adjustment of Status).

The message says that, once they have my biographical information (clue: it's in your building, guys!) they will make a decision within six to eight weeks.

The good people of Visajourney.com give us some extra hope here. Their records show that decisions are currently taking less than two weeks. The feedback is usually one of three things:

1. Accepted - paperwork will proceed to Embassy
2. Queried - more information required
3. Investigated - mostly happens to engaged couples (and, hopefully, not married ones). This is a bad thing, cases are in a form of limbo for months...

There may be a fourth, rejection, but I have yet to hear of a case that has ended here. More fun to pass the case to the Embassy and let them deliver the bad news...

Going For It!

We've had a discussion and, as the information from the NVC says you should wait to hear from them AND it also says you should not proceed before paying... as we've paid, we're going for it...

Should we wait?
(The NVC case-line tells us to)
Can we sent our stuff now?
The website hints that maybe we can...

We'll just have to see...

Still waiting for the NVC

It's been just under four weeks since payment was acknowledged by the NVC and we've heard nothing. We should have had some forms through by now (either the I-864 "Affidavit of Support" form or the DS-230 "me" forms). The official position is that if you haven't heard from the NVC in six weeks you can contact them.

Foof is going to call them tomorrow. I'm amazed at how patient she's been.

Two Pinball Machines = One Premium Economy Ticket

So today I managed to sell my two pinball tables for roughly three times what I paid for them (I'm sure they were worth lots more than that but one wasn't working properly (and they're very big and heavy) so I was glad that someone came and dismantled & collected them). I used the money to pay for a fully flexible one-way (premium economy) ticket to Las Vegas. I know I haven't even had the interview date yet but I wanted to get this detail out of the way.

I'll be flying with Virgin Atlantic, non-stop from Gatwick. As I live a couple of hundred miles away from Gatwick I'll have to work out how to get there - I have a number of options:
1. Drive there on the morning of the flight. As I have to be there for about 8.30am, diving (a hire car) that morning would mean I had to leave my (UK) home at about 3.30am.
2. Drive there (or part way) the day before. If I drive (my hire car) down the day before, I have to work out where I want to spend the night (though I'd probably be able to talk to Foofer early the following morning).

3. Take a train the day before and stop in a hotel near the airport. The bad side of this is that, especially if I take lots of luggage, I have to struggle through London's Underground system. Also, hotels near to airports are not the best/cheapest and the travelling between station/hotel/airport would be time-consuming, costly, painful or any combination of the three. Being able to chat to Foofer on the morning of the flight helps somewhat though.
4. Fly there on the morning. There's a flight that gets me into Gatwick, from Manchester, at 8.10 - just in time. The questions I have with this are "How do I get to Manchester for 5am?" and "What happens if the plane is delayed/cancelled?".
5. Fly there the evening before...well, maybe, but I'd need some convincing.

So far the first two options are my favourites as I'll probably already have a hire car once I've handed my company car back to work.

(and yes, this means that Sin City will be my POE)

...waiting...

I know it's only been just over two weeks since Foof paid but it feels like forever.

Of course this will be replaced by sheer panic once I have my visa and haven't settled everything here in the UK. Just a quick note concerning that - I have various large items for sale, a car to get rid of, my belongings will have to be put into storage prior to my move to Nevada and I'll have to sell my house (roughly in that order). I'm making a start on that list tomorrow...

The Waiting Game

Obviously, the trick I've used before of resigning myself to waiting a long time for results, only for the NVC or USCIS to respond almost instantly, isn't going to work again but I'm trying it anyway. According to their automated update system, the NVC generated the next pack for us a day after Foof paid online (I assume it's my DS-230 pack and not the tax stuff for Foofer) but they stated that it could take some weeks to reach us.

As we have all of our paperwork filled in (or filled out if you're on the western side of the Atlantic) in advance and our documents (both original and certified copies) ready, we have nothing left to do at the moment except to spend hours on Skype chatting to each other, waiting for things to arrive in the mail.

And sometimes the mail at Foof's apartment complex gets screwed up.

So we wait.

Again.