ds-260

[wkhawaja]

IV processing fee

Hi rayB. i received correspondence from nvc end of november to complete 6 steps in order to pre-process the spouse immigration visa i have applied for. well, i paid the AOS fee almost a month ago, but still have not received an invoice for the IV processing fee. i have not received any email replies or correspondence from nvc over the last month either. what should i do? i have collected the AOS and supporting documents, but want to send them together to the nvc in one package but of course i cannot do that until the IV processing fee has been paid, right? i've heard from some quarters that the package can be sent to the nvc before the fees has been paid

thanks for any insight.

[rayb]

The $325 fee bills from NVC are taking a long time to show up (2 months, more or less).
I would not submit the civil documents until you have proof of paying the $325 fee.

--Ray B

Hi rayB. i received correspondence from nvc end of november to complete 6 steps in order to pre-process the spouse immigration visa i have applied for. well, i paid the AOS fee almost a month ago, but still have not received an invoice for the IV processing fee. i have not received any email replies or correspondence from nvc over the last month either. what should i do? i have collected the AOS and supporting documents, but want to send them together to the nvc in one package but of course i cannot do that until the IV processing fee has been paid, right? i've heard from some quarters that the package can be sent to the nvc before the fees has been paid

thanks for any insight.

[wkhawaja]

The $325 fee bills from NVC are taking a long time to show up (2 months, more or less).
I would not submit the civil documents until you have proof of paying the $325 fee.

--Ray B

I spoke to NVC on the phone. they said it is ok to mail in the package with the financial AOS documents + civil documents even though the IV processing fees is not paid. they said its taking about 42 days after paying the AOS fee for the IV processing fee invoice to show up. i am confused...

[rayb]

That's contrary to earlier NVC instructions, to not send sponsorship or civil documents unless fees have been paid.

It may be okay, but because of these kinds of conflicting NVC instructions, immigration attorneys are complaining through their professional organizations (AILA) about degradation of NVC performance.

--Ray B

I spoke to NVC on the phone. they said it is ok to mail in the package with the financial AOS documents + civil documents even though the IV processing fees is not paid. they said its taking about 42 days after paying the AOS fee for the IV processing fee invoice to show up. i am confused...

[yash002]

ds 260 invoice issue

How much time does it take normally for invoice to get open of ds260. As with me it has taken more than 10 days.

[yash002]

ds 260 issue

with more than 15 days, still the payment window has not opened for ds 260 through which we can pay $325. How much more time will this take approximately if anyone knows?

[rayb]

Some have reported the window being open, allowing them to pay the $325 fee, after waiting a few weeks. My experience of late has been that the payment window NEVER opens, so I have been mailing the invoice with the money order directly to the NVC processing address in St Louis, MO.

--Ray B

with more than 15 days, still the payment window has not opened for ds 260 through which we can pay $325. How much more time will this take approximately if anyone knows?

[yash002]

ds 260

Some have reported the window being open, allowing them to pay the $325 fee, after waiting a few weeks. My experience of late has been that the payment window NEVER opens, so I have been mailing the invoice with the money order directly to the NVC processing address in St Louis, MO.

--Ray B

Thank you so much for your response, my friend also had a petition and he has the same priority date. He paid $325 recently and it took approximately 10 days for him. So I am tensed that this problem is not only for my petition. Would you recommend me to wait for few days or I should directly post to the specific address.

[rayb]

If you have the $325 invoice from the NVC, and you are unable to pay the fee online, mailing it to the NVC payment address in St Louis, Missouri, is your only alternative option.

--Ray B

Thank you so much for your response, my friend also had a petition and he has the same priority date. He paid $325 recently and it took approximately 10 days for him. So I am tensed that this problem is not only for my petition. Would you recommend me to wait for few days or I should directly post to the specific address.

[yash002]

fee payment shows fees paid equals to zero.

I have done my coa on 28,Nov. With close to a month my payment window for ds 260 has not yet opened. Firstly it showed not invoiced and now it shows total fees paid equals zero. Has anyone encountered this prob? What does total fees equal to zero means? As first it showed not invoiced.

[linze1979]

Ray B - hopefully you can shed some light for me too on processing times you are experiencing. My kids and I (all US citizens) are going to the States in mid-April. We were hoping my husband (NZ citizen) would be with us or soon after. We started the entire process in Sept 2014. We got the packet from NVC in early Jan 2015 and I immediately chose the agent.

It has been 6 weeks and still no invoice for the visa. I've paid the AOS fee. Any idea how long it will take once we are able to pay the invoice (if it is ever invoiced, at this point I have NO faith in this process) and submit the DS-260 and AOS and supporting documents? How long until they are able to send info to the consulate in NZ for the interview date to be set? We did this process about 14 years ago (also from NZ) and it was all sorted in about 4 months. Should we look into changing to adjustment of status so my husband can go with us in April? Is this an option? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[rayb]

Please see my responses in CAPS after each of your questions:

Ray B - hopefully you can shed some light for me too on processing times you are experiencing. My kids and I (all US citizens) are going to the States in mid-April. We were hoping my husband (NZ citizen) would be with us or soon after. We started the entire process in Sept 2014. We got the packet from NVC in early Jan 2015 and I immediately chose the agent.

HOPEFULLY THE AGENT IS IN THE U.S. SO THAT YOU GET ALL THE CORRESPONDENCE FROM NVC IN A TIMELY MANNER.

It has been 6 weeks and still no invoice for the visa.

BE PATIENT, THE IV INVOICE WILL COME AND/OR YOU WILL FIND THE 'PAY' BUTTON AVAILABLE TO PAY ONLINE SOON.


I've paid the AOS fee. Any idea how long it will take once we are able to pay the invoice (if it is ever invoiced, at this point I have NO faith in this process) and submit the DS-260 and AOS and supporting documents?

YOU CAN COMPLETE SUBMIT THE DS-260 SOON AS YOU ARE ALLOWED TO FILL IT OUT WHEN THE IV APPLICATION BUTTON BECOMES OPERATIONAL. IF YOU HAVE THE MAILED (or emailed) COVER PAGE WITH BARCODE AND ALL NEEDED DOCUMENTS LISTED, YOU CAN POSTAL MAIL THE SPONSORSHIP AND CIVIL DOCUMENTS BEFORE THE IV FEE IS PAID.

How long until they are able to send info to the consulate in NZ for the interview date to be set?

THE APPOINTMENT PACKAGE WILL BE IN ANOTHER TWO OR MORE MONTHS, WITH AN APPOINTMENT DATE ABOUT 6 WEEKS LATER.

We did this process about 14 years ago (also from NZ) and it was all sorted in about 4 months. Should we look into changing to adjustment of status so my husband can go with us in April?

IF YOUR HUSBAND IS ALLOWED TO ENTER THE U.S., YOU CAN SWITCH TO PROCESSING WITH ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS IN THE U.S., BUT IT WILL COST YOU A FEE OF $1,07O PLUS THE MEDICAL EXAM FEE AND TAKE ABOUT 6+ MONTHS AFTER HE IS IN THE U.S. MY ADVICE IS TO STAY WITH THE NVC PLAN.

Is this an option? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[linze1979]

Thanks for your quick response.

Unfortunately we are our own agent and we are in New Zealand. I check every day to see if the invoice is in the online system. Will they send a paper invoice too?

We have the cover page with the barcodes and I have all the supporting documents ready. We are unable to click on the IV application in order to complete it. Can we still mail the AOS and the supporting documents with the barcode sheets, even prior to completing the IV application? Or do we need to wait until this is active and able to be selected in the online system?

Thanks!

Please see my responses in CAPS after each of your questions:

[rayb]

You can submit the sponsorship documents and civil documents with the barcoded cover page, even if the visa fee has not yet been paid. Make sure you have Stateside proof of tax filing and income, from you or a Stateside co-sponsor.

For the civil documents,make sure you you have police clearances, original certified birth and marriage documents, copy of passport iD page, two passport-style photos of applicant.

--Ray B

Thanks for your quick response.

Unfortunately we are our own agent and we are in New Zealand. I check every day to see if the invoice is in the online system. Will they send a paper invoice too?

We have the cover page with the barcodes and I have all the supporting documents ready. We are unable to click on the IV application in order to complete it. Can we still mail the AOS and the supporting documents with the barcode sheets, even prior to completing the IV application? Or do we need to wait until this is active and able to be selected in the online system?

Thanks!

[linze1979]

If we decide to apply for a K-3 visa, do you have any idea the processing time it will take?

Apart from the additional cost of doing adjust to status, is there any other negative consequence changing at this point from consular processing to adjustment of status?

If we do a K-3 visa, can my husband still fly back to NZ and do consular processing if he chooses?

Thanks!

You can submit the sponsorship documents and civil documents with the barcoded cover page, even if the visa fee has not yet been paid. Make sure you have Stateside proof of tax filing and income, from you or a Stateside co-sponsor.

For the civil documents,make sure you you have police clearances, original certified birth and marriage documents, copy of passport iD page, two passport-style photos of applicant.

--Ray B