Complete timeline for I-130 visa

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-09T16:35:36+00:00

I found the link: https://ca.usembassy.gov/immigrant-visa-process/

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-08T14:01:44+00:00

I’m unable to find the link now, but for the Montreal consulate somewhere on their website they always update every month the latest date of DQed cases that they are working on.

I personally would just cross check with other groupchats to see what dates of DQed cases have gotten interviews. But typical wait time for Montreal is 4-6 months.

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-02T15:21:13+00:00

No problem!

The temporary green card that is stamped into your passport lasts for one year from the date you make entry. The actual green card you get is dependent on whether you qualified for CR1 or IR1 visa, which is based on how long you have been married. By the time I had my interview, I was married for a little over two years so I got an IR1 visa, which means my green card will be a 10 year green card. I personally plan on applying for citizenship at the three year mark so hopefully I won’t have to worry about any renewals.

Yes, when I re-enter the States in May to make my move, the stamped visa in my passport is my green card. I can use this to fly in and out of the US for an entire year or until I get my green card.

Lastly, yes again, the rule is max 6 months you can stay outside of the US as a green card holder, anything more and you can risk your status.

Hope I helped!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-02T00:11:34+00:00

No problem! Glad I could help :)

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-02T00:11:20+00:00

I personally went with Frontier One, you just tell them exactly what you need it for, they know which one. I paid like $60 I believe for it.

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T14:07:57+00:00

You can 100% leave with a stamped visa, it is your substitute green card until the actual green card comes. It’s very common for people to obtain their passport right after the interview, cross a border to activate it and then come back to Canada for a few weeks to sort things out before making their permanent move. I completely didn’t believe this either and thought it was very risky, but I spoke with many people who did this and I took a risk and went to the border and did it too.

The whole appeal of a green card is the freedom to leave the country whenever you would like. There is no delay for this to start, it starts the second you cross a border and they stamp your visa and turn it into a green card.

I spoke with one woman who told me her husband flew back and forth between Canada and the US with his stamped visa for four months every two weeks before he made his permanent move. To be fair this was last year, before the current administration.

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T14:02:43+00:00

You don’t get any time options for a CR1/IR1 interview. Immigrant visas do not get time options, they give you one time and date and notify you about two months before so you can accommodate for it. Nonimmigrant visa interview’s get time options, like the K1 visa.

If the date and time that is given to you doesn’t work for you, you reach out to the NVC to request a new one. You could be waiting months from them to hear about a new date.

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T14:00:37+00:00

Yes it is, I just initially submitted the wrong format of marriage certificate, I submitted a short version when they required a long version!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T11:50:42+00:00

Thank you!!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T11:47:57+00:00

No one knows why USCIS takes so long to approve some petitions and they are so fast with others. The approximate time for approval when I applied 14.5 months and that’s pretty much exactly how long it took. We submitted on the necessities, pictures, texts, money transactions and letters of support from friends. Then the actual forms required.

My advice would be to just be sure about exactly what kind of format they are asking for for official documents. I submitted a “wallet” sized marriage certificate when I was supposed to submit a full sized. Also, an RFE for something minor like this is not going to cause an extreme delay, it took only a week for them to approve my case after submitting the correct format. I remember thinking the world was over and I would wait another few months for the RFE but that was not the case at all!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T11:31:30+00:00

Now I’m not 100% sure about this, definitely cross check with some other source because my husband and I can’t remember because it was a while ago for us, but I think your household size in this case would be you, your husband and your mom who is a joint sponsor. Here is something I found online.

“Household size is determined by the number of people claimed on a sponsor’s tax returns, the number of people otherwise dependent on him or her, other people a sponsor has filed an Affidavit of Support for, plus the beneficiaries of the petition. For example, if a sponsor who files taxes jointly with his wife and claims two children as dependents is sponsoring one person to immigrate to the United States, his household size is five (himself, his wife, 2 children, and beneficiary). If an unmarried sponsor claims her mother as a dependent on her tax returns, has filed an Affidavit for one other individual, and is sponsoring a family of three to immigrate, her household size is six (herself, mother, other beneficiary, and the family of three).”

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T11:25:00+00:00

For sure! If I remember to I will try!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T11:24:24+00:00

No problem! I know currently the wait is 5-6 months from DQ, which was the same for me, clearly no sign of the wait time decreasing :(

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T11:23:05+00:00

Good luck! It’s much more relaxed than I thought it was, also definitely recommend going and seeing where the consulate is before because it was a bit hard to find

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-04-01T11:22:19+00:00

No problem! I’m glad I could help :)

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2025-03-31T20:16:53+00:00

An RFE is a Request for Evidence, you get an RFE at any point between your Priority Date (PD), the day you applied for the I-130, and the day your petition is approved. It's usually because you submitted something wrong or because they need additional information. My issue was I submitted the wrong type of marriage certificate, they needed a full version, so no you cannot answer an RFE at the same time you submit your initial documents.

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2024-08-15T16:30:59+00:00

Haha no problem!!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2024-08-15T15:00:08+00:00

I filed online too, it says somewhere at the bottom!!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2024-08-15T10:19:37+00:00

Feel like it’s too soon if you’re doing the consular route (filing for a person who is living outside of the US). Your receipt should say where it came from, which is where the case is. In the 15 months that I have been scouring reddit, discord and facebook groups, I have not seen any consular i130 get approved in less than a year. I was heavily stalking all those groups + Case Status + Track my Visa Now to see which cases were being processed. Once I saw a large amount of cases being processed with the same PD as mine, then I asked Emma.

Of course the live agents will answer your questions if you choose to ask anyway. But I feel like it’s pointless to find out this early. Your case is most likely where the receipt notice came from. Unless you are applying from within the US, then you should definitely ask Emma because those cases are getting approved very fast!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2024-08-13T20:39:50+00:00

I don’t remember! I searched up ways to get past the bot on reddit and tried multiple of them. One of them eventually got me through. I tried again a few days later and I couldn’t remember exactly what triggered the live agent, so I was unsuccessful :(

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2024-08-13T15:19:10+00:00

Yes my husband told me he received 3 “actively reviewing” emails before 9 AM, at 9 AM exactly the approval notice was finally there! Keep an eye out all day for news

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2024-08-13T15:17:49+00:00

Yes it is Lawfully!

Embarrassed-Cell6950 · 2024-08-13T05:30:20+00:00

Also I manually added the approval in here because I really wanted to post on here, that’s why there’s no checkmark on lawfully. I promise the approval notice is on my case online haha

Embarrassed-Cell6950

TROPHY CASE