When your I-140 is approved, for CP or otherwise, the physical file itself is sent to a centralized Records Center. In the case of a "CP approved I-140" an electronic copy is sent to NVC. Why the NVC? The NVC decides which consulate should the electronic copy of the I-140 be forwarded to. The NVC also prepares the packet 3 and mails it to you or to your lawyer. In my case it was mailed to me, but unfortunately I moved from that address and the post office returned it to NVC, since all government mail like this are "Return Service Requested". Also these mail are never sent to a forwarding address. Anyhow, my Packet 3 never reached me.
Whichever consulate received the electronic copy of your I-140 approval, waits for your completed Packet 3 before giving you an appointment. If you don\'t respond in 2 years, which you won\'t since you have applied for AOS instead, the electronic copy of the I-140 approval is either sent back to NVC or just "erased". Depending on their backlog and the length of the I-485 queue, 1 year or whatever period it takes INS to get to examining your file, they send for "connection with your I-140", which all along has been sitting in the national Records Center. Are you guys with me so far!
No request is sent to NVC or the Consulate. NSC does not even know, or care, to which Consulate you do belong! The connection is made at the national Records Center. When the I-485 and the I-140 files connect, the dossier on you is complete! The information that is there in your I-140 file is not there in your I-485 file. That\'s why they don\'t care about your past experience or your qualification at the I-485 stage, because that info is already there in your I-140 file.
Once the connection is made,your case is "assigned to an officer". After the approval(or RFE to "complete" the information in your I-485 file), the I-485 file also is sent to the national Records Center where it is kept along with your I-140 file because, whoever you are, you are a combination of your I-140 and I-485 files.
In case of consular processing, the Packet 3 after approval is sent to the national Records Center to be "joined" with your physical I-140 file.
Whatever is the delay, it happens at the national Records Center before the "connection". I am sure no request is sent to the NVC or the Consulate, because my file (the electronic I-140 approval copy) is still in Chennai! And NSC APPROVED my case! Before approval, when I spoke to an IIO, she said they are not "waiting" for anything. Because as per my theory the "connection" has already happened and Chennai was not even contacted.
If you put all these pieces together, it does make sense. Why should they send files all over the globe when they have to be here in this country and have to get "connected" eventually? Think! Tomorrow when you blow up a building or win a Nobel Prize, they know all about you because, your dossier is with them, sitting snug in the national Records Center!
Whichever consulate received the electronic copy of your I-140 approval, waits for your completed Packet 3 before giving you an appointment. If you don\'t respond in 2 years, which you won\'t since you have applied for AOS instead, the electronic copy of the I-140 approval is either sent back to NVC or just "erased". Depending on their backlog and the length of the I-485 queue, 1 year or whatever period it takes INS to get to examining your file, they send for "connection with your I-140", which all along has been sitting in the national Records Center. Are you guys with me so far!
No request is sent to NVC or the Consulate. NSC does not even know, or care, to which Consulate you do belong! The connection is made at the national Records Center. When the I-485 and the I-140 files connect, the dossier on you is complete! The information that is there in your I-140 file is not there in your I-485 file. That\'s why they don\'t care about your past experience or your qualification at the I-485 stage, because that info is already there in your I-140 file.
Once the connection is made,your case is "assigned to an officer". After the approval(or RFE to "complete" the information in your I-485 file), the I-485 file also is sent to the national Records Center where it is kept along with your I-140 file because, whoever you are, you are a combination of your I-140 and I-485 files.
In case of consular processing, the Packet 3 after approval is sent to the national Records Center to be "joined" with your physical I-140 file.
Whatever is the delay, it happens at the national Records Center before the "connection". I am sure no request is sent to the NVC or the Consulate, because my file (the electronic I-140 approval copy) is still in Chennai! And NSC APPROVED my case! Before approval, when I spoke to an IIO, she said they are not "waiting" for anything. Because as per my theory the "connection" has already happened and Chennai was not even contacted.
If you put all these pieces together, it does make sense. Why should they send files all over the globe when they have to be here in this country and have to get "connected" eventually? Think! Tomorrow when you blow up a building or win a Nobel Prize, they know all about you because, your dossier is with them, sitting snug in the national Records Center!