All about my I-824!!
dev28,
Here is my gc story.
==> Applied for GC 27th March 2001.
==> Got Labor done in 23rd August 2001.
==> Applied for I-140 (with AOS as the default option) on 24th August.
==> I-140 got approved on September 17th 2001.
==> Didn't act on I-140 untill January 23rd 2002.
==> Decided to take up CP.
==> Applied for I-824 on January 23rd 2002.
==> Got I-824 reciept on 28th January 2002.
==> Wrote a mail asking Chennai Consulate whether they would take up my case with the recipt of I-824. They came back and said that if I have had a pending AOS and demonstrate that the pending AOS is hindering my opportunites, they said on a case-by-case basis they would accept AC-I140 with I-824 reciept. My lawyer suggest to wait for approval of I-824.
==> Got my I-824 approved on October 31st 2002.
==> NVC received the papers on Nov 4th 2002. Case yet to be created.
Now to answer few of your questions: (Usual disclaimers apply)
All the answer specifically pertains to NSC and Chennai Consulate until otherwise mentioned.
Q: "YOUR I824 GOT APPROVED AT NSC, RIGHT IN 10 MONTHS? "
A: Yes. In about 9 months and 8 days.
Q: "SO YOU HAD APPLIED FOR AOS AND THEN APPLIED 824?"
A: Partial Yes and a partial No. Yes -- as I had applied I140 with AOS in mind. NO -- I didn't file I485 once my I140 was approved.
Q: "WHY DIDN'T USE JUST RECIEPT OF 824 TO GO FOR CP? "
A: Wrote a mail asking Chennai Consulate whether they would take up my case with the recipt of I-824. They came back and said that if I have had a pending AOS and demonstrate that the pending AOS is hindering my opportunites, they said on a case-by-case basis they would accept AC-I140 with I-824 reciept. My lawyer suggest to wait for approval of I-824.
Q: "ALSO, FROM THE TIME OF APPROVAL OF 824 TO THE INTERVIEW DATE FOR CP, WHAT IS THE EXPECTED TIME?"
A: From what I had checked with
www.cptracker.com, my guess is that it takes about 4-5 months from the date of I-824 approval to the day of the interview (the actual date on which the interview happens). The break down approximately is something like the following.
INS to NVC ==> 3 - 5 days.
NVC creates a case ==> 1 week - 3 weeks after the above
NVC sends Packet 3 ==> 4 - 8 weeks after the above
Packet 3 from STL to NVC ==> 3 - 4 weeks after the day the STL receives packet 3
NVC review of Packet 3 ==> 3 - 4 weeks after the above
Packet 3 reaching US Consulate in India ==> 1 - 2 weeks after the above.
Q: "ALSO DO YOU HAVE INFO ON WHETHER YOU CAN GO TO BOMBAY IF YOUR LAST H1B IS APPROVED AT MADRAS? "
A: I am not sure on that. But looks like NVC decides the zone in according to what your lawyer mentions. Check with a lawyer. My take on that was NVC decides which zone you belong to based on which place the passport was issued from. (For H1-B, the lawyer mentions the nearest consulate from the place you live. So you could get away with it by getting the H1-B stamped from a consulate other than the consulate from your 'home' area)
Q: "ALSO WHAT WAS YOU REASON TO FILE FOR 824?"
A: When I was about to apply for my final stage at NSC I had these two options
i) AOS with a waiting period of over 14 months.
ii) CP with I824 waiting period of 45 days.
So I decided to do I824. Also, since I'm single, CP was flexible to me as I could wait until till the last moment of my interview to find a life partner and get married. (You could get your packet 3 for your wife if you could get married before you reach US with successful interview as IMMIGRANT and she could join you in about 3 months from then as IMMIGRANT)
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Ganesh.