₦airaland Forum

Oluwa18:
I do follow up every year . Do petition is still active. Just didn’t submit documents and continue processing.

Okay so let me say this.
You have two options that I can see.

1. Continue with NVC and submit documents so her case can be documentarily qualified. You can check the the ne new Interview scheduling tool on DOS site i.e trave state.gov site.
You can indicate the consulate then the visa category.to say where they are are for scheduling interviews that are documented complete aka DQ.
Since your mum is IR you don't need the visa bulletin.

2. Your dad can file for her , time line might be the same as yours above

Bonus tip.
Either you or Dad can do 1 or 2 above but do Adjustment of status in the US.
Get your mum in the US on a visit visa and do the filing in the US.
Just tell mommy she could come and visit that's all.

Processing in the US could be done in about 6months.. Adjustment of status for IR is very plausible when done inside the US.

PS you must be an oldie, yes there was an older thread from immigrant visas reference to it is still on Page 1.
What was your username, I was on NL during that time especially when Visa officers were fully here with their own QnA threads. Those were the days

aiguobs:
Had my interview on the 13th of November, showed administrative processing on the 14th, showed issued on the 17th which was on Monday, then ready for pickup on the 20th of November.

Haa, mine is not even showing administrative processing at all. It just keeps saying 'no results'. Is it the CEAC visa status tracker you were using?

Good day guys,
I have been scheduled for my visa interview f3 and I just submitted some documents on the CEAC (pictures,calls etc) and I don’t know how long it will take for the documents submitted to be approved because my in person document review is soon.
And what other documents should I upload to show proof of relationship?

leanonme82:
Haa, mine is not even showing administrative processing at all. It just keeps saying 'no results'. Is it the CEAC visa status tracker you were using?

Go to the ceac website, click immigrant visa status, put your LGS number, in the other spaces were passport no and name is required, put NA. Put the Catcha then click enter.you will see your status. When it says issued, go to the IOS website, click on us visa , input pickup and passport no. It will show if it’s ready for pick up or not.

leanonme82:
Haa, mine is not even showing administrative processing at all. It just keeps saying 'no results'. Is it the CEAC visa status tracker you were using?

Follow all the steps aiguobs stated above ⬆️ ⬆️, concise and very sharp update.

Ellie123:
Good day guys,
I have been scheduled for my visa interview f3 and I just submitted some documents on the CEAC (pictures,calls etc) and I don’t know how long it will take for the documents submitted to be approved because my in person document review is soon.
And what other documents should I upload to show proof of relationship?

Carry everything you can carry , #Don’tDull.

it’s all about #PACKAGING…


Pictures , whatsapp chat 💬, money transfer receipts , birthday cards , handwritten letters , etc etc etc…. Arrange them neatly , don’t staple. Use a paper 📋 clip…

ecomallchemistt:
Carry everything you can carry , #Don’tDull.

it’s all about #PACKAGING…


Pictures , whatsapp chat 💬, money transfer receipts , birthday cards , handwritten letters , etc etc etc…. Arrange them neatly , don’t staple. Use a paper 📋 clip…

Thank you 😊

Ellie123:
Good day guys,
I have been scheduled for my visa interview f3 and I just submitted some documents on the CEAC (pictures,calls etc) and I don’t know how long it will take for the documents submitted to be approved because my in person document review is soon.
And what other documents should I upload to show proof of relationship?

Anything you submit after you documentarily qualified will only show submitted not approved. But that doesn't mean they don't see it. Just pack them with you to your interview also. You will be fine.

leanonme82:
Check the bulletin for where your mums category stands now. Use her priority date to see when it might be her turn to submit documents.
This will tell you how long it will take for your current application. Also look at the category your dad would submit under if he's the one applying and look at the priority dates they are currently attending to, and compare.

Once you know the timeline to submit documents for both categories, this can help you guage which will be faster. After being documentarily qualified the rest of the process till the interview is 1 year.

In some cases, the mother-child application is better for interview cos they hardly reject it. But you have to consider your household size and current dependents if you can afford it.
I believe the spouse application is faster but might go under more scrutiny at interview.

Compare the pros and cons of both.

Thank you . Sounds good . I will check tomoro and keep the threads updated

Taal17:
Okay so let me say this.
You have two options that I can see.

1. Continue with NVC and submit documents so her case can be documentarily qualified. You can check the the ne new Interview scheduling tool on DOS site i.e trave state.gov site.
You can indicate the consulate then the visa category.to say where they are are for scheduling interviews that are documented complete aka DQ.
Since your mum is IR you don't need the visa bulletin.

2. Your dad can file for her , time line might be the same as yours above

Bonus tip.
Either you or Dad can do 1 or 2 above but do Adjustment of status in the US.
Get your mum in the US on a visit visa and do the filing in the US.
Just tell mommy she could come and visit that's all.

Processing in the US could be done in about 6months.. Adjustment of status for IR is very plausible when done inside the US.

PS you must be an oldie, yes there was an older thread from immigrant visas reference to it is still on Page 1.
What was your username, I was on NL during that time especially when Visa officers were fully here with their own QnA threads. Those were the days

Thank you . Good to see you around still. Yes, I’m an oldie. I was a pioneer threaadoor on the old NVC threads when we had real NVC workers with answering questions here. This was 2011 to 2017 ish. I stopped being active about 2017. Tbh, a lot have changed here. There was a time I ate and breathed nairaland. It was a tight knit family . That one can’t function without dropping posts and comments here.

Ellie123:
Oh ok thank you, yes oh. I got my welcome letter December 2024 and dqed April 2025 and interview letter Oct 2025. The IV scheduling status tool is in January 2025 they are moving fast this year!

My PD was 2011, same category and I got DQ'd this month, hopefully we get an interview soon. Also want to ask, are you on any Whatsapp or Facebook groups for F3 visas?

AbeHumannel:
My PD was 2011, same category and I got DQ'd this month, hopefully we get an interview soon. Also want to ask, are you on any Whatsapp or Facebook groups for F3 visas?

I am on this facebook group

Its been one long journey and I finally got my F3 visa (formally F1 but I got married and pivoted).

leanonme82:
Its been one long journey and I finally got my F3 visa (formally F1 but I got married and pivoted).

I was documentarily qualified Oct 2024.
I was sent the interview appointment in Sep 2025 for an interview in Nov 2025.
Got my mail for document review Oct 21st
Did my medical on the 24th.
Did my document review Nov 4th and had my interview the week after.

On the document review date, i went along with all my physical documents even though some had not been uploaded beforehand (I didnt think i could upload after documentarily qualified, so our attestation of births we recently did weren't scanned on my CEAC account, my new passport page was not uploaded, and i had not scanned in any photos as evidence of relationship). I got an incomplete on my document review for this, even though i showed the documents physically to the document review officer. She added the photo evidences to the sealed folder and told me to upload everything on my account before the interview, which i did (I went through the pink sheet religiously and uploaded every single relevant item i had not uploaded before. The list is so much more comprehensive than the one given by NVC).

Interview date was nerve-racking but i was confident cos i had all my original documents complete. My husband said we're the only ones with bag of folders and albums while everyone else went in with just their sealed folders. I said we will carry it all in cos na me dey give incomplete o, i cant look at anyone elses face.

Script: They asked my little kid how are you, do you know this people? Lol. They also asked where we live and my baby mentioned our city in the UK (We have skilled worker visas in the UK and had to travel home for this interview). They asked who petitioned for me, where do they live, and how long have they lived there? I explained. They went through all our documents one after the other. They asked about my study in the UK when going through photos of my dad and I at my graduation. Went through wedding, birth, vacations, naming ceremony photos. My dad was in every milestone lol (Love him ).
I was asked about what my dad does. I stated this. The interviewer said they wanted to go through something on the computer and kept us on hold for a while.
And they came back and said congratulations and gave us the sheet for collection.

After the interview, went on the CEAC visa status and was tracking this daily but it wasn't showing my details, just came up with 'no results'. I was surprised when someone said here they could view it immediately after their interview, so i went back to the status tracker and then entered 'NA' in the surname and passport number and then my details came up and i saw that the visa was already issued for over a week.

Thanks to everyone that helped in answering questions on this thread. From answering my medical appointment questions and the documents I needed to get. I got a lot of information from this thread. Many thanks.

Wish everyone else that has been waiting for over a decade(or almost 2 decades) of this journey all the best and hope you get to reunite with your family after all these years. Blessings.

Congratulations

aiguobs:
Congratulations

Thank you bro.

Ellie123:
Good day guys,
I have been scheduled for my visa interview f3 and I just submitted some documents on the CEAC (pictures,calls etc) and I don’t know how long it will take for the documents submitted to be approved because my in person document review is soon.
And what other documents should I upload to show proof of relationship?

Bank transfers or western union transfers.
Call logs/whassap chats

Hi all, just wanted to ask why people living overseas still come to Nigeria for interview why not transfer the case to Embassy in your new location provided you have the resident permit of the country for the US preference visa to processed over there.

Amoj4682:
Hi all, just wanted to ask why people living overseas still come to Nigeria for interview why not transfer the case to Embassy in your new location provided you have the resident permit of the country for the US preference visa to processed over there.

For my own case, when I was submitting my documents to CEAC last year my UK visa was expiring in May 2025. We didn't know where we would be to complete the process since many things take years, that's why i chose Lagos. We only renewed the visa again a few months ago.

Hello House

leanonme82:
For my own case, when I was submitting my documents to CEAC last year my UK visa was expiring in May 2025. We didn't know where we would be to complete the process since many things take years, that's why i chose Lagos. We only renewed the visa again a few months ago.

Thank you for your response and congratulations

leanonme82:
Its been one long journey and I finally got my F3 visa (formally F1 but I got married and pivoted).

Congratulations!!!🍾

Dansakimotors:
Hello House,

i would like to hear from anyone that recently got his/her children I130 petition approved. My wife filed for us (i.e myself and my children, i.e her step-children). She is a Citizen, she filed for us all in November, 2024 (Precisely a year ago) i got my Green Card since june but has not had anything about the children petition since then. Input from someone that recently got his or her children GC approved would be appreciated

Are you and the children in Nigeria or in the US?.because your approval timeline is pretty fast. Besides you need petition is approved first before green card is given.
Just to ask are you sure a step mother can file an i130 for stepchildren , I ask because based on your post your children petition is yet to be approved.


If you are in the US then this thread is mainly for those in doing consulate processing outside the US

Landed in Raleigh Durham last night.

LOS > ATL > RDU.

13 hours plus flight time , I feel so tired.

Need to sleep for about 2 days , lol

Taal17:
Are you and the children in Nigeria or in the US?.because your approval timeline is pretty fast. Besides you need petition is approved first before green card is given.
Just to ask are you sure a step mother can file an i130 for stepchildren , I ask because based on your post your children petition is yet to be approved.


If you are in the US then this thread is mainly for those in doing consulate processing outside the US

Yes, step parents can file and it is a lot faster.

ecomallchemistt:
Landed in Raleigh Durham last night.

LOS > ATL > RDU.

13 hours plus flight time , I feel so tired.

Need to sleep for about 2 days , lol

Pele, take your time and rest.

aestake:
Yes, step parents can file and it is a lot faster.

Okay., I checked it as well. Though the stepparent must be married to the biological parent before children turn 18 and file before they are 21

Hopefully the OP and kids are in the US, else the timeline in Nigeria is still possible 1-3yrs even for IR

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

ecomallchemistt:
Landed in Raleigh Durham last night.

LOS > ATL > RDU.

13 hours plus flight time , I feel so tired.

Need to sleep for about 2 days , lol

Congrats, bro. Finally you made it..

That's a direct flight from Nigeria, and not that long compared to mine, which had 2 stops (Addis Ababa, Rome) and almost 30 hours.

Taal17:
Pele, take your time and rest.

Thanks sir 🙏

internationalman:
Congrats, bro. Finally you made it..

That's a direct flight from Nigeria, and not that long compared to mine, which had 2 stops (Addis Ababa, Rome) and almost 30 hours.

Thank you sir 🙏, wow 30 hours…that’s a journey damn !!!

ecomallchemistt:
Thank you sir 🙏, wow 30 hours…that’s a journey damn !!!

Yeah. Na me dey find cheap flight na 😄.

It was my first time ever of flying, I wanted to have the opportunity to visit other countries and have a feel of it.

I will not try it again next time though.

Good evening all. F3 visa for a family of 6 finally collected today.
priority date 2011
DQ Nov 2024
Document review Nov 3 2025
Interview date Nov 13, 2025
Administrative processing Nov. 14
Issued Nov 17th
Booked appointment for today because I travelled from Benin City to Lagos.
It can only be God. The journey is not for the faint hearted. For those still waiting, God will surely answer your prayers.
Thank you everyone for answering my questions, no matter how foolish it may sound. Thank you all for your patience. God will surely meet you all at the point of your need in Jesus name. Stay blessed