Notice of Receipt:
You should receive an acknowledgement or Notice of Receipt within a few weeks
after mailing the application and fee to BCIS. You must ensure that the self-petitioner has addressed each of the requirements listed above. They should have provided some supporting evidence.
This may be in the form of a statement that addresses each requirement.
If the Service makes a prima facie determination,
the self-petitioner will receive a Notice of Prima Facie Determination valid for 150 days.
Deferred action means that the Service will not initiate removal (deportation) proceedings against the self-petitioner.
All others have a validity of 24 months beyond the date a visa number becomes available.
The VSC has the authority to grant appropriate extensions of deferred action beyond those time periods. This is done upon receipt of a request for extension from the self-petitioner.
Adjustment to Permanent Resident Status:
Self-petitioners who qualify as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21)
do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number to become available.
They may file the Application To Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status with their local BCIS office.
Self-petitioners who require a visa number to adjust
can get assistance through the National Domestic Violence Hotline. They can call 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 [TDD]. These lines provide information about shelters, mental health care, and legal advice.
They also offer other types of assistance, including information about self-petitioning for immigration status.
There are numerous immigration laws that could result in the denial of this visa if not properly prepared.