It doesn't seem to be a common occurence though. Isn't it all to do with fingerprint checking or something? (or am I being dumb)

I thinks its much more related to the fact that her fiance is Pakistani.

And you're right, AP is not very common in the London Embassy.

Ahh that makes more sense. I didn't know that. I'm not saying it's fair, but I can understand a little better now.

I agree - I think all my family had reservations - Jeremy and I had made a go of our relationship when we were in our late teens and we just didn't have the maturity to deal with it - it was a mess... The second time around my family obviously had their doubts based on our previous attempt and the fact that we met online which was a bit of a standing joke for a while. Now they've all met him and accepted him and it is grand.

I'm a firm believer in that we all have choices - thankfully I haven't been put in a position where I have to make too many hard decisions although when Jeremy got promoted we had to rapidly change our plans to me moving there - it made so much more sense but it was still hard because I am so close to my family and he never sees his



I really hope it isn't based on his race - that would really suck Did we hear from our MIAs as well?

Most likely he has a common name. That seems to be the biggest issue with those of middle eastern descent.

ADD ME!!!

I just got the letter - dated 28th March - which says I have an interview this Thursday 10 April. Wow, that was fast.

congratulations and good luck !!!!

YAY!!! OMG!! You'll be going in the day after me!! How exciting!! And such a pity it's not the same day - we could have kept each other company!!! Ah well - we can be nervous together on Tuesday then!!!!

awesome on the interview date. We're still waiting. The lady I talked to on Friday said she wouldn't be surprised if one was assigned by end of next week. Fingers are crossed but ugh... trying to be patient.

Sometimes I wish things had all happened quickly for me as well - I wonder if I wouldn't worry so much about moving - by the time I move it will have been almost a year and while I was fired up at the beginning (bad experiences on uni placements, fed up with being in the UK in general) now I am more complacent... well... not quite but I am more concerned about missing my family...

Part of me thinks it is just needing to cut the apron strings as it were though

Robyn - I am sure you will hear soon Just think - it won't be much longer now either way you look at it - maybe a month tops which is a walk in the park!! Haha - I remember Jeremy leaving after being here for Christmas and I was so not bothered because it was only six weeks until I saw him again!! And then after that - well, four months until we never have to be apart... and it seriously seems like a breeze! I mean - I have... maybe 2 months and three weeks until we see each other again and I have been home a month already... it will sure come around fast

YES im still here and on AP. i give dos a call once a week and i get the same old generic answer....he requires special security cleareance...they wont answer ne questions on y...but like juelz said it is probably b.c he's pakistani and i say he fits "the profile." i have a trip planned for apr 22 and i sure would like for everything to be over so he could fly back with me and our son...so let us all pray it will be over soon so i dont go crazy

Hey! Glad to see you're still floating around though - it must be really hard and I admire you for being so strong Let's hope it will come to a quick and wonderful result

I am getting the feeling his interview will either be end of april very first of may which will fall just fine. We've already decided the earliest he can fly will be June 5th anyway so this will give us enough time to wrap things up. Just hate that the last we saw each other was in december (while i was still finishing up my divorce) so until he moves we've never really been able to 'be' a couple per say.. not openly though..... but i'm counting down the days.. if all goes well 2mths 11hrs.

Haha - yeah - Jeremy and I were lucky enough to spend five months together in 2006 so we could get a feel for living together - it was tough but it at least allowed us to realise that we wanted to make a real go of things

Hmm December - yeah almost four months isn't good but at least you know the next time you see each other you won't have to be apart again I'm going to be seeing Jeremy at the end of June

we've both lived alone at various times but right now both Dave and I are in rather sub-optimal share house arrangements... while it's more than a bit annoying a lot of the time, I think it's actually going to be beneficial in the end, because we're going to be SO glad to have a different set-up, we'll REALLY value it

Just got home this evening from my trip to London and Devon...what a glorious trip. I met Darren's parentsand most of his extended family; they are such lovely people!!! I miss him terribly, but I'm happy that the family seem to have accepted me as a future daughter-in-law. And needless to say, my family absolutely adores Darren...

Congrats on getting your interview dates Jeraly and Poiteen!! (Just caught up with the thread!)

Noticed you've been MIA!! Taking a break or...?

No, I have just been busy at work. I only have 2 weeks left of work so I am trying to get everything sorted before I leave...

I was extremely tempted to triple book a coach for next July and throw away all the paperwork.. That would be mean though, right?

Have you quit stressing yet about the interview?

Hahah!!

Well I have everything all organised now so I feel a bit happier... but I am more nervous today than I was yesterday. I start a new contract tomorrow as well so will be working in a different place so I am nervous about that as well!! Nothing like everything happening at once! I will just be so glad when it is all over!!

Aww, i'm sure it will all be fine

I was actually stressing out more about the medical than the interview for some reason. Once that was out of the way, the rest was a walk in the park!

Oh yours is about the same as mine - I am having my med on Tuesday at 1510 and my interview the following day at 9am... I am just trying to not think about it... I mean it's not like I can change anything or do anything differently now so I just have to get on with it... and better now so it is out of the way than later when I have longer to worry about it

Exactly.

I think you will be shocked at just how unstressful and easy it all is When I did it I was like, Is that it???

I have no clue what I expected

I think that's just it - you spend so long going through this process and reading the reviews and it all seems fine, then it gets to your turn and it's like OMIGOD I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!!! Everyone I have "spoken" to says that it is a total anti-climax and I just hope I get the same impression!! Purely because I don't want it to be something stressful!!

I think I kinda know what to expect... Doctor poking and prodding a bit, big needle, little sticky plaster on my poor vein... followed by queuing up, handing over phone, being given a ticket, handing over docs, sitting down cr@pping myself, waiting around some more all the while getting more and more nervous, getting my number called, having my stomach lurch, being asked a few questions (among which "why the US and not the UK?" and "how did you meet"), them taking my money and then saying I'm approved... (I'm hoping)

Still $h*tting myself though

Yep, that's pretty much exactly how it will go!

It's one thing reading it and another thing going through it though

Roll on Wednesday evening... glass of wine and the Apprentice and hopefully an approval! Either way it will all be over for the most part... then it is just packing, shipping and party!!

I am having a leaving party in Newquay on Saturday night (I was supposed to have that beach party last weekend, but the weather was awful...)

Are you scared about leaving England? I am absolutely terrified. I really didn't think that would happen... But now all of a sudden... Don't get me wrong, I am excited too... But my heart kind of races everytime I think about getting on the plane...

I hate the thought of leaving England and I wasn't even born here

Jeraly, just remember my most important piece of advice about the Embassy -




















don't drink the coffee

Yeah - totally I mean I love the States, I love the people and I love being there - ever since I made my first visit in 1994 to Florida I decided that I wanted to marry an American (because I thought the accent was SO cool ) and live in America like my godfather who lives in Tampa... Later on in life it was a pipe dream - besides, it was totally unrealistic and I would just miss my family too much - the thought of moving away from my home city and having to start over in another part of the country was terrifying...

Yet here we are...

I do want to live there, I love it there and although I am sure it will be hard at first, I think I will settle in just great eventually But yeah - less than three months and I don't know when I am going to see my family again... it's terrifying... Maybe moreso is the fact that if I see my mum when I think I will after moving June 30th, it will be the following Easter... That's *almost* a whole year...

And Christmas... We have big family Christmases and in the States that is just not going to happen until we have our own family and it's unlikely we will be able to afford to go back to the UK... I have tears pricking at my eyes just thinking about it...

I keep telling myself that sure, it is going to be different, totally different to the life I have, but that I should think of it more as the opportunity to build a life with Jeremy that will make things unique and special to us and find fun and happiness and joy in the way we create new Christmas and other holiday routines...

I'm just glad it's not only me feeling like that Maybe we can have a brainstorming session sometime and devise strategies to rebuild our lives It's like breaking a vase - you can glue it back together and it will be just as good as before but it takes a while for the cracks that are initially seen to be flaws, to be seen instead as a unique alteration of the original *And* that vase is now the only one like it in the whole world for all its "cracks"

StP - I have no intention of drinking *anything* I will just need to pee all the time and caffeine is so not good for me when I am nervous!!!

Whew! Also glad that it's not just me!

@ the brainstorming sessions. Fabulous idea Yet another reason that I am glad about finding this website. It really has made it easier being able to speak to people who are going through the same kind of thing.

I'm like you, I have always loved America. My Dad moved out there 6 years ago with my Step Mum and 2 sisters (My Step Mums American) and ever since the first time visiting him, I have wanted to live there. Didn't realise that it was going to be through marriage though! It's crazy how things work out!

I think the main people that I will miss are my Mum, brother, sister and a few close friends... I am worried that they won't be coming to America for the wedding.. My Mum is going to try her best but I will be devestated if she doesn't... I don't think we will be able afford to get back to England for quite some time. I have no clue when I will see my brother again either... He is going into the RAF on April 16th so won't be able to get time off to come over. (He leaves 3 days before I leave here to go to my Mums, so I won't even get to see him before I leave )

On the plus side though, it will be SO nice to be living near my Dad. I haven't lived that close to him since I was 5 and 2 years ago in America was the first Christmas that we have seen eachother and spent the day together in 21 years! I think if it wasn't for my Dad being there I would feel even more anxious than I do now. I kind of feel as though I have a bit of a safety net incase anything should go drastically wrong.

I am very much looking forward to building my new life with Chris though. I just hope we won't be poor forever! We are going to struggle our as*ses off for the first couple of years I think.

But hey. Just another life experience I s'pose!

Oh we sound like we are in a similar situation!! We don't even have a bed!!

It will be nice to have your dad around as well - at least you have some kind of family there - I think that is what worries me the most - not having family around for important occasions... Christmas really is stinging - I was hoping to have moved by February then it would have been more possible that I could come home for Christmas... ah well - who knows... maybe we'll be able to afford it yet

I'm just looking at it as a big adventure where we get to start from scratch and really build our life together - it's not like I am stepping into Jeremy's life and having to adapt - we are both making huge changes - he is moving out from his aunt's so it will be our first real home together and our first real home outside of our "parent's" home... sure it will be tough but it will make for some wonderful stories

And like you say - this place has been excellent so I intend to frequent when I move Stateside too so I can pick up ideas and sympathy

I'm going to start a random thread... watch this space...

Oh see... We have a bed. The only problem is, we don't actually have anywhere to 'put' the bed. Oh love, love will prevail.

Maybe we could all get together - your bed, our place... oh... wait... we don't have a place to live yet either!!!



*images of bedknobs and broomsticks*

I've just had a thought.

I'm not going to be able to read heat magazine anymore What an earth am I going to do? That's it. I can't go!

I'm sure you could sign up to some random e-letter about random celeb gossip You can prolly buy equivalents as well - I see things like Heat next to the checkout in almost every grocery store

LOL you guys crack me up!! Will be nice to see responses that are within the same timeframe as mine soon. I hate this blasted time difference with you all.

Kris is looking foward to coming here but he's also very nervous. He's had it rough where he lives at for work and fears having the same issues here even though i'm continuelly telling him the market here is much more favorable for him. Thankfully I'm already established in a place to live so he has nothing to worry about in regards to that. My biggest thing is I want to buy a house next year if possible. It's doable since what i pay in rent is about the same as a mortgage LOL

Just wish time would hurry the hell up though. We are both getting restless since we know seeing each other won't happen again till he's moving. Oh well.. must .. work.. on.. patience... Ya right!

Ahh but chances are he will be out soon - if you get your interview date in the next week or two he could be with you in less than a month! I have almost three to wait

Well earliest Kris can come will be June 5th to be honest. Even if he gets his visa way before then. My youngest is suppose to go the ex's on that day and if Kris was here before then my son wouldn't want to leave... so we are still kind of stuck which sucks.

I know Darren wants to tie up some loose ends before he comes over (selling his car and motorcycle, paying off as much debt as he can, etc.)...for me, he can't come over soon enough!!!

Yep.. Kris needs to sell his car and wrap up a few things... We've been discussing if it is possible to come earlier than the 5th but alot depends on when his interview date ends up being.

18days for Darren i see though.. fingers crossed!!!

Congratulations ajeanne!!!

January 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
Malia & Tom (Tom_g), jmrb, Dazzler, walkies_a, julez & Griff, English Muffin, Stephen & Amber, Chris & Amy, Shorty & Nilz, NikkisPrecious, Randy & Maggie(Mustang-sally), ddkm, Gwen666, Teachmehistory, Jeff & Bev (Wellywench), Shadow42 (Andrew & Robin), Chelsea & Ed (edchels), DD2004, Barrel_roll

February 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
C and J (Cheryl & Josh), Tinkerbelle, weedebz, nacampbell (Neil & Annie), kdancer, GlenandLisa, Lil-Lost-Girl, lostpup, jodinjames, Janaus, Courtney, Gareth's Girl, ericdraven

March 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
Bforbarree, StillthePrettiest, toshtishtash, londonuk, pkscotus, lisalu100, Darren&Laura, tomsandi, DonnaB, ladyynara, babblesgirl, zoobuffalo and KJC,

• bunsk2007..........................................2008-02-11 ????????????
• Sad Eyes............................................2008-02-25 Stuck in AP - hopefully not for long!
• piqqulet..............................................2008-02-29 ???????????
• GeordieLover.......................................2008-04-01 APPROVED!!!!
• ajeanne.............................................2008-04-07 APPROVED!!!!
• jeraly................................................2008-04-09
• thejoz/thesquozenone..........................2008-04-10
• Chorley80..........................................2008-04-22
• greeneyedgirlfl....................................2008-04-25
• AtlantiCat..........................................2008-04-28
• NickyMcMillan.....................................2008-04-30 @ 10:00

Up next is aly!!! Good luck my sistah!! Not that you need it!

Well we got our interview date. Kind of longer than I'd expected. He's set for May 20, 2008 at 10am. I'm kind of surprised it's so far out as the norm lately seemed to be sooner.

Yay! Gratzies Audrey!!!! Soooo happy for you after such a nightmare journey - at least things ended smoothly

Trying not to think about mine... I feel sick when I do ><

Update - adding a new interview date!!!

January 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
Malia & Tom (Tom_g), jmrb, Dazzler, walkies_a, julez & Griff, English Muffin, Stephen & Amber, Chris & Amy, Shorty & Nilz, NikkisPrecious, Randy & Maggie(Mustang-sally), ddkm, Gwen666, Teachmehistory, Jeff & Bev (Wellywench), Shadow42 (Andrew & Robin), Chelsea & Ed (edchels), DD2004, Barrel_roll

February 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
C and J (Cheryl & Josh), Tinkerbelle, weedebz, nacampbell (Neil & Annie), kdancer, GlenandLisa, Lil-Lost-Girl, lostpup, jodinjames, Janaus, Courtney, Gareth's Girl, ericdraven

March 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
Bforbarree, StillthePrettiest, toshtishtash, londonuk, pkscotus, lisalu100, Darren&Laura, tomsandi, DonnaB, ladyynara, babblesgirl, zoobuffalo and KJC,

• bunsk2007..........................................2008-02-11 ????????????
• Sad Eyes............................................2008-02-25 Stuck in AP - hopefully not for long!
• piqqulet..............................................2008-02-29 ???????????
• GeordieLover.......................................2008-04-01 APPROVED!!!!
• ajeanne.............................................2008-04-07 APPROVED!!!!
• jeraly................................................2008-04-09
• thejoz/thesquozenone..........................2008-04-10
• Chorley80..........................................2008-04-22
• greeneyedgirlfl....................................2008-04-25
• AtlantiCat..........................................2008-04-28
• NickyMcMillan.....................................2008-04-30 @ 10:00
• Robyn-n-Kris......................................2008-05-20

oh, bestest congratulations, ajeanne
so glad this part is over for you guys... I'm just smiling and smiling

Where's my interview date? It's on Thursday the 10th

Just been to Kinko's and spent 12GBP on photocopying. Think I'm close to ready now though

good grief, what did you copy?

I made 2 copies of all the stuff on the checklist, including

2 x 1-864
3 x My MIL's tax returns
My MIL passport & Birth cert

The kinkos is more expensive than other places I know, but was open late, and I didn't finish work till 7.30, and all the cheap places were closed. My interview's Thursday, so I didn't care, just wanted to get it done tonight.

Update!!! Sorry Poiteen - I didn't know!!!

January 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
Malia & Tom (Tom_g), jmrb, Dazzler, walkies_a, julez & Griff, English Muffin, Stephen & Amber, Chris & Amy, Shorty & Nilz, NikkisPrecious, Randy & Maggie(Mustang-sally), ddkm, Gwen666, Teachmehistory, Jeff & Bev (Wellywench), Shadow42 (Andrew & Robin), Chelsea & Ed (edchels), DD2004, Barrel_roll

February 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
C and J (Cheryl & Josh), Tinkerbelle, weedebz, nacampbell (Neil & Annie), kdancer, GlenandLisa, Lil-Lost-Girl, lostpup, jodinjames, Janaus, Courtney, Gareth's Girl, ericdraven

March 2008 Graduates of the US Embassy in London:
Bforbarree, StillthePrettiest, toshtishtash, londonuk, pkscotus, lisalu100, Darren&Laura, tomsandi, DonnaB, ladyynara, babblesgirl, zoobuffalo and KJC,

• bunsk2007..........................................2008-02-11 ????????????
• Sad Eyes............................................2008-02-25 Stuck in AP - hopefully not for long!
• piqqulet..............................................2008-02-29 ???????????
• GeordieLover.......................................2008-04-01 APPROVED!!!!
• ajeanne.............................................2008-04-07 APPROVED!!!!
• jeraly................................................2008-04-09
• Poiteen.............................................2008-04-10
• thejoz/thesquozenone..........................2008-04-10
• Chorley80..........................................2008-04-22
• greeneyedgirlfl....................................2008-04-25
• AtlantiCat..........................................2008-04-28
• NickyMcMillan.....................................2008-04-30 @ 10:00
• Robyn-n-Kris......................................2008-05-20

Good luck to all of our interviewees this week!!!