Happy Ramadan

Best wishes
Peace to All,
Debra

Hi Michele and Everyone!

Yes! Resul has finally arrived. He arrived on Sept. 18 and seems to be adjusting well. How is everything going for the rest of you? I hope all is well with everyone and I hope you get an interview date soon Michele!

Can anyone out there tell me about AOS? My lawyer said that Resul can not apply for a work permit, a social security card, or driver's license until after we marry and then it will take another 30-45 days to get them. Is this true? I don't know what to believe from him!

Take care and Happy Ramadam to all!

~Debbie

Deb,

Congrats!

İ wish you both a happy and prosperous future together.

waterlily

[quote name='Deb_Res' date='Sep 28 2006, 10:35 PM' post='477526']
Hi Michele and Everyone!

Yes! Resul has finally arrived. He arrived on Sept. 18 and seems to be adjusting well. How is everything going for the rest of you? I hope all is well with everyone and I hope you get an interview date soon Michele!

Can anyone out there tell me about AOS? My lawyer said that Resul can not apply for a work permit, a social security card, or driver's license until after we marry and then it will take another 30-45 days to get them. Is this true? I don't know what to believe from him!

Take care and Happy Ramadam to all!

~Debbie

Internetkafe,

It does not take 7 days for the passport with visa to arrive at your house. They fedex it and they tell you it will be 4 days maximum. My husband got his in January during a really bad storm and it took 3 days. Another person I know from Turkey got his visa at his house the very next day and he didn't put the name of an alternate person who could accept the package and it got sent back bc he hadn't gotten back from Ankara yet. So, it's actually really fast.

SOL

P.S. Sorry I don't remember if they use Fedex or UPS but either way, they ship it to you as soon as possible.

That timeline of yours is not encouraging. Yeesh.....over 10 months until your husband's interview from the time you both got word that your I-130 was approved? Wow...that's a long time.

There is a part of this forum that I looked at, and although the amount of responses wasn't so great (just 2 couples apparently reported their experience)...it said 196 days (so just over 6 months) was the "average" time it took to get the interview in Ankara.

I look at your timeline.....and I see it taking over 10 months!

Let's hope they've improved since then..............

Hey Deb & SOlcayto,

Hope all is going well with you and your families.

Cheers,
Waterlily

WooHoo!!!!!!

Dear Michele,


This is to inform you that your spouse is scheduled for 01 November 2006 at 10:00 am. An appointment letter was sent to his address on October 04, 2006. He may consider this message as an appointment letter.



Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit

We have our interview date!!!!

Happy Ramadan

Michele

Now to get the airplane tickets, the hotel, and all paper work ready....time is going to go fast!!!!

Can I just get a one way ticket to Turkey and wait to get our tickets after we know he has the visa to come back home?? I want to spend a few days with his family there and then have him meet my family in Wisconsin before we come home to Georgia...so it will be a multicity ticket with a definite stop at JFK to hopefully get the temp EAD.

Also any interview tips would be much appreciated. THANKS

I hope everyone here waiting for the next step (because steps are endless..once you complete one another obstacle will be waiting for you till you get naturalized) gets it faster than s/he expected.

I also second that request. If anyone could share just what it was like at their interview in Ankara, (What kind of questions they were asked, what was the person who interviewed them like, etc.......)

Any kind of advice or description of what the interview process was like would be very helpful to those of us who haven't gone through it yet.

I'd also like to know how long it takes to get the visa in the mail, once you are approved? (How many days, etc?.....(so I can kind of judge how much time before making any travel arrangements for my wife....)


Thanks.


(By the way....we are doing an I-130)

Questions like how did you meet? What does your wife/husband do for a living? Who is this and this (if there is a co-sponsor). What do you intend to do in the US? (job) Maybe even fewer questions. It takes 5-10 minutes..the interview. They usually would want to see the pictures taken with your wife/spouse. Apart from that they did not even ask to see anything else as 'evidence'. It is also up to the consular officer's mood at the moment but most of them are nice people. I have had 3 interviews for 3 visas so far and all of them were likeable people (K1-K3-CR1) They take 2 index fingerprints. There is no need to worry if your marriage is genuine as almost all of them are. You can choose the language of the interview..either in Turkish or in English. All my interviews were in English. Sometimes consular officers speak Turkish and conduct the interview in Turkish. Also there are Turkish staff who work at the consulate and they translate during the interview.
The issue of how long it takes for the applicant to receive his/her visa is up to many factors including the time past during USCIS&NVC phases. Once your interview date is set (by the NVC itself) you have 1-2 months before you appear at the conuslate for your interview.

My wife's I130 petition for me was approved in August 2005... we were not able to send the fees right away. And I got a K3 visa to come to the US for the second time (After a K1 experience a few months before K3). My interview date was set for May 2006 but I had to reschedule it for August for work related reasons and also for a chance to get cheaper plane tickets. I stayed in Turkey for a month in case something goes wrong. But now I see that that was not necessary. Once I had the interview I received the visa in 4 days (via UPS).

If you have more questions I can answer them.

Thank you for that information. I guess I didn't pose that one question too clearly about receiving the visa, but you did answer it in that last sentence. I had meant after she actually has her interview, and as you responded, it should take around 4 days for it to arrive (she lives in Istanbul).

I guess like everyone else, before this process is actually done, I just have the usual worries and concerns. I just want this process to be over with.

Ours is a unique case. My wife and I will have been married nearly 3 years by the time she has her interview in Ankara. We met and married here in Florida, but she had to go back to Turkey to serve her 2 year residency for her j-1 visa that she arrived into the USA on. She spent nearly 10 years in the USA, and is about as "Americanized" as any Turkish person could be. Although, she is also a very proud Turkish woman, and quite proud of her culture and country....as I suppose most Turkish citizens are. (You should have heard her reaction when I once cheered for Mel Gibson in the movie Gallipoli, not thinking of course about who they were actually fighting at the time....ooops ...............I have since learned better. ).

It has been a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong nearly 2 years of separation.(although I have spent a total of about 5 months in Turkey these past 2 years visiting, and have learned quite a lot about the Turkish culture).

I am just waiting for the day that this will all be over.

Thanks once again for your reply (I copied your response and fowarded to my wife in istanbul). It should be reassuring to her when she reads it.

By the way, about that "rooting" for Mel Gibson, ......obviously I saw that movie a while ago, before certain...um...recent events happened.

Had I known he was such a jerk at the time, I'd probably have been hoping it was him who got shot in the movie, instead of his friend

I also spoke to my wife this morning, and I again appreciate your reply. It was encouraging. I guess until we/she actually get the green card in hand.......it's going to be a stressful few months until that time hopefully/actually happens. But at least it cheered her up a bit. (She read what you had written this morning)

Thanks again

You are welcome.

I think most people here have stories like yours requiring more patience. If they write their stories several volumes of books could be created. But I doubt this issue (family/immigration) will have any audience...unfortunately.

As far as I see you have been married for over 2 years. If that is correct your wife will get a 10 year PR card with no conditions attached. That is good.

My suggestion for the interview: being sincere and open pays off. It also lifts the nervousness and anxiety (if there is any) off of the shoulders of the interviewed.

As for Mel Gibson.. he is a rare talent still. I wonder if what happened to him after that incident falss into the category of freedom of speech? You know when the Danish newspaper printed the caricatures of Prophet Muhammed some same people said it is freedom of speech - people who demonized Mel Gibson. I sense double-standards/hypocrasy here. Anyway...

I wish a speedy journey for your wife.

Thanks for the info....we have found it helpful as well.

It took 7 days for my husband to get his papers from the embassy stating when he interview is, he lives in a small village and mail (and UPS) seem to take forever to get there. Would you think it will take that long for the visa to get there as well or do they send it faster (expedited) than other things the embassy sends?? I am trying to decide when to make my return trip home, as we hopefully can travel back to the USA together. I have more time off than what it should take to get the visa in hand but we want to have some time for him to meet my family and friends before I have to return to work, so planning ahead is rather difficult.
Wondering if there is any chance we could just pick it up at the embassy on our way to the USA??

We are excited and nervous about our upcoming interview.

Hope all is going well with you, MPGGPM.

Michele and Omer

Hi Michele,

I do not know how long it may take for the package to be delivered there but if it is a city it takes 1 day only. I think UPS has subcontractors working for them and delivering packages to villages.

If you prove to the consulate that you have an emergency situation (serious emergency cases) the consulate might give Omer his visa the same day. This happened in the past for sure but it is rare.

You can e-mail them and ask about picking it up yourself explaining the reason clearly.

There is nothing to worry about the interview as long as the applicant is sincere in answering the questions and have enough 'evidence' ( ! ) ready in case they ask for it.

As to the question of K1 visa holder's rights... he can get his social security number before you get married. In most states he can get his drivers licence too (provided you have proof of residency in that state for over 30 days). As you know JFK port of entry is reported to be giving temporary work authorization to K1 visa holders on entry into the country through that POE.

After talking with my wife a few times since the last post, there were a few other questions that came up and I am hoping that either "Internetcafe" or someone else with experience at the Ankara embassy can answer them.

Here they are.

1) How much time does the embassy give you from their notice of the interview date/time, to the actual interview itself? (weeks , a month? more?)

2) If I wanted to postpone the interview date (like Internetcafe did), how exactly would I go about doing that? Do I just call the embassy, or do I need to write them? There is the possibility that my wife and I would postpone the interview for a few weeks, etc......since I have a break in the beginning of April and could then travel to Turkey to go with her. However, that would only be in the case that the interview was set for late March. Obviously, if her interview is much before that, say in February or March (maybe even earlier), then the sooner she can come back to the USA, the better, and I would not want to postpone it. Better she go to the interview alone, but come back sooner, than wait for a month or so....even if that meant I could not go with her. Like just about everyone else going through this process.....I just want my wife (spouse) here!

3) When will she start to recieve any kind of paperwork in Istanbul? ( Just Saturday, I mailed the $380 and $70 fee to the NVC.....so that is the point that we are at in the I-130 process)

4) We have a question about the physical/medical. When does she do this? Does she do this in Istanbul or Ankara? (I assume Istanbul, but she thought it could be in Ankara. To me, it would seem that embassy would want the physical done ahead of time, so I am guessing Istanbul)


Thanks again for all the replies, and special thanks to Internetcafe for taking the time to write such thorough responses.

I appreciate it.

Thanks.

Nevermind about that first question. I reread one of the previous replies again tonight, and saw that it was answered already in one of them , and that once the NVC sets the interview, my wife and I will have approximately 1-2 months to make plans for the actual interview itself from the date of the notice. (Which is good because it gives us lots of time to make plans)

So, I would still like answers to questions 2-4....if anyone can answer those.

Thanks.

Ankara Embassy Webpage http://turkey.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas.html

#2 To Reschedule an Appointment (informationg from Ankara Embassy site)

To reschedule an appointment please notify the Embassy immediately by fax, email or mail . Every effort will be made to ensure that a more convenient appointment time is given.

If you go the web Ankara website and go to contact with e-mail one of the email choices is "May I reschedule my interview" and then you need to fill in the rest of the blanks.

#3 I do not know for CR1/IR1 as we are right now doing the K3, hopefully going to do the CR1/IR1 about this time next year. But for us once the embassy receivec the K3 from NVC they almost immediately sent out packet 3, and as soon as they got that back within 2 days they sent out the interview letter which was sent for almost a month later.

#4 Medicals can be done in either Istanbul or Ankara, I think most people had theirs done in Ankara. My husband will do his in Istanbul on the 27th, as he will stay with relatives until i get there on the 30th and then we will travel together to Ankara for our interview on Nov. 1st.

Medical Doctor Address Phone Number Working Hours
Dr. Mehmet Ungan
Dr. Handan Ungan
www.doctorun.com
mungan@duzen.com.tr Atatürk Bulvarı 237/29Kavaklıdere, Ankara 90-312-468-9541ext 544
90-532-245-1388
Weekdays 09:00-19:00 Saturdays 10:00-17:00


Dr. Lale Tuncel
laletuncel@doctor.com Tunalı Hilmi Cad. 110/4Kavaklıdere, Ankara 90-312-467-0010 90-312-468-6151
Weekdays10:00-19:00
Saturdays 11:00-13:00

American Hospital
Check up dept., 2ndfloor Güzelbahçe Sokak Nişantaşı, İstanbul 90-212-311-2501
90-212-311-2502
90-212-311-2000
For appointment, please call in advance, between:
Weekdays 08:00-18:00
Saturdays 08:00-13:00

IMPORTANT NOTICE CONCERNING VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
United States Immigration Law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations (listed below) prior to the issuance of an immigrant visa. Instructions and procedural guides direct panel physicians who conduct immigrant visa medical examinations to verify that applicants have met the vaccination requirement, or that it is medically inappropriate for the visa applicant to receive one or more of the listed vaccinations:
Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Polio, Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids, Pertussis, Influenza Type B (HIB), Hepatitis B, Varicella, Pneumococcal, and Influenza.

In order to assist the panel physician, and to avoid delays in the processing of an immigrant visa, all immigrant visa applicants should have their vaccination records available for the panel physician’s review at the time of the immigrant medical examination. Visa applicants should consult with their regular health care provider to obtain a copy of their immunization record, if one is available. If you do not have a vaccination record, the panel physician will work with you to determine which vaccinations you may need to meet the requirement. Certain waivers of the vaccination requirement are available upon the recommendation of the panel physician. Only a physician can determine which of the listed vaccinations are medically appropriate for you, given your age, medical history and current medical condition.

If you are fifteen (15) or older, a blood test for antibodies developed in response to infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is required. HIV is the virus that causes the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is the name given to a group of illnesses, which may occur in persons infected with HIV. HIV infection causes a defect in a person's natural immunity against disease. Victims are highly vulnerable to serious illnesses. This test is not to diagnose AIDS, but to detect antibodies to the virus. If the result is positive, it does not necessarily mean that you have AIDS or will get it. The results of your test will be provided to a consular officer. Also, it may be necessary to report results to the health authorities in this country. A positive test result will mean that you will not be eligible to receive a visa. A positive test result may also carry other consequences related to your day-to-day activities in this country.


Hope this helps!!!!

Good Luck,

Michele and Omer

Thank you.

I guess I could have just looked at the Ankara website to get a lot of that info, huh?
I've been to that website plenty, but guess I never looked around quite enough.

Previous to the I-130 we filed, we had unknowingly (since my wife had to fulfill her 2 year HRR she wasn't eligible) filed a K-3. You are right, in that they do send out that packet rather quickly, and my wife had actually recieved the packet in Istanbul last summer (2005). So....yes, that one gets sent to Istanbul fairly quickly, and faster than the I-130 packets, because although we both have an approved I-130, and it is at the NVC stage, my wife has yet to recieve anything in Istanbul. Every notice etc...that we have recieved so far, have all gone to me (or my lawyer) in the USA.

You gave a LOT of information about the medical exam. I assume that it will have to be done rather close to when the interview is to be done. (your husband is taking his just days before the actual interview)

I thank you for the reply. I hope things go well for you both at the interview. I can only imagine my nerves etc.......as the time draws nearer for my wife. We have been apart so long , to be back together again for good....seems like a distant dream.

Good luck to you both.

Thank you.

I guess I could have just looked at the Ankara website to get a lot of that info, huh?
I've been to that website plenty, but guess I never looked around quite enough.

Previous to the I-130 we filed, we had unknowingly (since my wife had to fulfill her 2 year HRR she wasn't eligible) filed a K-3. You are right, in that they do send out that packet rather quickly, and my wife had actually recieved the packet in Istanbul last summer (2005). So....yes, that one gets sent to Istanbul fairly quickly, and faster than the I-130 packets, because although we both have an approved I-130, and it is at the NVC stage, my wife has yet to recieve anything in Istanbul. Every notice etc...that we have recieved so far, have all gone to me (or my lawyer) in the USA.

You gave a LOT of information about the medical exam. I assume that it will have to be done rather close to when the interview is to be done. (your husband is taking his just days before the actual interview)

I thank you for the reply. I hope things go well for you both at the interview. I can only imagine my nerves etc.......as the time draws nearer for my wife. We have been apart so long , to be back together again for good....seems like a distant dream.

Good luck to you both.


[/quote]

Thanks for wishing us luck.....
Hopefully we won't need it but I keep worrying I will forget to bring something they will want at the interview whether it be something I just have not thought about or just happened to forget on my desk.

When my husband called to make his medical appointment when we found out when the interview was they wanted him to call back about a week before the interview but he insisted that he wanted to make it then. He has gotten his tetnaus and first shot for Hep B from his local doctor, but they do not do the others and they do not do titers or maybe they do not understand what he wants. He has no medical documents stating he has had the other childhood diseases, so he may end up getting many shots at his physical. He also asked and they said they would take a credit card for the expenses of the physical, as he hates to carry money around in Istanbul since on his last visit there someone tried to steal his wallet while in the Mosque. They quoted him a price of about 300 TL for everything, I guess it could be less if he does not need all the shots.

Since the NVC does all the paper work and starts the security clearances for IR-1s, I would think that the embassy could set up the interview soon after it receives the petition. You will have to let us know when you finally get it how long it does take.

Hope everything goes speedily for you...

Michele and Omer

This was something else I didn't know, so I relayed that to my wife as we spoke yesterday. Was kind of a scary call , as I had called her during one of my breaks from work, around 2:15 (in Florida), and right as we spoke she started telling me that the buildings were shaking and that it felt like an earthquake (she's lived in Turkey long enough......that probably like most Turkish people...they can tell an earthquake right away. Me being in Florida......I wouldn't have a clue as to what one felt like).

So...that was a bit scary. But she kept insisting it was only minor, and not to worry.

Reading some of the Turkish newspapers this morning, it said that the center was in Balikesir.

Anyways....

Some phone call.

Thanks again for your help. It's nice to know these things ahead of time. The more we prepare and are aware of everything, hopefully the smoother everything will go.

Hello MPGGPM,

The Embassy does not give the applicant any notice. It is the NVC that does everything even setting up of the interview date. The Consulate does the interview part of the process only. You can e-mail the NVC and ask for a closer interview date stating your reasons convincingly and clearly as I did. However I ended up having to postpone my interview date because of job-related reasons and astronomically high prics for plane tickets in summer- especially if you are looking for flights a few day from that day.
When your case is 'complete' at the NVC stage NVC sets up the appointment date usually to be in the following month if your case is 'complete' withing the first week of a month. So we can say it is at least one month before the interview when you get the news from NVC about your appoitment date.

To postpone an interview just e-mail the consulate stating your preferred day for interview (you can be precise...it is up to you to state or not to state your reasons to them )

Is she going to receive any paperwork? Well... did she appoint an agent? If it is herself then she is going to receive but it is obvious that she appointed someone other than herself as her agent in her choice of agent and address form and that is you (?) since you say you are the one dealing with NVC.

You will receive Affidavit of Support forms and fill them out as instructed and send them with the requested supporting documents as soon as possible. NVC will review them in 7-14 days at the latest and if everything is in order complete processing of your case.

She can get the physical exam either in Ankara or Istanbul. I suggest she contact Dr Mehmet Ungan's clinic in Ankara if it is convenient for her. I do not know anything about medicals in Istanbul but I know that American Hospital only is authorized there. When? It is up to her but as far as I know the doctor's report is valid only for 6 months. Once your case is complete she can call one of the doctors (the list of doctors' names/addresses/contact info can be found on the Consulate's website and/or in the interview packet the agent receives. You would want the medicals done ahead of time also not just the consulate. But one thing is certain: the result of medical exam has to be presented at the time of interview to the interviewing officer.
She should ask for and keep a copy of the list of vaccinations received during the medical exam.

My advice: be careful filling out the forms..they are simple forms to fill out but equally sensitive since a mistake can cause delays in processing at the NVC stage. (RFEs etc.) Send them what they ask for. But do not waste time..act quick.

There is no reason for your wife or you to be nervous although I know it is unavoidable because of the nature of this wait/process.

Your wife will not receive Temporary Resident Card (valid for 2 year only and conditional) like some of us have/are going to; she will get Permanent Resident Card.

I have read about that term, "agent" , in another part of this forum. I never quite understood what it meant exactly, but I assume since my lawyer is handling the paperwork etc....that it would be her. (the lawyer).

About a week ago, I sent in the payments to the NVC...the $380 and the $70 fee. So, if I understand you correctly, the only other set of paperwork I will be receiving from the NVC will be the "affadavit of support" packet , with various forms etc..?

And after that? Is that the only packet I receive, and then from there, they begin to process things to be sent to the embassy and to schedule the interview?

I would like things done in a timely manner, but we are both not in "that" much of a rush at this time, since we have plans for my wife to visit during the holidays in December-January. So, the last thing we would want is for them to schedule any interview during that time period. Then she will go back shortly after New Year's, and remain until the interview etc.

I appreciate your reply about how to "postpone " the interview if necessary. I would consider that option only if her interview was set for 2 weeks or so before my break in early April. But, I would think that things would process before then. And if so, then I would rather my wife just go on her own. I have faith in her, that she can handle herself well. I just would have liked to be with her. This is such an important time for us, it is a shame that the system makes things so difficult for the two of us to be at the interview together. It's not like Turkey is just right around the corner from here in Florida. As you and everyone else is aware in this Turkey forum...it is a looooooooooooong flight (not to mention costly).

I am not so much nervous in regards to our relationship. We have a great marriage, and after 2 and a half years, we are very close and get along well. If anything, our relationship has improved. We have both been through so much due to this process which only complicates our lives so much more........I think it has made us stronger and closer as we have gotten through some tough times and separation while she stays in Turkey.

It has also given me the opportunity to learn a great deal about Turkey and its culture. I have spent many months visiting Istanbul, and last year traveled through the Mediterranean areas of Bodrum, Fethiye, Kas, Antalya, etc.

Prior to marrying my wife, I had never even been out of North America (only traveled to Central America and Mexico).

So, I am appreciative of the chance to visit and learn about a very different culture than any I had ever seen before. From the people, to the architecture, to the natural beauty and historical landmarks throughout Turkey, I feel fortunate to have seen so much of it as I visited and stayed with my wife.


I am only slightly nervous because of the complications of her j-1 , and also because we made some earlier errors and filed an I-130 and I-485(when she was here in the USA)...then a k-3 (we got bad advice from someone in Miami, who didn't know anything about j-1's, and about the 2 year HRR, etc)... I just don't want that earlier paperwork to cause any problem.


Our lawyer insists everything will be fine.......but still. As my wife's husband who just wants her to be home, back in Florida again........I get the occasional nerves.

I hate dealing with the government and their beaurocrasy.

Since being in Istanbul a few times, I have met several people at the consulate, and you are correct in that they have generally been helpful and friendly. I am hoping as you say, that the people at the embassy in Ankara are the same.

I will relay that information to my wife about the doctor you mentioned.

Thanks again.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

awaterlily

My Ds230 and I 864 are being reviewed (been 2 weeks)called the nvc today and the lady told me its almost done , call back someday next week to know your interview date. Well, I wasnt really expecting such responce since they usually would say allow 2 to 4 weeks. BUt she sounded too certain as if she has seen whats been done already and could mostlikely be completed next week. Anyway, if her estimate is correct. When should I expect my interview date?

i have read some of the last posts and there are people who just started to this and asking for info. Along with the question, i can share my experiences so far.
Well my I130 took exactly 120 day to get approved , then about 30-35 days for NVC to admit they recieved my case. Couple weeks after I recieved 3032 AOS and mailed it back . It took 1 month for NVC to admit they recieved it. then about couple weeks after I recieved the IV Bill, paid on the same day. NVC recieved the check on the same week(they recieved the AOS bill on the same week too) Then a long wait till we got I864 (about 1 month) and after a week we got ds230. We filled them out well and mailed them back. AGAIN 1month for nvc to admit they recieved them and about 2 weeks after they sent us a checklist for missing documents( we sent the certified copies of the birth and marriage certificate, they wanted the originals) well , we mailed the certificates and it took them exactly 5 weeks to admit they recieved them. and now its been 2 weeks since they got everything . we are waiting for our case to be completed.

So...if you want to be done with NVC in shorttime , one should be very carefull and fast. May consider James shortcuts. Any mistake results in a delay of 5-8 weeks. Especially make sure you handle ds 230 and 864 well , if there is somethig wrong or missing, that will cause you 2 months delay.
If you have questions about your case, email nvc instead of calling them. the operator can only tell you what she/he sees on the computer, but if you email , they can go through your case and answer you back with much accurate and detailed info.

Also how fast nvc works varies depending on the month and volume of the cases. For example, they would recieve mails and send out forms quicker in september but they almost came to a complete halt in late october and november. ( they dont admit it but I think thats because of the lottery winners cases are also being reviewed in these months as most have their interviews in the following months) I have heard several k3 applicants had their interview dates about 2 months or so ahead in the last 2 months however I have seen 3 people had their K3 interview happened 7-13 days after they submitted all their paper work to ankara.

as of now , i have not seen anyone got rejected, including k3s. but i have heard a few people got rejected for k1 in the last a few years. Most of the reasons why they got rejected was female american applicant was older than the male turkish beneficiary. I know thats against the human rights telling ppl who to marry or not but thats how it is, you simply have no rights in the immigration process. one can expect some questions which can emberasse you. DS230 Part II is emberassement itself, signing the bottem of the form in front of the officer , simply saying " I am not a terrorist, drug addict, criminal, etc...."

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone




Wishing everyone all the best
Peace to all,
Debra

Is that the "questionnaire" that you are referring to? I'm not familiar with the numbers...230 and 864.


The stage where my wife and I are at right now is....I was asked by my lawyer to send in tax transcripts/returns.....and w-2's. I have them ready to send, but we were also given a questionnaire to fill out (which I fowarded to my wife in Istanbul). I haven't really looked at it yet, and my wife has only begun to work on it.

I will say that things are going quicker than we both expected. Since we planned for a trip for her here during the holidays and bought her plane tickets a while back, for December, we don't want to cancel that now. So, once she flies back.......then we will send in the the transcipts etc........and we are expecting, after looking at other timelines in this thread, that her interview would be approximately 1 and a half months from when we mail it in. (So, by the way...to answer your question.....if you have already sent in your final forms to the NVC......I would think you'd get your interview around January 15?)

In either case, thanks for your input. It's helpful to us still going through the process.

DS 230 Part I and Part II
I-864

these are the forms that you submit after you are done with 3032 , AOS Bill , IV bill.

I864 is basically about the American applicant sponsoring the turkish beneficiary. From what you said what you just gave to your lawyer, I think you are at this stage.

DS230 is some biographic info and Part II is where you say you(the turkish beneficiary) are not a terrorist , drug addict or seller, etc...
Along with DS 230 , you will have to provide the orginals of the birth certificate, marriage certificates, police reports from turkey, etc...

then you should allow 2 to 4 weeks for nvc to review them(usually 3 weeks and couple days ).

If there is any of the above i exlained missing , you will recieve a checklist , which basically tell you whats missing and what you have to provide further. Once you send the missing documents, it takes about 2 months for nvc to complete your case.

I am at this stage right now..its been 2 weeks since NVC got all the papers and forms from me. (and they admited they got them) so i can not tell you anything about whats after.

but from my research , jannuary 15 is a slim to none chance.

I had looked at one of the member's timeline. Now...... I know it will vary for each applicant, but according to her timeline (she has a few earlier posts on this thread).......it took her a month and a half from the date she sent in the final paperwork (on April 21) to the time of the interview in Ankara (June 6). So, that was a month and a half turnaround.

Then again...I am going by just one example.......so maybe it's not a typical timeline?

I copied the pertinent parts below. What have you seen that makes you feel it is longer than that?





4/21/06 - Mailed DS230 WOOHOO Come on NVC be quick about it...please??!
4/24/06 - NVC Recv'd I-864 and DS230
5/1/06 - Case Complete....... placed on Admin Processing
5/10/06 - CASE COMPLETE THANK YOU LORD!
5/12/06 - Case is on its way to Ankara!!! woohoo!!
5/16/06 - Delivered case to Ankara!!
6/6/06 - Interview!!!

apperantly nvc was really fast in april. Loot at when they recieved I864 ds 230 and when the case was completed? in only 1 week....thats so very uncommon. I say she was really lucky.

well as i said before interview dates and how long apart from nvc completes the case varies a lot. but right now you can go to US embassy ankaras website and see all of the scheduled interviews. The site was updated on nov 21st. and most of the IR1 interviews are on late january and early feb. but remember these IR1 interviews were scheduled about a week or two ago since they update the site every 20 days. so from this info , i guesstimate mine late feb or early march.

and one more info(i think its valuable).....you know everyone talk about how fast things go depends on each case.....well i do not agree with that. here is my proof....My wifes brother got married to a none us citizen about 1 and half month before we did. HE basically used the same financial paper work(he also had his father as co sponsor) but his I864 was processed in no time , ours took 1 ages.(still being processed). SO i dont really think it depends on each case.. it should depend on the nationality of the beneficiary and how busy the nvc is.

OK I just called the NVC,

My case is completed and waiting to be scheduled for an interview date. NVC schedules dates on the second week of each months the lady said. So mine will be scheduled in December.

I asked her if i can reschedule it to a closer date. She said you can try but we dont guarantee that.

That seems even quicker than that other example timeline, right? I'm curious as to how long yours took from the time you sent in your last packet, to the actual interview itself. Since we will be sending our final packet in as well, shortly, I'd like to continue to see other examples so I have a timeframe/idea of the length of time it takes.

That one woman whose timeline I had looked at, had hers in one and a half months after she sent in her last packet. Yours, if in December, seems even faster. (although you are not sure of the interview date yet).

Well....if it's not too much to ask, since you are doing a cr-1 (most other cases on this thread seem to be k-1's and k-3's), I'd appreciate anything you could tell in regards to what your interview experience was like.
I expect my wife to have hers in February since we'll wait a bit until she takes her trip here to the USA to send in that last packet.

Good luck.

We first sent the I864 affidavit of support form along with the necessary documents in august. And sent the DS230 Part I and II in september. IN late september(about 3 weeks after we sent the packages) NVC sent us a checklist saying there are things missing ,needed to be sent. We sent the missing documents in the first week of october. Our case was completed yesterday about 6 weeks after we sent in the missing papers.

NVC does not do anything untill they have everything. I am assuming you sent I864 and preparing to send Ds 230 Part I and II. NVC will not touch your I864 before you sent DS230 part I and II. Once they have everything and they admit they have everything. It takes about 3-4 weeks to review them.

If you didnt not fill out I864 and DS 230 par I and II correctly or missing a document. They will send you a checklist telling you whats missing. AND again, they wont touch your case untill they get those missing documetns or corrections on the forms. THEN AGAIN, when you send the missing things, it takes 2-4 weeks to review all. But that 2-4 weeks starts after they admit they have the mail you sent.

In most cases , you send mails , it gets there in 1 or 2 days but NVC pick them up in 2-4 weeks due to very large volume of mails.(in our case it took 5 weeks)

So from my experiences, You should allow 3 months or so, after you submit the last form which is DS 230 part I and II.
this whats going to happen;

You will mail the Ds230
then in 1-2 weeks(sometimes more) NVC will admit they recieved it.
then 3 weeks and some days for them to review them and complete your case.
then your case will wait till the second week of the next month to get a interview date(nvc only schedules date on the second weeks of each month)

after this point, you may expect something like 40-70 days (from the time your case was completed and the interview)

summary= about 5weeks (give or take a few days) for your case to be completed+ then 1-3 weeks to get an interview date+ then 40-70 days from the day interview date scheduled to actual interview date= total of 3 to 4 months.

this is the best case . as i said any mistake in I864 and ds 230 will add 2 more months of waiting.

to give you how long it took for us. Our case was approved in may 28th. today is novermber 23rd. we just got done with NVC in 1 week less than 6 months.

quote from internetcafe
"
The Embassy does not give the applicant any notice. It is the NVC that does everything even setting up of the interview date. The Consulate does the interview part of the process only. You can e-mail the NVC and ask for a closer interview date stating your reasons convincingly and clearly as I did. However I ended up having to postpone my interview date because of job-related reasons and astronomically high prics for plane tickets in summer- especially if you are looking for flights a few day from that day. "


Hi,

My case was just completed on november 22nd. And I will have to wait for the second week of december to get an interview date obviously. This process took already too long and I can have the medical exam by december or the first week of december. So I have no reason to wait for another month or so. Could you give me some more info on rescheduling the interview for a closer date. How much of a chance I have? If I tell them I am done with the medical exam and everything they ask , would that convince them enough? or it has to be a convincing reason? (actually I dont know what would be convincing)

If you can share your experience about getting a closer date, if you dont mind. at least how long apart was the original date and how much closer date you got after you asked them to.

I really made a big mistake , canceled my student visa and married my wife in turkey and ended up stuck here for over a year. I had lived in the US since I was 17 and I really want to go back as soon as possible as I am having adjusting problems here in Istanbul. My wife ended up staying here with me because this waiting kept getting longer and longer but we last decided it would be better for her to go back and finish her school. Now we have been apart for the last 4 months of this 1 year waiting as well. So I really would like this interview happen someday in January so she has her christmass break and she can come here to go tru the interview with me then we can fly to USA together.

Well, I know your going to ask me why we did marry here in turkey hehe. Well first of all , we didnt know it would take over a year. secondly, she is turkish origin and we wanted to get marry in the city where we both were born(istanbul). Ohh again we were misinformed about the K3 visa at the beginning of all this, We were told K3 was a fiance visa, so we skipped that options but now deeply regret we didnt ask anyone else.

I thought I'd mention that t appears from his writing's that he did not ask for a closer date , but rather...postponed it.

Who knows what the chances are exactly, but I'd have to think that the chances of the embassy giving an earlier date, other than for some extreme emergency, would be slim to none. I mean......otherwise, wouldn't we all be asking for a closer interview date?

But, I still think you should try..........it's worth a shot. This time of year is probably tougher because of all the holidays coming up, and between the US holidays, and the Turkish ones, in the next 2 months, that's several less days than usual to work with to schedule interviews.

Anyways....

I can definately relate to being separated from a wife for so long. My own wife has been in Istanbul for 1 3/4 years now. I think in retrospect, your 4 months apart is not so much. Then again.....when you love and care for someone so much....even a few weeks apart is a lifetime.

Do you mind mentioning what type of student visa you canceled? (j-1..F-1....or other?)

Good luck on your interview when it does come.

On a side note......looks like Turkey, and in particlar, Istanbul, will be a very busy place this week......and for better or worse, Turkey will be getting a LOT of publicity . (Already seeing a lot of reports from Istanbul on the evening news and the 24 hour news channnels here in the USA ). I've told my wife to avoid downtown this week if she can help it.

well actually didnt cancel it. It was a 5 year F-1. It expired when we came to Turkey to get married. We filed for I130 instead of renewing F-1. I didnt know it would take 1 year or so to get the visa, otherwise we would have taken a different route.

I have heard several ppl got closer dates thats why I was curious. I had thought the same thing too(everyone would ask for a closer date) but you are right I will take my chance.

Well that 4 month is from her the last day of her last visit, we had been apart before several times each couple months or so. No one could give us any guestimate about how long it would take(no one official) In january when we started this, we were thinking we would be done around may,june. when we were in june, our I130 was approved, we said probably in late august or early september. well in september we said probably late october or november . now we are in November and we say its going to end in late january or feb. we will see whats going to happen in january or feb. maybe i will get the visa maybe i will say probably march or april lol

this was the worst thing about this waiting. we could make no plans. as i said before i am stuck here. i have less than 1 year of college left so i am still high school graduate and no chance to get a decent job here, then again my school is there waiting , no progress in that either. i have a car(i miss it badly too, dont tell my wife lol ) an apartment and stuff that i am paying every month but not using. well basically the spring semester starts on late january and i wont make it usa in time. so i will have to wait 8 more months to start and finish school lol
those 8 months nothing to do, just spend time with my wife, this what motivates me:)

Hello Substance,
Hello MPGGPM,

I see that you have have school to attend to. If you can get a paper from your school stating that you should return and resume attending by this date (put your desired date) you will experience hardship (there is extreme hardship clause in some immigration related articles) it might help. In addition to this you can also tell the embassy that your spouse is going to be in Turkey and stay with you but she has either school or job or family (an ailing family member she has to be close to or a child etc etc....whichever is relevant/case with you) in the US therefore she cannot stay indefinately and she has to return in (put your desired duration of time) and you are intending to go to the US together....

Email the embassy using the e-mail form on their website and ask for a specific date stating your reasons in a clear and concise manner. But it seems your case is still at the NVC so you can e-mail them instead. I did that to get the closest interview date possible(this time without having any reason to do so apart from mainly not wanting a mid-summer interview for fear of costly airfare). Note that this was not a re-scheduling. This was an early scheduling. They gave me too close a date. :-P I had to re-schedule. Why? Try buying plane tickets for 3-5 days from now. You will see why.

By the way I had already waited this wait for two times before CR1 because of bureacratic nonsense IMHO.

To reiterate, if you want to get a close interview date e-mail the NVC stating your reasons; if you want to re-schedule your already established interview date e-mail the embassy stating your reasons. Each case is unique although with some resemblance.

I wish you both (substance and MPGGPM) a short problem-free wait.




P.S. Does MPG GPM stand for MilesPerGallon or a weapon?

Just a reminder from the embassy's website:

THE U.S. EMBASSY CONSULAR SECTION WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC BETWEEN NOVEMBER 23, 2006 AND DECEMBER 1, 2006. THE CONSULAR SECTION WILL REOPEN ON DECEMBER 4, 2006. PLEASE AVOID SENDING ANY E-MAIL OR OTHER CORRESPONDENCE DURING THOSE DAYS. ANY E-MAIL OR OTHER CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED DURING THIS TIME FRAME WILL BE ANSWERED IN THE FIRST 5 WORKING DAYS AFTER DECEMBER 4, 2006. THANK YOU.

Actually, what it represents is a great lack of uncreativity on my part Was just something I whipped up at the time of registering for this website, which I never imagined I'd still be on now......nearly a year later.

Turns out that this website turned out to be much more informative than all the others......so, I'm still hanging around. The name could just as well have been GFHHFG or maybe BCMMCB or possibly YTRRTY...(I think you get the drift

By the way, someone should tell that guy on FOX news, that it is not pronounced EEEEstanbul.........but Is-tanbul:) (at least...I think that's right. It's how I pronounce it anyhow. Then again, it took me about 1-2 months before I could pronounce my own wife's name correctly

I was just watching a report on the pope's visit , since it's all over the news programs lately....and I am sure will really be covered even more in the next few days, and that's how the guy said it.........EEEEstanbul.

Even still.........it was still a better pronunciation than that one announcer covering that "Red Bull" air race they had in Istanbul a few months back , here in the USA.....on "Speed Channel" cable network, I think. Yeesh....... Kept calling it Is-TAN-bul. (He kept accentuating that middle part) My wife and I got a good laugh out of that, though . She was here in August , and watched it with me.

Anyways...

If there is one thing I have focused on in reading yours and Substance's replies, it's to be extra careful on this final part of the NVC application. I and my wife, would really be at our wit's end, if there was a mistake that caused the NVC to delay things several weeks or more. I've reiterated to my wife as we have spoken by phone, to take extra care in filling out the forms. And when she arrives to visit in the USA not too long from now, we will both sit down, and doublecheck, and then triplecheck etc.......everything (then also meet and ask our lawyer to do the same)......before we send it out.

This process is more than long enough, without giving our government yet another reason to delay and take their own sweet time with our application.

now everything about this visa thing got more exciting lol

i am writing them an email right now. I had to skip 2 semesters because of this visa thing. They have to give me a closer date. And yes I already have papers from the school but i can ask them to send more recent one. The spring semester starts on january 9th. So I have to be there by january 5th the latest as i need a few days to enroll buy books and stuff.

Lets see how it goes. I will let you know if it works

I wish I had known this early scheduling thing. I have my medical exam on the 5th december (i scheduled that already).

I didnt think this 1-2 month waiting for the interview made any sense anyway. WHen you ask for a tourist or student visa , they give you a date for the next day, but when its a immigrant visa ,its 1-2 months(and every paper work and prep has already been done by the nvc , embassy will only interview, just like tourist visa)

my medical exam on December 6th at American Hospital in Istanbul

DO I need anything else than the medical exam reports in the interview?(for IR1)

What is required by the embassy other than the medical?

Hi,
I came across this forum and your post made me laugh so much! My husband is the same way...
I am American and he is Turkish... I cannot believe how much bread he eats too!
He eats a loaf for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... that is 3 loaves a day! And he is skinny like a stick.
I call him susamli kraker (sesame cracker), those sesame crackers that Ulker makes.
The only time I ever eat bread is with sandwich or if I make spaghetti!
hahahaha

Take care,
Dayna

OK the email didnt work. I requested for early scheduling of the interview date. as internetkafe did and it worked for him/her but not for me. they replied my email as below

Your inquiry has been received at the National Visa Center (NVC).

All documentation necessary to complete the National Visa Center's processing has been received. As soon as an interview date has been scheduled, the designated representative of this case (applicant, petitioner, or attorney) will be notified. The US Embassy or Consulate General may require additional documentation at the time of the interview.

they did not really answer me. i didnt ask them if my case was complete. i asked them i had a hardship needed my interview in a specific time frame(not too early , not too late) but they told me what i already know. and the funny thing is it took them 5 days to give me this answer.

Hi Dayna,

Welcome to VJ

Yes, that is why I started this tread to introduce this topic on how to deal with adjusting to living in the USA as compared to living in Turkey. It's been very hard for my husband as I'am sure it was for some of the other spouses coming here to live in the USA for the first time.

The "bread" topic was a funny one and something new for us who are not so used to eating so much bread, but interesting though is how much the turks eat bread and yet stay so slim

Anyway Good Luck to you and your spouse on your visa journey!

Mina

I'm sorry you haven't gotten much more of a response to your questions. If I had more experience in going through the NVC/embassy, I might have been able to help you more. Hopefully someone can answer your concerns about contacting the NVC.

However, after looking again at some of the things you wrote, one thing has confused me. It is the part that I copied above. I don't understand why, after you submitted all that paperwork with your I-130, the NVC would then ask you to send them again.? I know you said they asked for the originals, but to me, that doesn't seem customary, and in fact when I asked my lawyer about my w-2's etc.....she even told me NOT to send the originals, just copies.

So, that part about them not accepting your copies of the birth certificates and asking for originals, was unusual...(to me anyhow).

I hope the rest of your case goes smoothly. Since I haven't submitted the last part of paperwork to the NVC yet, I can't yet say how long it has taken us to go from them...to the interview in Ankara (I hope we don't get any RFE's).

But your I-130 did take quite a long time. I think you said it was finally approved in June, after submitting it in January? (almost 6 months?) Ours took about 3 months.

One final side note.....I think they need to start a thread for people like you and my wife.......on how to readjust to life in TURKEY ......after having been in the USA so long. (This thread is the opposite)
She had the same adjusting pains as you........having been in the USA for nearly 13 years...to your 7.(She came on a j-1 visa...not f-1)
When she went back nearly 2 years ago......it was a tough time for us both, and especially for her. She also had her home here in the USA(like you), and her car(we finally just sold it since it was just sitting around for so long). The worst part, is she's having to stay with her parents. (I have a decent job ...and she's got a steady stable on in Turkey...but even for us, paying for 2 homes was a bit too much).
I've had many a conversation with her on the phone, where I can hear her frustration in not being able to be in her REAL home, back here in the USA.

It's very tough.

I can only imagine the adjustment period , for someone in yours and my wife's situation, to leave your home in the USA, and go back to a VERY busy city like Istanbul. Coming from a small city in Florida, it is quite a change. And even Miami (where I used to live)...is miniscule in size ,traffic, and especially buildings (in Istanbul, that's like all you see everywhere, )


It seems like your paperwork has gone a bit longer than most. I hope as I said before, the rest goes quicker. This process is such a tough and frustrating one for everyone involved.

You really should call NVC and make sure if they want the originals. When we recieved the DS 230 package, it said the originals or the certified copies. We were also told not to send the originals but the copies. SO we went on noterising the originals of the birth and marriage certificates. they want them translated too. Along with the DS 230 package, we sent the certified copies of everything.

I called NVC everyday atfer i sent ds 230(this was the last package , i sent I864 and other before ds 230) asked them if they recieved them and once they recieved them i again continued on calling them everyday asking if its been reviewed or complete. well after like 3 weeks they told me some documents were missing, they sent out a checklist. I asked them whats missing. they said the originals of the birth and marriage certificates. for Turkey, they need all the original forms and certificates , the officer said, they will put these in my folder and send it to Ankara. well i sent the originals of the certificates next day. it took about 5 weeks for nvc to recieve them. i called them everyday they told me the same thing, they dont have them yet please allow us 2-4 weeks to recieve them due to high volume of mails they recieve each day. and another 2-4 weeks to process the missing documents. well mine took 5 weeks. the officer also admited. if NVC dont have everything required they dont touch my case. so bc of the missing things my case was there for months untouched. well then after this 5 weeks waiting, they finaly said they recieved them and reviewing , pls allow 4 weeks to complete. fortunately it took only 3 weeks for them to complete and no security check or RFE. If i had sent the originals in the first place my case would have been complete 2 months earlier.

well we filed the I 130 first day of feb so it took like 4 months actually to get approved but our NVC stage took too long. our case went to nvc in 30-35 days then we recieved each form pretty late. it was mostly like they send out a from , it gets to my wife in 3-4 weeks then my wife replies , the mail gets to nvc in 3-4 weeks.

for the turkish-american(in heart) spouses, there are actually many on this forum. we have advantages and disadvantages of course. for example a spouse who has never been to USA will have adapting issues where we wont at all. However a spouse who has lived in the US and went back to wait for the visa will be sick of the waiting more. its kinda like missing double times. both usa and the spouse.

i take it like kind of being prisoned without walls around me. for example I want to go buy a car then i say im only going to be here for a few months anyway. im not really proceeding in my life but my life is going on as time is going on. If i had only knew it would take this long, it would have had a different 1 year here. I never expected this.

well paying for 2 homes and stuff. yea i hear ya:) but what hurt me most was. my car tanked in value big time as a new body style came out a few months ago. I so much wanted that car some years ago , I gave up so many things to buy it. now its lost 25% of its value ,without ever been driven for a single mile over the last year. and I paid for the extended warranty 1 year of it was for nothing. I am not afraid it will give me problems bc of having been sat on the park for a year, fortunately the warranty is valid till 2008. Hopefully I will make it to USA by then heheh.

i called nvc a min ago. the lady said they will schedule the interview appointment on the 15th of december. The embassy gives them plenty of dates available. depends on when your case was complete , you get a sooner or later date. december interviews are already scheduled, so the soonest can be january but they dont guarantee that.

i will have to wait 10 more days and see

Does "interview appointment" mean the actual interview date for you? Or does that just mean that is when the NVC will sit down and finally decide when your actual interview date in Ankara will be? (I think you meant the latter?)

I appreciate the input you've given on your experiences. You're very descriptive.....and I am hoping when you have your interview..............and after you have done your celebrating etc......that you might get around to taking a few minutes of your time, sometime after the interview, and share what your experience was like. I know you'll have other things on your mind then....like seeing and reuniting with your wife again...(of course).....but maybe....after things settle down (days..weeks etc..after), you can share your experience.

I would like to pass that info on to my wife.

As for that questionnaire from the NVC......I had no idea it was so long. My wife has been working on it in Istanbul, and she told me it was like 17 pages long! I can see where someone....with the length of such a thing...might make a few mistakes.

What you said about "like prison without walls" was a good descriptor of how my wife must feel....... . That description was right on the mark.

My wife will be here to visit soon...(hopefully she doesn't get hassled at the airport...which has been known to happen every so often to some people ...when they just try to visit their US citizen spouse).....then I am going to look at that questionnaire with her, and we'll be sending it to the NVC in a few weeks.

Hoshakal

(I DO know a Turkish word.... here and there.....I'm learning

yes it does mean the later one. on the 15th of december(this month) NVC is going to sit down have my case on the desk and give a call to ankara and discuss the possible dates available and assign one of them to my case. my case was complete on november22nd so i will have my interview later than the guys who was complete between november 15th-21st. but my date should be sooner than anyday after 22nd.

she said they usually schedule dates for the following month(january in this case) but the dates available are limited and NVC will not guarantee the following month or the month following that and so on.

for your wife. maybe it is better for her to not to tell about the immigrant visa petition at the poe. i have heard they denied some ppl saying they should wait for their immigrant visa and cancel their B1/B2.

if she was any nationality other than turkish , she would be fine but american officals dont like the turks anymore and they usually give hard time to them. i know what you think but its not 9/11 that changed it. its the turkish parliement rejected the note in 2002 when america was going on a war with iraq. since then no more alies, no more friendship but all sort of hardship.

well ds 230 is pretty easy to fill out for a person who has never been to usa. but its quite difficult for us bc we have to state each visit , each visa, purposes, how long we stayed and all that.

part 2 is easy too. you say NO to all of them.(mostly questions like are you a terrorist, prostitute, etc..) only 5 countries plus the ones in africa does the part 2 which puts ppl into lowering themself and emberrased. having to sign the paper in front of the officer saying i am not a terrorist and stuff. this is what i meant with turkey and america no more alies. and all sort of hardship. there are hardly barely any terrorist from turkey and i dont know any problems from the turks to america(people wise). but they put us in the black list. this is just politics. there are a bunch of countries where 20% of their population lives in the US illigaly and there is no restriction for those.

I have my interview date. NVC scheduled it on the 7th of December(they told me they would do it on 15th) Its not as close as I wanted but too bad either. Its in Mid january. My case was completed on November 22nd. The interview is about 2 months and couple days from that date.

Good luck. Hopefully my wife won't be too far behind you.......as we will be sending in our questionnaire and the rest in the coming weeks. I assume she'll have her interview based on what you've written and from what I've seen from other timelines on this thread, around mid to late February (if..heaven forbid..we don't get any RFE's).

My wife is here now .We'll have a terrific one month together anyhow...before she has to leave again....she didn't have any problems whatsoever at the airports, and in fact...through all of her 4 visits over the past 2 years, she has never had any problems at all entering. If any Turkish residents have ever had a hard time entering (you said they might give Turkish citizens a hard time because of the disagreements over use of the military bases issue in 2002?)....fortunately, she's never noticed it or been subject to it. She told me this time, the customs agent was very friendly, and even joked with her. Each time she's entered , they have hardly asked her a thing.

I'm going to spend a lot of time this weekend with her....looking over that questionnaire and the rest, then send it to our lawyer. Hopefully we can send it back to the NVC soon. I am ready for this visa process to be over with...and for my wife and I to be able to have a "normal" life soon. Having her here now, only helps to remind me of how much our lives have been missing.......as we endure this process.

Good luck once again......