I'm new to VJ and am still exploring this WONDERFUL site, and I'm curious if there is a way to find others who have filed around the time I did (that would be I-129F in January 2008) so we can keep an eye on any progress among each other's cases.

Anyone have a suggestion? Thanks!

There is a January filers thread:

January 2008 Filers

Hope this helps

And ... welcome to VJ!!!!!

Click on your timeline link (under your avatar) and you'll see a button that says "Find Similar Timelines."

If you want a little more control on timeline searches, click on "Immigration Timelines" at the top of the page and use the search links.

Thanks to you both!!

Hi CourtandGrey,

I am still figuring out this site so it has taken me a while to figure all the features out. Anyway......we have very similar situations so I am constantly checking in on you and the other people waiting on fiance visas for their costa rican sweethearts. I thought I would fill you in a little more on my situation:

Jose and I met while I was working and studying with other graduate students during the summer of 2005. I have returned to Costa Rica about 10 times since then and lived with him the last two summers. He has tried for a tourist visa because I really felt it was important for him to meet all of my extended family and friends but he was denied a tourist visa. We are super in love, super committed and we were not going to let that stand in our way of continuing our relationship. We have continued to talk almost every night, email often and are now closer than ever to getting his visa and getting married.

We submitted our application in October 2007 at the California Service Center. Somehow we got approval in February 2008. This is faster than most timelines were reflecting it would take so I don't want to mislead you into thinking it will only be four months but........in our case, it was so there is hop and apparently some people have good luck every now and then. After we got approval it went to the NVC very quickly and was down at the CR consulate within about 2 weeks. Jose (my fiance) picked up his packet, gathered his work and had one of his medical appointments today and has one tomorrow. Monday he is calling for his interview date. I will let you know when he has his interview, how it goes, what they ask, etc. etc.

I know this is an extremely difficult process. Jose and I have been together nearly 3 years and he has yet to see where I live or meet my friends and extended family. Thankfully, he met my parents and my sister (who all flew to Costa Rica) but he has never seen our apartment where we will be living, etc. etc. It is scary, exciting, nerve-wracking and crazy-making all at once.

I wish you all the best of luck. If you ever have questions, feel free to comment on my page (lunabean) and I will write back. Espero que nos hablamos muy pronto y todo salga muy bien por ti y su amor. -Melissa

lunabean,

My story is very similar to yours. I met my fiancee in San Jose in Feb 2006. Once it got serious about 15 months later, we tried the tourist visa route so she can come to NY and see what it's like and meet my family. Of course, she was denied (they approve like 3 out of 100 people) and was crushed. It's almost impossible to get a tourist visa from a "developing" (aka poor) country. I too have visit her a lot in the mean time (16 trips in 2+ years) while we were deciding what to do and waiting for the k-1 approval. She originally did not want to move to the US, and wanted me to move there, but that's impossible for me since I work in the financial services industry.

So she too has never met anybody from my family, other than seeing them thru chat webcam. Regardless, we decided to file the K-1 anyway in January of this year at VSC, and she had her interview last Friday (I flew down to join her) and picked up her visa a couple of days ago. Luckily, our k-1 process went super-fast, the whole thing took less than 3 months from start to finish. I'm still a little shocked, I expected it to go into the fall.

I'm flying down May 17th to pick her up and we're coming back home on May 19th for good. I'm glad she's not coming in November, that would not have been fun (for her)....brrrrrrrrrr

If you click on My Timeline, you can read my embassy review to give you an idea of what to expect at the interview. If you have any specific questions, shoot me a PM. I'll be happy to help.