I hope you get your June approval, actually I think we're tracking that way. CSC is generally working on October filers which would only put you 3 months away (hopefully!!!) Does your daughter have to return to France or can her father spend Christmas with her in the States - if the dollar keeps falling against the Euro it might be a lot cheaper for him to visit her here. In the Ukraine they do not have much protection for workers, or requirements that they give a certain number of days notice before leaving a job. So when I go over to be at the interview with Olga I am intending to bring her and her son back with me on this same trip but she will be working up until we get word that the visa has been approved. Bon chance

I agree whole-heartedly with the paragraph quoted above. I still do have expectations - I'd love to be approved in time to move to the US in early September - but if it takes longer, c'est la vie and I shall be married in February or perhaps spring instead.

When I was little I used to think that having luxurious, thick facial hair was a requirement of growing old - my other grandfather has the most enormous beard

I'll be living in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the US - the Bay Area - but Alex's family live in the suburbs, and it's a mile and a half to the nearest shops. Still, we'll have to move soon after I arrive, so who knows where we may end up! Perhaps I'll get inner city living after all!

It's 20 hours for me to travel to see Alex, too. Only 12 of those hours are spent in the air, but when you factor in waiting at airports in-between flights and checking-in times it's of course a lot longer. I always try to leave plenty of time between flights after the first visit I made to California. On the way there I had a 1 1/2 hour layover at Chicago and although my flight was on time I only just made the connecting flight. On the way back tornadoes delayed my flight by 5 hours - we had to emergency touch down in Des Moines and I missed my flight back home. The next available flight was 24 hours later - and I was due in Italy the day after that! I had an uncomfortable (and cold) night attempting to sleep on Chicago airport's floor and I didn't have a shower for three days - yuck! Oh, and my luggage was lost along the way and I spent my time in Italy having to share my sister's clothes.

This Christmas I left 5 hours between flights - everything ended up being on time but I am still glad I did it as I never really want to go through that experience again! I just made sure I brought along my PSP and plenty of Futurama episodes to pass the time.

Sorry - rambling again. This must be the most verbose thread I've seen on these forums.

i already have the chance that he agree that i go to the US with our daughter. I can't ask him for that. And i'm pretty sure he want to spend Christmas with all his family....

So... i pray

Good luck to you too

haha - we got lots of time here, so ramble on. I don't envy you having to deal with Heathrow - I've never had a good experience flying through there, delays, confusion, missed flights, lines, and lines, and lines. I'd much rather fly through Frankfurt or Brussels (or in the perfect world direct to Kiev). Can't you fly direct to SF? or is that just too expensive. When I'm sitting in Kiev waiting for the one flight to Olga's city each day I pull out the old laptop and take out my frustrations zapping horde on WOW. That helps.

I usually fly from Manchester - I really like Manchester, it's not nearly as busy and dirty as Heathrow. But on that return journey I did have to use Heathrow - I flew: San Jose - Chicago - Manchester - five hour train journey to Heathrow - Frankfurt - Florence. I have no idea how people can travel regularly for business purposes - they must grow so tired of it all!

I could fly direct to San Francisco but San Jose is much more convenient for Alex. He's not been driving very long and it usually works out that I arrive late at night - when we're both more interested in getting to bed as soon as possible!

I saw many people with laptops at Chicago - a little one would be perfect for those times! I also take a few books; long journeys are prime reading time.

I think the one thing I am really not looking forward to is when we have young children and have to fly back to England for the holidays.

By the way, good luck to you, Miss Yoko - and to anyone else reading this thread, please don't be intimidated by our posting

Miss Yoko explained it well, it is a requirement in France. Just like the the US, you give a 2 weeks notice, ours is 3 months. And just like her, I will probably tell them I'm leaving when I get NOA2. (though I will check how long it took between NOA2 and the interview for the US/French couples that will be going through this in the next months, just to make sure!)

Dbears, you and your entire family are just beautiful!!! You all have such kind eyes and it's obvious from your posts what a positive light you are!

What was said to you was very unfair. I'm glad you see that. It's also good to see how positive you are in the face of the frustrations of others.

While the disparity may be unfair.. it is what is it. While it's ok to be frustrated with the process and the fact that others are being approved before you based on where they live it is NOT ok to verbally abuse others or their choices and there is no excuse for personal attacks.

I've already been waiting years and can't even file until next month! Will I be frustrated if I have to wait 6 months for an approval? Hell yeah! But I will never take it out on any other filer. That is just nonsense. I have nothing but happiness in my heart for anyone who is one step closer to their loved ones.

To the CSC filers, I know it's frustrating and I wish I had the words to make it better but I know first hand that their are none. Your time will come and when it does may you fine peace with your frustration in the bliss of being in the arms of the ones you love.

Actually the 2 week thing is a courtesy and not a legal requirement. Most states are what they call "at will" where the employer and the employee can each terminate the employment relationship "at will." Employment and security laws are quite a bit different here than in the EU.

Sure. The only thing that got me through all of my other hassles was to stop thinking about it all together. I would set an alert in my organizer to check in on the progress if one date or another had passed, and I would pester my company or follow up with the USCIS then. The best solution is to ignore it - fill your life with other things. In fact, even checking sites like this was counterproductive. The timeline estimators set false expectations, everything takes twice as long as you want it to, and nothing moves quickly. So I'm kinda breaking my own rules by getting into this site deeply, but I was hoping that I might be able to muster some support for doing something. I hate feeling powerless against these government bureaucracies - they exist to serve us, not the other way around and everyone seems to forget that.

So here is what I was thinking of doing: pulling together a petition and sending it to Lou Dobbs, John Stossel, and the head of the USCIS, Emilio Gonzalez, talking about the disparity, the long waits due to the flooding, and the ineptitude of the government via a vis legal immigration. How many US citizens here would sign this?

BTW: does anyone know how the VJ timeline estimators work? Does the estimator use the service center rate as the basis for the estimate, or the overall rate?

it work on what VJ's users filed in their timelines. So it means that if a user stop to fill the timeline before NOA2 that the average will grow up. Ad it happen often as i can see. So. VJs timelines is only an average and not more. May you will be approved before maybe later. Its just for you to have an idea. Not more.

Its just an average of filer's by service center - a historical perspective. It's distorted because of all the July filers that clogged up the system for so long. I know my estimated date has dropped 18 days from when I first sent in my paperwork and set my timelines. I expect it will continue to drop as the CSC moves through October and into November this month. The timeline projection will also automatically add 10 days for an RFE if you get one of those. I actually think it's better to project our based on the petitions the CSC is currently clearing rather than a backward looking calculated average. This is where Igor's list comes in handy.

I don't think a couple of hundred names on a petition will turn Stossel's head - but a compelling story line will (I think he's the right guy). Even Geraldo would like this one. I do think that with all the people talking about the wrongs of illegal immegration, that the hardships imposed on those who try to do it the right way makes a good case for how screwed up the whole approach is.

I completely agree...I teach American History, and we're working on an immigration unit (past to present)...it has opened the eyes of many of my students who would have not given it a second thought...

Most people not going through this process (educated or not) are completely oblivious to the inner workings of the immigration process...education and awareness is the only way to get our message across.

All their records are already in english but we might have to have additional vaccinations for them.



To KimandRuss: Thank you very much. May you be able to file soon. God speed.

Good News January CSC filers, the CSC is moving through the ranks of the October filers pretty quickly. I think they should be through the month within the next week or so. When you look at the number of November and December filers we could start seeing some January folk being approved in the next six to seven weeks. It is said that all good things come to those who wait - so..... Good things are coming to all of us! Patience and fortitude those are the keys for me.

I hope that what you say its true... maybe we have to do some voodoo stuffs, i don't know, like sacrify a virgin or something like that

I hope that you all get approved ASAP!!!

And about the voodoo thing...that leaves me out!

Good to hear, Blake

The talk of vaccinations is reminding me that there is one thing I should do - go and get all of mine from the doctor before the medical, as it'll be cheaper. I also fall into the age-group (11-26 females) for the Human papillonomavirus which looks to be required for AOS, so I'll need to ask for that, too.

I'm off to visit my parents for a few days! Blake, Cecile - I'm relying on you guys to keep this thread well and alive.

i already did vaccinations the last Monday... 3 shots argh, and i will have to go back in one month. I did that in advance cause yes, its almost for free with my insurance. The only thing i really don't like ist that i have to did the hepatitis B... as its a huge controversy about that vaccination

A huge controversy in the US or France?

Hmm, from the printout I got from the US Embassy's London page it says you don't require the Hep B shot if you're over 18...

EDIT: I just noticed you're a CSC filer too, Miss Yoko! For some reason I thought you had filed in Vermont

Not sure where you all are on the CSC list but I am the very last Nov filer for a K1 and I just went under 100 yesterday.

there is the list on the us embassy French website :


so ...

Its a controversy in France. I don't care i just want to get my visa


And nooooooooo i'm desperate being at CSC

so that would mean the list of vaccination requirements is different whether it's for K1 interview or AOS?


As for keeping the thread alive, I have no idea what I'm going to do this weekend! so maybe I'll be online half of the time
And Blake, MissYoko, and all the other ones, what are you going to do this weekend? (it might give me good ideas!)

So confusing.

From hanging out in the UK forum, it seems that at the medical they only offer you tetanus/MMR vaccinations - all you need for the initial entry into the US. But from what others have said Human papillonomavirus will be required (for women my age) at AOS. If different country's embassies are all saying different things then I wonder how we're supposed to know what will be required and what not?!

We'll do our best - at staying alive that is....

One thing to remember about the medical's you take is that when it comes to the adjustment of status (looking way down the road) you need to have a medical that is less than one year old. So getting it done and out of the way too early, may require another one in the states depending on how long this process goes on. Have fun with your parents!!

And that would be good to know it as soon as possible, since the papillomavirus vaccine is quite long to get (I believe there are 3 shots: 1st shot the 1st month, 2nd shot one month later and 3rd shot 6 months later)!



Yes true, it's probably better to wait at least for NOA2.
Anything special planned for this weekend Blake?

Blake - true - but the vaccinations themselves only need to be done once. I'm still expecting to have the medical in London/at AOS.

I'm actually really looking forward to seeing my family! It's also an opportunity to see all my grandparents and old friends. (My grandparents moved to the same town to retire). Plus I'll get to groom the dogs and pet the cat (and sneeze a lot - darn allergies). It's my dad's 50th birthday and he's having a huge party.

I've bought clothes for my youngest two siblings - I love buying children's clothes! There are some really pretty designs in stores, especially for girls. And so long as a child is about average weight/height you can pretty much pick the right age off the shelf and it'll fit. If only it worked that way for adults.

So, i feel a bit sick today, i have some terrible headache... i think i will go back home and take a long relaxing bath.
Tomorrow i have some grocery shopping to do at the morning as i daughter will be back from vacation (she was to her grandparents).
To celebrate that she is back we will go to the Japanese restaurant she is crazy about yakitori!

Sunday, i don't know, it depends about the weather, there is no kids movie at this time... will see.

there is my little sweetheart
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She's so cute! She has a beautiful heart-shaped face

Thank you so much, i'm so proud about her She's half vietnamese.
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I agree: your daughter is absolutely beautiful!

Big big smile, and she's wonderful too, smiling all the time, sweet and nice and lovely. She's a dream And everybody loves her.

a last one
yes i'm crazy about her

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Face paints are so much fun when you're young! She does have a very expressive face

EDIT: Hello Kitty! I admit, I'm a fan...a bit of a sucker for the cutesy stuff.

Yes and she is lucky as i do face paint i have all the professional make up for that. she's always asking to do it

Am I right? Is the CSC working on september and october filers about now?

yes they are working on September and October (especially October, from what I've seen).

*Plugs and chugs in the calculator*

So a...that..would ...uhmm....mean December should be worked on ....ummm during.. May?

no-one knows, it depends how fast they go. but if they continue at the same speed, yes, you might get it in May.

So just because we are at the CSC our process automatically passes the average of 6 months and becomes about 11.

Not exactly. A better way to say it would be: just because we're at CSC at that very moment (when they are late on everything because of the amount of petitions that have been sent previously), our processing time is longer than it should. but as you said, 6 months is an average which means there are shorter and longer processing times. I'm hoping for a 8 month process. Not 11.
but yes I agree, sometimes it sucks.

8 Months almost seems like giving the CSC some slack. Hopefully you are right though because right now me and my fiance know that we dont plan on being together until about November which is 11 more months to go.

Ouch - train fare increases are above inflation rates again (and we've been asked as a population to refuse pay rises above 2% - if we get offered one in the first place!). £76 to travel four hours on a train that I expect will be extremely crowded and pretty dirty...

I know how that is like riding on the cheaper trains in Hungary. What has caused the inflation rates?

I think you'll be done long before November - if all goes well (no RFE's) you should get your approval at the end of April/early May. From there the process moves much faster, and if you get all the paperwork for the interview prepared in advance, you can start pressing for an interview sometime in Aug/Sep. The magic number I look at is the average approvals per week for I-129f filers, then it becomes simple division to figure weeks to NOA2. From there I just add NVC to embassy times from the K-1 flowchart. A lot of people don't start preparing the documents for the interview until they get the information packet from the embassy. I know that for some embassy's this information can be downloaded and the forms prepared in advance - so as soon as the packet is sent out to the foreign fiancee you can start setting your interview time. at least that's how it works in the Ukraine, I'm not sure how it works in Hungary but it's worth checking into.

I'm hoping that you'll be together by labor day.

ouch... sounds like in France: train ticket prices increase almost every year. they always find a way to make us pay more. Try not to focus on the price of your ticket and enjoy your weekend

At least in France you have trains worth riding. The prices of Amtrak are rediculously high (almost as high as a plane ticket in some cases) - they are rarely if ever on time if they have to go any distance at all. I love train travel in Europe but not here. We haven't got this whole train travel concept figured out yet, and I doubt we ever will.

True, our trains are usually comfortable. Though they are not always on time (half of the time when I have to take a train it's late), but from what I heard, it's still a lot better than most of the countries...

Our rail system is crumbling, we are addicted to our cars, our cities are spread out so public transport is ineffective, and trains aren't fast or cost effective enough for most people (they prefer planes). Still, if I had time and money, I would rather travel be train...