Rachel, you're not the only giant - 172,5 cm.....but not idea in other metrics!
Let us know what your parents will tell you! It might be the best way to spend some time with them.
About your sister' deposit, it sucks!!! I would be so so mad at that guy! He should be the only one hold as responsible! (even if I don't know what are the actual rules about sharing a house)

I'm sure after 4 days I'll start feeling bored and hating them all
Too bad for the deposit!!

I must say I am sooo happy to see all the filers earlier than ours being approved today and yesterday! Gives me hope that they are not going to forget about me haha! Come on CSC keep giving people their NOA2's that have been waiting entirely too long!!!

That is exactly what I thought this morning when I saw these approvals! This is going to be your turn soon!

Glad everything went smoothly Cecile!

Woaw girls! i've never thought I'll be the tallest once in my life with me 156 cm!!


sunnybear : I hope CSC finished to work on all "the forgotten filers of December" and will start working on "the forgotten filers of January" tomorrow !!

Gosh I hope you guys are right! Gareth gets so upset when I mention this site as he thinks it fills me with too much false hope and that I need to only worry about our own journey but I told him it does give me hope to see that it is not just us waiting!!! He such a grumpy Bear haha. Love him to bits though. But yeah I appreciate you guys so much and will keep holding out hope until that gorgeous NOA2 arrives!!!

You gals are all so short

My ex gf is 6 ft, or 184cm lol.. my daughter (from this ex) is expected to get the same size, if not taller (I hope not but yah, I'm 6'1 so who knows :S ).

Oh well, guess it's no wonder, us Dutchies seem to be the tallest in the world lol (guess we got kicked a lot under the butt when we were young lol).

It's actually funny that I had an ex of that size once when you think about it that I fall for smaller girls.. guess I'm in more luck now as my fiance is about 150 cm




Cécile: Glad to read everything went smooth.. My thoughts are with you on the interview as well which will be your next step





As for me.. hmmm.. today I have sent the last thingie of my packet 3 back to the embassy... they should have it tmr morning and I wonder how long it will take until I receive packet 4

Haha, I almost said earlier, 'wait til Jeroen gets here, I bet he's surrounded by tall women living in the Netherlands.'

sunny - they'd better give you an approval soon or we'll all have to send our fiancés/ourselves to CSC with burning torches!

Pam - hurrah for being the same height!

Yes...it should be that guy held responsible (unfortunately responsibility legally is shared, so the landlord was perfectly within his right to take everyone's deposits) but whether they can get a hold of him...

I rang my parents and they said they'd love to have me home. They agreed that I could probably get temping work (and worse come to worse my dad said he'd pay me to paint a mural on his surgery wall). So I'm thinking I may hand my notice in next week and go back to live with my parents in September no matter what.

...I just hope I can get temping work!

A quick update: I got my blood test results tonight and everything is good.

I also asked for a copy of the medical forms, they only copied the first page of the form. I had read on other posts that some people gave a copy of the DS-3025 for AOS in order to not do a new medical. the page they copied for me isn't DS-3025, but I think I'll give this for AOS too, since it does show when the exam was done (good for a year) and some of the info of the medical. I hope it will be good.

For girls, I asked the doctor about the HPV/Gardasil vaccine requirement (as I read on the UK and the Canada forum that it was a requirement now), and he said it was probably new, that the embassy did not give him any information about that, therefore he won't do it. Another French girl who went to another doctor (FaustineJason, with doctor Meyers) said she didn't get it either. I'm planning on getting it once I'm in the US though.


Jeroen, I hope they will contact you soon for your interview! Who knows, since they gave you a call a few days ago, maybe they will call you as soon as they have your checklist (and btw you and your girl and ex (and everyone from the Netherlands) are giants!!!!)

Rachel, I am glad you are going to be able to do this I am sure you will enjoy spending this time with them as much as they will enjoy it (temping work or not)

he probably just missing you so much. I do hope and pray you would get that NOA2 and get it VERY SOON!.. it will come, there is no reason why it won't and same time next year, you and gareth would be smiling at how you have overcomed this process, you guys would be laughing remembering his grumpiness.




I'f rachel is small, then I would be a dwarf ...a chubby dwarf ... oppsss, they said one should not put himself/herself down... i will rephrase it... i am not tall but with more to love




That is good to hear at least you would have more time to spend with your family before going to the US. btw, do you have interview date already?




YAY!!! one step done... next will be interview and im sure you'll do great!

it's so true lol



For a second I thought you wrote 'tempting work' lol

That's really great news.. not only for the visa but also for yourself of course

btw, about the forms, don't they send it to the US embassy or consulate themselves? Thats what they do in the Netherlands at least, the forms will be included in the brown envelope that we have to take with us to the states if I am not mistaken (or so I thought since that includes the stuffies we need for our AOS).



Yeah I hope so too, and you're right, it seems they are pretty fast over there

and lol, it's so true... with my 6'1, I am actually just averaging lol

No worries, my fiance is a US born filipina and she is like 5 ft something herself, and like you said, not tall but more to love as well with her

Oh really?!! .. I didn't know your fiance is Fil-Am (Filipino-American). I did know there are many asians in Hawaii.

Well, hope you will get interview date soon so you could be with your fiancee. ... i wish i could visit Hawaii someday.

Nope, apparently in France they do it differently. They gave me the forms (in a closed white envelope) and the x-ray, and I will be giving it at the embassy on my interview day. Then they probably put it in the brown envelope like they do for other countries.

Glad to hear about the clear bloodwork, Cecile!

I'm almost looking forward to my medical because this will be the first time in my life that I've had a check-up. I think it's a little odd sometimes that we have to have our cars and parts of our houses inspected annually but not our own bodies.


No, no interview date yet. I hope I have plenty of notice for the interview, apparently London embassy sometimes sends letters out a little late. I'm thinking of ringing to check...


Well I'm hoping it's tempting, too...I'm hoping that I can maybe get a better hourly rate (given my experience and given that temp jobs often pay a little higher anyway) than my current job.

I'm speaking to a friend from my home town right now and she's really excited at the thought of me moving back for a bit. My parents also sounded really delighted and my mother said the twins would be ecstatic (they're too young to even remember when I lived at home).

It was actually the first time I had the HIV test. I've been thinking of doing it for a few years now but never took the time to do it.


I have known my best friend for 7 years now, and met her again last weekend. We hadn't been together for more than two years (we were leaving in different cities). And she is actually going back to her hometown (next to mine) for vacation the same week I will go back there. We are both very excited! I don't know exactly how my parents feel about me leaving the country. I mean, I've known what they thought in the past 7 months, but I wonder what they think now, that it is getting closer.

Hehe yep, she is The area she is living in atm has about 65% Asians living and only 5% caucasians..I'm soooo gonna be a minority hahaha oh well, it doesn't bother me, I grew practically up between Asians

As for the number of asians in Hawaii, you should check the following link.. I didn't know about it before but when I got in contact with my fiance, I was like o_O as to how many Asians were living there haha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii#Ethnicities


oic.. that's different indeed then, but if you ask me, a lot better than here... over here you'll need to wait at least a week until they know the results... if anything is wrong, you'll be called in that week and if you're good, then you hear nothing about it... it's basically why I had my medical examination already done on a different place so I know what I can expect when we get the 'real deal'

sounds good, I hope you get a nice job for the time being

Thanks! So do I!

Alex's company is cutting back costs again, he feels his job is in danger, and that he should start looking for a new one.

I haven't received my NOA2 hard copy yet, should I be concerned? o.O

The thing you need more than anything else is the case number for the embassy. You can call the NVC and get that information (just have your NOA1 number on hand for reference). You will need the hardcopy later in the process, but that case number is what you'll need to get the interview packets completed.

When should I call NVC? I wasn't sure how long I am supposed to wait. I need to notify them & the embassy about my fiance's new address too. I keep thinking I won't receive this hard copy, just like my NOA1..blah, here's hoping I get it tomorrow. :s


Does anyone know if they're hard asses about the NOA2 copy request, as they are with NOA1s?

My expression when I check my mailbox everyday this week, has been the same as the gif in my signature, pretty much. lol

P.S. I know my case number by heart!

Call the NVC first thing Monday to get your case number. You have moved from the Department of Homeland Security to the US State Department with your approval. At the State Department they are very nice and helpful. Call early in the morning or at the end of the day EST. The CSC will probably will not do anything about a copy of your NOA2 yet, as it's too early in their minds. But like I said, you don't need the NOA2 hardcopy yet, just the case number from the NVC.

Yes sir! I will be waking bright & early for this one!

Thanks for the help.

Morning all! Well another week done and dusted.....this week brings us closer to our 180 day mark since filing SIGH. You can bet as soon as they release the new list of processing dates I shall be calling since it technically should say they are processing up to January 18th or something as they seem to just up it a month each time....anyway I will call as soon as I see that on their site. I am sure only to be told "well you have to wait 30 days PAST what our processing times say" ugh.....I am trying to remain hopeful etc but right now I cannot even imagine Gareth being here for Christmas! I sure hope they prove me wrong!

I'm pulling for you Sunny!!! I hope you get approved soon. Security check on a brit is a bunch of BS!!! Since when did brits pose a HUGE threat to national security? I think someone just dropped the ball and they are using that excuse to cover up their f**k up.

Oh how I hope you are true!! Haha.....It is so ridiculous Sure hope we hear something soon soon SOON.........

Hello sunnybear...i keep you in my prayers....hope you get approved soon....
i know the feeling of waiting......i can feel for you...but lets keep hoping...

God Bless!!!

Good morning everyone! This is my last week at work! Then I'll go back to my parents' house for a while. I have started packing this weekend but I hate to do that. I hate to throw things away. I thought I would pack most of my stuff this weekend but I still have a lot of things to do

Sunnybear, I hope this week is going to be yours

Good morning! Woo! It's all happening now...must be scary! (I'm already scared just thinking about having to tell my work/housemate I am moving back to my parents' and having to cancel all cards, etc.) Good luck!

Still crossing fingers for sunny...

Thanks guys for all the well wishes and crossed fingers and prayers etc....let's hope they make some magic happen this week! Not giving up hope that is for sure! Next week will start the calling of USCIS until they approve us haha!

I wish I could say that lol.. I'm sooo fed up with my job And I wont be able to have my last day until september 1st, even when I give notice today :'( Oh well, guess I just have to sit it out.

Good luck with the move tho


I agree, you should start calling and keep on calling until they get so tired that they just give that approval!


Also, call your rep as soon as you are allowed to call him, it doesn't hurt to have it coming from two sides

... I'm also rooting for your sunny... Go get those CSC folks till they give you approval.

Indeed, it IS scary! Everything seems to be going too fast now. After waiting for many months, now I know that the end (of my life here in France) is very close. I am not going to the USA right now but if everything goes well, I should be there in less than a month! and even though I am looking forward to it, it is very stressful to know I only have such a short time left here.
Jeroen, even though September 1st seems quite far from now, I can assure you that the time is going to fly. I gave them my notice two months ago already and it seems like it was only a month ago. Every day I was thinking "just x more days before the end of the week", and every week "x more week just disappeared".

JUST the past couple of days I've been feeling really anxious - probably due to fixing a date for when I have to be out of Sheffield by. Now I really, really want my interview date!

Ooh hoping you get it soon Rachel!

Thanks sunny! Let's hope this week brings both my interview date and your NoA2!

HECK YES! That would ROCK for sure! Fingers are crossed! Oh on a dif topic I went to a friends wedding on Saturday and man that just reconfirmed what my wedding will NOT be like....it was such a snoozefest! I could tell her parents must have planned the whole thing since it was just a cookie cutter traditional ceremony and reception....even the music was boring! ACK! She did look gorgeous though but yeah BORING haha.

Hehe! That is why I am calling my wedding a 'party'; I don't want all the usual traditions that no one really appreciates because they're hungry and dying to eat or because they're embarrassed by them. I just want lots of food and some music and then lots of mingling! Fortunately both families and most of our friends are sociable people and I think everyone will get on with each other like a house on fire.

I found out that while pot-luck weddings are not okay etiquette-wise, family hosted weddings are. So now I don't need to feel too guilty about accepting offers of food contributions from my mother/Alex's mother. I think I'll remain in charge of desserts, though, because I love baking cakes!

Ooh sounds fun! I would LOVE a pot luck wedding to be honest hahah! Call me white trash but shoot potlucks are GOOD I have to use the venues catering for my wedding otherwise I had totally wanted to do a gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup bar hee hee....I also hope mine is more of a fun mingling, great music, type of party!

Come on CSC wake up and start pumping out some approvals haha! I keep refreshing Igors list in hopes of seeing some sort of action!

Alex has an apartment!

It is the size of a shoebox BUT it's probably the cheapest we'll ever find in the Bay Area ($775 per month, including all utilities), has a separate kitchen, and brand new kitchen/bathroom appliances!

He took photos: http://images.flyingstove.com/gallery/236/

Congratulations! Even though it may be small, at least it is going to be YOUR place

Exactly! And it's not as if we have any furniture yet with which to fill the place up.

It's a single-storey dwelling and is quite rural, too, so we won't be disturbing anyone.

Then again the remoteness of the place concerns me a little...those first few months when I have no car and no job may be a little tough. But I'm pretty fond of walking so that's a bonus. Alex's parents live 5-6 miles away which isn't too far.

As long as you can walk to a grocery store and a few other different places, that should be fine. If it was 15 miles away from the closest store, you may have some problems...

Congrats!!

The pics look nice as well.. and no worries its small, at least u got a place of ur own

Thanks guys!

It's not actually the apartment that Alex was originally told about - that was a wee bit smaller and had no dividing wall between the main room and kitchen. It also had much older appliances. Fortunately the woman who was going to take this apartment has been dillydallying and so they've given Alex first pick instead.


Indeed! I may be looking at an hour, hour and a half's walk but that's still perfectly doable.

There are things we won't have, like a washer/dryer, but Alex's parents are close enough that we could take a car load of laundry to their house once a week. And they've said we are always welcome round for dinner if we want to save money on food!

F**k... I looked at all the paperwork for the interview this morning, and just realized something.
The poverty guidelines (here) are $14000 for 2 people.
I didn't pay much attention before because Bryan kept telling me that he's making much more this year (more than twice this amount), so it will not be a problem. When he sent me his tax transcripts, I-134, etc. I noticed that his income of the past years were not very high (especially since last year he came to France for two months), but figured it was still ok because above $14000 (actually last yeat it was $14600 or something like this).
I just realized that the $14000 on the poverty guideline is not "125% above pov income" but just "poverty line" (yes, that makes sense, I know, I feel very stupid)
So, if we take the 2008 poverty guideline * 125 %, his current income is way above it, but was only above it one year out of the 3 last ones
Are they going to ask for a co-sponsor? I'm not even sure Bryan knows someone who has made more on the past 3 years...... F**k F**k F**k!!!

Eep!

Obviously we've taken on a co-sponsor as added security, but there won't necessarily be a problem. Hopefully they'll take into account Bryan's age (assuming he's still fairly young). I'd probably take lots of evidence to show that this current job is stable and that his income is guaranteed - what do you have so far?

Well, we have the basic information asked:
- I-134 form
- 3 last tax transcripts
- letter of his current employer stating that he's full-time and makes $16 an hour and that he's been working there since April
- last 3 pay stubs (from this employer), and I'm going to ask him the most recent ones too, so I'll probably have 5 or 6 ones
- I asked him a letter of his previous employer just in case, because as I said he's been to his current one onlly since April, but the previous employer only stated that he has been working there from December (when he came back to France) to April, even though he had been working there since May 2007 (but stopped in October to come here)
I think that's all. I asked him something from his bank but since he basically spent all his money as soon as he got paid in bills and to pay his credit card, there's not much money on his account, so that's pretty useless.
I can't believe I just realized this right now and not a month earlier!!!

Oh by the way, he's 25.

I'm not sure what we could get that would show that his job is stable.