Hope 3 and 4 may will bring more NOA2s!!!!
i know it's weekend BUT STILL I HOPE

Rachel you are almost out of the 100's on Igors List!!!!
As for us scrapbookers we all got our own styles etc haha....basically it is making your photos into art and sharing them in a more interesting and personalized way then just in a photo book. That is how I look at it anyway I have been on a horrible hiatus though since this whole visa process has seemed to zap all my energy and creative juices out of me!
[/quote]


For me, she is already number 100 on Igor's list, because after all, I have the same dates as Rachel, and so is another couple! It is just that I did my timeline before her.
Still some wait, but I am also getting really really excited that CSC is now moving!!
I love scrapbooking too!! and as sunnybear, I didn't feel like doing anything still the visa process. I am sure being back with my baby, my inspiration will be back!!
Also to mention that in France, they don't have as much choices and scrapbooking shops than they do in the us.
Well, keep going CSC!! Good luck to everybody... hopefully Cécile is going to get approved really soon!

Wow Everyone - This Rocks!

I love seeing all of the approvals coming through - Our canary is in the low 80's, so Cecile, I'm thinking in the next few days we'll see you dancing all over the thread! Alonia, you're starting to ripen so I'm looking for you too. Let's keep sending positive energy to the folk over at the CSC to keep up the good work.

Ooh yes come on Ceceile cannot wait to see your approval! We for sure will all be on our way to approval land then!

Went swimming already and wasn't too relaxing since quite a few other kids in there...I enjoy it when me and my daughter have it to ourselves haha!

Just waiting for my hair to dry from the shower now and then I am off to the shops. Told Gabby would maybe bring her to a park today too to play since it is finally feeling like spring again out there today

Woo-hoo! Look at CSC go!!

The party was fantastically fun! Lots of drunkenness and LOTS of debauchery.

It's been warm here today too! First day of the year when I've actually felt too hot in a long-sleeved top. Going to the park is a great idea - I loved that as a kid!


Glad to hear it!


True - and if you count the duplicates, we're actually in joint 98th place.

I don't want it to be the weekend!!! All this great momentum and energy has been building, and how we have to wait two more days for more excitement! WAHH!





I know what you mean! I am so scared all the January's will come and go and I'll be left behind, waiting...waiting... waiting. No one deserves to be left behind. Hopefully they will plow through everyone, and even pick up those last few stragglers from the summer.

Her
He's where we are so far......
work in progress

Remaining 94.9%......... Approved 5.1%

……………. Filing Date
Remaining
1 Bryant & Aliona 01-01
2 Plami & Krasi 01-01
3 Ayako & Nathan 01-01
4 Cecile & Bryan 01-02
5 Belen & Tim 01-02
6 Ten & DJ 01-03
7 Yuliya & Brian 01-03
8 Paola & Chris 01-04
9 Thanh & Cao 01-04
10 Zrinka & Eric 01-05
11 Lili & Matt 01-05
12 PT & J 01-07
13 Ajay & Komal 01-07
14 Matt & Robin 01-08
15 Maria Ameliza & Eric 01-09
16 Judee Anne & Reynaldo 01-09
17 Robe & Victoria 01-09
18 Irina & Zubzare 01-10
19 Pamela & Joshua 01-11
20 Eliciana & Benjamin 01-11
21 Rachel & Alex 01-11
22 Erica & Scott 01-12
23 WW & MM 01-12
24 Sarah & Rudi 01-12
25 Bruno & Carol 01-12
26 Myriam & Gary 01-14
27 Russell & Dakotah 01-14
28 Hesham & Tanya 01-14
29 jj & sh 01-15
30 Elena & Sergey 01-15
31 jen & jay 01-16
32 Hilda & Chris 01-16
33 Steph & Gareth 01-17
34 Oscar & Joselyn 01-17
35 Marina & Eugene 01-17
36 Agatha & Robert 01-17
37 VRP & SK 01-18
38 Levi & Heather 01-19
39 gabbie & erv 01-22
40 Chris & Therese 01-23
41 nr123 & nm123 01-23
42 Laura & Scott 01-23
43 Joanna & Dale 01-23
44 Lean & Emil 01-23
45 Nick & Sarah 01-23
46 yan & isa 01-24
47 Lucy & Damon 01-24
48 a & o 01-24
49 Greivin & Courtney 01-24
50 Jeroen & Michelle 01-24
51 Olga & Blake 01-25
52 Lea & Ron 01-25
53 jennie & matthew 01-25
54 Paul & Joanna 01-25
55 Rymma & Vadim 01-25
56 WE & CE 01-25
57 Supida & Supida 01-25
58 Lena & Val 01-29
59 Susan & Chris 01-30
60 Ersila & Ilir 01-30
61 Mary & Carl 01-30
62 Benny & Cassi 01-31
63 Ge & Haibo 01-31
64 Benny & Cassi 01-31
65 Richel & Michael 01-31

Approved
1 Gerald & Vinera….….01-04…...04-22
2 Bing & John…………01-12…...05-03
3 Shirley & Steven…….01-07…...05-02
4 J & Paulie……………01-04…...05-02

Wow.. I sure hope CSC is going to keep on going with the current trent.. it's awesome



[quote name='Alex & Rachel' date='May 3 2008, 05:53 PM' post='1810204']
Alex and I have decided that we'll have to hold our wedding next year no matter what as we just won't have the funds beforehand to pay for my flight + shipping.

On the plus side I should easily be able to have my driver's license by then. My first driving lesson is tomorrow!

So I'm really, really hoping that if any January filer's petition is delayed it's mine, because I can at least handle it.

15 approvals in 2 days is amazing! Go CSC!
/quote]
Hmm... I could be wrong but isn't getting your UK drivers license a bit like throwing away your money right now? I mean, if you move to the US next year, you probably will have to do another exam and might have to turn in your current license (I dont know how this is in CA tho but I read it will be like this for me in HI).

Sorry to hear you'll have to wait so long still until you guys will marry.. have you considered a marriage just for the papers first and a bigger wedding with relatives later? That's what we will do since we wont have the money for a huge wedding either.

I doubt that I'd actually have to turn mine in - surely that isn't legal? My UK license will be valid until I turn 65 and if I ever return to the UK I shall need it again. Also, I'll be visiting the UK often and I'd like to be able to get insured on my dad's car for the odd week or two so Alex & I can tour the UK.

Either way, I'd like to pass in the UK because the UK has a very tough driving test, so the idea is that if I can drive in the UK, I can drive anywhere! We also have to pass in a manual transmission car, and Sheffield is full of hills and very narrow roads that are going to be good practise for me.

We've been begged by our relatives and friends not to separate the legal wedding from the ceremony. They don't think it's 'proper' to celebrate the a wedding that wouldn't be 'real' in their eyes.

It's goos sunday morning here.. here's another january filer approval for Blake to add to the list: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profil...l=&id=47860

Gosh, you have 5 so far not counting the half december, half january approvals.. GO CSC!!!!

BLESSED SUNDAY everyone and hope there will be many meaningful touches by Sunday eve.

As for the real vs. "non-real" wedding, simple solution.....just don't tell em, what they don't know will not hurt them.

As for the driving test in the UK being relavent in the US, just remember we drive on the other side of the road

Thanks dbears, I'll post the new list tomorrow night after all the updates are in. One thing that is interesting is that nobody is mentioning that they received any touches prior to approval. That might be of interest to the obsessive amongst us bouncing around the USCIS website all the time.

The real wedding is hopefully going to be cheap as chips anyway! What I'm concerned with is having money for moving/visa/medical. Until I have enough money to pay for my flight and shipping my belongings sorting out the actual wedding is a moot point.

And I won't forget! I've never so much as been behind the wheel of a car, so any driving practise has to be beneficial in some way.

Well good luck on the driving, Olga's in the same situation. She want's me to teach her when she gets here, but I think that in order to avoid having to "correct" her continually (always dangerous for a husband to do) I'll get her in a driving class so someone else can do it.

The money issue is a big one for most of us. I'm trying to figure out how I'll get through all this without getting up to my eyeballs in debt. August is going to be an ugly financial month for sure. My daughter's first semester college tuition is due and if things go smoothly I'll be forking over a round trip and two one way tickets from Kiev. Mucho Dollars. Oh boy.

This is wonderful, you turn around and there's another January approval - Congratulations to Tanya & Hersham - January 14 filers

I can relate with the money thing... we've changed plans so many times becoz of it.. Ricky was supposed to come here and get us by end of july or first week of august but we figured we could save the $2,500-3,000 that he is going to spend coming here on other things that we would be needing... this process is indeed a very expensive process most especially since the cost is times three for me and the kids. Ricky feels bad about letting me & the kids fly half way around the world without him but since I was the one who suggested it, I had to tell him it is ok and it is the most practical thing to do, besides I don't think I would be dragging all our luggage all over the planet, it will just sit on the cargo portion and me and the kids will just sit and wait for the plane to land.

I honestly would have loved for him to come here and personally assure my parents that he will not insure me then chop me to pieces and I would have loved for our church to lay hands on us and pray for us but with the rising cost of everything and with the ailing economy of the US, I just thought that practicality should take centerstage. I don't want to put more financial strain on both of us since we will be starting a new life and I know I still won't be able to work and help him financially right away. I'd like to think I am just a very practical person and $2,500-3,000 is still huge amount.

BIG BIG CONGRATS to the new addition in the growing list of January CSC approval.

Cecil and Aliona, this will be the hardest part of waiting.. seeing people who filed within your timeline and after your timeline getting approvals but I hope you will both stay strong. In God's perfect time you will get your NOA2 and pls pls pls don't ever lose sight of what's in the other side of this agonizing wait: A LIFETIME OF BLISS WITH YOUR SO.

Blessed Sunday to all of you.... I'm holding all of you in my thoughts and prayers.

Hmm... Well, according to the law in Hawaii it is not legal to have two licenses, which I can understand as well.. there's also a lot of countries who do not allow you to have two passports, in which case you also will need to surrender the old one if you want a new one (like I would have to if some lawmaker in my country would get his way, I would lose my Dutch passport in that case). Like said, I didn't know about how it is in California but I just checked on their .gov site to see what the rules are for a foreigner.. it says the following:







The full page can be found here: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#two500

From what I read in the above, I think you are allowed to drive with your UK license only if you are UK resident but if you're moving on a K1 visa to the US then you will obviously no longer be a resident of the UK and that one will not be valid. There is also a part in the above page where they say something about surrendering your license but I am unsure if that is for renewals or also for foreign licenses.

Anyways, I could be completely wrong about what I seen so far but this is what I could find on their website. I have a drivers manual for the state of Hawaii over here and that actually tells me I should surrender my foreign license when I want to have my Hawaii license (my foreign license will also only be valid for 6 months after I gained entry to the US, after that I am officially not allowed to keep driving on that license).

I can understand your motives about the UK being more strict on driving tests, that is a very good reason indeed. Also the manual shifting is a good thing to learn I think. I especially noticed the difference between myself and my SO.. my SO doesn't dare to drive in the Netherlands while I had no problems driving over there at all, all because we're more like maniacs over here in her eyes haha. So yeah, I think it is a good thing to do it in the UK when it is for the strictness of the exams.. I was merely just wondering if you wouldn't be better of saving the money

Also, I don't know how it is in the UK but over here you are allowed to drive a foreign car, with a foreign license, as long as the car is insured and as long as you have a valid license which is recognized in our country. I think it might be the same in the UK because people had no problems at all lending me their car (and neither when I rented one). I don't think you have to worry about that... the only part is when you come back again indeed. That is something I am wondering about as well (my SO and I are thinking about buying a house over here as well so we can move back and forth if we want but we might also end up here in a number of years, we don't know).. but yeah, what happens then if I don't have my Dutch license anymore? Take another test? lol :S

About your wedding, I kinda like the idea Blake gave.. if you don't tell them, they wouldn't know lol.. oh well, guess they would know now tho.. I kinda think you told them all about how things work with the K1, or am I wrong? hahaha I know I do all the time to my mom and such hahaha

Yes - I guess we are all going to be pretty poor! Blake - sure my dad could relate with you on the college front. He had three children at university at once...our tuition is a lot cheaper but it was still an expensive time for him!

Jereon - that would really suck if you had to surrender your foreign license! Oh well...I guess so long as you could drive in The Netherlands with your American license. Thank you for looking up the information for me! Oh, and please don't worry about the cost of driving lessons - the first ten are a belated Christmas/birthday present from my parents!

Congratulations to Tanya & Hersham! Wonderful news!

Woohoo on you getting your driving license! Gareth never did get his over there in England....I keep telling him I am going to get him his American one though and he chuckles at me like I am joking....he is such a lazy bum I tell ya hahaha! Not really but he claims that is what kept him from completing it the first go around when he was 18/19 that and the pubs...heh heh

OK, here's where we are at the end of Saturday - 'scuse my French, but it's been a hell of a couple of days. Let's all pray it continues.....



Remaining 91.4%......... Approved 8.6%

……………. Filing Date
Remaining
1 Bryant & Aliona 01-01
2 Plami & Krasi 01-01
3 Ayako & Nathan 01-01
4 Cecile & Bryan 01-02
5 Belen & Tim 01-02
6 Ten & DJ 01-03
7 Yuliya & Brian 01-03
8 Paola & Chris 01-04
9 Thanh & Cao 01-04
10 Zrinka & Eric 01-05
11 Lili & Matt 01-05
12 PT & J 01-07
13 Ajay & Komal 01-07
14 Matt & Robin 01-08
15 Maria Ameliza & Eric 01-09
16 Judee Anne & Reynaldo 01-09
17 Robe & Victoria 01-09
18 Irina & Zubzare 01-10
19 Pamela & Joshua 01-11
20 Eliciana & Benjamin 01-11
21 Rachel & Alex 01-11
22 Erica & Scott 01-12
23 WW & MM 01-12
24 Sarah & Rudi 01-12
25 Bruno & Carol 01-12
26 Myriam & Gary 01-14
27 Russell & Dakotah 01-14
28 jj & sh 01-15
29 Elena & Sergey 01-15
30 jen & jay 01-16
31 Hilda & Chris 01-16
32 Steph & Gareth 01-17
33 Oscar & Joselyn 01-17
34 Marina & Eugene 01-17
35 Agatha & Robert 01-17
36 VRP & SK 01-18
37 Levi & Heather 01-19
38 gabbie & erv 01-22
39 Chris & Therese 01-23
40 nr123 & nm123 01-23
41 Laura & Scott 01-23
42 Joanna & Dale 01-23
43 Lean & Emil 01-23
44 Nick & Sarah 01-23
45 yan & isa 01-24
46 Lucy & Damon 01-24
47 a & o 01-24
48 Greivin & Courtney 01-24
49 Jeroen & Michelle 01-24
50 Olga & Blake 01-25
51 Lea & Ron 01-25
52 jennie & matthew 01-25
53 Paul & Joanna 01-25
54 Rymma & Vadim 01-25
55 WE & CE 01-25
56 Supida & Supida 01-25
57 Lena & Val 01-29
58 Susan & Chris 01-30
59 Ersila & Ilir 01-30
60 Mary & Carl 01-30
61 Benny & Cassi 01-31
62 Ge & Haibo 01-31
63 Benny & Cassi 01-31
64 Richel & Michael 01-31

Approved
1 Gerald & Vinera….….01-04…...04-22
2 Bing & John……… …01-12…...05-02
3 Shirley & Steven…….01-07…...05-02
4 J & Paulie…………….....01-04…...05-02
5 Rosi & Chuck……..…..01-04…...05-02
6 Hesham & Tanya…….01-14…...05-02

Just checked Igor's list, oh my! We're at 107 in there! Woohoo!

And congratulations to everyone who got their approval! Things are moving, yeah!

so debauchery was fun eh?

Blake, thanks (as usual) for the numbers!!

I can't wait until Monday when you'll have to send that list out every hour cause you can't keep up with all the new approvals!

Hehe no problem, I was kinda curious about it so I looked it up a bit

I agree, as long as I can drive with my US license in the future, that'll be good as well ^^

And good job in getting your parents that far that they want to pay you for it I wish my parents would've done that when I got my license xD

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL CSC's approvals!!!!



It makes feel so better to see CSC finally working!

We all can hope now to have our approval in a "normal" time.

Hugs and kisses to you all!

And Woohhoooo

I'm number 193 on igor's list. I'm finally under the 200!
What a great day!

its nice to see more and more january filers got approved,,,,,congrats.....csc is really working now....

Welcome back MissYoko, I hadn't seen you post for a while. Yes things are moving along quite well right now and my hope is that the CSC can sustain this level of activity for a bit. With two more december approvals overnight my timelie has dropped back to where it was before the Great Slowdown of 2008.

Seems you guys are really in the homestretch now!!! It will be great to see you all approved and on to the next step! Keep going csc!!!

You're telling me! Haha! I cannot wait for us to get our approval and be moving on! Gareth says no celebrating though until he is actually here in my arms!

I hope the occasional happy dance is ok

ANY mood is a good excuse for a dance.

Yeah, i've been celebrating all along.... Hell, I practically skipped out of the post office after sending the petition.... screamed when the check was cashed and couldn't stop smiling when we got the hardcopy of the noa1. Russell's even more anxious than I am!

Perhaps it's because we've waited so many years, already lived together for more than a year and half ..... who knows. I just want to celebrate every single milestone... I like celebrating with others as well... keeps you strong to take on the rest of it!

I'm just so happy you folks are finally 'getting there'!!! Can't wait to celebrate all of your approvals!!!

Thx, somehow I don't think it will be that much of a burden

Gosh I hope they keep up the momentum this week and next!!! I sooo want to see all of us get our approvals by the end of May! Fingers and toes are crossed!

That would make me so happy! No offense, but I want ya'll out of my way!!

Me toooooooooooo!!!!!




Hey Blake, yes, I was triyng to stay away from visa journey for a bit. The CSC downtime was to hard. So, as they are alive now! I'm back

hmm... so what if all these approvals was only a one time thingie only?





naaahhhh I'm just kidding with you guys

I hope and pray these CSC approvals keep on coming because being separated with the one you love is so hard. I bet you all can relate to that?!! This has to be the month for us all. This month also marks our one year anniversary since we met!

Now that was just mean TAKE IT BACK! But yes it better not be a one time thing! I even have Gareth saying now "so any more approvals on the list?" And he was all against "the list" before until all the approvals started and we actually started moving up on the list haha! I figure I better kick myself into gear now and get my form filled out I need to send him and get my bank and tax info printed out to submit as well! I already have letter from employer ready to go!

YES CALI- Lets GO!!!!!!!! I am getting some hope seing that some people that filled Dec/Jan are getting approved...we are the first week of Feb and I am getting so so so ready for that approval to show up! EVERYONE PRAY FOR EACHOTHER, Send strength and hope to everyone! We have blessing in store!

Cecile & Rachel - I just spent the last 6 hours with my hands in the dirt planting the spring flowers. I planted zinias and poseys and geraniums. But the one I planted the most of is one you'd both appreciate - Impatience - which matches my mood most of the time. I could never have been the Patient Gardner.

I don't think this was a blip, and I don't want any negative karma out there just positive thoughts. We're not done with last week's approvals either, usualy we'll see an additional 5-6 approvals updated after the weekend. I hope that's the case here as well. To all that have been waiting so long, I wish each of you a good week and a fast approval

Welcome back Miss Yoko! Hugs!


Happy one year anniversary! And yes, we can certainly relate!


Thank you - and welcome to this thread!




I love geraniums! Mind you, I'm pretty easy to please; I love seeing any bed of colourful flowers. Living in a desert or similarly desolate place would be a nightmare come true.

Had a good day - first ever driving lesson went well, I cleaned the house, and I watched Princess Mononoke for the fourth time. I hope you all had similarly good weekends!

Yup my weekend went well. I didn't get any scrapbooking done as didn't have photo paper on hand and then lost my mojo
I did just workout tonight though and felt great! Now to do it more than once this week as that is always my downfall haha.....
I also cooked todaywhich I do so rarely since my daughter is so picky so I eat lots of ready meals! I made up a bacon ranch pasta salad, some taco meat made with ground turkey (so it is a little healthier to eat on tacos this week), and then this gorgeous looking (and tasting!) black bean and corn salsa for a Cinco De Mayo pot luck we are doing at work tomorrow I soo wanted to taste it as it is one of my faves but I held back and will indulge tomorrow with everyone else
Gosh I hope we see more approvals and that CSC don't slow down!!!! I so want them to stay at approving 20 or more VJ'ers a week for sure! I am praying for us all to get speedy approvals!

Random question that I think has been asked before but not 100%....does everyone already have their engagement rings? I am too darn picky so I am having Gareth wait until he is here and then we will go pick all our rings out together.....I am still so undecided what I even want but I figure I will know when I see it!

I have mine. Dennis "surprised" me with it the last time I was in Winnipeg. He had proposed on the phone, but wanted to do it right...I knew he was going to propose at some point while I was there, but I didn't know when and he picked out the ring on his own...and he did an amazing job at it.

Your garden must look great with all those different flowers!

Yesterday I did some workout too. I wish I was less lazy and exercised more often... Other than that, I didn't do much. I read, watched some episodes of NCIS and that's it.
Now the week is starting again, but this is going to be a small one: only 3 days of work thanks to the holidays!



I do have an engagement ring. When Bryan asked me what I wanted for Valentine's Day, I told him I'd like to have a ring that I can refer to as my engagement ring. I didn't want a real expensive engagement ring, any beautiful ring would have been nice. Didn't need to be gold or anything like this. And he decided that we was going to buy a real engagement ring (not the most expensive though! so there's still money at the bank ). He showed me a picture online, so I could tell him if I liked it or hated it. And then it sent it to me.

28 approvals over the weekend, thats a great news. But I am little scared seeing 70 couples waiting bfore us on igor's list. If USICS claims that it does approvals in order they receive it, why is this happening? I see a lot of november and even october ppl waiting while january filers are getting approved. We filed inbetween Dec-Jan. we a having our fingers crossed. God Bless us with an approval soon.

Any other early january filers here? whats your guess? when do you expect your approval?