Well it's been about a month that Natalia has been here and today was the first time I got the calender down off the wall and started calculating how much time we have.

First I can say with 100% candor, Natalia is even more of a wonderful person that I knew her to be before. We have had not one problem but really this is a credit to her as she is such a warm understanding and caring person. She even insists on going to work with me to help me, I'm in the Kitchen remodel biz so it's no glamor and more words to learn.

Anyway, so I am wondering today..... "Whats the next step"?
We get married (bought the license today) and then file "adjustment of status"?
Certainly on a K-1, the wedding must take place within 90 days but does the paper work have to also be filed in this 90 day time period?

Nope, you can actually stay in fiance visa limbo(not recommended). Yup all you have to do is get hitched, start putting Natalias name on things (phone bill, cable, bank account etc) follow all the instructions here for filing AOS and send in the paperwork plus money and then you wait until they interview you and after that its green card(not really green) time.

Danno, I think you shouldn't waste any time adjusting. I'd file as soon as you actually get married. Sounds like everything is going well for you both. Congratulations! Is this the first time you're really getting to know each other? Surely you have some history together, but I was wondering if its her first time to the States and living with you, etc.

As said above, you can wait as long as you like.

Just keep in mind you're going to have to see the civil surgeon before you submit the papers, so that could take a few days extra.

And AOS is expensive. So, if you're on a budget, check the price first!

^^ How expensive are we talking?

$1010...$930 for the application fee, and $80 for the biometrics.

You've gotta be joking... I didn't even look over that side of the fence yet; I've been so focused on getting Ira here... But seriously? Over a grand? Just to file some documents? I'm a tax payer in this country. I seriously hope that, whatever immigration reform eventually makes it through congress will learn to treat us with a little respect.

I thought it was disgusting when I found out that only businesses could do expedited USCIC processing (why not give the option to citizens ... you know, like, people?), but this takes the cake. Where does my money go? Friggen missions to Mars? Insanity I say...



Z

it goes to bomb the **** out of iraq.

Quoted for truth.

I am not sure what it was before, but the fee went up along with the K1 filing fee back in July. It is a pain in the ash now. I dont really have to budget for 3 or 4 hundred dollars, but a grand takes some forethought. I feel your pain, I will be doing the same thing hopefully in about 3 months (I say hopefully because I dont want to jinx the interview )

The fee hike was really incredible. Luckily we all filed before the I-129f fee increase. Well, mostly all of us.

As I understand because the taxpayers do not want to sponsor the USCIS, the agency draws its entire operating budget from fees. So unless a measure is passed to lower the salaries of USCIS applications or to share the costs with all of America, the prices are unlikely to go down.
On the other hand, there are people willing to pay way more than one grand just to enter the US, let alone for a green card.

It goes to missions.... but not to Mars.



Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. Although, I'm sure in this time of "translucency" and government oversight it must stay within the realm of Homeland Security; probably funneled through Guantanamo if at all.



I was not aware of that. Proof, Satellite? Is this something that's true or just one of the "urban legends" of the VJ process?

(And by Proof?, I'm not challenging you to link the subtitle A paragraph 4 subsection 3B.2.t, I'm just asking if you've seen it for real. If you know for a fact the VJ process is funded entirely by fees. Is it real???)

It's true, USCIS is completely funded by processing fees. Sorry, I don't have chapter and verse, but it's twoo. I found this out on CSPAN when the Director of USCIS, somebody-or-other Gonzales was being grilled by congress a month or so ago. Congress wanted to give him funding to fix the problems USCIS were (and are) having with getting citizenships processed, and Gonzales turned the funding offer down because (my conjecture here) it would basically give congress more oversight. And since USCIS falls under the executive branch, the very last thing they want is congressional oversight. But it was brought up during that hearing that USCIS are funded through fees.

what? money to increase the efficiency of a part of the government? absolutely crazy. refuse at all costs!

Well it does make sense from an "evil empire" perspective. Gonzales is a Bush appointee. USCIS falls under the executive branch. If you're Bush, you want the least amount of oversight into the executive branch as possible, so you tell Gonzales to turn down the funds. Accepting funds from congress would give congress the excuse to exercise oversight into the USCIS, and a small window into what's going on in the executive branch. That's just not how this administration cares to operate.

Slim go to:
[Federal Register: May 30, 2007 (Volume 72 Number 103)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 29851-29874]
No direct link so you must enter it manually.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/20...v/fr/index.html
Or you can use a secondary source:
http://www.immigration.com/newsletter1/uscisfeesch07.html
So its not an urban legend


Let's not forget that the constitution as interpreted in modern times gives congress an implied power to control immigration and citizenship. The executive only implements that plan. While congress can certainly condition their funds through their enumerated powers of spending and taxing for the general welfare, they also can overhaul the entire immigration system if they wanted to do so. So the executive branch has little to go on, if Congress wants to act, something they have been reluctant to do for a while in this area, they certainly can do so without any connection to the fees. Also if there are any aliens out their wanting to bring a constitutional challenge as to the fees, say in the area of equal protection, you have an uphill battle to prove the fees are not rationally related to a legitimate government purpose, where any conceivable purpose is sufficient (Rational Basis Test).

See, that's why I like to see Satellite's posts.

"Here's what I think, and here's a link to the truth. Believe it or not, they're the same thing."


As for govt. oversight, why is Congress so reluctant to act when the Executive office seems so willing to do so? Thoughts, ideas???

"If you're Bush, you want the least amount of oversight into the executive branch as possible"
-Mox


And "The Clintons"
were famous inviting "over-sight"?

Who's defending "The Clintons," and does that somehow disprove the statement?

Yes this is her first time "over here", it's been interesting for both of us, the things I thought she would like or take note of often were ho-hum and some every day things are what she took note of.

I made the mistake of showing her a free website that plays Russian movies, now it is 12;45 at night and she is giving me the "5 minutes more" refrain for the 3rd time. I can't complain through because she really puts herself out in every way to make me comfortable and make our home nice.