Sounds like a plan. Are you going to be in Raleigh or one of the lil citys around?

Jen ~ I'm sorry 2 hear that. It's an easy form to fill out though. You check NO and then sign your name. LOL Then you mail it back. I doubt it will hold it up that much.

Steph - Our apartment is right in Raleigh...he works in Cary, so we're about a 5-7 min drive to all the malls in Cary

Suzy - Yeah, I am happy that it was something small for you next step is NOA2 Hope it's soon hun!

<3 Jen

Jen,
I will be hitting the boat ramp at Farrington Point at Jordan Lake at 3:00 tomorrow. Cooler will be full and beers cold. My ex-wife somehow set up an afternoon with 10 of her friends. I am the only boat going. How does that work. No, actually we have a private beach we go to and hang out at while I take everyone skiing. Unfortunately it is my exes friends. Not much in the way of eye candy. Maybe I will drink more. Life is good. Sunday, there will be 3 of my friends out there with their boats, plus mine. I stay busy all day. I have the Mastercraft skiboat, so everyone wants to ski, tube, and wakeboard behind mine. It will be a fun few hours. Hey, next spring, lets go to the lake. About 20 minutes from your apartment to that boat ramp. We do really have our own redneck yacht club. You have to spend a day with the coolers, grill, and stereos to truly appreciate the trash that we are. I also take a water trampoline out there. The kids love it at first, then the drunk guys get beer muscles and play king of the mountain. The only person that has dethroned me is my ex-wifes new husband. He is a damn ex-jarhead too. I hate Marines.

Language difficulties:
I have been going to Ukraine for years. I have been slowly learning Russian. Bought Rossetta-Stone. It is good. All of the girls that I dated could speak some English. Always had fun trying to decipher and figure things out. There were many funny moments. Way too many. Some are for private converstation. Then I met Julia. She did not speak a word of English. I then learned how limited my Russian really was. Last September I put her in English classes. She is still a long ways away from being even able to get around. She does not have to work and she will be spending her time with me travelling and seeing the US while I make sales calls. I figure being immersed in the culture and the language she will be OK on her own after a while. I do speak some Russian and I am actually taking a Russian class every Saturday morning. I do speak some German (high school), Japanese (Marines), and Tagali(Marines). Spent 28 months in the far east. I can't wait to speak with her in front of other people and they have no clue that we are talking about them. Not that I am an incosiderat or shallow person, just honest.

About marrying a non-American:
My mom is still not happy with it. She knows that I have been traveling for years going to Ukraine. She knows why. She is old school. My sister even went for our marriage ceremony in May. Momma would not go, something about the Iron Curtain and growing up in the Cold War. My father did not go because my mother was too scared to go. My ex-wife is really concerned about my finances. She is worried that I will get cleaned out. Not a problem. I have planning this for years. I have S corporations and my 3 sons college funds in their name. My house is paid off and I bought it with a VA loan. Under the Soldiers and Sailors Act of 1943, only the veteran can have any claims to the property or equity it earns. That has been challenged, but not overturned in NC. 2 of my best friends are family law lawyers and have researched it for me. I only own my house, that can't be touched, 2 boats, 3 4 wheelers. I do not even own a truck. That is under an S corp. I do have a lot of investments, so she could only get a percentage of how much they increase once she is here. I would be even more skeptical if I had married an American woman. My Julia just does not know what she has fallen into. She loves me for me. If it is a GC scam, oh well, she will be sent packing and I will be on the next plane to Kiev. Seriously. I love my wife, AKA fiancee, but I always prepare for the worst. My friends give me crap about the whole thing. Especially their wives. They want to know what is wrong with American women. Nothing, there are some good ones, but I found what I think is the best women in the world. I also get grief because my Julia looks like she is 18. Just another benefit of my efforts. Those who have been to the FSU know what I am talking about.

Jen,
I went to Cary High School across from the mall. When I was little the mall was a cornfield. We used to launch model rockets there. Cary was on 3,000 people then. Now 120,000. After the Corps and NC State I moved out by Clayton to get away from the yankees and closer to the rednecks.

Some of you that might read all of my text might not like it. I am just a country boy who has made it in life through hard work. I am far from PC. I own assault weapons, drink beer, hunt, and not arrogant in everything that I do, but confident in my abilities. Just remember, we are all here to get the one that we love by our side. Let's get approvals and speady interviews.
Do they have good fire insurance in Vermont? Just asking. Damn, I hope the adjudicators don't read that.

Ricky stays in Apex which is right next to Cary LOL

You don't want to go to the whole of the UK, you just want to come to Scotland. Not that there is much wrong with England except it's full of English people!!!!!!!! Only kidding English friends on here........ I'm under strict instructions when I go for my medical to make sure that I take loads of pictures for Megan of London, she really wants to go but as usual with this process, it just never goes to plan does it?!?! Come on VSC get your adjudication hats on and get all these April filers out of the system, NOW!!!!!!!

No offense, but a couple of you sound like you found a good shoe store overseas ...that takes returns. Whatever floats your boat tho.

Graham, I was delighted with London's architecture and took loads of pics (errr from the top of a bus mostly because I broke my leg and was on crutches )! I have them online...I will upload some to my server for Megan and send ya a link. Some of the people on the tube were just so rude! And the folks drive like madmen on those roads downtown! I've not been to Scotland...yet... but i've got a dear friend from Edinburgh and would love to see the countryside and castles there some day. Russell would love to go to Austria as well... might have made it had the VWP kept working. I know... so not funny!

Well... off to the office... and trying not to check email all day. Not sure my heart can take it!

Have a great Friday April. Happy things to all who wait!

LOL I love you Kim, you make me laugh
I'm so jealous that you went to EUROPE and especially NZ, because if I wasn't marrying Luis I would be marrying Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords! I absolutely LOVE that man.... it's business time, haha

My girl is sooooo happy to hear the approval news

Suzy wrote


But then you would have to learn a new language.


Dale

I knew the guy's locker room talk would generate a response.

Kim, I am just thankful that you took the high road.


Brian

So does anyone in here know the deal with the NVC? Jim and I were approved on the 1st of August, which was a Friday, so I could understand if they hadn't sent our file until Monday, the 4th . . . it's now the 8th, and I've called the automated center where you enter the 10 digits of your receipt number, and as of about a minute ago, they still haven't received our file. Is that normal? It can't have taken that long for it to reach NH from Vermont.

Hello SterlinGirl,
From what they told me on the NVC they dont put the K1 Visa on the automatic phone service, talk to a person, and ask them directly about your case.
Why havent you done that already? being that you are anxious and wondering why there are no updates about your case?

As kornyhiv mentioned, talk to a live person (option 1 then option 5 if I recall correctly), I was approved on 7/30, NVC received it on 8/1 and shipped it out to the embassy on 8/5 (well technically 8/6, but the offical date was 8/5). it helps if you call early in the morning around 8am, I got right through without waiting.

Good luck!

Tom

Correct. That's for checking on something else like CR1 or AOS. K1s just pass through briefly so a person has to tell you about your file. Press 1 for English, then 5 to talk to a person. They are open late.

Congratulations on the approvals. I hope your spirits stay up Highway
We knew it would come for you, but the last bit of waiting so so very hard. Isn't it Kim? We're all still pulling for you.
Vibes~~~ for Kim to the VSC

I'm home from the UK and totally off on my time. Went to see friends at the coffee shop this morning and couldn't even talk for yawning constantly. I brought a suitcase full of Nick's things home and didn't have to explain the men's clothing and books and watches, etc. at customs. I also quizzed the CPB guy about the procedure in Houston for K1 entries. Like which line will he go to, where is the room they take him, etc. He said afternoons often get crowded in there and could take an hour. I thought, at this point an hour is nothing. The room had a big glass window so I went over and pressed my nose against the glass to scope it out. There were about 8 people sitting in rows of chairs lined up looking tired and bored.

Alex, you got great advice ... call early morning or later at night to be sure to get a live person to help you. Chances are your petition is already off to the Consulate and you'll be able to track it using DHL. Good luck!!!

Nich.. welcome home. when is 'Nick' flying home for good?? Thanks for the well wishes.. getting a little impatient over here!

Thanks a lot for caring, Nich ! Yes, I feel like a huge weight had been lifted from our shoulders. Now I'm all set to take care of my affairs before the interview.. I will have to apply for a year's unpaid leave of absence from my job (always a wise thing to do in Italy, seen as if something goes wrong you might never find another one), then arrange a number of other things. However, seeing that goal right before me will make all that much lighter and less stressful.

Michael is also suffering from jet lag BIG TIME!!! He seems to suffer from it much more than I do whenever I get back here - though travelling from west to east is supposed to be worse. On the other hand, the heat here is killing me, and the humidity doesn't make things better. Thank heavens our condo in the US has AC! I'll get him to call NVC next week anyway, so we'll see if our petition is already there, or even if it has left for Naples.

I didn't know they didn't handle K1's and figured it was just some odd delay. I'm used to things relating to the K1 taking forever.

Plus, I really dislike talking to people on the phone. I suppose I'll need to get used to that now; but I have to admit, even though the wait through USCIS was a pain, the online case status was a godsend. I love being able to bypass having to speak with people and just get the information I need.

Just called, they received it yesterday and shipped it to the embassy today. Eee, progress!

OMG I love Brian too.

Was lucky enought to receive my interview date - October 1st!!! Very nervous, but I will be there with him... But glad I finally have the date - if all goes as planned, he'll be here for good October 17th - I can't wait!!!!!

Susy,

Communication is a strange thing! When I´m with Joey, I don´t even remember I´m not speaking my native language, I understand everything he says and he understands me... We do get some laughs sometimes, but even when I get stuck and can´t find the word for what I´m trying to say Joey knows exactly what I´m talking about, completes my phrases and everything, I don´t remember not being able to communicate an idea to him ever, even on subjects I don´t have enough vocabulary in English, like politics and stuff.

But then sometimes when I´m talking to other people in the US, they don´t understand me, I don´t understand them, I can´t find the words and I keep saying and hearing "sorry, what?" "repeat that, please?"

Isn´t that funny? Maybe Sigmund Freud can explain it. =)
Or it is just loveee


I hope Joey can speak good portuguese one day, it´s such a shame, I´ve always being so proud of speaking and writing beautiful proper portuguese, and being able to express my ideas in portuguese in a more clever way, when in english sometimes I just sound and write like a child! Being able to express my ideas beautifully is a side of me he may never know...

I've been a proper English-speaker my whole life, and I can say one thing for sure: even IF you share a common language, there are people who will never appreciate the beauty or insight of your words, mostly because they never look for it. Take my ex-husband - he considered my rich vocabulary, most often, to be a "way of making him feel stupid".

Anyhow, I'm almost envious of those with mates who speak a radically different language from theirs. I've been slowly acquiring bits and pieces of Spanish for much of my life, but I know the real missing piece is (beyond more focused study) not having someone fluent with whom to converse. There are many Spanish-speaking individuals where I live, but initiating Spanish in polite conversation is tricky and frightening. I don't want to start something I can't finish and look stupid; if I were in LOVE with someone who spoke Spanish, I wouldn't have that fear, just someone who could correct my blunders and get me used to using it every day.

As it were, I fell in love with a Brit. Now, he can speak in ways that don't SOUND like English. But they are.

What's Oct. 17?

October 17th is my birthday LOL Hope it brings ya good luck

Suz

just letting everyone know we got our packet 3 today! sending it out tomorrow! not much more to do!

hopefully more approvals are out this week!!!!

His job - as he works for the police in Chile - won't allow him to leave the country for 15 days until after he is "dismissed." If he gets the visa, then that will be his last day - I am going to pray every day that October 1st brings good news!!! So I'm hoping he will in America by October 17th.. Probably too much planning on my part, but hoping I will be allowed to stay in Chile and wait with him...
Wishing everyone luck in getting their NOA2's!

Things are moving along nicely on this thread, so many people progressing its nice to see- soon ya'll can put you're wedding pics up

My petition was mailed out on the 1st to London, so I should get my Packet 3 anytime now

Just wondering- Im going away after next week- so if I DO receive packet 3 JUST before I go, should I mail it back with everything on the checklist ticked - even though Im still waiting on my police clearance certs to come in and have to go in for the medical when I get back.
From what I understand the interview dates are never STRAIGHT away so I should have time to receive my police clearance + medical before the date they give me, right??? I feel that if I DONT send the packet three and wait until I get back in Sept it will probably delay everything!

Gaura--
You don't have to have the medical before the interview. It's nice if it's already at the Embassy in your records so they can tell you on the spot that you're approved. Otherwise they will say you're approved pending receiving the medical info. You can schedule your medical as soon as you know the new case number LNDxxxxxx, which NVC or DOS can tell you over the phone. (Just tell the medical lady you have P3 already and give her your LND number.) Police certificates from ACPO don't normally take but a week. Have you ordered it?

I would have everything ready and addressed to mail in the day you get P3--that would be the DS forms and your checklist. You may not get P3 before you go...it could be close. Ours was two weeks after leaving NVC which could put you to next Friday or even the following week. You could just print the checklist I gave you and mail it right before you go. DOS will be able to tell you when you have been scheduled for an interview without actually having to be in UK to open your P4. You'll just have to call them when you think enough time has gone by to see if you've been scheduled (about 3 wks after sending in P3.)

Thanks for your advise- Im in the process of getting my DS forms and checklist all ready thanks to the previous info you gave me

I know my case number (got it yesterday!! So exciting that London probably already has my petition!!) So will book my medical for when I get back to the UK! (do the NHS docs do any missed vaccinations for free BEFORE i go for the medical and spend my lifes savings on vacs?)

I've ordered my UK police cert, should arrive soon, already have one from India done (I've lived in a lot of countires! ) but I'm also waiting on one from Australia that could take a month to get here as its fingerprint based (I did a normal police cert for Aus MONTHS ago in peperation, but then discovered just a few weeks ago that the one I did was insufficient and I had to request a special FINGERPRINT based one...so had to go spend 60 quid at Scotland Yard yada yada...they only just received it - Im hoping it doesnt hold things up- if worst comes to worst and I send the checklist you gave me and they give me an interview date in early Sept and I DONT have the Aussie cert yet, can I request them to delay my interview if need be?

Thanks for the info on DOS- good to know!

ok Im a teeny bit proud of myself cos despite my blond hair I managed to track my DHL thingit and London received it on the 4th!!! Woohoo, its all happening!

Nick needed MMR and the Tdap/Dtap (whatever it's called) NHS gave him both free. His nurse also compiled a list of immunizations since he had no record book or card to take. Originally his doctor said he didn't need the diptheria tetnus pertussis one, but medical people said yes, mainly for the pertussis (whooping cough). His NHS people were short but ordered one for him. They don't have to give you immigration shots free and some don't so it depends on your doctor. Some have also charged to put the shot record together.

DOS Rocks!!! It's worthless calling London Embassy helpline at 120p/min because they don't know anything. DOS told me when the interview had been scheduled when the Embassy line had said minutes before none had been scheduled and P4 had not been sent. Also on Friday (after a Tuesday interview) I called DOS because of computers being down on interview day. Wanted to make sure we were put in system and not forgotten. She told me, "your visa was issued and printed yesterday." So it's good to know the DOS has that information too.

Graham, very excited for you guys!

Gaura, I think you got some good advice from Nich. I'm not sure I would have them extend or change the interview date.... you're probably better off going to the interiew and leaving it pending until you can get them the additional documents.

Well another weekend is upon us without any good news or forward progression. *sigh* I think it's that much more difficult because we waited 3 years just to file the petition... it was sent out the very moment I was legally able to do so. The extra long wait is frustrating for sure, especially when those a month after you are being approved. It's just a roll of the dice I suppose and I've known that all along but it doesn't really help as you wait. Only 3 out of 20+ with NOA1 4/23 have been approved so I'm thinking our adjuticator is out on summer vacation for a couple of weeks... helps to expalin the disparity anyway. They best be back to work on Monday!

People like sara (estadia) surely do help me keep perspective. Sure, she gets frustrated but she is still here routing everyone else on as she waits her turn. She's still very young but I wanna be like her when I grow up!

Well off to get busy and keep my mind off what I long for most. You folks enjoy your weekend!

APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!! At 9am saturday morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amrit & Rob

Congratulations!!!!! On a Saturday????? Or did you just check?

Amrit rai
Congratulations on your approval and good luck on the rest of your journey!!

Kim
How are you doing?
I’m sad to see that you haven’t got approved!!!

We got touched last night at 5pm Texas time and then this morning at 9am I got the email.

They most likely approved last night and then the system didn't update the auto-gen'd email until today...that's what I am thinking. The email said that on 8-08-2008 they approved us, so that's right, I guess...they probably don't work on Saturday.

Amrit & Rob

Congratulations to Amrit Rai for the approval ! Keeping fingers X'ed for you, Kim.... I know how it feels to wait so long, both for the divorce (it was almost one and a half years for us) and for the approval. I really want to be able to celebrate with you, and perhaps to meet up some day when I'll be in the US. I've always wanted to visit Boston...

Amrit Rai... i'm so very happy for you. Good to know they can and do update and approve past our EST.

Raff.. thank you. You are welcome any time sweetheart. Boston is a wonderful place to visit...and lots of us Italians!!! Yes, the waiting is like slow torture and it's harder at times than others but I have only to look into the eyes of my love or think back to how I feel in his arms to help lift me and keep me focused on what I know is coming.

Once we are passed this part of the process, it will go very swiftly for us so we are still luckier than most in that respect. Soon.

Congrats to the newest approvals!!!! Amrit Rai, keep us posted on how long it takes to get your interview - India seems slower than most to me [at all the Indian consulates too, not just certain ones].

Kim - the vacation thing is my theory too. I heard a statistic last week that the last week of July/first week of August is the #1 most popular time for people to take off in the US. No idea how true that is but I'm holding onto it as an explanation! Part of me keeps wanting to think that this part of it will be the worse part in terms of wait but given our specific situation I'm 99% sure will be on AP after the interview - and that could be days or years. [Here's hoping hoping hoping it's days only].

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Congrats to the new approvals!!!

Amrit... so your actual approval is 8/8/08 not 8/9... great! Congrats again.

Alexandra, sorry I didn't reply to you. We're hanging in there. Thank you for thinking about us.

milo... most people (around here anyway) take off early July.. but, that being said, i'm quite sure they need to spread it out as they can't just all go off at the same time. I would say this 'has' to be our week..but I think i've said that before. I will hope for the best though. Russell says Monday! I'm so sorry you may have to contend with AP at the interview stage. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's a quick process for you!

Congratulations

Hey guys

Sorry I haven't been posting as much as my normal self, LOL
But I have been spending a lot of time rearranging my apartment and working out.
I need to make more room, hopefully Luis will be here in a couple of months, plus I want to lose some weight, you know, trying to fit nicely into a strapless wedding dress, haha.

Congrats to all the new approvals!
Hopefully this week I'll find out what's going on, I sent my RFE in on Thurs and it's getting there on Mon.

Suz

Congrats on everyone who rec'd their approvals.. I have a feelng this week they will approve the rest of the April applications! Question about Affidavit of Support, I am filing in the form, will get it notarized, get a letter from my employer, get a letter from the bank, bring a few bank statements, bring my last few pay stubs, and I have my 2006 & 2007 tax returns. Do I need to have my 2005 tax return? I didn't see in any of the directions that I would need to provide any tax returns. I saw other people mention bringing them, but if I can't find my 2005 do I need to look harder or is it not really important?
thanks,
Kristen

It depends on the requirements of the embassy. Some of them only required one year of tax returns, some require more years.
Best thing contact the embassy from your case, and find out.

the standard used to be 3 years. Now it is more like one at most Embassy's but, like mentioned above, it really depends. Just check with some others who went through where you're going (portals link)

Thanks I'll give them a call!

I know Peru still requires 3...
If all else fails, bring all 3, after all, Chile & Peru are neighbors

All right, this thread has too many pages now. You guys need to get approved!

Kim, do you think maybe they haven't heard of New Zealand up in Vermont and they're confused? Maybe you should call and tell them to flip the globe over and look underneath! I really do hope you can post your happy news soon!! Congrats to all approved this week.

I guess China beat New Zealand in a preliminary soccer game yesterday. When my fiancee tells me country names in Chinese I can usually get the phonetic connection quickly. Last night she kept telling me xin xi lan and I had her repeat it about 50 times then gave up and searched the list. Of course, I didn't imagine it started with N so it took me another 5 minutes to figure out they beat New Zealand!

I hope Russ can get out of xin xi lan soon!

Joe