Suzy, getting close for you! Don't be nervous girl. It will be fine!

Congratulations Sandra... of course you can buy one way if you can find a cheap enough flight. Good luck with that.

Kristen, it is quite surreal to be at this point, isn't it? I think I may still be in denial until I actually get my arms around him! Keep us posted!

Thanks Gaura, yeah.. not happy about the PC thing because we asked so many times and triple checked. It frustrates me to no end that we could have been held up because of someone else's error because it means someone does not know their job and others can be held up because of it. Grrrrrrrr. Oh well.. at least we're through and we will let as many people know as we can.

We are having a small ceremony on the 18th of October. We don't even know where yet and we really don't care much at this point. It will include my children and a few close family members and friends and be as quick as possible. Then we're going to go away for the weekend just him and I. We just want it done with. We will have a huge party in April when Russell's family comes. Same JP will officiate both which will make it a little more special...oh and we're writing our own vows. Russell's, of course, are already done! ugh! lol I'm working on a second ring for that day as well! It's only right really. You are all welcome so if you want to come see New England in April you just let me know.

Nich... nooooooooooooooo Poor 'Nick'!!! How is he??? That poor guy. What timing! Keep us posted.

Thanks Raff, appreciate it. I'm sure your interview will be here before you know it! Happy thoughts!!! Any others are just not worth it.

steelman. You freak!

Thank you Stevi. You're getting so close!!! I will keep my fingers crossed for you!

MnM, You are most welcome. I'm glad things went well.

Ok people, here it is! ...drumroll please....



4 days - 13.5 hours!!!

Aww Kim, I never thought a visa could be so beautiful!!!!!!
Hhahahaha!! Can't wait to have mineeee! Turns out Joey did have the form at home, just didn't bring it to the interview, cause he thought the H&R block paperwork would be enough. Makes me wanna kill him. Now he's supposed to fax it over but it looks like the embassy's fax machine isn't working. Doesn't it sound like a joke? Hahahahahah!! But it's ok, it's ok, I know it's coming...

Broken ribs and collarbone, bruising, pain, arm in a sling. I'm in the UK. Hopped a late plane the same day to come help him and bring him home. I'm getting him here, come hell or high water (or broken bones). We are not delaying this process any longer, dammit!!

I thought perhaps you'd pop over there mama Nich. Good for you! Bring your man home!

Hurrah! what an expensive piece of Paper, in both time and moolah!.

I'm hoping to recieve mine this week, I no doubt will find it amusing that the bottom of mine will say PET Steven McClelland . Okay sure

Damn Nich, if he wanted you to come collect him surely there are easier ways hehe

Kim, so glad you could finally post that pic.

Congrats on being near the end.

Purchased airline tickets for my SO and I over the weekend. Man, prices have gone crazy with gas being out of control. Round trip was 400 in January, 450 in May, and now over 800 with junk fees. Thank goodness, I was able to secure some buddy passes. I was looking at 1500 total for both of us, but my new total was 370 including all the junk fees.

The adventure starts Oct. 3rd. Now let's hope that I don't get bumped.

Brian

Good morning April.... 2 days - 14 hours!!!! It's surreal!

It's so nice to see us all moving right along!

Nicola, I thought it was pretty weird that my name was stamped on his visa too!

Brian, Russell paid $1500 for just one way from NZ so no complaining! Congratulations on being that much closer!

I'm so excited for all of us! I do wish the rest of you would check in and post to update us... even if it's just to say HI.

Good morning all.
Alyona was approved today.
14 Days to her arrival.

I LEAVE FOR PERU IN 8 DAYS!!!

I'm so nervous, right now we're still dealing with the whole birth certificate CRAP! Still not amended, who knows how long it will take, and if the embassy will still give us a Visa.

Things of that nature take SO long in Peru. Luis called the embassy and they won't tell him anything only that he has to 'talk to the consul during the interview.'

I'm kind of depressed about that but hoping that some miracle happens, and happy to see Luis after 7 months.

CONGRATS DALE & ALYONA!!!!!!

Lots of stuff going on!.

I got my Visa this morning!, checked out my chest Xray (no reason why, I just thought it was cool ) my Visa says PET: APPRV Uscis/eac on 23jul2008 hmm !.

Its so good to be done atleast for now if anyone is interested, Steven is coming here first week of November to celebrate Bonfire night and my Brothers 20th birthday, then we are flying home together so I can clean the bloody bedroom lol

Congrats Dale! not long now!.

Susie I hope you both can get the birth certificate sorted, hopefully the consular wont see it as a huge problem, they will no doubt understand the length of time it takes in Peru, good luck to you!.

We constantly complain about the $1200 it costs to go from Baltimore to Scotland, hearing that its 1500 for places like NZ and Aussie makes me realise we actually might be quite lucky!.

Hi from the UK. 23 boxes picked up this morning to be shipped to Texas. We're getting there. We leave a week from tomorrow. I am so not ready. I was going to have the house so perfect and spaces cleared, fresh haircut, nails done, wedding planned by the time Nich arrived. Well when you lose 11 days to a hurricane evacuation and aftermath, then 11 more due to a spur of the moment trip overseas, it ain't gonna happen. Oh well...no problem. We are still going to get married October 5 I hope. I just have to make long distance plans and skip the cute little invitations I was going to do. Besides, we have 4 days after we get home. My name isn't on Nick's visa either. Guess London doesn't print theirs that way.

Congratulations Dale. Everybody has exciting dates and plans. Isn't it cool to actually be able to plan on a date instead of just waiting and waiting for NOA2, not knowing if it's next week, next month, next year. Excitement and nervousness are waaaay better than depression brought on by obsessing over checking USCIS website. Everybody is moving along and that ROCKS!!! Highway , you will get some specific dates soon and it won't be four months like before.

congrats Dale!

Suzy, it's creeping up! It's been 7.5 months for us too. I can't wait to leap into his arms! Good luck with the birth certificate!

Congrats Nicola! Feels good, no? Mom and I paid $2600+ r/t to travel in January this year. Painful, it is! When we travelled to London (in our VWP travels) we paid less than 1,500 r/t for both of us and that included hotel. Priceline (name your own price).

Nice to hear from you Nich. I'm so glad things are working themselves out for you in all the chaos. Your attitude is great! We just do what we have to do and it will all work out. Can't wait to hear all about it when you get home. Hope 'Nick' is feeling better. Poor guy.

Congrats to everyone, and best wishes to Nich and Nick! I'm now arranging things with movers, and the idea of those boxes (which in my case will probably be many more than 23...) is both terrifying and exhilarating. I have already been through a move abroad, but it was in Europe, and didn't have to ship my stuff.

Anyway, great news here... As I got home from work about an hour ago, I found Packet 4 waiting for me when I opened my email. They say to call them next week to arrange the interview... I'm so elated!!! Tomorrow I'm going to the public records office again to check whether that cert is ready (and I'll apply for a new ID card too... It'll be useful for when I have to spend time in Italy), and now I'm going out to pick up my pics. Incidentally, next Monday is both mine and Michael's name day according to the Catholic calendar.. I am not religious myself, and he is in a very unconventional way, but we were both brought up as Catholics, and I used to celebrate name days when my parents were alive. A lucky sign perhaps?

Congrats on your P4, HS.

Shooting off on a completely different and random tangent, can I just say that I find your flawless command of the English language (both grammatical and in terms of spelling) absolutely phenomonal. I've known plenty of foreigners who speak fluent English, but you take it to a new level - are you sure you're Italian!!???

Thanks a lot for the compliments, Damian! I started learning English when I was 8 years old, and to all intents and purposes never stopped... I have a degree in English Language and Literature, and am a qualified teacher of English (taught in high school for eight years too). People say I am very gifted for languages, which I think is quite true, since I speak French, German and Finnish as well, and have a good grasp of Spanish. My command of English is one of my greatest accomplishments, though, and this is one of the main reasons why we thought it was better for me to move to the US rather than the other way round.

And yes... I am Italian, born and bred, though I like to see myself as a citizen of the world!

Hey, Aprils! Been awhile; I've been knocking about the UK section since we're at the Embassy stage now. Jim just got his interview date! It's a little later than it would've been otherwise, because we had both mail problems AND he's got to go to Tokyo near the beginning of October.

How's everyone else faring? Seems like it should be about time for everyone here to have his NOA2, if not already.

Most of us are at or past interview.

Russell is coming home Wednesday night.

good luck

AHHHH, no way! That's fantastic! I'll have to comb back through the last few pages (or thirty), it sounds like. Congrats to you both! Once the ball was over the NOA2 hill, it just FELL down the rest of the way, it seems.

I guess we better enjoy you for the next day and a half or so; we probably won't see you for about a week after.

We actually got held up in AP for three weeks. We just had everything set ahead of time so he got his interview fast.

Thanks...we're very happy.

Dale, glad to read the good news about the interview. Kharkov loses a citizen. Hopefully another one will be leaving in Oct. Just waiting on an interview date. Most likely Nov. I will be definitely going for interview and then flying back with Iuliia. When is Alyona flying over here?

Kim, if you only knew. I was trained at Parris Island. I am truly one of Uncle Sams Misguided Children. Yes, the question is not if I am going to do something crazy, just when. That is why my customers love me. I guess that is why I am the lead man at conventions, which reminds, got to go to the bar and rile some future customers up. 2 more days for you. Relax.

If saran wrap is a little too risque, I will just wear a tiger stripe thong to the consulate. I will make sure I shave my legs and flex my chest a lot. That out to get an approval. They will definitely not want a second interview.

Good morning April!

WAKE UP ... MY MAN STARTS HIS JOURNEY HOME TODAY!!!!!!!

Kirk, I think you would fit in quite well with my family! Bunch of crazy proud Italians with the biggest hearts you'll ever find.

It's Wednesday in New Zealand and in just a few short hours my love will be boarding his first of 3 planes on his way home to me. He really is like a child at Christmas texting me with countdowns all day. So cute. He's only got two hours in LAX so we're keeping our fingers crossed he lands early and has time to make his connection. In our ten years of travels back and forth, we've not had a problem (knocking on wood) but we know it happens. I'll be taking off about 8:30 tomorrow night to go check in to our hotel.... 4 miles from Logan.

I can hardly believe it!!!

You know, it's not that any one couple deserves to emerge from the end of the long, dark, USCIS tunnel more than any other, but this particular reunion seems to have that extra bit of, well, feelgood factor too it!

Have a wonderful reunion Kim!

Thank you Damian. Perhaps it's biased opinion, but I tend to agree.

From another crazy, proud Italian... Have a wonderful reunion, Kim and Russ!!! You've deserved it, and then some!!!

hiya- if anyone could help me on this- want to check if my visa has been issued and in the past people have said calling the DOS is the best way to do this instead of the embassy (as that is an expensive route) So I sent my fiance the DOS number and told him to have our case number on hand so they could check us up...he called the DOS and spent ages on the phone but apparently it was all automated information with nowhere to talk to anyone!????

Gaura, dial the DOS number, then 0, then 1 to talk to a human being - that easy.

I'll pass that info on, thanks Damian!!

The suspense is killing me here, I just wanna know its in the bag so I can pop open the wine and don my party hat!!!!!

Kim and Russ

Awesome reunions for you two, Im delighted for you.

thank you my friends..

Ummm yeah so Russell is at the airport and apparently he accidentally booked a flight for Monday... last monday! Oooops! It's so not like him...and I didn't even notice it on the itinerary. This whole process just has us in a mess.

He just text me from the airport and informed me that he had to buy a new ticket. Expedia wont even give him a break. $1800NZ more to have him arrive an hour and a half earlier... we best make that extra time good, eh?

Ahhhh perspective... he's coming home!

That blows, Kim. Totally blows. But forgive me, because I had to laugh! Why? Because I'm so happy that I'm not the only one retarded enough to turn up on the wrong day!! I did the exact same thing a couple of years ago: I thought I was leaving on the 10th, but my flight was actually booked for the 1st!! Like Russ, I booked my ticket through a 3rd party (airline network in this case) but the check in staff at Continental were brilliant about it, and once they saw what had happened, and that I'd paid for a ticket that I hadn't used. they simply put me on the flight I thought I should have been on anyway, no call to Airline Network, no drama - I guess they felt sorry for me!

Gaura, I'm a retard - I've sent you a PM.

FAO anyone else that might have read this, it's '1' then '0', not '0' then '1' - DUUUUUHHHHHHHHH!!

Oh nooooo ... I was just peeking into this thread to post 'the final countdown tedddededdddeeee tededeteteee *imagine 80's hair rockbandtune*' for you and Russell But he's on his way home that's for sure!!

Good morning April! Ahhh the last morning I shall wake up without my love at my side. He is now about 1/2 way between NZ and the west coast of the U.S.!

Damian, we were toying with the idea of making it Monday but wanted to give it another day or two so we were certain his visa would be in hand and that his family was available to see him off. All I can think is that he hit the back button on the browser and it booked him for Monday and he didn't notice. We've been so crazy with all the last minute stuff that neither one of us really looked at the itinerary. Our bad. He booked it through expedia.co.nz and I don't think he fought very hard for a break on the fare (probably mostly out of shock)...perhaps we'll call AA once he's home and settled and see if they'll do something.

In any case, it is what it is and at least he's on his way home to me. 13.5 more hours!!! OMG!!!

Wonderful Kim!!

I have a question for you guys, since April filers are getting ready to leave ... I've noticed that a one-way planeticket is way more expensive, then one with a return ... Did you or are you going to book the cheapest way and cancel the return or what? Or is that maybe not advisable ...

Yeah, a lot of people actually book r/t tickets because they are cheaper. Check the fine print...sometimes you can cancel the return and use it at a later date.

It was cheaper for us to buy one way.... well, it was until we had to pay for two flights. (cuz you gotta laugh!)

Just focus on your man being there in a couple of hours!!

Oh I am! 12 hours!!! I'm trying to keep busy but i'm just useless trying to work .... I think i'll take off soon and shop! Oh still need to pack too! Yes, i'm such a 'guy'. That's what Russell tells me all the time. Oh well.. i'm sure I wont need much.

Thank you all for the congratulations! Nico and I are so happy that in two weeks everything is moving so fast is unbelievable

Jejeje Kim, Russell is not the only one that books the wrong date or the wrong COUNTRY... Mistakenly, they book Nico that he was leaving from another COUNTRY … I made the payment and when I was looking at the itinerary I notice that nowhere it says Montevideo, where he is leaving from. So, I called the agency cancel that ticket and bought the right one. Thank God, I notice the same day and they refunded the first ticket…
I guess with all the excitement we just overlook things jejeje.
Now, we are planning a small wedding and I am just anxious for him to get here

Question: Nico received his visa stamp in his passport but in the annotations it doesn’t say anything about who petition him or anything like that. There is nothing written in annotation. I have done some research and see that usually the ones with K1 Visa have written in the annotation the petitioner fiancé’s name. Does that mean something?

Also, I hope that he finds a job soon so he won’t get bored or frustrated being home all day alone while I’m at work.

Good luck all April Filers and Congratulations!!!

Sandra

Oh I am so happy for you!!! you will see your fiance very very soon!!!!!! Congratulations!!!! and good luck and cheers for a good life together!

Tarantula:

I'm using air miles for a one way ticket. I did already have the miles after flying there and back so many times, but can't you just buy miles for one way? For Brazil, it turns out to be cheaper than buying round trip.

First of all, my very best, heartfelt wishes for Kim and Russ! May you have all the happiness you so richly deserve!

As regards tickets, I am quite sure here in Italy round trip is way cheaper than one way. Thankfully, airfares are quite cheap in the fall season, so I should be able to get a ticket for around €500 or so when it's my time to leave. I'm calling the Naples Consulate on Monday to schedule my interview... Keep your fingers crossed for me! I can't wait for this to be over at last...

I am guessing it is different in each country or maybe its age related? who knows what goes threw there minds, mines also does not have my fiancé’s name, onyl says PET: approved blah blah USCIS EAC

Kim atleast you get to build up the excitement all over again!, he will probably be at the airport very early just to 'make sure' everything is fine! lol

Thanks for the advice Fernanda... I don't think I ever subscribed for air miles ... I'll have to check with my travel agent.

8 more hours - he should be calling me very soon to let me know he's in the Country!

O-M-G

Just popped in to wish you wonderful ppl a very happy reunion!!!! I think the little count down you have going on all day is just so adorable

Welcome home, Russel!!

I'm so happy for you, Kim.

I'll be leaving the US in a week and I'm already terrified of the ride to Logan and after-effects. Reading about you guys helps me remember what it's for.

SOEXCITED!

Welcome back, Russell!

I'm so excited for you guys Kim!!!

I suppose we won't be hearing from ya for a couple of days, LOLOL

But do us a favor and just drop us a quick line in saying he arrived in one peice

I agree with you Suzy BTW how is your countdown??? Your interview is in a week!! Yayyyy!! Good luck and dont forget to tell us evrything, ok?

Kim...i guess by this time you are with your love; that's why you are so quiet