How did you prepare for your fiance to arrive in the US?

[CassandraSerenity 8]

I'm just curious what type of prep other petitioners did to get their house/environment/life ready for their fiancé/spouse to arrive?

What things did you have finished before they got here? Was there anything you overlooked at first and wished you could have had ready for them?

Being a little ####### retentive I'm trying to make the transition as easy as possible for my fiancé by having things like his new cellphone, a key to the house, phone numbers for family members in his phone, a copy of our bank card, etc... But I'm curious how others have handled this or are handling it.

[afortunada 182]

Someone gave me the excellent advice of setting aside money they can use. It's very hard to be stuck without work and having them feel like they are able to contribute a little is a big deal. Also, are bus routes big in your city? Helping them figure those out so they can get around is important, too. And make plans of different things you can see and/or do together so he can learn your city and your country and you can enjoy life together, because they will be stuck in the house most of the day and having some ideas pre-thought out will help keep you from sitting on the couch every night.

Also, my spouse is planning on attending free English classes. He speaks English, yes, but he wants to improve his vocabulary and be able to connect with others.

Edited December 5, 2016 by jacklynriquelme

[Russ&Caro 1,548]

Also, my spouse is planning on attending free English classes. He speaks English, yes, but he wants to improve his vocabulary and be able to connect with others.

This is very good advice. Many community colleges offer english classes for free. Check the english class schedules out beforehand so that you don't miss the beginning of a new semester.

I would warn you to not be surprised to find out a whole lot of new information about your spouse, once he arrives. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the long courtship, marriage, and long visa processing wait is enough time to know almost everything about your spouse.

It isn't.

You need to double or triple your listening skills and patience. And most of all, don't assume.

Good luck!

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

I'm already a bit OCD with organization.. So i checked, double, and triple checked to make sure I had everything cleaned, organized and all..

Made closet and drawer space for his clothing... cleared some shelving in the closet and just in general for him to have space to place belongings...

Kind of in advance stocked up on food stuff and drinks in the fridge and got some snack stuff also...

The above is a good idea too, something I did not think of honestly, put some money aside for them for spending cash.

[*Snowdrop* 603]

I wrote this post a little while ago with some ideas and suggestions - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/589917-how-to-prepare-for-the-usa-before-the-move-and-afterwards/

[YellowHybrid 4]

Find a good local ethnic market where your partner can purchase food and ingredients that's more suited to their palette.

Print out local maps to places of interest they might enjoy that's commute friendly.

Prepare emergency contact info, hopefully won't be needed but it's nice to know who to call in case something happens.

Find a local library, it's nice to be able to check out easy to read, or to learn new things.

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

Find a good local ethnic market where your partner can purchase food and ingredients that's more suited to their palette.

This is definately a good idea. Something I made sure to be aware of before hand. Helps them settle in much easier without such a drastic change as their diet.

[AM268 23]

All those stuff sound great but I will hope my wife will take a few days off from work so i am not just thrown into lonesomeness right away.

[Umka36 781]

All those stuff sound great but I will hope my wife will take a few days off from work so i am not just thrown into lonesomeness right away.

I did that for my wife when she first arrived, and she appreciated it.

[USAMorocco 143]

I have to be honest. I am not doing anything lol. I want him to go food shopping with me the day after he gets here so he can get out of the house and well see what we have here. I mean of course, I am taking my stuff out of the closet and all the dressers so he can have half of everything. Oh, I got him a gift basket with his favorite cologne and all the soaps and stuff he uses. Other than that I want to take him to do the other stuff so we can get out of the house and go do things. The second day here he will be going with me to our son's ultrasound so that should be fun for us =).

[TBoneTX 43,058]

Be prepared for the possibility of jet-lag and other physical & emotional exhaustion.

Mrs. T-B.-to-be was quite dazed when she arrived, and soon became very sick.

She had an upper respiratory infection that necessitated a full-price clinic visit + prescription.

She was on zero sleep, having attended 3 despedidas (going-away parties) in 3 Ecu cities in 3 nights.

Later, I kicked myself for not having taken her to the lower-priced Mexican medical clinic:

-- the price was less than half that of the CVS clinic;

-- she could have spoken Spanish with them;

-- she would have seen a real, full-time doctor vs. a randomly assigned nurse practitioner.

Among the good advice above from others, I recommend investigating medical clinics "just in case."

The K-1 entrant won't be on your insurance yet.

Edited December 6, 2016 by TBoneTX

[Gregory&Dyn 113]

Some of the most simple things can be the most overlooked. Considering your fiancé is literally leaving his home and everything he knows, go out of your way to make your own home as comfortable as possible.

Print pictures from your fiancé's home country / city and frame them (landmarks, historic sites)

Print pictures of your fiancé and his family. Frame the photos and place them strategically around the house.

Find music / movies that are culturally relevant to your fiancé and his home country,

If you've added him to your mobile phone plan, set up the phone with pictures, apps and contacts in advance.

Visit a global market and stock up on snacks relevant to his own country.

Know in advance where Moroccan restaurants are

Have a special house key made with a personalized key chain.

If you celebrate Christmas, buy (in advance) his first Christmas ornament.

Organize a welcome party of friends, family and coworkers to meet him at the airport upon arrival.

When Dyn arrived here in the states, I had already hung several photos of her small island in the Philippines. I took care in knowing she would be missing home. With pictures of her house, some historic landmarks in the Philippines, and photos of family, she felt like she had a little piece of the Philippines right here in DC. I even added a Pandora app to her phone and set it up with some of the music she likes. Trust me, little things like this are HUGE.

[rachiechee 1]

All great advice here, totally agree with the spending money and making sure he has his own space for clothing, etc in your home. I researched where to find halal meats and such, so he has some easy places to go. Any public transit maps/apps you can download on the phone and key phone numbers. Small things like toothbrush, kleenex, soaps. I spent the day after he arrived giving him basics on navigating, then having him "practice" getting to destinations while I was with him.

BEFORE he comes, you should have him pop by the pharmacy in Morocco for a few rounds of antibiotics to have on hand. It will save you a ton of money vs going to a doctor in the states and chances are, he might get sick once exposed to the new flora/fauna in our country. Also, any dental work will be less expensive there. My fiance bought several sweaters, coats and thermals to get ready for the winter here. If there was any money you allocated to buy those things here, just send it over on MoneyGram or Western Union. The money goes a lot further in Morocco, so stock up! He can bring his favorite spices and things he enjoys cooking with (tajines, utensils).

If it's your fiance's first time flying, give him a rundown of what to expect when he gets to the airport in Morocco and what will happen when he lands (customs/immigration/baggage claim). Make sure he is carrying your address/phone number, a pen to fill out the landing papers, warmer clothes for the plane, headphones, no liquids in his carry-on.

Good luck!

[MA & SY 34]

I'm just curious what type of prep other petitioners did to get their house/environment/life ready for their fiancé/spouse to arrive?

What things did you have finished before they got here? Was there anything you overlooked at first and wished you could have had ready for them?

Being a little ####### retentive I'm trying to make the transition as easy as possible for my fiancé by having things like his new cellphone, a key to the house, phone numbers for family members in his phone, a copy of our bank card, etc... But I'm curious how others have handled this or are handling it.

Congrats a month ago we were in the same boat of AP. thanks Allah it took us about 3 weeks to get issued.

all the best for you guys.