The, obviously wrong, feeling of time

[melusine 5]

Hello all,

I wonder of my own sanity.

We sent the I129 package, expecting there was about 9 months of wait ahead of us

The first part of the wait (from NOA1 to NOA2) was long, very long (about 4 months) and somehow it felt ok (except at the end of the first month).

Surprisingly things went a little faster

And then we got a bunch of movement all of a sudden wich was a time quite exciting. (NOA2, NOA2 letter, NVC here and there, consulate sending packet 3)

Right now i'm dying to see this packet 3 coming ! (and it's just been a few days), I'm getting crazy !

And all that because i feel the end of the process so close and at the same time so far..... 8 weeks (sound kinda close) but still 2 months (sound far).

The more the end comes, the more time seam to slow down terribly.

Did you experienced the same ?

[Delicia 1]

I have yet to experience anything moving along as far as USCIS goes...

[Team J and B 2]

Duuude, I wish time would slow down now. The last two months our case has been moving way too fast as compared to the first seven months. I really wish it would slow down now. It's reality now. Now it's starting to sink in I've gotta cut ties with the country I've known for the last three decades. I've just done my taxes, bank account closings, packing, chucking things out, eating as much good cheap Asian food as possible, getting my fill of Canadianness as much as I can via Timmy Ho, ketchup chips, cheap Indian food, cheap Chinese take-out, driving to London Drugs and Save-On-Foods just to browse, etc.

I can't believe I'm leaving my home behind! Fu&k! I'm leaving EVERYTHING I grew up with and know beHIND! My family, my friends, my weather, my scenery, my food, my city, my co-workers, my news, my neighborhoods, my coffee shops, my restaurants, my everything. This is so sad. Fu&k.

I was all upset about how slow the whole NOA 2 took (seven months). Till I did get approved and now, I want them to slow down...

[TheATeam 0]

I'm definitely experiencing a bit of both. Things are moving pretty fast, especially compared to waiting for the NOA2, but at the same time they can't go fast enough! I can't wait to move. I'm going to miss home, but not as much as some I think. For me this is a huge chance to start over and to remove myself from the negativity that is my family. So I'm looking forward to it, and in a couple of months, when I complain that I'm homesick, someone can remind me how excited I was to get down there!

[L_n_O 3]

oh don't you worry.. the insanity never stops

even after you move! =)

[KarenCee 3]

Wait...you mean there's never an end to the insanity? I think I'll go nuts!

[L_n_O 3]

well, you're almost at the end of the insanity!!!!

[KarenCee 3]

well, you're almost at the end of the insanity!!!!

We still have to remove conditions and that's not til next year...and THEN do the naturalisation thing the year after. THEN we wait out the few years we have to before moving home. I agree though, we are a lot further in this maddening journey than others.

[L_n_O 3]

oh I know.. I was just teasing.. =)

[CBR 0]

I know what you mean melusine, I'm watching my file make its way to Montreal this weekend via DHL tracking. I happened to call the day they shipped it from NVC so I'm 99% sure it's mine . And yea each day it's like C'mon package GET THERE!! lol. But in a way I feel like things need to slow down just a little so that we are for sure ready for the interview. I'm ####### about making my list and checking it 5 billion times and my fiance, let's just say .. isn't. So it makes me even more neurotic! But I'm doing my best to keep my cool and just so anxious to have him here finally!!

Just the opposite of you, we thought we'd have a 2-3 month wait (that's what everyone told us) and had no idea about the interview being in Montreal or even there being an interview. We were very very clueless. So being one of the last July filers to get approved after an excruciatingly long wait it just has been torture. We thought we'd be together soon and it's going to be close to a freakin year!!

In summary, I guess I have mixed feelings eh? I'm a little nutty myself after all this.

[Cassie 8]

I dunno, I guess I must be a freak, because I really didn't have time to think about stuff like that. I mean, I was doing like fifty things at once and didn't have time to dwell. I had a full time job that frequently required overtime, packing up my apartment, planning the wedding/buying stuff for the wedding, preparing immigration stuff, spending time with my family/friends, and spending time with Jerry (in person and not). Honestly, even though we had to wait a bit, the time really did fly by in a blur.

[David_n_Amber 3]

oh don't you worry.. the insanity never stops

even after you move! =)

I agree. They will give you more red tape to cut through once you're down here .. and more reasons to pull your hair out or just punch the next gov't worker in the teeth you see... just for fun because they're all so annoying. Enjoy it lol

[Flames9_RN 358]

I never really stressed at all during my cr-1 experience. I really wasn't that concerned,lol probably because i had not found VJ,lol I never looked online, emailed,phoned for my status!! I did phone NVCC a few times about my interview date, but not daily like some people,lol And I only really did that when I came to VJ,lol I had a great job, and i was able to come to DC monthly so that all helped. I guess I look at things differently than others. Ya i missed my wife, but we spoke daily, I lived in a great country, so life really wasn't that bad, plus I'm pretty independent, just go with the flow.

[jess&andrew 0]

I know what you mean melusine, I'm watching my file make its way to Montreal this weekend via DHL tracking. I happened to call the day they shipped it from NVC so I'm 99% sure it's mine . And yea each day it's like C'mon package GET THERE!! lol. But in a way I feel like things need to slow down just a little so that we are for sure ready for the interview. I'm ####### about making my list and checking it 5 billion times and my fiance, let's just say .. isn't. So it makes me even more neurotic! But I'm doing my best to keep my cool and just so anxious to have him here finally!!

Just the opposite of you, we thought we'd have a 2-3 month wait (that's what everyone told us) and had no idea about the interview being in Montreal or even there being an interview. We were very very clueless. So being one of the last July filers to get approved after an excruciatingly long wait it just has been torture. We thought we'd be together soon and it's going to be close to a freakin year!!

In summary, I guess I have mixed feelings eh? I'm a little nutty myself after all this.

I agree - I didn't know this whole process would take so long, and the fact that there's so much more to do/spend after we enter the US. My whole K-1 process took a whopping 10 months (end of april - beginning of Feb) - I noticed a lot of ppl had less processing times - lucky them!

I'm going to be moving in 3 weeks, leaving my job in 2 weeks and I'm sad. I know it's for a greater purpose, but it just sucks having to leave everything behind and not being able to visit home for at least 6 months (Getting married at the end of May, filing the EAD/AOS/AP papers shortly after - and I hear it takes at least 3 months to process).

On a side note - anyone know if it's possible to stay a dual citizen? With such strong canadian ties (tons of family and friends) - I don't know if I can give that all up. Is it possible to keep my Ontario Driver's license? I hear they take that when you apply for a US one. And lastly - for SSN, if I checked off the box on a form to apply for one (i forget which form, but it was one I sent in for the K-1) - do I need to still apply for one after I get there? Or will that automatically get sent after I arrive?

Sorry for so many side-tracked questions!

[Leafgal 3]

jess&andrew the DMV in Virginia did take my Ontario DL. Yes so much more to do and spend once you get to the US. As far as AOS & EAD I am thinking that it is going to take 6 - 9 months for the AOS that way I am not disappointed if it happens earlier.