APRIL '08 Vermont K-1 Filers

[Susita 175]

Thanks Graham!!

Thanks for the good luck wish Ana. Those formulas are killer. I hope I make it through the next 6 weeks LOL. After that I get to take a Latin American & Caribbean studies course for my minor, and I LOVE those. So that'll be good. Anything to take my mind of missing my hunny will work.

I'm excited about these touches. I think it's cool. I like thinking I haven't been thrown in a black hole (well not ME, but you know what I mean).

[Fernanda O. 0]

Sterling Girl ~ If your fiance flies into JFK then maybe he'll bump into my Luis and me. I'm going to get him. He's a scaredy cat and has never been on a plane. Plus that gives me an excuse to go to Peru, and I love it there.

Kim ~ I'm sure if anyone gives you any new info on the touch thing you'll let us all know ASAP, right? lol

I'm not my happy self today, summer classes just started and I'm taking my "science" requirement, astronomy 105. Uhmmm, it's 3 1/2 hours long 2x a week and we have a test already on Thurs. This means that I will be studying for the next two days and pulling my hair out because "sciences" are not my best subject, if you know what I mean. I mean, c'mon I'm gonna be a Spanish teacher. I haven't used exponents in like 10 years, so I kinda gotta brush up on that, LOL

wow, Luis has never been to the US?! It´d be quite a change for him to just move there, right!!

So you teach spanish, I´m studying spanish and trying to teach my fiance how to speak portuguese! Portuguese and spanish are kind of alike and I think they´re difficult to learn. I´m having trouble trying to teach him how to conjugate verbs and everything... Any tips?

[GrahamandMegan 1]

Everyone back to the USCIS date of November 17th has been PMd to ask the status of their case in the hope either they update their timelines on here or I will update them on our list.

Heard back from one so far, a March filer and they are still waiting on NOA2.

Good luck guys.

[KimandRuss 0]

The way the process is explained by a former adjuticator our files (the hunny-bunnies ) are received, a bar code is affixed, they are processed for payment and stored in a box with others received around the same time until an adjuticator empties their previous box and goes into the 'holding' area to get the next. He/She then brings it to their desk and starts to adjuticate the files one by one. This includes running checks and database searches.

A touch is explained as that bar code being scanned into the system. An adjuticator is supposed to scan the petition each time it is moved so that the uscis always knows exatcly where that petition is at any given time. Some adjuticator's take files home which would explain Friday/Monday touches.

My assumption is that, of course, there are some adjuticators who 'touch' more than others and that if your name(s) gets a 'hit' or if you get an RFE, then you will perceivably get more touches. I also think that many people do not understand or even realize all the times they are 'touched' and/or don't track them....BUT judging by recent months, and by those who I know understand what 'touched' is ), this seems to be a new little pattern which started to devlop not too long ago. Everything is just speculation but it's something new...and it's something to pass the time. Oui! I've been here way too long!

There may be a more practical reason for touches, but my thought is that the RECORDING of touches is a bone they throw us. Could you imagine waiting, blindly, for two or three or four (or more) months hearing NOTHING after your NOA1? Plus, I'm sure back in the day before they had the online case status service, people would get worried after hearing nothing for months and call them incessantly. I think the 'touch' is just a way to soothe the impatient AND for them not to get quite so many phone calls.

Many people do actually go months without being touched and many even find they get their approval without a single scan (touch). I doubt very highly the uscis cares much about appeasing those they serve. It is, afterall, a government agency. The people they hire to answer the phones are not brain surgeons and often dispense inaccurate information anyway. It would probably cost them more to have an adjuticator scanning files so the public 'stays happy'.

Whatever the case. We're in the home stretch and that feels good.

[Susita 175]

wow, Luis has never been to the US?! It´d be quite a change for him to just move there, right!!

So you teach spanish, I´m studying spanish and trying to teach my fiance how to speak portuguese! Portuguese and spanish are kind of alike and I think they´re difficult to learn. I´m having trouble trying to teach him how to conjugate verbs and everything... Any tips?

Fernanda ~

No, he's NEVER been here. They won't give him a tourist visa for the obvious reasons: single guy, doesn't own a home, etc. He's a flight risk. I wish he could come and visit here though, I've been to Perú twice and absolutely loved it there.

As far as teaching, I'm studying to be a teacher but I used to be a TA and tutor in the Hispanic Languages department of my university. I can tell you that the structure of both Spanish and Portuguese are very similar in that they are Romance languages. However, there are a lot of differences, and to be honest, I can not understand spoken Portuguese, however I can read it.

If you want to teach your hubby Portuguese, I would recommend getting him some kind of a textbook to work with for the basic stuff (i.e. verb conjugations, basic vocab, etc). Having a point of reference is a great start. When you're with him, you will be able to teach him communicatively, I talk to Luis a lot in English on purpose so he can start getting used to the language and he is actually understanding a lot of it.

By the way, I don't know if your fiance knows, but Vonage has a Latin America plan I just got and I can call Luis unlimited! I love it. That would be a good start for teaching him Portuguese, lol.

[Alexandra_v 0]

“You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.” ;Paulo Coelho

Good luck my friends!

//Alex

[SterlingGirl 1]

wow, Luis has never been to the US?! It´d be quite a change for him to just move there, right!!

So you teach spanish, I´m studying spanish and trying to teach my fiance how to speak portuguese! Portuguese and spanish are kind of alike and I think they´re difficult to learn. I´m having trouble trying to teach him how to conjugate verbs and everything... Any tips?

It might not be too practical of a solution for you, but taking two years of Latin really helped me in that I can read just about any Romance language and understand most of it. I may not be able to fluently speak any of them, but were I lost in a Latin American country, I'm sure I could probably figure out where I was going. A foundation in Latin helps an unbelievable amount.

Now, grammar and conjugation? That's another story, but I've heard almost unanimously that eventually hearing it a lot (by tapes, or actually listening to/conversing with people who speak the language) helps, as well.

Edited June 4, 2008 by SterlingGirl

[KimandRuss 0]

Good morning April filers.

No approvals yet this week... I think someone needs to take the 'paddles' to the VSC!

[brian87 0]

Good morning April filers.

No approvals yet this week... I think someone needs to take the 'paddles' to the VSC!

Kim, you are turning out to be quite the vixen. I am too lazy to look through the old posts, but there was something about you commenting on Bex going commando, then the bi question, and now paddling.

No wonder this thread is one of the more active ones.

In all seriousness, I would like to see some approvals by the end of next week. As I have previously stated, anything before July really does not speed up my timetable. But, I would like to see some approvals for April filers. Especially for those of you where time is an issue.

Stay positive April,

Brian

Edited June 4, 2008 by brian87

[KimandRuss 0]

Good morning April filers.

No approvals yet this week... I think someone needs to take the 'paddles' to the VSC!

Kim, you are turning out to be quite the vixen. I am too lazy to look through the old posts, but there was something about you commenting on Bex going commando, then the bi question, and now paddling.

No wonder this thread is one of the more active ones.

In all seriousness, I would like to see some approvals by the end of next week. As I have previously stated, anything before July really does not speed up my timetable. But, I would like to see some approvals for April filers. Especially for those of you where time is an issue.

Stay positive April,

Brian

Brian, perhaps it's just YOUR perception of my words?

Naaaaaaaaaa... it's probably me!

[smchadwick 0]

I was touched today!! YAY!!!

Also I have a question for you all. More like what is your opinion? If all goes well and things go at the pace they seem to be going I'm hopeing Gareth will be here for good in late Oct. early Nov. *fingers crossed* That will put us getting married at the latest possible date (which isn't a good idea to wiat till the last minute.) in Jan or Feb. I'm still in college and I graduate in May. I want a pretty nice wedding and to be able to plan it I need to have more than three months, especially being in school. So has anyone else done this...go ahead and go to the judge and get legally married which will mean we can start the AOS and go ahead and send in the "able to work" forms (forgot the name lol) and have time to plan a semi-stress free wedding for May 23rd for all the family to come and celebrate with us, we can exchange vows and stuff. What do ya think?

Stephanie

[Ana&D 0]

I was touched today!! YAY!!!

Also I have a question for you all. More like what is your opinion? If all goes well and things go at the pace they seem to be going I'm hopeing Gareth will be here for good in late Oct. early Nov. *fingers crossed* That will put us getting married at the latest possible date (which isn't a good idea to wiat till the last minute.) in Jan or Feb. I'm still in college and I graduate in May. I want a pretty nice wedding and to be able to plan it I need to have more than three months, especially being in school. So has anyone else done this...go ahead and go to the judge and get legally married which will mean we can start the AOS and go ahead and send in the "able to work" forms (forgot the name lol) and have time to plan a semi-stress free wedding for May 23rd for all the family to come and celebrate with us, we can exchange vows and stuff. What do ya think?

Stephanie

Stephanie, hi

This is exactly what we plan on doing. Dave thinks that to have a proper wedding my family must be present, and bringing them in before I am legally married can be problematic, plus the stupid time constraint. How can one plan a wedding in three months? I mean usually people do it for at least a year! See, USCIS is ripping us off of yet another joy .

So, we are thinking about having a small legal ceremony and than start planning a bigger wedding for after I get settled in and my family can make it to the States. Dave is toying with an idea of eloping for our lil' legal wedding. I actually kind of like it .

And think about it, you'll be able to share your vows twice! I mean, the first ceremony doesn't have to be an informal courthouse signing of paperwork, you two can make it really special and meaningful and share that moment with each other, or a small group of friends/relatives, and than have a grand wedding with cake, and flowers, and that big puffy dress (or whatever is your fantasy ).

Ana

[Susita 175]

We're going to be doing the same thing...

Wedding here first (in the town hall)

then planning 2 weddings, one in Peru and one here

I'm pretty psyched, it's gonna be awesome

[Ana&D 0]

We're going to be doing the same thing...

Wedding here first (in the town hall)

then planning 2 weddings, one in Peru and one here

I'm pretty psyched, it's gonna be awesome

So, you gonna end up with 3 weddings? How cool . And what, three dresses? . Now, Peru sounds awsome, do they have any neat traditions there?

[GrahamandMegan 1]

February = 99 filers; 87 with NOA2 (88%), 5 with RFE pending, 2 waiting on NOA2 and 5 who haven't been online since May.

March = 81 filers; 48 with NOA2 (59%), 1 RFE pending and 34 waiting on NOA2.

April = 58 filers; 1 with NOA2 (2%) and 57 waiting. The 1 approval was an expedite though.

May = 35 filers; everyone still waiting at the moment.

Slight miscalculation on the amount of April filers last night everyone, sorry about that!!!!

I got a PM back from a few of the outstanding members but unfortunately only one of them had had NOA2 and has since updated their profile. Thank you very much for doing so!!!!!!!

Start working in the bar on Saturday, pay is pretty poor but hey it's money and it's all going straight to savings for the bump!!!!

Keep the positive thoughts coming guys, we had another March filer approved today so I can smell an approval coming our way