Are there any REAL people working for USCIS?

[Cassie 8]

Doll, you can still have the wedding in Aug/Sept if you are VERY flexible. Paul and I dont want to do the courthouse and then a ceremony so we are going to have a real wedding soon after he gets here. Look around at places and talk with all the vendors and explain your situation. I have found many are very understanding. We are going to do it on a Thursday, so no where is booked. I need to give them 2 weeks notice at the hall is all! Look for somewhere that is already nicely decorated so the florist wont have much to do on short notice. Thursday is great as well because you get lots of discounts (50% on my DJ!) So for us, Paul gets his visa, I call all the vendors with an actual date, he gets here and we get married! Just depends on what you want for the wedding but its another option. Just dont pay for any specific dates until he has the visa (or an interview date at the very least). Good luck and check out the timelines, great info for how long each step takes!!!

This is great advice, exactly what I personally would have written down as well. We did the exact same thing -- get all our ducks in a row (so to speak), so when we had more definite information all we did was call our people up and say ok, let's roll with this date. We ended up on a Sunday, which worked out well for us. Between that and doing a lot of things ourselves (reducing the amount of vendors we would have had to deal with), we had the wedding we wanted DESPITE immigration! It can be done.

[Caladan 19]

We are planning a full floofy dress and church ceremony and reception, but we didn't plan anything (ok, i bought my wedding gown the day before) until he had his visa in hand. We're finding that other than some difficulties with the church (which are sorting themselves out), it's been easy to find a reception hall or a ballroom (we're having a smallish wedding, so that helps) for July.

I wouldn't put down a dime or make solid plans; there's a lot that will be up in the air and things can get delayed through no fault of your own. But if you're flexible on the date, remember that once you get the K-1, you have six months to use it, and that's enough time to plan parties.

[DollThrift 0]

We are planning a full floofy dress and church ceremony and reception, but we didn't plan anything (ok, i bought my wedding gown the day before) until he had his visa in hand. We're finding that other than some difficulties with the church (which are sorting themselves out), it's been easy to find a reception hall or a ballroom (we're having a smallish wedding, so that helps) for July.

I wouldn't put down a dime or make solid plans; there's a lot that will be up in the air and things can get delayed through no fault of your own. But if you're flexible on the date, remember that once you get the K-1, you have six months to use it, and that's enough time to plan parties.

Yeah, that's what we're doing too- Catholic wedding with mass, etc. I mentioned the idea of going through the courthouse at first (just to get the legalities out of the way) to my fiance and then planning the ceremony later. Unfortunately, he feels like this is a "cheat" at getting married and would rather wait until the church bit. I agree with him, but from where we currently stand I see no light at the end of the tunnel and will take what I can get. I know I'm not very far in the process (only being 6 weeks into it), but it's really doing my head in to wait around for someone else to tell me when I can get married. I'm sure this is a fairly common feeling around here.

I'm scheduled to put a deposit on a reception site next weekend- they've said they can move date around AS LONG as the original date can still be rebooked. I guess this is a chance to take... I'm sure I'll be stressing all week about whether or not it's worth it.

This website is really helpful- it's like a support club. It's nice to know there are other people going through the same frustrations.

Oh yeah- Are there any documents needed at the next step that can prepare in the meantime??

Edited February 24, 2007 by DollThrift

[msu17 0]

Ya, I DEFINITLY know the feeling I have 2 close family members getting married the same time and I am so jealous they dont have all this to deal with!!! VJ is super as a support site!!! I see you're in the UK so you can get the police certificate started if you want. I cant remember the exact form to ask for, but you go in to the local station and they should be able to help you. They guestimate it takes 40 days for that to arrive and its good for a year. Also check on the embassy's website for the immunizations you need. I think its the MMR that takes 2 shots over a 2 month period, and with NHS its usually cheaper to get them done in the UK. Check out the UK forum, someone posted the paperwork that you get with packet 3. A lot of those you can find online, so take a look and familiarize youself with them. Not much to do till packet 3, but those few things will at least let you feel like you're doing something!!! FYI though, they dont have to get started until packet 3 though, so dont feel rushed! Hope to see ya in London in a few months

We are planning a full floofy dress and church ceremony and reception, but we didn't plan anything (ok, i bought my wedding gown the day before) until he had his visa in hand. We're finding that other than some difficulties with the church (which are sorting themselves out), it's been easy to find a reception hall or a ballroom (we're having a smallish wedding, so that helps) for July.

I wouldn't put down a dime or make solid plans; there's a lot that will be up in the air and things can get delayed through no fault of your own. But if you're flexible on the date, remember that once you get the K-1, you have six months to use it, and that's enough time to plan parties.

Yeah, that's what we're doing too- Catholic wedding with mass, etc. I mentioned the idea of going through the courthouse at first (just to get the legalities out of the way) to my fiance and then planning the ceremony later. Unfortunately, he feels like this is a "cheat" at getting married and would rather wait until the church bit. I agree with him, but from where we currently stand I see no light at the end of the tunnel and will take what I can get. I know I'm not very far in the process (only being 6 weeks into it), but it's really doing my head in to wait around for someone else to tell me when I can get married. I'm sure this is a fairly common feeling around here.

I'm scheduled to put a deposit on a reception site next weekend- they've said they can move date around AS LONG as the original date can still be rebooked. I guess this is a chance to take... I'm sure I'll be stressing all week about whether or not it's worth it.

This website is really helpful- it's like a support club. It's nice to know there are other people going through the same frustrations.

Oh yeah- Are there any documents needed at the next step that can prepare in the meantime??

[DollThrift 0]

Ya, I DEFINITLY know the feeling I have 2 close family members getting married the same time and I am so jealous they dont have all this to deal with!!! VJ is super as a support site!!! I see you're in the UK so you can get the police certificate started if you want. I cant remember the exact form to ask for, but you go in to the local station and they should be able to help you. They guestimate it takes 40 days for that to arrive and its good for a year. Also check on the embassy's website for the immunizations you need. I think its the MMR that takes 2 shots over a 2 month period, and with NHS its usually cheaper to get them done in the UK. Check out the UK forum, someone posted the paperwork that you get with packet 3. A lot of those you can find online, so take a look and familiarize youself with them. Not much to do till packet 3, but those few things will at least let you feel like you're doing something!!! FYI though, they dont have to get started until packet 3 though, so dont feel rushed! Hope to see ya in London in a few months

We are planning a full floofy dress and church ceremony and reception, but we didn't plan anything (ok, i bought my wedding gown the day before) until he had his visa in hand. We're finding that other than some difficulties with the church (which are sorting themselves out), it's been easy to find a reception hall or a ballroom (we're having a smallish wedding, so that helps) for July.

I wouldn't put down a dime or make solid plans; there's a lot that will be up in the air and things can get delayed through no fault of your own. But if you're flexible on the date, remember that once you get the K-1, you have six months to use it, and that's enough time to plan parties.

Yeah, that's what we're doing too- Catholic wedding with mass, etc. I mentioned the idea of going through the courthouse at first (just to get the legalities out of the way) to my fiance and then planning the ceremony later. Unfortunately, he feels like this is a "cheat" at getting married and would rather wait until the church bit. I agree with him, but from where we currently stand I see no light at the end of the tunnel and will take what I can get. I know I'm not very far in the process (only being 6 weeks into it), but it's really doing my head in to wait around for someone else to tell me when I can get married. I'm sure this is a fairly common feeling around here.

I'm scheduled to put a deposit on a reception site next weekend- they've said they can move date around AS LONG as the original date can still be rebooked. I guess this is a chance to take... I'm sure I'll be stressing all week about whether or not it's worth it.

This website is really helpful- it's like a support club. It's nice to know there are other people going through the same frustrations.

Oh yeah- Are there any documents needed at the next step that can prepare in the meantime??

I am SO glad I found this website. It feels like I just got a whole new bunch of friends who can sympathise with my situation. I told my fiance about this website and he said "just have faith, try not to stress and let's hope for the best"... what a sweet guy. -I just wish it was that easy!

Actually it is my fiance who is in London. I believe he has already gotten on the police certificate bit- at least I hope he has. -So maybe you'll run into him at the embassy. If you see a nervous, chain-smoking brit chewing his nails because he's lost (I'm sure that narrows it down), send him my love.

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

I have the exact same response date as you and I just got touched yesterday and I havent been touched or any action since Jan 17th. And you are from a western country ( your fiancee) mine is from Algeria and we all know what that will mean in terms of a delay ( NIGHTMARE) If its taking someone like you , young and both from western countries... egads .. what does this mean for someone like me dealing with a north african country. Then you get the vermont people whining about a 2 week delay when it takes a woman marrying a BRIT 92 days to get a NOA? Something is very very very wrong. They need to redistribute californias work load to vermont and redistribute the cases. ITs just not fair that one center gets things done in 20 days while the rest of us languish

[natronic 0]

I have the exact same response date as you and I just got touched yesterday and I havent been touched or any action since Jan 17th. And you are from a western country ( your fiancee) mine is from Algeria and we all know what that will mean in terms of a delay ( NIGHTMARE) If its taking someone like you , young and both from western countries... egads .. what does this mean for someone like me dealing with a north african country. Then you get the vermont people whining about a 2 week delay when it takes a woman marrying a BRIT 92 days to get a NOA? Something is very very very wrong. They need to redistribute californias work load to vermont and redistribute the cases. ITs just not fair that one center gets things done in 20 days while the rest of us languish

Of course they will not redistribute the work load. I bet the people in vermont are loving life and doing 1 case each a week. They are government workers and we all know government workers do only what they have to. So they probably do not want to cases to keep their load light.