Turkeyluvr

Yup...we've just received the letter (Oct. 13, 2012) that says my husband's I-485 has been approved! The greencard is due to arrive shortly.

Yay!!! Its been a long long journey. Thank you all for your help, thoughts, prayers, and support!

If you have any questions, please send a meesage and I will help out as much as I can--just as you all have helped me! :-D

Hello guys...just wanted to let you know that i was in your shoes about 9 months ago...not much information was out there about this. So my fiance and i said "what the heck" and decided to file and see what happens.....

I was able to file my petition (I 129f) while living abroad in Turkey (where i met my fiance). the process went just fine. You have to make sure that all of your required documents are on hand (such as your birth certificate).

I sent my paperwork to the lockbox in Texas and i even received my Noa1 at my address in Istanbul.

My petition was approved within 5.5 months while i was still in Istanbul...we were so lucky to have been able to be together during most of the process.

However, i returned home for the second part of the k1 process (post petition approval--preparation for Nvc applications, sometimes referred to as packet 3). I did this because i needed to get a job and show proof of US income.

In total, we have been apart for 4 months during entire process...i consider that a blessing since some couples have to endure this thing while being apart for the entire process. I left turkey in late august to come here to work and my fiance flies in this Wednesday Dec. 28 (yay!) soooo..not so bad.

Now, since you have sponsors to help you...i really don't see why you couldn't do the whole process there.

you can pm me if u have any other questions...best of luck to you both!

Thank you all! I pray that everyone gets to be with their loved one soon...this process can seriously take a toll on you. im just happy that we can finally be together even though this thing is not over just yet.

I wish u all an early Merry Christmas!

I am soooo excited!! My fiance had his interview on Dec. 14, 2011. We are approved!! I am sooooooo happpyyyy!! yay!!

He will be here in a couple of weeks. Best day of the year!

congratulations to both of you.

Yay!! Congratulations to you and your fiance!! Such a good feeling right?

So after 171 days and NO RFE (Thank you Jesus!) ....our petition has been APPROVED!!! I saw the text message pop up on my phone while I was working and I couldn't breath until I logged into the website. There it was. APPROVED!!!! YAY!!! ....happy tears!

Yay! Congratulations!! Whoohooo!!

Wow--this a very inspiring story--Thank you for sharing and congratulations!

thanks!

we got the visa packet today in the mail! the intervıew was only lıke 2 days ago!

my fiance got several extra copies of his birth certf. to bring to America and they are translated in english. im also having him bring his old drivers license paper - hoping that helps him in that process. and his college degree also translated. İ doubt it will be easy to find a place to translate papers in America - especially because we do not live in a big city- we are going to live in small town Wisconsin for now.

i think the embassy interviewers all know turkish- since they probably live here- and he said they talked in other languages too. My fiances english is really not that good- İ found a free english class for him at a local college to take when he gets there. My parents have a hard time understanding him on the phone- i understand him because ive been with him for at least a year (i just started learning turkish for him)- but our love was the only language we really needed when we first met! Maybe other people cant understand how we communicate but im glad the embassy understood our story enough to approve us

Congratulations to you both! Thats great news. I know that you are super excited--I can't wait for our day to come. Enjoy yourselves!

Day in, day out, just couldn't shut my mouth

This thing called NOA2, it's what I'm all about

I was pretty ecstatic when we got our NOA1

But waiting for NOA2 sucked out all the fun

Everyday, I login to check the processing charts

It's gotten too slow man, it's breaking my heart

My fiance and I filed our application last July

NOA2 aint here yet and I'm wondering why

Think it's pathetic for me to even write this song?

Sorry dude, I'm just in love and I can't wait for too long!

So come on CSC, stop keeping me waiting'!

Speed up and I promise you, I won't be hatin'.

NOA2, WE'RE READY FOR YOU!

Awesome! Best of luck--its coming soon!!

Hey guys--its Veronica again! We got our interview data for December 14! whoohoooo!!! Thanks for all of your support and positive energy!

Your pics look great Mari! Sooo cute!

Thanks Michele! :-D

Hi veronica!

Welcome! Bahadir and I got our interview notice in august, our interview was set on october 27. We called and asked why so far away (85days) they informed us because of all the holidays in turkey the end of the year they have less staff. Our NOA2 expired on october 6th, but yet we got date of october 27. They said they would extend our priority date. If you look at the ankara embassy website and look at the interview schedule you will notice that there are weeks with no interviews:( you may get lucky and get towards the end of december (depends on your priority date), we waited 3 weeks for our date. You will get soon and I understand how it hurts to wait. Our interview takes place 1 year since we sent in our petition, understand how you guys feel. You will get soon!!! Best of luck!!!!

Michele& Bahadir

Thanks everyone for the positivity--We need it! Hopefully, we get a December date, but according to the schedule list--the last date posted was December 29 At any rate, ill keep you all posted on what happens.

Hello everyone.

My name is veronica and I've been on this board a tiny bit. Can (my fiance)and I were very thankful for your help throughout our petition filing. Now we are at the consulate stage waiting for an interview date. We sent our papers to the embassy in Ankara September 26. Is anyone at the same stage? I checked the timelines--I know not everyone is updating this, so it can't be totally reliable.

We are just trying to understand when our interview date might be---this is seriously killing us to wait. I've read on the k-1 progress folder that someone mentioned being able to call the ankara office and get the interview date over the phone before the e-mail is sent. I tried calling and got the same answer every time: "we are reviewing your case and we will send an e-mail when we have your interview date".

Time is ticking by--I would really hate to wait until next year for an interview date. Can some of you share your NVC filing dates and when you got your interviews? I'm looking for recent NVC filers--like between August and September...

Thanks!

I was looking at some people who filed in middle of June and just got their NOA2.Their interview date was January.We filed in August and I am expecting my interview date to be between March and April.

Are you talking about Turkey? I'm referring to the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. I would go crazy if we had to wait until March or April of next year!

If you go to this link, you can see a list of interview schedules for each case number:

http://www.usemb-ankara.org.tr/consular/english/schedule_iv.html

Is this list comprehensive? Are there some of you out there with an interview date who have not showed up on this list? I just wonder because we are waiting on an appointment and the dates are getting later and later. We sent in our packet 3 on September 27, 2011. I really would hate to get an interview date for january--but, its looking that way

you know you can send the embassy a letter explaining your situation and ask them to expand the amount of time you have right?

also the embassy you have to deal with is ankara,and they are kinda messy,so make sure you send your package with a postal service like dhl or fedex or tnt with tracking number and start emailing them as soon as they get your package.

your expiration date can get expanded but you have to request it

Thanks so much for the response. I have to first send my I-134 and supporting documents to my fiance in Istanbul. Then he has to send it to the embassy (he can only use UPS per instructions on the forms). The kink in the chain is waiting for my co-sponsor's documents so I can get this all to him quickly.

I'll try calling the embassy tomorrow to see what I need to do to request an extension. I hope I don't have to jump through too many more hoops to get that done.

Thanks again for your response!

So, I'm the US.C and I've been back in the states since August 2011. My Fiance is in Istanbul. I had been living in Istanbul since March 2010. My fiance and I were able to get through the first stage of the process while I was there with him. Our petition was approved on July 5, 2011.

Now, I'm back in the US trying to find work so we can continue the process-- because our petition expires on Nov. 4, 2011.

I was fortunate enough to find a co-sponsor--one of my best friends. She sent her documents to me from California. It has been over 6 business days since she sent it (by regular mail, which means no tracking number). I am going crazy because I'm afraid that it might be lost because it should not have taken this long.

I guess I shouldnt be too worried. But, I hear that it will take up to 40 days for the Embassy to receive and review packet 3 material. What if something happens in the mail along the way to the embassy? I''m afraid that I don't have much time, let alone "cushion" time to deal with potential problems once (if ever) we finally receive my friend's documents. I guess if they are lost, she will have to send them again, which means another week or so. I really wanted to get this packet 3 out in this month (September 2011).

Nov. 4 is not that far away, and I don't want to start this process all over again because our petition expired.

Am I overreacting? Should I be so worried? What happens if my packet 3 goes out in mid october? Will my expiration date get extended? Were also wondering an approximate interview date. Some people have told me that after they receive and review the packet 3, it could take 2 months until he gets an interview date, some have told me 6 months!

Is it possible for my Turkish fiance to self sponsor? We are just curious because throughout our petition application, I was still living in Turkey. I just returned to the states and I'm looking for jobs--which will obviously take some time. I don't want to find a co-sponsor (its not possible for us because my parents are over 65 and only receiving money for social security). He has enough saving and assets to take care of the both of us for a year without work. I've read that self sponsoring is possible for some countries, but not others.

I tried calling the embassy in Ankara, but because of the bayram holiday, they are closed.

OMG!!!! I just opened my mail and there it was: Can and I are approved!! It's 3:15am here in Istanbul and there no way I can go back to sleep now. Whooohoooo!!!

I'm soo happy! Thanks to all of you for your encourgement and support! Congratulations to all of those who have gotten the great news recently. Now it's time to get to work on the NVC packet. Thanks for your help Mari!

OMG!!!! I just opened my mail and there it was: Were approved!! It's 3:15am here in Istanbul and there no way I can go back to sleep now. Whooohoooo!!!

I'm soo happy! Thanks to all of you for your encourgement and support! Congratulations to all of those who have gotten the great news recently. Hang in there to those stil. waiting--your time is near!

Wow, awesome!

Wow--awesome. I would love to learn how to cook Turkish food. I stay in the kitchen with my Turkish mom all the time. Unfortunately, I'm only there waiting for the finished product. I should pay more attention so I can replicate it at home. And you are absolutely right, the food here is so much healthier--you take that plus all of the rigorous walking that you do here in Istanbul, and you got a great diet plan!

Thank you so much--- I will definitely keep this in mind. Im also combing my kitchen drawers for every receipt possible. However, the rfe letter noted that they don't want photos, videos, or letters. So, I guess I can only provide receipts.

Thanks so much again!

Hello everyone and what a warm welcome!

My name is Veronica and I and my beloved Can have been pushing through this process since March 2011. So far things are OK, but we recently got an rfe on May 31st--asking for more evidence that we have met in person before filing the petition. It ıs so frustrating because I currently live in Istanbul and we filed from here. We see each other everyday--how can we document the normal flow of our daily life? so annoying....and Yes, I am quite lucky that I get to be by his side everyday during this. But, soon I will go home to Chicago for a new job in August. It would be a gift from God if this process is finished around the end of August.

I have a quick question--for receipts of items purchased here in Turkey--do they need to be translated? I have tons of receipts and ATM withdrawl slips--but most of my receipts are for daily purchases like our grocery store items, restaurants, akbil, gullüoğlü baklava, lol. What about bank statements--are these good?

Hello everyone...

I received an rfe requesting more primary evidence that we have met within the two years prior to filing the petition.

I have two questions:

Firstly, I am currently filing from abroad and I live in Turkey (same country as my fiance). İf İ submit receipts from here, do they need to be translated? I have tons of receipts from food shopping for us, and other daily life purchases. Also--I guess İ dont really understand how random receipts from the country in question proves anything.

ATM receipts: Thats it? Just plain old cash withdrawl receipts from Turkey? İ have tons, but cant really see how this proves anything. I sent in my turkish residence permit for christsakes and an ATM cash withdrawl receipt is better than that?

We took a trip together back in november to sweden. Unfortunately, We dont have boarding passes (he popped the question on new years 2011 so we had no knowledge about this whole visa process at that time). All we have are his bank statements that says 'cash withdrawn abroad' during the dates that we were in Sweden.

ahhhhhh--this is so annoying. I see him everyday--Im sitting next to him now, lol How can we send convincing documentation of our normal flow of life together?

Awesome! Congratulations! :-D