awkwardsoul

Craptastic... I know it's not super accurate, but now I get:

Based on timeline data, your I129f may be adjudicated between January 5, 2012 and January 12, 2012*

on my timeline, when before it was before christmas. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo!

NOA2s for us this week! gogogogogogo!

my fiance has insisted we use a lawyer, even though our case is not complication.

I'm still waiting for the NOA2 (and hopefully no RFEs) but so far:

- took longer to get the paperwork sent, as he had to meet with the lawyer, then send him the information. Then I had emailed my completed forms, then wait for them to go through it, then they emailed it back and forth (we were correcting the errors.. sigh), then I signed and mailed it to my fiance, who then had to mail it to the lawyer, who sent it off to USCIS about 4 days later. So yeah, it added a few weeks.

+ the good thing was on the G-325a on those boxes you can't fit long lastnames/cities and they were able to fix that so it was all typed in instead of handwritten. woooo

I'm thankful for all the people who have been helping me along my way through this US visa journey (ha, kinds cheesy, but it sums it up).

And I'm thankful for poutine <3 yum

check this thread

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/322818-any-august-filers/page__st__90

theres been a couple so far... I wish it was me.

ZOMG grats Britty9! (L)

ugggg I keep checking my case status https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard.do over and over each day hoping it will change.

<3 thank you all!

My fiance isn't sold yet on the quick wedding, then a family gathering/party later, but to make it makes sense as the paperwork after can get started and greencard/etc (and be able to go on a cruise of a honeymoon out of country, which is already has to wait).

So far the only good thing about the K-1 taking so long is that I have time to shed some extra pounds for the wedding! bleh.

I'm doing the K-1 Visa and yeah, from what you can see from my timeline, I'm not getting my NOA2 for awhile. I'm one of those types that I'm fine with doing things last minute or with little advance notice. Also playing it safe - I wanted to book plane tickets/start booking wedding stuff once either I'm approved or Visa in my hand.

Anyways, my family and some friends are those PLANNING FREAKS that plan their holidays a year in advance and have been asking me about every week "When's the wedding? How come you don't know? Why don't you just pick a date? Think you'll be moved on X date so we can do a bachlorette party?" Each time I explain, I will not have a date until I get the Visa... and maybe a tentative date once I know when I know my interview date. Then its "When will that be?" Hoping after a few weeks they'll just figure it out and leave me alone. Then spaz out when I give them short notice for the wedding.

Any of you deal with this? How far ahead did you plan the wedding?

http://fragg.me/video/stunt-marriage-proposal how about falling off a building?

Though, seriously, make it personalized - at an activity you do together, at a place or activity she always wanted to do, or a place that is special to you (where you first met, etc).

Yeah, that's tough, that's guilt tripping right there. I can get she'd want the support, but reassure her that the interview will go okay - and call you before and after she goes in to at least offer something for support. The process is stressful (and maybe she hasn't seen you in person in awhile?) so check into what else could help her out for the interview, maybe her bringing a family member or friend?

You could also go into your schedule too (along with money expenses on how much money comes in and out). My fiance probably won't be at my interview because taking time off work = more money lost.

And I guess you could also point out theres high cost in paying for the blasted K-1 visa process, then have to pay for moving, then have to keep money saved for wedding, honeymoon, and money to keep you both afloat until she is able to work.

Pretty much just set boundaries/lay it down. To be basic, "We are doing stuff like this, as we are happy/stuff is working out/this is who we are. If you don't like it, well too bad. If what we wanna do doesn't work out, well, we need to learn it on our own."

Or turn it around and figure out why they are pestering ya, maybe there's a deeper issue there.

That or ignore them, but that's on the ruder side.

Yeah, long distance sucks. I got my NOA1 not too long ago, so I got a long wait, with one visit with my SO until I move there.

I do hobbies like crocheting/knitting (get those christmas presents done early!) and cooking too. I don't want food to be my comfort as I don't need extra weight at my wedding, but my coworkers are liking all the cookies!

Exercise helps a lot. Even just go for a walk, bike ride or stretching. I do strength training and yoga couple times a week.

And overall keeping busy - go out with friends, meet new people, etc.

With my SO, we do stuff like video calls on Skype and queing up the same TV show and watching it together over voice call.

Woooot got my NOA1! Now to wait even more >__<

Yeah, that's not too great to get that dropped on you like that. Quoting advice columnist Dan Savage, prenups "are like car insurance, sure you don't ever want to need it, but just in case..."

Make sure your rights are protected the prenup as well. The most important thing is to protect yourself first.

Free to change to married name not to change around your whole name. Citizenship you can change your whole name to whatever you want though.

Iv had my married name on everything cept for my passport for 2 years. Just had my passport recently corrected to have married name so I can travel without carrying around the stupid marriage license.

If you don't want to take his name only you could always double up like my cousin did, she just hyphenated her last name! Jessica Lee herlastname - hislastname. Super long name but she is more happy that way.

Darn, I was hoping to get my middle name done with. If I hypen my last name, I'll have too many hypens in my entire name, lol.

I've been debating on whether I should change my last name to my fiance's when I get married. I've been leaning on not wanting to, but I understand this is hugely personal preference, but I'm still hammering out the pros and cons.

1. If I don't change my last name it won't effect future things like going through the AOS process and beyond? However, someone (not a Vj'er) told me if I don't change my name US immigration will think my marriage is sketchy.

2. From the K-1 flow chart, it looks like all I have to do is change my name for the SSN. Not including stuff like bank account/bills, is that all I need to change?

3. I heard I get a free name change when I get married, I'm going to be located in California, does that include the ability to get my horrible middle name changed when I get married, or do I have to wait until my green card?

thanx <3 <3

My Fiance insisted on using a lawyer.. and it really slows down the process as you have to schedule an appointment or two, they do the paperwork, you check it, they fix errors and mail it back, you mail in the evidence/etc needed, they check it and mail it. Swore it added 2-3 weeks to send in I-129f than if I just busted through it myself over a weekend.

I'd still go back to Vancouver just for the less winter time. That and my fiance could only find work in big cities, so we are stuck between more or less Vancouver or Toronto.

The big one my fiance and I get mixed up on is "icing sugar". I've called it that, it says its icing sugar on the blasted Roger's sugar bag.. but in california it is "powdered sugar".

First time I requested my fiance buy icing sugar, he had no clue and asked his whole family and they didn't know what I was talking about.

What I did was get a blood titre test to test whether the vaccines are still in my system. From there, I got the vaccines I needed that I was missing. My family doctor did mine for free of all the ones that I needed to get done.

If not, I heard during the medical exam they'll give you the shots at an expensive price.

My fiance is insisting we use a lawyer as we are doing our I-129f, as everyone he knows told him to do so (with a couple horror stories of people who didn't).

I didn't agree, but he wants it "fullproof" that we have no issues... despite us not having any things like criminal record/overstays/drug use that would complicate the process.

From the experience so far, the lawyer wanted my info, and I instead I filled out the G-325a on my own and sent it to him via email. The lawyer re-did it so my long entries fit into the PDF file's boxes typed instead of handwritten, wanted a few things from me that was not required as far as we know for the I-129f. So it has dragged us getting our I-129f done so far 2 weeks later because of waiting for my fiance to have an appointment with the lawyer and time for lawyer to fill out the forms, sign the forms and send it back to the lawyer, than if we just powered through and filled out the things ourselves and mailed it.

I guess a benefit is it made my fiance have someone in person to ask questions rather than dig through the internet and have someone fill out everything for him. That and it makes him happy (and it's his money).

I went to London Drugs and it was $10 before tax... and I opted to get the picture burned to disc for an extra $2. That way, if you need more all of a sudden, it is easy enough to get more printed instead of going to get the photo done again/ pay another $10.

Also, London Drugs knew what I was talking about for a 2x2 size for immigration purposes.

I was wondering for us Canadians who have/are locating to the US.. what did you do with all your stuff that you didn't want to move?

Maybe share what city you are in and where you donated so it could give the rest of us ideas?

I have a ton of kitchen things that my fiance has better quality of, so I was thinking of donating mine to:

(Vancouver, BC area)

Gather and Give http://www.gatherandgive.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=39

Old computer stuff: http://freegeekvancouver.org/

clothing: maybe http://www.bigbrothersvancouver.com/ (but there is plenty of options for clothing, I might just donate to my local women's shelter instead - same goes for crafty stuff like yarn/scrapbooking stuff)

I have a ton of books I could do without, but was deciding between a library or one of those book donation bins.