Lilyena

from what I am reading this lady came here legally. The slaughter in Syria is outrageous. Every day there are photos of children murdered in the streets. Entire cities wiped out. Who wouldn't dream of a better life. Survival. Sure there are makeshift villages in turkey to help. But these people live in tents, and its getting colder in east turkey. Little food or water. Its astonishing. So, I support the mother wanting more for her child. It was not done to just bleed the American people of their tax dollars. She doesn't want her or her child to die!

Totally agree here. I usually do not support tax payers abuse of any kind but I can't blame the mother in that case. Things are bad in Syria for a couple of months now. Who knows what she has been through herself before coming here?? Who are we to judge her? Pregnant in Syria, with all that horror. Poor woman. Who knows what happened to the father...If it would have been me and I had the opportunity to leave in a develop country like the US I wouldn't think twice: you just take the f*** plane. I really hope she will get asylum, I don't mind paying taxes for people who have nothing else left in life.

GC in hand. The Lord is good!!!

Now can get on with our lives

Good luck to those of you still waiting

Congratulations, got mine yesterday! Pfeww what a journey...see you guys in two years for ROC!

They took my I-94 and the EAD/AP.

Congratulations Southern comfort! I also just got an email with Card Production, card picked up by USPS.

Congrats!!! I was waiting for your updates!!!

Enjoy the honeymoon!

Thank you! Congratulations to you too YAY!

Congratulations

Thank you! Now hoping for all you stuck at the CSC that things are gonna move faster..Good Luck!

Hey guys!

We had our interview today in San Francisco and got approved on the spot! Officer was not overly friendly but not mean either, just and old guy who did his job and was as tired as we were at 7:45 am!

So he just went through the I 485 asked when we met, who proposed what were our projects and thats it, got my stamp in passeport and bye!

Now off to our honeymoon tomorrow! Good luck to all still waiting!

Asking someone to co-sponsor, to me, is akin to asking someone to use that persons hard earned savings to place a bet in Vegas.

I disagree here. I had to ask my husbands aunt to co-sponsor me because USCIS didnt consider my husbands fellowship to be salary. I am getting a Phd in law from France, i am educated indépendant woman. I refuse to consider that co sponsoring me is like betting in vegas. not all immigrants are scammers. i take personnal pride into not becoming a public charge.

People just think twice about sponsoring people from poor countries but all is relative if that person is rich and educated in their country so lower risk of scam, also you can be poor and in love, so not a scammer...it is just very important to know your spouse well and then eventually sign a pre nup. take action asap when fraud suspicion.

If you wanna go back to the original topic I would be happy to discuss as a French christian married to an American jew.

I was raised christian catholic and no longer am. I believe in something and respect all religions. My view is that everyone should be able to practice their religion in peace, and not judging others. Unfortunately my happy ideal world doesnt exist and extremist christian are threatening to enter the white house, extermist jews are discriminating against other jews in israel, and so called muslims are trying to force the whole world to follow their views.

While the movie that triggered the riots is totally condemnable the world should firmly and strongly condemn the reactions which lead to the death of four people in the US embassies, and the riots that are still going on.

People who ridiculise one religion are idiots and certainly not smart people, but as always when dealing with total idiots the best is to just ignore them. Those reactions will lead to even more hate agains muslims who already are victim of the actions of a few.

There is however a real danger worldwide with salafist/ obscur links with terrorist organizations who claim to be muslims and those need to be fought. It is a very tricky situation where one should try to fight against hate while not focusing this hate against moderate muslims.

I am very confused. When the Christ is ridiculised in so called art works called piss christ i dont like it. I think its a shame people dont respect Jesus. But I just don't go see the exhibition...I m not gonna kill the stupid artist who did it. its called freedom of speech. Fine. I don't care. But when crazy christian threaten to make abortion illegal in the US or I don't know what else, it scares me, because my freedom as a christian woman to abort is threatened.

It is the same with the arab riots: a minorty of #######, whose anger is in reality not at all linked to the prophet muhammad caricatures or the movie, try to make law for the rest.

Religion can be guiding when practiced in private, and if I dont mind expression of the practice in public space (kippa, hijab, crosses) it shoudl be limited to the strict minimum.

There is one thing in common to all religious extremism: those people are often poor, easily manipulated and not really clever. It is then easy for a minorty of evil people to have a plan to go to war.

Lets be lucid, what is happening right now is slowly leading us to a new war of religion.

It scares me. I don't want that for my kid. And because I am an open minded educated person I read about Islam. I read some sourates. Islam is a beautiful religion. But if you read what the Coran says about the end of the world, you'd be surprised about the message. It says more or less that fake muslims will fill the mosquée while true believers will be persecuted. (correct me if i got it wrong..)

Similar messages can be found in the Bible. Now it is not a question of believing or not in the sacred caracter of the Books. I believe however that some old wisdom can be found and that the people who wrote it knew it would one day become crazy and tried to warn us..

It is in human nature...

Anyways it is very sad, and while I respect all religions, i hope that true muslims will rise and condemn those attitudes in order to take back control of arab countries which are slwoly turning into islamic dictatures, and i don't think that is what people, especially women, wanted when the revolutions started.

I try to be optimistic but as long as moderate religious people and non religious people wont unite against the power of hate and reliougious craziness, this world is doomed to me. Just my view.

I am still crying every night as I play the entire interview over in my head. What did we do wrong? No one deserves this treatment. My husband has slumped into a deep depression and I had to take him into the emergency room on Thursday evening. He has been crying ever since. I was forced to take control of the situation and admit him into an outpatient clinic. The doctors have signed his leave of absence from work and school. What hurts is that he was doing so well controlling the depression. Why should this one woman have power to torment innocent people?

Your story brought tears to my eyes. I love my husband more than anything and couldn't imagine being separated from him one second. Unfortunately some very frustrated people who have a little administrative are often working in places where they have the power to destroy other peoples lives, just out of jealousy and pure hate. This person is probably very unhappy in her life and can't stand to see other people happy. Racism, discrimination of any kind is still a big issue today. it's sad but true.

Good thing is, even if it is a long way for you now, there are laws against that. You both need to be extremeley strong, and don't give up. You have a lawyer. Don't worry and be patient. As scary and frustrating that it is, I am sure you will get over it. You can also bring public awareness on your case; contact non profit organizations who help new immigrants against abuses from administration, contact your local news paper etc....Make people sign a petition idk...People must know!

My prayers are with you. Our interview is in 8 days.....I hope we won't experience the same BS.

I'll never understand why USCIS approves petitions for people who meet online and then in real life all of two times before getting married... but then when someone like me (who LIVED with my husband, WORKED with my husband, and was PREGNANT with his child) drives 400 miles in one day to marry him while he's detained in immigration jail, USCIS thinks I have a f***ing fake marriage and takes twice the amount of time to approve my petition. This sh!t pisses me off so much.

Totally agreed, seems its harder for real couples to be together...Good luck and stay strong..

While waiting for AOS from a K1 one cannot leave the country without obtaining AP first, otherwise they will think you have abandonned the AOS process. Basically you're stuck in the US until she gets the AP in hand.

Like everyone else I would advise to do a simple ceremony in the US and plan the big wedding later in Russia. I don't think you should pay for her family members to come.

We had a very nice wedding, that we planned well before having the K1 (why would we be denied anyways?) with just his family and close friends, and my parents and brother. It was my dream wedding, even though I was very sad because many people I cared about were not there. But who cares? I got married to the love of my life, and it was OUR day. I am thankful we had that chance.

Next summer, we will have the big wedding in France, with a renewal of vows/blessing with my family and friends, and some of his family/friends who can fly over. I dont regret anything, it will be so easier to organize it without the hassle of immigration/moving out.

I also believe the K1 is not a getting to know each other visa..no judgment here, just my opinion. If you start that lenghty and pricy process without beeing sure, then don't do it.

I think you should talk to your fiancé about her expectations..and maybe you guys should take a vacation together for at least two weeks to get to know each other more. I know its $$$ and not everyone can do it, but when it comes to spend your whole life together? Maybe you should think twice.

Good luck to you, and let us know!

well thank you guys for the help I knew there were no chances to come with him without marry him. I just couldn't figure this out by myself. ;-)

I don't know if my answer will be helpful but..

First of all I second what everyone else said before, without getting married your chances to live and work in the US are zero.

However, you can still apply for the lottery but be careful to go on the official website, because there are a lot of scams. If you win, then you wouldn't have to get married if you don't wanna do it just for the visa.

BUT in my experience, if you really love your BF and really wanna go to the US to be with him, than IMO it is a good enough reason to get married to each other.

I met my US husband while in the US on an exchange visa, i had to go back to Europe. It was painful, and expensive, but for two years we just visited each other back and forth, well aware the only solution would be to get married. Like you, we had explored the other solutions for me to come because we didnt wanna get married "just for the visa". I had looked up into getting a degree here, and see what happens to our relationship, that way we wouldnt feel pressured..

After his first trip to visit me after I had left, we realized that we wanted to get married not because it was the easiest way to be together, but because we wanted to be together...

We did long distance for two years before starting the K1 route, and it was well enough for us to feel ready.

I understand that not everyone can/wants to do that, so my advise would be :

Take your time to talk about it, what does getting married really mean, and if there wasnt this him leaving problem would you get married later on or not? If the answer is yes, would it be a big deal to get married earlier than planned?

You can still visit him on the visa waiver programm and decide later on, but are you willing to pay the price? (financially, emotionnaly)?

Since he is in the military you guys are lucky that a lot of procedures exists to make the situation of a spouse of US military easier. faster processing, etc.

Also to work on a base, i don't know about the citizenship requirements, but I ve heard that you needed to get married because they don't recognize domestic partnership.

Anyways, don't worry, and just talk about with him. You two knows whats best for you, and let us know what you decide!

Machs, gut und viel glück!

Combo card EAD/AP received today!!! Yay! Now assembling interview documents.

We still live in the house my husband lived in with his roomates before meeting me, and we re moving out in september. What can I bring to prove that we live together since i am not on the lease? We did that for financial reasons since we knew we 'd move out in september and didnt wanna move out twice in six months.

Other than this we have joint bank accounts, and tons of pictures of our travels together and our wedding. I have no clue what else to bring since we don't have a car and my husband doesn't have a retirement plan yet. Any help on this?

I got a text/email that my Gren Card was mailed out on 8/15 but never received a follow up text that it was picked up by USPS, called USCIS today and found out that there is no tracking number assigned to my card so they can't check on it for me I just hope it is not lost in the mail and it will get here by Friday since I'm leaving the country on Sunday. I have my passport stamped with the I-551 but still would feel so much better to have the actual card in hand before I leave.

don't worry it should arrive soon.

APPROVED

NataliaChicago----------(07/12)

Fgmail---------------------(07/17)

Widered-------------------(07/18)

Darusalam---------------(07/19)

Jiu--------------------------(07/19)

Old_Dog_Barking-------(07/23)

Julookings----------------(07/31)

DandT14------------------(08/02)

Menting--------------------(08/06)

Wonderfulstart-----------(08/07)

Gabiru---------------------(08/08)

Cj0301---------------------(08/08)

Tob187--------------------(08/08)

Rakosik -------------------(08/09)

Lornaevo------------------(08/15)

WAITING WITH INTERVIEW SCHEDULED

Jeserguevara------------(08/22)

Hmh33--------------------(08/29)

Angeltots-----------------(08/30)

JayNarl-------------------(09/04)

Sethless------------------(09/17)

LindaC1990-------------(09/18)

WAITING WITH NO INTERVIEW DATE

Moonpie

Waiting_In_SC

Dee07 (Transferred to CSC)

NO UPDATE FROM MEMBER

Suavemuy

Made In Heaven

Hey Im a May filer too and Im not on your liste

My status is currently EAD/AP approved and card production, interview scheduled for september 19th. Seems we're all almost there!

Just revieved this email:

Your Case Status: Card/ Document Production

On August 17, 2012, we mailed the new card directly to the address we have on file. You should receive your new card within 30 days. If you do not, or if you move before you get it, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283

yes!

same here!

Interview is on 18th, our closing date for our new house is 20th, and we are going to Vegas for friends bday on 21st

and I have classes all day on 17th and 19th..

It's gonna be a really busy week... but I just can't wait to get this done!!

hehe..we just rebooked the flights was cheaper than we feared! we 're leaving on the 20th!

I hope we will be both approved on the spot, wouldn't it be nice to go on vacation relieved?

Good luck to all of us! I wonder how many of us may filers are still waiting for something.

Got my interview today, all was smooth and pretty fast. The adjudicator was super nice and told us at the end that our application was approved, yay!!

Congrats!!!!!

thanks. Yours will come too soon.

i did bring all the original taxes from when we file, all the original birth cert and marriage and latest bills. But the IO who interviewed us only ask for ID's and my passport with i-94. she never ask for any originals from the papers we submitted.

they say its different with everyone so just to be safe bring all the originals from which you submitted a copy and your latest bills and husbands latest payslip.

Good luck again to you!

Thank you! I guess I'll bring everything except our joint sponsors paper since I didn't make a copy and the interview notice says "unless already submited" so I guess we should be allright. I mean I don't see why they would write unless already submitted if you had to re bring it, same for the medical, i just have a copy of the vaccination record anyways..

I can't wait to get over it, because just after the interview we 're going on honeymoon in Maui! I can't wait!

I hope you receive your GC in hand soon!

okay.we just got approved AOS recently.

The interview went smoothly. Took us like max 30 minutes. Most of the time the IO was just doing some paper works like browsing thru the papers we submit and quite a bit of questioning. Most of the questions dated back from the time we first met, and how the relationship transitioned. Similar to the visa interview I had in Manila for the K1.

Questions were basic stuff: how did you meet? what do you like doing together? IO asked about wife work and company? do u rent or own a house? Nothing really out of the extra ordinary question. She also ask one example of comingling document, whereby we showed our HMSA card (insurance). Then the rest were paper works, we signed and were told everything is good and just wait for the card in the mail in three weeks time.

Good luck to those on the AOS process.

Now, the real thing --> WORK and survivable in AMERICA! I'll be starting work on Monday as IT Desktop Support 1 (base salary i was able to negotiate 43k)

I wanted to ask from your experiences or if you can refer me to other sources, will the salary above be enough already for me and my wife? My wife also has work but in admin position. Do you think that salary is good enough for us? I kind of feel bad when my wife told me that this salary is still low I know she earns more than me, I just felt bad after her comments after I have gone through a pain thru the job interview process, I accepted the job and I was just thinking I'd take it just to keep me going.

Is that salary able to get me or my wife through? we are renting an apartment for 1250USD monthly, no kids.

your comments, feedbacks are very well appreciated.

----------------------------------------

I-485 Process (AOS):

2012-04-15 Applied

2012-04-19 NOA received

2012-06-09 I-485 Biometrics Appointment

2012-07-28 EAD/AP Approved

2012-08-10 AOS Approved

Congrats and good luck for the job!

HI Lilyena

NBC is normal i had mine there too. Goodluck on your interview!

finally, the long wait has ended. Got my approval email and card production updates today. yey!

Yay! So happy for you! Now you can relax and enjoy life here !!

Did you bring the affidavit of support+tax returnes again to the interview??? I think Im not gonna bring again what i have already submitted, I don't have copies of our sponsors papers.. (yeah dumb me but I really had to send that RFE fast...)

They always say the same thing in the email coz I think the email was sent from NBC

when you get the hard copy you will see the time and location.

btw Congrats!! I got the interview email today too.

Congrats to you too! ^^Now we have to change the tickets for our honeymoon. We were supposed to leave for hawaii the day of the interview grrr! Now we need to pay $$$$ to change that! argh! But i won't complain, at least we are there!

I guess the interview will be in SF then. Im just worried about some papers to bring; do we have to rebring things we have submitted before like the affidavit of support+papers from sponsor and joint sponsor? Or just birth certificate marriage certificate and evidence of bona fide relationship? aaargh!

I just can't wait for this sh*** to be over!!!

FINALLY! Got an email from USCIS for interview september 19th, but the email says at National Benefit Center? Is that normal? We live in Berkeley I don't see how in the world we can go to the NBC for that? Did anyone got an email saying the same???????

Madtown,

At first I was going to ignore your response because I found it ignorant, but as someone else has stated this is an internet forum and you only have as much information as that which is posted. With that said, I am a 26 year old (I'll be 27 next month) black woman, who has two college degree's (a B.A. & M.S.) and who is currently working on her third degree (J.D.). I will complete my last degree in May. I've worked since I was 16 years old various jobs to support myself and to ensure that I was able to live the life that I wanted to live. I have worked as a manager in a fortune 500 company making over $50,000 a year, before I decided to pursue a career in law. I have traveled and studied in several different countries around the world, including France, Italy, Great Britain, Switzlerland, Mexico, and the Bahamas to name a few. So when it comes to parenting my baby, I think I'll be ok. I am not some poor, uneducated, nontax paying citizen, who does nothing but sits on her butt all day. So please keep your ignorant thoughts and hate speech to yourself.

Thanks!

Wow that's an impressive path!

As far as the relationship advice goes I don't know what to tell you. I don't think its a cultural problem, even if it can influence the relationship and understanding in some way. But one thing is for sure, whatever culture you're from, telling your fiancé she should know her place as a woman is something I could personnally not tolerate.

Problem is: you are having this child and you need to make decisions, and fast.

I would advice you to spend time face to face with him before taking any kind of definitive decisions.Its never good to decide when hormones/distance etc..are overwhelming you.

I can relate to your story and frustation of not beeing able to talk to the man as much as you wanted. My ex used to work on a ship and i had the same problem. One time I called he had nothing to say and was super mean saying he had other things to do than talking to me on the phone....I wouldnt hear from him in days and I was always sad and insecure about our relationship, feeling not loved. I don't think you are "needy" for wanting a little emotionnal support. I am sure you 're not asking for ten text/phone calls a day, but just the normal communication a loving couple has together, especillay during the pregnancy.

I agree to say if he has 12 hrs off, that he could take the time to call you and ask how you feel. Of course you're super tired (i've been working on a cruise ship myself) and when you have time off you go to sleep most of the time; but if you love your fiancé and miss him/her you always find time to give the phone call or to text something sweet. Its not like it was exhausting to do that. I remember working 12 hrs a day, and when I had time off I would desperately looking at my phone to communicate with my ex, but he would be like your fiancé, using his time off i don't know how. The whole situation made me very sad. During our 4 yrs together I just remember going more and more sad... and I must say luckily there was no child involved.

These cruise ship people live a very different life, almost out of reality. They party a lot, live on a different schedule..(I don't even wanna think about the promiscuity and sex scandals on the ships ). Its very hard to understand them, but again I'm speaking about my experience.

I don't know you personnal background, his personal backround. Maybe he has deeper issues to adress. It seems clear to me that there is a communication problem and until you two have a deep conversation face to face heart to heart its gonna be impossible for you to take the right decision.

its a a too difficult decision to take to take it without seeing him. Just take the time to think about, but in general you should always privilege your own well being, which in your case includes doing what is the best in the child interest. And that you will only know by seeing him and discuss everything in detail.

Good Luck,

Hi !

I have a question since we should receive our interview notice soon.

We had to ask my husbands aunt to be our joint sponsor. I didn't make any copy of the whole files, does that matter? Assuming they have everything do we need to re do the whole affidavit of support AGAIN??? Because it took her a month or so to assemble the package. I never thought they'd ask for it again????

I only have copies of the rest of the AOS package. I'm slightly stressed out, because if we have to reask for the joint sponsors evidence it will take again a month...