k_quandary

Congratulations!!!!

The pics are beautiful. I especially loved the cake(s) because I am a sugar addict.

lane bryant clothing store

I am so happy all of you took the time to respond. I know I am just so curious (read nosy), so I hope I was not prying too much. The stories were great and it is nice to know more about you all.

K.

Christine,

Hi. I haven't seen anyone from Kenya, since I joined VJ. But that doesn't mean there aren't any Kenyan VJ-ers. Hopefully our forum can provide you support and information nonetheless.

Welcome!!!

K.

sun, our solar source of heat and light

I am sure this has been done before. And actually I know there is a "getting to know you" forum, but I think it would be nice for our little African forum.

Where did you meet your spouse or soon-to-be spouse?

K.

I guess I will start.

I met my sweetheart at the market. I was visiting Gambia (for ~8 days) and went to the market to look for souvenirs. He was there and there was just something so special about him. We talked everyday after our first meeting and went out the night before I was to depart. We kept in touch from there.

K.

My hubby applied for advance parole and only answered questions 1-3 in Part 3. He skipped questions 4 and 5 of Part 3, then he skipped parts 4, 5, and 6. He just sent it off a little while ago so I can not promise you this is the correct answer.

K

I can't say what is exactly correct, but I put the address of the physical location where I worked and not the address of where my checks were my checks came from or where the "headquarters" location was.

K.

Intuition: the voice from within

(book by Susan Dunn)

My husband got the same letter from the SS office when he went to get his SSN (before we were married). The card never came (but that's because I believe my postman hates me fore some unknown reason). Anyway, we went back to request a card again. SSA will give you a print out of your number on a sheet of paper and stamp it so if you need your actual number for anything before you get your card you can use it, such as opening a bank account. But yes, you will have to wait a while for the SSA to check with USCIS to make sure you can get a SSN. My hubby was sent a letter saying that SSA had received verification or something like that and the card should be mailed within two weeks or so. After you are verified then you can get the letter I mentioned earlier. Good Luck!!!

K.

Oh, menefe,

I am sorry to hear about your wait. I remember waiting on my petition to be approved and checking everyday for an update. How long has it been since you saw your 'other half'?

K.

Hi, everyone!!

I didn't really have much to say nor do I have a question to ask. I just wanted to say hi to everyone in our forum. How are you guys?

Our forum used to be much more active than it is now. Why is that? I guess many of us have our loved ones with us now and aren't asking the same questions about embassies or needing the same support. Well, I hope we can get the discussion moving again.

K.

As a K-1 visa holder you are eligible (or at least you should be) to receive a SSN. You can read more at the SSA (Social Security Administration) website here

Might as well go ahead and get a social security number since you pretty much need it for everything in the US. Good Luck!!

K.

Wow!!!! Congrats!!!!!!!

I used the same rationale as Stina, but funny thing is -- we received our NOAs before the checks were ever cashed.

Congrats!!!!!

I don't know if it helps but here's what I found on the web:

A marriage license is the document that authorizes you to get married and a marriage certificate is the document that proves you are married.

Typically, couples obtain a marriage license, have the wedding ceremony, and then have the person who performed the ceremony file a marriage certificate in the appropriate county office within a few days. This may be the office of the County Clerk, Recorder or Registrar of Vital Statistics, depending on where you live. The married couple will be sent a certified copy of the marriage certificate within a few weeks after the marriage ceremony. Most states require both spouses, the person who officiated and one or two witnesses to sign the marriage certificate; often this is done just after the ceremony. In most cases, a marriage license may never be used outside the state in which it was issued, and a license issued in another state may never be used.

Usually, you may apply for a marriage license at any County Clerk's office in the state where you want to be married. Be sure to contact the office of the County Clerk, Recorder or Registrar well in advance of the wedding to find out on what days and during what hours they will be in the office. In some circumstances, you must apply in the county or town where you intend to be married - this depends on state law. You'll probably have to pay a fee for your license, and you may also have to wait a few days before it is issued. In most states you need a photo ID and in some cases a birth certificate may be requested for proof of age and parentage. If one or both applicants are divorced, you should bring a copy of the final decree or decrees for examination or a statement by the judge as to when the final decree was signed. In some states, even after you get your license you'll have to wait a short period of time before the marriage, but if you wait too long, your license will expire. Licenses are good for 30 days to up to one year, depending on the state. If your license expires before you get married, you can apply for a new one.

Congratulations!!!!

And it seemed to go quite quickly for you, so a double "wooo hooooo woooo hooooo!!!!"

Well, the form given for the medicals for a fiancé before theinterview is DS-3025 which is the vaccination worksheet, but the form that is requested for AOS is the vaccination supplement I-693A. Some people have sent in just the worksheet (or a copy of it) and been fine, and others have got a RFE.

It also matters if your fiancé needs more shots. Some shots are not routinely available in their countries, which means they still need the shots once they come here. At least that is my understanding, which is why they want a "supplement". If you are trying to go ahead and schedule an appointment and everything before he arrives and before your marriage, ask him what shots he has checked off on his form. Or if is he here already then just look at it and go from there. To be able to accurately tell you how much your costs will be the civil surgeons office will need to know what vaccinations he will need.

I know I already posted about the civil surgeons in my area (I think we are in the same area) and how I thought they were ridiculously expensive and one lady was rude. So I took my hubby right acroos the border to a different state for his "supplemental" vaccinations. It was $10 to transfer the record (from DS-3025 to I-693A), $45 for the blood titre(?) (to test for chickenpox resistance/antibodies) and $20 for a Td shot ---- for a grand total of $75. Which I thought wasn't that bad.

Also, I think different states call the marriage document different things. I think in TN, the license is the certificate; the certified copies of the license are just mini-versions of the original license. I suggest getting a certified copy from the clerk's office a week or two after your license (which is signed by the officiant who performed your marriage ceremony) is returned to their office. If you get a certified copy it is certified by the clerk's office (which means it is as good as the original) and you get to keep your original license for your own personal sentimental purposes.

K.

p.s. If they want to charge a ridiculous amount at least ask them for a break down of the charges and see what they say.

stina,

It looks good to me. We sent in a cover letter with my husband's package also. One thing, are you including two (passport-style) photos for your I-131? Don't forget those. And good luck with everything!!!

K.

I sent everything USPS and I almost died when it took longer than anything else I ever sent in the mail. But, it made it there in the nick of time for the interview.

Congratulations!!!!

K.

p.s. my hubby didn't like a lot of American food at first, but I think over time he has adjusted and now he's like "let's order pizza."

Welcome, MBJM!!!!

Well, I hope everything works out for you. VJ is great and the Africa:Sub-Saharan forum provides great support. About America being EASY, some have already said, but experiencing American life is a better teacher than telling someone from another country that it might be harder than they expect. But, it all works if you have the commitment to make it work. Good luck with everything and keep us posted.

K.