D.K.

He was insulted that people would think that he was using me to get a green card.... He has a great deal of pride and a high sense of honor, so it got his back up. I didn't mind moving to Germany, and in fact, have really enjoyed my life here for the most part. If I didnt miss my family so much and want our son to have a strong relationship with them, I wouldn' t leave. Healthcare benefits alone would keep me here, not to mention the educational advantages as well.

Yes, we are lucky to both have employment lined up. I hope the transition goes well.

He was insulted that people would think that he was using me to get a green card.... He has a great deal of pride and a high sense of honor, so it got his back up. I didn't mind moving to Germany, and in fact, have really enjoyed my life here for the most part. If I didnt miss my family so much and want our son to have a strong relationship with them, I wouldn' t leave. Healthcare benefits alone would keep me here, not to mention the educational advantages as well.

Yes, we are lucky to both have employment lined up. I hope the transition goes well.

Whenever we go back to Egypt, it's all about perfumes/colognes, levi's and H&M clothing, and sugar substitutes (for diabetic family members).

ETA: watches and shoes are also wonderfully received.

I think month and date is ok, or maybe a 2 week range? I gave them a specific date, but also added a window of 2 weeks prior up until the target date.

btw... congrats on getting your NOA2

thanks for your help!

this news makes me happy hopefully, hubby will settle in well and not feel so out of sorts.

He can work upon US entry. He ought to have his SS card within a few weeks. His passport will be stamped upon entry and that will act as his GC until the physical card is produced and mailed.

thanks!

will he need to wait for the SS card before working? or immediately start working upon arrival?

ETA: You're screen name makes me smile

Hi Mena Community,

I'm very happy to have found you! I'm an US-born Vietnamese gal and hubby is Egyptian. We've been married 5 years now.

quickie history of us:

We met in 2006 while hubby was in the US on business. I moved to Germany (where he's lived for 25+ years, unconditional residency permit)in 2007 to be with him because he refused to come to the US after hearing that some people were telling me that he was using me for a greencard. He has a B1/B2 visa since '96 and is 2 or 3x in the US each year. We married in 2007 and we had our baby in 2008. We've stayed in Germany all this time, but now (at my request), we're filing for his greencard -DCF- to move to the US. I really miss my family.

Hubby is very traditional. He is the provider for our family, and he does a wonderful job. I haven't worked since I moved to Germany, not because he demanded it, but because he provides well enough that I can stay home with our son. I'm great with crafts, and I've made and sold things online just as a hobby.

In the US, we'll initially be staying with my parents until we're comfortable enough to buy a house because we'd rather not lease. We've stayed with my parents for months at a time during visits in the past, and everything was fine. Hubby and my parents get along well, and we always pay the electric bill and all grocery bills when we're there so my parents don't feel a financial strain.

My worry is this: I have a job lined up immediately after arrival. I want to work right away for the insurance benefits. Hubby will have to wait until his SS card/Greencard arrive before working. He also has work opportunities also lined up, but for the first month or 2, I will most likely be the main provider.

I'm worried about how this will affect him.

We have a great network of friends and family there to support us, and we know of 2 places where hubby can go and smoke his shisha, eat ME food, and meet other arabic speaking people. I plan to take him to the Egyptian embassy as well to get addtl info about the Egyptian community in Houston. We will initially have 1 car, and we plan to get another one after 2-3 months.

What do you think? Am I worrying too much, or will hubby's transition to the US be difficult until he becomes the main provider again?

Thanks for any advice or suggestions you can offer to help me.

I'm a Texas gal, too ... will be moving back to Houston at the end of the year, hopefully.

I think Austin would be a great city for you... it's a drier heat (some humidity, but not unbearable), relaxed and chill atmosphere with a lot of local flavor and events around town... Dallas would be more conservative than Austin... not a lot of snow in Austin, either, and away from the coast so you can cross off hurricanes (lol). It's part of the 'hilly' side of Texas and it's really rather pretty there.

in terms of airports, will you be traveling internationally or domestically?

I read somewhere on this forum that Excess Baggage Company is an affordable option. I checked it out and they'll do door-to-door from Germany to USA, but I haven't done a full quote yet since we're not done figuring out what we'll keep and what we'll sell here.

It's difficult when your head and your heart aren't in tune. You already feel something 'off' in her demeanor towards you. There's no affection, no tenderness... no togetherness from her side. She can't even look you in the eyes when you ask her if she loves you.

It's easy for someone to lie convincingly when they're not face to face with you. It's more challenging to do it in person, and she's not doing it very well, IMO. All of her actions that you've written about indicate that she's just not that into you... which then begs the question of why she IS with you. Everyone here has already given you an idea of the answer to that question.

Your heart wants you to keep trying to reach out to her, to find the woman you fell in love with, and whom you thought loved you... but it looks like that woman doesn't really exist.

My advice: Protect yourself. Close that joint account, and stop paying for any of her purchases. You said that she has money coming in, tell her to use it. You have your own financial worries to take care of, and she's not willing to pitch her part.

Pull the affadavit of support, now or at the interview.

We can't tell you what to do, but consider this: You're experiencing heartbreak right now, but how much more heartbreak will she give you later if you continue on with her? not to mention the financial worries that will escalate due to her behavior. Do you want to lose more than you've already lost? CAN you? Think of yourself and of your daughter....

I just discovered toytown about 2 hours ago. I can't believe I've lived in Germany for 5 years without it! It would have made my transition/life here so much easier...

DK - where are you? We in the Franken region & there's a great English speaking "buy sell swap" group on facebook - we've gotten rid of a lot of stuff already from that site alone! You might want to see if there's something similar in your area!

I'm about 30 minutes SE of Frankfurt. I would definitely try to see if I can find a similar type of FB group..... How did you find yours? I am already thinking of how difficult it would be for me to try and sell everything since my German is mediocre at best (and my husband's spelling in German is horrible, lol!)

Thanks for the heads up.

Our CO told us that it isn't allowed for them to tell us their names. We're in Frankfurt, Germany, though..... perhaps it's standard procedure in all the embassies?

GirlWithAGerman: Woo-hoo! So glad your wait is finally over!

ljandjl: We need to sell all our furniture, too. It's gonna be such a headache... I hope you get your NOA2 soon!

My husband and I met in person while he was in the US for business. I attended his workshop and during the group dinner after the event, he sat next to me (total shocker) and thus began our love story

My husband is Egyptian, living in Germany for over 25 years now. I'd like to share what happened at the airport when I came to be with him.

I'd sold my house, my car, my art and furnishings as well as left a very comfortable and rewarding career to be with him. It was a big leap of faith for me to do that considering I am a creature of habit and not one to leap before I look. My then boyfriend refused to come to the US because I had a few acquaintances tell me that he was just using me to get a greencard, and when I asked him about it, he was deeply offended and said that in no way would he come to the US after having people try to tell me that he was using me. He's had a B1/B2 visa since 96 and goes to the US at least twice a year. He had no deep desire to live in the US and was only willing because it's what I wanted. After all that, in order for us to be together, it was up to me to move to Germany... so I did.

I arrive in the Frankfurt airport one very cold January morning with 5 pieces of oversized luggage on 2 luggage carts and navigate my way to the meeting point where he met me during my previous Germany visit. He wasn't there. I wait 15 minutes.... 20 minutes... 30 minutes. At this point I start panicking. What in the hee-haw is going on!?!? Was he in an accident, did he somehow forget that he needed to pick me up... did he change his mind??? I started doubting myself and wondering if I had made a huge mistake... and then thought about all that I'd let go in order to be with him. I'm sure that I probably looked a little sick to anyone looking at me. I'm in a country where I don't speak their native language, I don't have a mobile phone, and I have no idea if I should stay put or look for someone to help. Considering I had 2 luggage carts, I decided to stay put.... 30 minutes later (1 hour total), I see his best friend whom I'd thankfully met on a previous visit walking towards me. He knows no English, but he managed an, "All is OK" for me. He called my boyfriend on his mobile, and my boyfriend explained that he'd been stuck in traffic for the past 2.5 hours due to a major accident. In desperation, he'd called his best friend who lived near the airport to meet me and let me know that "all is ok" ...

When he finally arrived about 20 minutes later, we ran into each other's arms and he kissed me all over my face and hair (he loves my long, straight hair, lol). All of my fears and doubts were erased, and I was with the man that I loved and that loved me in return. 5 months later we were married and I've no regrets whatsoever.

We're moving to the US now (5.5 yrs later) because I asked him to reconsider his stance on that. We have a 4 yr old son and no family here in Germany, whereas I have a ton of family in America that would love for all of us to move back and become an integral part of their lives. Fortunately, my husband gets along well with all of them and knows how close I am to my family, so he agreed and we're DCF'ing through the Frankfurt Embassy.

if you managed to stay with me this far... thanks for reading, lol!

I don't know about Manila, but my husband came with me when I went to submit my I-130 in Frankfurt... It was fine for him to be there. In fact, it was probably better because after he looked everything over, the CO gave my husband the DS-230 form immediately. Of course, we've been married for 5 years and have a child together, so that may have been a contributing factor for the fast response. I already filled out a DS-230 for him, so we submitted it and were given a case number as well as the IV Info Packet on documents that we need to send in along with the 'request for interview' sheet.

I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but I'm sure that a prolonged absence from the US when in the possession of a greencard will cause you problems. Definitely discuss this at your Embassy, and also start packing whatever you can now so that's one less thing to worry about after the baby is born.

Is it possible for you to go to the US now? Do you have a residence there yet? If so, move a few non-essentials and get those out of the way now while also having it registered that you were in the US. That way, once you go back to Canada, the length of time you are out of the US starts over.

thanks, everyone!

I completely understand your desire to have someone with you while alone during your pregnancy. I moved to Germany to be with my husband without knowing the language and I had no family or friends of my own there.... and I became pregnant. Joyful as I was, I was also worried because my husband traveled often for his work. Whenever he would go out of town, he would make sure I had a list of his friends' telephone numbers and he would also call them and ask them to contact me daily to check up on me. It helped, but being alone and pregnant in a country not my own is not something I would ever like to repeat.

Building on the idea of leasing out a room (with reduced rent in exchange for companionship): why not check at your university/school's bulletin boards where 'looking for/offering' notices are posted? This way, you can find a few women that are looking to lease a room and interview them (on campus) to check for compatibility with you. I know that I would have been grateful for this situation during my university days. I was never a party girl and often spent time alone studying/reading/contemplating life... as long as you didn't intend for me to be your personal housekeeper/cook, I'd have been delighted to offer companionship to a fellow student that was pregnant.... I love babies

Hi VJers,

I joined about 2 weeks ago and have found a TON of great info on this site and forum, so thanks!

A (not so) little bit about me/us:

I'm an American-born Vietnamese gal who was swept off her feet in 2006 by an Egyptian guy with long time residency in Germany (over 25 years). Taking a leap of faith, I sold everything(house, car, art, etc) and left all my friends and family to go to Germany in 2007 to be with him. Thankfully, my story is still a good one! I married my husband the same year and we had our son in 2008.

Moving to Germany was very difficult for me. I didn't know the language, culture or social mores. It was a HUGE adjustment! There were times when I would sink into low spirits and homesickness would be so strong that it caused tension in our marriage. My husband was very patient with me and did his best to ease my transition, and eventually I became comfortable living here. After 5 years, though, I still consider the US my home. I think it's mainly because I'm so close to my family, and they're all across that big pond. We visit them for about 2 months out of every year, and my husband gets along wonderfully with everyone.

Ours is not what one would classify as a typical marriage, I think, because we have a 28 year difference between us. He's a performing artist, though, and has always kept fit and looks nowhere near his age. Life threw me a curveball in my teen years and I grew up/matured rather quickly. We're lucky to have each other. I know that no one will ever love me the way he loves me, and he knows that with me he has a wife that loves him for himself instead of what he can give them (career-wise or financially). Our son is the icing on the cake

For the past year or so, we've been seriously considering moving to the US. I really do miss my family, and I want our son to have a strong relationship with all of them. My husband has no family here in Germany, and he understands my feelings on the matter. My husband is fortunate enough that he can relocate and still work in his chosen profession without difficulties. I have not worked since moving to Germany (SAHM/Homemaker) and am looking forward to working again once we move to the US (I didn't work in Germany in 2007 bc of language issues, and then we mutually decided that I would be a SAHM after the birth of our son).

We made the decision last month to move the the US. I started doing tons of internet research, and after hours of reading through info here and on the US EMBASSY (FRANKFURT) page, I felt confident that we could do this by ourself. I scheduled an appt through INFOPASS, and updated info is in my signature.

I'm looking forward to our move, and so is my husband. He's traveled to the US many times for work and family visits, often staying more than 2 months at a time, so he's familiar with the American lifestyle. Because we have a network of family and friends that are very supportive, I'm optimistic that this transition will be not so painful for us. We have a place to stay and transportation available to us, and we both have employment prospects upon arrival.

A random question just popped up in my head: We've been married for 5 years, so my husband should get a 10 yr greencard. On the app, he checked that he wants to have a SSN, too. Is this all that he need to have in his hands before starting to work in the US? or does he need to apply for something else? (I need to look up this info, apparently).

In any case.... I'm happy to have found this website and forum :dance:

Ljandjl - I was just at the Frankfurt Embassy on the 20th of June, and they accept both USD and Euros. I paid in Euros.

When I went and talked to the IO at the Frankfurt Embassy, she said that it was totally fine to go to our regular DR for the immunizations/vaccination shots. We have a list of required immunizations that she gave us, and as long as our regular DR signed off for them, the Embassy would accept it. Here in Germany, I believe there's only 1 additional vaccination that differs from the US (US requires 1 extra vac.

My hubby will be going for his Medical Examination in 2 weeks, so I will let you know if there is a discrepency from what the Embassy says and what the Medical Examination DR says.

Married since march of this year, but that shouldn't matter to even get the initial receipt number my issue is i havent even received notcie that my application has been received when i handed to the ###### consulate right there and paid on the spot.

I'm trying to figure out which step they left out for you. We didn't get any official NOA1, but after we paid and took the receipt back up to window 40 where the I-130 applicaton was turned in, he gave us the DS-230 form to fill out and turn in at window 23. When we turned in the DS-230 at window 23, we were given the info packet on all required paperwork that needed to be sent in along with the 'request for interview' sheet on which the person at that window had written in our case number.

what was your experience like?

how long have you been married? We've been married for 5 years and have a 4 yr old son together who has dual nationality (US and German). Perhaps our marriage was well established in their eyes, so there was no need to scrutinize everything to prove a bona fide marriage.

that's my guess, anyway.

hmm, this has me worried. I just submitted all I-130 paperwork in person at the Frankfurt location. They looked it over, made me pay the fee and handed me the DS-230 form (which I already completed). I handed that in and was given a case number (FRN.....) and we are in the process of gathering police records and birth certificates from abroad so we can mail in the required documents along with a request for an interview.

did you submit the paperwork in person? if so, did you get a case number?

... in any case, I hope you'll get a speedy resolution after your long wait!