samename

hello,congrats....i feel your happiness through to here .If you are a K1 you are not to pay this fee.
"Exemptions
Children who enter the United States under the Orphan or Hague adoption programs, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants, returning residents (SB-1s), and those issued K visas, are the only categories exempt from paying the fee."

I dont know if your situation is different, but my husband was given a worksheet with all the vaccinations from his medical. That is what we included in the AOS packet. We never went to a civil surgeon.

So we just got married and we're starting on the AOS paperwork this week. One of the requirements include having a civil surgeon certify one of the docs. Can anyone recommend good/nice civil surgeon around Phoenix, Arizona?
Thanks!

This is the visa pickup page

You are going through the most difficult US embassy to get a visa through, and have a very short courtship, only one visit and marriage on that visit. Be sure to front load the petition. A second visit before you file, if you can, would be a very good idea, and a third before the interview.
Your wife will fill in a I-864 even if she has no income. Her mom will fill another I-864 and dad a I-864A.

To clear up confusion, in 9ja gifts are fine, western union is not.i'm sure others will chime in.your I-134 will show ur capability of support.what i've read on here suggests that monetary Support ,looks like a transaction .As in ,u or the beneficary is paying for this process and this is not a bonafide relationship.I may be wrong but our resident 9ja vj advisors will know. On the ds156 ,i got this information from the interview prep packet lagos sends after they received our petition from Nvc.pls forgive my typos,i'm on my phone.Best of luck!

Tosh, dear... welcome to a ####### embassy. The same happened to me/us, and to many other couples, in Guayaquil.
(For others reading: This is why the consular phase of the immigration process should never, NEVER be underestimated. It's also an example of how the petitioner's presence on the consular premises NEVER hurts and could help.)
Tosh, steel yourself: The "joint" interview will probably be a Stokes. See this thread:
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/207292-embassy-wants-petitioner-at-next-cr-1-interview-any-advice/
Read every one of the "Reviews: Embassy" for Accra, paying particular attention to the WORST stories. Contact some of those members who are active, and pick their brains. Get a free or paid consultation with a sharp immigration attorney who's a member of AILA (www.aila.org), especially one who might have experience as a consular officer.
Knowledge is power. This, plus the sincere support from all your VJ friends, can give you the strength to surmount this bump in the road.

2 copies of DS156 (signed ) and 1 copy of DS56K (unsigned ) is taken to interview in lagos.
Medicals- There are two approved clinics, The children's practice is better in my opinion from what i have seen. You will pay 12,000 initially on the day of your medical exam,After you sign in you are then sent to the bank (it is not too far from the clinic ) .The remainder to be paid is determined by shots or additional tests to take .Ie EKG . This will be paid at the clinic.
Tips for medical arrive early,eat beforehand,make a copy of his passport bio-data page to bring to medicals.Bring 3 Passport pics.

Series of questions directed at me, the USC Petitioner from the US Embassy Counsel at the interview in Manila on July 9, 2013.
1.) "HAVE YOU BEEN PREVIOUSLY MARRIED?" My reply, YES
2.) "DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN FROM YOUR PREVIOUS MARRIAGE?" My reply, YES.
3.) "HOW OLD ARE YOUR CHILDREN FROM YOUR FIRST MARRIAGE?" My answer, 25, 30 & 36.
4.) "SO YOUR NEW WIFE IS NEARLY HALF THE AGE OF YOUR OLDEST SON?" (My wife is 19) My reply, YES.
A 10 second pause and her next words to my wife and I, "CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR VISA IS APPROVED."
So I guess those that told me that age does not seem to matter were correct. (At least in the Philippines.)
Thank GOD for HE is good all the time!
Aloha Ke Akua

Wonderful news. He is more than worthy to be praised.

PRAISE GOD EVERYONE!! THANKS TO ALL VJ MEMBERS, MY FIANCEE WAS JUST GRANTED VISA AND NO ONE SINGLE QUESTION WAS ASKED. MIRACLE HAPPENED. JESUS TOOK ALL THE GLORY AND CONTROL OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. NO QUESTION ASKED

Those that put their trust in God shall not be forsaken.....Who is like unto this God?
God made it a super easy interview this morning and my Visa was approved under 2mins,yea 2mins.....I am sure my TL is confusing to most of you here but started our journey Aug 1 2011 and finally approved today July 15 2013. We started out as F2A and then moved to CR1 when Wifey Naturalized fully April 17 this year.
I was interviewed by white male in his early 30s
He asked me the following questions.....
1.Who filed for you
2.How long has she been in the United states
3,How did she get to the US
4.What does she do
That was it,No single additional proof asked and then ......APPROVED!
If you by any chance stumble on this post and you're still in the process,when at NVC please front load,they usually decide before you even walk up to them.
If you are awaiting your interview already.....you may need to stop asking God for approval now and offer Him continuous praise with faith that he has done it for you too.....Who has the final say? Jehovah !!!
Thank you VJ ,you all are beautiful people you know right? God bless you all real good and may He make you all smile BIG!!! Amen!

Mrs. T-B. attended her oath ceremony today (23 Jan 2013) and got her Certificate of Naturalization, si man. She is a citizen now, after a 5.5-year visa journey with some giant obstacles.

The story is posted in the K-1 Case Progress forum because, if you're like I was, you don't visit many of the later-stage forums or have a firm vision of the entire visa journey just yet. Indeed, I remember a buddy in my own monthly I-129F progress thread who got the NOA2 for his petition and wrote, "Can someone please direct me to the next forum?"

Some of the following might yield some perspective on "the visa journey" and perhaps help you in your visa journey.

I joined VisaJourney in mid-2007. I was overwhelmed, nervous, and bewildered by the upcoming K-1 process and the voluminous information on the site. Many of my first questions were met with patient variations of "read the Guides!"

I sent off the I-129F petition to USCIS (the CSC) via overnight mail with green reply card. I was frantic when the card didn't come back for several days.

I checked on-line case status of the I-129F at least once daily. Except for me, everyone else in the May 2007 filers group had received their NOA2 by 6 months (the timeframe then). I made several calls to USCIS (waiting on hold sometimes for hours, listening to that maddening "hold" music). I finally reached a kindly Immigration Officer who determined that my file had been sitting on a transit station for some time. I asked him to please send an e-mail to the processing floor to ask someone to move the file to the next place it ought to go. A very few days later, I got the NOA2. On this site, I reported the foregoing method of loosening the stuck petition; the message was twisted and roundly mocked by a group led by a viper who still sometimes poisons this site.

Being naive, I underestimated the consular process nearly 100% and was not on the premises during my fiancee's interview. She was kicked out after about 3 minutes, without her brought evidence having been considered, with these exact words: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!"

In subsequent correspondence, the devious consulate referred to the second interview as a "marriage interview," hiding the fact that it would be a Stokes.

The Stokes interview was not even conducted by an American, but by a Foreign Service National (a local Ecuadorian employed by the consulate). A decision was not even to be made on that day. The first interview was "not enough evidence -- go away!" and the second was "too much evidence -- go away!"

I got perhaps 45 minutes of sleep on the 5.5-hour return flight. Being home was worse.

After weeks of utter torment and of calling the State Department's visa line daily, I fought through the phone lines at the consulate by insisting on speaking with an American. After 20 minutes on hold, I ended up speaking with the Section Chief of the Immigration Visa Unit. We discussed the situation and I sent him a confirmatory e-mail. Within 72 hours, the visa was approved.  My contemporaries and I, who had all been hosed by this grossly mismanaged consulate, remained angry for years afterward.

Mrs. T-B.-to-be wrapped up her business affairs and arrived through the Port of Entry without incident, but very ill with an upper-respiratory infection. Our first week consisted of an expensive out-of-pocket medical appointment + prescriptions toward her recovery.

We married by the third week and filed for Adjustment of Status (AOS). I mailed it overnight but without extra receipt confirmation. I checked on-line case status sporadically. The NOA arrived in timely fashion, and there was no interview.

Mrs. T-B.'s EAD and AP arrived in due time and without incident. We used the AP on a land border trip to Mexico. Upon our return, the CBP agent knew what AP was but had obviously never actually processed one. Parts of this were quite comical. However, having our marriage certificate with us was perhaps the chief element in our approval for re-entry. Little did we know that Mrs. T-B.'s green card was in the mail to us (and on schedule) during that very trip.

We later took a driving trip through south Texas. The CBP agents at the internal checkpoints most certainly would have given us huge trouble had Mrs. T-B. not had her green card with her. The experience taught us to keep it -- and our marriage certificate -- with her at all times.

We filed for Removal of Conditions (ROC) as soon as Mrs. T-B. was eligible. I had taken others' advice and, since AOS, had taken appropriate pieces of evidence and thrown them into a box. By ROC time, there was more than enough support of our merged financial & personal lives through the span of our marriage. I mailed the package first-class with delivery confirmation (yellow sticker). I never signed up for on-line case status. The NOAs were timely, and approval was timely and without interview.

About a week before we filed for ROC, Mini-Bone was born, made of genuine U.S. & Ecuadorian parts.

We filed for Naturalization (citizenship) somewhat after Mrs. T-B. became eligible. I mailed the package regular first-class mail and never even thought about signing up for on-line case status. The NOA2 was timely, the process was uneventful, and her interview was easy. The Oath Ceremony featured 2,272 new citizens from 126 countries.

Lessons learned and insights gained from this visa journey and from spending it as a member of VisaJourney:

1. It's not necessary to freak out over how to mail the petitions or how to assemble the packages. Just include what the VJ Guides recommend, plus what knowledgeable members before you recommend (for example, front-loading evidence for tough consulates).

2. Rely upon advice from the most knowledgeable, trustworthy VJ members. Chief among these for me were JimVaPhuong, pushbrk (who thankfully is still active here), and Kathryn41.  I read every post of theirs that I happened across, and I invariably learn something.  When he was alive, geowrian was well worth heeding, and his posts remain valuable. Jan22 is a blessing to this site.

3. The squeaky wheel truly can get the grease. If your USCIS filing is grossly out of timeline, or if you have truly been wronged at the consulate, polite phone calls might yield action. (NOTE: "Grossly out of timeline" means exactly that. It does not refer to "I want my fiance(e) here NOW, no matter what. I have no patience or circumspection about the petition process, and I don't WANT any patience or circumspection!" Read the VJ forums thoroughly to see what objective factors might be influencing the processing of petitions. As hard as it can be, avoid "ready, fire, aim" reactions during this stage.)

4. Procedures, policies, and outcomes at the Manila embassy are, chances are, unique to Manila and not automatically transferable to other consular experiences. Go atop any VJ page and click "Embassy Info" and "Reviews: Embassy." Read the reviews for YOUR consulate, attending particularly to the WORST stories. Prepare accordingly. Also pay attention to general cautions offered by experienced members who did not deal with your consulate. Take offerings of "No worries -- you will be fine!" with a large grain of salt -- yes, the interview might turn out fine, but no one can assure you of this in advance.

5. Never EVER underestimate the consular phase of the process! The consular officers have 100% power over the continuation of your visa journey. Treating the consular phase casually can be like loading a revolver with 5 bullets, spinning the cylinder, and putting the gun to your temple and pulling the trigger. Bear in mind that a previously "easy" consulate's policies and procedures can change without notice if a new Section Chief is transferred in. Expect the best outcome, sure, but prepare for the worst conceivable.

6. We never got an RFE. However, an RFE is a golden opportunity to provide not just what USCIS requests to satisfy the RFE, but also to add additional evidence of bona fide relationship for the consular officer's eyes, later. Everything that you submit to USCIS goes to the consulate after the petition is approved. Front-loading (or, later, "loading along with an RFE") ensures that key information that you want the consul to see is there before the beneficiary's interview at a tough consulate.

7. There is never a disadvantage to a petitioner's being on the consular premises while the beneficiary is being interviewed. In fact, the advantages are many and distinct. Emotional support for the beneficiary is the minimum. If you the petitioner are on the premises or within range, the consul can call you in to ask questions.  Your ability to provide answers "on the scene" can ward off the issuance of a 221(g) and prevent a return trip to the consulate.

8. As outrageous as this may sound (and as outrageous as it would have sounded to me during the I-129F wait), it indeed can be a relief to return to dealing with USCIS after having dealt with a consulate. Nevertheless, to this day, if I'm on hold on a business call and the music is the same as USCIS's "hold" music, my heart begins pounding faster.

9. Like me, you'll start with close friends who post regularly and support you in public and private. Sadly, many will fall away from VJ along the way. Some of my earliest friends who are no longer around are:
StillThePrettiest - last log-in, 6 Aug 2010;
Toshtishtash - 7 Oct 2011;
Jeraly - 23 Aug 2012;
DanielParul (of incomparable support during my consulate torment) - 15 June 2010.

10. As I wrote to Captain Ewok privately tonight, I could not have negotiated this visa journey -- either procedurally or emotionally -- without the help of this site and the good people on it.

I hope that the foregoing will confer some helpful circumspection at this early stage of your visa journey, si man.

Thank u to all of u i appreciate the support of this forum so much!!! I received an email yesterday early afternoon telling me my address change was complete, however i never changed my address so i was confused. I called USCIS but had a 140 minute wait on the phone so i left my number n name to receive a call back... I received the call and the tier 2 worker told me this was a glitch that my fiancees Alien ID# had been entered into the system & my case was being viewed then....... I was so excited i knew it was coming!!! I then received the approval (as suspected) via email around midnite!!! I still havent told my baby!!! I have been trying to reach him but his phones uncharged no power of course!! Lol omg im so excited!!! The nxt steps are goin to b exciting!! I cant wait to hear from my man today!!! Hes gunna scream like i did!!

Hey,
God is truly great.Congrats Lady!!!!!

Yes,you fill out the DS160 first and print confirmation at end. Make your profile ,input all information (including where you will pick up your visa) , go through until calender of dates is shown.When you are here you can simply view dates ,you don't have to select a date.You are able to Log out at this stage without selecting a date.Good luck.

Not to be rude but I have to say that you're walking into this process by a wrong mindset. This process will try your patience to its fullest. This isn't any process you may have experienced with a state authority or any other application. To say "these people move at a snails pace" would be an offense to all snails. I also remember when I first applied my K1 visa, I had really high hopes and would wait on a daily basis. Don't think on a daily basis the process is long, there are applications that are processed within 3 months and then there are others (like mine) that take 7 months. And these guys dont process files in order they were received. There were so many peoples whose files were processed and approved well before mines was. Just keep checking and even checking you wont get much help because they usually give you their scripted answers USCIS reps are "trained" to give.
Right now my application was approved by USCIS and they were supposed to send the application to NVC which usually takes up to 2 weeks... So far, Ive waited 1 month and 3 weeks and still NVC has no record of my application. USCIS just says to wait... People whose applications were approved weeks after mine have been processed by NVC and gone to the Pakistan embassy and Im still waiting for NVC. Im going through my Senator to get some help with this.
Best of luck to you but please be patient.

How about this scenario. An illegal alien with a deadly and highly infectious disease doesn't go to the hospital due to the fear of being deported. How many US citizen would be affected by the policy you are suggesting?

My fiance's Visa has been approved. Words cannot describe how happy we are. God is faithful. Thank you so much VJ family. For those of you that are still waiting, know that God is in control.

OUR GOD IS GREAT!!!!!...VISA Approved today @ 2nd appointment.My Husband had his interview last week and additional information was requested pertaining to the beginning of our relationship. Let me start off by Thanking VJ.I have learned a lot from this forum. Reading some of the things here have been scary @times especially since Nigeria is difficult, but my GOD makes the impossible,POSSIBLE.My hubby was able to get a 2nd appointment 1 week later and now we are on to visa pick up.Again big Thank you to VJ,Saylin,Ndu and Dwheels....mote to follow later.

That's sad. My fiancee is from Cambodia, and the culture is similar, particularly with love, etc. In my travels to-and-from Cambodia, I had broken a lot of Cambodian girls' hearts until I met my fiancee. Americans and Cambodians, (and I'm assuming Americans and Laotians) have different attitudes about love. In those cultures like Cambodian and Laotian, most girls only have a single person they ever love and marry. Americans tend to date around, and don't generally commit easily. I had the courage to tell the other girls that I would not marry them and they should move on, but I know some guys that don't, they lead a girl on for different reasons, and then hope to just leave and forget about them.
In the case of my fiancee, I had to be 100% sure she was the right one for me before I confessed any feelings and before we caled eachother so much as boyfriend or girlfriend. And now we are so close to getting married, I am so happy!
I am so sorry and sad for your friend. I hope her heart can heal and she can move on and find someone who will love her forever.
~David

THIS IS THE POST I'VE BEEN WAITING TO MAKE!!
My husband just got his visa approval today!! It feels like a second wedding day because they are finally letting my man come HOME. yes we cried!
Thank you everyone who put up with my fretting and thank you everyone who read and commented and thank you ESPECIALLY to the mainstays on this forum who always have a word of sense and advice. I won't name you because I don't want to accidentally leave anyone out, but you know who you are
Let's all be good to each other, folks. I want everyone to have this feeling of joy and relief.

This thread is funny...it proves that all of us o here is trying to be humerous inspite of the stress involved with immigration. I like it...let's stay encouraged everyone.

Friends i got my visa interview approved today...Join me and thank Master Jesus.
Wish you all well as well.

A standalone I-130 by itself will not protect her in any way, only an I-485 will grant her a legal status that will persist until her application is adjudicated.