travelfairy

I had my oath ceremony last week at the Federal Building in St Paul, with about 45 other new citizens.
 
We were told to arrive at 8.35 am, which we did, and the ceremony started at 9.15 am.  Prior to the ceremony, the League of Women Voters handed out voter registration forms and helped people fill them in.
 
For the ceremony, we started with the national anthem, USCIS formally advised the judge that we could be citizens. We then took the oath.  The judge made some remarks, we took the pledge and they showed a short video to "America the Beautiful".  They handed out the certificates, and we were able to line up & get a photo with the judge.
 
Note - we didn't realize when taking the oath that this was the very moment we became citizens, so if you have family/friends videoing the ceremony, make sure they get all of this.  My husband stopped because all you could see was my back.
 
All over, it was about 13.5 months from submission to oath.
 
Good luck to everybody else, and I'll see you at the ballot box in 2020!

I had my oath ceremony last week at the Federal Building in St Paul, with about 45 other new citizens.
 
We were told to arrive at 8.35 am, which we did, and the ceremony started at 9.15 am.  Prior to the ceremony, the League of Women Voters handed out voter registration forms and helped people fill them in.
 
For the ceremony, we started with the national anthem, USCIS formally advised the judge that we could be citizens. We then took the oath.  The judge made some remarks, we took the pledge and they showed a short video to "America the Beautiful".  They handed out the certificates, and we were able to line up & get a photo with the judge.
 
Note - we didn't realize when taking the oath that this was the very moment we became citizens, so if you have family/friends videoing the ceremony, make sure they get all of this.  My husband stopped because all you could see was my back.
 
All over, it was about 13.5 months from submission to oath.
 
Good luck to everybody else, and I'll see you at the ballot box in 2020!

I received notification today that I was approved, and that i was in line for the oath ceremony - so now the "my.uscis.gov" says approved and they are scheduling my oath ceremony, and my "egov.uscis.gov" account says my case was submitted for quality review.
 
This is good enough for me!  I consider this approved and will await the oath ceremony.
 
I hope everybody else gets interviews as pleasant as mine.

Great news, I have my interview set for April 29, about a year after I filed.
 
My husband has been testing me on civics questions, so I am feeling hopeful that this will all be over shortly.
 
I'll update the spreadsheet.

It might be a good idea to check the veracity of your data/sources before spreading rumors from other forums.
 
1, MN doesn't have the largest number of refugees across the country.  Between 2001-2016, MN took in approx 40k refugees.  This was considerably less than CA, FL, NY & TX (102k, 46k, 54k, 82k), and only slightly more than AZ, MI & WA (39k, 38k, 40k)
(Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/by-numbers-united-states-refugees-180962487/)
 
If you're calculating as a % of population, we don't even fit into the top 10 for 2016 (Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/06/just-10-states-resettled-more-than-half-of-recent-refugees-to-u-s/), though we did have the most in 2005 by this method, and they were from Laos.  
 
2. Moving to where friends and family are is not a refugee thing, it's an immigrant thing.  Having a strong support system enables faster societal integration, and having people help give you tips on living in a new country, getting a job, babysitting your kids and a host of other benefits that makes new arrivals independent earlier and less reliant on government services.  I would have loved a support system when I moved to MN, and if I had a choice of where to go in the US when I moved here, it would have been a state with more Australians.
 
3.  According to USCIS, only people who have served in the US Armed Forces can waive the naturalization fee (Source: https://www.uscis.gov/files/form/attachments.pdf)  
 
4. Not everybody has to wait 5 years for naturalization. People who have been married to US citizens only have to wait 3. (Source: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/article/chapter4.pdf) 
 
5. The comment about people who "study hard, work hard, pay tax etc etc.. however don't get treated fairly" is disengenous, as it implies that refugees aren't studying hard, working hard and paying taxes.  in fact, the unemployment rate for foreign born US residents - including refugees - is actually lower than that for native born residents. (Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/forbrn.pdf).
 
6. The analogy to the iPhone X queue is a false equivalence. Standing in line for a new phone is nothing like applying for US citizenship. US citizenship isn't limited like iPhones are. It's cheaper (the iPHone X costs more the $725) and we are going about our daily business of working, and raising our families whilst we wait.  
 
There aren't many downsides to a long wait.  We can't vote or donate to political campaigns, but we've never had that right in the US so we're not being denied anything we're accustomed to.  The only real difficulty would be if we died, our estate wouldn't be eligible for the tax free threshold, and if our spouse died, we wouldn't be entitled - as non-citizens-  to receive their pension.  Of course if your estate would be hurt by the removal of the tax free threshold, then you should have your assets in a trust anyway that would protect it from this issue.  
 
The only difference between the refugees and other immigrants like myself (5-6 years on an L1 intra-company transfer, then marriage to a US citizen) and others on this forum, is that they came from a much shittier environment than we did and didn't have access to the same opportunities that many of us have had.
 
For example, I grew up in the middle class suburbs of Australia.  Even though my father died when I was very young, and my mother was on government benefits, I was able to get an excellent and relatively free education as it was something the Australian government paid for.  I had access to fresh food, clothes, clean & running water, sanitary products and a great labor market, as well as affordable public transport to get to my job.
 
It was safe to work around my suburbs at night.  My classmates weren't recruited as child soldiers.  Neither I nor my friends were raped by the "opposition" side, though they may have had voting leaflets thrust into their hands.  There weren't open sewers in the street.  My school had all the supplies we needed and highly educated, dedicated teachers.  I wasn't married off at the age of 11. I wasn't pregnant at 12.  My brother didn't have to go and fight for our suburb.  I never needed an escort to get around for my own safety.  I didn't miss school because I was menstruating and didn't have anything to protect my clothing.
 
I never had to pack my belongings into a suitcase and walk to another city to escape violence. I didn't live in a tent for several years, waiting to move to a safe country.  My suburb wasn't destroyed by mudslides, earthquakes, or hurricanes.  I didn't have to beg for food, or prostitute myself to stay alive.  
 
My upbringing was safe, and it was very easy to get the education and career that led me to the US.  Even though we were poor, it was privileged compared to what some of these refugees are going through.
 
Overall, the numbers do not support that refugee privileges are the reason behind our long wait, and even if they did, I certainly wouldn't begrudge people who have lived through hell to get a little bit of goodness come their way, given all the relative luck and privilege I have had in my life so far.
 
 
 

Both xe.com and ofx.com do transfers, as well as transferwise, otherwise he can go to his local bank and wire the money, though they'll probably charge a fee.  He'll need all the information on the recipient's account (which you can send him).
 
If it's only a small amount (say $50), then he can easily buy USD as cash at the local bank and pop it in a birthday card.

Have you looked into moving to Pakistan? Or a third country where you can be together? Maybe UAE? If all you want is to be together the location is unimportant. 

I was successful in the interview.  Very nice experience.  

It might be a good idea to check the veracity of your data/sources before spreading rumors from other forums.
 
1, MN doesn't have the largest number of refugees across the country.  Between 2001-2016, MN took in approx 40k refugees.  This was considerably less than CA, FL, NY & TX (102k, 46k, 54k, 82k), and only slightly more than AZ, MI & WA (39k, 38k, 40k)
(Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/by-numbers-united-states-refugees-180962487/)
 
If you're calculating as a % of population, we don't even fit into the top 10 for 2016 (Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/06/just-10-states-resettled-more-than-half-of-recent-refugees-to-u-s/), though we did have the most in 2005 by this method, and they were from Laos.  
 
2. Moving to where friends and family are is not a refugee thing, it's an immigrant thing.  Having a strong support system enables faster societal integration, and having people help give you tips on living in a new country, getting a job, babysitting your kids and a host of other benefits that makes new arrivals independent earlier and less reliant on government services.  I would have loved a support system when I moved to MN, and if I had a choice of where to go in the US when I moved here, it would have been a state with more Australians.
 
3.  According to USCIS, only people who have served in the US Armed Forces can waive the naturalization fee (Source: https://www.uscis.gov/files/form/attachments.pdf)  
 
4. Not everybody has to wait 5 years for naturalization. People who have been married to US citizens only have to wait 3. (Source: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/article/chapter4.pdf) 
 
5. The comment about people who "study hard, work hard, pay tax etc etc.. however don't get treated fairly" is disengenous, as it implies that refugees aren't studying hard, working hard and paying taxes.  in fact, the unemployment rate for foreign born US residents - including refugees - is actually lower than that for native born residents. (Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/forbrn.pdf).
 
6. The analogy to the iPhone X queue is a false equivalence. Standing in line for a new phone is nothing like applying for US citizenship. US citizenship isn't limited like iPhones are. It's cheaper (the iPHone X costs more the $725) and we are going about our daily business of working, and raising our families whilst we wait.  
 
There aren't many downsides to a long wait.  We can't vote or donate to political campaigns, but we've never had that right in the US so we're not being denied anything we're accustomed to.  The only real difficulty would be if we died, our estate wouldn't be eligible for the tax free threshold, and if our spouse died, we wouldn't be entitled - as non-citizens-  to receive their pension.  Of course if your estate would be hurt by the removal of the tax free threshold, then you should have your assets in a trust anyway that would protect it from this issue.  
 
The only difference between the refugees and other immigrants like myself (5-6 years on an L1 intra-company transfer, then marriage to a US citizen) and others on this forum, is that they came from a much shittier environment than we did and didn't have access to the same opportunities that many of us have had.
 
For example, I grew up in the middle class suburbs of Australia.  Even though my father died when I was very young, and my mother was on government benefits, I was able to get an excellent and relatively free education as it was something the Australian government paid for.  I had access to fresh food, clothes, clean & running water, sanitary products and a great labor market, as well as affordable public transport to get to my job.
 
It was safe to work around my suburbs at night.  My classmates weren't recruited as child soldiers.  Neither I nor my friends were raped by the "opposition" side, though they may have had voting leaflets thrust into their hands.  There weren't open sewers in the street.  My school had all the supplies we needed and highly educated, dedicated teachers.  I wasn't married off at the age of 11. I wasn't pregnant at 12.  My brother didn't have to go and fight for our suburb.  I never needed an escort to get around for my own safety.  I didn't miss school because I was menstruating and didn't have anything to protect my clothing.
 
I never had to pack my belongings into a suitcase and walk to another city to escape violence. I didn't live in a tent for several years, waiting to move to a safe country.  My suburb wasn't destroyed by mudslides, earthquakes, or hurricanes.  I didn't have to beg for food, or prostitute myself to stay alive.  
 
My upbringing was safe, and it was very easy to get the education and career that led me to the US.  Even though we were poor, it was privileged compared to what some of these refugees are going through.
 
Overall, the numbers do not support that refugee privileges are the reason behind our long wait, and even if they did, I certainly wouldn't begrudge people who have lived through hell to get a little bit of goodness come their way, given all the relative luck and privilege I have had in my life so far.
 
 
 

happy Friday ! guys, my wife and i both just received update for my interview being scheduled !!!!!! so excited !😂    
 

Yay!  It's great to get movement on your case!

Hi everyone! 
I received a letter from USCIS today in my mail, without any notification before. They mentioned me that they will do an interview for my pending ROC case. And they  mentioned that my wife should come with me. This interview will be at the same date and time of my N-400 interview. So I think they will do a combo interview at the same time. The address that they sent the letter from was my local field office.
There is no update in my online cases tracker right now. 
 
Good luck for you all. 

Does this apply to those who circumcise their baby boys too?

It might be a good idea to check the veracity of your data/sources before spreading rumors from other forums.
 
1, MN doesn't have the largest number of refugees across the country.  Between 2001-2016, MN took in approx 40k refugees.  This was considerably less than CA, FL, NY & TX (102k, 46k, 54k, 82k), and only slightly more than AZ, MI & WA (39k, 38k, 40k)
(Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/by-numbers-united-states-refugees-180962487/)
 
If you're calculating as a % of population, we don't even fit into the top 10 for 2016 (Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/06/just-10-states-resettled-more-than-half-of-recent-refugees-to-u-s/), though we did have the most in 2005 by this method, and they were from Laos.  
 
2. Moving to where friends and family are is not a refugee thing, it's an immigrant thing.  Having a strong support system enables faster societal integration, and having people help give you tips on living in a new country, getting a job, babysitting your kids and a host of other benefits that makes new arrivals independent earlier and less reliant on government services.  I would have loved a support system when I moved to MN, and if I had a choice of where to go in the US when I moved here, it would have been a state with more Australians.
 
3.  According to USCIS, only people who have served in the US Armed Forces can waive the naturalization fee (Source: https://www.uscis.gov/files/form/attachments.pdf)  
 
4. Not everybody has to wait 5 years for naturalization. People who have been married to US citizens only have to wait 3. (Source: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/article/chapter4.pdf) 
 
5. The comment about people who "study hard, work hard, pay tax etc etc.. however don't get treated fairly" is disengenous, as it implies that refugees aren't studying hard, working hard and paying taxes.  in fact, the unemployment rate for foreign born US residents - including refugees - is actually lower than that for native born residents. (Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/forbrn.pdf).
 
6. The analogy to the iPhone X queue is a false equivalence. Standing in line for a new phone is nothing like applying for US citizenship. US citizenship isn't limited like iPhones are. It's cheaper (the iPHone X costs more the $725) and we are going about our daily business of working, and raising our families whilst we wait.  
 
There aren't many downsides to a long wait.  We can't vote or donate to political campaigns, but we've never had that right in the US so we're not being denied anything we're accustomed to.  The only real difficulty would be if we died, our estate wouldn't be eligible for the tax free threshold, and if our spouse died, we wouldn't be entitled - as non-citizens-  to receive their pension.  Of course if your estate would be hurt by the removal of the tax free threshold, then you should have your assets in a trust anyway that would protect it from this issue.  
 
The only difference between the refugees and other immigrants like myself (5-6 years on an L1 intra-company transfer, then marriage to a US citizen) and others on this forum, is that they came from a much shittier environment than we did and didn't have access to the same opportunities that many of us have had.
 
For example, I grew up in the middle class suburbs of Australia.  Even though my father died when I was very young, and my mother was on government benefits, I was able to get an excellent and relatively free education as it was something the Australian government paid for.  I had access to fresh food, clothes, clean & running water, sanitary products and a great labor market, as well as affordable public transport to get to my job.
 
It was safe to work around my suburbs at night.  My classmates weren't recruited as child soldiers.  Neither I nor my friends were raped by the "opposition" side, though they may have had voting leaflets thrust into their hands.  There weren't open sewers in the street.  My school had all the supplies we needed and highly educated, dedicated teachers.  I wasn't married off at the age of 11. I wasn't pregnant at 12.  My brother didn't have to go and fight for our suburb.  I never needed an escort to get around for my own safety.  I didn't miss school because I was menstruating and didn't have anything to protect my clothing.
 
I never had to pack my belongings into a suitcase and walk to another city to escape violence. I didn't live in a tent for several years, waiting to move to a safe country.  My suburb wasn't destroyed by mudslides, earthquakes, or hurricanes.  I didn't have to beg for food, or prostitute myself to stay alive.  
 
My upbringing was safe, and it was very easy to get the education and career that led me to the US.  Even though we were poor, it was privileged compared to what some of these refugees are going through.
 
Overall, the numbers do not support that refugee privileges are the reason behind our long wait, and even if they did, I certainly wouldn't begrudge people who have lived through hell to get a little bit of goodness come their way, given all the relative luck and privilege I have had in my life so far.
 
 
 

When the year is up (or close to up), if your spouse doesn't have her renewed GC, you'll get another extension letter.  You don't have anything that proves she is legal beyond that year for the extension, because there is the possibility (which may be very very remote for you) that they choose to deny her renewal if they found something untoward in her application. 

When the year is up (or close to up), if your spouse doesn't have her renewed GC, you'll get another extension letter.  You don't have anything that proves she is legal beyond that year for the extension, because there is the possibility (which may be very very remote for you) that they choose to deny her renewal if they found something untoward in her application. 

It might be a good idea to check the veracity of your data/sources before spreading rumors from other forums.
 
1, MN doesn't have the largest number of refugees across the country.  Between 2001-2016, MN took in approx 40k refugees.  This was considerably less than CA, FL, NY & TX (102k, 46k, 54k, 82k), and only slightly more than AZ, MI & WA (39k, 38k, 40k)
(Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/by-numbers-united-states-refugees-180962487/)
 
If you're calculating as a % of population, we don't even fit into the top 10 for 2016 (Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/06/just-10-states-resettled-more-than-half-of-recent-refugees-to-u-s/), though we did have the most in 2005 by this method, and they were from Laos.  
 
2. Moving to where friends and family are is not a refugee thing, it's an immigrant thing.  Having a strong support system enables faster societal integration, and having people help give you tips on living in a new country, getting a job, babysitting your kids and a host of other benefits that makes new arrivals independent earlier and less reliant on government services.  I would have loved a support system when I moved to MN, and if I had a choice of where to go in the US when I moved here, it would have been a state with more Australians.
 
3.  According to USCIS, only people who have served in the US Armed Forces can waive the naturalization fee (Source: https://www.uscis.gov/files/form/attachments.pdf)  
 
4. Not everybody has to wait 5 years for naturalization. People who have been married to US citizens only have to wait 3. (Source: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/article/chapter4.pdf) 
 
5. The comment about people who "study hard, work hard, pay tax etc etc.. however don't get treated fairly" is disengenous, as it implies that refugees aren't studying hard, working hard and paying taxes.  in fact, the unemployment rate for foreign born US residents - including refugees - is actually lower than that for native born residents. (Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/forbrn.pdf).
 
6. The analogy to the iPhone X queue is a false equivalence. Standing in line for a new phone is nothing like applying for US citizenship. US citizenship isn't limited like iPhones are. It's cheaper (the iPHone X costs more the $725) and we are going about our daily business of working, and raising our families whilst we wait.  
 
There aren't many downsides to a long wait.  We can't vote or donate to political campaigns, but we've never had that right in the US so we're not being denied anything we're accustomed to.  The only real difficulty would be if we died, our estate wouldn't be eligible for the tax free threshold, and if our spouse died, we wouldn't be entitled - as non-citizens-  to receive their pension.  Of course if your estate would be hurt by the removal of the tax free threshold, then you should have your assets in a trust anyway that would protect it from this issue.  
 
The only difference between the refugees and other immigrants like myself (5-6 years on an L1 intra-company transfer, then marriage to a US citizen) and others on this forum, is that they came from a much shittier environment than we did and didn't have access to the same opportunities that many of us have had.
 
For example, I grew up in the middle class suburbs of Australia.  Even though my father died when I was very young, and my mother was on government benefits, I was able to get an excellent and relatively free education as it was something the Australian government paid for.  I had access to fresh food, clothes, clean & running water, sanitary products and a great labor market, as well as affordable public transport to get to my job.
 
It was safe to work around my suburbs at night.  My classmates weren't recruited as child soldiers.  Neither I nor my friends were raped by the "opposition" side, though they may have had voting leaflets thrust into their hands.  There weren't open sewers in the street.  My school had all the supplies we needed and highly educated, dedicated teachers.  I wasn't married off at the age of 11. I wasn't pregnant at 12.  My brother didn't have to go and fight for our suburb.  I never needed an escort to get around for my own safety.  I didn't miss school because I was menstruating and didn't have anything to protect my clothing.
 
I never had to pack my belongings into a suitcase and walk to another city to escape violence. I didn't live in a tent for several years, waiting to move to a safe country.  My suburb wasn't destroyed by mudslides, earthquakes, or hurricanes.  I didn't have to beg for food, or prostitute myself to stay alive.  
 
My upbringing was safe, and it was very easy to get the education and career that led me to the US.  Even though we were poor, it was privileged compared to what some of these refugees are going through.
 
Overall, the numbers do not support that refugee privileges are the reason behind our long wait, and even if they did, I certainly wouldn't begrudge people who have lived through hell to get a little bit of goodness come their way, given all the relative luck and privilege I have had in my life so far.
 
 
 

My spouse and 818 other folks from 101 different countries were sworn in today about 10:30 AM! New citizens! Whew! The journey started with a January 2012 I-130 filing..... It was an assume feeling. So happy! We're red now!
 
UserName......|GC-Date.|..Sent..|..Cashd.|NOA.....|Fprints.|In Line.|Int ltr.|Intrvw..|Oath....|Field Office...........|NBC/IOE|ECD
mcheruth......|09/xx/08|03/05/17|03/xx/17|03/14/17|03/20/17|04/07/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|NBC....|???
Marcusa ......|02/10/13|11/19/17|11/19/17|11/21/17|12/08/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|17months
tijuana_brass.|03/xx/09|12/16/16|12/xx/16|12/30/16|01/25/17|12/21/17|01/12/18|02/06/18|02/28/18|Minneapolis, MN........|NBC....|N/A
GoBig.........|02/12/13|11/16/17|11/16/17|11/17/17|12/04/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|15months
KGONE.........|11/09/12|03/10/17|03/17/17|03/15/17|04/13/17|04/17/17|02/13/18|03/20/18|04/30/18|Minneapolis, MN........|NBC....|???
Bsze..........|10/26/10|07/09/17|07/10/17|07/10/17|08/03/17|08/04/17|01/11/18|02/20/18|02/20/18|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|
GetIT.........|09/XX/12|11/18/17|11/21/17|11/22/17|12/05/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|16months
Morris Marina.|06/06/06|12/06/17|12/06/17|12/08/17|12/29/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|16months
N-O-L-A.......|04/17/13|03/02/18|03/02/18|03/02/18|03/26/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|21months
travelfairy...|02/12/13|04/29/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....

Hi Folks,
I just submitted my N400 online last night.  I waited for my 5 years of marriage to tick over, but given these wait times, maybe I shouldn't have!!  I have a couple of friends who are also submitting in the very near future, so I can anonymously share their progress too (they are unlikely to join).
My experiences at the Mpls office (i.e. Greencard interview) have all been positive so far.
 
From my understanding, you don't need to take the oath in a field office, any federal judge can give it.  I'm not sure of the USCIS notification procedure, but if you have any federal judges nearby and want to get it over with, you might be able to get it done that way.  
 
A district judge friend of mine wanted to administer my citizenship oath (she married my husband and I and feels invested in our lives) and we were going to have a big party, but were disappointed to learn that it was federal judges only.  
 
NOLA - I'll be watching your progress closely, as you're just ahead of me!!
 
UserName......|GC-Date.|..Sent..|..Cashd.|NOA.....|Fprints.|In Line.|Int ltr.|Intrvw..|Oath....|Field Office...........|NBC/IOE|ECD
mcheruth......|09/xx/08|03/05/17|03/xx/17|03/14/17|03/20/17|04/07/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|NBC....|???
Marcusa ......|02/10/13|11/19/17|11/19/17|11/21/17|12/08/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|17months
tijuana_brass.|03/xx/09|12/16/16|12/xx/16|12/30/16|01/25/17|12/21/17|01/12/18|02/06/18|02/28/18|Minneapolis, MN........|NBC....|N/A
GoBig.........|02/12/13|11/16/17|11/16/17|11/17/17|12/04/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|15months
KGONE.........|11/09/12|03/10/17|03/17/17|03/15/17|04/13/17|04/17/17|02/13/18|03/20/18|04/30/18|Minneapolis, MN........|NBC....|???
Bsze..........|10/26/10|07/09/17|07/10/17|07/10/17|08/03/17|08/04/17|01/11/18|02/20/18|02/20/18|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|
GetIT.........|09/XX/12|11/18/17|11/21/17|11/22/17|12/05/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|16months
Morris Marina.|06/06/06|12/06/17|12/06/17|12/08/17|12/29/17|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|16months
N-O-L-A.......|04/17/13|03/02/18|03/02/18|03/02/18|03/26/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|21months
travelfairy...|02/12/13|04/29/18|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|--/--/--|Minneapolis, MN........|IOE....|???

New card arrived today in the mail. It's nice to have it, but gee - not the best picture.
In completely unrelated news, I baked my first flag cake for July 4.

I moved my dog from Sydney to the US Midwest in 2006. It cost $2,000 and took several days. She got stuck in LA when she missed her connecting flight but the cargo person took her home with him for a couple of days whilst they sorted out her flight up to the midwest. she slept on his bed, rode along in his car.. he chatted to me and had really taken quite a shine to her. It was good to know she was looked after, and I know that she was ok because he mentioned some of her quirks that she does when she settles into a place.
I paid an extra few hundred dollars for a rabies vaccination, but the company I hired did all the paperwork and took care of the rest.
She was microchipped in Aus, but the US microchip scanners can't read it, (or update the details) so she'll need a second microchip. I didn't have any microchip requirements at the time of shipping but that may have changed by now.
My dog is still here and has discovered squirrels and chipmunks, a constant source of frustration and amusement to her. She has also encountered snow for the first time, and is much happier taking walks in the snow than the rain.

Even if you are willing to marry her to help her get a GC (and commit fraud), the marriage will still have financial and legal obligations. You'll be responsible for any debts she incurs, even if you knew nothing about them. She can ruin your credit rating and take your assets. How do you know she will treat your assets and joint finances iwth respect, if she treats your heart and feelings with such disregard?
I am an alien, I've been here for 6 years on a work visa. Last year I married my BF and I'm doing AOS, but I didn't marry him for a greencard. I married him because we'd been together for 2.5 years and he is the love of my life. We discussed going back to Australia (which accepts de-facto / common law marriage for permanent residency) when my visa time here was up, but overall, we love each other and want to spend our lives together, regardless of the country. So we got married. Honestly, I don't care if I leave the US tomorrow and never come back (providing I can take my dog). I just want a life with my husband.
My husband would never accept me marrying another man, even if it was just for a greencard. I could never marry a man other than him, even if the marriage wasn't consumated. He is my soul mate, my best friend and the most important person in the world to me.
Have you talked about marriage, in terms of children, and joint finances, and shared goals? Have you had relationship counselling? What is her vision of her future, and does it mesh with yours?
You should marry somebody for whom the relationship with you comes first, and more importantly, in front of which country they want to live in. The right woman for you will want to be with you, wherever in the world that will be.
If you are ready for a genuine marriage, tell her that's what you want. Not a greencard marriage, but a genuine marriage. Then spend some time in her home country, meeting her friends and family. Perhaps even get married there, or live there for a couple of years. If the marriage is strong and you are sure of your wife's love, and maybe even have started a family, then consider applying for a greencard for her, but no before.

Even if you are willing to marry her to help her get a GC (and commit fraud), the marriage will still have financial and legal obligations. You'll be responsible for any debts she incurs, even if you knew nothing about them. She can ruin your credit rating and take your assets. How do you know she will treat your assets and joint finances iwth respect, if she treats your heart and feelings with such disregard?
I am an alien, I've been here for 6 years on a work visa. Last year I married my BF and I'm doing AOS, but I didn't marry him for a greencard. I married him because we'd been together for 2.5 years and he is the love of my life. We discussed going back to Australia (which accepts de-facto / common law marriage for permanent residency) when my visa time here was up, but overall, we love each other and want to spend our lives together, regardless of the country. So we got married. Honestly, I don't care if I leave the US tomorrow and never come back (providing I can take my dog). I just want a life with my husband.
My husband would never accept me marrying another man, even if it was just for a greencard. I could never marry a man other than him, even if the marriage wasn't consumated. He is my soul mate, my best friend and the most important person in the world to me.
Have you talked about marriage, in terms of children, and joint finances, and shared goals? Have you had relationship counselling? What is her vision of her future, and does it mesh with yours?
You should marry somebody for whom the relationship with you comes first, and more importantly, in front of which country they want to live in. The right woman for you will want to be with you, wherever in the world that will be.
If you are ready for a genuine marriage, tell her that's what you want. Not a greencard marriage, but a genuine marriage. Then spend some time in her home country, meeting her friends and family. Perhaps even get married there, or live there for a couple of years. If the marriage is strong and you are sure of your wife's love, and maybe even have started a family, then consider applying for a greencard for her, but no before.

Even if you are willing to marry her to help her get a GC (and commit fraud), the marriage will still have financial and legal obligations. You'll be responsible for any debts she incurs, even if you knew nothing about them. She can ruin your credit rating and take your assets. How do you know she will treat your assets and joint finances iwth respect, if she treats your heart and feelings with such disregard?
I am an alien, I've been here for 6 years on a work visa. Last year I married my BF and I'm doing AOS, but I didn't marry him for a greencard. I married him because we'd been together for 2.5 years and he is the love of my life. We discussed going back to Australia (which accepts de-facto / common law marriage for permanent residency) when my visa time here was up, but overall, we love each other and want to spend our lives together, regardless of the country. So we got married. Honestly, I don't care if I leave the US tomorrow and never come back (providing I can take my dog). I just want a life with my husband.
My husband would never accept me marrying another man, even if it was just for a greencard. I could never marry a man other than him, even if the marriage wasn't consumated. He is my soul mate, my best friend and the most important person in the world to me.
Have you talked about marriage, in terms of children, and joint finances, and shared goals? Have you had relationship counselling? What is her vision of her future, and does it mesh with yours?
You should marry somebody for whom the relationship with you comes first, and more importantly, in front of which country they want to live in. The right woman for you will want to be with you, wherever in the world that will be.
If you are ready for a genuine marriage, tell her that's what you want. Not a greencard marriage, but a genuine marriage. Then spend some time in her home country, meeting her friends and family. Perhaps even get married there, or live there for a couple of years. If the marriage is strong and you are sure of your wife's love, and maybe even have started a family, then consider applying for a greencard for her, but no before.

Even if you are willing to marry her to help her get a GC (and commit fraud), the marriage will still have financial and legal obligations. You'll be responsible for any debts she incurs, even if you knew nothing about them. She can ruin your credit rating and take your assets. How do you know she will treat your assets and joint finances iwth respect, if she treats your heart and feelings with such disregard?
I am an alien, I've been here for 6 years on a work visa. Last year I married my BF and I'm doing AOS, but I didn't marry him for a greencard. I married him because we'd been together for 2.5 years and he is the love of my life. We discussed going back to Australia (which accepts de-facto / common law marriage for permanent residency) when my visa time here was up, but overall, we love each other and want to spend our lives together, regardless of the country. So we got married. Honestly, I don't care if I leave the US tomorrow and never come back (providing I can take my dog). I just want a life with my husband.
My husband would never accept me marrying another man, even if it was just for a greencard. I could never marry a man other than him, even if the marriage wasn't consumated. He is my soul mate, my best friend and the most important person in the world to me.
Have you talked about marriage, in terms of children, and joint finances, and shared goals? Have you had relationship counselling? What is her vision of her future, and does it mesh with yours?
You should marry somebody for whom the relationship with you comes first, and more importantly, in front of which country they want to live in. The right woman for you will want to be with you, wherever in the world that will be.
If you are ready for a genuine marriage, tell her that's what you want. Not a greencard marriage, but a genuine marriage. Then spend some time in her home country, meeting her friends and family. Perhaps even get married there, or live there for a couple of years. If the marriage is strong and you are sure of your wife's love, and maybe even have started a family, then consider applying for a greencard for her, but no before.