Jo Amelia Finlay

It's okay to mourn. Decide if you want to attend the funeral or not (if there is one.) Speak to your other family as well to share fond memories.
I know how you feel and anytime someone who was important to you passes away, especially when you aren't around, can leave you feeling adrift. I can't say the feeling ever really goes away but remembering the happy times with that person certainly helps.

Peace. In your heart you were there in spirit, so was it for her before she went beyond. Treasure the good memories you had with her and know that she is in peace now to suffer no more.

Being very far away when someone passes is very hard. During my four years here I have lost my mothers parents (my grandparents) and quite recently my father. I tried to fly home before my father passed away but I was too late. It's hard and it will be a struggle for some time.
I can imagine you probably feel you should have been there but I'm sure she felt you were there in spirit. Illnesses are hard and at least now she has found peace.

Mrs. T-B. also lost her aunt rather recently.
The aunt was also ill.
Mrs. T-B. misses her acutely but recognizes that her death was a release.
I remember what a buddy said to me as we discussed the death of his father:
"Yes, I miss him every minute, but I wouldn't have wished one more second of suffering on him."
May you be comforted among all who mourn.

Another medical thought:
If you're the kind of person who keeps on top of this stuff, have any check-ups before you go, so that they are up to date and you're not due another for a spell. Saves worrying about that on top of everything else.
Eg: eye test; dentist; smear test if you're a lady.
Not a major concern but doesn't hurt to have a bit of an MOT here where it probably costs less to do so! Then you know you're set for another year/six months before you have to think about it again. I think I will aim to do this.

My experience with credit--
I added my husband to several of my cards. That actually gave him a credit rating. He tried the free credit report thing once out of curiosity and found out he was reported under his name/SSN on those cards.
In Target once we were buying a TV and the guy asked if he wanted to apply for a Target card. Sure, give it a go. Bam! Instant approval for $500.
He is self-employed, mostly as a subcontractor to one business, but when he does jobs on his own he has to collect state sales tax. He registered his "business" with the state comptroller to remit the tax. That started daily/weekly credit card offers in the mail....American Express, Discover, Chase, etc. He responded online for a Visa card and got approved in about 30 seconds for $8800.
So basically without really trying, the credit just evolved over time, starting from my good rating I suppose.
I will say that early on...maybe 8 months after marriage, we decided to buy a new house. Because he was an unemployed immigrant with no American credit card in his name, I applied for mortgage pre-approval only in my name. I figured I would get less red tape and a better rate that way. I know everybody on VJ stresses a home in joint names is important for removing conditions on the greencard, but that didn't seem to matter in our case.

Feeling the same way! We have just about the same NOA1 date, yours is about a week earlier than mine. I am following your timeline now to see the progress! I hope we both hear something very soon. I see you aren't too far away we are in upstate NY area. This is taking way too long, and its frustrating that we have to both worry about getting a day off to do the renewal for EAD / also that hers might expire before we get the new one ( if we hadnt recieved the GC yet. ) I am so sick of worrying about everything! We also considered my wife going to college, and oh you cant without a GC! So annoying. I try to stay away as much as possible as well because it makes me more upset knowing they havent approved it yet lol.
We should have our GC by the end of April, good luck to us.

I hear you.
Yesterday I was wondering what to do. Where I live there aren't many career choices, so my husband and I have been talking of moving closer to a city so I can find employment which I would be happy in. Any way I thought until we decide which city to move nearer too, I will look at university courses in business. Then I realised I couldn't as I don't have a GC.
So when my husband got back from work I told him what I had been doing and he was like good idea. I said no it isn't I can't go to college and get a loan without my GC. He was like "Are you serious"? Yes I am, welcome to my world not being a permanent resident.
Later that night they had a council job advertised on the car radio. Again I probably can't apply due to not have permanent residency. I just feel in limbo and it just makes me terribly homesick, what we use to take for granted we can't now. My husband is now realising how the GC is affecting most choices we try to make. He is very annoyed being an American Citizen and feeling penalised as he chose to marry someone from abroad and having to pay for the privilege and let's be honest it isn't cheap.
I hope you hear something shortly. I just feel though that this process was taking around 9 months, then it went to 12 months and now it seems around 14 months. They don't seem to know how to play catch up!

Unfortunately when you talk with Tier 1, it's like dancing with the wrong partner. They don't have access to anything more than your number and the dates your application was filed and your NOA1. They tell everyone that their case is in their local office, because for most other visa classes this is true. For us, the few, the proud, the NPIW letter holders; we're in a different universe that most of them have never heard of. They are unaware of the putrescent aroma emanating from the vaults of NBC located somewhere in the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri where our cases decay. The only people who can truly you about where your case sojourns at this moment is Tier 2, if you can cajole them into telling you. Not always easy. Some of them are good at poker, others are not. It was only this week that we determined that our case had finally left Misery and was in the Big Apple field office.
I can tell you this. Many of us have received letters from SR and Congressional/Senatorial inquiries telling us to expect a wait from 9 - 12 months from filing. Others, even those with NOA's in mid March have received letters telling them to wait another 120 days.That would be 15 months. If I were an agent for USCIS, I'd say be patient. But I am not so having been where you are at your point in the wait, just passing the processing date at your local office, I wasn't and neither have most of us here. I came on this thread on Dec. 9th when there were a little over 500 posts, 34 pages and the thread was almost a year old. Now look at it. 2-5 pages a day during the week. We're all impatient, frustrated, aggravated, seething with anger, down, happy for others... We're still waiting and not enjoying any bit of it...
Sorry, can't be anymore encouraging...

The US seems to have too many holidays that only affects government workers, if you're gonna have a holiday at least give us all the day off

I wish to remind people to fill out and submit the HMRC's form P85. I just got a letter back from them after receiving mine and I am getting nearly £500 back!

Re: getting the British culture in before you go. For anyone as in love with Big Ben as I am, you might consider doing this before you leave:
http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/ukvisitors/bigben/
It's a free tour, but you have to arrange it through your local MP. I have mine booked
They are full until early 2014 however, but since I'm not planning to fly out until early Feb (all being well) it's worked out.

I always agreed with you once you corrected my original post. We've been on the same page all along.
We're both here (along with everyone else) to help the OP to the best of our ability.
OP - hope your journey is best case scenario!

Filed in January and we got the exact same waiver letter in April, not a word since then, but can't complain as I have the EAD/AP.
Here is a thread about interview waiver letters and waiting times, in case you're interested: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/452854-notice-of-potential-interview-waiver-case/
Good luck!

At least they sent a letter. I suppose that let's you know your file isn't lost in a black hole. Hearing anything is better than just waiting in the dark.

~ Moved from AOS from Family Based main forum to Progress Reports sub-forum - topic is case status ~

We got one of those back in March! Green card was in our mailbox by June.
But yes, as long as you have the EAD/AP card, it doesn't really matter since your green card will arrive before the year expiration date.
Good luck!

Yep this journey does have it's moments, frustration is one lol ☺

I just called to see what was up, as I've heard nothing since I went to the Social Security office and applied for my card. I entered on a K1 on Feb 13th.
Reading a lot of posts on here about "I got mine within a week" made me realise all was not well. This is nearly a month now! Apparently they are still awaiting verification from Homeland Security about me. I don't understand this... I entered the country and everything went fine at Newark POE. I'm assuming this is just some (more) rubbish waiting on account of someone not picking up a file or checking their email?! Or maybe because I waited 2 weeks - and I realised after, didn't need to now things are electronic - it's a backlog or something?! It's not exactly the end of the world, but still I am frustrated!
Totally forgot to ask if I may know my number anyway, when I called. When I stop frustratedly seething/worrying I will call back and ask!

Update: I called back this morning, to be told they can't give out numbers over the phone (which makes total sense, when I think about it). So I headed down there.
The lady I spoke to went to talk to a team leader, who looked over my 'case' and confirmed everything looked fine. They are now telling me I should have my card within two weeks. Because of the hold up, I haven't even been assigned a number yet, but I can go back tomorrow and get it.
I have my voluntary job tomorrow though, so it might be more like Monday! Still, looks like progress. I'm glad I went there and spoke to someone. Thankfully the office is really close to our apartment!

Keep checking flights POE via land is really easy. Just to note if you have to stop in Canada first, you may be required to go through the US pre-clearance customs that is in most Canadian airports. Plan the layover accordingly as you may be POEing in that airport VS when you arrive in the USA. It's possible because it's an international flight you may not have to, but it would be good to find out if you do. If the layover is in a US airport you will POE at the first one so definitely give yourself 2-4 hours to POE at the layover spot.

Well yes, you should call when your status is updated, but a lot of people recently (myself included) had an interview date set without the status updating. So really there is nothing else you can do but call DOS every few days.
I'm consistently amazed at London's incompetence. Maybe if they let people KNOW about their appointments people would attend and there wouldn't be a 6 week waiting list.

I am going to be in the same boat so even though it's crazy-aggravating for us all, it's nice to hear from others about it! I too couldn't get the MMR at medical (exactly same as original post) so am getting them through my GP now (for free) whilst I am starting to wrap up my life in the UK.
Plattsburgh, NY, where I am moving, has 2 civil surgeons in town so I am praying one of them will sign off on the vaccination sheet for me!
Best of luck all x

Hi Jo!
I am looking at doing this also - flying to Calgary from Gatwick and then driving down to the Montana border. I have travelled this way before as its cheaper and quicker than the three flights through the US to get to my fiance's Montana home.
I am just wondering about entry to Canada with a one-way ticket, but I guess if we have K1 visas and ongoing travel plans to the US Canadian immigration will be good with that?
Keep me updated on your progress

Feels great doesn't it!!!