rina120

3 N/As yesterday, happy days. Bittersweet to say goodbye to my wife this morning but fantastic to know it will be the last airport goodbye of any length. Also sucks that people are still at uscis from November :-(

Congrats on making it to the next stage!!!!! The worry of getting a checklist is finally over!

Still waiting to hear when my interview will be but I'm happy to be finally moving on to the last stage of this process.

All going well we'll be relocating in and around Xmas time

Btw.... I can't believe some people are still at USCIS, how awful!!

For anyone still checking in on this forum.. just wanted to let you know that my case has also been confirmed as complete. I logged into CEAC site 3 days ago on 23Sep and saw AOS had gone to N/A overnight. Eventually got tired of waiting on NVC to make contact so just called them and the lady confirmed that my case is complete and now waiting on the interview to be scheduled. My scan date for documents would have been 30Jul so approx 55 days. What a relief and finally good to see things coming close to completion... all going well anyway

CONGRATS BernieRich!!! It's great to see some positive news

Follow this group, so far is the best one with all the recent cc

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/512491-nvc-filers-september-2014/

Perfect.. thanks for that

Hopefully we'll start hearing soon.. this process is soul destroying

When is your scan day for IV? As of yesterday they had stared CC on July 28, yours should be coming up soon. ? NVC had started speeding up in the past two weeks, My AOS and IV was receive 8/8 and I'm praying my attorney didn't make any mistakes ?

Also praying my attorney has covered all bases! Can you let me know where you were able to see that cases from 28th July were CC??? I've been trying to figure out where I can track this. My AOS & IV were submitted on 28th July so I'm anxiously waiting on notification....

updated to say that I was finally approved!!

Filed november 6th in Nebraska and was getting so anxious seeing that most of November was done and then voila! This morning!!

It's a long hard wait that no one but someone who has been through it can understand!

Here's hoping the next steps dont take forever!

So my receipt date is November 6th at the NSC and every time I called they kept telling me that they were working on november 5th and I couldnt put in a service request.

Well thanks to all of you for updating us all, because I saw people after November 6th get approved so I called and asked to speak to someone higher.

After 30 mins on hold, he was able to tell me that they are currently working on my case and that I can put in a request if I still wanted to.

I requested a service request and hope that this doesnt cause any delays!

Thanks for keeping the spreadsheet updated people and for keeping everyone informed!

Hi Everyone!

I'm a November filer as well. November 6th to be exact. I frantically check the mailbox everyday!

I moved back to the States in January and during the move, somehow we lost the receipt number so we cannot check online

But I will be actively watching this forum to see who gets approved and when.

They sent our application to Nebraska.

Hoping for good news soon!

A) I think it got moved because you were asking about *which* option you should take, including the K1 which is a visa for fiances not spouses. This section of the forum tends to be used for people deciding which visa journey they should take and looking for help deciding. But I'm not a moderator...

Yes I realize I flipped for a second and I apologize for that. You have to understand, my relationship has been "less than marriage" forever...until 6 days ago! Oh and did I mention that my psyche has taken a hit over this situation?

So I understand. Thank you for kindly explaining it to me.

Definitely, I'm ecstatic at the progress made with DOMA and Prop 8. It's only a matter of time now before there is full equality for LGBT people. I'm bisexual myself and have been involved in LGBT activism since I was 13 so I'm very relieved that steps are being made forward for equality. I know that Section 3 of DOMA was the main part keeping same-sex couples apart for ridiculous amounts of time and the tales you read about are just so sad and tragic sometimes. It's fantastic that you and your wife can now start a new life in the USA. Really happy for you .

Also, that is debateable with K1 vs CR-1. In my opinion, the K1 is still quicker. I've seen about people waiting easily over a year for CR-1 NOA2 and overall I still believe it takes longer. Only, with a K-1, you have to do AOS so it'll take longer to get permanent residency and it is more expensive. Only thing is with a K-1, you have to not be legally married and it can cause issues even if you've had a civil union if USCIS deems you not free to marry, therefore not eligible for K-1. Your best option may be to opt for the CR-1 given your circumstances, especially if you're already living together, though I'd definitely see if it's possible to do DCF.

Hmm. Interesting point QueenofBlades! Thanks to you and Lost_at_sea for the advice. I'm pretty sure it's a high possibility if my past experiences ahve anything to do with it. I was stunned when Denmark wouldnt marry us because of the Civil Union.

If I pursue CR-1, I can still petition for an exception in Dublin. I looked on the USCIS site and it mentions what types they accept (medical emergency, threats of violence) but it also say that it will consider other exceptions. So I'm hoping for the other! Although hearing that no one has had Consulate Meeting in Ireland since the law changed does hurt.

I will talk with the other half this evening when she gets off work. Here is another question that perhaps someone can help with that will aid in our decision on which one to pursue.

If I start the process in Ireland, do I have to stay in Ireland until complete?

Or should I start the process in the States?

And have people had experiences where their spouses were denied entry into the US while the application is in process? (Provided the evidence of ties to Ireland is provided?)

Thanks again. It's very helpful. There is alot of information out there currently for the gays now that DOMA is overturned, but it is mostly geared towards US Citizens who chose to live in the US and be seperate from their partner.

Moved from DCF Discussion to General Immigration-Related Discussion; DCF is not an option for the OP and the OP is exploring different paths that are available.

I'm not sure I necessarily agree with this but you are the moderator. Can you reconsider

A) the general forum you moved me to is for people who arent going to sponsor a spouse. I am sponsoring a spouse. I didnt even click that because I want information from people who are looking for SPOUSAL sponsorship..not sibling visas. And I am a US citizen, not a visa holder...At least put me in the other Spousal areas?

b) According to the Dublin Embassy, I CAN write for an exception. So I do not believe this is not an option and was hoping to hear from people who got exceptions. The OP is exploring ALL OPTIONs. including DCF

Thank you both for the congrats and the well wishes! Its nice! I wish the whole DOMA thing was struck down, but I will settle for this at the moment because THIS is the part that's been negatively effecting us. Step by step I suppose!

We're only getting "married" in Canada because the officiant can arrange everything over skype, and I have a free place to stay. To us, we were "married" a year ago when we had the reception,cut the cake, and went on the honeymoon, etc. This is for legal purposes only, so we are not picky about where it is. Just want it to be easy! (as a side note, we cannot get married anywhere in Europe because they recognize our civil union as legally binding and therefore we are not free to marry. Funny how its interpreted differently)

I did read that comparison chart of the visas before I posted.

sigh.

So if I read correctly, the time for getting a K-1 isnt alllll that shorter any more than going straight for the CR-1? And some people are reporting shorter timeframes?

Ok. This is good to know!

Hello.

DOMA IS DEAD! YAY!

I saw no section for general questions, so I posted in this forum because DCF is what I hope I can get.

But now I have no idea where to start. It's all so complicated. Please bear with me. I appreciate any advice or suggestions, etc that you may be able to provide.

We are a same sex couple. I am a USC. My wife is Irish. We currently reside in Ireland. I made the choice between love or country. We are not married in Ireland. We have a Civil Union. We were planning on getting married in Canada at the end of august and then having a DCF for the green card. Except Ireland doesnt have a USCIS counter and that is not an option..unless an exception is granted. I have had such difficulty in Ireland finding a job, and honestly, after three years, its affecting my psyche. I am desperate to go back home. Does anyone know how long the lock box applications take? I've seen some up to a year!

One more thing to consider is that I do not think I am able to stay in Ireland for another year. And my wife and I have decided that I will move home without her (And she eventually follows) before I stay another year.

So in my mind here are my options:

1. Get married in Canada. Write immigration for an exception to the rule under the basis that it was not an option until recently when DOMA was overturned, I chose love over country, living in exile for 3 years, negatively effected my career, finances, mental wellness blah blah blah. Hopefully, you know where I am going with this. BUT...do you think it will work???
2. Get married in Canada. Mail application from Ireland to the lock box. But how long will this take? Will I have to stay in Ireland until it's granted? Is visiting the US while the application is processing going to be relatively easy once proof of ties to Ireland is shown? (house mortgage, rental lease, job, etc)?
3. Get married in Canada. Go back to the States. apply for green card for her while I am home.
4. DO NOT get married in Canada. Go Back to the states. Apply for Fiance visa. Go that route.

Any suggestions as to which route to go that will be quickest? Any other route that I dont know of?

We have no children, we have the finance limit, no trouble with the law. So I think it should be straightforward.

Thanks in advance!! I wish I was home having a 4th of July BBQ instead of freaking out over visa issues