Emily and Nathan

Is there a "beating a dead horse" section this forum can be moved to? Yeesh.

SO HAPPY FOR YOU/ minorly jealous

Just received the hard copy of my NOA2!!

Please April... be our month... please.

AHHH CONGRATS 1kiki

GOOD LUCK! You'll do great!

Hello everyone!

My interview is tomorrow, I'm getting a lil nervous, but
I know everything I'll be ok. As soon as possible I'll let
Everyone know how it was.

Thanks everybody's for supporting me all the time
This forum really helped me a lot!

XO XO

Thank Gawd

That will make your life easier.

What a great looking couple you guys are

I know an approval is in your future for you ( not that the process is based on good looks

BEST OF LUCK!

I know what you mean i got put into AP 12 days ago and its the hardest part of this the not knowing wether they will grant the visa or not i feel helpless

This is such a wonderful idea for a thread! This process is absolutely challenging and can be hard to appreciate the things we are learning while it's going on. It's really easy to get bogged down by the frustration. I know for me and my husband it has really made our relationship stronger and it's really amazing to know you can make a great team and get through some tough stuff together.

There are have been good days and bad days and totally hopeless days.... But I am finally getting close to the end. We just passed our 1 year since we started this process. We have been apart for almost two years. We have made it work and have gotten to have some really fun trips to see each other. Things we maybe wouldn't have done if we weren't in the middle of this.

The paperwork I can handle, it's the unknown and not being able to make plans. Also all the details like health insurance, importing the car, filing taxes, him getting a job when he is here, how will he adjust. And the questions from people - can't he just move here? When is he gonna get here? Haha.

One thing I try to remember when I get really discouraged is that there are people who have had a longer wait and more hardships than I have. It helps put it in perspective for me and help me not focus so much on how frustrated I am. I am very lucky to have such an amazing man in my life and by the time he gets here, I know I can appreciate it that much more

Thanks- I thought it was a good idea too! From the sounds of it... your man is lucky to have you too! Best of luck with everything!

I have to agree this process is not for the faint of heart and those ready to give up easily. I have cried many nights out of frustration just because I have no control over my life and what to expect. I felt lost at times because no one understood my pain. I havent had much of a support except in visa journey. I am so happy today my I130 was approved today and I can smile and laugh without worry creeping in my thoughts. Today I am celebrating!!! I hope soon to be with my husband finally since a year and almost four months now being apart.... I hope we have this process completed before the two year mark. I hope everyone finds their reasons to celebrate throughout this process.

Yes ... Visa journey has been a good support system for me too. You definitely deserve to celebrate! But take more than a day to celebrate... you deserve it for how long you have waited. it's hopefully all down hill from here!

Yep. It's really been hard over this year to explain to our family and friends why the heck it's taking so long (because even we can't fathom this). They've asked some funny questions: "Why won't his country let him out?" (like he's in prison or something! LOL) and "Why won't the U.S. let you in?" and "Why don't you just pay them extra for express service?" (I laughed out loud at that one!)

I've explained so many times I'm sick of talking about it when I get together with friends. And midway through, over and over having someone ask all perky-like: "Well...any news?" made me want to just tear my hair.

Unless you're going through the process, it's hard to explain to people who aren't going through it too. But hang in there, because it WILL get done, and one day you'll be with your sweeties and all will be fine.

The number of times I get asked "heard anything? or any news?'... I tell ya... I know people are trying to just show concern... but it's frustrating because once I do hear something... that is all I'll be telling people... so I want to say to people... If I don't say anything.. I haven't heard anything lol..

But you are right.. it is a matter of time.. It will happen... In time.. for all of us that show patience.. and dedication to getting all this done.

"I've explained so many times I'm sick of talking about it when I get together with friends. And midway through, over and over having someone ask all perky-like: "Well...any news?" made me want to just tear my hair." <<<---- TOTALLY!! Ha ha haaa!

My fiance and I have known each other since 2010 and started this journey in July of 2013. The longest part for us was AFTER receiving our NOA2...52-days for NOA2, 188-days from NOA2 to approval. Grrrr. We were in AP for 71-days after our interview and were finally approved yesterday! Whew! Even through the not-knowing and how the black-hole of AP gnawed at us daily, we knew this journey wouldn't be easy but vowed to each other that our commitment to each other would carry us through without question. And it has. Not once did we want to throw in the towel and walk away. Not once did we argue and yell at each other. We have talked every single day since we've met without fail. We are closer than ever (even though we are countries away, for now) and know without a doubt we are here for each other for the long haul. We speak openly about our feelings every step of the way. After our approval, we both were talking about how happy but NERVOUS we are because it's actually happening, like for real, no "waiting for approval". I describe it as a delicious nervousness, we know our lives will change and soon now. He is traveling far from all he has known, family, country, etc. to start a new life here with his daughter and I. We expect a period of adjusting into our new schedules and life and honestly welcome every last bit of it with open arms. No government, no red tape, no borders will keep us apart.

This site has been such a blessing and will continue to be one. The comfort of knowing we are/were not alone in the struggle is indescribable. The highs and lows are tremendous but it is worth every single last minute of this to know, soon, we conquered it and will be together.

(L) (L)

CONGRATS ON YOUR APPROVAL! So So So happy for you. You two will be stronger because you made it through this process together. And you are right... this site provides a lot of comfort in not being alone in this... And I will trust you that it is worth every minute.. since I have a lot more minutes to go

sniffles i haven't seen my husband in person for 443 days and its so hard to live the life without him.

Oh Dreamers..I'm so so so sorry. That sounds absolutely awful.

But you know what... I truly believe that everything happens for a reason... and that the Universe will reward you for your patience. Look forward to the day that you can look back on this process and ALMOST laugh.. because you'll be on the other side. In the mean time.. keep you head up.. and know my heart goes out to you and how you are feeling. Stay strong.

I HATE K1 PROCESS!!

I HATE WE HAVE NO EXTRA MONEY FOR FLIGHT TICKETS so we cant see each other

I HATE I HAVENT TOUCH HIM ... KISS HIM... SLEEP TOGETHER AS HE HOLDS ME TIGHT!!!!

I HATE I HAVENT SEE HIM SINCE AUGUST!!!

Texas center better move their #### and not just ask for money but speed the process... They play with our life and our relationship and our family!!!

Just this!

Hey Laspo.. I've read a few of your posts on the December Filers page.. I know you are having a rough time...

I know this process absolutely sucks.. I'm at TSC too.. As I said before... maybe this is taking longer because.. God or the Universe or whatever you choose to believe in...wants everything perfect for when you two are united. Trust the timing... and know that this process no matter how hard it is.. I know... beings couples closer together and makes them stronger... Going through something this difficult in a relationship is a testimony of your love and devotion to each other. I also HATE everything that you listed you are going through with you.. I'm sorry that this part of your journey is so difficult. Thinking of you.

wow.. lots of info..

THANK YOU..this is lots of help.

l

What make and model is the vehicle? This matters in helping determine whether you can import it, and how easy it will be to get the necessary documents.

Moving to Redwood NY?

When we went though the Alexandria Bay CBP, the guy we spoke to wasn't entirely sure how to do the process and had to look it up and chat with others that had done it before. He gave us 3 forms, the 2 listed above (hs799short.pdf and 3520-1.pdf) as well as a http://forms.cbp.gov/pdf/CBP_Form_7501.pdf and made us fill them out while we were there. The CBP7501 will most likely need to be completed with their help, but I remember they wanted the value of the vehicle on this...though they pretty much just guessed. NYS DMV will not accept the import without the VIN on all 3. On the 7501, they just wrote "See attached page", which the DMV did not accept (CBP later said to write the VIN on it ourselves and go back).

As for the NY side of things, use the Visa in your passport (or the I94...can't remember) and your Ontario drivers license to transfer your license. You should get a 1 year license ($64.50 according to DMV site). Once you get your green card, go back and have them remove the 1 year restriction, I think that was a $12 fee for us. That also means don't wait to start the AOS process, I don't really know what your options are if you don't have the green card by the time your license exipires.

If you use an insurance company that operates in both the US and Canada, youmight be able to transfer your insurance policy down. NY requires that your insurance be through a NY agent, so you can't use your Canadian insurance.

For the vehicle itself, start with the NYS inspection. You can get it done at any dealership, most repair shops, and some oil change places. Make sure your check engine light is not on...otherwise it will fail inspection. I think the fee is still $21. This has to be done every year on the same month, and you get a little sticker for the corner of your windshield.

Once you have the inspection and insurance, then you can register your vehicle. In the end, you should get a "title" which you keep at home, new license plates, your registration card, and a registration sticker which goes next to that inspection sticker on your window. We had some trouble here, we got everything except the title fairly quickly. In the end, they wanted to see a copy of the purchase agreement/receipt before they would issue the title...so bring that with you to the DMV when you get it registered. $25 for the plates, $50 for the title, and the registration fees vary depending on the vehicle, but around $35.

NY requires this to be done within 30 days of becoming a resident, which starts the day you enter NY on the K-1. I know I wrote a lot, but I think I covered everything I could think of.

Thankfully I own it outright.

Also an important question to ask if there is a lien on the car or do you own it outright?

Oh rshree- yes please keep your sanity!!! I will hope for the best for you.

Keep your chin up!

Thank you very much. We need all of those encouraging words.

We have been in this process since July 2013.... now in AP in Montreal since 2 weeks. When in AP, there is nothing much we can do but to patiently wait. We are at that phase where these kind of encouraging words keep us sane.

Lol- I actually did laugh out loud at this... So true.

I tell my Fiancee very frequently that this time apart is actually making me want a life with her even more. Not to mention the fact that we both have things we have to situate before we'll be ready. This is just allowing us time to do that. I know I'm only barely into the process but I am finding that it's easier to pass time if you stay busy, set goals & stay focused on them, have hobbies, don't spend all day obsessing over the process, and drink some alcohol occasionally.

Thanks M&B- I had to double check to.. I had a moment of thinking maybe my math was wrong... either way- I'm not in horrible circumstances since my fiance is only 50 minutes away.. I'm friends with most of the people at the border because I cross so much- I go every week once or twice.. So at least I get to see him.. I know a lot of people are much worse off than me.... What sucks for me is being at a job I despise in the mean time.. But you are right- USCIS better prepare for my wrath if I reach 5 months

However, you have been waiting longer than some I've seen on here. You're only about 3 weeks away from 5 months & if you don't hear something by then, I'm sure you'll be calling in for a Service Request or Infopass.

Edit: My math is off. You're about 7 weeks away.

I think it is doing the same for us... Nathan is much better at rolling with the punches than me.. so I'm trying to get better at that versus crying everytime I have to leave there lol like a big puss puss.

Congrats on your next chapter.. sounds like you are very happy.. best of luck!

The K1 process only strengthened my relationship with my then fiance and now husband. We didn't have a perfect relationship and being away from each other didn't help. Patience is truly a virtue in this journey and understanding each other's nature took time.

I am very happy and thankful we are over that stage and now, living a happy married life here. Cheers and wishing everybody all the best! Let me assure you that all those waiting is definitely worth it!

was it difficult?

I'd love to hear about what you had to do

Might be better having this moved to the Canadian forum - many of us have done it

Just wanted to say that as someone going through this immigration struggle.. as many of you are.. and although I haven't been waiting nearly as long as a lot of you have. I really feel for every single one of you.

Being away from the person you want to be with most is so difficult.

If you need some words of encouragement.. feel free to post in here.

The best is yet to come for all of you

The OP stated earlier that her fiance was questioned at his interview at the consulate and told them his real birth place.

As you explained before, if his mother used a false name and other man is on his bc venezuelan, and the dominican bc has the right name of his mother and his right father.
how did the consulate find that he was born in venezuela?
you said that in the original bc he has diferents last names.
so the two bc are from diferents persons.
The only way that the consulate can find that is if someone that know his history maybe called to the consulate.

Sounds like you are really on top of this!!!

Good for you!

Best of luck!

Thank you for the info and the encouragement enigma!! Right now the update is that the lawyer has contacted the embassy but they said they didn't receive the form yet which says they are representing me (sent last week) so the lawyer is calling daily.. Tomorrow senator Cardin (or someone in his office) will call the consulate for an inquiry.. The status of the case on ceac is still 'ready' so a denial has not been processed yet.. The interviewer told him to bring back his Venezuelan bc which he has found (original really tore up) as well as his original passport from Venezuela which also has a lot of damage. He is planning to take those documents back on Thursday depending on what data the senator and lawyer get tomorrow.

Hoping for any day now :/

Thank you 1kiki for always being so encouraging and positive... it helps.

Have a good day!

Any NOA 2 approvals this week?

Ya- we are all the same in the eyes of immigration when it comes to money etc..

Just make sure you have everything you need everything.. TRIPLE CHECK... photo copy the whole package a few times and send it off with a read receipt.

There are tons of resources on this site to help you along the way as well.. GOODLUCK

I agree with the other two posts- if the lawyer is being no help- take this into your own hands and get in touch with the embassey..

Sounds like you won't have much more of a wait in front of you once you figure this out. Congrats.

I'm really sorry this happened to you.. I can't imagine how devastated you must feeling.

I know it is hard to think this way in the moment.. but everything happens for a reason...

Maybe it happened to make you two stronger when you overcome this together... or maybe

it happened becayuse there is something better out there for you..

Either way.. keep your head up. Her actions say nothing about you.. but rather of what she is lacking in character.

Best of luck to you.

Congrats... So happy for you... praying I'm in your position soon

Don't worry too much - I'm sure it will come.. I sent mine standard mail with a receipt.. and it took about a week...a week and a half for me to receive

Sorry... I'm not sure what that means...:/

But he lives literally 50 minutes away.. so when I do move.. I'll just be driving down there.

Honestly.. I think the thought crosses a lot of minsd when they first start this process (it crossed mine :/)

But the risk isn't worth it... she can't come here "visiting" with the intent to immigrate...

If she is caught... you suffer pretty much her not being able to come down here at all..

You two sound like great people.. and like you are in love.. I am in the same boat... plus I HATE my job... I literally tear up everytime I live My guy's house because the thought of coming back here... and leaving again is overwhelming sometimes.

As far as how long it takes... it is really hard to say... to give you an example... We filed at the beginning of December and have received our NOA1... but nothing else yet... ... So almost 4 months and we aren't even at the second step yet.. Sigh

Taking my car to the US...

How does that work?

I'm assuming i'm going to have to get a US Driver's License... and get US plates...and US insurance?

What order... how... and how long do I have to do these things?

And how much does it cost to make all these changes? Anyone know?

Thanks.

I missed that the Mother was in home.

My bad.

I don't think the op knew how to handle the situation, and came here for input if others ran into this. People react differently, and I get the feeling the mother in law being in the home, maybe its even her home, throws another aspect into this situation. We could wish everyone reacted like you say you would, I react pretty much the same way myself. What's done is done, make your wishes for changes for future similar events, but don't get all upset about the past, because its not going to change it.

I can easily see his wife having a bad day at work, getting jumped on by her mother over the smell and foreign language being spoken, not liking the smell herself, and jumping on her husband, who then felt hurt and confused.

While it might seem "nit-picky" to those of us from this area, certain cultural differences can often create barriers when people are learning to adjust to one another. And the whole "I don't mean to be mean, but..." usually means you intend to be just that.

People people... I'm an extremely nice person...And just because I am from Canada doesn't mean I don't have experience with different cultures. I have friends from all over the place and I love ethnic food...In no way was I comparing the poster's relationship to my own.

What I am saying... is if you are in a relationship.... and you are in love...

Being mad about what the other person cooks.... seems silly

and being mad about your significant other using their first language to communicate with his family... seems strange.

If I was in a relationship with someone from a different culture.. I would encourage both of those thing...

and if the smell of something he cooked bother me... I would say "Hey.. I don't like the smell of that.. mind if we don't cook that inside anymore? K LOVE YOU"

and if I felt like he was talking about me in his own language to his family.. I would say "Hey.. were you talking about me to your family?...or what were you guys talking about? or..It felt like you were talking about me to your family it made me uncomfortable." ETC

This should be a simple fix... it doesn't make sense to me that this needs to be an issue discussed on a public forum when it is your private relationship issues...

I can understand if you are in an abusive relationship... or something serious is happening... but why post little disagreements on here when you can just work on resolving it with your wife?

I don't think a Canadian/American relationship is going to understand how different and strong some food smells can be. Although I have to agree she's being pretty darn sensitive about the language thing. I wonder if this has more to do with the guy's mother in law living in the home though? My wife has even learned how badly certain food smell and how long they can linger in American homes, particularly when they're sealed up for the winter. Homes in her country are built to be open to the breeze. Here she prefers certain items from her country be cooked outside also, and liberally gets the Febreze out to counter some cooking smells.