Jump to content

Megan & Luke

Members
  • Posts

    349
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Reputation Activity

  1. Like
    Megan & Luke reacted to Chalandrae in How did (or are you ) dealing with the separation during the waiting process?   
    We use skype everyday after work. It might sound silly, but we let the call go through the night and fall asleep together. We send pictures and always communicate by text messages. We've been together for 3 years now and still a strong couple.
    What I also did is I borrowed one of his hoodie. (I am the woman and he was nice enough to leave one to me ^.^)
    There is some little details that can help, but I think Skype, viber and all the applications that let you have a video conversations are a great thing.
    One of you can also visit, but it can be a costly solution.
    And just tell yourself yes the wait is long, but in the end it's worth it .
  2. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from meowmeow123 in BF becomes busy all of a sudden   
    Well, I am going to be a bit stereotypical and general here. This doesn't apply to all men, but they deal with stress much differently than women do. I am assuming you are female? Correct me if I'm wrong.
    A lot of men deal with stress by shutting down and being quiet, doing things on their own or sometimes with a few buddies. They need time to sort things through and can seem zoned out. It's even harder in a long distance relationship because you both already seem "zoned out" because of the distance. In the 8 year LDR with my fiance we've had those moments, especially when we both had more demanding jobs and responsibility piled onto us from all avenues. I can't tell you what the reasoning is for your boyfriends disinterest right now. It doesn't always signal something bad.
    Since you have already spoken with him about it, now this part is up to you. You have some options here - Listen to your gut first. If it's telling you something is amiss, don't file the visa until you two are able to sit down and have a straight heart to heart. Tell him that you feel he is being evasive, seems disinterested in you and the relationship and this visa process, and ask him to clarify what he would like our of your relationship; ask him where he sees it going. Don't be confrontational, just be open with him about how you're feeling. The next step is all on you - do you trust this man? If you fully trust him and your gut isn't telling you something is wrong, then give him some space. Be supportive. The last thing a stressed man needs is to be "hounded" (that's what my fiance calls it when I get very overbearing) because you just end up in the same pile of burdens as everything else causing him stress. You need to know when to step back. I know that is very hard in an LDR because you're missing a very crucial piece - body language.
    When you two Skype, is it always on his own time? It's a bit odd that if it's on his own time he can't seem interested. However, if these calls are more about your schedule I understand it. I call my fiance every day on my 4:00pm break. it's 9:00pm his time by then, and some days we don't say much. He's had a long day, I had a long day, or we can snap at each other because of stress - especially as we move closer to his POE date next Sunday. Just take it in stride and don't take it personally - especially if you can't sense that anything is amiss with him.
    I know it is difficult to have a conversation with him and not make it all about you - I do this too often, even today. He reminds me of it when I am doing it and we try to take a few steps back. LDR is hard.. you aren't involved in every day life and don't see the forces around both of you circling. If you are willing to marry him you need to trust him - if he tells you that he is busy with work and tired from that stress then he is most likely telling you the truth. However, he needs to understand that the way he is projecting this makes you feel uneasy and unsure of the relationship. Voice this concern to him in that way, explain that maybe you two need to have some kind of boundaries - at least one set time each day you can fully devote attention to each other, etc..
    Good luck!
    Megan
  3. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from yuna628 in Progress thread for TSC filers now between NVC and Interview Stage   
    Well everyone, our big envelope arrived with Luke's passport in it. It's delivered by hand in the UK which you have to sign for. Don't worry if you get it scheduled on a day you can't be there, the delivery company has a very easy way to reschedule the delivery date.
    You'll get a package with three things in it:
    - Your passport, with the Visa on one of the pages. I'd send a picture but I'm not sure what information I'm allowed to show.
    - A leaflet explaining the K1 Visa and that you must adjust after 90 days once you're married.
    - A large envelope which a picture is attached for you. It states to not pack it and must be hand carried. You must also not open it.
    That's it for us now, the flight is on the 3rd May so less than two weeks now!

  4. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Adam & Anne in WHEN TO APPLY FOR AOS   
    Once the beneficiary enters the USA, a new clock of 90 days begins. The AOS should be filed at some point during these 90 days. The visa expiration date no longer matters - that date is only there to give an expiration on the time the beneficiary must travel to the USA. Others have adjusted status after the 90 days ends, however that begins a new topic. You'd have to file a spousal visa request and AOS together at that point.
    Long story short - 90 days from the day of Point of Entry is the time frame to file AOS.
  5. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Kay&Jay in WHEN TO APPLY FOR AOS   
    Once the beneficiary enters the USA, a new clock of 90 days begins. The AOS should be filed at some point during these 90 days. The visa expiration date no longer matters - that date is only there to give an expiration on the time the beneficiary must travel to the USA. Others have adjusted status after the 90 days ends, however that begins a new topic. You'd have to file a spousal visa request and AOS together at that point.
    Long story short - 90 days from the day of Point of Entry is the time frame to file AOS.
  6. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from HASHTAG in Interview approved but AP.   
    All visas will go through some form of AP before the visa is issued and you have it in hand. We all assume AP to be bad, but really it just means administrative processing. Typically that happens after the visa approval while they literally do administrative processing duties on your passport - most likely attaching the visa and shipping it off to you. Can last a few days from what I've seen.
    If there were any red flags, you received the wrong color paper at the interview or you were given indication that things were amiss then I might be worried about the "dreaded" version of AP. In this case I think it's pretty standard, but others can correct me if I'm wrong.
  7. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Tonyhk in How many days from NOA2 to "Sent to NVC"?   
    Yeah, USCIS has been one of the most disorganized government agencies I've worked with.. and that says a lot considering a majority of government is disorganized. I can see why you'd be distrustful of them - and that isn't to say they didn't screw up - I just don't think it was intentional. They seem to screw up a lot about this process. Much of it is because on the USCIS service center side they aren't using a fully digital system. A lot of this is hand keyed and actually reviewed on paper. There's a lot of room for error. At NVC it's typically better, though even they have some issues there. Malicious or intentional I doubt but disorganized and not all their ducks in a row? Definitely.
    Good luck - hopefully it gets straightened out soon. At the very least once it reaches the embassy you know it's at it's final destination.
  8. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Tonyhk in How many days from NOA2 to "Sent to NVC"?   
    You also need to take into consideration that the period of time between your NOA2 and the original shipping date included a MULTITUDE of holidays. You typically can't include - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Day after Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years Day. So right there a week is gone. Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 26, Dec 31, Jan 1. Not to mention weekends and holidays. It sounds like your original shipping was right on track, however something happened in the transit and it had to be resent. Sometimes it just happens that way - one person's file takes longer than others in the same situation. I wouldn't think there's any red flags here.
  9. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Shauneg in How many days from NOA2 to "Sent to NVC"?   
    You also need to take into consideration that the period of time between your NOA2 and the original shipping date included a MULTITUDE of holidays. You typically can't include - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Day after Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years Day. So right there a week is gone. Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 26, Dec 31, Jan 1. Not to mention weekends and holidays. It sounds like your original shipping was right on track, however something happened in the transit and it had to be resent. Sometimes it just happens that way - one person's file takes longer than others in the same situation. I wouldn't think there's any red flags here.
  10. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from wbeem in OMG I HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED in 190 days! So awesome! Life is good!   
    Boy, where was this thread in the 7 month wait my fiance and I had recently? Would have been awesome!
  11. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Dohan in K-1 fiance visa approved   
    You have to have a reason for EAD - employer already hired you, spousal, K-1. You can technically apply for the EAD after you arrive in the states, however it's pretty pointless in many cases. Unless you're planning on waiting a while (almost the 90 days) to get married, the EAD takes typically 90 days to process. If you do it in this manner you have to pay the EAD fee. You will also have to pay the AOS fee. If you file them together after you are married it waives the EAD fee.
    Since the K-1 expires within 90 days and it takes 90 days to process the EAD anyways.. it's up to you, if financials are not a problem then do it this way if you're insistent on working ASAP. Otherwise it's more financially sound to marry ASAP and file your AOS+EAD.
    Either way though, unless something has changed, this can't be done at the border. You have to file the form with USCIS and wait for your card to arrive before you are on the official EAD card.
    The NOLO page explains it a bit better: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/fiance-marriage-visa-book/chapter5-22.html
  12. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from TBoneTX in K-1 fiance visa approved   
    You have to have a reason for EAD - employer already hired you, spousal, K-1. You can technically apply for the EAD after you arrive in the states, however it's pretty pointless in many cases. Unless you're planning on waiting a while (almost the 90 days) to get married, the EAD takes typically 90 days to process. If you do it in this manner you have to pay the EAD fee. You will also have to pay the AOS fee. If you file them together after you are married it waives the EAD fee.
    Since the K-1 expires within 90 days and it takes 90 days to process the EAD anyways.. it's up to you, if financials are not a problem then do it this way if you're insistent on working ASAP. Otherwise it's more financially sound to marry ASAP and file your AOS+EAD.
    Either way though, unless something has changed, this can't be done at the border. You have to file the form with USCIS and wait for your card to arrive before you are on the official EAD card.
    The NOLO page explains it a bit better: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/fiance-marriage-visa-book/chapter5-22.html
  13. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from ascertainLovE in OMG I HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED in 190 days! So awesome! Life is good!   
    Have to admit, this thread wins everything today. Kudos on the wit
  14. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Janelle2002 in OMG I HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED in 190 days! So awesome! Life is good!   
    Have to admit, this thread wins everything today. Kudos on the wit
  15. Like
    Megan & Luke reacted to ascertainLovE in OMG I HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED in 190 days! So awesome! Life is good!   
    I just want to let everyone know how happy I am that I haven't been approved yet in the TSC! Things are moving so quickly! What should I be preparing for the NVC stage because I am just so excited just waiting for my approval which will probably come some time in 2019. The other day I received some strong words of encouragement from a neighbor whose wife is from the Phillipines. He told me to hang on and be patient. He petioned for a K1 visa for his wife on July 1, 2014. He later invited me to their wedding in NY on July 2, 2014. It was incredible. I was like: "that was fast! I need to relax!"
    So yeah, here I am, typing on VJ. I have been on hold for about a week waiting to speak to a Tier 2 officer. Trying to dream and wait for someone to answer the phone is pretty tricky!
    Good luck VJer's. I am just loving life here in the TSC!
  16. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Marco&Bettina in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  17. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Darnell in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  18. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from av8or1 in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  19. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from ascertainLovE in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  20. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from waiting4awhile in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  21. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from TabeaK in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  22. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from -Shana- in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  23. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from kimmygeee in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  24. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from yuna628 in Our own thread   
    I was part of the hellhole that is TSC. Eventually I gave up on reading ANY post to do with CSC, just like Marco & Bettina mentioned. The stress over the unknown at TSC and the absolutely pathetic and unfair discrepancies between the two service centers were wreaking havoc on my fiance and I. We had already done the long distance thing for 7 years and were ready to put that behind us.
    We filed in July 2014, and felt a glimmer of hope in August when a lot of April and May petitions were transferred. Then TSC died again. It's never recovered and seems to be worse and worse now. After constant phone calls, Omsbudsman complaints, Senator contacts and even calling into those Director Rodriguez conference calls we were approved just shy of 7 months at the end of January.
    I've been watching these boards since last summer and I'm particularly surprised at the recent moderation. There has been animosity between the two camps for as long as I've been here, but perhaps it's gotten much worse? I stopped following many of the service center threads once our petition was approved so I may not see what is actually going on. I understand the need for moderation and I understand that some of the posts deleted may have been extreme in nature - but I have to ask - where is/was the moderation when a CSC petitioner approved in 10 days or 3 weeks stumbled into a TSC-only marked thread only to cause even more despair and hopelessness for us and make us feel even worse?
    It is absolutely exhausting to be told constantly 'be patient' - usually by people who have barely had to suffer the process at all. Where were the removal of posts that only succeeded in exacerbating the already tense situation between CSC and TSC petitioners? Unless I've missed something and the posts now are way over the top compared to what I've seen in the past, I don't see why it's become a sudden need for post removals. Like I said, I rarely watch the service center threads now, but many of them that I happen upon have a removed post now.
    Perhaps VJ needs to think about separating out by service center within the other forums. That would help in reducing tension because someone from a different service center wouldn't stumble on the others and wreak havoc. One major suggestion to stop A LOT of this animosity would be to do SOMETHING to make people understand that just because they submitted their papers to the Dallas lockbox their service center is NOT Texas. I can't even begin to think how to fix that problem but it would definitely assist in cutting down on the tempers.
    Long story short - This is not easy, it tests your patience, it will make you rage to see a thread or a post from a CSC petitioner touting their blessed nature or organization skills. This process makes you want to hit your head against a wall until you have no thinking capability left. You'll incessantly read the same preparedness documents over and over until you can recite them verbatim. You may get thrown into AP, a lost file, or just deal with the typical USCIS runaround. Many of us have endured our LDR's for much much longer than we have been waiting on a petition. We filed the papers - we know something is changing and we want it now. I know that feeling and been in that position. I will say that it is never something I want to do again but when you get that NOA2 everything changes.
    Your mindset will change, that rage and the hatred towards others for seemingly no reason disappears. This is all because, despite the torture at TSC, this process is worth it. Your future spouse is worth it. I won't say be patient because you won't be. I will say hang in there. After NOA2 the ride goes very fast.
    Good luck
  25. Like
    Megan & Luke got a reaction from Marco&Bettina in Recent transfered from TSC to CSC??????   
    Believe me, you are not alone in your frustrations over TSC. My fiance and I filed back on July 2, 2014. A month later we were elated to see that a lot of the March and April filers had been transferred in August to CSC. We wrongfully assumed that it would speed things along because TSC was already into processing February by then. We thought heck, how can it take them ages to finish one or two months of petitions? Well, almost 8 months later we received our NOA2 - On January 23. This was after numerous phone calls to USCIS, complaints via the Director's frequent conference calls, letters to my Senators and an official Omsbudsman complaint.
    Since you're only a few months in, and with no sign at the minute of transfers coming for anyone at TSC, let me give you some advice that helped us. Don't get me wrong - the months between NOA1 and NOA2 will test your patience and make you extremely angry.
    1. Acknowledge that you may have another 3-4 months wait ahead of you. Don't get excited when you see a random late filer be approved. These are most likely expedites or incorrectly listed service center in their timeline. Prepare for a 7-8 month wait for NOA2.
    2. Start preparing. Read up on the next steps in the process. After your NOA2 things move VERY fast. Within a month our case had left NVC, arrived at NVC, shipped off to the consulate, my fiance had his medical and filed all of his forms. We now just await an interview date. Start gathering the documents you will need. Read up on the embassy website where your fiance will have the interview and see what the specific steps are for that consulate. Some embassies allow you to schedule the medical ahead of time, others allow police certificates to be good for up to a year. You can start gathering everything possible early on while you wait for TSC.
    3. Do not read threads about CSC vs. TSC. It always ends badly, especially with the HUGE discrepancy in processing times right now.You may end up doing what we did and avoid any CSC talk at all - including approval/congratulations posts. Harsh I know.. but it really wears you down eventually and there is nothing you can do about it.
    4. Start preparing letters to your Senator so you can ship them off at your 5 months. Get involved (if you want to) in speaking out about the discrepancy. It hardly ever goes anywhere, but who knows.
    5. Plan your future. If you two will be moving into a brand new place, plan it out and look at finances. Save money and start thinking about the wedding day and what you will do the first day you and your fiance are together here. Shop online for things you two will want to buy.
    6. If you receive an RFE (request for evidence) respond to it as soon as possible with what's been asked of you. Usually receiving an RFE signals that an officer has touched your case and once they receive an acceptable response they seem to adjudicate within 30-60 days (even slow TSC).
    These next months will go by very slowly but at some point you will also say to yourself "Wow has it been x months already?". It's a very frustrating position to be in and this process is ANYTHING but romantic. We make the best of it that we can.
    So sorry this post went longer than I wanted. Just know you have a lot of company at TSC - both current, former and future filers. Hopefully someone who can balance out these workloads stands up and says something that levels out the playing field. In the meantime you will gain a whole new perspective on patience You're about halfway with the current trend at TSC!
    Good luck!
×
×
  • Create New...