Dogwood_Poet

I woke up to find good news in my e-mail! APPROVED IN 71 DAYS ! ! ! No touches, no RFE, nothing! I know this is just the first step, but I am so excited!

I was hoping for a December approval, but this is so great!

Now I pray that everything will go as smoothly for the next step of the process at the NVC!

Welcome to VJ and congratulations on your wedding. My wife is from Cagayan on Mindanao and she came here last July (2005) on a K-1. I have been in heaven ever since. I love the Philippines and Filipinos!

COOL! Kathlene was living in Cagayan de Oro City when we met. She is staying with her parents on their farm until all this wonderful paperwork is done!

To be honest, if there was a way to make a living, I would sell everything I own and be on the next plane to Manila tomorrow! We are hoping to return someday, maybe when I retire, or if we can save enough to buy a small business there.

Thanks for all the advice! Right now I think I will stick with the CR-1, but I am going to send Kathlene another set of the biographical forms for her to sign and I will keep them handy if I decide to apply for the K3 for her as well. Maybe it would be a good insurance policy to go ahead and file for the K3 as a backup plan.

But from what I can find out, it does seem that the time difference between the two is getting less and less, so it sort of seem like trying to find the right checkout lane at the grocery store!

Forgive me if this is covered somewhere else. (Reading all the govermentese about visas, etc has me a little confused)

What is the advantages to going CR-1 over K3 or vis-versa? I know the K3 can be faster, but you still have lots of work to do once your spouse is here, while with the CR-1 all we will have to file is at the end of the two years for adjustment from conditional to permanent resident status. (we got married this July)

I live in western Kentucky, so if I understand correctly, we would have to travel the closest office for all of the interviews we would need. Plus I understand she may not be able to work when she first gets here under the K3.

Again, if this is covered somewhere else, let me know and I apologize for not finding it on my own.

I am really enjoying this site and I know it will be a LOT of help as Kathlene and I go on this journey for us to be together again.

Our loving Father in heaven,

Thank you for showing me how much you REALLY care for your children! For it could only been by your hand that Kathene and I found each other. I thank you for giving me a small glimpse of your love in the love you have given me for my wife.

I know you see all things and I pray that your hand will guide all those who have posted here that their paperwork would be processed quickly and with understanding and compassion for all of us who miss our loved ones very much.

Even though our loved ones live many places in this world, you have shown me we are all of the same heart, no matter where on earth we call our home. Even if we have to travel half-way around the world to meet our love, it is not as far as you would go for one of your own.

Thank you for your love and your guidance,

In your Son, Jesus' name I pray,

AMEN!

I have also lit a candle and I hope to keep one lit until my gwapa asawa and I are together!

My name is Michael and I married my wonderful wife Kathlene in July, 2006. We met online at a Christian website where we both are members, she is a worship leader at her church and I have been in music most of my life (I am a professional soundman)

I grew up on a farm in western Kentucky and stayed there until I moved to Nashville, Tennessee to work at the old Opryland USA themepark. Kathlene's family has a small farm outside of Cagayan de Oro.

I have worked running sound on the road for several Christian artists and have worked in recording studios as well. I moved back to Kentucky in 2001 to work at a friend's music store and to run sound at a local theater on weekends.

Kathlene and I started out talking about our mutual love for music and the more we chatted, talked on the phone, and exchaged letters and e-mails the closer we grew. I flew to the Philippines the end of June, 2006 for us to meet in person and see if the feelings we had would grow once we met in person. They did and we filed for our marriage contract and were wed before I had to leave to return to the US.

We knew before we married that we would have to be apart while I filed for her visa and raised the money for me to return and have her accompany me back to Kentucky, but sometimes it is VERY hard to be apart, but we thank God for cellphones and webcams!

I have filed her I-130 on July 24, 2006, so now the waiting begins!