I have my interview scheduled for next week, here's what's been frustrating us so far:
Being away from your fiance(e) for long periods of time
By far the hardest part is when things get tough and you really want to be able to reach out and hold them, but the closest thing you can do is video chat through Skype..
I guess this is typical in all long-distance relationships, but going through this stressful process together definitely adds some extra weight to your relationship.
Luckily I am usually the optimistic one and it has helped me carry both of us through some hard times, but i am very grateful for my fiancee's strength in those moments where i myself was unable to see the light at the end of this tunnel. I can't stress enough the importance of good, honest and especially frequent communication, though i appreciate that every couple has their own way of doing things.
We've been lucky enough to be able to visit each other a few times since we started the process and every time it has helped us find the strength to continue, to show us that we as a couple are worth the time and effort that this process takes.
Unpredictable waiting times
The VJ timeline estimated that our NOA2 arrival should be roughly mid-December, instead we received it mid-March(!), but that's just how it is..
Before we started the process, we read about the K-1 visa taking between 5-8 months but it's been well over a year now, so the waiting times seem to have gotten worse over the last year(s).
Lack of information or news between NOA1 and NOA2
All you can do is wait, you will not receive any indication of when things will continue to progress, you will just have to hope that the VJ and USCIS processing times are accurate.
Confusing and conflicting information from different sources
As great as it may seem to be, having too many sources (especially with conflicting information) made it a chore to stay informed on the next step and what documents to have ready.
Admittedly, i did not use VJ as much as i probably should have, choosing to opt for the official sources(USCIS, DoS) instead. The official websites can feel a bit like finding your way through a maze at times..
I would probably have felt better asking questions here and receiving information from people in the same situation.
Receiving an RFE for information that we already provided with our petition
Nothing we could do here except for try again, and try harder this time; we made sure to leave no room for doubt!
Feeling like you can't catch a break once things get going again after NOA2
This kinda conflicts with the frustration of the waiting period between NOA1 and NOA2, but once things get going and you want to make sure they keep going, you really have to make sure you have your things ready before the next step! I felt like every time that i took my eyes off of the process, thinking that i had everything sorted for that step, i would find out about some missing document or other thing that i overlooked, and had to stress to get it all sorted in time. You really can't do enough research on this process, in my opinion, and it's worth the satisfaction of having done things the best/fastest way possible to maximize your chances of succeeding!
And now for some positives:
This is by far the most complicated, difficult and serious thing that i have ever done in my life, and i feel that i have learned and grown a lot from doing it.
Though i have lived in two different countries within Europe since i left my own, i've never gotten close to anything like this amount of 'red tape'! Having to go through this process outside of your own country(I'm actually Dutch, living in Spain) doesn't help either, but it is definitely doable. I never knew i was capable of this amount of patience and responsibility, i guess you can surprise yourself when it comes to fighting for the things you love!
The US embassy in Madrid has been very helpful
I've had to send them many emails full of questions, and they always respond within a few days with all the information and confirmation that i need to put myself at ease.
Judging by the reviews that i read, the interview there should be a breeze as well.. fingers crossed.
I'm always looking forward to what's coming, the potential of our future together
No matter how challenging people say that the AOS period is, at least we will be able to deal with it together. Just being able to really build our relationship on a day-to-day basis feels like a blessing, something that 'normal' couples probably take for granted! Despite the hardship, i feel that going through this process together adds a certain strength and depth to our relationship that we otherwise would not have had.
What is the most frustrating part for you?
in Off Topic
Posted · Edited by Vic Hek
I have my interview scheduled for next week, here's what's been frustrating us so far:
By far the hardest part is when things get tough and you really want to be able to reach out and hold them, but the closest thing you can do is video chat through Skype..
I guess this is typical in all long-distance relationships, but going through this stressful process together definitely adds some extra weight to your relationship.
Luckily I am usually the optimistic one and it has helped me carry both of us through some hard times, but i am very grateful for my fiancee's strength in those moments where i myself was unable to see the light at the end of this tunnel. I can't stress enough the importance of good, honest and especially frequent communication, though i appreciate that every couple has their own way of doing things.
We've been lucky enough to be able to visit each other a few times since we started the process and every time it has helped us find the strength to continue, to show us that we as a couple are worth the time and effort that this process takes.
The VJ timeline estimated that our NOA2 arrival should be roughly mid-December, instead we received it mid-March(!), but that's just how it is..
Before we started the process, we read about the K-1 visa taking between 5-8 months but it's been well over a year now, so the waiting times seem to have gotten worse over the last year(s).
All you can do is wait, you will not receive any indication of when things will continue to progress, you will just have to hope that the VJ and USCIS processing times are accurate.
As great as it may seem to be, having too many sources (especially with conflicting information) made it a chore to stay informed on the next step and what documents to have ready.
Admittedly, i did not use VJ as much as i probably should have, choosing to opt for the official sources(USCIS, DoS) instead. The official websites can feel a bit like finding your way through a maze at times..
I would probably have felt better asking questions here and receiving information from people in the same situation.
Nothing we could do here except for try again, and try harder this time; we made sure to leave no room for doubt!
This kinda conflicts with the frustration of the waiting period between NOA1 and NOA2, but once things get going and you want to make sure they keep going, you really have to make sure you have your things ready before the next step! I felt like every time that i took my eyes off of the process, thinking that i had everything sorted for that step, i would find out about some missing document or other thing that i overlooked, and had to stress to get it all sorted in time. You really can't do enough research on this process, in my opinion, and it's worth the satisfaction of having done things the best/fastest way possible to maximize your chances of succeeding!
And now for some positives:
Though i have lived in two different countries within Europe since i left my own, i've never gotten close to anything like this amount of 'red tape'! Having to go through this process outside of your own country(I'm actually Dutch, living in Spain) doesn't help either, but it is definitely doable. I never knew i was capable of this amount of patience and responsibility, i guess you can surprise yourself when it comes to fighting for the things you love!
I've had to send them many emails full of questions, and they always respond within a few days with all the information and confirmation that i need to put myself at ease.
Judging by the reviews that i read, the interview there should be a breeze as well.. fingers crossed.
No matter how challenging people say that the AOS period is, at least we will be able to deal with it together. Just being able to really build our relationship on a day-to-day basis feels like a blessing, something that 'normal' couples probably take for granted! Despite the hardship, i feel that going through this process together adds a certain strength and depth to our relationship that we otherwise would not have had.