Toshtishtash

Thanks! I will check that out!

He is going to be working all over Austin :/ His boss said today to try and look NorthWest or West of 135 to make the commute easier...

It's so hard looking for somewhere to live in an area you don't know!

I am really looking forward to living there though!!

Hey everyone

I posted a couple of months ago saying that my family and I were planning a move to Texas, from Maryland. We were originally planning to move to New Braunfels, but my husband just got a job in Austin and that would have been too far to commute! So... The way it happened was a bit sudden, we sold everything (scary stuff) packed up and flew to Houston 2 weeks ago. I found my husband a temporary room in Austin and he rode the bus there the other day. My Son and I are staying in Houston for a few weeks until we can find somewhere to rent!

I have never been to Austin! I have heard great things about it, but I don't even know where to begin with looking for somewhere to rent. I have been told that the best place to live would be North West.

Are there places that I should definitely avoid?

Anyone have any Austin tips?

Any fellow VJ'ers is Austin?

Thanks!

Hi all,

I have a quick question for my Dad. He has lived in the states for 10 years now and his green card expired a month ago. He has just sent all the paperwork off to renew it and was supposed to receive a receipt number within 24 hours. He didn't receive it...

The problem is, his Mom lives in South Africa and is very sick. He wants to fly over there on Monday... If he doesn't have that receipt number, is he going to have issues?

I'd appreciate some advice!

Thanks

I know New Braunfels a bit from vacationing there for many years, and have some relatives there. It's very German and seems to be a nice community. So do you have jobs? Larger cities are close by for needs that can't be met in a small town. I have lived in Texas my whole life so hard to know how somebody from afar will like it. My husband loves it. We are in the Houston area. What don't you fancy about it? Having relatives nearby is nice.

Here's what my British husband says about Texas.

People are really friendly.

Drivers are crazy.

Sales people act like they really want to help you and appreciate your business.

He hates drive-thru places because they don't understand his accent.

He likes the attention his accent brings. Everybody luuuvs his accent.

He loves barbeque and Mexican food.

It's bleedin' hot, but it's better than England.

I'm not sure what it is about Houston that I don't like... I have only been there twice and it just didn't grab me at all... It's seems too flat and dusty, lol. It's too busy for me too! I'm a bit of a country girl... My hubs sister lives in Alvin and her Step kids live in Katy. New Branfels appeals to me a little bit more, it seems prettier and from what I can tell by searching for places to live, it seems so much cheaper than Maryland!!! We are paying $1290 a month here for a 2 bedroom apartment... For $1000 we can get a 3 bedroom house with a deck and back yard with a 2 car garage! The pay seems much better too... AND Austin and San antonio look awesome! They are just far enough away too.

I'm glad to hear people are friendly! That's my one pet peeve about Maryland... I have really struggled to make friends here, everyone seems to have a giant stick up their a*ss! (I'm sure that doesn't account for everyone... Just the majority of the people that I have met!!!)

Also, we don't have jobs yet.. We will start looking nearer the time. We are hoping that my husband is going to get a job with the company that his brother in law works for in Houston. They have a branch that runs out of San Antonio! That would be awesome!

Tash!!!!! Mrs. T-B. & I (& our 29-month-old son) are also in the Houston area.

You should like New Braunfels. I echo what Nich has said about it. In general, property taxes (for houses) might be a little higher than out East, but the cost of everything else should be lower. Also, there's no State income tax.

If you settle in a Houston suburb, you will almost never need to go into Houston itself unless you work there.

If you moved close to us, your son and Mini-Bone (ours) could be playmates, si man.

Yay! Hey TBone!! How are you?? I probably won't be moving to Houston, my husband doesn't really like that area either... He lived in Alvin for 6 months before we met and hated it We should most definitely meet up at some point though!!! Our little ones could be vacation playmates, lol

Houston resident here - waiting for my wife to POE in July....

been in Houston for 4.5 years - was in Louisiana before that... i can tell you Houston is NOT like Louisiana (lived in a smaller city there of about 100,000)

But, like someone said above me, if you live in the suburbs, you dont have to ever go into Houston city itself... there are lots of amenities and lots to do.

People in Texas are generally very nice too... mostly helpful

It can be hot, it will more than MD thats for sure... but over there in New Braunfels, you may get a colder winter than Houston does... Its nice out there, been there many times, and theres a HUGE outlet mall right there (actually two side by side)

That's another thing about Houston! The heat!!! It seems to be so humid there like all the time! It gets humid here too, but holy #######! I think I would die, or become a hermit. lol. I have heard that it deosn't get as humid around the New Braunfels area. (Keeping fingers crossed!)

Thank you all so much for all the helpful info!

Sorry if this has been posted already, but I saw this article the other day and I am STILL shaking my head in disbelief at the audacity of these 2 women!!! To me, they are totally out of order and two of the most self entitled A Holes, I have ever come across!

What do you think?

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3845206-have-your-say-about-the-firestorm-over-a-wedding-gift/

Hey all,

My Husband and I, along with our 2 year old Son are planning a big move to Texas next Spring. New Braunfels is the place we have decided on!!! I have lived in Maryland for the past 5 years after emigrating from England in 2008.

Are there any fellow VJ'ers in Texas? Anyone got any tips for a Texas newbie?

We are basically moving there blind... We don't know anyone around that area, bit frightening but exciting at the same time! (My Husbands Sister and Mom live 3 hours away in Houston... I didn't fancy moving to Houston at all though :/)

She could have filed the I-130 too maybe? That's about an extra $600, I believe.

Yes it will delay the EAD. It has to be sent now because your old one expired. Probably when you were figuring it out you weren't expecting to have an expired medical.

Thank you Harpa I think it was probably more of a case of wishful thinking! My medical is scheduled for May 16th at the cost of $195.50

I have also decided to take a chance and file without the I-130... I figured if I do only get a 2 year one, when it is time to remove my conditions, there will be no money problems because I will actually be able to work. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the 10 year, but we will see.

Thank you so much again for your help! I missed this place!

No, you do the medical before. You find a Civil Surgeon on your own accord, get the exam done, and the Civil Surgeon will hand you a sealed envelope with the results and you send in the sealed envelope. You can find a civil surgeon locator on uscis.gov. Try to shoot for one that is $200 - the charge can vary.

If you don't do it now, they will send you a RFE which will delay your case. If you do the I-130/I-485 package, you will be all done in a few months, so the RFE for the medical would come after a few weeks, not really making much of a difference in cash flow.

Argh! Will it delay the EAD? Or the stuff that comes afterwards? Sorry for all the questions, but I never remember that being something that had to be sent with the initial paperwork.

Thanks!

I have one more question. Obviously, the medical that I had in England 5 years ago is no longer valid... Do I have to have the medical 'before' I send off the paperwork, or will they send me instructions at a later date to do it like they did when I filed the K-1?

In the instructions, it says to include an I-693 but then below it, it says:

Your spouse may also be required to have a medical sometime during the AOS process. The medical must be done by a CIS accredited doctor. Your CIS office should give you a list of CIS accredited doctors in your area, if not check with your local office to get one. The medical exam can cost anywhere from $100-200 dollars, many physicians will not take a check, but only accept cash. Be prepared of the cost before your spouse gets this done. It would be wise to collect their vaccination information before going to the appointment as the doctor will need to have record of them. At the appointment your spouse will be tested for TB, AIDS and Syphilis. If they do the skin test for TB, they will be required to return to the CIS doctors office to have the site checked before they finish the exam paperwork. Note: Some CIS Offices allow you to schedule your appointment when you want, as long as it is done before the AOS appointment, check with your CIS office to see how they handle CIS medical exams before filing your AOS paperwork.

If I can, I would rather wait... I don't have the extra money for that as I assumed it would be done at a later date :/

Most K-1 people adjust based on the approved I-129F petition and subsequent marriage to the petition within 90 days. Option C on the I-485, instead of option A. That way is $420 cheaper (no I-130) but you risk getting the 2 year card and having to file for ROC which is currently $590.

Ok, I did know that. Now I am confusing myself, haha. I forgot how frustrating all of this is!

Thanks you again for the tips!!

This is VJ, where we appear to have an infinite appetite for the minutiae of each other's lives like we were celebrities. But some of us are "Superstar Members"! In the interests of feeding the collective curiosity of VJ, I propose we report on the everyday aspects of our lives like the celebrities we know we are.

Think of it as TMZ for VJ.

So today, I got up a full fifteen minutes earlier than usual, because my cat woke me up. I didn't need to wash my hair, so I had some extra time and got to have an extra cup of tea before work. I prefer Tetley's British Blend! (No sugar.) The commute was pretty unremarkable. I was stoked because the Staples delivery had come over the weekend and I got the labels I needed! I also spent a couple of hours on Westlaw looking at stuff about compelling discovery. It was pretty "compelling" stuff! (Terrible joke, I know.) I'm leaving work in fifteen minutes, and I'm calling my mom on the way home. Tonight I'll be out having a few beers with my friend Reid and talking about Skyfall, which I saw this weekend with my boyfriend. My boyfriend who I normally sleep naked with but couldn't this weekend because he hasn't had his pilot light lit yet so we were freezing and I had to wear SOCKS.

Please feel free to share, superstars!

I wanna be popular

My randomness is that I am currently procrastinating. Again. I STILL procrastinate after all these years! I need therapy!

Anyway! Where you at woman!?

I'm thrilled to report that Toshtishtash (recognized in the original post as a long-inactive VJ member) has resurfaced, si man.

I am SOOOO happy for you! And feel honored that you remembered me for being helpful to you. You did have a tough ride but got through in the end! You rock!

I look forward to catching up

If you add the I-130, then it is mandatory. Without it, I would expect you to be interviewed because of the time, yes.

I just clicked to what you said... I didn't know there was a way of Adjusting my Status without filing an I-130? Is there another way? A cheaper way?

Oh, double & triple echoes to this, si man. Tash, you were one of the very first respondents to my very earliest posts on VJ, and I missed you as time passed.

See here, si man: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/410945-k-1-journey-completed/

Aww, thank you It's nice to see you again! Hope all is well!

Hi,

I'm curious as I have immigrated over and I am in AoS procedures, now my spouse needs to see a doctor and currently we are thinking of applying for medical assistance to help as she doesn't earn a huge sum, now I know I cannot apply for benefits due to status but I wondered if anyone had any experience here with spouses applying for benefits.

She is a US citizen and has had assistance before but we don't want to jeopardise my adjustment.

Any help would be grateful.

As long as you meet the income guidelines for Medicaid, there will be absolutely no problem for your wife to apply for Medicaid. Explain your situation to DSS and they will leave you off of the paperwork. It will not affect your immigration status at all.

Whew! I have not been in here for a realllllllly long time! I am finally applying for my AOS (Long story, but yay!) and thought I would pop in and say hey to anyone that may still be around that I used to talk and bit*h to!! Haha

Hope everyone is well and still enjoying the 'American Dream...'

What have I missed??

Thanks again! I appreciate the advice!!

I have nothing to add of value but wow! TASH!!! Welcome back!!!

Congratulations on the wee one. Come say hi in the UK forum.

Hey!!! Thank you! It's been a loooonnnnnng time! I will definitely come say hey

Thanks so much

Do you think that we will still have to go for the big 'interview' seeing as we have been married for 5 years? (And have a Son now too)

Hi all,

I used to post here a long time ago when I applied for my K1 Visa...

I have lived in the US now for 5 years at the end of this month and up until now (due to financial issues and a whole slew of other stuff) have been unable to raise the money for my AOS... I am FINALLY in the position to send off my paperwork. I have stuck to the rules, I have not worked etc. I looked on here a while ago and saw that a few people have ran into this problem and have had no issues filing late, I saw that one lady had lived here for 15 years until she filed for AOS... I know this situation is NOT ideal at all, but I'm in it. It sucks, but now I have a way to do it.

I'm wondering though, has anyone had any experience with this lately? Or is anyone going through this right now?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!! Have there been any major changes in the past few years that I should be aware of?

Thanks

Maybe we can be more regular members of VJ too, Julez.

(quietly guffaws)

Those days are well and truly over. However, IF I knew Tash was going to be around a bit more, I might make the effort. Or at least communicate via PM.

Yes, I will definitely try and post more often again. It will be nice to catch up!! I missed everyone too!

How is Jeraly doing?

Hey all

Just thought I would come in and say hellooooooo! It's been a long time! We have FINALLY got the internet!! Things are going very well!

How is everyone doing?

Hi all!

Just thought i'd pop in and say hey!

We still haven't got the internet at home yet So I can only get online either from the library or my Dad's house.

Things are going well, getting very excited about the wedding! Only 4 and a half weeks to go!

Anyway, my time is about to run out, so I will try and pop in again soon!

Hope everyone is well!!

Will hopefully (Fingers crossed) have the internet by next weekend!

Morning all

Just thought i'd pop in and say that I got here safely. My POE was completely painless, all over within about 5 minutes!! The first guy at immigration even laughed and joked about the effects of marriage on his hairline Secondary inspection was literally a 5 second ordeal All he said was, 'you know you have 90 days to get married, right?' I said yes, and he said well, congratulations! You can go now!

Our apartment is reallllly nice! Needs a bit of cleaning, I had all the windows off yesterday I am settling into domesticated life rather well... I even shocked myself

I am in a state of shock that I have my very own American front door key and weiss card :lol:

Oh oh oh! AND I am now 'officially' engaged We were in our back yard the day before yesterday and Chris dropped down on one knee (Under a BIG cherry tree!) and gave me the most beautiful ring!

We are at my Dad's at the moment going through wedding plans etc!!

Argh! So excited!!!

Hope everyone is doing well!!

Will try and pop on later.

Speak soon! xxx

Thanks Poiteen

You'll have to excuse my extremely dodgy typing skills up there!

I think i'll ask when I get there..