snowdog

So true. The uncertainty is very grating on a new marriage. My husband and I discussed this very thing, that we had so little time to enjoy our gaga-in-love newlywed bliss... it was straight to the hard facts of life. I really am hoping it makes us a better and more resilient couple in the end, but a bit of me weeps for the good things that might have been lost while waiting.

Yep, same here. I just tried this morning.

The saddest part of this for is how every time I'm telling my story to someone I know who has brought over a foreign spouse, they automatically assume I must have filed the paperwork wrong or I'm missing something. They say "it was so quick when I petitioned for *so and so*." Then I explain just how backlogged and broken the system is, waiting a year to even have someone glance at the application.

February filer stuck in NSC here... I totally understand where you are coming from. My husband and I have been going back and forth the same way, and while I feel like the most ungrateful person in the world complaining when I’m so lucky to have a job that allows so much flexibility, I’m also just really overwhelmed and frustrated by this broken system. It’s a hard way to spend the first couple years of your life together. If it weren’t for you all in this forum going through it at the same time, I’d be a wreck. Hugs!

Thank you for this! I just sent it to my congresspeople as well.

I might be the most impatient person in the world, so this is probably a great test of strength of character for me. We have made an effort not to be apart longer than three months since we met, as right around that two month mark the distance really becomes increasingly noticeable. I don't know how some of you do it that are going six months, a year, or longer. You're heroes! For us it's all about looking forward to that next bit of time together and planning that to take the mind off the "other" wait. (First we were waiting for paperwork to be approved in Norway for our marriage, now it's waiting on the immigration process). And I've always loved traveling and finding deals on flights, so I keep my eyes peeled for cheap airfare to take some of the financial stress away as well. Bit by bit, visit by visit, and someday this will all be part of a really cool story we tell about persevering for love.

Hello all! My spouse and I were married abroad on 2/5 and I mailed our package to the Phoenix Lockbox on 2/11 (I had almost everything really ready to go!) Just received my electronic notice today (02/20/19) that our I-130 has been received and routed to the Nebraska Service Center. I haven't heard great things about that particular center, so my fingers are crossed that things move quicker than anticipated. My spouse is a Lithuanian citizen living in Norway and we are planning as much time together this summer as possible, hopefully that will help us ignore the long wait. Fingers crossed for all of us that have to endure this. ❤️