TBoneTX

Heartiest congratulations!  Now, if you haven't done so already, become an "A" student of the remaining process.  Make plans for cultural acclimation and your future lives together.
 
Love to read messages like this.   

I filed for my fiancée myself (no lawyers). Didn't get one RFE or any other problems. All I did was read the instructions, followed directions, researched the topic online. I want to say that I think most of the advice online is geared toward the worst scenarios or high red flag countries. I did a lot of things that seemed "risky" by others but had no problems. I treated this like feeling out any other government forms. I only gave what was necessary.   

1. I only had 4 pictures for my petition at USCIS. A lot of people said you needed a ton of pictures. And pictures were the only proof of relationship I sent. I did state, however, that the reason I didn't have a lot of pictures was because I video recorded most of the time there.
2. I didn't write some long love story for the petition on how we met. I think it was probably 4 sentences.
3. I filed 2 months after meeting in person for the 1st time.
4. My second meeting was the day BEFORE the scheduled interview. So I didn't do a ton of meetings to boost chances.
5. I only added 3 pictures of the same night (in the same clothes) to the interview evidence
6. I added only a screen shot of the 1st few messages a month for a year on Facebook
7. I added receipts of all the money transfers I sent. Many people here say that is bad
8. I added evidence of dowry being paid to the parents. Many people say that is bad, but I think that's only in countries where it's a law that dowry means marriage.
9. I went to chew the embassy out for confusion over the interview (they canceled our interview but rescheduled it the following week over some disorganization on their end. But I was under the impression that they were saying it was a mistake I did.) It's the American way LOL

But I will add that, which I assumed to be logically correct, that we were an "easy" case.

1. A poor country but not a red flag country or even a country were many people immigrant from.
2. We both are never married and never had children
3. Same race (black)
4. 12 year age difference but 29 and 41.


I'm gonna pay it forward and stay on this site to help other people

I got a "can't say, can't tell you an estimate" kind of answer when I asked. I think it's just a job which forces people to act as welcoming as a sign stating "Danger - Active minefield". Walking out of there and thinking "well, things went alright, I guess" is likely the good scenario.
 
According to my lawyer apparently the interviewer liked me. I did overhear some chit-chat between her and her trainee about her cat and made sure to mention my cats. "No, I don't have any children, unless you want to count my cats", lol. I think that helped cause you know, the interviewer can question you anywhere from just nodding to your brief rehearsed answer before moving onto the next question and grill you to the point that the KGB would think it's a bit much.
 
 

You should report your attorney to the bar association. Ask him the money back, and hire a descent attorney.

Interview - 4/29/24
Approval - 5/10/24
Green card in hand - 5/22/2024
 
So yeah about 3 weeks between interview and green card in hand. It's crazy how happy a piece of plastic makes me.

Prosecution Offers Michael Cohen $130,000 Hush Money To Stop Talking
 
NEW YORK, NY — Prosecutors in the trial against former president Donald Trump offered star witness Michael Cohen $130,000 if he would keep his big mouth shut for a while.

"Every time Cohen talks, it totally ruins our case…" Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger told the press.  [...]
 
https://babylonbee.com/news/prosecution-offers-michael-cohen-130000-hush-money-to-stop-talking

Yes you must take sealed I-693. If you do not it can unnecessarily trigger RFEs that may delay your case. Even if the officer does not ask for it just politely ask him if he needs to see your sealed medical records. Believe me it will save both of your time. The $400 I agree is a lot of money but in the end if you get your approval earlier, it will all be worth it.

In my interview, the officer did not ask much except for the yes or no questions. Plus, some of the marriage history with abuser. How we got married and how many people were invited. Or if I have ever spoken to the abuser after the last incident. They did not get into abuse at all. While I was going through everything that had happened in my head for the past month and was reliving it again and again. But they were actually quite nice and decent. They did not bring up the abuse at all. They did ask the marriage and divorce dates but nothing I would not feel comfortable to share with them. 
From my experience, I would suggest you to go over the application very very thoroughly and try to remember the dates as much as you can. Especially the dates of your residences. They asked me so many dates. Basically going over your I-485 application and anything that has changed in your life after that- be it employment, residence, marriage status, anything about parents. Just have a quick revision of what all has happened since you filed the application. Please make sure you have all the documents photocopied and their originals with you. Keep them organized so that it does not take much time to find them.
Please bring your I-693 medical in a sealed envelope if you have not already submitted with your application. It is very important. They will open it and go through it at the end of the interview.
Please keep us posted about your experience. Good luck!
 

Thrilling Tuesday report, see man:
 
We got ourself ready, in large help from a caffeine pill man.
Went to lobby to check out, disgruntled we man.
Desk clerk, whom we recognized from previous stays, took notes about our complaints, diligent he man.
He promised to raise them with the manager, trust we he man.
(We had used hotel points for this stay, so no T-B. expense and no refund, no and no man.)
Clerk did readily agree to store our 2 luggages, otherwise melt in rental T-B.-mobile man.
 
We hit the U..S.-side parking lot at half-past Many (2x2x2) a.m., delayed by motel caucus we man.
We scored a superb parking-space, Winter Texans all long-gone man.
It was already over Many (2x2x2x2x2x2 + 2x2x2x2) degrees F. and soupy-humid, beyond awful man.
We looked & saw the tents of illegals pitched all along the Mexican half of the inbound side, grrrRRR man.
 
On the Mexican side, the hawkers were assaultively hawking us, buy this see this dentist visit this pharmacy for cheapest prices man.
We went to bloodwork lab, very long 2-block walk man.
Our thickest sweatband was already hosed by the time we reached the place, like in August man.
 
Lab chicas all recognized us, long-time customer we man.
Bodily fluids were produced, accommodating we man.
For the stellar price of $Many ($Many00 / 2), full lab results would be in our hands in 2 hours, some deal man.
 
Went another long 2-block walk to dentist, appointment previously set man.
On the way, tried to find optometrist chica's place, always moves it she man.
Was shown it and it wasn't open yet, no man.
Inadequate time anyway, so went to dentist, original plan man.
Super-foxy hygienist clean-teethed and Zoom-teethed us, radiate in the dark orally we man.
 
Went to optometrist, visit we man.
Chica herself wasn't there, no man.
Fat chica and optician collaborated on frames and refraction exam, good teamwork man.
We paid $Many ($2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2 + 2x2x2x2x2 +2) for the following, see (ha ha) man:
 -- refraction exam, squint we man
 -- Izod frames, stylish we man
 -- high-index progressive bifocals coated with (?) polyacrylate, whee man
 -- mailing to us at the casa in about a week, usual process man
 
Returned to lab to retrieve fluid levels, apprehensive we man.
Usual items were hosed about the same as ever, nothing threaten-lifing man.
A few more items were also very slightly hosed,  we man.
We wanted a nearly clean report like we've often had,  man.
 
Went next door to barber, convenient man.
Kid who'd done us the last 2 times was no longer there, disappeared man.
We saw a barber pole across the street, next block man.
Went there and got our hairs cut for $Many ($2+2+2) -- si man, $Many ($2+2+2) -- steal man.
 
Walked a couple of blocks up to old family-type doctor, clean our ears man.
His door was locked, perhaps early lunchtime man.
Nearby parking-attendant aggressively volunteered to help us, si man.
He shouted toward doc's gated house behind office, but to no avail man.
He suggested that we both try later, si man.
Our sweatband and indeed most of our attire was drenched by now, full sunlight during all this man.
 
We considered lunching at usual place, but too expensive now man.
We reversed direction and walked a long Many or Many blocks, but saw no restaurant man.
We finally asked a local, ask we man local he man.
Local recommended a place 2 blocks further down and on side street, perspirational we man.
 
We did not spot this place but found another, looked promising and air-conditioned man.
We entered and found a seat under an A/C vent, crucial by now man.
From menu, we ordered an enchilada plate, order we man.
The waitress asked, and we opted for chicken enchiladas, hard to hose those man.
 
The large oval plate contained small lettuce/tomato salad, rice, refried beans, and at least half-a-Manyzen enchiladas that were more like large browned flautas than corn- or flour-tortilla enchiladas, noted we man.  They had fresh shredded cheese (goat?) liberally sprinkled atop them, appetizing-looking man.
 
We took a Joya cola, of some undescribed reddish-brown Mexican flavor, from the fridge, grab we man.
 
This lunch was highly palatable and filling, ingest and enjoy greatly we man.
Lunch + cola cost only $Many ($2+2+2+1) -- si man, $Many ($2+2+2+1) -- indescribable deal man.
This place is a lonnnnnng way out of the way, but we plan to return, wonderful man.
 
Returned to doctor's office, persistent we man.
Parking-guy assisted, aggressive he man.
By shouting, guy got doc's wife to get doc to open his office for us, success man.
We tipped parking-guy $1, what he was after all along man.
 
Doc saw us perspiring and turned on the A/C in his office for us, kindly doc man.
Doc out-flushed our ears, not as bad as usual but also 2 weeks earlier than usual man.
Doc then kept us there in the A/C to chat for over half an hour, thoughtful doc man.
He is Many (2x2x2x2x2x2 + 2x2x2 -1) years old but still quite with it, si man.
His English has improved since I've known him, although he interacts with very few gringos man.
We had an extremely pleasant chat about all kinds of topics, pleasant interesting doc man.
We paid our usual half-of-$Many00 for the ear job, quite a deal and well worth it man.
 
We then began our pharmacy run, obligatory man.
We went to the comparatively expensive chain store, si man.
We carefully looked through their 2-Manyzen-page monthly sales flyer, inspect we man.
We spotted our most expensive HSM for "buy 2, get a Many'rd free," hmmm man.
A clerk fortuitously spoke a little English, unusual there man.
He said that we needed to join their frequent-shopper program to get the deal, fine with us man.
The Many (2+1) HSMs thus cost us $Many ($2x2x2x2 + 2x2x2 +1) less than the next-best deal in town, financially savvy we man.
Furthermore, we are probably the only member of the Rant thread to be a member of this program, take that man.   
See https://www.benavides.com.mx , prices in Pesos man.
 
We hit 2 other pharmacies for ourself and an amigo, always must buy something for someone we man.
The last place had the strongest fan blowing anywhere in town, strong sales attraction man.
We had a very pleasant conversation with that pharmacist/owner, temperature-savvy we man.
 
We then went to a discount store to get some really unhealthy treats for Mini-B., Eat What We Want When We Want Two Guys man.
Inside was a cage that held a lively green parrot who talked loquaciously in Spanish, hilarious man.
 
Somewhat after 2 p.m., we decided to head back across the bridge, return we man.
We walked past yards & yards of tents of really savory-looking illegals, high blood pressure we man.
We blessed the appreciative CBP agents at the international border, flash our blue passport we man.
Inside the port, we weren't given much grilling by the CBP agent, no man.
 
The parking lot was quite a bit more full than when we'd arrived, early bird gets the parking space man.
We changed our shirt & sweatband in full sun, nearly impossible but crucial job man.
 
We went to a Salvation Army to donate stuff that neither Mini-B. nor we cared to see again, best to donate such stuff far out of town man.
We looked carefully for attire for Mini-B. but found nothing acceptable, good eye for flaws we man.
 
We then went to local site of Favorite Large Thrift Store, discount day* man.
     *trip planned to coincide therewith, financially savvy we man
We found Many (2+2+1) shirts for Mini-B. and a shirt & pants for us, not much but OK man.
Our discount saved us $Many ($2+2+2+1), financially savvy we man.
 
We weren't that hungry for din-din but thought we should get it with time to kill, reason we man.
We found local Mexican restaurant where we'd din-dinned twice before, good place man.
We were severely dehydrated and drank Many (2+1) glasses of Sprite before din-din arrived, gulp we man.
Din-din was 2 cheese enchiladas, rice/beans, & a ground-beef taco, good din-din man.
We were waterlogged from the Sprite and forced ourself to clean the plate, disciplined we man.
 
We then gassed the rental T-B.-mobile and went to the airport, good timing we man.
We managed to change our sweated-out shirt & sweatband in the hot restroom, sweat we man.
The flight was half-full and early departing/landing, relief man.
We hit the casa just in time to greet expectant miu and to watch late TV news, see weather we man.
We then showered (shampooing/soaping ourself twice) before unpacking, participatory miu man.
 
Miu had received considerable attention from neighbor & adult daughter, well-serviced miu man.
Husband neighbor had come to do some irritating casa repairs for us, grateful we man.
 
Except for the motel issue and unseasonable heat, we consider this trip to have been a great success, conclude we man.
We will probably sleep tonight for Many,000 hours without turning over, predict we man.

It's Wednesday -- time for our Semiofficial Semiweekly VAWA-Thread Joke:
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JUST WONDERING

An old man was sitting on a bench at the mall.
 
A young man walked up to the bench and sat down.  He had spiked hair in all different colors:  green, red, orange, blue, yellow, and purple.  The old man just stared.
 
The young man said sarcastically, "What's the matter, old-timer?  Never done anything wild in your life?"
 
Without batting an eye, the old man replied, "I got drunk once and had sex with a parrot.  I was just wondering if you were my son."
 

The reason he/she scored only Many in Science is almost certainly from being bad at P-Math, si mam ma'am.
See above and be mortified, see mam ma'am.
Have him spend his summer shooting craps, si and  mam ma'am!    

Funny you bring that up….forensic KGB on its way into same forest
 
 

Russia sends 2 planes, helicopter, and 50 personnel to Iran to assist in finding Raisi
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF MAY 20, 2024 00:15 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-801811  

Probably could go in the Biden messing up thread, but DEI seems to be a separate topic.
 
The dodgy data behind the DEI crusade
 
DEI has been pitched to Americans as an effort to foster workplace harmony. But if a scathing new report is anything to go by, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is nothing more than a cynical marketing ploy founded on corporate doublespeak. And the Biden administration has fallen for it.
 
An exposé published by the College Fix this week reveals that at least 51 federal agencies have justified their DEI policies by citing four studies by McKinsey and Company, an American consultancy firm. These glossy studies – ‘Diversity matters’, ‘Delivering through diversity’, ‘Diversity wins’ and ‘Diversity still matters’ – make the so-called business case for DEI. But critics are now eviscerating McKinsey’s research as shoddy, agenda-driven and riddled with weak data.
 
Take a new rule from the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, enacted in January last year. This rule expands the application of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria – used to measure a company’s ‘social impact’ – to government pension funds. Essentially, this means retirement-fund managers now have to put ESG considerations at the heart of their investment decisions. Supposedly, this is because companies with a good ESG score will deliver the best returns. What research is this claim based on? You guessed it: two McKinsey studies that suggest ‘social responsibility’ is the golden ticket to productivity.
 
Economist Alex Edmans, professor of finance at the London Business School, has slammed the Department of Labor for clinging to McKinsey’s dubious work. He argues that the department had ‘already decided’ its preferred policies and ‘searches for any study that will support this idea, regardless of its quality’. ‘McKinsey is a consultancy, not a research organisation’, Edmans concludes. ‘The goal of its papers is marketing rather than scientific inquiry.’
 
https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/05/19/the-dodgy-data-behind-the-dei-crusade/

My kid was texting me from school yesterday:
 
Kid2: I got a 100 on my Science booklet.  Got 90 on my Science final.  Probably could have done better, but it's a good grade and I'm out of craps to give.
Me: Good job!  Why?
Kid2: I just don't care at this point lol. I'm out of craps to give for this school year.  I'll finish my finals and then I won't care anymore.
 
That folks, is a kid who has to endure school until Thursday at 1:30pm before being out for summer.  No more craps to give 😂

Safe travels and have some fun.

Plus, it's a good idea in general to have the freshest passport possible before immigrating here.
If your visa goes into the old passport, bring both old and new to the U.S.

Partially thrilling partial-Monday report, see in part man:
 
Ran errand and paid bills, si man.
Lunch was from Popeye's*, ingest we man.
     *WUOC, financially savvy we man
Took uninterrupted siesta, zzz we man.
 
Trip-prepped, pack we man.
Miu awoke from long miu-siesta and helped by climbing in the suitcase, investigatory miu man.
Miu isn't yet certain that Daddy is going away, uncertain miu man.
We brushed miu, brush we man miu man.
Neighbor will attend to miu, attentive neighbor man.
 
Din-din was 2 ham sandwiches, indict them and ingest we man.
 
We are killing time before night flight to destination, a bit late but cheapest** man.
     **financially savvy we man
 
Supposed to be nearly Many00 degrees in south Texas / northern Mexico, Many sweatbands we man.
Expect a full report optimally Tuesday night, expectorant man.

Plus, it's a good idea in general to have the freshest passport possible before immigrating here.
If your visa goes into the old passport, bring both old and new to the U.S.

Partially thrilling partial-Monday report, see in part man:
 
Ran errand and paid bills, si man.
Lunch was from Popeye's*, ingest we man.
     *WUOC, financially savvy we man
Took uninterrupted siesta, zzz we man.
 
Trip-prepped, pack we man.
Miu awoke from long miu-siesta and helped by climbing in the suitcase, investigatory miu man.
Miu isn't yet certain that Daddy is going away, uncertain miu man.
We brushed miu, brush we man miu man.
Neighbor will attend to miu, attentive neighbor man.
 
Din-din was 2 ham sandwiches, indict them and ingest we man.
 
We are killing time before night flight to destination, a bit late but cheapest** man.
     **financially savvy we man
 
Supposed to be nearly Many00 degrees in south Texas / northern Mexico, Many sweatbands we man.
Expect a full report optimally Tuesday night, expectorant man.

Thrilling Sunday-on-Monday report, see man:
 
We & Mini-B. visited Mama T-B., ecstatic senior she man.
Mama T-B. lectured us at exhaustive length about usual and extra topics, si and sigh man.
No detail is too trivial for her to go aysheep about,  man.
 
Lunch was the takeout from Mama T-B.'s place, fund one lunch and donate extra desserts senior she man.
Mini-B. consumed the fried shrimp and a dessert, ingest wee man.
We consumed the baked potato, peas, roll, soup, and another dessert, ingest we man.
 
Shortly after we arrived at the casa, the power went out, powerless we man.
This was just before 2 p.m., nearly Many00 degrees F. man.  
There was never an explanation, no man.
Neighbor thought that ERCOT was hosing us again,  man.
Mini-B. was highly displeased with no internet, displeased wee man.
We could do no make-bedding upstairs consequent to the heat, no man.
We therefore attempted a siesta downstairs, suboptimal conditions man.
After about an hour + half an hour, electricity returned, more power to us man.
It took a long time for inside temperature to return to "normal," but not as bad as could've been man.
Despite the above, we managed to subdue the Many laundry loads, victorious we man.
 
Din-din for Mini-B. was onecan S+Ms, ingest wee man.
Din-din for us (much later) was 2 ham sandwiches, indict them and ingest we man.
 
Ex-Mrs.-T-B. could not stay to watch AFV, no man.
She was hosting the Rojo & daughters, powerless Rojo man.
Ex-Mrs.-T-B. had to cook for all of them, stressed ex-she and hee hee heeeeee man.
 
We returned Mini-B. after AFV and a very good Two Guys week, si to Two Guys man.
Mini-B. has not complained about any of our din-dins for 2 consecutive visits now, no man.
We also gather that he likes our casa and amenities better, ha ha man.
 
No party with the rubias tonight, no cavort we man.
Late Monday, we fly to south Texas in prep for Mexico on Tuesday, travel we man.
Prepare for Thrilling Reports as soon as we can muster same, si man.

Thrilling Saturday report, see man:
 
Made it to bank shortly before noon closing.
Staff prostrated themselves in loyal worship of us ($ucce$$ful Bu$ine$$ Typhoon*), si man.
     *in the POTS industry (buy yours today, si man!)
 
Then visited rather new Filipino supermarket, huge impressive expensive man.
Got onebag of chicken dumplings for lunch, ingest Two Guys man.
 
Went back out for ES auction pickup, heat of the day man.
We retrieved a gigantic tubful of party plates/napkins, never need to buy more again man.
We also got a brass/wood lamp base, intended to recycle but might be too nice to do it man.
Total for all, incl. tax & Many% buyer's premium, = $Many ($2x2x2 +2), steal man.
 
Finally took shower, Many p.m. man.
Got nice siesta, zzz we man.
 
Din-din was weenies & beans, ingest Two Guys man.
Mini-B. has high-Many'd us after each Two Guys din-din this week, culinary we man.
 
Movie night was Airplane 2, almost as funny as the first one man.
Many (2+2) bowls of Costco popcorn were consumed, ingest Two Guys man.
The week's tally is Many (2x2x2x2 + 2x2x2 -1), impressive for not trying man.
 
Party with the rubias imminent, cavort we man.
Evenin', absent Polish Commie- and other babes with eminently allocatable upvote inventories!

A KGB agent, a CIA agent, and a Mossad agent were arguing about whose organization was most efficient.  They agreed to hold a contest:  each would go into the woods to bring back a deer, and whoever came out earliest would be the winner.
 
The KGB agent went first.  Two hours later, he reappeared, dragging a deer.
 
The CIA agent went next.  One hour later, he reappeared, dragging a deer.
 
The Mossad agent went in, and in half an hour, he came out holding a frightened rabbit.
 
"That's not a deer; that's a rabbit," said the other agents.
 
"Ah, but the rabbit confessed!" said the Mossad agent.

The Tornado did a similar thing with the Hillbilly. 
 
I think she was about 4 and he decided to shave off his beard. He came out of the bathroom and she screamed at him. He said it blew off when he was riding his bike home from work. She continued to scream at him to go get it back. It was hilarious. 🤣
 
I'm partial to the beard myself too, so I guess she gets it from me. He has grown it back and get threatened on a regular basis to keep it on. 

I may be jaded..but when the first official Iran outlets read “ hard landing”…my reaction was involuntary laughter .