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Marsha

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Posts posted by Marsha

    APPROVED!!!

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Hello everyone!

    Ok, it's done now. PHEW!! WHAT a process! And I even had help from a Congressman and Senator! Thanks to everyone for the support. I will add more later about POE etc. Take care and many blessings!

    [/color]Filed I-130----May 10, 2008

    First email from Frankfurt: June 6, 2008

    Second email from Frankfurt: July 1, 2008

    Final Interview Date: July 18, 2008

    Interview Date: July 18, 2008, Friday: APPROVED!!!

    VISA IN MAIL: July 22, 2008!!! So FAST!!

    Marsha & Jens

    OH Poo! I see I messed up the color thing...sorry about that!

    Marsha

    APPROVED!!!

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Ok Penguin, I will tell you, I was going to wait until the actual visa comes in the mail, but:

    We went in, (one of the first), left from home in Buchholz at 12 midnight with Jens parents, got to Frankfurt around 6:00 a.m.,

    waited around, got coffee....

    Then went in, waited, got called up, given sheet to put papers in correct order, sat back down, paid for visa; (terrible exchange rate by the way if you use Euros), then called up again, papers checked, then sat down again, then actual "Interview" NOT ONE QUESTION ASKED!!! about how we met, etc etc...just about where we will live, and that's it! HE said we should get the VISA within two weeks ...they will send it after they get results of medical. Then he said, "That's it, you're all done!! we have everything we need! Good luck!"

    Frankfurt is VERY good, very organized, very friendly. Thank God!

    I will post more when the visa actually comes. Take care folks!

    Oh, and P.S....thank you ALL for your best wishes and congratulations! Blessings to all...

    bringing pets to the US

    in Philippines

    Posted

    HI folks, has anyone had experience with taking pets on board with Air Berlin? They have awfully small dimensions for their on board carry luggage. For the pet carrier it has to 35cm x 40 cm x 20cm, and no more than 6 kg including carrier! My cats are both just a year old, and both my husband and I will be carrying them, one each, but I fear we cannot get them into such a small carrier! I wonder how strict Air Berlin is? Anyone know?

    Pets as hand baggage?

    in Moving to the US and Your New Life In America

    Posted

    HI folks, has anyone had experience with taking pets on board with Air Berlin? They have awfully small dimensions for their on board carry luggage. For the pet carrier it has to 35cm x 40 cm x 20cm, and no more than 6 kg including carrier! My cats are both just a year old, and both my husband and I will be carrying them, one each, but I fear we cannot get them into such a small carrier! I wonder how strict Air Berlin is? Anyone know?

    Living in Germany, Have Resident Permit, Staying Until Husband gets his VISA

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Ok Wacken...I understood that when people file the I-130, then left the country they're in, they file a K-3 so that their spouse can go to the US more quickly. OK, I understand now.

    So you miss Germany? You can have our apartment when we leave :) if you want .....

    I'm curious, what is it that made you love it so much? I can't leave here fast enough. And I will never look back...my husband doesn't like it here either, and he grew up here...so I guess we're all different..take care and thank you for responding..

    Living in Germany, Have Resident Permit, Staying Until Husband gets his VISA

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    jundp....thanks for your reply...very thoughtful of you.

    I have some more news...

    I sent emails to Frankfurt yesterday and today, and got back only "standard generic" responses, not even addressed to my name. Of course, we don't have a case # yet. I complained that they give me only generic information, on and on...back and forth 3 or 4 times .FINALLY, a long email from them! personalized as well. ( I told them that it seemed like a robot emailer answered me, and was this in fact the case??) They said that we have a date of July 18th for the final interview!!! This caught me by complete surprise..and makes us VERY VERY happy! We have all the paperwork ready, so we are ready! My husband is going to get his medical exam a few days before in Hamburg, since he works there, he's going right over after work. He's gotten his vaccination updates, so he's all set. Now to find affordable transport to Frankfurt! Thanks to all and many Blessings.... :D :D

    Filed I-130----May 10, 2008

    First email from Frankfurt: June 6, 2008

    Second email from Frankfurt: July 1, 2008

    Final Interview Date: July 18, 2008

    Living in Germany, Have Resident Permit, Staying Until Husband gets his VISA

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    I guess what I mean is that I haven't seen many people who have filed only the I-130 alone and not with the K-3 visa, in fact I haven't read of anyone who has done that. Most who have done DCF have left after filing and approval, and then filed a K-3 visa. We won't be doing that at all. They are saying at the visa section that it takes up to 3 months for the visa process. I don't know if they meant the whole process from filing the I-130 to receipt of the visa in hand??

    This process is sooooo very stressful. My God!

    Living in Germany, Have Resident Permit, Staying Until Husband gets his VISA

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    mnieto, thank you so much for your sweet reply. It was sooooo nice of you!

    There has been a development. Boy, has there been a development! I complained to the Head office in Rome, Italy; and told the whole story and time line. Well, guess what? 2 days later, I get a phone call from Kristina Carty-Pratt herself (the director of the Frankfurt sub office) She's the big boss!

    She apologized profusely..over and over again...for the trouble and for everything. She told me that my I-130 was approved, and that she herself hand carried it down to the visa dept., and I would be getting the receipt very soon with the approval letter!!!

    I told her that we already had ALL the paperwork ready, and she said that "Ok, then maybe you will get an interview date too! All this, because I kept after them! They haven't even gotten the letters of request for expedition from Sen. John Kerry and Congressman Michael Capuano's offices yet! They sent them on Friday. But it looks like it's already well into the works of it all! Thank God. Thank you so much, all of you; for all your support: Margotdarko, Jundp, and mnieto...and if I have forgotten anyone, I apologize!

    I was really beginning to feel very desperate...it was like NO ONE was hearing me or caring about me at that Consulate! Well, now they are! Thank God. Many Blessings to all!

    Marsha

    Living in Germany, Have Resident Permit, Staying Until Husband gets his VISA

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    P.S....I should say that I don't even see the option for people who stay in a country anywhere waiting for the process to finish and for their spouse to get a VISA. We are not going to go through the K-3 process at all. Even the timeline area where I tried to begin a timeline doesn't have the option to put a timeline without a K-3 visa.

    I would really like to have a sense of a timeline in Frankfurt for a US citizen staying in Germany until the process is complete...no US service center, only the Consulate.

    Living in Germany, Have Resident Permit, Staying Until Husband gets his VISA

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Hi everyone..I didn't decide to write this until I really tried to check if there was this information already in here. I am living in Germany since Sept. 2007, and suffering, as I do not like it here, I cannot adjust and life is miserable for me actually. Sorry to be so downbeat but I must be honest. I'm also dealing with depression and PTSD. Ok. Anyway:

    We have filed the I-130 on May 10 at the US Consulate, DHS/USCIS; they charged my credit card on May 20, 2008. I heard nothing, so finally wrote an email to the Frankfurt US Consulate, DHS/USCIS, and I got a reply on June 6, 2008. She said that an RFE was written and waiting to be signed by the officer in charge, and to please "wait until we receive a letter from them before we sent the requested information" which is a copy of my German Resident Permit and a copy of my US Passport. So. I waited for a letter...no letter, no letter, no letter. So on June 11th, I sent another email to the person who sent me the email, with attached copies of my resident permit and passport, no answer. Finally, on Monday, June 16, I wrote another email, no answer; called called called, no one answering the telephone. Finally got in touch with someone on Thursday June 19, and talked with the woman who answered my email. I explained to her that I sent the attachments, and was this good enough, she said "yes." In between this time I contacted my home state's Congressional representative, and asked for help with expedition. I told this to the agent at the USCIS, and she immediately got very surprised. I said, "no, not for anything anyone did, but I have mental health problems" and briefly told her about the reason we need to get out ASAP. She immediately became sympathetic, and said that she would try and move our petition along. So. That was the last thing that happened. She also took my phone number, and said that she would get back to me.

    Meanwhile, I have my therapist in the US (who I have phone counseling with) who is writing a letter for the Congressman so they can use it in a request for expediting our case. I don't know what will happen at this point.

    But our situation seems a little unique, or maybe I just couldn't find it. Because I haven't read of anyone staying in the country of their spouse while already married until they get the visa.

    I am not planning on leaving Germany without my husband, until he gets his Visa. I want to be home SO BAD, but I must wait and go through this process with him. There's many reasons for this, that I won't go into but suffice it to say that I am not very well mentally, and I've gotten much worse living in Germany. I actually was maintaining quite well in the US, but I hate it so much here, and there's so much I cannot adjust to, that I really need to get out of here as fast as possible. So, most of what I read is when the petitioner files the I-130, then leaves to go back home to the US, then the rest of the paperwork is taken care of.

    Please, if anyone can help clarify this...how long does it usually take in this case without any help or expedition?

    Thank you and many blessings.

    Living in Germany with Spouse & I-864

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    HI again folks...did anyone notice the weird video someone put in this thread? I wonder if it is a hacker....weird..

    Anyway, even if it would be more complicated to file a K3 visa after I get a receipt for the I-130, could I still do so?..the advantage being then my husband could travel back to the US with me and then we could finish the process in the US. I really do not want to go back to the US without him.

    My mental state is not very good....thanks for any help on this...

    Living in Germany with Spouse & I-864

    in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

    Posted

    Hi Everyone, I have read a lot on this site before deciding to post this. I don't actually see it covered..unless I just didn't find it! If it's there, I apologize in advance....

    I am a US Citizen, living in Germany now since September 2007. When we decided to relocate to the US; I had NO idea that the process had gotten so much more complicated..and I should say also so restrictive...I must say we can thank G. Bush for that! Anyway..here's my dilemma:

    I have been receiving SSDI for just about over a year now. However, I worked for 37 years of my life before that. In looking at the I-864 instructions, I cannot decipher whether or not my work history would qualify me, even though I've been basically unemployed and only on disability for the past year. I am not at all sure I can get a Co-Sponsor; the first person I asked said no. I even hated asking. I'm older than most people, and I've lived with my spouse for 8 months now. There is no doubt in our minds that we will stay together for the rest of our lives. He is working now in Germany, and has been for 20 years in the same field.

    I don't understand how it works when both US citizen and foreign citizen are living in the foreign citizen's country. I don't know how we can use his income since he will no longer, of course; be working at his same job, but I have no doubt he will quickly get a job in the US. We're planning on living in my home state of Massachusetts.

    It really irks me that the US government (Bush) has made it very difficult now to immigrate, especially since marriage to a US citizen is still the #1 category, yet it is just as hard, it seems, with all the other categories. I would greatly appreciate some advice. Thank you kindly, and blessings to all!

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