luvhasnoborders

Hey All.....we received our NOA for filing last week, it has a date of 7/24.....we also received the biometrics letter on the same day which were to be completed on 8/23.......however, since my husband has a strong chance of being out of state due to work for the whole month of September, and since (according to VJ) that may be the time of most of our interviews, we took a chance this morning and went to do early biometrics....they allowed him to do it...so we have an early biometrics date of 7/30....but don't change the format due to us....so not sure which date you want to put in the chart.....

So, not sure if doing them early will in turn allow the interview to be earlier than normal or not.....but we decided to try since we didn't want to miss that interview. I read a lot of threads in the forums before we decided to do this.....it seemed to be a 50/50 shot....so we tried. We are using the Norfolk, VA local office and they are not as busy as some of the other places I've heard about......

So, on that note, can someone please update us? Thanks!!!!!

Woo-Hoo.....just received email saying they received our application and our assigned case number........does this mean today is our NOA date? or will it be different when the actual NOA arrives?

Hey Guys.....not sure what happened....we were added to the list back on Page 8 of this thread, but now we are not on the list anymore....can someone please put us back on?.....we filed on July 18 to the Dallas Lockbox......and our local office is actually Norfolk, VA.....thanks so much!!!!

Hello All.....please add us to the list....we filed today....July 18....to the Dallas lockbox....thanks.....and speedy process to all!!!!!

Hello All....just checking in....we will be sending in our package one day this week....will let you know when we do!!! Go July filers!!!

WooooooHoooooo.....just received a text at 4:15pm Eastern time that our case had been updated and to check our status....when we did....the standard "...your greencard has been ordered, please allow 30 days....."

Vermont is moving right along!!!!!

Hey All....I've been looking for this thread for a while....for some reason I was only able to find August 11 filers and October 11 filers.....so, I've been watching their movement....but for some reason today, I found our rightful home with the September 11 filers......

Happy to be here and excited to see the new movement with Vermont.....please add us to the list....thanks!!!

Hello All,

Just wanted to stop in and say "hi" to everyone. I have only popped on and off every once in a while because I am working during the day and taking four classes at night. I don't seem to have much free time. Today, I have time because we are in a serious storm and everything is closed down.

I think of our journeys often and how a year ago, a lot of us were still waiting, wondering, and worrying...but now we are married and living life as normal....God sure is good!!!!!

I want to encourage everyone who is still in the process to be strong and patient and to trust in the Lord!!!...He know the plan better than you! His time might not be your time but it will be the right time.

We are doing well....my husband received his 2 year greencard and has his own business as a telephonic interpreter.

I hope to get on VisaJourney more often over the holidays as I will have a break between semesters of school and be on break from work because I work for the school system.

Take care and I miss this Thread!!! I commend you guys for keeping up with it!!!!

Congrats to SheFell.....for getting her Green Card today!!!!!! We were also notified today that my husbands EAD has been ordered.....Imagine last year at this time a few of us in this thread had just mailed off our initial I-129Fpackages......

Hang in there everyone.....it seems like forever when you are apart...but it is definitely worth the wait!!! Be encouraged and don't give up!....after NOA2 and NVC....everything just flys by!!!!!

Hey All.....

We filed our AOS package on May 28 and just received our NOAs for AOS and EAD dated June 5. We are going to be going out of town for a few weeks. Is it possible to reschedule the Biometrics if the date will be while we are gone or will this complicate matters???? Thanks!

Hey Everyone.......longtime(as they say in Rwanda).

Well.....the last three months have been great!!!! We got married on May 15 and sent our package off on May 28....we haven't heard anything yet, but based on Madwoman's timeline it should be anyday....thanks Madwoman.

All adjustments have been fairly easy for my husband.....just wasn't used to the fast paced way of life in America....and he wondered how the sun could be out and it could be cold and it can rain and it can be hot. We are very happy and life is good.

We are eagerly anticipating his EAD arrival so he can begin working. Three months is a long time to chill, but it was positive because he was able to have time to really adjust without work pressures.

Our biggest challenge is trying to find an African grocery store in our area....he really needs some hot sauce that he doesn't think is "like water."

Welcome to KAINO and yes, if you read back in this post....there are very detailed accounts of the "Nairobi Experience."

Hope all is well for everyone!!!! Talk to you all soon!!!!

Hey All!!!!!

First of all, Congratulations Soon~tobe!!!!! I'm so excited for you guys.....trust me....it goes EXTREMELY quick now!!!

So, quick update......my fiance arrived in Washington DC, last Friday, February 27......we stayed in DC two days and did some sightseeing.....then arrived here in Hampton on Sunday evening. He is adjusting quite well and enjoying himself so much. He really likes hot dogs and wonders how the sun can be out while it is cold and snowing. We are having a wonderful time together.

It is amazing to think that it went so quickly once the case left NVC barely one month ago!!!!

Thanks Soon~tobe and LovinLiberia!!!!

Soon~tobe.....any news on your case?

Hey All....just checking back in to let you know we received our visa this morning. The info from our interview is posted on our profile. Thanks for all the information along the way and my best to everyone!!

Hey All.....just checking back in to let you all know that we have received our visa this morning. The interview experience was fine(posted info on our profile).....I must say...they worst part of the whole process was that 7 weeks at NVC waiting torture......my best to everyone.....

Hey All.....just wanna' let you know that we have just received our visa this morning. I put the details on our profile.

Thanks for everything!!!

First, all my thanks and praise to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!!!!

WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED OUR VISA!!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone that helped with all the tips of being in Nairobi.....your information was extremely valuable!!!!!

I have just felt the stress of all these months begin to release, but will not fully relax until my eyes meet my fiance's at the airport next week.

There were many times in this journey when it seemed as though it would never end, but giving up was never an option......I am a firm believer in where there is a will, there is a way!!!!!

As far as the Nairobi experience goes, it all went very smooth and like clock work:

He took the 24 hour bus ride from Rwanda to Nairobi. He arrived very early in the morning and noticed a hotel right across the street from the bus depot, so he went there. They had one room left so he took it. This hotel was a great place,(I will edit this with the name later), it was $19/night for two beds(his cousin traveled with him), but if you were by yourself they said it was only half of that. The hotel had hot water, it was clean, and breakfast was included(omelet, bread, sausage, juice). The staff was very friendly and accommadating. He also said that the buses that he needed to take either picked up in the front of the hotel or the back, so he never had to walk far. The bus system is great and is very inexpensive.

He arrived on Sunday the 8th, so on Monday the 9th, he went to the embassy and was let in with his NOA2 and picked up Packet 3 and tried to schedule his interview. The lady told him to call a number after he filled out and gathered all the papers in the Packet. After he called and told me this I reminded him that we all ready had everything filled out because we had downloaded everything in advance and gathered all documents so I asked him to go back to schedule because it is hard to get through to that number and we didn't want to lose those precious moments. So, he went back and the embassy was closing so he started to walk away but the security guard called him back and said he would make a phone call for him and he was able to schedule the date through him for the 19th.(Thank you God for favor). From there he went to Dr. Dogra's office in the Sarit Center to confirm the appointment for the next day, which we had scheduled by phone, before he had left his country. They confimed with him and gave him instructions for the next day.

On Tuesday the 10th, he went back to the medical center for the first part of the exam. Everyone was nice. It was 8,700 kenyan schillings for that part and then he had to go get an x-ray, another 1,000 schillings. When he finished he was given an appointment to come back the following Wednesday, the 18th, to pick up results and get vaccinations. So, now, everything was complete and it was a matter of waiting for a week to pass by. Him and his cousin passed time by checking out the city, playing cards, and of course chatting and talking to me!!!

Fast forward to Tuesday, the 17th, he went to the specific bank to pay the visa fee ($131) and was given a receipt to take to the embassy. On Wednesday, the 18th; he went back to the doctor's office and paid another 9,700 schillings for vaccinations. He was given the medical envelope to take to the embassy as well.

On Thursday, the 19th, his appointment was scheduled for 7:00am. After he arrived, he turned in all necessary paperwork and waited to be called for fingerprints. After fingerprints, he sat back down and was then called for his interview. The lady was not mean at all, however, she did not smile either. She was very focused and business like. She asked him many questions........

1)what is your fiance's name

2)tell me about the engagement

3)how much did the ring cost

4)how did you meet

5)who is this in the picture with you and your fiance(his grandmother and aunts)

6)what is meant by "our apartment"(she was referring to a location we had written to describe the picture)

7)is this nightclub in Rwanda(again referring to a picture)

8)why were you denied a tourist visa

9)do you have more evidence of your relationship(he answered yes, but she didn't ask to see it)

10)is that a wedding ring that you have on in the pictures and are wearing now(no, he said)

11)why do you wear it like that(because it was a Valentine's Day gift last year from my fiance and I wear it to show I'm committed)

12)When did you first meet

(There were more questions but I can't remember them now, once my fiance arrives, we will edit this post with more details.)

My fiance speaks excellent English, so he was able to understand and answer her questions quickly and accurately. We had also prepared for this by looking over all the questions people had posted on VJ and tried to think of possible things they could ask. I had just told him that morning before he went to the embassy, "honey, I know they are going to ask about why you wear your ring on that finger".....he said "no problem baby, I am very confident..."

So, when she was done with the "mini-interrogation", she told him that it would take two weeks to process his visa and when would he like to come back and pick it up. He asked if it was possible to pick it up sooner(like that day or the next) because he was from another country, had all ready been there almost two weeks in a hotel, and needed to go back home. She said okay, come back tomorrow at 10am. She said she was not guaranteeing that it would be ready, but it may not be a problem. So, my fiance returned this morning. At first they told him it wouldn't be ready until next Friday and he told them that he needed to go back to Rwanda and also we had flight reservations for the 26th to come to the states.....so, they told him to sit and wait. He waited two hours and HE NOW HAS HIS VISA IN HAND!!!!!

**note***Even though my fiance had much evidence with him, she didn't ask to see any of it......she used all the stuff I had sent in with my original petition. Even the pictures that I had sent in originally, are the ones she used to ask him questions. Our original petition was very thorough.

So, overall, it was a very pleasant experience at the embassy. No one was mean or rude. The security guard was very friendly. He found everyone he dealt with from the hotel workers, to the doctors, to the embassy workers very nice.

Next Friday, I will finally be able to welcome my sweet baby to our country. We are so excited and thankful for this opportunity and the beginning of our future!!!! Overall, this part of the journey was tolerable.....but the wait at NVC(7 weeks) was a real torture!!!!

PRAISE GOD!!! Congratulations Shefell........I knew you would do fine!!!! Thanks for the info and keep us posted on the rest of your journey!!!!

Shefell: Right now you are probably up and on your way to your interview.....I am praying for you!!! Looking forward to hearing your experience.

Soon~tobe: My fiance is in Nairobi now....he has his medical tomorrow on the 10th at the same office but different doctor...they said it takes 5 working days to get the results. He found a good hotel( it may be the one Madwoman told us about) for only 700ksh per night for one person, includes breakfast and hot water.....and it is convenient to the bus routes that lead to the embassy and doctor's office. Hopefully your case will be sent to Nairobi while my fiance is still there and he can help get your fiance acquainted with the place before he leaves. Our interview is the 19th. I don't think your fiance can arrive and then do the medical the next day.....cuz he will have to go to the embassy first and pick up packet 3 for the medical forms and the appointment letter that he will take to the doctor's office. Unless he gets there really early and can make it to the embassy on the same day.

soon~tobe: Read the post from "numan" regarding the same situation as yours......

soon~tobe: that is good news......I hope you hear something before then, but atleast you have a possible end date of getting some information!!!! I saw another post the other day with someone in your same situation.

shefell: Two more days until your interview......will be praying for you!!!

50 days for us!!!!

Congratulations Badgerella!!!

I knew it would be this week. Our case left NVC Monday and it got to the embassy this morning......yours may take less time since it isn't going to the same place.

Wow....great news......so, around seven weeks it is.....hang in there everyone else!!!!

Yes, we must always give praise and thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ!!!!

My fiance has his medical scheduled for Feb. 10.....the same day as SheFell's interview, so I will be saying a double prayer that day!!!

I also ask in Jesus' name for Soon~tobe's file to be found and processed in an expeditious manner!!!!

Sorry to hear that Badgerella!!!! But hang in there......you are one day closer to being out of that place!!! Any day now, you will be released....this has got to be your week!!! The next time you call, ask for a supervisor....I didn't ask but the girl offered to talk to one for us and apparently that afternoon our case was processed.

Thanks to everyone for the "Congrats" for us. Also, my fiance asked me to thank everyone that has posted their experiences from NVC because he said it gave him hope and encouragement. This was definitely the hardest part when we thought we would only be there between 2 and 4 days. Everyday when we talked on the phone, I would read him any new posts on this thread......definitely a life saver!!!!!