LRA

Salwa,

I live about an hour southeast of you. I would be glad to help you and especially Mark in any way....even if it just meeting for dinner someplace or talking. I am not on VJ too much these days, but you may email me we can exchange contact info.

Hope you had fun in Dearborn today.

I thought it was this one....

http://abcnews.go.com/US/CSM/story?id=2547271&page=1

Casanova Class Teaches Men How to Woo Women

Pretty cool. Don't tell me you're and MSU fan now?!?!?! Go Blue!!

http://www.shatila.com/

click on prodcuts on the left....the baklawa.....and you see it is called burma!!

Wow. Absolutely amazing. Ramadan will have new meaning for you this year. My you continue to receive God's blessings. Congrats!

congrats!!

Andrea,

Don't worry they will interview for the CR/IR-1 if the 130 gets there while he's waiting for the interview. The paperwork is just about the same anyways.

And even though AMM is busy as heck, they know exactly what is going on . And they will probably tell him he's interveiwing for the CR/IR-1 before he even brings it up. He did pay the 100 for the K3 already, so they have that $ and the IV $. Less work, same $. :-)

Iceyspots, I live in Ann Arbor. :-) It's ME overload here. ...but not as much as Dearborn.

Are you talking about the barcode cover page? Or the form itself?

flipside, yes. Something about it beinga an official bank check, and it being made out to myself and I was carrying it. I am sure when it was cashed outside the US they would receive notification of where it came from and who cashed it as those checks take 40 days + to "clear". I tried atleast.

Yes. You can bring in and/or take out any amount. The most important thing is that you declare it when it needs to be declared.

www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/publications/ travel/currency_reporting.ctt/currency_reporting.doc

http://www.guamcustoms.org/pdffiles/CurrencyForm4790.pdf

International money wiring is the best option. My bank charged me $35.00 USD last week to send out. I didn't file any forms as I assume the bank takes care of that for me. But if you carry on your person you would need to file.

Also, for travellers check. If it is made out to you and you are carrying it. You probably don't need to file the form. I tried to file the form last year, but the CBP guy at the airport looked at me like I was crazy. But better safe than sorry (i.e. them taking the money away)

Kelly, I don't know much about the bird flu, but seeing you were in the area recently (I know you said you visited Kufranjeh alot), you may want to tell the doctors stateside. I do hope you feel much better soon.

More than 20,000 chickens in Kufranjeh to be culled today

By Mohammad Ghazal

AMMAN — No new cases of the avian flu were reported in the Kingdom until late Saturday, after the deadly virus was detected in four turkeys in Ajloun Governorate on Friday, a senior Health Ministry official said.

The government decided yesterday to include the entire Kingdom in the deadline issued to Jordan Valley residents.

Last Thursday, the government gave families in the Jordan Valley, who raise poultry in their backyards, one week to get rid of them, after which the authorities will start collecting these birds and culling them, Khalid Abu Rumman, head of the technical committee told The Jordan Times.

The infected turkeys were found in a house in the Kufranjeh area of Ajloun.

Teams from the ministries of health and agriculture and municipalities are destroying birds within a six-kilometre radius of Kufranjeh. In addition, they are vaccinating birds within a 10-kilometre radius of the village.

So far, more than 2,500 birds in the area have been culled.

Stressing, that there were no cases of human infection, Abu Rumman said 22 people who lived in the farm and had direct contact with the birds tested negatively for the H5N1 virus.

At a press conference on Saturday, Minister of Agriculture Akef Zu'bi said the possibility of discovering more cases of the virus in Ajloun Governorate will decline by Monday morning, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

"The incubation period of the virus is 72 hours. Therefore, if no new cases are reported in the governorate by Monday, it means there is no spread of the virus in the area,” Abu Rumman explained.

Referring to the collection and culling of birds, Zu'bi said pet birds kept indoors would not be included. Only chickens, doves and turkeys will be affected because they live in open places and are not well-protected; therefore they are the most likely to come into direct contact with migratory birds and contract the virus, Zu'bi said.

For his part, Minister of Health Saeed Darwazeh said the situation in Ajloun Governorate was under control.

However, he said there was a possibility that the virus would be discovered in other areas in the Kingdom. But if the situation is brought under control within 48 hours there will be no risk of human beings contracting the disease.

Compensation

The agriculture minister, who met with owners of poultry farms on Friday, said the government was seriously considering compensating farmers whose birds are destroyed.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, the poultry sector creates 50,000 job opportunities and provides JD600 million in revenues annually.

A Health Ministry official, who preferred anonymity, said the technical committee was collecting the names of families whose birds were culled and the number of birds.

The official said the information would be compiled in a database in case the government decides to compensate these farmers.

"The government will contact donor countries via the World Health Organisation for financial assistance. The donors created a fund to support measures taken by countries where bird flu is detected," the official told The Jordan Times.

Nationwide efforts

Efforts were intensified in various parts in the Kingdom as inspection campaigns of poultry farms were increased.

Ajloun Governor Ahmad Shayyab said that more than 20,000 chickens in four poultry farms in Kufranjeh, would be culled today, Petra reported.

In central Jordan Valley, the Public Works and Housing Department, in cooperation with local municipalities in the area, have started digging three-metre deep, 15-metre long and 10-metre-wide trenches close to poultry farms in the area, which contain more than 100,000 chickens, officials said.

"We are making advance preparations so if the deadly virus is detected in the area we will cull the poultry and bury them in these trenches," Petra cited Central Jordan Valley District Governor Hakam Faouri as saying.

In the capital, the Greater Amman Municipality decided to close its three bird gardens in Amman: Prince Hashem Bird Garden in Shmeisani, Prince Hamzah Bird Garden in Marka and the Hitteen Bird Garden in Ras Al Ain.

Meanwhile, Amman Governor Saed Wadi Manasir took a decision on Saturday prohibiting the breeding of poultry and doves in houses and rooftops, Petra reported.

Good hygienic practices to reduce exposure to the virus

• No birds from flocks with disease should enter the food chain.

• Do not eat raw poultry parts, including raw blood, or raw eggs in or from areas with outbreaks in poultry.

• Separate raw meat from cooked or ready-to-eat foods to avoid contamination. Do not use the same chopping board or the same knife. Do not handle both raw and cooked foods without washing your hands in between and do not place cooked meat back on the same plate or surface it was on prior to cooking. Do not use raw or soft-boiled eggs in food preparations that will not be heat-treated or cooked.

• Keep clean and wash your hands. After handling frozen or thawed raw poultry or eggs, wash your hands thoroughly with soap. Wash and disinfect all surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with the raw meat.

• Cook thoroughly: Thorough cooking of poultry meat (e.g. chicken, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl) will inactivate the virus. Either ensure that the poultry meat reaches 70؛C at the centre of the product ("piping" hot) or that the meat is not pink in any part.

• Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus can be found inside and on the surface of eggs laid by infected birds. Although sick birds will normally stop producing eggs, eggs laid in the early phase of the disease could contain viruses in the egg white and yolk as well as on the surface of the shell. Proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside the eggs, so they should not be consumed raw or partially cooked and egg yolks should not be runny or liquid. To date, there is no epidemiological evidence to suggest that people have been infected with avian influenza by consumption of eggs or egg products.

Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO)

Welcome home guys!!

No, the embassy doesn't send anything back. The applicant should have sent those back when they returned the packet. Sorry for the confusion. What I was saying is that you cannot have made a copy of the medical because it was sealed by the Dr. They other things you may have made a copy of, but when we sent everything back, so they could give us a interview date, if something was missing when they checked the documents to schedule the interview, they would have requested them and thus the interview date would have been postponed. Other things are good to provide, if you remembered to make a copy of them prior to sending them to AMM. And your K1 AMM, which I feel is rare...so they may look for more evidence than those who have been married and are CR1/IR1/K3. Just a thought. Can't go wrong with tons of evidence though.

In Jordan the bank receipt, forms, medical and polioce reports are sent back prior to the interview. Maybe the other stuff would be good to have in case. And remember the medical is in a sealed envelope.

Wow ladies, I know where you are coming from. But also you should try to understand where these men are coming from. I have been in the US for 99% of my life and still am drawn to extended family in that "Arabic way" (I think both men and women have this and it is just not from ME cultures). The way my mom explained this phenomenon to me: I think you should be happy that they are visiting and are family oriented and you should be supportive of that. If they ignore their family or forget about them so easily, then what would you expect when it comes to you. In other words if you expect them to ignore their families who have been there for them their whole lives, then what's to say they won't find it easy to do the same to you. Just food for thought and a different point of view. And honestly no ill will intended. so please don't take it that way I think you need to give them their space. maybe they just need a break...yes even us mama's boys. Maybe they need to ask questions to those who are immigrants and want to learn from those people how survive or make it here. I know you've worked so hard and so long to get them here and want to spend every second with them, but they also have other family as well that they feel obligated to or need. I just think you need to be supportive of that and not add to their dilema. Don't make them choose between you or their family. That is a receipe for disaster.

Anyways, from reading all your posts over the past year, I only have one thing to say: I wish W could dream to be 1/2 the woman each of you are. You all are wonderful women and I respect and admire each and every one of you. I sincerely wish you all the best of life with your husbands/fiances and a life filled with happiness and days of growing old with one another.

As for me, here goes: The sun is begining to set and the shadows are getting longer on the ground. It's almost dark outside and the cold of night is slowly creeping in. The train is pulling into the final station on this line where I will get off......alone. It left the previous station with W on the platform. I hope that tomorrow I will rise to find a gorgeous sunrise with a new love that accepts all the challanges life throws in the way...where outside factors can't interfere and where the future is that of a fairy tale.

K-Agree with that. But in one situation I described the person was married after PR. And so the 90 days prior to 2 years of Green Card would not apply. So then would this person get to apply from 90 days prior to two years of marriage or would they have to be married for a full 3 years and then apply. I think the latter of the two.

So can anyone tell me, when the conditions are lifted and the "new" PR card is granted. The date for "PR Since:" on that "new" card should be the same as the one for the CPR "old" card. Can someone verify this?

I just wanted to open a discussion on this, because I saw a lawyer on a different website state that a person was eligible 3 years after the lifting conditions had taken place and thus being granted permanent residency via the 10 year green card. Which I think is totally wrong.

Marriage date is important because the applicant for naturalization in the examples is based on 3 years of being married to the same USC. Most people get married first and then are granted PR status, whether it be conditional or not. So limiting factor for the "minus 90" days would be the CPR/PR status as it happed after the marriage.

But are there any situations where the PR/CPR status would be granted prior to the marriage taking place? When then would the applicant have to apply...after the fully met the 3 years of being married (ie no benefit of the 90 days).

Thanks again for all your thoughts.

nijusjaanu, could you send a link to where you found that answer, please.

Also if I could get some answers on the following please:

Situation #1: Person1 is granted LPR (not via marriage to USC) on 1/1/06. Person1 marries Person2 on 1/31/06. When is Person1 eligible to apply for naturalization assuming they are married to the same USC when they apply (I don't think they would be eligible at the 3 year timepoint if they were not married or married again to another USC): 3 years-90 days from 1/1/06 or 3years-90days from 1/31/06? Consider the 90 day window please.

Situation #2: Person3 is granted Conditional LPR via marriage to Person4 on 2/31/07. Marriage took place on 2/1/06. When is Person3 eligible for citizenship please consider the 90 day window?

It's the 8th in Jordan now....so only 13 more days Kelly. Got all your papers together? Are you thinking they will issue you the Visa that week or will you have to wait until Sunday or Monday? Dawn had two day turn around time, so hopefully you guys will too.

Hope everyone is doing good!

Hi Dawn,

Sorry, I know you asked about me on the other thread, but I really didn't want to bring the mood down with my problems, so I haven't been really vocal, but I have been closely watching everyone's progress. I had your interview date on my calendar at work, and the notice popped up a few days before it. I couldn't beleive that day come so fast...well at least for me But I am absolutely thrilled for you both!! Please send my congrats to Hatem. Tuesday, I can tell will be a sunny day!

Anyways, I kinda have been taking a break from posting here with the long wait and all...but I really have to support all those who have helped me along the way. And you are certainly one of those wonderful people. I have second guessed myself on some of the things I would have done differently with this process if I had to do it over again. And I am still really upset with the long wait I had at CSC. And seeing those who applied much later already being together. We did get an interview date, but our journey may take a little break or may stop completely...I am not sure yet. Timing for everything right now is in chaos, and W really is not being flexible with what I need her to be. I am thinking about going through with the interview and then delaying her trip to the US until I can sort out some things though. Maybe a trip there to sort out things face to face. The India thing is slowing falling apart and I was counting on that for us to be together. But I've got other things in the works though, so I am not worried. I was just hoping that W would be willing to do anything for us to be together, and I am learning that is not the case. So, we shall see. But if I have to do it again, I am certainly going the K1 route....but we haven't reached that point yet, so I shouldn't talk that way.

Sorry to bring the mood down, with my problems. Everyone go back to celebrating!

Congrats to you guys Dawn. Wishing safe travels next week.

And Kelly, best of luck. Only a few more weeks!

Please join me in wishing Dawn & Hatem the very best as they interview in Amman on Thursday 2/23/06.

They've waiting patiently and have been very supportive of all of us, so now we return the warm wishes to them.

So, here's to much success and a brand new visa in the passport!