sajori

Vova and I were approved (NOA2) as of today!! I'm SOOO excited! Now I can start planning my next trip to Ukraine. I'll definitely be coming here in the future for advice about the embassy & paperwork!

thanks guys now we know someone has gotten to a box of mid-Septembers!!

AHHHHHHHHHH I'm shaking! I JUST checked the site...and did a double take when I saw the date had changed! WE'RE APPROVED!!! This is good news for all us Sept. filers!!

*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***

The last processing action taken on your case

Receipt Number: WAC0824551372

Application Type: I129F , PETITION FOR FIANCE(E)

Current Status: Approval notice sent.

On January 7, 2009, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service.

If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283.

*Current processing times can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov under Case Status and Processing Dates.

*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.

Sincerely,

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

m

So this problem has yet to affect me and my fiance, however in reading other filers frustrations with USCIS's 'name check excuse' I decided to search for information about the name check process. I found this link, which is a congressional testimony, from the Records Management Division of the FBI. It's old, from 2003, and it might not answer anyone's questions, but I thought it was kind of interesting to read and thought some of you would be interested as well!

http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress03/garrity071003.htm

щасливо вам

-Sarah

Yeah, I guess those three Oct. cases were probably special! They haven't even gotten through half of the August petitions let alone September or October! I'm starting to get restless (which is probably why I'm a September filer posting in an October board). I'm sticking my nose into other forums...haha.

I will also be going to Kiev for the interview. I will stay for couple of weeks and if all goes well. We will fly back to states together, she really does not like to fly.

She is from Rivne in western Ukraine.

Rivne is beautiful! (I had a friend who worked about 30 minutes from there!) I love the castle in the middle of the road!

Hey Sajori,

I tried to look the link you gave, which one is that? Thanks if you could tell me.

i sent you a PM

hey guys...im a sept. filer...so maybe i'm not allowed here...

but i did see some october filers approved

go to : http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/monthly_filers.php

this is the new igor's list (generated from the VJ website)

if you change the filters to show 'approved petitions' and scroll down to october, i believe there are already three that have been approved (i think they were expedited) but it's still good news, right?!

Hey guys,

I came across your thread and I read it start to finish! I'm not yet a part of this group (but who knows, judging from the rest of you, anyone can get thrown into this category). I know that it isn't worth much, but I'd just like to say my thoughts are with you, and you have the right to whine and complain as much as you want! It's just amazing that the process can drag so much...especially when it's people's lives and futures that hang in the balance. Good luck to all of you!

Sarah

sojori,

Thank you for your comment, is this what you plan to do?

i'm going back for my interview too! if you have the time and the money i think it's the best way to go. not only does it show your commitment to the relationship, but it will also ease your fiancee's mind. i can't imagine many places in ukraine being as intimidating as the american embassy, especially if she is from a smaller town!

hi!

yes i'm definitely going to be there! for me, i feel better knowing that there are two of us double-checking everything rather than one...especially with all the paperwork, fees and i've heard stories about waiting in line at the embassy (even though you can jump the line). should we have to fix something on the paperwork, i wouldn't want him scrambling around by himself. every situation is different, depending on your fiance/ee's level of english and comfort in going alone. i think i get around kyiv better than my fiance does but that's just our particular situation! haha. plus, it's a good excuse for another visit to my future in-laws and my village where i taught english! good luck and keep us all updated!

-sarah

p.s. do you ukraine couples mind my asking where you're ukrainian counterparts are from? we're in the Kirovohrad Oblast (central Ukraine)!

ok, i probably need to find something better to do with my time than read these boards constantly, but have you guys seen this?

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...;f=80&id=23

it's the new igor's list..and you can filter out petitions, and i filtered to find out how many petitions have been approved each month (it's interesting because the old IL didn't show that) and there have already been 24 September approvals! (and 3 in october...but those were expedited)

-sarah

well, it's the start of a new week! we've made it through the holiday season. let's hope for the best, right?

(glad to hear that many of you had the opportunity to spend time with your significant others!)

-sarah

hey great job on the list..thank you for updating it!

i don't know how to recommend improving the list, but my wait number shot up almost 100 places as well. and when you look at the top 15 files approved you see they're all july, august and september filers...so all these applications from january, february and march can't possibly be active! thanks again!

i'm going back for my interview too! if you have the time and the money i think it's the best way to go. not only does it show your commitment to the relationship, but it will also ease your fiancee's mind. i can't imagine many places in ukraine being as intimidating as the american embassy, especially if she is from a smaller town!

As someone previously said, trains very often do the odd/even day route. It's very easy to purchase tickets 'on the fly' and there are actually limits as to how early you can purchase a train ticket. I definitely DEFINITELY would not get in the morning of an interview, unless you were taking a taxi from Kherson to Kyiv. Your fiance should be able to get the number to the train station, especially if she is located in a big city. Don't bother making an appt. based on transportation, as it is extremely unreliable! Just get there a day in advance. (You have to get to the bank (ProCredit) early anyways to pay the interview fee). They do have appointments at different times of the day...but still, having to go to the bank in the morning, I would make sure you are there the night before. Apartments are very cheap to rent in Kyiv ($80/night) and they're nice. If you'd like a number (for an English speaking company I could give you one). Good luck!

Hey guys,

yeah they definitely haven't been processing any NOA2s, but i guess they deserve a holiday too, right??

sounds like you're on top of things dilbert...off the top of my head i can't think of anything we need. you know what makes me nervous? they're starting to process all the ds-156 forms electronically! i'm going to do all that paperwork and i'm hesistant to start on it. i wish they'd just announce when each embassy will be switching over to electronic filing!

let's hope this upcoming week will bring us a few surprises!

yep, Orthodox Christmas is celebrated January 6th and 7th and "Old New Year" is celebrated on the 13th! Good luck

we were told that we could do a legal name change in the U.S., and then in Ukraine they'd change documents based on the U.S. version

i don't think it will be too difficult

Can anyone tell me the following for a sleeper car on the below

Kherson to Kiev

Savastopel to Kiev

I need both trains to arrive in early morning in Kiev, if possible and approximate price

OR

Is there a website that is in ENGLISH???

Thanks again

hey...

i just got done living in ukraine (27 months) there are def. trains from sevastopol...they both get in at 11:20am though. (I didn't search very well). Your best bet (especially with an early flight) is to just get up there the night before. Transportation in Ukraine is REALLY unreliable...and it will take you awhile to get from the bus/train station out to Boryspil airport. Definitely wouldn't take any chances with a flight. I doubt a train from Sevastopol would cost you any more than $35-50 (and that would probably get you better than the lowest type of fare). Good luck, and if you need something else, just ask.

www.poezda.net (the train website for all former soviet states)

-Sarah

Hey Karri I've got my fingers crossed for you...hopefully you'll hear soon.

Thank you! I need all the luck I can get right now. It's so hard to plan the wedding when we don't have a date yet. I am starting to check VJ and the USCIS a lot more now that the noa2 is around the corner possibly. I just wish CSC picked up the pace again. I think they are sleeping or resting at home this week haha.

Where's dilbert? He's been quiet.

Karri,

You seem so optimistic! It's great...I read your posts and now I'm starting to get my hopes up! I just feel like because our(my fiance and I) case is for Ukraine it'll take us longer to get the NOA2. The Ukraine NOA2s seem to take awhile longer (like 160 days) compared to these couples getting o'k 115 days in. I guess we just have to hope for the best. Have a Happy New Year!

Hey guys,

I just got back from Ukraine...lived in a village there for a little more than 2 years...and the average price of a ticket is about $854-$900. The prices must just be higher temporarily or something (hopefully) but all these quotes I've been seeing seem ridiculously high! Good luck, and if you have anymore Ukraine questions, just ask. I'd be happy to help you.

-Sarah

k\

There weren't ANY NOA2s issued today?!?! Maybe I'm jumping the gun...