Chrissy e Ben

Carlish, we did in fact indicate on the DS-230 that we wanted a SSN. So, do we just wait a few weeks to see if we get his card in the mail or should we just go to the social security office automatically 2 weeks after his POE?

OH DEAR LORD I was just looking at the spreadsheet and I'M THE NEXT ONE TO GO TO INTERVIEW OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yayyyyy!! That is so exciting! Good Luck

Hi All.

Just wanted to let everyone know that Ben is here! He got through immigration ok in Detroit, but he said that he didn't understand a word they were saying to him. He told me that he kept saying, "i don't understand" (one of the only phrases he knows in english), but they just sort of pointed and showed him where to go/what to sign.

He said that everyone in Detroit was really nice. They had a special immigration line, and he was the only person in it. The only thing he knows for sure is that they said something about filling out some documents for his green card in 6 months. I am assuming that this means that he can expect his green card to arrive in six months... we dont' have to fill anything extra out in order to receive it, do we?

He said that they took a fingerprint and then he had to sign something (but he doesn't know what it was). He also gave me a paper about getting his SSN that they gave to him.

But, he said it was really easy and there were no problems... even though he came through by himself and he doesn't really speak any English.

It is so nice to finally be together... I have only seen him cry once and when he saw Sofia for the first time he was very emotional. It was a really beautiful moment that has been a long time coming...

Thanks for all of your help and support through all of this. It has been priceless and I wish nothing but the very best for all of you and your "visa journeys".

I, like carlish, plan on remaining active in this thread to offer advice and give updates, etc. I am will be able get on the internet a lot more now that I am back at work.

Yeah... Ben is coming alone... so I hoping it will not be a problem. I don't see how it would be. They can't possibly expect everyone to be entering as a couple. That seems a bit ridiculous to me. But, I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. I will let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

Hi Everyone! It is so wonderful to see that so many of you have interviews scheduled in August! The wait is almost over... and good luck to Kevin for the interview tomorrow! I will be thinking about you!

Alright, I have a lot of updates and answers to questions... so please bare with this long post. I won't feel bad if you don't read all of it.

I still don't know all of the details about Ben's interview in Naples because I wasn't there... but he did say that they only asked him three questions: where did we meet, where did we get married, and what the relation of the joint sponsor was to me (it was my dad). I did not send him any other documents for the interview except photocopies of Sofia's birth certificate and social security card. I also sent about 50 photos of us (including some of Sofia), but Ben said that they did not ask to see any of them or Sofia's paperwork. They just said, "congratulations" and told him that he could pick up his passport later that day.

ek, Chris and Ani, and Mumtaz: I also applied for an expedite. I called the NVC and asked what to do. They said to send an e-mail to "Supervisor Sue" with the details. I just detailed the situation (that I was pregnant and expected delivery date was May 11) and also attached a letter from my doctor. My doctor wrote a very passionate letter becasue she really wanted Ben to be here for the birth... it is a small practice, so we developed a very close relationship. She talked about how much strain and stress can be put on a pregnancy if the woman is anxious or worried and the fact that I was still working full-time and a part-time job on the weekends to support myself while my husband and I were apart. Anyway, all of this was to no avail. I never ever heard anything about the expedite. Everytime I called to speak to an operator, they confirmed that it was received just said it was being reviewed. One operator told me that it was sent to the consulate, who is in charge of making the final judgement. I tried contacting the embassy about it and they didn't know anything. After all of this, I just gave up on it because I was frustrated and due to have Sofia in just a few days. I realized my efforts were futile and just gave up. I hope you guys have better luck. Not having Ben at the birth and the first two and half months has been hard, but I feel very fortuante to be healthy and have a beautiful, healthy baby. He will be here very soon (as long as there are no problems at the POE) and then our happy family will finally be together .

Speaking of the POE, it is tomorrow night in Detroit (there are no direct flights from Europe to Pittsburgh anymore, so he will have to get a connecting flight). He bought a round-trip ticket because it was actually cheaper than a one-way ticket (??) and he is worried that they are going to question that at border control... but I don't think it will be problematic. How will they even know he has a round-trip ticket?? If they do question it, I told him to just be honest and tell them it was cheaper that way. In this economy, I think anyone could understand trying to save a few bucks.

Does anyone know if he will have problems with English at the POE? Ben speaks very little English... it hasn't been a problem when he has come to visit on his tourist visa... but he said that they didn't ever ask him anything. I heard there is an "interview" at the POE and I am just a little worried that no one will speak Italian and Ben won't be able to understand what they are asking or telling him to do.

Mumtaz, I had my father fill out the i864a for Ben. My mom and dad also file their taxes together. I am sorry that I couldn't come on here earlier to answer your questions... but I can try to address some of them now. For total income line, I just included his part of their total earmings (via his w4 from work and his 1099s). In total household number, I just said 3 (me, Ben, and my dad). Sofia was not born yet. My mom and dad still live together, but since I was not including her income to be considered, I did not include her in the household size. In the interview, they asked Ben who my dad was (i.e. what relation he was to me and Ben), but that is all. The NVC never contacted my mom or dad about it. I know this is all too late... but I hope it helps a little bit.

Carlish, I am in the process of trying to find a job for Ben, too. I think it is going to take a while though because he needs to have a driver's license. He can't get a license without a SSN and I saw that you noted that it takes a couple of weeks... so more waiting! At least he will be here, though. Not to mention the fact that he will need to take a written test for his license... he is a great driver, but his English is not very good. So, I don't know what we are going to do about that. I am thinking that I might have to enroll him in an ESL class before he can take the test, but we will see how things go.

Finally, does anyone know any good places to go to exchange foreign currency? Ben will be bringing some money (euros) over and even though I work at a bank, we do not get a discount on the conversion (we get a discount when purchasing foreign currency, but not exchanging it... I think it is #######, but whatever). If we use the bank that I work at, we will lose almost $500. I know it might not seem like much to a lot of people, but to us that is a lot of money that could really help us (and baby Sofia) out. The only other alternative that I can think of is the airport... but I would think that they would charge even more than a bank. What do you guys think?

By the way, Sofia and I are doing great. I started back at work yesterday (which is why I am able to read and respond to the thread again). It is hard to be away from her... but I know it will get easier. Last night she slept for almost 8 hours... it was AMAZING and I hope that it continues because it has been very exhausting going to work and taking care of her by myself... I can't wait for Ben to get here tomorrow night. She is already almost 11 weeks old. Time flies and I cannot believe how big she is already!

Last thing (for real, I promise): I didn't know all of you were on facebook... I am too. Why aren't we friends???

Can't wait to see my husband tomorrow night. It has been almost 8 months since I have last seen him... I know it is going to be a very emotional reunion (especially for him since he will be seeing his daughter for the first time)... I don't even have words to express how happy I am

Good (very early) Morning!

Just got off the phone with Ben... he is already finished with his interview and...

HE GOT THE VISA!!

We are both so happy... it is such an amazing feeling, and I know that all of you will be experiencing it very soon.

Thanks to all of you for your constant support and guidance through this very long process. We never could have done it without you and this thread.

I only got to talk to Ben for a second, so I don't really have any details about the interview yet. As soon as I get some more information, I will let all of you know!

Yayyyyy

Hi, Strangers! Sorry I have been missing... but I guess that is what happens when you have a little one. I barely have time to shower and brush my hair let alone go online. But, I love being a mother . Thanks Mumtaz for the message about the thread being moved! I had it bookmarked, but it's the thought that counts!

Forgot one thing - isn't Chrissy's interview this week? I know I could probably go look at the spreadsheet, but I'm lazy. lol If my memory serves me right and it is, good luck!! I know you're not around here much any more Chrissy (darn kids have a way of doing that to ya!), but if you pop in, we're rooting for ya!

Thanks for remembering our interview date! It is nice to know you are thinking about us! I still think about all of you, I just can't come on here as often... but you are all always in my thoughts!

Went back today and GOT THE VISA!!!! Didn't need the proof of education! We are so happy!!! We will write a full review tomorrow!

Good luck everyone!

Hey, that's awesome!! Congrats!! :dance:

So when it the POE?

Hey stranger! Nice to see you again

I've missed you guys. The past few days have been crazy. Carlo and I have been trying to settle down and redecorating our room. It's fun but very exhausting.

Anyway, I think Chrissy's husband interview is coming up this week? I think it's on the 8th of the month. Goodluck to Ben. I'm sure he'll be with you and little Sophia in no time.

Thanks, Carlish! It is so great to see that you and Carlo are settling down here... hopefully Ben and I will be doing the same very soon!

Welcome back Somber! Sounds like you had a really good time!!! That's great!

...and Good luck to Chrissy and Ben for Ben's coming interview!!! Fingers crossed hun

Well, I guess I'm going back to the dead again....meaning...hubby and I are going to Murree (that's twice for me yay!) for three days. Better go pack though or he may as well not have any fresh undies to wear the whole time......yuck!!! WHICH IS SO NOTTTT HAPPENIN'!!!!lol.

Wish me luck....woohoooo!

oh by the way........I MISSED YOU CARLISH!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Mumtaz. We are so happy that the interview day is finally here. It feels like it has been forever since we started this journey.

So here is a quick update for everyone:

Ben had his medical appointment this morning and he said there were no major surprises. Just bloodwork, chest x-ray, vaccines and his vitals. They said if there was a problem that they would call by 2:00pm. He never got a phone call, so I guess it all went ok. He was told to go over to the Consulate after the medical appointment to give them his digital fingerprints. He asked one of the guards when to be back tomorrow for the interview and he said 8am. Ben said that there were only 4 other people at the medical office, so he didn't have to wait too long.

So, now I am just waiting to hear from him about the interview. 8am in Italy is 2am East Coast time... so I am getting antsy. You can't have your cell phones in the Consulate... so I have to wait for him to call me (unfortunately, I can't bother him with a phone call every 10 minutes). But, if all goes well, Ben will have his visa in hand tomorrow afternoon (Italy gives them back on the same day as the interview).

Please keep us in your thoughts and I will update you all as soon as possible!

hello strangers!

i know it has been a while since i have been able to come on here... motherhood is very time-consuming. but, we are both doing well. she was a month old yesterday... i can't believe it. time flies. i will be going back to work the week after 4th of july weekend and i am already getting sad about leaving her.

congrats to everyone who has interviews in july and all of the case completes! it is all so exciting. and a huge congrats to carlish i am so happy for you!

ben got an early july interview date in italy. he has the medical exam on july 7 and the interview on july 8. we are excited. i can't wait for him to get here. we are hoping that he will be able to leave italy a day or two after the interview date... but we don't want to buy a ticket or anything yet "just in case" the visa doesn't get approved.

i don't see why it wouldn't be approved... but all of the paperwork that we did was just talking about me and ben and not our daughter because she wasn't born yet. do you guys think that will be a problem? both the NVC and the italian consulate should know about the baby since we requested an expedite due to the pregnancy... but the I864 and all of the paperwork was just for two people (me and ben) instead of three. however, the income on the I864 is still well above the required amount for three people, so i am hoping it will not be an issue.

i sent him a copy of her birth certificate (which has both of our names on it) and some photos to take to the interview... hopefully that should be enough.

Hi Everyone...

I called the AVR this morning while Sofia was asleep (rare moment) and it said that our case was completed on May 22. Finally!

For the rest of you who have their cases completed, how long did it take for you to receive the e-mail from NVC with the interview date? I think I read that they do not schedule interviews until the second week of the month, which is annoying. I plan on calling them anyway just to be sure.

My mom went back to work, so it is just me and Sofia now. It is definitely a huge adjustment, but I think we are doing okay. It would be nice to have my husband here for the extra support! (and I totally know what you all mean about the phone bills... we spend about $50 a week and we Skype pretty much every day)

Hope you are all doing well

Congrats!!!!

Skype to Skype calls are free can't you use that?

We do Skype to Skype and just regular phone calls ($50 a week usually in calling cards). It is not always possible to do Skype because of the time difference... whenever he is done with work, it is only halfway through my day and I can't Skype at work. Now it is convenient since I am on maternity leave... but before Skype was really only possible on the weekends.

Hi Everyone...

I called the AVR this morning while Sofia was asleep (rare moment) and it said that our case was completed on May 22. Finally!

For the rest of you who have their cases completed, how long did it take for you to receive the e-mail from NVC with the interview date? I think I read that they do not schedule interviews until the second week of the month, which is annoying. I plan on calling them anyway just to be sure.

My mom went back to work, so it is just me and Sofia now. It is definitely a huge adjustment, but I think we are doing okay. It would be nice to have my husband here for the extra support! (and I totally know what you all mean about the phone bills... we spend about $50 a week and we Skype pretty much every day)

Hope you are all doing well

congrats

they're not scheduling any interviews till next month now. But, call the operator and ask them if you qualify for expediting of case because of the baby. Make excuses that you need him here to help with the baby cuz its difficult. (i'll let you think of an excuse)

I spoke to an operator today and I got the answer that I expected: they will begin scheduling interviews in the second week of June for July. But then she mentioned that they forwarded the expedite request to the consulate in Naples and they are waiting for a response from them... which is weird because I didn't even mention the expedite. I have pretty much given up on it since I applied for it in early April. Maybe they will still take it into consideration? That would be amazing... but I am not about to hold my breath.

Hi Everyone...

I called the AVR this morning while Sofia was asleep (rare moment) and it said that our case was completed on May 22. Finally!

For the rest of you who have their cases completed, how long did it take for you to receive the e-mail from NVC with the interview date? I think I read that they do not schedule interviews until the second week of the month, which is annoying. I plan on calling them anyway just to be sure.

My mom went back to work, so it is just me and Sofia now. It is definitely a huge adjustment, but I think we are doing okay. It would be nice to have my husband here for the extra support! (and I totally know what you all mean about the phone bills... we spend about $50 a week and we Skype pretty much every day)

Hope you are all doing well

Sooo I called the NVC earlier and spoke to a representative. He said that our case is in "final review" and to call back in 10 business days.

I don't get it. We got the log-on error a week ago. I just checked and we still get the error... maybe I should try calling back and talking to someone else? What do you guys think??

Oh, and I almost forgot to include some pictures!

Hi Everyone! Sorry I have been missing... but I am adjusting to motherhood (which means I am pretty much running on no sleep right now). But, all in all, things are going well. I miss my husband like crazy and could really use his help right now, but my mother has been amazing and helping out as much as she can.

Congrats to the case completions! I am so excited for everyone! And Carlish, don't worry about the medical (I know, easier said than done)... I am sure your husband will pass with flying colors.

I have been calling the AVR everyday and it still says nothing about our case being complete... maybe I should call and talk to an operator? I got the log-in error a week ago.

hi everyone!

thanks for all of your well wishes

Little Sofia was born on May 15. She was 7lbs. 15 oz. and 20 inches long. She has a full head of dark hair... definitely looks Italian I will try to get a picture up within the next day or two.

The AVR still hasn't been updated for our case... I am hoping to get the official news of the case completion tomorrow.

It was so nice to come back and see so much good news for the FFFF's!

Hey everyone.. I am on my way to the hospital! Next time you see me on here, I will be a mother

We finally got some good news today... I just tried to sign in to the online payment site and got this message:

"Sign In Failed

Please be advised that the case that you have attempted to access is not eligible for further processing by the National Visa Center at this time. Please click on the Contact the NVC hyperlink if you believe that you have received this message in error."

I am so excited! I hope this means that our case is finally complete!

Chrissy,

May I just say how much I love your girl's name Sofia, sounds so sophisticated and refined, with just a punch of character...

God help my hubster and me, we still cannot agree on names. He wants to name our boy (should we be blessed with one) Rashad cause it was his father's name. Cannot tell you how much I dislike the name, plus I don't wanna name my precious boys after anyone in the family who died and whose loss we are still mourning...

I like Adam.

Who chose little Sofia's name and how long did the negotiations last ?

Thanks! We just kept tossing around names and we could never agree on anything. We just knew that we wanted something Italian. I read that Sophia (with a -ph) is a really popular name now and thought that the Italian/Greek alternative (with an -f) was really cute, but I was really nervous to ask for my husband's opinion (because we really could not agree on anything). When I asked him what he thought of the name, he loved it and that was it! I would say it was about 2 or 3 months of negotiations... we didn't really start talking about names until I was about 5 months pregnant (and we knew for sure that it was a girl).

Had triplets born this morning Two boys and a girl.

Yay!

Good News: the online payment site is working again

Bad News: we can still log in.

No update on the AVR.

::trying to be patient::

For how long was the site down??

I am not sure about the exact duration of the outage, but I think it was down pretty much all day yesterday.

Good News: the online payment site is working again

Bad News: we can still log in.

No update on the AVR.

::trying to be patient::

Congrats to those who received their case numbers from NVC! I remember waiting for what felt like forever for ours to be assigned... after you get the case number, everything moves so quickly, so get ready!

It seems as though the online payment site has been down all day today, so I haven't been able to see if we can still log in. The AVR has no updates since they received the RFE checklist almost a week ago. I am still hoping for a case complete sometime this week... fingers crossed

I went to the doctor again today and they are going to induce Thursday night, so Sofia should be here sometime on Friday... it would be AMAZING to have both a "Case Complete" and a healthy baby girl by the weekend.

Thinking happy thoughts

ok thanks carlish, i have another question...how long is the nao2 good for? some say 6 months and ive tried posting a new thread about that here in visa journey. and i was thinking supposing someone doesnt proceed consistently with the nvc process, goes on vacation for like 3 months or so, will the nao2 from uscis still be valid?

in a nutshell: how long do they allow a pause in the nvc process?

It's definitely a year as carlish stated. I just got a checklist email today and it said it would be held for up to a year.

Thanks all for the thoughts and prayers. Life just keeps chuggin' along not ever givin me a rest. One of my other boys has a scheduled surgery in the morning (not even a big deal, just removing a few screws from his foot) so today we spent the day at the hospital for pre-op. Talked with my oldest son today and he basically feels like she ripped his heart from his chest, stomped on it and left him there with his son to pick up the pieces.

I can't get to the list tonight either as we have to be on the 5:30am ferry to go to Children's Hospital in the morning. Maybe tomorrow night.

We are all thinking about you and your family, WhidbeyGirl. I agree with estrella, don't worry about the list... there are more important things in life.

Let us know how the surgery goes tomorrow!

Happy Monday, Everyone! Let's hope that the beginning of another week keeps bringing the FFFF's lots of good news!

None yet for us... I can still log onto the online payment site (which I check obsessively, haha) and nothing new on the AVR.

We are hoping for a case complete early this week...

All of this waiting is exhausting... especially since we are still waiting for the baby, too!

What's new in everyone else's cases??

Did anyone else e-mail to have their case expedited? I was wondering what kind of reasons you put. I don't really have one other then I want my wife here as soon as possible.

We requested an expedite via e-mail in April. We are expecting a baby (the first for both of us) and I am due today. I included a letter from my doctor who has been concerned for my health and the health of the baby since I have been really stressed because I am here by myself. We also got a Senator involved. I have heard absolutely nothing from the NVC about it. Everytime I speak to a representative, they still say that it is being processed (because the consulate overseas processes the request, not the NVC... so they are waiting to hear from the Italian consulate). I don't really buy it... but it wouldn't really make much of a difference now, so I have kinda stopped pursuing it.

My advice would be to go ahead and try... it can't hurt. I hope you have better luck than we did.

Hello everyone!! Did you think I fell off the Earth? lol Being out of town for a week has that affect on a person. Get this - I really missed you guys. I tried a few times to get on, but I had so much to catch up on, that I never had enough free time (work conference) to fully get caught up. Anyway, it feels great to be back where I am amongst people all going through the same thing.

Look at everything I MISSED!!!! Approvals like CRAZY!!! Woohoo!!! Between all of the NOA2s and the final approvals from NVC, I'm jumping up and down for everyone. Man, I can hardly believe it! It took me over an hour to read everything I've missed for a week. How awesome!

Not much new here. Since my husband was out of town with me the whole time, he hasn't been able to get the new police certificate yet, but when he gets back home on Monday morning, he'll get it and I'll be able to send it to NVC on Tuesday. After a week and a half, we'll be back in the game finally.

Again, HUGE congratulations to everyone!

welcome back, sombercat! we missed you too

sorry to hear that it is a real RFE, kevin... that is a bummer. but don't worry, it doesn't really end up delaying you too long if you are ready to go with the information. look at carlish... she got an RFE just two weeks ago and now she has an interview date for early june!

speaking of carlish, CONGRATS!!! that is so amazing and we are so happy for you!! we will be praying for you... even though i am sure that you won't need it i am sure you will be more than prepared and then you and your husband can live happily ever after in the usa. (such an amazing thought)

i just talked to someone who got assigned their interview date in naples just a few days ago and it is on june 17. it didn't seem that bad to me, but then she said there were a lot of dates available before then, but she just couldn't make travel arrangements until mid-June. so that was good to hear! i am still hoping that (as long as our case gets completed sometime next week) we could get an interview date in late may. fingers crossed!

okay everyone i have a couple of inquiries...for the I-864,

1. this is my first ever real job in the united states (been working for 10 months now) so i have just filed my one and only tax return for the year of 2008 because i started in august 2008. will this cause a problem?

do i leave the year 2007, 2006 blank? ... this is for question number 25 on the I - 864

2. 21. Your Household Size - DO NOT COUNT ANYONE TWICE

Persons you are sponsoring in this affidavit:

a. Enter the number you entered on line 10 - 1

Persons NOT sponsored in this affidavit:

b. Yourself - 1

c. If you are currently married, enter "1" for your spouse. - 1????

d. If you have dependent children, enter the number here. - 0 (i am not counting in my son because i did not claim him on my taxes and he is living in the philippines with my parents)

e. If you have any other dependents, enter the number here - 0

f. If you have sponsored any other persons on an I-864 or I-864 EZwho are now lawful permanent residents, enter the number here - 0

g. OPTIONAL: If you have siblings, parents, or adult children withthe same principal residence who are combining their incomewith yours by submitting Form I-864A, enter the number here. - 0 (i live with my sister and brother in law but we filed our taxes separately) - 0??? not sure

h. Add together lines and enter the number here. Household Size: - 3???? or 2???

sorry if this has been asked before

For your first question, just include a letter with the I-864 as to why you did not file taxes in 2006 and 2007.

And, again, for the second question... just put a 0 for part c because you already included your husband in part a (line 10)... this is what I did and it was fine... just indicate next to the question that you are not counting your husband in part c because you already counted him in part a (and it clearly states not to count anyone twice). Line g is only if you are submitting an I-864A, so unless you are doing that, just put a 0 there too (even if you live with other people).

If you are not counting your son, then your household size should be 2.

That is what I think.