that_girl

Miss Jess, latest news is ....you've got lift off! Go pack your bags.

Megger - you were the one who started this thread all those months ago and Ewan is getting on that plane brandishing the holy grail of the K1 TOMORROW! Mission accomplished! Nightmare over. Now go and enjoy being off this site for a few weeks at least! much fondness x

GREAT!!! Oh, thank goodness.

Yes, the poor dear is going to be traveling for ages - he leaves tomorrow (weds) at 6 pm or so my time, but doesn't arrive until 7 am (again, my time) on Friday! That boy is definitely getting some bacon and eggs when we get home

It's true, I'll probably be enjoying some absence from VJ for a while, but I'll surely be checking in to see when my dear friends have gotten their stinking interviews!

Hugs to you all!

It's a bizarre mentality and attitude certain groups have here. Where clearly profits are allowed to be put ahead of Americans. Strangely enough the people who claim to eat healthy and responsibly, thus no need for the government, happen to live in states with a large percentage of obese people.

Anyone who wants to know what is going on with food here needs to watch Food Inc. That illustrates exactly what food has become in this country, with no regard to the quality of the food or the treatment of the livestock.

Or read a Michael Pollan book.

Damn government regulators! I should be able to eat all the salt, HFCS, MSG, trans fat and Yellow Number 5 I want. In fact, if I had my way - I wouldn't buy food at all - but large containers of salt, lard and chemical colorings and preservatives.

nom nom nom

Only issue with that is that college is ruled out, well at least over there it is.

The percentage of students home-schooled would probably be in the decimal figure in AUS, as parents have so many choices regarding where to send their child. The school of choice and most effective are private religious schools over there. There has been a massive push towards education and all of the nations schools (including private) are undergoing substantial physical renovations.

Could they teach their kids this way for the first few years and then send them off to middle/high school? I think that's not a hugely uncommon thing to do, here at least. One of the major tenets of the Waldorf system is letting kids be kids in their young childhood, learning through play and crafts and stories. Then, the kids are sent to a more "normal" school for the last 4-6 years of education. I guess there might be issues with them being at the same level as the kids that have been in traditional ed. since the age of 5, but I would imagine with help they could be on level without too much difficulty.

There are already plenty of low sodium content foods out there.

Also, it's not the job of the government to dictate what I can/cannot put into my body. Yeah, sure they do in some ways now, but to force change in the way products are made already is absurd. There's already too much ####### that's kept off the market as it is due to the ##### society we live in when it comes to certain foods and how they effect us.

The argument here and the problem I have with this type of bullshit is it's in the name of 'health care.'

Screw this government and their wanting to not only dictate health care, now dictating what we can't eat to protect their eventual health care takeover. It's horseshit.

It's not like they're sending agents into your house to monitor your salt intake, or implanting you with a microchip. They're not telling you what to eat at all. They're telling food manufacturers how to manufacture food to be more safe and healthy. No one's stopping you from just pouring a whole durn canister of table salt down your throat.

We could stop the gov't from monitoring meat processing plants, too, if you have a problem with gov't regulations on processing food.

Private school and home-schooling are two totally different kettle of fish to this idiotic unschooling - AKA Hippy parenting 2.0. Private schools also work because the schools don't have to accommodate for everyone or be PC. Who do we have to thank for PC? You guess it, the type of parent that is now unschooling.

While I am not in the education field, it's quite obvious why the United states ranks so poorly in math, science and English scores. Rubbish like sex ed is pushed daily upon students in public schools here. It's only a matter of time before public schools are forced to start teaching pole dancing and the best BJ techniques. God forbid we try to teach teenagers morals, respect, community spirit, working as a team etc etc; that's just wrong and indoctrination.

This idiocy is why I strongly support school funds being allocated as they are in AUS; which is per student. Therefore, if a parent decides to send their child to a private school, even a religious one, x funds are paid per student to the school of their choice. How is this approach working? Australia is ranked first in the world by the Education Index.

I met folks in NZ who taught their kids with a mixture of Waldorf and unschooling (which makes me think there are likely some folks in Oz doing it, too). It's not that you don't teach your kids anything, but rather that you let them choose what they want to learn, and give them the tools and resources to do so, as opposed to having a set curriculum of "three R's". Now, the onus is on the parents to determine if this kind of education is right for their kids; whether they are motivated, etc. to learn skills and knowledge that will give them a chance in life, or whether they will ####### around learning to beat Pokemon or Halo (or whatever the kids play these days) faster and faster.

Well at the time I thought I would give it a go. The worst they could do was send me an RFE.

We got held up at NVC for almost 7 weeks on AP before I got here, so at least I knew if they did send an rfe we would be waiting for it together

Exactly! I'm not nearly as stressed about the AOS filing as I was about the 129F, since we'll be waiting for it together!

If you want more salt in your food, pick up the shaker.

and find something actually outrageous by which to be outraged. Geez.

Yup, my fiance is a British citizen but a resident of New Zealand. He just had his interview in New Zealand with no problems. Good luck on your journey!

Hi folks, quick update...

Yesterday afternoon it really looked like I had a chance but I think now there is no hope, although I still haven't heard officially. Virgin are making an announcement about their schedule tomorrow at 10.30 tonight - in theory I could still fly but I reckon there is no chance. Virgin's customer service so far has been somewhat lacking they haven't exactly kept me updated.

Anyway as soon as I hear I'll be on the phone to rebook - if I can get out before Saturday then I'm going otherwise I'll have to wait another month. (and of course you know my interview date will be right in the middle of that!!)

Feel like just sitting and home and crying - I still can't believe this is happening yet again - but still gotta work, so just have to hold myself together. Thanks for all your good wishes

Oh, honey, that's awful. I hope some magic or miracle or whatever you need gets you across the Atlantic to see your man. All my positive vibes and good wishes are for you today.

Hello..congratulations on getting here, and on the car !

I had a similar problem. I had the sheet that I got from Dr Stone, and the consulate in Auckland had given me two copies of the vaccination report that had their raised seal on it. Dr Stone said his office would mail me a copy, and it hadn't turned up in a week so I rang them and they sent one out. You could give that a try. Worth the phone call if it saves repeating the medical, that gets spendy!

The two copies that I got from the Consulate...I know I had them here. I even showed them to my husband and said "I need this when we file for the green card"

When I went to fill out the paperwork neither one was anywhere to be found. I looked everywhere and never found them Still don't know what happened to them.

So when it came time to file, all I had was the copy Dr Stone's office mailed me. I sent that in, and I sent them a copy of every receipt I had...for the titre test from my Dr, the receipts I got from the medical and exray and blood work that you have at the medical. I did not get anyone to complete I-693, and I didn't have a problem, did not get an RFE either. It seems the luck of the draw, some that filed when I did were asked to get the form done, but just as many were not. I decided as I was here, and if they wanted to RFE me..so what lol. I didn't have any trouble at all.

Great! That's good to know, because I was getting stressed out about trying to find a civil surgeon to copy the vaccination info onto that I-693. Maybe we will try it that way, too.

Yeah got my visa interview for june 23rd in Montreal

Great! Congrats! Another Nov 2009 filer on the interview record.

Someone take a whip to those London and Paris mules. Or lure them to the finish with some carrots.

...and my medical is a week on Thursday.

Good luck! I'm sure it will go fine.

Right now if you gave me a snorkel and mask I'd bloody swim there.

Well, to me it looks inevitable now but Virgin still haven't formally cancelled my flight so there's nothing I can do. I haven't slept properly since Thursday and my appetite has deserted me (that's how you know it's serious!!).

The horrible thing is that one of my American friends was due to fly back with me from the US on May 2nd - and unless there's still an ash problem then it'll cost her a fortune to rebook - so it's not even like I can postpone until next week cos otherwise I'll be in the US and she'll be here by herself. So if I can't get a flight this week the earliest I'll be able to go is a month from now, and as much as I've been trying to brace myself I'm finding it very hard to prepare myself psychologically for that kind of disappointment.

Aside from anything else I'm so gutted at the prospect of not getting a break from work I'm almost as upset about that as I am about not seeing the boy!! I'm totally burnt out.

I know it could be so much worse - at least it's not the wedding - but I've been on the receiving end of so many cancellations and delays and disappointments in the past 8 months that it's very hard to take yet another travel disaster.

Oh, honey! I sure hope things work out. Hugs and all my positive vibes are directed toward getting you here to FL (by means of getting all that ash out of the durn sky!).

My man (after weeks of nagging) sent all his financial stuff to me the day before the flight embargo. So, it's clearly now stuck in the mail over there. And apparently the ash cloud is heading to the east coast of the States, so their planes will then be grounded, I'll get my interview date and have no financials, I can see that scenario playing out (and I'm gonna donkey kick that man's ####).

So, we're now hoping at least Ewan's travel won't be affected. But nothing would surprise any of us now. What's next, do you all think? An alien invasion?

Hopefully the docs make it in time. It seems boats and trucks coming from the UK, even going barely the speed of walking, would be moving faster than that useless London consulate, so they sure should.

Yes, at least this cloud of ash isn't in Ewan's travel path, but if some other Pacific volcanoes get wind of all the nuisance that Iceland one is causing, I fear we may have some glory-hungry copycats...

approved. Just got out from the consulate.

Great news! Huge congrats!

Whew! I just had a major financial stress attack. Having to wait for the EAD (thank goodness I've got the AOS money saved up already!) and trying to pay of debts is cramping my style... But I've got a glass of wine now, so hopefully I can calm myself enough to get some sleep tonight.

But the good news is: We finally got Ewan's tickets booked. He will have the POE in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon and arrive to Miami bright and early (7 am!) on Friday morning.

Hope we hear something from those lame-donkey consulates this week! May be time for another coffee and pastry run...

Thanks for coming back and giving us the update!

My pleasure!

Hope they don't jack it up in the next month... Good luck on the interview!

Ms DogH and the rest of my Dog Pound chaps/dudes, I don't what's got into the Cairo cousular's brain this morning, and I also I don't know if the 3-way Donkey race is still on, but we got an interview appointment e-mail for May 17 for my fiance and we are extremely ecstatic . Does that leave 2 donkeys in the race or do we have any update from UK donkey and Paris donkey??????

HandA

Great news! Congratulations!

I hope some of your interview-date luck rubs off on our London and Paris members. Jeez, what's the deal?

Hey congratulations on your fiancé getting approved! So --- how much did he end up paying?

So, he paid $131 USD, but in the packet 3, the lit said $350 (I guess they're eager to get that money, so they're already changing all the paper work). Also, he had to pay the fee at the embassy, which is a change from the status quo of the visa process in NZ (people used to pay the fee at a post office and take the receipt to the interview).

Oh and did you find out how much ewan actually ended up paying for the K-1 visa?

It was the same $131. Nice.

Ooooh kids. Need some good thoughts please.

Supposed to be going to see the boy on Wednesday - but there's this small problem of an erupting volcano.

I went to see him in the middle of January and my flight was cancelled twice - not to mention the small matter of a trip to Munich cancelled in the British airways strike.

This is my last chance to see him before I move in October and were having a rough spot as it is - couldn't bear to lose yet more time. Cross fingers please!!!

I'm visualizing strong winds over the weekend to blow all that smoke and ash to mess up someone else's airspace.

Stupid geology, with your earthquakes and volcanoes...

Hope it works out for you, dear, not only because the sunshine state will be a much sunnier place with you in it!

For any of the men folk out there who don't know what kind of a tux to get for the wedding, may I suggest this little gem:

Irresistible.

ok whats the diffrence getting married on tourist visa B2 and K-1? ANYONE knows that ? whats the benefit of K-1 durıng citizenship? or is it still the same duratıon İF u get married on B2 visa? if someone can answer that i will be very happy

thanks

Like Cap'n Marty pointed out, there are some differences. They are mostly fine, tight rope distinctions. I'll try to be as clear and specific as I can. It is totally okay to come to the US on a tourist visa and get married. The problem is if you come on a tourist visa, get married and INTEND (on entry) to STAY in the US as an immigrant. Now, if you wanted to come as a tourist, get married, and then go back to your home country and file for CR-1, that's totally acceptable.

It's risky to come in on a tourist visa with the intent of getting married and applying for status as an LPR. That is fraud, and if they have reason to question your intent at the border, they may not let you into the country. If you do make it in on a tourist visa, get married, and then try to adjust status, and the people processing your case have reason to believe that was your intent when you arrived, they can deport you and whack you with a ban from the US. The caveat is that the chances this will happen are small, but is being banned from the country of your loved one really a risk worth taking?

(I've been talking to you as if you are the foreign fiance/e. I don't know if that's the case, so please forgive me for assuming.)

You probably won't find much support from your fellow VJers in committing immigration fraud, but if you do decide to choose this route, I highly recommend you don't post about it on a public forum that USCIS workers have been known to visit.

Good luck with your journey, and I hope the wait isn't too painful. You can do it! Stay strong.

Great that they were able to accommodate you and move it sooner! Nice one!

Congrats, and we'll see you stateside shortly!

WOW! Visa in hand two days after the interview! Not too bad! So rest assured, sweet gwdenton, that at least you won't be waiting long to get your visa after the interview!

thanks for the straight hard but true advise, just wait huh? ok, sowy it just that i get a lil fustrated when i think they past me up or lost my petition or when i dont hear about they other febuary filers, thanks again guys for support

Totally understand your frustration. But they haven't lost it; try not to fret. You'll honestly forget about how hard all this is when you get your approval, and you're well on your way to getting to spend the rest of your life with the person you love.

Yeah, as someone who also filed at VSC, I'll say this (knowing that people said similar things to me when I was waiting very impatiently for the NOA2): Try not to check everyday, and try not to stress out about it everyday. It's rough waiting, to be sure, especially when you've waited two months and are watching people who filed well after you get approvals (as most of the folks who filed in Nov. 2009 know all too well). Some of the best advice for the waiting period, I think, may be "expect to wait 5 months, and then if you are approved sooner, you will be pleasantly surprised." Well, I couldn't do that, and I kept expecting everyday to be the day we were approved. Then every night, I went to bed sad and defeated because it was another day spent apart with no news. Until one day, it wasn't; one day, when you've almost given up hope of it ever happening at all, your approval email will show up in your inbox (for me, it was 116 days after the NOA1-just a couple days shy of 4 months). So stick it out, it will come! Good luck.