Terry&Tigger

incredible. Simply incredible. Rica, the only person with brain and not too much prejudice, thank you. Others, looking for drama, believing everything you are told, sorry. You've been fooled once again. Honey, you should check your radars, Greenboro?? wow. HIM??? very funny. G'night, people, enjoy the fruit of your imagination.

Someone told me long ago that To Kill the Mocking Bird was along the lines of Uncle Tom's Cabin but with more good guys, so as I did not really enjoy Uncle Tom much, I skipped the Mocking Bird - looks like it's worth catching up on it.

A bunch of thanks for replies, guys!!

Oh wow, that's a nice reading list! I'm assuming you're reading all of these in English?

I'm about half way through Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. It's historical fiction centered around World War 1, and very good. The other books I've read from this author are Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. All highly recommended. Good luck!

Yes, in English, of course Thank you so much, Ken Follett's books sound interesting, I will definitely read some!

Anything by James Michener.

I have only read "The Drifters" so far, and it did strike me as almost a scientific research on human lives depending on where and under what political and social circumstances a person is born and raised, a very profound and interesting book. Thank you for the input!!

Wow soo many replies!! Thanks a lot, guys, you are awesome!

I would dare say my reading level is kinda above average

I love reading, and the American authors I enjoyed the most are J. D. Salinger, Garrison Keillor, Fitzgerald, Twain, O'Henry, Hemingway, Stephen King (especially "Hearts in Atlantis"), William Golding ("Lord of Flies")... I have read a bunch of books by Mickey Spillane, John Grisham and the like, the "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, the wonderful "Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, a pile of Jack London's and Theodore Dreiser's books and numerous magazines with short stories...

Nevertheless, there are always books which might not be very popular, their authors not famous, but somehow the book stays in one's memory for no particular reason - and this is what I would particularly like to ask you to share, your personal preferences, even if they never made it to the Best-selling Top Ten or high school Books To Read list.

Thanks a lot to those who did share, I appreciate it very much, and am entering all the authors and books you mentioned into my own personal Books To Read list.

Hi guys,

Anyone willing to offer suggestions on what books by American authors one can read to get better knowledge of the culture/history/whatever? Any books you personally like? Thanks.

1HappyGuy,

Thank you for sharing Guess I will just sit and wait then... and sit... and wait...

AKguy,

I did get NOA1s in mail (funnily, in UNsealed envelopes ), was just wondering how soon they'd update they website. Thank you

baron555,

Thanks

Hi guys,

We filed for AOS in the end of January, my NOA 1s are dated 01.27.2011, but when I try to check my case status at USCIS website, it keeps telling me that my case number is not found. Am I checking too soon or are two weeks long enough for them to update the site and I should call the customer's service?

Thanks in advance.

that can be a good option. there is like a $60 fine for it, though, but it's not a big deal i guess.

+1

she only needs the 'internal' passport for traveling within Russia, all the paperwork for K-1, as well as the medical, interview, and traveling to the US stages, will be done using her international travel passport. It's not really an issue.

Ok, please accept my appologies. Slim is a bad influence

Thank you for understanding

Is this the forum Slim refers to all the time? Saying the MOBs get entitlement ideas from. I've better block this site now on my router

I am not that familiar with Slim's personal attitude towards that forum, I just know that it is the only part of virtual space where a Russian girl can get first-hand information about what to expect when in the USA, and find emotional support if they need it, and most do. Been there, got a T-shirt.

And probably it would be more polite if you kept the usage of the term 'MOB' limited to those guy discussion threads instead of using it in a thread started by a girl.

Thank you for the information. Somebody who had a successful K-1 in the past told me this. My fiance is a professional translator, but I did not want to find out the hard way that she was not allowed to do this, so she had another translator sign off on them.

This is good to know.

You are more than welcome. I am also a professional translator, and a K-1 holder. Just for your information: when after you marry your fiancee you will be filing papers for Adjustment of Status, the translation requirements will be the same: she CAN do everything on her own, and you do NOT need a single notarized or officially certified copy of anything. Just read instructions to each form (at uscis website)and follow them

Good luck with your visa journey.... and I can feel NOA2 in the air for you , somewhere very close

I don't think the petitioner or the beneficiary can be the translator. I may be wrong, but I don't think I am.

You can still do the translation; just get another bilingual person to sign off on them.

I am sorry , but you are wrong on this one. Absolutely anyone can be the translator. I (beneficiary) personally did all my translations myself and certified them according to the standards, and I know a lot of people who did the same. No problem at all.

It does NOT have to be a professional at all, you can translate them yourself. Same with official documents like Birth Certificate etc, you translate them yourself and just type in the bottom of EACH page of the translation :

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________

Date Typed Name

Address

here is the link to Uscis 'General Tips on Assembling Applications"

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=ff053d146a7ee010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=fe529c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

It's nice to know there will be one more Russian fiancee here in Michigan soon

Welcome and check out www.zaokeanom.com , it's a forum for Russian ladies in the USA, you might find it helpful. Feel free to pm me if you want 'girls' talk Good luck.

In #2 of the step by step guide, it states, "Color Photo's of you and your fiance(e) together. Make sure you write your names, date, and location on the back of every photo."

Does this require BOTH of us to personally write our names on the back of each of the photos?

Gosh, no They just want to know who is in the photos and where and when the photos were made. Like, 'Jack and Jill at Jill's house in Madrid, Spain. Sep.10th 2010" or 'Jack, Jill, and Jack's friends from college at Disneyland, Paris, France. Oct. 7th, 2010" Relax, it's simple, it's all gonna be fine, just don't overreact

. . .and be sure to inquire the fees too. . .

the fees are the reason I asked this question. I am a K-1 holder, and I only need the vaccination part filled in, and the lowest price the listed CSs charge for simply rewriting dates of my shots into a form is $98. Oh well... a hundred bucks for a 2-minute job...

Thanks for answering!

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if the list of Civil Surgeons on the USCIS website is a SUGGESTION or the list of the ONLY CSs who are certified to fill in vaccination records in I-693? Anyone used other doctors without further RFEs? All input is appreciated alot, thanks.

no card, just saying 'Merry Christmas' to all the RUBbers ! Happy holidays to you guys and may all your journeys be smooth and enjoyable.

keka

USCIS fees changed on November 23, AOS fee increased from 1010 to 1070 bucks. I have seen here that some people whose AOS papers were received by USCIS on November, 23, got their package back because they paid the old fee. If your check has not been cashed, MAYBE this is the problem with your package too. Maybe, and hopefully, not. Just be ready to get the papers back and have to pay $1070 instead of $1010 and mail the package once again.

For an ID, try to read the official website of your state, here in Michigan I got my state ID having submitted my passport, visa, marriage certificate and Social Security card.

Good luck and happy holidays no matter what!

I'm kind of jealous about how fast you got your visa!

Oh but we got K-1 and K-2, they are normally faster than CR-1... Good luck with your visa journey!

I've read here that the police certificate doesn't need to be translated.

the police certificate does need to be translated, you might want to read instructions at the US embassy website, www.usembassy.ru.

May I ask, why would she send any documents by mail? I think spouses bring all the documents with them to the interview, just like fiancees...

Except there are not any required vaccinations for K-1. The AOS vaccinations can be received but are optional.

Right, but there is always human factor. I didn't say they were necessary, I said I could see her having problems at MOM due to that because I saw how the staff works there.

When I was getting my medical, my 3 year old daughter was with me,the whole time since 9 a.m. By noon, when we finally got to the physician, the kid was tired, bored, and whining, and the doctor who was to do my physical said that she would not perform the physical unless I make the kid stay outside of the room for the time of the physical. I am sure the rest of the line for the physical who were waiting in the hall remembered those twenty minutes for the rest of their lives. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! MUUUUUUUUUUUM!!! I WANNA GO TO MY MOOOOOOOOOMMYY!!!!! I don't know what instructions they have for moms with little kids there in the clinic, but they are most certainly not of "Make the customer happy" sort.

Any thoughts?

Thought #1. It is possible that she was not allowed to have her physical because she did not have enough CASH with her to pay for the vaccinations she was supposed to get in case of missing records. They charge something like $30 - $60 per each shot in MOM, so I can see her not having extra 200 bucks or something to pay for the shots. No shots- no physical. But no medical does NOT mean no interview. Should have gone to the interview as scheduled, of course, rescheduled the medical, and sent the results of medical to the embassy whenever she got them, AFTER the interview.

Thought #2.

Moscow embassy does NOT allow ANYONE to accompany the interviewee INSIDE the building of the embassy. So, the most you can do is escort her to the gate, see her go in, and walk back and forth outside the embassy for two... or three... or four hours. In winter. Moscow winter. I was out of the embassy two hours and thirty minutes after I walked in, but I was the first one in line to the cashier's and the fifth one to be interviewed...

Thought #3.

Email them again describing the situation, don't rely on the phone call. Get a WRITTEN reply. I don't think they want you to fax them the forms she was supposed to bring with her to the interview. They might want the documents which make your reason for rescheduling the interview valid, imho. It takes them around a week to reply to emails.

Keep us posted.

Good luck.