CBM

I bought emergency supplies like flashlights wine and water beer.

They're not going to buy that it was necessary for you to move 15 miles away just so you could be closer to work. You would either commute the extra 15 miles, or your spouse would move with you. Married couples don't live apart from each other just to save less than 1/2 an hour in their daily commute. They going to assume your marriage is on the rocks, and that's why you've separated.
You're not bound by the terms of the I-864 yet, so the change of address requirement isn't going to be enforced. However, if the AOS is approved then the I-864 requirements become enforceable. Any sponsor who signs an I-864 is required to notify USCIS of their new address if they move.

Puyshbrk, you need to stop telling people what they should or should not say. It gets really ennoying every time you start getting into the argument with people rather than just providing help.

I disagree. Talking doesn't necessarily mean you can know the person better. Nonverbal communication, IMO, reveals more of the chemistry between two people than talking. Also, in a LDR, you can't really know how the other person interacts and reacts to others, until you've been with them and witnessed for yourself. You'll see how they handle stress, anger, conflict. When you aren't around the person physically, I think there's more a tendency to fill in the gaps with our romantic ideals about the other person, than in a normal courtship.

When I filed for AOS..I did not get my medical transcribed, I just sent in my medical worksheet they provided me from the medical in Toronto. In the Packet I included a letter stating when I had my medical done and that I have had one done in the last year, Stated where I got it done with the address and phone numbers listed. Also, I printed out the instruction sheet from the I 485 packet regarding the medical and highlighted it..lol Just to be safe I also photocopied my reciept from dr. Seidens office as well as the chest x-ray result he gave back to me. They had no problems with it and I got no RFE's. Some people get there medicals transcribed once in the states before filing for AOS, but I wasn't wanting to spend more money on it if I didn't have to, thought i'd wait for a RFE if that was the case, but it wasn't and we ended up saving some money Best of luck to you on the AOS process!!
Just to add..the form they gave me did not say DS 3025 on it...I forget what it exactly said, but it had all the lists of what shots I had and the doctors signature on the bottom with the checkmark boxes.

The case was dismissed yesterday at the courthouse!!! I am so happy!Finally my husband could come back home! Both of us almost cried when we got out of the courtroom and finally were able to talk and hug - it is over!!!
Thank you everyone for support and kind words to me!)))

Topic has been moved from Immigration News Discussion forum to General Immigration forum as it is not a news related story.
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Lila,
I'm not familiar with any programmes that would work for you. I'm sorry that you have so many problems at home, but I am also not sure that moving to the US would solve them for you. In spite of its many attractions, the US can be a very difficult country in which to live, especially if you do not have the support of existing family or work colleagues. Going to school here would be different than living here when you are no longer a student and you would probably find it less supportive than you would like.
The US is very stringent on its immigration requirements. If you do not qualify for a family or work based or investors visa - which you are right, don't seem to fit for you - there really isn't any other option, unless you are in one of the countries that has the Immigration Diversity Lottery (I don't believe Germany is included) or qualify as a refugee from a war-torn or politically unstable country. Unfortunately, there are no 'leaks'. The US is incredibly rigid in its enforcement of its immigration policy so that even many of those who are able to come on a legitimate type of visa are denied entry.
You say that coming to the US is your last hope. I understand that life in Germany is very unhappy for you, but I wonder if there is another solution that you may not be seeing. It appears that changing your environment has helped you, so why not look into some of the overseas employment programmes offered by other countries around the world? These would not be permanent relocations, but specific work projects for a specified period of time. You may find that you will have wonderful experiences somewhere else where you can get some sort of a visa.
I am sorry I don't have a list of such programmes available, however I do know that some countries have reciprocal programmes such as the 'working holiday' programme Canada and Australia have with each other. It will involve some research on your part, but is a more likely option than finding a way to come to the US in your current circumstances.
The best advice I can offer if you wish to come to the US is to find some way to continue your education to gain skills that the US wants and is willing to hire workers from outside of the US to get; or to develop one of your talents or skills - such as photography - to an excellence that makes you unique and in demand. There is a visa for those with an outstanding talent that would also allow you to come to the US.
I'm sorry that I have nothing more positive to offer, but please do try to explore other options. While environment contributes to what makes a person happy or unhappy, it won't make an unhappy person happier unless they can learn how to find happiness within themselves first. People can be unhappy in the best and most supportive environments just as much as people can find happiness in what appear to be the worst and least supportive of environments. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but our problems don't always get left behind when we move away to somewhere else. Maybe you can find another supportive environment in Europe (maybe even elsewhere in Germany) that will allow you to be the person you want to be. If you really need to get away, maybe looking for work on a cruise ship might offer you enough changes of environment that you will feel more able to deal with daily stresses?
Regardless, good luck to you.

Thanks, everyone! I might just take gravol before my flight to knock me out so I don't have to deal with the pain.
I'm too happy celebrating my degree & moving to worry too much about it!!

Russia hasn't been a communist dictatorship for about 20 years. Corrupt? Yes. Bureaucratic and inept? No doubt. But not a communist dictatorship. I know about communist dictatorships - my wife immigrated from one.
It's impossible to manage a system as large as US immigration without a massive amount of bureaucracy. It's just not possible. The US is the biggest immigrant destination in the world - by a wide margin. The system is bad, and in many cases it's not fair, but I'm actually rather impressed with how well it works compared to other bureaucracies within the US government. Try getting SSDI or veterans disability benefits. The immigration process seems like a cakewalk by comparison.
If you've lived in the US for any length of time then you should be used to the US government crawling up your tailpipe with a microscope anytime you ask them for something. I was in the military, and that experience teaches you two important lessons. First, you are powerless against the US government. You can fight them if you've been treated unfairly, but it's ultimately going to be the US government (via the Department of Justice) that determines if you've been wronged. Second, if you play the game by their rules and jump through the hoops they ask you to jump through then you'll usually get what you want, and it will be relatively painless. If you insist on being a rebel and a non-conformist then you can expect your life to be extraordinarily difficult. Bureaucracies are machines, and machines don't deal well with parts that don't fit. That machine can give you what you want, but you need to fit just like all the other parts.
There were some comments I was going to make in response to your first post, but I resisted. You have a sense of entitlement. You believe you have a claim to rights you don't actually have. You live in a country with more than 300 million other people. Collectively, we have a system of government whereby we elect people to make laws for us, and then we all live by those laws. If you disagree with some of those laws then you can try to convince a substantial portion of those 300 million people to side with you, and then pressure our government to change things. We elected them. They are us, and we are them. Or, you can be a loner and choose to single-handedly buck the system. You'll be miserable, and you won't change anything.
The only alternative is to buy an island and make your own rules.

You are absolutely right, I know you are only concerned with preserving the integrity and honor of the Immigration Process! Now that I have went back and read your posts again, I can clearly see that you have no ill intentions towards this woman! You are an upstanding individual and citizen for wanting to ensure this woman is arrested and deported because you think she has committed immigration fraud. I am also very happy that you opened my eyes to all the fraudsters in here, now I have to go back and check all the information these fraudsters provided me over time. You can rest assured that if I find any faults or infractions of immigration laws, I will deport myself! Thank You for opening my eyes to my own ignorance!

Okay, so I thought I'd start a thread to let people who are interviewing soon know: You don't have to drive 3 or 4 or 5 hours to get your passport from the DHL location you chose!
I know I'm not the only one who thought I had to go to that location to get it, because I just saw someone in another thread worrying about it.
The day of your interview, assuming you are approved, you get a "congrats" letter with a few FAQ on it. On the back, there should be instructions regarding the waybill and all that. If there's nothing on the back (there wasn't on mine), ask the receptionist on the way out. She is very nice, and willing to help.
All you have to do is go to the website that you booked your interview at, and go to the DHL part of it. It will give you an email address to email (csc.deliveries@dhl.ca) and all you do is email them with your Full name, as it appears on your passport,your passport number, your waybill number, and your mailing address. There may be something else, but there is a list of instructions. Also provide a phone number you can be reached at during the day.
Then, within 2 days, a DHL rep will call you, and you have to confirm all the info you emailed previously, and give them your credit card number to pay for the shipment to your house. It's $16-something. It takes an extra couple days, but to me, it was WELL worth the 4 hour round trip to London, ON to get my passport.
I didn't have it shipped to my house until it had already arrived in London, so it's not a big deal if you don't change it right away. You can't change it until the waybill number shows up on the screen, which may take a week or so.
And, for K-1s (not sure about CR1s), you will get an email from the consulate saying it's been sent.
Anyway, hope this helps some of the people who are interviewing soon! No long trips needed

a few people have said things like this, and in my mind, i just don't see the point. once you're married, you are married. If someone misses it, then doing it again later on wont change the fact that everyone will know its fake... for me i can't grasp the idea of being married, then repeating the ceremony. Getting married is (for alot of people) a once in a lifetime event, and you either see it or you don't.

A degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry is not specialized (I'm not putting you down, I have a BS in Chemistry).
However if you did a Doctorate's thesis and experimentation on weaponization of Bacillis anthraxis (Anthrax)then you move into the realm of "specialized." That they would want to hear about, naturally, though "they" would already know, I'm betting.
As coffeeannan has asked, please update us...

With all due respect to the varied opinions expressed in this thread, I don't think the OP deserves the bashing he's getting. In a traditional Vietnamese family, children do not say no to their parents, not even if the parent is 90 and the child is 70. They would incur the wrath of the entire extended family. Unless the parent was clearly wrong, they wouldn't back the child against the parent even if they were sympathetic.
Also, there are probably a lot more actors involved here than just the son and his parents. His parents obviously know the family of the bride or they would not have arranged the marriage. In addition to the traditional reasons two families will arrange a marriage of their children, immigration may also be a factor here. The wife may already have family members in the US, but none who are eligible to sponsor her or her parents. If she marries a US citizen and becomes a citizen herself then she'll be able to petition for her parents, who will then be able to petition for their other children, and so on. However, this doesn't mean the marriage is a sham. The law doesn't require the bride and groom to be in love. It also doesn't require that a desire to immigrate or help your family immigrate not be on your list of reasons for getting married. It just says that it can't be your primary reason for wanting to get married.
I have some sympathy for the OP. Against his better judgment, he did what a good Vietnamese son would do and he obeyed his parents. Now he feels trapped in a loveless marriage. If he divorces her then he will probably have repercussions to face within his family.
As far as his wife, I doubt she gave up much to come to America and marry him. On the contrary, she had everything to gain and very little to lose. It's unlikely she owned any property. If she was fortunate enough to have a job then it probably didn't pay more than $2 or $3 per day. If her family was relatively well off then she might have lived in a home with actual tile floors instead of concrete, and a real bed instead of a straw mat on the floor.
A VAWA claim is a non-starter. There was no abuse. Nada. The only thing he's doing that she doesn't want is ending the relationship, and that doesn't qualify as abuse by any stretch of the imagination.

One thing I would like to add here. . . The squeakiest wheel does not get the grease with USCIS. USCIS ignores the squeakiest wheel unless it is the case that is in front of them at the time. USCIS handles hundreds of thousands of visa requests every year - and the Haitian situation is miniscule when looking at the overal picture.
A while ago we had an adjudicator who works for USCIS going through the process himself. He posted some very interesting insights into how cases are adjudicated. Basically, files are received at an intake center and given a quick summary. If they are incomplete, they are returned to the sender. If they appear to be complete, then the check is cashed and they are sent into a line up. The line up is huge - forget huge - it is humungous. USCIS allocates the time it has its workers spend on applications dependent on what ones are most immediate in need. Employment type visas are a higher priority than family based visas (a few years ago I saw a summary of 'priority' ratings for the different visa types - fiance visas were near the bottom). It is a good idea to remember that what is your highest priority is actually not very high with USCIS and complaining about it won't make an iota of difference to them. The employment visa year starts in October so virtually every October nearly all of the family based applications come to a near halt while USCIS processes the employment visas to get on top of them. The family based visas then become backlogged and around the end of the year they seem to start working through that backlog again. An adjudicator does not know from day to day what types of applications they will be processing - that decision is made higher up the ladder. There are not nearly enough Haitians in the whole country if each and every one of them were applying for some sort of immigration benefit to interfere with the processing schedules set by USCIS. Don't blame the Haitians - blame the priority lists of USCIS which puts money making, investment, employment type of applications at the top and family related applications at the bottom. That is the culprit.
Secondly, I do understand exactly what you are going through. 7 years ago that was me, crying in anger and frustration as our wait times changed from 160 days then when that time passed, became 220 days and then 280 days. Other people who were similarly delayed (this was the Texas Processing Center in those days) actually picketed the TSC and made the news. It didn't make a difference - not the picketing (although a few people were arrested), not the adverse media, not even public letters to the then Director of Immigration. One of the hardest lessons you will learn through this process is that USCIS - especially with the I-129f - is impenetrable and unperturbable - they move on their own schedule and they lose no sleep over how much frustration, anxiety, fear and heart-break they cause. It took more than 6 months to get my I-129f NOA2, so you can see, these delays are nothing new. Those of you who applied in June will probably be receiving your NOA2s over the next 5 to 6 weeks. Those that are approved earlier than that are usually cases that are pulled out of line to be used as a training case for new adjudicators. While it only takes 15 minutes to read and approve your application it spends the rest of its time waiting its turn in line behind all of the other thousand of applications that have also been submitted.
This is just your first stage of waiting. Once the NOA2 is approved, most of you will be in for a wait until the Consulate can schedule an interview. For some Consulates this will happen quickly - for others it will be another 5 or 6 months (Canada, for instance). Then after you are together, you apply for a green card - that is another wait. For me, it was just short of 2 years (no RFEs, no problems, just waiting its turn in line). Then you have a 2 year wait before you again have to wait for Removal of Conditions. Ours took 1 year to be removed. You finally get your last - and shortest wait - when you apply for citizenship.
So, yes, it isn't fair; it isn't right and it is extremely frustrating. Get angry, write letters, make your problems public (which has happened several times over the years I have been here as well - lots of media coverage of the horrible waiting times for fiancees and spouses) but don't go blaming one group of people or one disaster or another for the wait. It is irrelevant. USCIS is understaffed and overworked. You are on the bottom rung of their priority ladder. It is as simple as that.,
All I can promise is that the waiting does end eventually and tell you that this is, indeed, the absolutely worst part of the whole process because of the uncertainty and the distance from the one you love.
Hang in there everyone. Vent away - but please vent your frustration in the right direction - at USCIS.

I debated replying to this because I don't want to cause trouble but the bolded sentence annoyed me too much to ignore.
I kinda had to figure you would bring up the fact that I received my NOA2. That is besides the point, because I waited almost 5 months, just as the people in this thread have done. Some are over 5 months, some are close to 5 months. It's not like I magically got my NOA2 in 2 months. And, if you actually go back and read the threads, when people were b!tching and moaning about CSC being out of the processing times of 5 months, I actually piped up and said no they were not. Does it suck to wait? Yeah, it sucks.
You keep moaning about the service you are or aren't receiving. Venting is one thing, and we all do it, but complaining that we aren't getting the service we "paid for" is not going to help anything. You pay for what you get. Your fiance actually paid to petition you to apply for a visa, NOT for it to DEFINITELY BE DONE WITHIN 5 months. CSC will not issue any refunds or anything of the sorts if someone is not approved after 5 months. It's just never going to happen.
And, I'm quite familiar that the "process" does not end with USCIS's service centres. I'm familiar with NVC, and the consulates, the POE, then EAD/AP/Green card, then 10 year green card, then Naturalization, if a person so chooses and qualifies. I, too, have researched my consulate. And happen to know it is one of the slowest in the world. Is it fair? NOPE. Am I grateful to have the opportunity to present my case to a CO and pray he finds the validity in my relationship and grant me a visa? YUP.
Your comment to J was uncalled for. Yes, she gets to see her fiance more often than a lot of couples, but she also gave up her entire life to do that. She gave up her 6 figure job and her own place and everything she had created for herself in adulthood to be close to A. We all make sacrifices in this process, so do not discredit someone just because they get to see their fiance fairly often.
Your sense of entitlement in this process will not get your far. If you go into your interview with guns a'blazing and ready to tell a CO how grossly unfair this process is, be prepared to be disappointed.
Count your blessings.

How about we steer the conversation back to being helpful for the OP, mmkay?

Im not sure dropped was the word you were looking for, But you can REMOVE someone from YOUR car insurance. I am on my Husbands car insurance and he can remove me from his insurance whenever. I removed my ex Off MY car insurance a few years back without any problems...I started the policy and then added him on a few months later and when we split I called them and asked them to remove him from my policy/coverage.
Yes there is always three sides to the story but we dont know his so I will take her word for it and advice as if the situation is as she says it is.

I debated replying to this because I don't want to cause trouble but the bolded sentence annoyed me too much to ignore.
I kinda had to figure you would bring up the fact that I received my NOA2. That is besides the point, because I waited almost 5 months, just as the people in this thread have done. Some are over 5 months, some are close to 5 months. It's not like I magically got my NOA2 in 2 months. And, if you actually go back and read the threads, when people were b!tching and moaning about CSC being out of the processing times of 5 months, I actually piped up and said no they were not. Does it suck to wait? Yeah, it sucks.
You keep moaning about the service you are or aren't receiving. Venting is one thing, and we all do it, but complaining that we aren't getting the service we "paid for" is not going to help anything. You pay for what you get. Your fiance actually paid to petition you to apply for a visa, NOT for it to DEFINITELY BE DONE WITHIN 5 months. CSC will not issue any refunds or anything of the sorts if someone is not approved after 5 months. It's just never going to happen.
And, I'm quite familiar that the "process" does not end with USCIS's service centres. I'm familiar with NVC, and the consulates, the POE, then EAD/AP/Green card, then 10 year green card, then Naturalization, if a person so chooses and qualifies. I, too, have researched my consulate. And happen to know it is one of the slowest in the world. Is it fair? NOPE. Am I grateful to have the opportunity to present my case to a CO and pray he finds the validity in my relationship and grant me a visa? YUP.
Your comment to J was uncalled for. Yes, she gets to see her fiance more often than a lot of couples, but she also gave up her entire life to do that. She gave up her 6 figure job and her own place and everything she had created for herself in adulthood to be close to A. We all make sacrifices in this process, so do not discredit someone just because they get to see their fiance fairly often.
Your sense of entitlement in this process will not get your far. If you go into your interview with guns a'blazing and ready to tell a CO how grossly unfair this process is, be prepared to be disappointed.
Count your blessings.

I also have never been to a fortune teller, nor do I ever plan to go.... my fiance and I are semi-religious, we go to church once in a while and say grace and count our blessing and all the rest. We are not fanatics or anything, but we enjoy our faith.
I think your attitude is really good, because I doubt it would take more than 3 months from NOA2 to interview. If it helps, you are probably more prepared than most when they get Packet 3, and won't have any delays sending it back. And, 3 months on peoples' timelines includes the time it takes to get to NVC, then embassy, and get P3 to the beneficiary... it's not like it's 3 months from sending back Packet 3.
In case you didn't know, here's a semi-short cut (I figured it out too late). Wait until you get the letter from NVC with the new London case number.. then wait a day or two, and call DOS. They will tell you if Packet 3 has been sent yet. If it has, you can send the information back to the embassy, because (at least for Montreal), there is NOTHING in Packet 3 you actually need to send back. You actually have to download all the forms online. I didn't realize that, and we wasted 11 days. It was sent on the 1st, and I only got it on Tuesday and sent it back yesterday. I know it's not a HUGE time saver, but 12 days is still 12 days.
Don't let other people bring you down. A positive attitude carries you far in life and will definitely continue to help with immigration!!
For what it's worth, I think an April wedding is still 100% feasible.

Same. You WILL NOT get away with the immigration process without her finding out. By whatever means, K-1, K-3, CR-1 she MUSt have an interview in her country and they WILL ask her about your previous marriage to a Macedonian. They may not ask about a previous marriage to an American, but to a Mecedonian or other foreigner, yes, definitely. For two reasons...
1. She needs to know you have done this before and accept that.
2. They need to see her reaction. If it is a big surprise they are going to question your sincerity and deny the visa.
I DO NOT suggest you try for a spousal visa without telling her. It is every bit as likely to be denied or have "problems" and then you will still be legally married. Give her the chance to say "no" before she gets married. If it is a deal breaker you BOTH need to know NOW before you go and get married.
My suggestion is either tell her now, or end the relationship now.

Just from her perspective - wouldn't she rather find out about your divorce/prior marriage from you beforehand rather than a CO at the interview? Never mind the negative impact on the visa, but think about how she will feel.
I'm not judging, because it's not my place to judge..... but I personally would rather know about a prior marriage or something like that from my fiance, NOT from someone else. I would feel lied to and deceived.
As most people have pointed out, she WILL find out. Not if, but when. Let her know your ex doesn't mean anything to you anymore and you love your fiancee, and she is the most important woman in your life, but you wanted to tell her because it's the right thing to do.

congrats! I'm glad it all worked out!!
Good luck with the interview and safe travels there!!

Actually I would think reporting would have the exact opposite effect. By reporting her as soon as possible USCIS will know to look for false claims of spousal abuse in order to get a greencard.

This is totally uncalled for as well as off-base. To suggest any such thing under the circumstances as presented is not only inaccurate, it is also unkind and callous. Regardless, the OP has not asked for your judgments or speculations. If you cannot offer something useful to this thread then it is better not to participate in it at all.
Bluehill, I am sorry for your heartache and loss. I hope you will be able to recover and get back on track with your life soon.