Dodi

Mox,
That would require EVERYONE participating in the change. If half of us want a change, and half don't, it's going to be very slow going. You also have people who are seriously disruptive on purpose (as you guys keep mentioning in other threads) who would keep posting attacks and baiting posts just because they CAN. Sometimes the button pushing is the only way to stop them. I'll be the first to agree that discretion should be used when making the call to block someone from a thread, but when people like those you guys have been mentioning pop up specifically to 'pounce' on a juicy thread, that thread ban might be the way to go.

Ok, I've kept quiet until now, but since this thread was brought around based on a thread I started, and I'm the one being bad-mouthed here yet again, I feel the need to respond.
Sorry, Jill, I didn't know you didn't realize I had asked for the thread to be removed.
First off: I asked for the thread to be removed because it had gotten to such a state that it was no longer serving the intended purpose, which was to find out from someone who had recently been through this stage, how long it was taking to get an interview date, or even just forms logged in at the London Embassy.
Second: The term "tough love" doesn't exactly describe what was being doled out there. I believe the term being used by the self-labeled "legacy members" was a Smackdown. You guys took it upon yourselves to decide that I deserved a Smackdown as my "rite of passage" into VJ, and then proceeded to do so, en masse.
What you guys are calling "tough love" from people who have been through the process and are safely on the other side, looking back knowing how easy it went for you, is actually to most of us no better than cyberbullying. You use you knowledge of what you went through, and instead of just answering a question, you tell us we're obesessing over things or ridiculous, or that we need a smackdown, or whatever else. You claim we're going to start mass panic all over the forum by stating that we're calling the DOS too much (in YOUR opinion).
I've gotten PM's several times today from newer members who are afraid to post in the forum anymore because of what they've seen from you guys. They don't want to be attacked for asking questions. Is that what you want to turn this place into? If Noobs are beneath you, then don't bother reading or replying to their posts. Nobody is forcing you. However, if you do want to pass on your "expertise" from the viewpoint of someone who has been there, think about what you felt like when you were in our shoes. We're not asking to be molly-coddled or wrapped in cotton wool. (Got enough of my own there, thanks.) We are simply looking for information. That's kinda the point of this forum in the first place.
Yes, I agree with Darnell. (gasp!) There are too many people getting out of hand. There are too many people who feel entitled to run roughshod over the newer members, and that is counterproductive to VJ's purpose.
This response is probably going to go unheeded, because you all feel that you are above me, having been here so long, and that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. That's fine. I'm not here just to defend myself. I'm here because as a newer member (I've only been here a couple of months) I want to know that all newer members feel free to post without threat of ridicule. I'm not asking for a pat on the back or hugs and flowers. I just want the bullying (cos that's what it is) to stop.
Thanks.

Yes, Johnny. I did call you a troll, when you'd jumped to a second thread on the same day and were being just as rude to me as you were in the first one. That is what a troll is, by definition - someone in a forum who looks for the next place to pounce and antagonize. And I was the one who ASKED the moderators to step in on that thread. I have no problem admitting that I use the reporting features. It's what they're there for. The majority of the comments that were removed were from you and boiler, so let's not act like it was all me in that fray. I had no problem with someone disproving something I said. What I did have a problem with was your arrogant attitude, and the lack of proof, simply rude and snide remarks. I was quoting directly from the I-134 instruction sheet, and asking you to back up what you were saying, which you couldn't do. In the end, Jim offered a courteous reply with some good information, and I ceded my point.
The point here is that many of the older members have taken it upon themselves to decide that they are judge, jury and lord of this forum and dole out whatever punishment or smackdown they deem necessary and deserving to the newer members here for daring to ask a question. That's completely against the purpose of VJ, and as I stated before, it's making many of the newer members feel unwelcome or unwanted here, and at best, just afraid to post. If you want a place to go hang out and be snarky to people who aren't members of your clique, and to train others on how to bash and flame people, by all means START YOUR OWN FORUM, then you can be legacy members in your own right, and mould it into the haven of bitchiness you desire. But don't try to turn VJ into that. There is still a lot of useful information here and a lot of people who still need help and want to give back.

Since his family's support is rightfully his primary concern, IMO, he should probably go ahead with the KSA work visa in the time being. A work visa outside of the US shouldn't hinder his ability to get the K1, and it's doubtful they'll even know he's applied for one. If they DID ask about it at the interview, he could explain the situation, just as you have, and tell them that he was simply trying to be prepared for the worst, should you guys be thrown into AP for an indefinite period of time, and he be forced to continue working there, and this was his contingency plan. That is a reasonable answer and would show them the amount of responsibility he is taking for his family.

Ok, I've kept quiet until now, but since this thread was brought around based on a thread I started, and I'm the one being bad-mouthed here yet again, I feel the need to respond.
Sorry, Jill, I didn't know you didn't realize I had asked for the thread to be removed.
First off: I asked for the thread to be removed because it had gotten to such a state that it was no longer serving the intended purpose, which was to find out from someone who had recently been through this stage, how long it was taking to get an interview date, or even just forms logged in at the London Embassy.
Second: The term "tough love" doesn't exactly describe what was being doled out there. I believe the term being used by the self-labeled "legacy members" was a Smackdown. You guys took it upon yourselves to decide that I deserved a Smackdown as my "rite of passage" into VJ, and then proceeded to do so, en masse.
What you guys are calling "tough love" from people who have been through the process and are safely on the other side, looking back knowing how easy it went for you, is actually to most of us no better than cyberbullying. You use you knowledge of what you went through, and instead of just answering a question, you tell us we're obesessing over things or ridiculous, or that we need a smackdown, or whatever else. You claim we're going to start mass panic all over the forum by stating that we're calling the DOS too much (in YOUR opinion).
I've gotten PM's several times today from newer members who are afraid to post in the forum anymore because of what they've seen from you guys. They don't want to be attacked for asking questions. Is that what you want to turn this place into? If Noobs are beneath you, then don't bother reading or replying to their posts. Nobody is forcing you. However, if you do want to pass on your "expertise" from the viewpoint of someone who has been there, think about what you felt like when you were in our shoes. We're not asking to be molly-coddled or wrapped in cotton wool. (Got enough of my own there, thanks.) We are simply looking for information. That's kinda the point of this forum in the first place.
Yes, I agree with Darnell. (gasp!) There are too many people getting out of hand. There are too many people who feel entitled to run roughshod over the newer members, and that is counterproductive to VJ's purpose.
This response is probably going to go unheeded, because you all feel that you are above me, having been here so long, and that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. That's fine. I'm not here just to defend myself. I'm here because as a newer member (I've only been here a couple of months) I want to know that all newer members feel free to post without threat of ridicule. I'm not asking for a pat on the back or hugs and flowers. I just want the bullying (cos that's what it is) to stop.
Thanks.

Ok, I've kept quiet until now, but since this thread was brought around based on a thread I started, and I'm the one being bad-mouthed here yet again, I feel the need to respond.
Sorry, Jill, I didn't know you didn't realize I had asked for the thread to be removed.
First off: I asked for the thread to be removed because it had gotten to such a state that it was no longer serving the intended purpose, which was to find out from someone who had recently been through this stage, how long it was taking to get an interview date, or even just forms logged in at the London Embassy.
Second: The term "tough love" doesn't exactly describe what was being doled out there. I believe the term being used by the self-labeled "legacy members" was a Smackdown. You guys took it upon yourselves to decide that I deserved a Smackdown as my "rite of passage" into VJ, and then proceeded to do so, en masse.
What you guys are calling "tough love" from people who have been through the process and are safely on the other side, looking back knowing how easy it went for you, is actually to most of us no better than cyberbullying. You use you knowledge of what you went through, and instead of just answering a question, you tell us we're obesessing over things or ridiculous, or that we need a smackdown, or whatever else. You claim we're going to start mass panic all over the forum by stating that we're calling the DOS too much (in YOUR opinion).
I've gotten PM's several times today from newer members who are afraid to post in the forum anymore because of what they've seen from you guys. They don't want to be attacked for asking questions. Is that what you want to turn this place into? If Noobs are beneath you, then don't bother reading or replying to their posts. Nobody is forcing you. However, if you do want to pass on your "expertise" from the viewpoint of someone who has been there, think about what you felt like when you were in our shoes. We're not asking to be molly-coddled or wrapped in cotton wool. (Got enough of my own there, thanks.) We are simply looking for information. That's kinda the point of this forum in the first place.
Yes, I agree with Darnell. (gasp!) There are too many people getting out of hand. There are too many people who feel entitled to run roughshod over the newer members, and that is counterproductive to VJ's purpose.
This response is probably going to go unheeded, because you all feel that you are above me, having been here so long, and that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. That's fine. I'm not here just to defend myself. I'm here because as a newer member (I've only been here a couple of months) I want to know that all newer members feel free to post without threat of ridicule. I'm not asking for a pat on the back or hugs and flowers. I just want the bullying (cos that's what it is) to stop.
Thanks.

Ok, I've kept quiet until now, but since this thread was brought around based on a thread I started, and I'm the one being bad-mouthed here yet again, I feel the need to respond.
Sorry, Jill, I didn't know you didn't realize I had asked for the thread to be removed.
First off: I asked for the thread to be removed because it had gotten to such a state that it was no longer serving the intended purpose, which was to find out from someone who had recently been through this stage, how long it was taking to get an interview date, or even just forms logged in at the London Embassy.
Second: The term "tough love" doesn't exactly describe what was being doled out there. I believe the term being used by the self-labeled "legacy members" was a Smackdown. You guys took it upon yourselves to decide that I deserved a Smackdown as my "rite of passage" into VJ, and then proceeded to do so, en masse.
What you guys are calling "tough love" from people who have been through the process and are safely on the other side, looking back knowing how easy it went for you, is actually to most of us no better than cyberbullying. You use you knowledge of what you went through, and instead of just answering a question, you tell us we're obesessing over things or ridiculous, or that we need a smackdown, or whatever else. You claim we're going to start mass panic all over the forum by stating that we're calling the DOS too much (in YOUR opinion).
I've gotten PM's several times today from newer members who are afraid to post in the forum anymore because of what they've seen from you guys. They don't want to be attacked for asking questions. Is that what you want to turn this place into? If Noobs are beneath you, then don't bother reading or replying to their posts. Nobody is forcing you. However, if you do want to pass on your "expertise" from the viewpoint of someone who has been there, think about what you felt like when you were in our shoes. We're not asking to be molly-coddled or wrapped in cotton wool. (Got enough of my own there, thanks.) We are simply looking for information. That's kinda the point of this forum in the first place.
Yes, I agree with Darnell. (gasp!) There are too many people getting out of hand. There are too many people who feel entitled to run roughshod over the newer members, and that is counterproductive to VJ's purpose.
This response is probably going to go unheeded, because you all feel that you are above me, having been here so long, and that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. That's fine. I'm not here just to defend myself. I'm here because as a newer member (I've only been here a couple of months) I want to know that all newer members feel free to post without threat of ridicule. I'm not asking for a pat on the back or hugs and flowers. I just want the bullying (cos that's what it is) to stop.
Thanks.

Ok, I've kept quiet until now, but since this thread was brought around based on a thread I started, and I'm the one being bad-mouthed here yet again, I feel the need to respond.
Sorry, Jill, I didn't know you didn't realize I had asked for the thread to be removed.
First off: I asked for the thread to be removed because it had gotten to such a state that it was no longer serving the intended purpose, which was to find out from someone who had recently been through this stage, how long it was taking to get an interview date, or even just forms logged in at the London Embassy.
Second: The term "tough love" doesn't exactly describe what was being doled out there. I believe the term being used by the self-labeled "legacy members" was a Smackdown. You guys took it upon yourselves to decide that I deserved a Smackdown as my "rite of passage" into VJ, and then proceeded to do so, en masse.
What you guys are calling "tough love" from people who have been through the process and are safely on the other side, looking back knowing how easy it went for you, is actually to most of us no better than cyberbullying. You use you knowledge of what you went through, and instead of just answering a question, you tell us we're obesessing over things or ridiculous, or that we need a smackdown, or whatever else. You claim we're going to start mass panic all over the forum by stating that we're calling the DOS too much (in YOUR opinion).
I've gotten PM's several times today from newer members who are afraid to post in the forum anymore because of what they've seen from you guys. They don't want to be attacked for asking questions. Is that what you want to turn this place into? If Noobs are beneath you, then don't bother reading or replying to their posts. Nobody is forcing you. However, if you do want to pass on your "expertise" from the viewpoint of someone who has been there, think about what you felt like when you were in our shoes. We're not asking to be molly-coddled or wrapped in cotton wool. (Got enough of my own there, thanks.) We are simply looking for information. That's kinda the point of this forum in the first place.
Yes, I agree with Darnell. (gasp!) There are too many people getting out of hand. There are too many people who feel entitled to run roughshod over the newer members, and that is counterproductive to VJ's purpose.
This response is probably going to go unheeded, because you all feel that you are above me, having been here so long, and that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. That's fine. I'm not here just to defend myself. I'm here because as a newer member (I've only been here a couple of months) I want to know that all newer members feel free to post without threat of ridicule. I'm not asking for a pat on the back or hugs and flowers. I just want the bullying (cos that's what it is) to stop.
Thanks.

Ok, I've kept quiet until now, but since this thread was brought around based on a thread I started, and I'm the one being bad-mouthed here yet again, I feel the need to respond.
Sorry, Jill, I didn't know you didn't realize I had asked for the thread to be removed.
First off: I asked for the thread to be removed because it had gotten to such a state that it was no longer serving the intended purpose, which was to find out from someone who had recently been through this stage, how long it was taking to get an interview date, or even just forms logged in at the London Embassy.
Second: The term "tough love" doesn't exactly describe what was being doled out there. I believe the term being used by the self-labeled "legacy members" was a Smackdown. You guys took it upon yourselves to decide that I deserved a Smackdown as my "rite of passage" into VJ, and then proceeded to do so, en masse.
What you guys are calling "tough love" from people who have been through the process and are safely on the other side, looking back knowing how easy it went for you, is actually to most of us no better than cyberbullying. You use you knowledge of what you went through, and instead of just answering a question, you tell us we're obesessing over things or ridiculous, or that we need a smackdown, or whatever else. You claim we're going to start mass panic all over the forum by stating that we're calling the DOS too much (in YOUR opinion).
I've gotten PM's several times today from newer members who are afraid to post in the forum anymore because of what they've seen from you guys. They don't want to be attacked for asking questions. Is that what you want to turn this place into? If Noobs are beneath you, then don't bother reading or replying to their posts. Nobody is forcing you. However, if you do want to pass on your "expertise" from the viewpoint of someone who has been there, think about what you felt like when you were in our shoes. We're not asking to be molly-coddled or wrapped in cotton wool. (Got enough of my own there, thanks.) We are simply looking for information. That's kinda the point of this forum in the first place.
Yes, I agree with Darnell. (gasp!) There are too many people getting out of hand. There are too many people who feel entitled to run roughshod over the newer members, and that is counterproductive to VJ's purpose.
This response is probably going to go unheeded, because you all feel that you are above me, having been here so long, and that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. That's fine. I'm not here just to defend myself. I'm here because as a newer member (I've only been here a couple of months) I want to know that all newer members feel free to post without threat of ridicule. I'm not asking for a pat on the back or hugs and flowers. I just want the bullying (cos that's what it is) to stop.
Thanks.

They do not run a credit check. They will not see your student loans. If they did, most the rest of us would be hurting too.

The petition was just an approval for the non-immigrant fiance (I'm guessing you?) to APPLY for a visa. If none of the application documents have been sent to the embassy, you haven't applied for it. If you drop everything now, the petition simply expires. You shouldn't have any problems.
Sorry to hear things didn't work out. I wish you both the best of luck.

I agree with Coconuts.
While people DO need to follow the rules and SHOULD have backup copies of everything, there is NO REASON whatsoever for the kind of attitudes that many of the older members (and even some of the newer ones lately) take regarding many of the newer members and mistakes that are made.
I'm sure she feels bad enough at having lost the laptop and the original. She's just as stressed out as the rest of us who are going through the process, and now is even more stressed out because she's lost so much during her visit to her fiance, which could impact the Interview and AOS in the long run.
Please stop acting like you're the judge and jury of this place. It might not be your intention, but it comes across that way. You're not helping her by issuing your judgments. You're not helping anyone that way. She DID make a digital copy. Most of us know to do that. I've got a digital copy on my laptop at home, my work computer, on a flash drive, in my gmail account, and even on the SD card in my phone just in case, as well as 3 paper copies of everything in my file. I'm a bit OCD about backups. It doesn't mean things don't happen beyond our control.
Please, just try to have some compassion for others, and as your mom probably told you a million times: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. You older members who have been there, done that, got the t-shirt, burned it and are now wisened to the immigration ways seem like you're getting callous to the fact that YOU were once here, YOU were once going through this process and were just as new and scared as we are. You are making the newer members feel very unwelcome and unwanted when you act like this.
Gary & Alla - you are one of the posters here I've actually looked up to when you've given information in the past that has seemed invaluable, but your post here sounds like you're taking a page from the "legacy members" in the UK forum. Please, don't. You're sweet, and considerate and very helpful most of the time. Can we please just keep the peace?

Once your NOA2 has been processed at the USCIS level, the NVC and DOS are the only way to really find out when/where your case was accepted until you (maybe) get a letter from the NVC or Packet 3 arrives. As one of my favorite vjer's likes to say "HumansTM" are hard to reach at the NVC and DOS helplines. ESPECIALLY at the DOS. I clocked half an hour of waiting through recorded messages and being disconnected for pressing the wrong option or trying to surf my way through it before I finally wrote down all of the RIGHT options and made myself a road map.

Someone just pm'ed me about calling for a case update at the NVC, so I thought I'd share my "road map" with the rest of you, in case you're tired of getting lost as well.

For the NVC:

K1's are not tracked through the AVR, EVER. They are processed like an immigrant visa, but they are NOT immigrant visas, so they fall into a completely different class of their own. Therefore you need an operator. To get there:

1-603-334-0700

Press 2 for Non-Haiti-Related issue (Please note that this will probably change after some time)
Press 1 for English
Press 5 for an operator

For DOS:

This is where you will be able to find out if your case was received at the Embassy/Consulate. They will not see your case in their system until the NVC has logged it in and applied a case number to it.

202-485-7600
Press 1 then 0 for a live operator.


I hope this helps everyone else who has to wade through the red tape to get to someone (hopefully) with answers. Please be aware that not all of them have the correct information, and you can call back and ask for someone else or request a supervisor if you feel you're being given misinformation (SOMETIMES this helps, sometimes not).

I agree with Coconuts.
While people DO need to follow the rules and SHOULD have backup copies of everything, there is NO REASON whatsoever for the kind of attitudes that many of the older members (and even some of the newer ones lately) take regarding many of the newer members and mistakes that are made.
I'm sure she feels bad enough at having lost the laptop and the original. She's just as stressed out as the rest of us who are going through the process, and now is even more stressed out because she's lost so much during her visit to her fiance, which could impact the Interview and AOS in the long run.
Please stop acting like you're the judge and jury of this place. It might not be your intention, but it comes across that way. You're not helping her by issuing your judgments. You're not helping anyone that way. She DID make a digital copy. Most of us know to do that. I've got a digital copy on my laptop at home, my work computer, on a flash drive, in my gmail account, and even on the SD card in my phone just in case, as well as 3 paper copies of everything in my file. I'm a bit OCD about backups. It doesn't mean things don't happen beyond our control.
Please, just try to have some compassion for others, and as your mom probably told you a million times: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. You older members who have been there, done that, got the t-shirt, burned it and are now wisened to the immigration ways seem like you're getting callous to the fact that YOU were once here, YOU were once going through this process and were just as new and scared as we are. You are making the newer members feel very unwelcome and unwanted when you act like this.
Gary & Alla - you are one of the posters here I've actually looked up to when you've given information in the past that has seemed invaluable, but your post here sounds like you're taking a page from the "legacy members" in the UK forum. Please, don't. You're sweet, and considerate and very helpful most of the time. Can we please just keep the peace?

Noah, I'm not defending catalyst in any way, because I think he was dead wrong... but wth are you talking about? I'm also a registered American Indian with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and we don't get checks. I don't know who lied to you, but the tribes themselves get money from the government. We'd be lucky to get a discount on our car tags or some government-issue commodity food, and possibly free low-grade healthcare, if you can wait six months to get an appointment with one of the indian clinics around here (few and far between in most major cities).
I'm with everyone else. There is a right way and a wrong way to ask for help. If you're just wanting to rant and blow off steam, fine. By all means, we're here to listen. But don't get racist. Don't bring Arizona into this. This thread is ridiculous.

What is your problem? Are you a troll who just comes to forums to stir people up?
Yes, I am aware that the legal system in the UK is different than the US. However, no charges were filed in the case he mentioned. Do you not even bother to READ things before jumping in headlong? (Just like in the other thread.)
Please, either post something useful or at least friendly, or just go away. The rest of us are actually trying to get something out of this forum.

Kathryn,
Nobody here was trying to tell anyone to lie or falsify. Again, it's not to volunteer information you don't have any documentation to back up. If it's not on the reports and you have no way of obtaining documentation about it, such as VERY OLD infractions in smaller towns where records aren't the greatest, it might cause more harm than good, because you'll be required to get information where it doesn't exist anymore. I personally don't have this problem, as my fiance has NO criminal history whatsoever.
All we wanted was for Boiler to calm it down and stop attacking people. That's all he did by coming here. His posts were not helpful in any way.
Thank you for stepping in, but you seem to have misunderstood the entire problem here.

Once your NOA2 has been processed at the USCIS level, the NVC and DOS are the only way to really find out when/where your case was accepted until you (maybe) get a letter from the NVC or Packet 3 arrives. As one of my favorite vjer's likes to say "HumansTM" are hard to reach at the NVC and DOS helplines. ESPECIALLY at the DOS. I clocked half an hour of waiting through recorded messages and being disconnected for pressing the wrong option or trying to surf my way through it before I finally wrote down all of the RIGHT options and made myself a road map.

Someone just pm'ed me about calling for a case update at the NVC, so I thought I'd share my "road map" with the rest of you, in case you're tired of getting lost as well.

For the NVC:

K1's are not tracked through the AVR, EVER. They are processed like an immigrant visa, but they are NOT immigrant visas, so they fall into a completely different class of their own. Therefore you need an operator. To get there:

1-603-334-0700

Press 2 for Non-Haiti-Related issue (Please note that this will probably change after some time)
Press 1 for English
Press 5 for an operator

For DOS:

This is where you will be able to find out if your case was received at the Embassy/Consulate. They will not see your case in their system until the NVC has logged it in and applied a case number to it.

202-485-7600
Press 1 then 0 for a live operator.


I hope this helps everyone else who has to wade through the red tape to get to someone (hopefully) with answers. Please be aware that not all of them have the correct information, and you can call back and ask for someone else or request a supervisor if you feel you're being given misinformation (SOMETIMES this helps, sometimes not).

I strongly caution you about purchasing your ticket before the visa is in your hand, because more often than not they are non-refundable. If something WERE to go wrong and you needed further documentation or if it took longer than planned to arrive from the consulate (since most will only tell you generally 1 week to receive).
You could have great luck, and receive your visa in 3-5 business days, or you could get it in 2 weeks. Then there have been some who have been thrown into additional AP after the interview for some reason they never understood and didn't get their visa for close to another month! If something DOES go amiss (knock on wood that it doesn't) and you couldn't get things cleared up in time for your flight, you would be out the cost of the ticket, and there's nothing the embassy would do for your because they don't guarantee anything.
Yes, you'll pay more for getting last-minute flights, but you'll save your peace of mind by not having to worry about being out the full cost of the ticket if you have to change your plans.
Sorry to be a downer, but unfortunately, most of us can't afford to pay for double airfare if something goes wrong, so just trying to offer some realistic advice.

The K1 is for ONE entry and ONE entry only. You cannot apply for AP until you apply for your AOS. It takes some time to get the AP approval. If you leave after you come in on your K1 visa and have not gotten married, you will have used your chance and will have to start over from scratch, which could make it harder next time, since you chose not to do what you stated you intended to do with the K1 in the first place.
Your best bet is to go to the family wedding BEFORE you come to the US, if you're not here already. If not, file for your AOS as soon as possible and hope that your AP is approved before you need to go to your family wedding.

I didn't put anything in that space. It honestly looks like a space to initial the statement, but your signature goes directly below, and with no other instructions I don't think you're really supposed to put anything else there. Sorry if that doesn't help.