Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	k-1 visa proof of relationship	Good advice, and go quickly before the "You dont need any of that stuff" crowd shows up! Haha, or the "you need every thing you or he has ever touched and call logs for every single conversation" crowd It really depends on the situation and the country doesn't it!? VJ can steer you the wrong way sometimes. I learned that lesson once. I have also got really great advice here. Mostly from regional forums and from listening to the experience of others and then verifying that information. I suppose its better to have too much than not enough. We had a few pieces of quality, primary evidence and that was enough. Our situation meant we had that. I get that for others in different situations (like LDR) you have to be more creative in building that picture. As I said....the evidence depends on the situation Good luck OP!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2012-01-04 23:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	k-1 visa proof of relationship	And at my interview they took nothing. In my original packet we sent our joint lease, about 4 photos, a copy of the receipt for my ring and copies of our degree certificates from the same university. Check others who went through your embassy for what to bring to the interview. Proof required depends on your situation and what you want to send. Check the instructions too: http://www.uscis.gov...i-129finstr.pdf Edited by Helen Louise Pile, 03 January 2012 - 07:59 PM.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2012-01-03 19:57:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Change in willingness to bear arms ...	I like the way you think. But . . . part of the Oath of Allegiance is to give up any loyalty to your former country of residence. So, taken seriously, and it should be taken seriously...... .........At the end it comes down to this: either you take the Oath of Allegiance, and do that in a way that you can sleep at night, or you are not really committed on being a US citizen, come hell or high water. Nobody can look inside your head, but what they can do is point out what you did, and what you signed, under oath (sorry, but I have to point that out again). Let's just hope that we never have a war again. Doesn't mean it can't happen though . . . Couldn't agree more. I have had people tell me 'You can have dual nationality' but when I argue that the 'Oath of Allegiance states...' they shake their head and say it doesn't matter. It does matter. Why promise something and commit to a country if you are not actually committing to that country. Madness. I have no idea if I will become a US citizen in the future, I have only been here 6 months. I am happy to have my PR status and to remain a citizen of the UK. If I ever DO decide to become a citizen though....it will be wholeheartedly, not just for paperwork. Thanks for posting this Bob.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-05-05 08:07:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Planned Parenthood Services?	thats what i was wondering, since im not working yet i only have half of the cash to pay them which they said would be okay, but i'm just not sure if I'll get in major trouble for it Have you checked to make sure what your husbands insurance covers? Are you covered by his insurance? Can you borrow the money from someone? I wouldn't accept anything until you know for sure it's ok. Hopefully someone here can give you some specific help! Good luck!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-03 16:25:00
Canada	I wish I would have known...	Hi everyone, I've been debating whether or not I should post this, but really, nobody in my life really could understand me like all of you. You've all been through this immigration stuff, or are about to, and I guess some people might relate. The first thing I'd like to say is that I am happy with my husband, and in the grand scheme of things, I'm glad I moved here so we could be together. But... Man, some days I hate it here!!! One of the main thing is that I've been looking for work since January, only had 5 possible interviews and 2 that were worth going for. I was very naive thinking that since I'm canadian, people wouldn't be prejudice, but I've come to the conclusion that people here are prejudice. I can understand that it would be a leap of faith for them to hire me since all my work experience has been in Quebec, a place that for some people here seems as far as Botswana (no harm intended). But I was hoping for a little more open-mindedness... I'm 27 years old, my savings are gone, and I don't have a job. I feel like the biggest loser. I would have such a great job back home! All my friends have either houses, families, nice cars, a LIFE basically... And here I am, at home, doing not much, trying the best I can to find work. Seems like the only thing lined up right now is making biscuits at Hardee's... I could have a job tomorrow, doing retail, but I've kept two jobs while going to school so I wouldn't have to EVER do retail again. Here I am though, back to square one!!! So frustrating!!! And it's not like I can talk to my family about it, because I'm sure that in the back of their mind, they're waiting for this to happen so they can tell me "told you so!" And I really don't blame them! Second thing, Chris and I are living with his parents until we can buy a house. I don't see the point of renting something for 1000$ a month, when we could be saving money to buy our own place. Plus, we have a dog, and a lot of places don't accept dogs. His parents are great, and I can't say that enough. But at the same time, I want my OWN place. I don't want to have my life limited to a room, and feel like I can't really do what I want because it's not my house. It gets hard on us, and it affects several things of our married life (read between the lines...) But that's not gonna happen until I find a job!!! (catch 22, anyone?) Also, I'm having a hard time dealing with some people here. I don't know if it's specific to the south, but people here are kind of ignorant (again, no harm intended, I'm venting here). The way women are treated here makes me furious! And some women make it worse for themselves!!! I feel like I moved back in time to 1984! And most people are pretty racist! And this f*cking mentality that because "I'm American" I'm entitled to cheap gasoline, and who cares about the environment anyways, let me throw my trash out of my car window... Oh and let me go to the TT bar for lunch because women are meant to be looked at and used and do my laundry and clean my house. I feel like I can't have a meaningful conversation with anyone without it going back to Jersey Shore after 5 minutes... I miss home like crazy, miss my people... I don't really have any friends here that I met on my own... And some of Chris' friend's girlfriend worry to much about their nails and hair for me to give a cr*p... I wish someone would have told me how hard this was gonna be. I thought it'd be easy to adapt and find work... Turns out I should have saved enough money to pay my bills for like a year and a half! What an idiot I was!!! Sorry again if I offended anyone, but I really don't know what to do or think at this point, was this a big mistake? Sorry you are home sick. That must be really hard. You are the same age as me and I can see a lot of your feelings are one's I've also had briefly. My best best advice (feel free to say, no thanks!) Is suck it up. Have fun. If you really hate it, you and your husband can move, but until the time comes when you can do that, have fun! This can all be some crazy story you tell your kids about. We all want to live independently and have great jobs, especially at our age when you've spent all that time in school and perhaps even had a taste of a good job with good money! It will come...now is the time to live in one room and save as much as you can, I know you yearn for a different lifestyle but you will get there...at 27 we are in the 'building stage' of life. Please try to have fun and enjoy the adventure. I have no experience of the cultural issues you may be dealing with (I live in Vermont). If I were you I'd be getting any old job (retail or otherwise) and showing people that you are the type of woman who takes care of business. You can work your butt off to make ends meet and you'll have fun doing it...because YOU KNOW it's only temporary! You may be feeling oppressed and downtrodden by the role of women where you live...I hope you find a way to get out there and be a role model. You are obviously intelligent, educated and adventurous. I am also sure there are other intelligent women for you to talk to there...can you check out groups at the local library, online meet up sites, put up posters for a 'womens only' book group or something? I met a lot of nice people here in Vermont by turning up at local yoga classes and volunteering. I haven't made any real friends yet but I am having fun and my first invitation to a social event, that wasn't because I was a +1 with my husband, was from my 65 year old yoga teacher...I was very proud of that. Hang in there...it is hard, you are right. Especially to go from being self sufficient to finding yourself in the role of 'housewife' with no friends. (I was there too) Don't lose yourself in your surroundings and your situation. This too shall pass.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-04-13 08:47:00
Canada	When can you legally work in the US after POE?	So 3 - 4 months after filing for AOS and AOS can be filed once married. Got it! Thanks Geez what am I gonna do with all my time? I guess be a housewife Volunteer!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-10-20 21:53:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Can the USC file for unemployment benefits?	Hi there Helen. Thank you so much! And also thank you for the link. That looks very interesting... I think I would qualify for assistance. How do you know about that charity and have you had personal experience of working with them? Hi, I have not had any experience in dealing with them. I came across the information through a link from the UK embassy in Boston and bookmarked it for future reference. All the best	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-03-15 09:47:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Can the USC file for unemployment benefits?	Hello Rachel, As a UK citizen you may be eligible for help from these guys: http://www.britchari...WhoWeAssist.htm Good luck to you and your husband with everything!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-03-13 10:47:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	does it make any difference if you file early?	Thank you. I definetely understand that. I meant let's say both our gc expire in August. but you filed yours in May and I filed mine in june. Do you have any advantage because of filing earlier than me. or do i have any disadvantage because i filed later than you. I don't think so. I just think you have to make sure you file when you are ready. When I have to apply, I will definitely file at least a month before because I would worry about it getting therewith plenty of time. Good luck!!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-05 11:40:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	does it make any difference if you file early?	Thank you for your response, but i understand that. My question is if you are in the right time window does it change anything if you file early or late. What do you mean by 'change anything'? The only thing it might change, is when they can begin processing it. As long as you don't leave it so late that they receive it too late because then you risk being deported. As the previous poster said, file within the 90 day window. That is your requirement. They send these requirements to you when you receive your 2 year GC. I just got mine. It is very clear that they must receive your paperwork before your GC expires. It is also clear that you must not submit the paperwork sooner than 90 days prior to the expiration date. Any time within the 90 days is fine. Is that what you are asking? Edited by Helen Louise Pile, 05 June 2011 - 10:23 AM.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-05 10:22:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Filing bankruptcy when only still a conditional resident	I dont wanna work for peanuts and it al goes on debt.. i want me and my husband to start a fresh and me and my father in law think bankcruptcy is the best thing for the amount of debt we r in. I want to be able to cut up all the credit cards and never have them again. You should think a great deal about it before you do anything. It seems extreme. If it were me I'd work for peanuts in several different places to make sure we got out of it. That's just me though. I don't think you get to 'start fresh' in this situation. It follows you. I actually did see it on a job application form recently. I don't know what they do with that information though. People say it doesn't effect your ROC. So that is good for if you really decide to go through with it. Goodluck with everything.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-09-05 18:03:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Filing bankruptcy when only still a conditional resident	Can't he figure out a way to lower payments or buy some extra time on his debts? It will be hard but filing bankruptcy seems extreme. And as others said...you will be asked about it later. I have seen it on forms. Can you find a job...any old job. McDonalds etc? (That's probably what I would do) If you are living at his fathers it seems like a perfect opportunity to work hard and save and pay off as much as you can to set yourselves up for the future. Sorry to hear your situation. I wish you well Helen	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-09-03 15:10:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Will we pay back our laziness?	Not all married couples choose to have joint bank accounts. My husband and I haven't. But both our names are on the lease and we are paying the same bills and we are the beneficiaries of each others insurance etc. We may get a joint savings account at some point but it won't be to satisfy USCIS Joint checking and saving accounts are just one example in the instructions of how you could show joint finances. So not required. I wouldn't apologize for not opening it sooner in your application You should be fine.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-09-10 08:15:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Marriage produced child	I just filed my I-751. Of course, a child is no proof of a legitimate marriage per se but let's assume one documents not only the birth of a child that has been "produced" by the marriage (I hate that term) but also the financial burden ensuing from "it". Has anyone of you who had a child that was "produced" during your conditional perm. residency ever received a RFE or did USCIS always look favorably on this and approved your green card without a hitch? Just curious... The USCIS outlines the proof they require here: http://www.uscis.gov.../i-751instr.pdf The child's birth certificate and evidence of financial 'burden' would cover 2 of the 5 pieces of evidence they require but they do specify that this list is not extensive. Include as much as you can. Good luck with everything. Edited by Helen Louise Pile, 13 November 2011 - 08:11 AM.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-11-13 08:08:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION	I think I would be very apologetic and explain why I filed late and hope they were ok with that. They are explicit that you need to file in the 90 days before the date on the conditional card. They have sent your husband for his biometrics so I imagine it's alright. He just needs to explain his reasons for filing late. Best of luck.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-12-26 21:38:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Please don't laugh at me!!	Haha, I only ever checked my case once, for AOS and it said 'not found', I shrugged my shoulders and carried on with life until I got my approval. I guess this is what happened! You will help ease the stress of a lot of compulsive status checkers with this post!!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2012-01-07 12:33:00
Philippines	am I cheap?	Exactly what I am trying to say. We need to have saving for raining days. At this rate, I don't know what I am going to do. But she knows I am not rich. That is what I don't understand. I keep telling her I am not rich. I am not rich. But she gets moody or calls me cheap if I don't do as she says. But she did tell me, do not worry, we are spending now a lot because of the visa and the fact that she needs to travel for her visa and her visa kid. Once she is here she said, things will be different and we will spend less. But she is funny and she makes me forget work stress. Maybe that is why I am giving her a chance. She should be working to save up money now because once she comes over you will need MORE money to adjust status and she will be unable to work. You can TELL her that you are not rich...but if you keep giving her money she will keep taking it...Hello...what she is doing is working nicely...why would she stop. No-one can tell you what to do. This seems to be an abusive relationship and you won't see it until you see it. Good luck. I hope things work out...if they don't I hope you don't lose too much in the process.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-05-01 12:48:00
Philippines	am I cheap?	Hi Guys, I know I should not be posting this personal information about my relationship with my fiancee but I am getting a bit worried. Let me give you some details about the situation so that you can understand me. Okay? First of all I am not a rich guy. I have mortgage, car's payment, etc to pay. I am the only person generating income in my house, hint, I live alone. I always tell her, listen Mary, I am not a rich guy. I am just a regular guy who works to pay bills and save very little. She does not registered that. What part of "I am not rich she does not understand" ? Back to the topic: "SHE ALWAYS CALL ME CHEAP. ALWAYS." Break down: trip #1. I bought a package that included hotel and plane tickets. So my package was paid before going to the phi. I took in cash to the Phil.($3,500 dollars for a week) just to spend. And we spent it all. I don't carry money there. I let her carry it. Total cost for 1 week: about $5,600 including the package. Trip two: Same thing....same amount spent in cash in 1 week. We spent it all. Total cost for 1 week: about $5,300 including the package. In between: She wanted latest Blackberry, dslr camera, new laptop, money to pay her rent, money to shop, money to eat out,, etc. We spent $600 dollars for her kid birthday in the phil about $1,200 dollars for her birthday,. I know it is not a lot for some of you but for me it is. If the kid needs to go to Jolibee, I send $100 or so for her kid to go to jolibee not often though. But every now and then. Sometimes when I need to send budget for her niece, who is going to college, and by mistake by sending 500 to 900 extra, (because of conversation mis-calculations error) I tell her give that extra to your kid for an ice cream or so, she accepts it as if I am sending the kid a penny. She went back to the Phil. and I am supposed to budget for it. The total amount came to be roughly 154,000 PHP. I sent 152,000 pesos. Guess what? she called me cheap. I know we agreed that I am supposed to send 154,000 but 2,000 less that is like 50 dollars. Guys the problem is when I use the conversation rate, I always screw up with that. Either extra or less. *Do not forget all the visa fees, medical, and so forth for Mary and her kid" If I add up the total amount it is about: $25,0000 - $30,000 dollars in less than a year. Conclusion: Each time she asks me to send her something, If I don't send the right amount she calls me cheap and that she thinks our relationship will not work because we already have budget problem. I already told her I can not spend money at this rate. I really can not afford this any more . Jobs are so hard these days. I am working today but we don't know what tomorrow will bring. At this rate my saving will be gone soon . I left out many many more details about. Am I cheap from what I explained? am I doing correct thing by letting her know I am not a rich guy? I think it was the right thing to do. Well, sometimes I do give her a hard time before I send but it is not because I am cheap. It is because I can hardly continue spending like this I am not shy to say it and I told her just like that. She has her visa on her hands to come to USA. I am so nerveouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!! Comments are welcome. This made me sad. Why are you asking other people if you are cheap? You obviously consider yourself to be cheap because you are buying a relationship with this woman. What makes you think you aren't worth more than that?	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-05-01 10:16:00
Philippines	Is it safe to get pregnant after yr immunizations?	Yes, official period to wait after MMR is one month. (it is dangerous to get pregnant within a month) http://www.cdc.gov/v...ads/vis-mmr.pdf But when I had mine, the doctor said she would advise waiting at least 3months asthe risk of the immunization on a new pregnancy is so dangerous. Since you say she had to have several immunizations, you should ask a doctor. Her body might need time to recover. Check CDC website for information: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ And perhaps let her get here, get married and get settled first! Congrats on approval and your upcoming marriage!! Edited by Helen Louise Pile, 12 June 2011 - 09:03 PM.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-12 21:00:00
Philippines	Cold feet	Is it you or her who has cold feet? Your timeline says that you only met in person a year ago. Have you seen each other since she flew to Dubai for work in July last year? If it is you...perhaps the reality of bringing your fiancee and her kids halfway across the world is real now. I think that is sensible. Especially if you haven't seen her for a while, and do not have the experience of living together and knowing each others daily lives. It is quite unknown...but also it will be an adventure if you both want it. If it is her who has cold feet...of course she does. Again, you only met in person a year ago and now she is about to pack up and leave everything to move with you. I can imagine that would be scary. Perhaps you could go over and travel back to the States with her? Perhaps she just needs to see you in person again and remember why she's doing all this? Just my 2 cents. Cold feet either means second thoughts...or nerves. I hope it is the latter. Good luck! Ok, that answers my question, I didn't see that.... So you haven't seen each other for 7 months....and that was only your second meeting. So the rest of my response still holds true to my opinion. My answer was to say that perhaps she misses you and you miss her and you simply need to be in each others company again. Visiting is so different to immigration. Perhaps it is nerves over taking the 'big step'. Has she visited the States before? Perhaps it is cold feet over everything....not cold feet over marrying you? Or is it you with cold feet? Cold feet means different things to different people, you and your fiancee should talk about it. I wish you all the best. Disregard my posts. Ijust read the links posted by Tahoma of the OP's previous posts. Wow. My 'advice' may serve to reassure other couples, but I fear may be wasted here. It was entertaining though	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-12 13:21:00
Philippines	Cold feet	Read my time line a bit more . # Met on yahoo chat through a friend. # April 2010 - Decided to meet in person # 06.01.2010 - She flew from Dubai to Philippines for vacationing # 06.21.2010 - We met in Philippines <---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 # 06.24.2010 - Engaged # 06.28.2010 - Came back to USA # 07.05.2010 - She flew back to Dubai (work) # 08.02.2010 - Mailed I129F to VSC # 08.03.2010 - Delivered to VSC. Signed by D RENAUD. # 08.09.2010 - Check cashed # 08.14.2010 - NOA1 (Dated 08/06/2010)!!!!!!!! # 08.19.2010 - Touched! # 08.27.2010 - Received snail mail that typographical error was fixed. # 10.03.2010 - Touched! # 11.21.2010 - Visited her for a week in Dubai! <----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Ok, that answers my question, I didn't see that.... So you haven't seen each other for 7 months....and that was only your second meeting. So the rest of my response still holds true to my opinion. My answer was to say that perhaps she misses you and you miss her and you simply need to be in each others company again. Visiting is so different to immigration. Perhaps it is nerves over taking the 'big step'. Has she visited the States before? Perhaps it is cold feet over everything....not cold feet over marrying you? Or is it you with cold feet? Cold feet means different things to different people, you and your fiancee should talk about it. I wish you all the best.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-12 09:39:00
Philippines	Cold feet	Is it you or her who has cold feet? Your timeline says that you only met in person a year ago. Have you seen each other since she flew to Dubai for work in July last year? If it is you...perhaps the reality of bringing your fiancee and her kids halfway across the world is real now. I think that is sensible. Especially if you haven't seen her for a while, and do not have the experience of living together and knowing each others daily lives. It is quite unknown...but also it will be an adventure if you both want it. If it is her who has cold feet...of course she does. Again, you only met in person a year ago and now she is about to pack up and leave everything to move with you. I can imagine that would be scary. Perhaps you could go over and travel back to the States with her? Perhaps she just needs to see you in person again and remember why she's doing all this? Just my 2 cents. Cold feet either means second thoughts...or nerves. I hope it is the latter. Good luck! Edited by Helen Louise Pile, 12 June 2011 - 08:28 AM.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-12 08:28:00
Philippines	Waiting for my Visa	Is there anyone here who had their interview November 23, 2011 with their passport already? I'm sorry I'm so looking forward to have it this week because I already booked my ticket December 6 (I know it's not right but I was trying to get the discounted airfare). Now I'm a little nervous on having to rebook the flight because I don't have the visa with me. I called 2GO and they don't have my passport yet. It's been 3 working days already of course I counted November 24. Don't count the 24th, it is a US holiday and the embassy in Manila was closed. (The embassy is also closed on Wednesday) I also booked my ticket (well,my husband did) before I had my visa in hand. I'd wait a few more days before getting worried, since there are holidays and a weekend it's only been 1 working day since your interview. I'd also look into what you need to do to re-book your flight, just in case! Best of luck with everything!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-11-28 06:47:00
Philippines	Reasons you were denied K1 or 221(g)	We are about to do our Interview on Fed 3rd and we have all our paper work in order but we are just starting to worry that something might surprise us and we don't get the visa. Thanks for you help. When I had my interview I spent my wait with a fellow K1 applicant. He didn't know he had to have a police certificate so he wasn't approved. He had to go and get that. Nothing should surprise you if you are a vj member. Read recent reviews of the Manilla embassy and see what peoples interviews involved. And relax	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2012-01-21 13:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	For those waiting on K1	Good advice!! I was only apart from my fiance for 2 months during the K1 process but we didn't know how long it would be so I spent the time visiting people and visiting places in Scotland. I contacted family I hadn't seen since I was little (I have a large extended family) and went visiting! I also spent as much time as I could with my 2 year old nephew. It made the time whizz past and I have some great memories. Sure beats checking the USCIS website for updates everyday! Great advice!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-04-14 08:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Change of Address	We had the same situation. Just put your current address and then change it when you move. For us, we put his folks address in Alaska and then changed it once my K1 was at the UK embassy. (and we had a Vermont address). I took a copy of the change notice to my interview but I was not asked about where I planned on living so I did not need it. Good luck! I am sure many people have this issue...some people meet when one still lives in the US and the other moves to them but others (like mt husband and I) applied for a K1 while moving back to the US from my country. Just each have copies of any changes made in case you need it. Helen	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-05-27 09:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	How do I change Fiances address?	If anyone has had a similar situation or if you have any knowledge on this subject I would love some advice. We have already received our NOA1 44 days ago. My fiance told me today that her landlord wants to remodel the house that she rents in London. Now she has to find a new house to rent. What is required for changing address? Thank you Read the instructions for the form you filed for K1: http://www.uscis.gov...i-129finstr.pdf (page 6) Good luck!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-02 20:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	first thing that you gona do with your wife when she here in the us	Here's a funny little story - for about a year before the visa interview, nearly every time I would drive home I would pretend in my mind that I was bringing my wife and step-kids to my house for the first time. When I would walk up the steps to the door I would pretend in my mind that her family and mine were waiting inside to greet everyone with a big "Welcome Home!". When I was getting ready to go to Vietnam for the interview I was adamant - nobody is going to come and pick us up at the airport. I wanted my daughter to drive my car to the airport, and I would drive us all home. I wanted it to be just like I had imagined so many times. It was. And I still remember it often. Very sweet! To be together was the most important thing for us too...and then sleep We had also spent a lot of time in each others cultures as I gather you had (we lived in the UK for 3 years and I spent 3months in Alaska while K1 was be in processed). OP- I know you are probably dying to show her around and perhaps she would also love that...but after time apart and a long flight...I suggest taking her home, have some of her favourite Vietnamese foods there, make it welcoming for her and lie down together. Then you can talk to her about all the plans you came up with and see what she most wants to do/see Whatever you do...have fun! It's the start of a new adventure.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-05-15 21:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	first thing that you gona do with your wife when she here in the us	The first thing to do is to sign up for English classes together. Ha! Good Idea	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-05-15 19:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Shipping to US	Hi everyone, i just wanted to see if anyone may have any great ideas as to how to move house hold goods to the USA. we are having such a hard time finding any info on this, an to mail it would be so expensive... I know soo many on here have had this before so any suggestions would greatly help. thanks James & Melissa We used "Anglo Pacific". http://www.anglopacific.co.uk/ London (02009851234), Glasgow(0141 764 1010) We shipped 7 boxes and it wasn't too expensive. We sold all of our bigger items and re-bought them in the US. Happy moving!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-06-09 14:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Limbo Land.	That is so cool to hear, and that you have a psychology degree. My fiance has a lot of contacts and I don't doubt that I will be able to secure some relevant voluntary work with or without those links. I am moving to St.Louis MO cowboy land - yehaaaaw! I jest. I have noticed that community is a much bigger part of people's lives where he lives - I like that too! Larry is a high-school teacher in a private school, where he has worked for 20 years. His friends have all ready made me feel so welcome and popular - ha, ha ha. So, you do the college counseling? I generally see all the positives if this situation, but just some days I get in a slump. You know how that can feel. How long have you been settled? I definitely know the slumps. I actually just started my first job this week! In a high school. I got my greencard in April but held off looking for work until after the summer. We travelled across the States this summer and saw a lot! I was in St Louis during the heatwave! That's great that his friends are welcoming! My husband and I lived in Scotland for 3 years until we moved to Vermont, he's from Alaska so we are both new to this State. I don't know if that makes it easier or not. At least we both have tomake friends...but he had few contacts when I got here. He teaches college here. I also love that community involvement is important here. It makes it easier to get involved, definitely. I just started a volunteer job teaching a college prep course to immigrants whose first language is not English. It took a while to feel 'settled' here. But I definitely do now Good luck with everything! It will be worth it. Edited by Helen Louise Pile, 03 September 2011 - 09:18 AM.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-09-03 09:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Limbo Land.	Wow! It's so wonderful to hear from someone whose made it to the other side (as it were). I agree with EVERYTHING you have said. And, for the most part I have been treating this transition as a time to enjoy the parts of my life here that will change once I am out there. You just gave me some invaluable advice about volunteering and schools. I was hoping I could volunteer while I was waiting for everything to go through. Yay! I have accepted that it may be up to three months before all the paper work goes through state side and I can work etc. You have a great attitude, Helen one that I share. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on making it. I think you'll have a great experience. It is so easy to get involved here. Especially if you are motivated and have time to give. I volunteered full time as a educational counselor in an alternative school for teenagers. I have a psychology degree and they were happy to have me get involved. It is different to the UK in a lot of ways and 'getting involved' is really really encouraged. In fact I got a booklet about it when I got my greencard. Being part of your community and all that It's easy to do here. Sometimes it's hard and you do sacrifice...but more that that you also gain an amazing opportunity. So does your fiance. Waiting for the K1 is tough though and I hope it goes quickly for you. What State are you moving to? Helen	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-09-03 08:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Limbo Land.	Firstly, I will apologise if I have posted this in the wrong place? I don't think it's in the wrong place, but it's not about Visa process queries, or waiting times, or RFE's or any of the procedures surrounding emigrating via the K1 visa. I would like to know what aspects of people's lives are in limbo, apart from waiting to be united with their loved ones? Here's mine: Today I was checking out Facebook and I saw that one of the friends I had made from being on an undergraduate psychology course here in the U.K, was updating their work/career/education information. She has been accepted into Teachers College Columbia University in New York. I was really happy for her and congratulated her, but I also experienced this sense of longing for more than my fiance. I miss studying and working towards actualizing my career goals. SO MUCH!!! I decided that once we began our petition that it would be best for me to stop my studies here and focus on getting employment. I received the transcript of the credits I have all ready accrued and sent it over to my fiance. I plan on attending a good school that's not to far from where I will live with my faince. Today, just felt hard, because although my life with my fiance means everything to me, I have had to make sacrifices for us to have a future together, albeit in the short-term, but nonetheless sacrifices. Don't get me wrong I don't regret those choices, but I really miss living the life that sees me progressing with my other life dreams. This is just a temporary feeling, but it really grabbed a hold of me. I miss studying, I miss doing all the things that are associated to my long-term career plans, the things that stir-up that fire in my belly, and instead I have a blah 9-5 job. Most days I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to have a blah 9-5 job, one that will help to pay for bills and pay for visa stuff. I just miss that part of my life today. I do my best not to see this interim period as limbo, but sometimes I am reminded that there is a lot of my life that is on hold. I think it's good to acknowledge these feelings, express them, feel them and then move on.... I think most people can relate to what you are feeling here! You basically have to put your life on hold for a year. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. You are doing a K1 which means even once you get here you will be in limbo. While you file for AOS you cannot attend school or work. (you can apply for work authorization but that takes time too) It's hard! It's time to use this opportunity to your advantage and get creative! I used my K1 waiting time to see as much family as possible, even those I had never met. I visited places and said goodbye for now to Scotland. I moved back in with my folks while my husband set things up over here and I worked, used the time to enjoy my folks and did lots of errands and paperwork when it was required. I travelled to London for my medical and interview. Bought my wedding dress etc. It's a transitional period. Then you come here, get married and file a bunch of paperwork. I decided to use the time to make connections and see if I could make a change in my career. I volunteered full time until got my greencard and l just got a job because of that experience.(it really really helps to be able to list American references on your CV!) You can audit classes until you have your greencard. (attend, do the assignments but you can't get a grade. You have to get permission but I found schools very willing to let me do this). That will help you get recognised at a good school and make connections there. It will also help you prepare for studying again and you'll meet people. So...get creative and use your 'limbo' time to have fun! You have to build a life here in the US and it'll be a lot of fun! Helen	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-09-03 08:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	In PRAISE of the CSC. THEY ROCK!!!!	No expedite requested, and no bribes, lol. We just faithfully did our research and made sure our evidence for the relationship/making sure we've seen each other in the past two years was solid. I think the wisest advice I've gotten from VJ was to file your petition as if the adjudicator knows NOTHING about your relationship (because they don't). We painted a very cohesive and chronological story about how we met, how we became friends and how we fell in love. All the evidence we submitted just supported our story in a very logical way. We did that too and our NOA2 was pretty quick. We sent our 129F off the day my husband moved back after we'd been living in Scotland. I joined him 3 days later and we got our NOA2 while I was midway through my 3month trip. My packet 3 was waiting for me when I got back. It took about 3 weeks from NOA2 according to the date. We had it sent to my parents house. Might want to get mail forwarding? Depending on how long his trip is... Have fun with the rest of it all! Edited by Helen Louise Pile, 14 September 2011 - 05:55 PM.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-09-14 17:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Interview review and advice	Congratulations! I am happy you will be with your fiance by the weekend! Good luck at POE! I bet you are relieved that for the rest of the visa process you get to be together!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-09-14 17:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Approved NOA2!!!!! Yehaaaaw.	That's great to hear! Have fun with the rest of your journey!	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-10-22 17:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Do I dare say this - "But I am GLAD for the long application wait".	Ok, first let me get this out of the way: YES!: 1. We are madly in love! 2. We talk incessantly each day! 3. We are two soul mates fortunate enough to meet each other in this world of 6 billion! 4. We are fully committed to each other and long for the day when we are together "till death do us part". 5. We do become impatient with the extended K-1 visa processing with some days our desire and longing becomes unbearable! But practically speaking, the 7 to 9 months from NOA 1 to our interview and subsequent approved visa allows the both of us the time to get certain things in order (finances, pay off a few debts, a relocation, health insurance issues, rearrange affairs, etc.) so the start of our life together will be planned and enjoyable. Because we all know that there will be other issues and obstacles thrown into the mix that will need to be dealt with. How about you, come on, maybe you can't openly say this out loud but is not the 7 to 9 month wait a blessing in disguise! Our wait wasn't awful...we made the best of it. But we did all our organizing before we filed. The waiting period meant that we moved out of our house here and he had to move back to the US before I could join him. That was a pain...you can make the best of it...but I don't think it's necessary. The only good thing was that he got to start his new job which made the I-134 easier as he hadn't worked in the US in 3 years prior to that and I had some time to spend with my family because I moved back home while we waited. Helen	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-10-17 05:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	booking flights	Well if she is going to be YOUR Wife.. it is NOT just YOUR Money anymore. It seems many American men act more like they are purchasing a bride and that Filipina should be grateful to be marring an American. I notice this much more on Philippines post than any other on here. Once you marry her she will have all the rights of an American wife. That means after day one she can divorce you and take half of YOUR Money. I think it is a bad attitude to think your fiancée should be grateful to you. 99% of the time it is an Ameican man marring a very beautiful, younger Filipina. When you know you could not get the same age and beauty of American female unless you Spend a LOT more Money Spoiling her. So I think the American men should be as much or More Grateful that this woman is willing to marry you and spend your life with her. Stop thinking about your money and thinking of her as a purchase. If you can?t afford it just be honest and said you can?t afford it and stop thinking she needs to ASK and Be Grateful. Just a bad attitude that will end in divorce in my opinion. You should be grateful and appreciate anything that anyone gives you...ever! Of course money is shared, as are bills and responsibilities and sacrifices. Marriage is an equal partnership, you should not suppose that beauty and youth are bargained for monetary gifts. Perhaps that something you have seen in your experience, but it is not what marriage is supposed to be and certainly nothing to aspire to. Edited by Helen Louise Pile, 06 November 2011 - 08:34 PM.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-11-06 20:32:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	CHEATING checking your visa status	Check your status every day?!! I didn't check mine at all during the K1, and when I checked it during AOS it still said 'Initial review' when I had my greencard in hand. So I wouldn't put too much faith in whatever it says there. Just be patient. You can keep an eye on VJ to see how long it is taking for the service centers to approve people if you are so inclined. Good luck, I hope you are approved soon	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2011-11-27 18:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Trying to understand	But why most of the time Its CSC Nope. When I applied CSC was VERY quick. Even when I did my AOS last year CSC was quick and VSC was backed up. It could change. Don't get disheartened,you'll get approved soon.	Helen Louise Pile	Female	Scotland	2012-01-21 13:51:00