ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresThis is really annoying....
We had our I-129F ready and sealed in May, I was literally getting dressed to go to the post office when my fiance received notice from his municipality that his address would change (the house was re-streeted and re-numbered) and to begin preparing to make changes in all official documents and blah blah blah. He needed to be here in January. We had plenty of time, statistically. So, we elected to wait until the city got its stuff together and he had an official new permanent address so that all documents would be accurate. That was the first week of July. Excellent. We still had plenty of time statistically. We got the NOA2 in mid-January. He has his embassy appointment on March 14th. The average number is an AVERAGE. Some get less but just as many get more. We are possibly really screwed because he has to retake one single class to graduate from college and it is only offered beginning in July and if he doesn't go this year, he will forfeit his education. WE have to marry IMMEDIATELY when he arrives and file immediately after that so that he can travel. The possibility if very real that we may have to go through all this all over again. (Or, of course, he can give up his education and profession completely.)

On top of that, we would like to have a child and since I am almost 41, the odds of pregnancy are about 12% of that of a 25-year-old in the best of circumstances. There is no fighting biology. Every month more that we are apart is a like a slap in the face to our dream of a child.

We feel like we are hitting roadblocks that we have to hurdle over again and again.

Our situation is annoyingly frustrating. Yours, IMHO, is looking pretty good.

I had no idea that it would take over a year from the time we decided to marry for him to arrive here, yet there are many, many stories of people who die during the wait, or the pregnant fiance gives birth and the baby gets sick over there, or some other tragedy that is only compounded heavily by the delays. We are very blessed in this situation--both of us AND both of y'all. Hang in there.

(I do feel your pain. I know also just how aggravating it is to read tales, especially here, where people say, "Tee hee. I messed up so much but we still had our interview in 2 months and we are together already, and oh, we are just so lucky. It is sooooo easy. You don't have to bother following directions for the forms. Ignore what they say. Just print out all your Skype chatlogs and photos to take with you to the interview. They don't really want all that other stuff. It's just secondary evidence." I keep waiting to read one of this type of report where the person states that upon arrival, the visa-holder bought a lottery ticket and won the Power Ball because s/he was just sooooo lucky. )
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-17 00:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureswaiting 3 months after filing I-129

It was recently brought to my attention that I need to have spent a minimum amount of time directly visiting my fiance. My time spent with her was only 4 days. Is there a minimum?

B_J is right about demonstrating that you have an ongoing relationship. Romantic gestures are always a winner during an engagement so deluge her! Send letters/cards/postcards, photos, packages (save postal receipts that you send stuff), take screenshots of you and she talking through online video, gather up evidence that you actually were there, if it is requested and you don't already have it together. She should have a folder already in the works where she puts this kind of stuff to take to the interview. Other people's experiences at that particular embassy can give you a better idea of what they ask for. (Sometimes they ask for weird things so it doesn't hurt to save everything they could want and dump it once it is all over.)

It is much easier to provide tangible proof of your relationship while you are waiting anyway rather then trying to scramble at the end. Besides, what else are you gonna be doing to kill the time?

~~Still waiting and hoping that super-romantic V-day card makes it in time.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-13 17:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedureswaiting 3 months after filing I-129
We've been waiting singe filing in the first week of July. Still no interview. Still no medical. Still waiting.

I suggest you kill the time by making a nice piece of jewelry for your beloved: Romantic thing to make while waiting on USCIS.

If you start it on Valentine's Day, you could win points that you could cash in later.

I know the waiting is a killer. Hang in there.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-13 12:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDS-156 won't open???
I had the same problem and the one that my other half got in his packet was oooollllldddddd. But, of course, if that is what they send him, then they must be okay with him using it, right?
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-23 00:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresI-129F Denied ----Refiling
Read up on frontloading here and perhaps you can sail right through on this application, especially for items that are specifically requested for folks from that particular country. I'm sorry to hear of your delays. It is so frustrating.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-23 00:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresSo our petition got denied, what's next?...SAD

Here's the post you're referring to:

He just sent the i-129f package without putting in any evidence documents in it!!!!


If evidence was needed, wouldn't they have simply sent an RFE? Did that occur?

Ignore that crappy first comment that was exactly that, crappy and hateful. It must be wonderful to be perfect and to be able to magically understand what a bureaucracy demands even though it is often more than what they cite on their forms and websites. (The only error in my original submission was something that wasn't addressed in the RFE. I had not found this site in the beginning while filtering through all the Google hits for lawyers and didn't know about frontloading. If only...)

There is a time tested method of taking a sheet of paper and drawing a line through the middle to divide it. Put the pros and cons of an appeal on there and THEN decide. You have a month to appeal--but what is the max wait for a response to an appeal? What is the financial cost? I know y'all want to be together soon, but do y'all have other things to do in the meantime? (finish/take classes, save up with an extra job, sit for exams--anything that could make waiting for that time period more practical for your future) List everything you can think about over the course of a few days. If you like, go ahead and prepare a packet to refile. That takes time, too and if you decide to go that route, you will have already started the process.

You don't have to decide this TODAY. Good luck.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-01-09 09:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresIm totally confused NVC letter vs. Interview Appointmentt
This is the way I understand it.

I am a cog in the wheel that is the bureaucracy that is the USCIS/NVC/embassy/etc. I date a letter/form/etc. I give it to someone to envelope. That person sends it down the line to someone else to stamp. That person sends it down the line to the mail bin.

If I have a stack of letters to envelope, perhaps the secretary won't envelope mine until a few days later. Then the stamping person needs to feed it into the machine for stamping. Then someone has to carry that to the mail bin.

On top of this, the NVC apparently only sends on ones that fall into a magical date that is explained in a not-very-explanatory way on their site.

Here is a quote from A lawyer's website explaining several things about the NVC

<<<"
The NVC receives between 100,000 and 120,000 pieces of mail each week.
">>>

For us, our NOA2 was Jan 10th. We got the embassy packet (Perú) on February 14th. The interview is scheduled for March 14th.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-24 17:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresUS Birth Certificate
Most photo copiers don't make pristine copies--there is evidence that it is a copy because of debris. Sending a blank sheet and calling that a copy of the back may not necessarily be a good idea unless every other copy that you include is absolutely perfect.

I used a Post-it note on mine.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-28 07:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNew letters of intent?

the 5 minutes each it took us to prepare these letters was worth the peace of mind.

I agree, as well. This is so easy to do. It is free. And IF you need it, but were too lazy to do something that is pretty much effortless, it will suck.

The embassy of the interview has its customs and habits but it is still up to the individual interviewer as to what that person asks for in the way of evidence. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst (or everything possible).
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-29 16:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAverage RFE turn around time.
I am not sure, but I think ours took about 7 weeks. The RFE was dated on November 14th. We sent the info back in under 2 weeks. We got our NOA2 the second week of January.

We officially filed the first week of July making is 184 days between NOA1 and NOA2 and our interview is scheduled for next month at 245 days from NOA1.

Even after the interview, there is still a wait for the visa. In our country of choice, it normally takes a week between the two but I read of one report last year that took 6 weeks from the interview until visa was in hand.

Please be aware that the milestones are just markers along the way--they are not the "destination".
EminTXFemalePeru2012-02-24 17:15:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPaper cliping extra ongoing going relationship
I could be mistaken, but I believe that any documents that you have sent them should be taken to the interview as well because of the record-number of times they have lost items. I have heard this over and over. Accordion folders, in my opinion, look like ####### and don't hold up very well. Living where I do, these are not practical so we use what IS practical If someone does prefer them, that is okay, but others may not. Since there will be several documents that the embassy MIGHT ask for, then it would be worthwhile to take them. Since these documents will also be returning with my fiance to the US, we will use the folder (notebook) here as the place to keep all immigration related documents. I, personally, didn't see it as being too expensive to be organized. (Why would it get thrown away? Why would the notebook itself even be handed to the embassy worker?)

To the original posting person, I have read repeatedly that they often ask for something and then hand it back to you. Perhaps that is not everyone's experience, but for the embassy that my beloved will have his interview, this seems rather common. You know how you like to be organized to make your own life easier. You will need to keep receipts and other documents. Your future depends on having these documents available to show to these people in an interview that typically takes only a few minutes. Do what works for you.

Besides, since using paperclips or binders/folders to organize things doesn't actually cause any harm to anyone and might make someone more comfortable who is under a lot of stress, there is

There is absolutely no point or reason to

not have them.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-09 11:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresPaper cliping extra ongoing going relationship
Embassy? I have never heard that they they "rip" things up and throw them away at the embassy interview. From what I understand, they will ask you for specific things. If it is organized nicely so that YOU can easily pull them out when requested, that would be a good idea. In other words, a disorganized mess probably won't win you any points.

For our interview, I also got a folder with sub-folders and dividers plus a little zipper pocket to contain pens, chewing gum, chapstick, a couple of tissues, and I packed a couple of printed puzzles and trivia about his new home to read to make the waiting time less stressful. For the interviewer, you are just one in a long line of the daily work load. For you, it is a crossroads in your life that you hope can be passed with no bumps (or forks!)in that road. Make it easy on yourself in whatever way you can.

If you are asking about your application or possible RFE, clipping multiple-like-items together is a nice idea so that the person who compiles your folder has an easier time. It certainly is a polite thing to do that a good citizen and moral person would probably never question. If there aren't many items, then it probably isn't an issue.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-09 09:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAffidavits sworn to or affirmed by third parties havingpersonal knowledge of the bona fides of the maritalrelationship (Each affidavit must contain th
This was requested in our RFE. I asked the only English speaking people who knew both of us to write something. I can't ascertain to what value these had to USCIS, and agree that they probably have little to no value on their own, but because affidavits are common legal documents in general and since I was given a list of things to provide, I did my best to comply. Of that list, only one item simply didn't exist. If you are curious, more information is in the RFE link in my signature. We received our NOA2 about 2 months later (Our RFE was in early November, NOA2 in Jan and we received the embassy packet on Feb 14 with an interview for March 14.

These are examples of the meat of the affidavits that were written on our behalf:

I was born on January xxx, 19xx in xxxxxx, Texas.

I am a friend of both Carlos and Emily.

I know them because we spent time together in Lima on October xxx, 2011. I went to Carlos' house in Lima to meet up with Emily and Carlos. Emily had just arrived in Peru and had brought me some items of mine from America. We ate breakfast and proceeded to Plaza De Armas near the xxxxxxxxx where Carlos is xxxxxxx. Carlos helped to direct me to an eyeglass store so that I could repair my sunglasses. We then went to an electronics store where Carlos put minutes on his cell phone. Carlos then went to xxxxxxxx and Emily and I walked around downtown Lima until Carlos was out of class. Emily had bought Carlos an apple pie in which she gave to him upon his return to Plaza De Armas. We then headed in different directions.


Carlos and Emily are a very nice couple who complement each other well. At the time spent at Carlos' house, I noticed that Emily got along very well with Carlos' father. After talking with them, I came to find that they had travelled to several places around South America, including the Colca Canyon in Peru and the country of Chile. Although Emily's native tongue is English, the two of them strictly spoke Spanish for the time that I was in their presence.


My full name is Williams XXX XXX XXX
My address is xxxxxxxxxxxxx Perú
I reside at xxxxxxxxx Perú
I was born on xxx xxx in xxx, Perú
I am a friend of both Carlos and Emily.

I know them because Emily and I met online on a xxxxxx website in xxxx this year. When Emily traveled here to Lima recently, we all spent time together on October xxx. We met-up at my church on Sunday xxx at 10am. After having a good time with my Christian family we went to the Larcomar mall in Miraflores, there we watched the Pacific Ocean and we three hanged around the mall. After a couple of hours we left the place to take us some pictures and spoke for a while in a big park in front of the beach.

What I could notice was that they used to say to each other how much they love and in my personal opinion I think that is pretty good in a relationship because although some couple are falling in love they don’t show their real feelings very much and it turns a relationship off. They seem to be patient each other and be very available to understand anything from the other. If they keep being and acting like that I’m sure they will be very happy forever.


My full name is Marcos xxx xxx xxx xxx I live at xxx xxx xxx at xxx México. I have personal knowledge of the facts set forth herein.

I am a friend of both Carlos and Emily. I know them because we spent some time together when I traveled to Lima city on October 2011. We have visited some historic places together, actually They were very kind, Carlos share to me a little bit about his country culture and Emily showed me a different way to see Lima city. We really had a fun time. We share and talked about them relationship. I see them as a cute couple and I think they have a truly relationship with so much potential.


Good luck in your immigration adventures!
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-12 11:15:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresOnline vs. Fillable DS-156 Form
This happens to many people. I have two computers with different operating systems in my home and could not print from either one. My fiance also has two computers with different operating systems in his home, same thing. (One uses Firefox the other uses IE for browsing.)

I tried to print it at work, same thing. He went to an internet cafe that used a different version if IE and BINGO! Worked like a charm and took him all of 2 minutes. (I am guessing that every single safety protocol had an override by the kiddos checking out naughty stuff.)

They know this is a problem and because enough people have success they don't care to fix the glitch.

The online form is fillable only and not saved in any way, I believe.

Another option,t(hat I found afterward) is to do an internet search for that form and download it from a different site. There are several lawyer sites that offer forms like this as part of their advertising to attract you to their sites. Get it from one of them and possibly that would work for you.

Good luck. :)

Edited to add: Each embassy requests things the way they want it. Some want things in duplicate, others don't. Do what YOUR embassy paperwork says to do and don't worry about someone from Mars or Jupiter telling you that it HAS to be done this way because that is what s/he had to do. (Some want copies, some want singles, some want it mailed, some want it in person, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't...)

Edited by EminTX, 11 March 2012 - 10:20 AM.

EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-11 10:17:00
CaribbeanGoing to Jamaica to meet his family... Any Advice will be appreciated.

Emin that is a really good idea! I will definitely see if I can get some pics from him. Thanks so much!!

You are very welcome. I forgot to mention, because this is family, everybody LOOKS THE SAME!!!!! Think of it as a puzzle that would rival any crossword in the New York Times. For me, hair and jewelry are the distinctions for women. Every man in my fiance's country that is over the age of 25 has the same haircut. I made it a game while waiting in lines to look for guys who had varied from that--they were always foreigners once I heard them speaking.

Years ago, I attended a wedding where inflatable guitars were pitched out to the dance floor to guys with no partners. The pix were great so I copied that for this last trip and it was just as big of a hit. Every single person had to play air guitar including the 96 year old grandparents. This made for the best pictures. If you can grab one, do it. I ordered from Oriental Traders with the wedding stuff. It took no real space in my luggage and made everyone the star of the party--especially the shy ones. (I also threw in some glow-necklaces in a variety of colors. The party-goers liked them, but they looked kind of weird in the pix.)

I'm looking forward to reading about your trip and seeing the pix posted. I know it will be incredible.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-13 11:46:00
CaribbeanGoing to Jamaica to meet his family... Any Advice will be appreciated.
Ask your other half to send you pictures of the people in his family and then label them with their names and print them on a single sheet (6 to a page, if you want). Hang this up where you brush your teeth and fix your hair and look at it to familarize yourself with who is who so that you can remember their names easier once there. Remembering names will win you points and make it less frustrating for you later.

My last visit to the country of my beloved included a big party. I went and bought some disposible white cups. Before the party, I drew little pictures on the sides with a Sharpie--hearts, flowers, music notes, symbols like that. (This was a hit, too. Each one was personal and something to talk about.) I made sure to be the one serving everyone their drinks. I used the Sharpie to WRITE everyone's names on two sides and the bottom of each of the cups. This way, all the photos of the people toasting each other included their names in the picture. It has really helped me greatly to keep with with the situations. An aunt was critically ill and died two months ago. All I needed was her name and I was able to easily pull out the best pictures of her and print them out to send to the family. Those party pix were the last ones she had ever taken and she looked great. Sending prints for everyone to enjoy really, really, REALLY made me a favorite new family member. :) :) :)

I know you'll have a great trip.

Also, when taking pictures, think about ones that will be good as secondary evidence. If you go to a concert or museum together, for example, save the tickets and take a picture of you there together. If you take a bus trip or anything that includes your names on the tickets, do the same. Take pictures with other people in them so that it doesn't just look like staged pictures.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-11 12:30:00
CaribbeanCr1 visa denied
I am not clear why you are inviting people to go protest with you but you have not named a city, state, potential date, or even the country where you are currently located. I am also not clear on exactly what it is that you plan to protest. Will you carry signs or banners? What will they say?

I also don't understand why you believe that phone records are enough evidence. If 5 pages of that is legitimate, why would you take "3000 calls a month" of several months of pages that no interviewer would ever look at. Honestly, if someone expected me to read that, I would be less inclined to say "yes", too. You really need to have different kinds of evidence. This part of the process is not rocket science. If you are a legit couple, you WILL have more evidence that is of a variety.

Good luck.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-06-02 19:43:00
Vietnamhouse book
What is a "house book"?
EminTXFemalePeru2011-12-19 13:54:00
Vietnamhotels in vietnam near TSN airport
Check out the forums on the Trip Advisor website. I bet there is a gold mind of references to where to go and where to avoid on there. (I research that site like crazy before each trip to South America and it has really helped each time. )
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-31 11:14:00
VietnamIs petitioner's original birth certificate necessary for interview?
Mimo, it may not be so easy to get that certified copy and get it all the way to the other country in time for the interview. For me, it is a hassle to get a certified copy--a 12 hour drive to get a full copy, otherwise, I can only get a short form here in my city. Apparently, it depends on your year of birth if this is acceptable or not--this is new in the past few years and I really don't get it. It was a PITA when I was applying for my passport.

Sending anything can take almost forever or, in many places, simply never arrive.

I'd bet that they have the interview in less than 4 weeks and the quoted line is off the appointment letter. The fact that it states, "If you do not have..." tells me that this is very, very common.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-12-15 17:35:00
VietnamIs petitioner's original birth certificate necessary for interview?
My (now) husband had photocopies of the entire original packet and the response to the RFE in his hands in a notebook that he took with him.

I don't think he had any originals of my documents because he had the copies of every single thing submitted.

I haven't heard of this being an issue for anyone. If USCIS or the embassy loses a document, it could be a problem then, but I'd bet that is a rare situation. Usually, by the time you have gotten to the interview process, the USC's documents are all in order.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-12-15 15:29:00
USCIS Service CentersCan't check online case status
Ha! We heard the same thing about "working on it" in May of last year. Yeah.... Right.....

It is a glitch that no one with any investment in the system has any incentive to correct so it never changes.

(BTW--now that the K-1 is a done deal, it is all online and pretty. It tells us when it was mailed. It DID go online, eventually. Ditto for the AP. Sigh.)

Don't expect more than the absolute bare minimum and you won't be disappointed--this seems to be the motto to follow with USCIS.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-11-28 16:03:00
USCIS Service CentersUnbelievably short Timelines

Okay I was going to be silent but this hit a nerve.


Obviously, you didn't understand the intent. 10 pages of chat is the same evidence as 100 pages of chat is the same evidence of 1000 pages of chat--but it makes a mess for the person dealing with it.

10 pages of chat AND 10 pages of phone bill records AND 10 different ticket stubs for travel together AND 10 different photos of you together with family and friends AND 10 personal letters/cards/postcards/postal receipts AND ...

THIS is more evidence because it is a variety. Offering more of exactly the same thing is, INHO, actually suspicious. The more different things you submit, the more legit you look. Loading on piles and piles is just a load of #######. And you have to admit, if you have one single file that weighs 15 pounds on your desk, you are not going to pick that one first when you have so many to go through that aren't stupidly overloaded.

Also....be aware of this...it has been pointed out more than once--you are responsible for knowing and remembering every single bit of your evidence and being ready to be quizzed on it. In the interview, that 900 pages can have a single random page pulled out of it and have the question asked, "So...it says here in June that you and your fiance discussed the blouse your mother bought in the capitol and that you didn't like it. What was the reason that you stated?" or "It looks like you and your fiance were discussing the possibility of breaking up on December 15th of 2011 because of something that happened. Explain that." YOU don't get to look at and re-read it. You submitted it so that means that you know it. This is one of the biggest tests of your life--don't set yourself up to fail before you even begin.
(I read about a case like that before I submitted any evidence and we elected to not send ANY chat because it seemed like it was not only unnecessary, but a potential problem if we got an interviewer like that. This particular person was quizzed over something so random and non-memoriable and was denied.)

Whatever you do and however you do it, good luck.
EminTXFemalePeru2013-02-16 17:12:00
USCIS Service CentersUnbelievably short Timelines

<br /><br /><br />

I think there was a moral lesson in that post. Keep your files only as thick as necessary to tell your story, right?


HA! I honestly didn't believe how complicated his situation was until I was helping him with his paperwork and to change lawyers. (The first one, while very successful, was painfully obviously a shyster.)

This was my first exposure to the ####### that is our immigration system. Inefficient, wasteful, and discouraging. So much blantant fraud and so many people doing things right that are delayed, paying for those delays (in a variety of ways), and politicians offering amnesty to line jumpers. Sigh.

Regarding file sizes, I am always shocked by the people on here that brag about including hundreds of pages of chat logs as "evidence". I can't see how that ever would help anyone's case and I am pretty sure that if I had to deal with that in my job, those would automatically go on the bottom of the stack. It's just triage, plain and simple--help out the most people you can in the shortest time--if it takes 3x or 5x or 10x longer to deal with your file, it probably won't be dealt with first. Or second. Or anytime soon. (I wouldn't put a separate caseload in front of it, though.)
EminTXFemalePeru2013-02-10 00:28:00
USCIS Service CentersUnbelievably short Timelines
I once had an ex-bf that was going through a fraud trial with his ex-wife. The short of his story is that his US born but foreign raised ex-gf called him up out of the blue and asked to get back together, he was an idiot and agreed to everything. She filled out all the paperwork from here in Kansas and told him (non-English speaking at that time) that everything was good and that some things have different meanings in English--like MARRIAGE for example--sometimes the word FIANCE can be used, instead. His culture has two different kinds of marriage so he didn't question it at all. Once here, employed, in college, and absolutely helpless to simply return, she abandonded him, filed for an "emergency divorce" in their resident state of Kansas and was granted that divorce within a few hours while he was out of town. (Based on unsubstianted abuse because we all "know" how Middle Eastern men can be!) She then cleaned out the bank account and the apartment and left his clothes in a pile on the living room floor. He had the car that he had traveled in and his clothes. She then sued for the car. Fortunately, the judge in that one told her she was greedy and stupid. As soon as 9/11 happened and The Department of Homeland Security came into being, she called them to report him as a terrorist. And as a fraud. And....

She demanded that he pay her over 100,000U$ to leave him alone.

He spent over 30,000U$ in legal fees and around 8 years of his life. He had given up a successful medical practice in his home country.

I went to court with him once. His file was so thick that it was two of them, several inches thick, and rubber banded together. The baliff accidently dropped them (at 8 in the morning) and the judge said, "Oh no! Put that on the bottom of the stack for this afternoon." Simply because his file was absurdly oversized, he had to wait until EVERY OTHER ONE was finished, including the ones with a court time for after 1 pm. I like to think that the people who serve the public are fair, but that was evidence enough to not overwhelm ANYbody with more than is necessary because they might just put you on the bottom of the stack. USCIS is esentially a group of strangers in whose hands you are putting your fate. Don't irritate them with too much or useless ####### or they might stick you on the bottom of their stack, too.

BTW--this relationship was extremely verbally volatile--if he had been a violent man, we would have had fist fights. Looking back, I can't believe we never did. He was absolutely NOT physically abusive and probably couldn't be pushed into it. He did get all his immigration straightened out and is now a successful physicial in Boston. I hope he now has a wife that is both deaf and a pacifist.
EminTXFemalePeru2013-02-09 21:43:00
USCIS Service CentersCalling USCIS

Dont forget the 21 questions they ask before assisting you.... :bonk:

And that there seems to be a requirement to disconnect you at random times during the call. It took me 3 times to call and ask about an address change.

Get a cup of tea, maybe a cookie, and a hand-held brainless video game so that waiting is easier. Speaker phone will prevent elbow pain from being in the same position for 2 hours.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-01-11 19:51:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMarriage in Lima, Peru
The public announcement in the paper has to be made several days in advance. There are a few other hoops to jump through. Perú doesn't seem to be real high on the list for destination weddings. Good luck and please be sure to update this when you get it all sorted out. My other half wants a wedding there, too when we return there after getting married here.
EminTXFemalePeru2011-10-01 00:02:00
Mexico, Latin & South Americatraveling to Peru
I don't know if you'd find this useful, but I compiled everything I could think of into a list along with added information when I came back to Houston after being in South America for 5 weeks this past spring. Here's the link:
Emily's Tips for Traveling in Perú
http://www.tripadvis..._2011-Peru.html

Several people asked direct questions and I gave the answers that I had including where we stayed and which buses we were on and how each experience was. It is a lot of information, but I am going back next week and you can bet that I reviewed this to remember what to take with me and to prepare myself. (Yes, my nailbrush is packed!)

I also posted a some YouTube informational vids for reference specifically answering the questions that I had before I went there.

Signs that you are in Perú - Signs and packages that you will see there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM1jMqV1XRY

Renting a cell phone in the airport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o2jIz6zmos

How to eat a grenadilla - a South American fruit that is incredible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5fONrU3oLA


As far as buying your tickets goes, I second the recommendation to look around online. You can use a travel agent, if you want, but it is probably not necessary. Statistically, airfare tickets are cheapest exactly 2 months prior to flying. So be on the lookout. I have found the cheapest flights roundtrip between Houston and Lima to vary from 850$ to $1600 in the last 16 months (I check the prices every week for a variety of potential future dates). If you are looking for a package deal with a tour of some kind, then Tripadvisor, where my first link above is at will give you probably the most comprehensive information from other travelers.


I hope you enjoy your trip.

Edited by EminTX, 30 September 2011 - 12:25 PM.

EminTXFemalePeru2011-09-30 12:21:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaBringing photo album to interview? How many pics are too much?
If you are going to be sitting around for hours as a nervous wreck, do you want to be holding many pounds of "documents" that you have to dig through when they want something? Organize your stuff, take a good amount, but not so much that it is a burden, and know what every item is that you have with you.

It might be a good idea to take something to help with the nervousness. In the back of the folder of documents that I sent to my fiance, I included a few pages of information about our city (his new city here in the US) and state so that he can know some of the history and trivia. None of it would be overwhelming information or pull his focus, but can help to occupy a bit of his mind while waitingwaitingwaiting.

Note: If you are the interviewer and you ask for something and the person has to dig through volumes of ####### while you wait and are thinking about the umpteen other people you need to take care of today, you might not be feeling so friendly. Don't irritate your interviewer because of your poor planning. It can't benefit you in any way.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-05 18:27:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaP.O.E. - MIAMI
I've got a link in my signature where you can select which POE you are considering to see the averages based on month, time of day, etc. The charts are short and sweet and helpful for making flight decisions.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-06 13:41:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaHOW LONG BEFORE DHL DELIVERS VISA?
When you are asking a question or starting a topic about ONE SPECIFIC COUNTRY, put the name of that country in the title. You'll get more opportunities to get answers from the people who actually might have the info. BTW, typing in ALL CAPS is not a good idea. It means that you are shouting or screaming. Scroll back up to reread this thread and you'll see how it looks.

Good luck in your visa adventures. (We are still waiting for visa delivery, too. But not in Colombia.)
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-19 12:03:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaBody language in Colombia
Click here: Colombian body language

I still haven't traveled to Colombia yet, but I have seen some of these elsewhere. Some of y'all might enjoy watching for these when with your family members from there.

:)
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-19 12:37:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaPERU: Preguntas durante la entrevista/Interview questions
Si quieres, hay fotos en mi timeline de nuestro paquete de la embajada de Lima.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-14 15:49:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaPERU: Preguntas durante la entrevista/Interview questions
Preguntas para la entrevista

Tenemos nuestra entrevista manana. Vamos a ver.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-13 15:02:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaCell phones, providers, and costs to call back home
Thanks everyone, I want to clarify. I am not asking about TEXTING at all. There will be zero texting between my beloved and his 96 year old grandparents. There will be zero Skyping between his 70+ year old parents and us once he is here since he is the one who turns on the computer.

I would guess that for most of us, calling older relatives in foreign countries doesn't involve any of them thar new-fangled do-hickies.

This thread is about calling old-timey rotary phones in Perú.

I appreciate the Skype info. I will look into that. I don't have a fancy phone--it does some basic stuff. I'm in Houston and have Boost and apparently for 10$/month more, we can call landlines in Perú just like calling here. I am hoping someone on here has used this and can tell us about its practicality.

Incidently, we HAD T-mobile. We got jerked around too many times over the years, the location coverage got suckier and suckier, and the costs were the most I have ever paid. It was at 187/month for 2 phone with unlimited minutes with texting available on only one of them. THAT was the the family plan. Boost is an even 55/month for unlimited minutes and international texting with the bill dropping by 5$/month every 6 months down to 35$. Coverage has been great driving throughout Texas.

I've used calling cards to get the house in Lima, but would like to avoid that.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-13 16:49:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaCell phones, providers, and costs to call back home
I plan to hopefully greet my fiance at the airport with his new cell phone but would like some input from everyone as to what they use and the costs involved along with the various experiences: good, bad, and ugly.

Tell me what you use, what you pay, what extras you have, and what else will help. (Once we decide, I'll update this for others to have as a reference.)

Thanks, everybody.

~~~~~~~~~
Tengo la intención de saludar a mi novio en el aeropuerto con su nuevo teléfono celular, pero quisiera algunas aportaciones de todo el mundo en cuanto a lo que utilizan y los costos involucrados, junto con las diversas experiencias: bueno, malo y lo feo.

Dígame lo que usted utiliza, lo que usted paga, ¿qué extras que tiene, y lo que más lo ayuda. (Una vez que decidamos, voy a actualizar este para que otros puedan tener como referencia.)

Gracias a todos.

(Gracias, Google Translate)
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-13 15:12:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMedical Exams for k1 Visa in Lima (need feedback)
He was required to return 2 weeks later for one more vaccine. The earlier that medical is scheduled, the better--anything can turn up that requires delays and, so if you have a month 'til the interview, that gives a little more time to "fix or finish" things.

The initial visit to the San Isidros clinic was about 2 hours excluding transport time.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-30 06:45:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaMedical Exams for k1 Visa in Lima (need feedback)
My other half went to the one in San Isidro and, when he asked for the document about the vaccines (DS-3025), they refused to give it or a copy to him. He did have to return a second time for more shots.

Just because of the vaccine form, I'd personally recommend the one in Miraflores.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-03-25 09:13:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaCurrency Exchange/transfers

The other option is to send money via xoom.com


I was gonna suggest xoom, too. This is how I have sent money for various things from purchases to birthday money to folks in various places. When you have the best answer, please come back and update this thread.
EminTXFemalePeru2012-04-01 13:10:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaPeru
My fiance's embassy interview review was dated mid-March and is online, if anyone hasn't looked in the last couple of weeks. It's fairly detailed.

Good luck to anyone who needs it (including us now, with AOS). :)
EminTXFemalePeru2012-04-15 17:39:00