ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDirect Consular Filling of 129F
QUOTE (ALES @ Oct 27 2007, 10:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Ok,
I sent in both the I-130 and I-129F. It seems to me it will never come trough the USCIS route.
Can I request Direct Consular Filling of at least I129F?


Direct consular filing is only available if you are living in the country you are filing in and meet that countries criteria for DCF (living there for a certain amount of time - varies by country).
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-28 05:17:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAirfare rant
Airlines have people over a barrel, it really sucks what they are able to do.

On my last trip to the US we decided that my hubby would collect me from Chicago and we would drive 3 hours to get to his house, rather than waiting 6 hours for a 45 minute connecting flight. Because he picked me up, United invalidated not only the connecting flight but also my return flights as well. So I had to book another set of tickets just so that I could get home. Apparently, the 4000 miles I flew to get there are also not valid for my mileage plus account sad.gif

The only upside is that I booked the return for this ticket to be February, which is when I think my visa will be complete. So it will either be the ticket I use to enter the US on... or, if the visa is not complete, it will be a 2 week holiday in the US and I'll book another "US->UK" flight to get home again.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-09-19 01:14:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresProof of Marriage for I-130
QUOTE (elizabeth.e @ Oct 28 2007, 03:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
In response to the above: Tim, would direct consular filing make a difference in the wait time for an appointment? I only recently discovered this option and am still investigating it, but if you've got a quick answer that would be great. Thank you,

e.



You are only able to DCF if the US spouse is living outside of the US and has met the country-of-residence's criteria for filing there (this means living there for a minimum amount of time). If the US spouse is in the US, this is not an option for you sad.gif
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-29 02:38:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFinally Our Case is Complete (I130)
Congratulation tidanemu biggrin.gif It's great to see another name added to this list of approvals this week smile.gif
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-27 13:40:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat is the worst they have done ?
QUOTE (~Laura and Nick~ @ Oct 26 2007, 04:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm so sorry.
All I can say is that you and your spouse know in your hearts what the truth is. Let people ask their stupid and cruel questions, I'm sure most of them don't realize how much they are hurting you. They probably think they are just innocent questions. Many people don't understand how complicated the immigration process is.

Best of luck with the rest of your journey..I hope it goes quickly.
Hugs
Laura smile.gif


Ditto to that. Only those people going through this process can understand what it takes out of you. You know that your relationship is real and you know how much you mean to each other. It will all be worth it in the end. I'm in the same boat as you, I have been married for 8 months tomorrow and we have only been together on visits. No one questions my relationship with Josh anymore because the important people have all met him and they know how happy he makes me smile.gif

Just remember when people like that get you down, that you have a husband/wife to lean on for support smile.gif

Edited by C and J, 26 October 2007 - 02:50 AM.

C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-26 02:49:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat is the worst they have done ?
QUOTE (aidap @ Oct 25 2007, 09:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I don't believe anyone was looking for someone to give justification. But, you're right, everyone seemed to feel the need to justify themselves. Why? One can only wonder...


6/10 for baiting. The "pregnant pause" used for effect at the end, was just classic.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-25 03:54:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat is the worst they have done ?
Bravo Scott & Marla good.gif Awesome response and said it perfectly. No one should have to justifty themselves which is what certain comments in this thread seemed to ask for and, personally, I DID make the best decision... so there is no "better choice" for me.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-25 01:41:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWhat is the worst they have done ?
I have always been a very open-minded person. I take people as they are and only judge on the things I know, not on the things I have read.

QUOTE (aidap @ Oct 20 2007, 03:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It still astounds me that people can "fall in love" on the internet. I don't judge but I just cannot comprehend how you can believe you know a person that you are going to live with for the rest of your life through chats and the phone.


I actually think you can get to know someone better, in many respects, in this way. Not everyone goes onto the internet looking for "the one". You may find someone with a similar interest and become friends. Many months later you may find that the feelings are stronger than that (as in our case). Webcams also help, you can see the person, interact with them, you just cannot touch them. The physical side of a relationship is not the be-all and end-all.

I'm sure in the past there must have been people who fell in love with a penpal, when they eventually met.

With certain things restricted, you have to make up for them with what you do have. We talk more... how many couples, together in person, would sit and talk for 6 hours a day? I honestly believe I know more about Josh than I would have done if he was "some guy who lived in my area". The same could be said about what he knows of me. We share more about ourselves, our lives, our pasts. We worry about how things will be when we eventually live together, but every couple has that issue when they first move in. I will just be moving from a place further away. It's not all rose-tinted-glasses, we know there will be challenges.

However, from my point of view, I believe that the final decision on a relationship is meeting in-person to make sure everything is the same in-person as it is on the internet. You have to meet, you can't just hope that things will be the same when you're together. They are two completely different scenarios.

QUOTE (aidap @ Oct 20 2007, 03:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
How is it that if your family or friends that using common sense point out that it may not appear to be what it sees are automatically "jealous" or "narrow-minded"? Why is it that if it's not what you want to hear, they're wrong?


Some members of my family told me not to visit Josh for the first time because he could be "some internet maniac" (stereotyped horror stories?) but I knew the person I was going to visit and knew that it would not be possible. It is much easier for someone to think badly of a situation because of things they have heard, than think positively. It is natural for friends and family to worry about you (and it is nice that they show they care) but they shouldn't make judgements based on stereotypes until they have met the person they are judging. My mum got to talk to Josh on webcam so she could see and talk to the person I would be visiting and she thought he was lovely. Once she'd spoken to him, she had no reservations about the visit (other than the long trip I would be taking alone).

Yes, people are used for visa's. Yes, people can be stringed along by someone with bad intentions. But that doesn't mean that it will happen to everyone.

QUOTE (aidap @ Oct 20 2007, 03:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I hope the best for you, I really hope it's real. I think it's easy for us to think that a person living in the third world will do absolutely anything, including "love", to get out of those situations.


Not every internet relationship is based on someone from a poorer country trying to escape poverty. That's another stereotype. People should not be blinkered as far as stereotypes are concerned. Things should not be generalised. If bad things happen, they happen... but that wouldn't stop me from living my life the way I want to. If you thought of the worst case scenario's possible before starting something (relationship, every day life etc), then you'd live in a box with no outside contact.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-24 04:16:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI129F Approval Notice Question
Thanks for the congratulations, mbdesousa smile.gif And thank you very much for the info, Pushbrk, you really know how to put someone's mind at ease biggrin.gif
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-30 02:40:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI129F Approval Notice Question
Hi,

Hoping for a bit of insight into our I129F approval notice. Josh received it yesterday and we are both confused about it's seemingly-short length of validity...



Is this 4-month validity normal? We're worried that with the delays people are seeing between USCIS and NVC and also length of time for the embassy to do their part, that the 4 months won't cover the whole process.. is it meant to? Or is it only meant to cover the NVC part?
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-30 02:08:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDays countdown?
QUOTE (christinejohn @ Oct 30 2007, 11:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hello everybody!

Yes I know I get bored waiting for an approval so I try to keep sane and busy...
I always look at everybody's timeline of course and I wonder where you get those days counters or other additions you add to see at one glance how long you've been waiting etc...

Yes I know it's useless but since we can't get any answer from USCIS about anything right now, I just thought I'd still do something...

Thank you for your time and good luck to you all lonely love birds!

Christine.


If you click on the counter in my signature, it will take you to the site I used to create it. Choose the background design and the date you want to start counting from, then change the message to say what you are counting up from smile.gif Mine is obviously number only (not the 12 month counter).

Most of the counters in the signatures are clickable and will always take you to the site that they used to create them, because all sites have different pictures and counter-types you should look at a signature that you like the look of and click on their counter smile.gif
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-30 07:56:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresemail from USCIS
QUOTE (sweety10 @ Oct 31 2007, 06:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Do you always get an email from USCIS when your file is touched or there are some exceptions to it?

Thanks a lot. helpsmilie.gif


A touch only results in the date changing on the USCIS site. Many petitions do not receive touches at all until the approval, so don't be worried if you haven't had any smile.gif
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-31 02:11:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBuddy's Wife in Estonia: Denial of K-3/K-4 Visa
If she has been denied on fiancee visa's previously then I would have to say that sounds fishy.

Knowing she was denied, why would she go through the same scenario again and again when the outcome would be the same... being engaged to a different guy does not have any effect on the outcome. Maybe that is why this particular relationship ended in marriage (a different visa, the hope of a different outcome?). And did she wait until the denial to tell your friend that she has had previous denials? Or has that been truthfully told from the beginning?

Again, I am summizing (as we do not know the person or the whole story), but unless she has a weak-spot that causes her to continuously fall for American men, it sounds like she just wants to be in the US :(

I also don't like the fact that she continuously asks your friend for money, she was self-sufficient before the relationship and I see no reason for that to have changed, as she is still on cruise ships. That is almost as fishy as the previously denied visas.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-31 08:36:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBuddy's Wife in Estonia: Denial of K-3/K-4 Visa
Without knowing both sides of the story, we can only summize.... One thing that might help is - Has she clarified which type of visa she has been denied in the past? Work visa, fiance visa (I'm presuming she hasn't been married before), tourist visa?

I also know, that if I was on a cruise ship I would write letters to my husband and post them from every port I stopped at. Or phone from ports as often as possible. Purely to keep in contact.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-31 08:03:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAffidavit of support
QUOTE (john_and_marlene @ Oct 31 2007, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
For the I-864, the requirement is 125% of the poverty level.

2 - $17,112
3 - $21464
4 - $25,812

The amounts are higher for Alaska and Hawaii.



http://www.uscis.gov...form/I-864P.pdf

The household size should be 3 (MIL, FIL, you) unless they claim him on thier taxes as a dependent.


Thanks for the quick response smile.gif He is in Iowa, so is the standard amount. I will ask him to speak to his parents about whether he was filed as a dependent on their taxes or not (I would think not) but it's better to be sure.

Thanks again,
Cheryl
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-31 12:29:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAffidavit of support
Hi,

I am trying to find out the minimum earnings needed for my affidavit of support. I have read other posts regarding this but can't seem to figure out whether it should be 3 people or 4 people in my situation.

Josh does not earn enough to sponsor me alone, so he will be using one of his parents as a joint sponsor. He is currently living with his parents but he is over 21 so not a dependant child.

My query comes about because he is living with them: is he counted in the figures? Does his parent have to earn enough for 3 people (mum-in-law, dad-in-law, me) or 4 people (MIL, DIL, Josh, me)?

According to the poverty guildelines I have come across, this is either:

3 $17,170
4 $20,650

Any help is appreciated smile.gif
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-31 12:02:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresYAYAYAYAY
Big congratulations biggrin.gif
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-24 02:46:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures6 months to start processing or finish??
QUOTE (gogo @ Oct 30 2007, 03:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
ok, thanks C and J... I called in and they told me they are basing it on the "official received" date, when they first received your I-130... that is so messed up.. I sent it in on 4/13, and they received it on 4/16... it's not my fault that it got entered on 4/27... then I got my NOA1 on 5/29... and that's why I sent the I-129F so late.. sent it in 6/4... got a 6/11 NOA1 date for that..

5/29 + 6 months ==> 11/29... wow crying.gif crying.gif


When Josh phoned the mis-information line after we "thought" our petition was over 6 months, we were told that it was still within normal processing times because our NOA1 date was April 25th (our received/priority date was 11th April, btw) . I'm sure the answer just varies depending on who you talk to at USCIS wacko.gif

Don't get disheartened it may not be that long for you, I just mentioned it so that you can be prepared should it take a few more weeks. I don't want to see you becoming more distressed sad.gif Just keep that end of November date in your mind and an earlier approval will seem like a bonus.

I know if it was me I would prefer to hope for an estimate in 3 weeks with a good possibility of it happening, than keep hoping each day that an approval will appear and getting let down each day sad.gif
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-30 11:01:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures6 months to start processing or finish??
Gogo,

I don't want to be the possible bearer of bad news but you should be aware that the 6 months starts from the notice date on the NOA1.

The official wording on the NOA1 is "it usually takes 60-180 days from the date of this receipt to process this type of case". And, according to your signature that date is the 21st May. That means you are still a few weeks short of the six month processing time sad.gif

My I130 NOA1 date was 25th April and the NOA2 date was 25th October (dead on the 6 months). So we know they are processing end of April/beginning of May cases. I sincerely hope you will have an approval sooner, but you should prepare yourself in case it is 3 more weeks until you receive it.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-10-30 10:11:00
IMBRA Special TopicsK-1 was approved, then I cancelld it, we reconciled now
According to site statistics (which are only there to guide you), you would be looking at roughly 215 days from start of process to receiving the visa on the K3 , then a further 7 or so months for adjusting your status to a lawful permanent resident once you are in the States. The I130 is shown as an average of 305 days and the K1 as 182.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-06-29 01:44:00
USCIS Service CentersSent I-129F to TSC!
It won't be the new fees that are slowing the process down, it is all the extra petitions that have been sent to the service centres in June and July in the "mad rush" to beat the new fees. All those petitions will have quite a knock-on effect to processing times when the centres get around to looking at them all.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-08-02 03:35:00
USCIS Service CentersHow long after uscis starts working on the case?

According to Uscis, they are working on the April 16-May 15 cases. Its been almost 110 days since my receipt notice. Im guessing, within the next 10 days I should hear something.


Hmm, I thought USCIS were supposed to show the OLDEST case date they are working on i.e 16th April. Not grab a 4 week batch and quote the newest date. That would skew their figures way in their favour, as they are not even mentioning the April petitions they are still working on :blink:

As for the RFE trick, it has been discussed numerous times on the forum and it is generally seen as a way of slowing down approval. When you use this trick, you are being put through to a person who is actually approving petitions, so any time on the phone takes away from their time spent checking and approving. It is, of course, up to you if you want to try it but I'm not sure how helpful they will be when you do get through (you might just be told it's being worked on and no extra evidence is required).

I know how frustrating it is to be waiting (especially as you are so close to an NOA2), I am going for a K3 visa and they didn't even bother to list it for California on last months update :(
C and JFemaleEngland2007-08-14 01:59:00
USCIS Service Centers129F K3 Visas
QUOTE (Cetin Tonya @ Aug 21 2007, 02:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Can anyone help me figure this out... I see that there are processing times for the I130 and the K1 and K2 Visas for CSC but where do we find what the processing time is for our K3 Visas?? I don't see if listed at USCIS with the other visa processing times.

Can anyone clear this up for me?? I just want to get some idea of where they are at in processing the K3s....

Thanks, impatiently waiting....


California has an annoying habit of "forgetting" the K3 visa's in their processing times, they did on the July-posted dates and apparently have again on the Aug-posted dates. It is VERY annoying that the CSC have missed it again.

However, just speculation here, they are pairing up the I129F with the I130s at this stage, so maybe the I130 date is an indicator of the approval time on the I129Fs. If this is not the case, then the K3s should be being processed within roughly the same time frames as those of the I130/K1/K2 visa's.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-08-21 08:29:00
USCIS Service CentersCalifornia one

Anyway, with all the congestion with consolidating service centers and the 30,000 apps a month they are getting in, not to mention the spike in apps by those trying to beat the new fee increase, she said it would realisticly take 6 mos to get my NOA2 (approval) :crying: .


Really, that doesn't surprise me at all at this point. I had hoped that mine would be approved in the 3-4 months that standard cases seem to have been approved in, in the past, but that is looking so unlikely as the early March petitioners are only starting to see their approvals drip through now from the CSC.

It's really sad and depressing to think that Josh and I waited until mid-April to file our I130 because my mother-in-law thought we should seek professional help with filling in the forms and that is the length of time it took to get an interview with the Diocese. We didn't even require that help as all the lady at the Diocese did was put 2 N/As in boxes that I had left blank.

If we had filed in February, as we had planned, it would have only been the I130 and not the K3 (that didn't even enter into the equation until Josh had the interview) and I would have an approved petition and it would be at the NVC or further by now. Instead of being stuck in the CSC nightmare which appears to be unfolding because of the huge increase in petitions, with the fees changing.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-08-01 03:32:00
USCIS Service CentersNOA2 to NVC
If you check in the K3 forum it is taking roughly 4-6 weeks for NVC to receive and input the file (example: a 20th September approval was entered into their system about 5 days ago). My petition is currently waiting in the bin to be sent, so I'll just have to cross my fingers that it doesn't take longer than that.

Josh will begin phoning up the NVC from the 4 week-mark... here's counting.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-11-05 03:17:00
USCIS Service CentersDoes The Processing Time For An I-130 Differ Depending On Who Send It To The Service Center?
QUOTE (MikaG @ Jan 22 2008, 04:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I've been searching through the forums on this site and it seems like if I send an I-130 petiton to the US Service Center it could take up to 6 months to be approved. But if I do a DCF and the consulate / embassy abroad sends the
I-130 petition to the US Service Center, it only takes a couple of weeks to be approved. Am I understanding this correctly? If so, why does the I-130 get approved faster if the consular abroad sends it to the US Service Center rather than if I send it in myself?

Thanks in advance,
Mika smile.gif


Hi Mika,

DCF (direct consular processing) is only available when the US spouse is residing legally in the foreign country. For example, to direct file in the UK, my USC husband would have had to have been a legal resident in the UK for 6 months (note: tourist does not count) before he could submit the petition to the London embassy.

If the USC is residing in the States, or only visiting the spouses country, the only option is to file through the service centres.

The reason it is quicker is that the embassy have a much smaller workload to work through than the service centres. They also have the benefit that both partners are living together in the same country.. not separated while waiting for this process to be completed.

Hoep this is helpful.
C and JFemaleEngland2008-01-22 09:53:00
United KingdomHELP ... AGAIN
This post slightly confused me and I hope someone can clear it up for me. I see a few of you stating that a Scotland Yard issued CR is required by the embassy. Did the OP ask for the criminal record from Scotland Yard because he lived in the London area at some point?

The reason I ask is that when I was looking to request a subject access form previously (it's clean) I could only ask for the record from Thames Valley Police and, on the Met site, it states that you have to contact the police-body responsible for your area. They all check the same computer database so why is Scotland Yard only important in this case?
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-02 04:38:00
United KingdomUSC changing name while in the UK
I don't know if it is correct or not, but the lovely judge who performed our marriage ceremony stated to me before I signed the papers, that if I wanted to change my name using this form, that I MUST sign with my new name. Otherwise it is not binding (the exact phrasing is lost on me as I was all nervous from the ceremony, but that is the general gyst).

As I said, I don't know if it is true but that is what I was told, and as I took my husbands name at the wedding I preferred to be safe than sorry.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-17 04:13:00
United KingdomSome uncomfortable truths
I have to agree completely with Sarah's fiance. That is exactly the way I feel. England isn't the place it used to be. I will not be giving up my British passport but I will be persuing US citizenship when it becomes available to me.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-20 08:05:00
United KingdomHP "Steak Sauce"
The large supermarkets near my hubby don't seem to have an international isle but I'm lucky that there's a European shop relatively close by.

My mum-in-law took us there on my second visit and, other than the price, it was fabulous. They had lots of things I liked the look of, but I didn't pay too much attention to their frozen section, so no idea if they'll sell English bacon. Not that that bothers me, my bacon is generally as totally crispy as possible, while not burning it, so american bacon is more to my liking :)

So when I'm finally over in the States I'll be popping in there for my scottish shortbread, weetabix, colemans mustard, salad cream and Heinz tomato soup :D
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-20 07:04:00
United KingdomAny UK folks NOT applying for US citizenship?
My hubby and I have discussed it in the past and, at the time of our discussions, I thought I would have to give up my British citizenship to become a USC. Because of that I decided that I would stay a GC holder.

However, since finding this lovely site and finding out the truth, I am more open to the thought of becoming a USC. Our first step is to get through the immigration process and then only time will tell what choice I make in the future.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-23 06:54:00
United KingdomWhat's "your" song?
Josh and I don't have a song, mainly because we're nearly always listening to music, so nothing stands out above the rest for "us". He has lots of songs which remind him of me, because I am generally listening to the MTV Dance/Base channels in the background when talking to him (all those Brit/European songs that he doesn't get to listen to over in the US). There are a few which make me think of him whenever I hear them.

"Stone Sour - Through the Glass" - It's a bit of a mixed song for me... it was played almost constantly on the radio during my February visit to the States and reminded me of being in the car with him on the rather long journey to our little hotel honeymoon... sadly it was also repeated over and over on the inflight-radio on the flight home. As time goes on, the sad memories of sitting on the plane wishing I was still in the US with Josh seem to be clouding the happier memories associated with this song.

"Snow Patrol - Set Fire to the Third Bar" - The words to this song seem to mirror exactly how we feel and what we are going through. It is also a truly beautiful song. This song should have been listed first, but I wanted to paste the words for those that haven't heard it.

I find the map and draw a straight line
Over rivers, farms and State lines
The distance from A to where you'd B
It's only finger-lengths that I see

I touch the place
Where I'd find your face
My fingers increases
Of distant dark places

I hang my coat up in the first bar
There is no peace that I've found so far
The laughter penetrates my silence
As drunken men find flaws in science

Their words mostly noises
Ghosts with just voices
Your words in my memory
Are like music to me

And miles from where you are
I lay down on the cold ground and I
I pray that something picks me up
And sets me down in your warm arms

After I have travelled so far
We'd set the fire to the third bar
We'd share each other like an island
Until exhausted close our eyelids

And dreaming pick up from
The last place we left off
Your soft skin is weeping
A joy you can't keep in

And miles from where you are
I lay down on the cold ground and I
I pray that something picks me up
And sets me down in your warm arms

And miles from where you are
I lay down on the cold ground and I
I pray that something picks me up
And sets me down in your warm arms
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-27 07:36:00
United KingdomHas anyone flown from gatwick to milwaukee via chicago??
I was not aware of any time-restriction on returning to the States either. Maybe it's hidden away in small print on one of the official sites. This isn't something I would come across as I'm only able to afford to visit my hubby every 6 months.

I guess it is allowed to visit whilst this is pending but VERY risky, i'd need to take as much proof as i can that i'd be returning huh. Which i do intend to do so we can get the visa the correct way you know.


It is deemed by most people to be more risky because you have more of a reason to want to stay than the average John Doe.

But, on a normal entry, you only have to answer the questions they ask you (honestly, of course). So the spouse visa and other things may not even come up in the questions/responses. However, as you have been more-thoroughly questioned on previous occasions it may come up and pre-warned is pre-armed.

So take proof just in case. It's better to have proof that you don't need/use, than not enough proof and be turned away :)
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-31 04:48:00
United KingdomHas anyone flown from gatwick to milwaukee via chicago??
Nikkisprecious,

There can always be problems with customs and, unfortunately, I think once you are flagged on their systems you are flagged permanently. All you can do is take as much proof as possible with you to prove that you intend to leave. What sort of proof did you take with you as "ties to home" on the last visits? The more you can provide the (hopefully) easier it should be to get through customs.

Can you get a letter of employment from your boss stating that you are visiting the US for a specific period of time and the date you are returning to work?
Do you have property that you can show?

Do you mind me asking how often you visited the US to be deemed as "visiting too often", that really intrigued me.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-31 02:58:00
United KingdomHas anyone flown from gatwick to milwaukee via chicago??
Don't feel too discouraged about your K3, I think you just had the unluckiness to file when things seem to have ground to a halt at CSC. There are lots of people who filed their I129F in March and still have no approval yet (which means I still have at least 2 months left before my approval - mine is a May I129F petition)

It is very frustrating to see no movement on files but there are a lot pf people who would like to have your I130 approval in their hands :)
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-30 06:46:00
United KingdomHas anyone flown from gatwick to milwaukee via chicago??
I normally fly Heathrow -> Chicago O Hare -> Moline but the same principle applies. Any flight arriving into O Hare's international terminal has to go through customs, they are your point of entry.

You probably don't need this, as you've been to the airport before but I'm including it for anyone else that it might help...

You go through the immigration desks, pick up your luggage, go through the "declaration" bit and then hand off your checked luggage at a set of check-in desks, before walking out into the airport. Then you have to connect to the domestic terminals (via train), go through hand luggage security and then you're in the main terminal to await your flight.

On your return flight, you arrive in O Hare in the domestic terminal and take an internal bus from the terminal you land at, through to the terminal you will be leaving from. There is no need for you to collect your checked-luggage as it is moved to your next flight for you. There are no security checks other than at the first airport and on arriving back in the UK.

Hope this helps... Chicago security officials can be rather strict but make sure you remain pleasant and have ties to home (just in case you are asked for them) and you should be ok :)

One thing I really would like to ask, is that your I129F timeline is similar to mine and you have touches through May and June (after the transferral to CSC happened) did you happen to phone them for further information or are the touches just luck :)

Edited by C and J, 30 July 2007 - 04:45 AM.

C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-30 04:41:00
United KingdomCR-1 medical in london
If it's not the cost of travel and accomodation, then I wonder if your husband is adding up the cost of the medical and any immunisations he may have to pay for during the medical? That's the only other reason I can think of for him to say it is that expensive. There is a large list of vaccinations that they require but most are only applicable to certain age ranges and the list looks much worse than it actually is.

The only vaccinations I require for my age group (I'm 27) is MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), Tetanus and, that I have had chicken pox at some point during my life (which I have). If you have those given to you at the medical they do add extra cost to the overall price. However, those 2 are available on the NHS for free.

There is also a cost for the visa (I believe) if it is approved, he might also be taking that into consideration.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-31 07:04:00
United KingdomLondon to JFK one way ticket
Kinda off topic, but I had to laugh at the lb vs £ comments. My hubby texts my email address regularly when he's out and about away from his PC, and I've got so used to seeing lb when he texts about money here. I don't even bat an eyelid anymore.

One thing which happened yesterday at work (which, when I told hubby, he jokingly said it was the next stage in his plan to turn me American) is I looked at the date 05/07/07 and the first thing that came to mind was... "I didn't enter that value in May" :wacko:
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-31 08:46:00
United KingdomFriend is looking for a Scottish Husband
Maybe it should have been voiced as looking for a penpal or something similar, rather than a husband. Friendship has to come first. After all, in a normal relationship (i.e not long distance) if things lead to marriage then they lead to marriage but you shouldn't start out with that particular thought in mind.

However, I also think that long distance relationships only end 2 ways... either burning out or marriage. We don't have the luxury of living together, unmarried, for the rest of our lives, as we do in our own countries. As soon as we make steps to be together, they take that option away from us. So the OPs friend is looking on the bright side... who wouldn't hope for a relationship that leads to marriage, over a relationship ending?

It has to be "friendship -> relationship -> marriage" though. Maybe the OPs friend should visit a few sites that interest her (non-dating) and make friends on there. I didn't visit websites to find anyone, but I was lucky enough to find Josh :)

When you're actively looking for something that is generally when you're NOT going to find it.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-07-30 04:21:00
United KingdomWould you risk it?
I wouldn't chance it... it'd be just bad luck, the one time you need everything to be on time, to get a delay somewhere along the line. You would also want to be refreshed before such an important interview, not worn out from a long plane journey and stressed out through immigration etc.
C and JFemaleEngland2007-08-03 04:28:00