Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	VSC's Best Practices	Not long ago someone mentioned something about Vermont's Best Practices policy. Are these published anywhere or included in a VJ thread somewhere? I'd love to see them if anyone knows where I can find them. Thanks!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-02 20:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	WE'RE APROVED!!! (MARCH 31, 2006)	Thanks for filling in your timeline!!! Much appreciated!!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-02 20:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	WE'RE APROVED!!! (MARCH 31, 2006)	Congratulations to you both! Good news indeed. Just a small request. Would you mind filling in your timeline so that we can include your information in the statistics being compiled? We'd sure appreciate it! It's great to see your info in your signature, but it's only the actual timeline data that you create through your VJ control panel that is compiled by VJ to offer us a view of processing times. We're celebrating this happy moment with you! Edited by Kirsten L, 02 September 2006 - 07:42 PM.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-02 19:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Yahoo!!! I got my VISA....Thank GOD	Congratulations! But I'm a litttle confused...I see you filed for a K-3. Isn't this announcement posted in the wrong forum? In any event. Wonderful news on getting the visa and finally being reunited permanently!!! Fantastic!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-01 22:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	2 touches in 2 days.... Let's go CSC	I'm itching for that approval. All the touches are just teasing me. Seems like a very good sign.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-08-31 18:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Got mail from NVC today	Excellent news...Every step brings you closer... Congratulations!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-02 19:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	HELP, URGENT !!	I made it to houston yesterday evening. Clara was in shock that I was there since it was a suprise but was really happy. She couldnt believe none of her friends or family dropped a clue. The rest of her family really needed a shoulder to cry on. If hes going to survive hes losing the ability to walk Praise God you were able to make it there. I'm so sorry to hear that the news about her dad is so grim. I'll keep praying. When you get home, would you let us know what documents you ended up getting ahold of and presenting at the border? That way, if anything similar should happen in the future, we can advise people that much better. For now, though, just do what you're doin'. Be a support to your fiancé and her family. They're very fortunate that you're there to support them at such a difficult time.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-03 07:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	HELP, URGENT !!	Please don't make a nasty decisions. Remember this sudden act could have long tem effects on you trying to get back in the states and the possibility of your lively hood back in your home cuntry. I pray that you, your fiancee and her family have strenght to deal with the situation at hand. I pray that the future father inlaw will get better. How horrible and frightening for everyone. I'm so, so sorry to hear the news. Get a letter from the hospital and from your employer as quickly as you can. I would also see if you could get a report from the police officers who came to the scene of the shooting, verifying that this incident did indeed happen. USCIS may well appreciate proof that comes straight from law enforcement. STAY CALM. You need to have all your faculties about you. Your fiancée's family will be panicked enough for everyone. They're going to need people around them who can be rocks for them to lean on. My prayers are with your fiancée, her family, and you. May God get you across the border. Edited by Kirsten L, 01 September 2006 - 07:35 AM.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-01 07:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NOA2s are rolling in!!! Here's mine	Seeing all these March CSCers being pushed through makes me happy as all get out!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! May the road ahead be much more quickly and easily traveled.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-02 19:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NOA2 is in hand.	Congratulations to you two!! FANTASTIC! Sing, dance, jump up and down. You should!! May the rest of your journey be just as swift.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-02 19:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Approval!!!!!	Good LORD!!! People at the CSC must actually have decided to sit at their damned desks for a change!!! This is simply FABULOUS news! Best wishes to you and your partner for the steps ahead. Celebrate this moment!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-02 19:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NOA2 received..what is next...	Your fiancé absolutely SHOULD send you a packet that includes EVERYTHING he filed, including copies of the I-129F and originals of all proof he submitted of your relationship. A consular officeer has the right to ask to see originals and to ask you questions about any information your fiancé submitted. If you don't have a coy of what your fiancé sent, you will not be in a position to either produce originals or possibly answer particular questions. You're going to have to insist. Perhaps he is just misinformed about the process. Maybe you could direct him to some informational links here at VJ so that he can see the necessity of sending an exact replication of what he sent that includes all pertinent originals. GOOD LUCK!!! P.S. Could you take a moment to fill in the timeline that's accessible through your VJ control panel? I see you haven't done that yet, and it would really help us to follow progress of the two service centers. Thanks!!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-05 07:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NOA2 Approved!	Another Marcher!!! How many does that make today? Four or five altogether? This truly does call for a celebration. CONGRATULATIONS to you!!! Bask in the glory of the moment! You've triumphed. May the rest of the journey be quick and painless for you and your partner!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-01 18:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Faith Restored	Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You SHOULD celebrate!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-05 20:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Yeehaaa!! finally my petition has been approved!! (NOA2)	Fan-freaking-tastic!!! Congratulations on making it through the black hole of the CSC and all the IMBRA heartache. Bask in the moment. May the steps ahead be much, much quicker and easier.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-01 18:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NOA 2 approved only notification: snail mail	Great to see you got your NOA2! Congratulations!! Would you mind updating your timeline so that your NOA2 date will be reflected in the VJ statistics? Thanks!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-06 18:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NOA 2 Approved	Congratulations!! That's wonderful news for you both!! May the road ahead be smooth and trouble-free.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-06 19:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Approved! Wooooot!	FABULOUS!!! Another March CSCer is freed from the belly of the beast!! I'll dance to that beat--you BETCHA!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! OH! One more thing...Could you please fill in your timeline so that your dates will be included in the statistics VJ keeps? Thanks!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-06 18:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Touched today!	Ooooo! You're giving me goosebumps!! If the two of you could finally move on to the next stage of this process, it would be WONDERFUL!! I'm praying for big things before the week is out...You can count on me for that!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-07 20:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Okay here's the thing....	Only just saw this after you sent me an email! OH MY GOSH!!! FANTASTIC NEWS!!! I know you the two of you have been waiting sooooo long. I'm delighted for the two of you! May the steps ahead be much quicker and less worrisome than this one was. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-07 22:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I have been dieing to say this	YIPPEEEEEE!!! CONGRATULATIONS to you both!!! May your next steps be quick and painless. Edited by Kirsten L, 07 September 2006 - 10:09 PM.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-07 22:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	After 11 months approved	Fantastic!! Glad to hear you finally made it through to approval!! Congratulations to you both!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-08-28 23:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	OMG- We are already approved????	CONGRATULATIONS!! Wonderful news. Best of luck with the next steps of your journey!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-07 18:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	POSITIVE THOUGHTS	You can count on it that I'm already praying!!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 19:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	WE ARE APROVED!!!!!! YIPPY!	WOW!! That's just fantastic news! I'd have had a hard time staying on the road, too! May the road ahead be smooth. Have a safe flight to Kiev in a couple of weeks.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-08-20 09:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	WE'VE BEEN APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!	FANTASTIC!!! WOW!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Another March CSCer busts through the gates!! More champagne...quick!! One more thing...could you go to your VJ control panel and fill in your timeline so your stats can be recorded and accessed more easily? It would help us all a lot! Thanks!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-07 18:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	NOA2 APPROVED!!!!	WooHOOOOOOO!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! GREAT NEWS! May the steps ahead hold nothing but more speedy approvals and joy.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 19:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	OMG, I still can believe it!! NOA2 approved!!	OH MY GOSH!!!! FANTASTIC!!!! CONGRATULATIONS to you BOTH!!! Best of luck on the next steps in your journey!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 20:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	No expression of joy is up to this	CONGRATULATIONS!!! So happy for you both!! May the next steps along the road bring only happy surprises and joy!! No delays!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 20:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Please update your Insane List! Approved!	WOOHOOOOOO!!! Man, the end of the week is turning out to be a great time for approvals at CSC!! SO happy to hear your excellent news!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Yeah, take yourself off the insanity list and put yourself on the happy roster!!	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 22:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	APPROVED!!!	CONGRATULATIONS!!! I so hope this means you will be united with your fiancé quickly. I know how nice it would be to be together during the pregnancy. Hang in there. I'm praying for you!!! Better days are coming.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 20:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	I know exactly how you feel Kirsten! I started my job August 1, and won't get paid till the end of September. And it will be less than one month of pay because I'm a teacher on a 12 month contract (work 9 months, but pay is spread out over 12)! And we all know too well the price of international air travel that has put an even bigger strain on our pocketbooks. And let's not get started on the pain of waiting, which is still painful, regardless if it's been 1 day or 177! The anticipation of not knowing when the approval will come makes it hard for anyone, ESPECIALLY because people seemed to be approved in a random order. I'm sure glad I know you, Sonicliz. We'll hang in there together. Edited by Kirsten L, 08 September 2006 - 10:49 PM.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 22:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	Kristen i would love to have a yard sale lol i'd sell everything i own if it meant having the money it takes to finish this process. In Japan they dont have yards(unless you consider the plower pots placed in rows out front of the house a yard) lol infact when they get rid of things they usually buy a cetain sticker form the store and place on the item then call the people to come get it. when the truck comes they come to your door and collect the fee to take it away. the things they throw out so easily here you wouldnt believe! i could make a fortune selling it back home or on ebay lol. usually the foriegnors scavenge it up for their own place before the truck comes to get it. gugu, When you make it back from Japan, we'll have to have a sale together! If you're lacking stuff to sell, well go hunting on curbs to see what we can find! I'm guessing we'll still both need the money!! ChristinaM, wanna join us? Thanks for your understanding and support, both of you. You have mine, as well. Guaranteed. Edited by Kirsten L, 08 September 2006 - 10:00 PM.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 21:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	"But considering the average American only has $22,000 in savings they can access in an emergency, problems are sure to arise. Money goes fast."...................uuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh..yeah... I wish i had $22,000 in savings that i could access in any case...lol I must have been out of america to long and fell out of that loop. lol ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!! You can say that again, gugu!!! And Rebeccajo, you too! I'm so on this train with you both. I spent two years in France doing dissertation research--where I wasn't permitted to work, incidentally, so has been NO money coming in to my accounts until the beginning of June when I finally found a job after my return. And because I'm still in school and minus my doctorate, it ain't exactly a high-paying affair. I'm having to throw a yard sale this weekend to make enough money for the fraction of my tuition I still don't have and am literally PRAYING I'll have enough to eat for the rest of the month after that. The company that hired me out of the temp agency only pays on the last day of every month, and I just started on their payroll, so that leaves me with a major gap from which it will be hard to recover. About the time I do, it will be time to pay tuition again in January. And the way things are looking now, my fiancé will be showing up at the beginning of the year, as well. It is not a pretty fiancial picture. Geez, G&C, you talk as though we're a bunch of dunderheads who don't know our patoots from holes in the ground rather than understanding with the rest of us that LIFE HAPPENS. We all fell in love...whether the timing of that was financially convenient or not. We all have situations that existed BEFORE we fell in love. And we all have additional situations that unexpectedly arise AFTER we've decided to traverse this hellish immigration process. I'd say Rebeccajo, gugu, myself, and lots of others are pretty intrepid and CREATIVE as we go through this process. We're managing it. We WILL manage it. I think we all deserve a round of congratulations...not your condescending, unrealistic blather. Glad you're so on to top of it...FOR NOW. Rebeccajo's right. You have no idea where you'll be tomorrow. Remember...the bigger they come, the harder they fall...With your rigid, hardnose attitude, your finances might be just fine throughout, but one wonders how your relationship will survive. Good luck...	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-08 07:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	Let me try one more time. I'd really like to think there's a way to make myself understood...though that means, spiritee that you will have to move beyond what I think is a very sensitive spot for you so that you can truly hear what I'm saying. We're all sensitive right now. That means we all have to work extra hard. Me included. So here goes... Ready4one, I was not lashing out I was responding to someone saying that I should keep my feelings to myself and not post! If that's what you got from what I said, then I think you're really misunderstanding me. I have no problem with you expressing your feelings, spiritee. I simply have a problem with you implying or telling others that they do not really have a right to theirs. Like I said, feelings are feelings, and everyone is entitled to theirs--and to the respectful expression of those feelings. I think I did that. I said, "Hey, I'm delighted for these people. I congratulate them personally. At the same time, I get this sinking feeling thinking about what my own timeline is going to look like." I think that's normal. All I'm gonna say. When we entered the K1 process we knew it was going to be a long ride so expecting an approval after a month would have been silly. Jealousy is an ugly thing and just because others are getting approved does not mean a thing, be happy for them your time will come. I, too, knew that this could be a long ride. I didn't expect approval in a month, either. I think that's why it was such a shock to the system when I started seeing other people receiving those sorts of speedy NOA2s. Again, it wasn't that I wasn't happy for those people. I absolutely WAS and AM! But you can be happy for someone else and sad for yourself at the same time. Differing feelings coexist within the same person all the time. I think it's o.k. to be honest about that. I'm not bashing anyone. I'm supporting a whole lot of Vermonters and anyone else who gets approvals. I always send a personal message to say, "WONDERFUL! FANTASTIC! CONGRATULATIONS!" with lots of happy emoticons. Go back and look. I'm not the guilty party you're accusing me of being. Gosh you don’t even know her, from what she has written on here I do not perceive her as that only irrational and impatient and jealous. Her opening line to me was “ As for you” !! I wrote "as for you" only because I had just written to Rebeccajo and was trying to differentiate between two thoughts to two different people. I thought it would all end up in the same post, but others ended up posting in between my two thoughts. It therefore came across as condescending in a way I didn't mean it to be. I see now that it was a poor way to begin. I apologize for an opening that must have felt inflammatory. ready4ONE is my filing buddy. And I consider him my friend. I think he understands me. If you don't want to listen to him as a character reference, I guess you don't have to. I can't make you. Neither can he. But I do appreciate beyond measure his words in my defense: “Kirsten is, in my experience, a kind and thoughtful person” Thank you for your comment, but if you honestly believe that I care how others perceive me you are truly mistaken. I think that may be a big part of the problem here. If you don't care how others perceive you, then I'm guessing you're not working that hard to communicate. You're just spewing. And that doesn't really work in an environment like this. We need you to care at least a little how you're coming across. I'm going back and looking at what I said and did in an effort to make this all right. I need you to do the same. It's a two way street. Can you do this with me? I tell it how it is and lets be realistic here, there are people who have been waiting for months to be approved so one month is nothing to complain about. Well, you're telling only part of how it is, spiritee. And that's fine. But people like Cass and myself were politely expressing another part of how it is. You seemed to indicate that we didn't have a right to express that part. It felt very much like I was being told that until I've been in line for ages and ages, I'm expected to just put up and shut up. That doesn't feel much like a supportive community to me...and I think that's what VJ is supposed to be...supportive. Again, regardless of filing date, we all have our situations and our feelings. There's nothing wrong with that. I applaud Cass for having the courage to say out loud what she was feeling in a way that I and many others could relate to and understand. If you don't understand, o.k., but I really don't think it's fair or realistic to expect that we shouldn't be allowed to say where we're at. Again, I haven't seen my fiancé in seven and a half months now. That's already a long time, and I'm just at the beginning of the filing process. It is depressing for me. I have no way to get to him for visits...nor he to me. It's very hard. Please try to understand. It sounds like you are in a very difficult situation, as well. It must be terrible to be pregnant and be without your partner. I'm really very sorry. Let's support and hear each other in our respective situations rather than escalating a conflict. Well excuse me, I was not making a smug comment I merely think that at this early on in the process to be complaining is rather pointless when there have been people waiting for months. Again, I don't think it is pointless to feel any way at all. I think feelings are feelings, and it's o.k. for people to feel what they do about their particular situation--and to express those feelings and experiences in a respectful way. I believe I did just that. I am five months pregnant but I do not have time to ###### and waste energy complaining about the process as I recognise that I am dealing with bureaucracy and my complaining is not going to speed up the process. You are telling me to keep my comments to myself yet you are on here complaining because you have not been approved in a month! Please get a grip, and trust me I can bet that 95% of the people on here have problems that is life. Again, your situation must be very difficult. I can understand that you must have a very hard time yourself going through this process. I never asked you to keep your situation to yourself--or your feelings. I only respectfully asked you to keep to yourself comments which seemed to deny others the right to express what they were thinking and feeling. Everyone else has a story, too...and feelings about that story, feelings about what is going on with USCIS right now. We all relate to it in different ways. As long as everyone stays respectful, then I think everyone should be able to talk and express what they're experiencing, regardless of the amount of time they've been "standing in line." I am not a jealousy-ridden monster. I am not standing on the side-lines booing when people get approved. I'm standing and cheering with everyone else. And I'm only temporarily discouraged, a point I've tried to clarify again and again. I always bounce back. I'm a very strong woman that way. Please don't make me out to be something I'm not. The picture you're trying to paint is neither accurate nor fair. I hope this post helps to alleviate what I'm perceiving as a lot of anger in you. My intention is not to create enemies here. I certainly don't consider you an enemy. I think there are simply some communication issues occurring. I hope you'll work with me to iron them out. If you don't, then I guess that's your choice, too. In any event, I wish you the best in your journey. Edited by Kirsten L, 07 September 2006 - 08:21 AM.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-07 08:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	Eh, it's ok. I'm a big girl. I just didn't want to hurt your feelings. This process is stressful enough without those of us here upsetting each other. You're probably feeling particularly crummy as it's been so long since you've seen your man. Wes and I were dreadful at being apart - we thought about doing a K3 or CR1 but we just didn't want to be separated. Now that we see what's happened with his name check, even though the CR1 is probably the best visa to get (IMHO because AOS is already done) I'm really glad we didn't do it. It'll be 6 months this coming Saturday since we had his interview and nearly 10 months since we filed. If that kind of delay had entered into our actual visa process - well I would have been nuts. It is hard to describe how things change once you are finally together. Oh for sure, it's better to be together. But when you are separated, you tend to think that as a couple you are invincible - while it's true that two are always stronger than one, the regular everyday grind is hard on a marriage. When you throw in the curves of immigration, like the single example of waiting for work permits - well it's almost as if it's a system designed to try these marriages to the very edge of commitment. I can tell you this. You may find it hard to believe, but this separation you are experiencing now is part of the very glue that will hold you together later on. When you've been married a while, and he's left dirty socks on the floor, sugar on the counters, or done some other thing to just drive you mad - try to remember what it was like to live without his presence in your life. It helps put things in perspective. It'll still your tongue - at least enough so you don't wring his neck! And over time, it will be part of your story. Part of what you will tell your friends, your children, and your grandchildren. Cass, sorry to hijack your thread. I hope this helps you too. You know, Rebeccajo, you're absolutely right about what you say. And most of the points you raise I'm usually pretty good at believing myself. In fact, as a woman of faith, I'm even convinced that God has a reason for everything that happens in life. He may not cause everything that occurs, but He allows certain things because He knows He can use them for good--however cruddy they may feel at the time. Like I said, I'll bounce back soon. My attitude will adjust back to where it needs to be. I'm a tough cookie. Been through lots, lots worse than this in my life. Yeah, it's just that right now I'm temporarily feeling a little beaten down and, you guessed it, lonesome for someone I haven't even had a chance to look in the eye, much less hold, in what is beginning to feel like an eternity. Thanks for understanding so well and for your wise words. I'm glad you're around, Rebeccajo. Truly I am. And Cass, my apologies to you, likewise, if I've in any way hogged your moment of venting. You just struck a chord that resonated loudly in me. So I chimed right in.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-06 23:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	Kirsten L, you filed on August 1st and you are already feeling discouraged! You have a long way to go yet! As for you, spiritee, do you mean to imply that my feelings are not valid because I haven't been in the visa line as long as you? I haven't seen my fiancé in seven and a half months already, regardless of my filing date. And there's a lot more going on in my life right now that you have no idea about that contributes to my feeling discouraged about the long wait that likely lies ahead. I would respectfully and politely request that you simply respect the feelings of myself and others on this board by keeping smug and self-satisfied comments to yourself. Emotions are emotions. Everyone has a right to their own. And you are not the arbiter of such things.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-06 22:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	Kirsten I hope you didn't misunderstand my post. It wasn't meant to be a lecture or admonishment in any way. I was only expressing my recollections of how it felt to be a 'Vermonter' and watch my peers have to wait. It felt awful. And I was also just trying to give you an idea of what your 'immigration future' may be like. Yes it is true that at least you are united with your loved one during AOS. It's hard for me to explain sometimes. Think of it like this - that's when 'real life' sets in. That's the time when waiting on immigration sometimes literally means not being able to work (and thus pay your bills) because you're waiting on an EAD. Or waiting to travel home for some family emergency because your AP isn't in yet. It means finding out that you can't qualify for a mortgage because a greencard isn't in. Theres load of little 'everyday' nuances that immigration hassles can add to your 'real life' once you are a 'real couple'. And those things cause stress. It's just another perspective and something for you to ponder. It wasn't meant to be a put down in any way. Rebeccajo, I think, in fact, that I may have misunderstood you slightly. Your clarification helped me a lot. In any event, I wasn't really terribly upset--just wanted to clarify my point of view. It's true that due to a lot of bad news and stress of various sorts in the last couple of weeks, I'm particularly sensitive and pretty discouraged at the moment. That may well be a contributing factor in why I read your post in such a way that it felt a little like I was being lectured. Not your fault or your intent, obviously. Just happened due to my state of mind. If anything that I said contributed to any worry or sadness on your part, I hope this post will sweep it away. I very much appreciate your point of view and your contributionss. Again, thanks for your communication.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-06 22:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	I have a reversal of this for you. Imagine being one of the VSC'ers and trying to still be a member of this community. That was the situation for us. I remember trying SO HARD to never complain, to always be upbeat. I was almost embarrassed to post and occasionally I would get some nasty snarky comment about being a Vermont petitioner - it was almost as if we weren't welcome. It was nearly as painful for me to watch my 'classmates' take so long to process as it was for them. I would feel so bad for them. I too felt it was unfair. I was ever so grateful for my own good fortune, but I really and truly felt terrible for those with other service centers. Back then, I should note that Nebraska was the 'offender' - now that's changed. Just keep in mind that immigration is never done - not unless you naturalize and even then, that's many years down the road. Each step can bring challenges. We now await my husband's greencard. Our interview was March 9 and we still don't have it - his FBI clearance is not complete. So just because people have the 'luck' of Vermont doesn't mean they won't have a hiccup later on. It's just this process - I hate to say it but you sort of get used to it after a while. If nothing else it helps teach patience with lifes other little troubles. rebeccajo, I think everyone here who's filed with the CSC has made it clear that we ARE truly happy for those that make it through this process so quickly, the bulk of whom seem to come out of Vermont. We do not exclude those people or attempt to make them feel excluded. I personally congratulate enthusiastically each person whom I notice as having received an approval, regardless of service center. It is something to be celebrated. We also do understand that there are people whose petitions are held up at the VSC. It's simply that when you're looking ahead to much more certain extended wait times at the CSC, there are conflicting feelings that occur. Watching someone get approved in 15-45 days is thrilling in one way, thoroughly depressing in another. And I think those feelings are completely normal and understandable. I suspect there's not one quickly-approved VSCer out there who wouldn't understand a bit of discouragement and even jealousy mixed in with our happiness on their behalf. I think it's reasonable that a few of us voice what is really going on inside for us. It's not a slam against VSCers. It's simply emotionally honest in a respectful manner. My saying I don't know how many more peppy approval announcements I can take is not a slam against VSCers, for instance. It's simply a frank admission of the level of discouragement I was experiencing yesterday. I would never wish for VSC approvals to slow down. That would be mean-spirited, which none of us are. I never said I wanted future approvees to keep their mouths shut. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Keep the happy news coming. If I can't take anymore, I'll quit signing in for a while. I'm sure as heck not going to rain on anyone else's parade. We also know that this process isn't over when we get the NOA2 or the consular interview--that bumps can come for anyone down the road. But however difficult AOS and EAD and the rest of it can be, from where many of us are standing right now, at least we would have our loved ones with us through those later frustrations. Right now we definitely don't have that luxury. Thanks for understanding. Edited by Kirsten L, 06 September 2006 - 07:43 AM.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-06 07:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	I feel like crying. Guh.	I so know what you mean and completely understand. Me, too. As happy as I am for the Vermonters that are whipping through the process, my heart simultaneously sinks every time I see one of their exhuberant announcements. It is discouraging for those of us who have been given no reason to expect anything but a wait of several months. Me? I haven't seen my fiancé since late January. I have no money at the moment. Neither does he. And the little bit we do have is being ferretted away so that when he finally gets here, we can survive for the time it's going to take to get his work permit. None of this is fair. Quite frankly, it stinks. And in the last two weeks, life has only gotten bleaker. My parents just booked tickets to Phoenix to be with my sister and her family for Christmas without even asking me first about my own plans. I can't afford to go. Due to current financial constraints, they can't afford to get me there either. I'm not only going to be in Wisconsin without my fiancé for Christmas, but without my family as well. My parents just forgot all about me until after they'd booked the tickets. I had a good long cry in the car driving home after I got this news the other night. Yeah, I'd give just about anything to be processed by Vermont right about now...and I don't know how many more peppy, happy approval announcements I can take right now...I'm a pretty positive person. This week, I just feel like I've been knocked flat on my back. Edited by Kirsten L, 05 September 2006 - 08:47 PM.	Kirsten L	Not Telling	France	2006-09-05 20:47:00