ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (Stephen + Elisha @ Jul 27 2009, 10:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Richard-Joanna @ Jul 27 2009, 05:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Guys.... Gals.... we are soooooooooooooo close... hold it together now... just a little more... the worst is over!!!



It'll be a little easier for me to agree with this when NOA2s for March filers start coming in... unsure.gif



QUOTE (gerrymeridamx @ Jul 27 2009, 10:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
WE GOT IT! NA02 today by email from USCIS at 645! Our NO1 was March 2nd! YEAH! AMAZING!!



Okay, the worst is over! kicking.gif good.gif And a great big March congrats to gerrymeridamx!!

Edited by Stephen + Elisha, 27 July 2009 - 10:01 PM.

Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-27 22:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (Richard-Joanna @ Jul 27 2009, 05:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Guys.... Gals.... we are soooooooooooooo close... hold it together now... just a little more... the worst is over!!!



It'll be a little easier for me to agree with this when NOA2s for March filers start coming in... unsure.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-27 21:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
I like your theory, joe! One thing to add that supports this interpretation: the federal fiscal year ends September 30th. Presumably the service centers will be working very hard to clear their backlogs so that they can claim they are meeting their processing goals (5 months for I-129F and I-130 petitions) as of the end of FY '09.

Let's hope it comes to pass!
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-26 18:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Thanks for the perspective, Richard-Joanna. You're right—CSC had a VERY slow May: http://cse.ssl.berke...data/stats.aspx
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-23 11:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Okay, not to be a nattering nabob of negativism, but.... WHAT THE HELL?!?!

CSC has approved over 50% of their March petitions and is well into APRIL...

...meanwhile...

VSC has come to a screeching halt.

ranting33va.gif protest6wz.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-23 10:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
EXCELLENT letter, Michele! Keep us posted on what/if you hear back from the ombudsman.

I made the same observations (i.e., inequitable service to citizens of states served by VSC) in my letters to my congressman. They agreed and have asked USCIS to transfer my case to CSC. While I don't know whether or not it will happen (to be honest, I doubt USCIS will do it), it's somewhat comforting to know that my representative agrees that a problem exists.

I would suggest to everyone planning to write to your representative/senator/ombudsman that you make mention of this inequity. Citizens in states that file at CSC are receiving a far better level of service than those who must file at VSC, and this has been the case for months. This two-tiered system is unacceptable and should be remedied.
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-22 19:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Igor's List has been really depressing this week. I really, really, really hope it's a matter of VJers not updating their timelines...
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-22 12:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
missmissy, I would think (hope) that the case would be prioritized by NOA1 date, and since California is well into March filings already, ours should/could/would be at the top of the stack.

Who knows if anything will come of it? To be honest, I doubt they'll agree to transfer it. I'll be happy if it just gets them to actually touch the file.
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-20 09:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
UPDATE!

I called my congressman's office this morning to see if they'd received this letter and if they were taking any of the steps I asked for. I spoke with the immigration caseworker, who said that she had read my letter—and that she had a call in to USCIS to inquire about transferring my petition to CSC! She hastened to remind me that they couldn't force USCIS to act, and that the agency reserves the right to take up to 120 days to respond to a congress member's inquiry—but just the fact that the request is on the table is enough to make my Monday a little brighter. smile.gif

QUOTE (Stephen + Elisha @ Jul 15 2009, 10:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
My reply to my congressman's letter relating USCIS's utterly inadequate "response" to his office's inquiry:

Dear Representative:

I have received your letter of July 9 regarding the status of my I-129F petition as reported to your office by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I am grateful to you and your staff for your efforts to advocate with USCIS on my behalf thus far. Nevertheless, I still have significant concerns regarding USCIS's response.

First, the statement that USCIS is currently processing I-129F petitions received on or before November 28, 2008 is no different than the information posted on the agency's website—and is only current as of April 30, over two months ago. Further, USCIS's online case status system indicates a "Last Updated" date of April 1. These updates are commonly referred to as "touches," as this data is supposed to be updated whenever a USCIS adjudicator touches the file, even just to move it from one desk to another. The fact that this date was not updated subsequent to your office's inquiry strongly suggests that USCIS did not even bother to check the actual file. Based on this perfunctory—if not outright dismissive—response from USCIS to your office's inquiry, it would appear that the agency does not consider itself accountable to elected Members of Congress, much less the United States citizens the agency purports to serve (and whose taxes provide its budget and salaries). This is simply unacceptable.

Moreover, according to your letter, "… the USCIS must follow all U.S. Laws and regulations related to adjudicating visa and immigration cases." In our phone conversation of July 13, your staffer Betty Lou elaborated on this point, stating that USCIS adjudicates cases in the order they are received. This is simply not the case. I am personally aware of at least two I-129F petitions filed in May that have already been approved. I understand that certain circumstances (e.g., impending military deployment of the U.S. citizen petitioner) qualify petitions for expedited processing; no such circumstances applied to these two cases, however. While USCIS may claim to adhere to a fair and reasonable "first in, first out" policy, in reality the process is by all appearances arbitrary, capricious, and accountable to no one. Once again, this is not acceptable.

In light of the above concerns, I respectfully renew my request that you intervene with USCIS on my behalf—if not to directly expedite the adjudication of my petition per se, then at minimum to transfer it to the California Service Center, which is currently approving petitions filed in March on a daily basis. Considering USCIS's arbitrary, capricious, and opaque standards for determining the order of processing, and the agency's dismissive and disrespectful response to your office's initial inquiry, I believe this request to be eminently fair and reasonable. By aggressively pursuing the remedy outlined above, you will assert appropriate oversight and supervision of an executive branch agency that has hitherto demonstrated a lack of respect and accountability to the legislature; moreover, you will secure fair and equitable treatment for a constituent who is currently inequitably served by USCIS.

Once again, I thank you for the efforts that you and your staff have devoted to this matter thus far; despite USCIS's unsatisfactory response to this point, I remain hopeful that your office can intervene to bring a fair and expeditious resolution to my case. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.

Respectfully,

(me)

Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-20 08:32:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (faith0131 @ Jul 19 2009, 09:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
this post might get me hung but......



if you go to iraq ( not all cases but) you wait like 30 days maybe....

i sometimes wish i joined the military bc my princesa would be here already!
blush.gif



Hey, they make a lot of sacrifices to serve our country, it doesn't bother me a bit to step aside and let them move to the front of the line.

What I can't figure out is how some people (not many, but some) get approved in 3 weeks, yet after nearly 4 months our file hasn't even had a touch—even after my congressman's office inquired about our case. Things sorely need to change at USCIS in general and VSC in particular.
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-19 21:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (Kimbear @ Jul 19 2009, 06:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (faith0131 @ Jul 19 2009, 09:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
i hate CSC !

people are getting approved in april and freakin may now!
good for them, but come on man!!

GRRRRRRR


lol i'm at CSC and i concurr tongue.gif Been over 4 months now since Noa1... sad.gif Non expedites getting approved sigh..i know i can't do anything but i really wanna smack ppl over at CSC...they are making me extremely GRRRRRR.



Yeah, but CSC is well into the March petitions, so yours ought to be coming any time now. VSC hasn't even started on March—but they've approved two May non-expedites. ranting33va.gif It's getting really hard to stay positive.
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-19 17:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Let's hope people just haven't updated their timelines yet. smile.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-17 11:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (AmyStan @ Jul 17 2009, 10:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Stephen + Elisha @ Jul 17 2009, 08:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Come on, VSC, let's end the week on the right note—with some March approvals! VSC ???! ??

Hwaiting?

How did you get Hangul to work on here? Pretty cool.

Hwa-i-ting = Koreanized pronunciation of "fighting" (no F sound in Korean)—it's a popular way to cheer someone on. Sometimes also rendered ???

And as for how I got it to work? I just typed it ^^

Edited by Stephen + Elisha, 17 July 2009 - 09:13 AM.

Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-17 09:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Come on, VSC, let's end the week on the right note—with some March approvals! VSC ???! ??
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-17 08:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (melanne @ Jul 16 2009, 11:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks for everyone for your response.

As far as it being 'slightly off topic' I didn't think it was; we can all complain, vent, and question anything about the K-1 visa on this forum, right?

Thanks everyone! Hope everyone is having a great week and hanging in there! We are certainly trying our best.

I only meant by the "slightly off topic" remark that you might get more/better info in the Process & Procedures forum than here in the March 2009 VSC forum, where none of us have actually gotten a K-1 visa yet (thanks a pantload, VSC!).

I wasn't trying to be snarky... sorry if I came off that way blush.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-16 12:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (Richard-Joanna @ Jul 16 2009, 10:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It is my understanding that you can no longer get authorized at POE and have to wait for the AOS... I think there is a thread on it here somewhere.

Ooops, I think you're right. USCIS's page on the I-765 Application for EAD says that fiances of US citizens have to apply for an EAD in order to work legally in the US.

On the other hand, I've also read recent reports of (some) POEs that are still stamping the employment authorization into the passport or I-94 at entry.

So, I think the "rule" is that K-1s now have to file an I-765 to work. But we all know how well USCIS follows its own rules—"petitions are processed in the order they are received," right? rolleyes.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-16 09:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (melanne @ Jul 16 2009, 10:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Does anyone know anything about the K-1 and the whole work permit in the US thing?

WE have applied for the K-1 but now my fiance has been approached about a job in the US to start as soon as October, Nov. or December. Our NOA-1 date is March 12th. We are hoping to get married in the fall, but what are the rules with working in the US with the K-1?

I am so confused...

Slightly offtopic45vn.gif but...

K1 holders are authorized to work—but remember that the visa itself only permits a 90-day stay in the US for the purpose of getting married. Hence, the employment authorization is also only good for 90 days. In order to stay authorized to work, you have to apply for an Employment Authorization Document concurrently with the I-485 AOS filing.
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-16 09:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
My reply to my congressman's letter relating USCIS's utterly inadequate "response" to his office's inquiry:

Dear Representative:

I have received your letter of July 9 regarding the status of my I-129F petition as reported to your office by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I am grateful to you and your staff for your efforts to advocate with USCIS on my behalf thus far. Nevertheless, I still have significant concerns regarding USCIS’s response.

First, the statement that USCIS is currently processing I-129F petitions received on or before November 28, 2008 is no different than the information posted on the agency’s website—and is only current as of April 30, over two months ago. Further, USCIS’s online case status system indicates a “Last Updated” date of April 1. These updates are commonly referred to as “touches,” as this data is supposed to be updated whenever a USCIS adjudicator touches the file, even just to move it from one desk to another. The fact that this date was not updated subsequent to your office’s inquiry strongly suggests that USCIS did not even bother to check the actual file. Based on this perfunctory—if not outright dismissive—response from USCIS to your office’s inquiry, it would appear that the agency does not consider itself accountable to elected Members of Congress, much less the United States citizens the agency purports to serve (and whose taxes provide its budget and salaries). This is simply unacceptable.

Moreover, according to your letter, “… the USCIS must follow all U.S. Laws and regulations related to adjudicating visa and immigration cases.” In our phone conversation of July 13, your staffer Betty Lou elaborated on this point, stating that USCIS adjudicates cases in the order they are received. This is simply not the case. I am personally aware of at least two I-129F petitions filed in May that have already been approved. I understand that certain circumstances (e.g., impending military deployment of the U.S. citizen petitioner) qualify petitions for expedited processing; no such circumstances applied to these two cases, however. While USCIS may claim to adhere to a fair and reasonable “first in, first out” policy, in reality the process is by all appearances arbitrary, capricious, and accountable to no one. Once again, this is not acceptable.

In light of the above concerns, I respectfully renew my request that you intervene with USCIS on my behalf—if not to directly expedite the adjudication of my petition per se, then at minimum to transfer it to the California Service Center, which is currently approving petitions filed in March on a daily basis. Considering USCIS’s arbitrary, capricious, and opaque standards for determining the order of processing, and the agency’s dismissive and disrespectful response to your office’s initial inquiry, I believe this request to be eminently fair and reasonable. By aggressively pursuing the remedy outlined above, you will assert appropriate oversight and supervision of an executive branch agency that has hitherto demonstrated a lack of respect and accountability to the legislature; moreover, you will secure fair and equitable treatment for a constituent who is currently inequitably served by USCIS.

Once again, I thank you for the efforts that you and your staff have devoted to this matter thus far; despite USCIS’s unsatisfactory response to this point, I remain hopeful that your office can intervene to bring a fair and expeditious resolution to my case. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.

Respectfully,

(me)
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-15 21:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Excellent! A couple of approvals today, February 26 and 27 NOA1s. Let's hope VSC is back on track and will get moving on the March cases very soon!
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-15 14:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
The maddening thing about this is how arbitrary it all is.

Live in the right state (i.e., CSC filer), and you get approved a month or more faster? Ridiculous. They should be doing all I-129Fs at one service center, subject to the same policies, applied uniformly.

Even at VSC, the two best adjectives to describe the process are "arbitrary" and "capricious." They claim to process cases in the order they're received—nonsense! A couple weeks ago, they approved a May filer. Not a military expedite, just pure dumb luck. Fantastic for that couple, but so discouraging for those who have been waiting since March or even longer. On the other hand, they're now going back and approving a number of December and January cases, seemingly putting February (and March) on the back burner. Again, so discouraging.

And the arrogance! Not even bothering to touch the file to respond to a congressman's inquiry. ranting33va.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-14 14:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Well, this is disappointing...

When I got home from work yesterday, I had a letter from my congressman waiting for me. I eagerly opened it, only to find the following inside:

On your behalf, my office contacted the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and asked them to please provide us with a status update on your case. We also requested that they keep us informed of progress made in this matter. My office received a response to our inquiry notifying us that USCIS records indicate that your I-129F petition was received on March 27, 2009. The USCIS is currently processing I-129F petitions received on or before November 28, 2008.

The USCIS noted that it is impossible to predict how long it will take before the processing is complete. They will contact you directly as soon as the process is complete or if they require additional information.

I understand that this must be very difficult for you, however the USCIS must follow all U.S. Laws and regulations related to adjudicating visa and immigration cases. Although this information is not as complete as we had wanted, I hope you will find this information helpful.

So in response to a Congressman's inquiry, USCIS provides no information beyond what could be found on their website. CRIS indicates no "touches," so most likely they didn't even bother pulling the file to check the status. INFURIATING!
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-14 10:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
QUOTE (missmissy @ Jul 10 2009, 09:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I knew you guys would be okay! Hope everyone has a great Friday!

Especially the adjudicators at VSC—a great and productive Friday! smile.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-10 09:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Talked to the immigration caseworker from my congressman's office yesterday. She said they had submitted a status request to USCIS last week, and gotten USCIS's standard reply that it could take 60 days for a response.

No touches since 4/1. sad.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-07-07 13:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Looks like the week is off to a good start at VSC! good.gif
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-06-30 14:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMarch 2009 k-1 people
Latecomer to this thread but another March VSC filer here—greetings and good luck to all!
Stephen + ElishaMaleSouth Korea2009-06-29 22:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsVisa in hand! :D
Congrats!!!!! :luv: After all the work you two have done to get there you definately deserve it!
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-08-13 20:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAPPROVED!! Thank you VJ community
Congrats!! Much happiness to you both :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-09-05 00:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsVSC is back to 5 months on I-129F processing
Yay! Regardless it still makes me feel better, I have a long way yet but still every bit of good news is appreciated :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-15 04:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsSupport needed- how to cope with waiting for NOA2???

I made videos too while waiting for the process to end. One of them is this lol. It was fun. Try making something every month, something that will occupy most of your time. When you feel lonely, write him/her something and pour everything out. Start blogging, LDR stories are interesting. Exercising is helpful to release endorphins aka happy hormones!



Yeah blogging is a good idea too! A joint blog where you can both update it so you can look forward to what they write and share whats going on with you. Ben and I are also making a website thats a joint 'our story' and wedding website, there are a lot of free places to make a website and it can maybe be part of the proof of a continuing relationship (BONUS!) Ours is on Yola.com but there are others too, we have our visa timeline on there too ;D Even with it all you'll prob still break down sometimes (I do x.x) but at least it can help you stay positive :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-16 10:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsSupport needed- how to cope with waiting for NOA2???
I know exactly how you feel...just try to stay busy. It helps if you and your fiance have a joint project to work on (besides the visa lol), Ben and I are both very artistic and creative and so we are going to work on making a music video together, as well as a joint writing project and graphic novel. Stuff like that will help the distance seem not so far, the time not so long and you will have something precious and wonderful you can look back on for years to come (and show to kids one day :) )
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-16 09:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsI-129F FILED!! Our Journey Officially Begins!!
Congrats and good luck!! Its an exciting nerve wracking time, I know, I just sent mine on the 26th of Oct and got my NOA1 yesterday!!! Hope everything goes smoothly for both of us :)!
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-05 12:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsVisa Approved !!
Congrats!!!! :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-30 04:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsDrop in Weekly Totals

67% take less than 5 months



:wow: I hope we're in that 67%!!!
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-27 12:42:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsDrop in Weekly Totals

I expect things to slow down even more until after the new year. :(


Fortunately it is already almost Dec :) and the holidays should keep us busy :) I'm going to get a phone that has a Skype app so he can 'come with me' whilst we go Christmas Tree shopping hehe :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-26 09:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsDrop in Weekly Totals
Thanks for this summary :) Dale I know how you feel, I know my NOA2 is nowehere close to coming but the first three weeks was making me crazy too XD Still feeling antsy and wishing march/april was here already >.< Wedding planning with the wedding party + him and the planning for our music vid, and work are the only things keeping me from going absolutely nuts worrying :innocent:
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-26 09:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsIs it just me or has going through immigration really put wedding planning into perspective?

Now, This is delightful! I love SteamPunk - it is so incredibly creative and 'fun' - and you are making your wedding so uniquely your own in a way that means something to you - and you are having fun with it :yes: . Bravo!


When I was younger I thought I would love to have a reproduction Regency style wedding (as a War of 1812 re-enactor, it fit). However, by the time Joe and I met the re-enactment wedding just didn't fit anymore and we wanted something simple but meaningful for the two of us. I had planned to make my dress - not a wedding dress but something that felt right for me - and while looking for fabric in a discount fabric warehouse, totally unexpectedly came across 'my dress'. A designer had left some dresses at a fabric store that went out of business and when they were not able to locate her, the dresses and inventory ended up being bought by the warehouse. Out of curiosity, I looked at them and they really were lovely - and all one of a kind. Then, I found mine. It was so perfect that everyone who saw it said it looked like it had been designed for me. It also fit perfectly and was on sale at $75 (original price was over $880)! so, I bought it even though we had only just started the K-1 process.

When it came time for our wedding, everything else fell perfectly into place just like the dress. Through a mutual friend we had met socially a Judge who we both liked. A few weeks later, we asked if he would marry us and he said he was happy to do so. He didn't charge a fee for marrying people, but did ask them to make a donation to a charity of their choice in lieu.

We thought that getting married outside in some sort of a gazebo in a park setting would be really nice but were having trouble finding the right location. While visiting a heritage antebellum mansion site north of where we live, we toured their heritage gardens - and found the perfect spot - a lovely little garden arbor over the entrance to the gardens. We asked the site if they allowed weddings and explained that we wanted something very small with only a handful of people out in the garden and it would be outside of their regular operating hours. They said they didn't normally do that but would ask their Board. We gave them the details of our request, along with the name of the Judge who would be doing the ceremony - and the woman smiled. It turns out he was one of their long term supporters and benefactors. A week or so later, we got our permission as long as we were willing to make a donation to the site in exchange. We were obviously happy to do so and made a donation both to the site for the wedding and then increased the amount to cover the donation requested by the Judge. We figured that was appropriate.

So,on the hottest day of the year to date, in the shade of the garden arbor, with a good friend standing with me, her husband, her daughter and my father as witnesses we were married. I had made the bouquets we carried and my Dad, who was a hobby photographer, took the photos. We then walked to a little bakery cafe in the village with everyone waving and honking as we went by - and with no reservations, walked in to have a lovely after noon tea to celebrate. We then headed back to our house for dinner which Joe and I had already prepared before hand.

Our expenses were my dress, the marriage license, the donation to the historic site, afternoon tea for 7, a home cooked dinner for 6 and the flowers we carried. I made both bouquets with silk flowers from a local craft store, then to mine added two lovely beaded flowers a friend had made for me, and real lilies. My Dad took the real lilies back home with him to Canada and placed them on my Mom's grave and my bouquet is in a vase on display in the living room. It couldn't have been any nicer if we had spent a fortune - and we loved it.



That sounds so amazingly lovely!!! :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-12-05 13:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsIs it just me or has going through immigration really put wedding planning into perspective?
We are going to get married by law as a small just us plus witnesses thing, start adjusting the status, and then a few months later have the big event with family and friends. I'm the first girl in my family to get married and he's the first one in his to get married so we are going to have a decent sized wedding since our family and friends are veryyyyy important to us and we want to show them a good time :) my dad is paying for it, but my budget is around 7,000. Fortunately I have a network of awesome talented friends, and my fiance and I are both creative, so we can do a LOT of stuff ourselves. I totally don't think wedding planning detracts at all from the visa process, in fact it keeps me sane during this long wait!

I'm one of those people that have been planning my wedding since high school, however the plan I made back them is totally different for our wedding theme now. Ben and I both love steampunk, so our wedding will be steampunk/civil war theme as I also live in VA. I'm currently writing a novel based on the story behind our wedding theme, where instead of it being the north and south, its australia and america who were at war, and our wedding is the peace treaty :) The clothes will all be civil war era styled and the reception will be a Victorian era tea time. CHeap is good, what matters most is being married, but Ben and I love to express ourselves artistically in everything we do so we just couldn't have a generic basic wedding ;D
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-12-03 17:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAny Australians filed in June waiting for NOA2?
I'm Oct so can't help you :( But good luck, here's hoping we all hear something soon :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-12-15 08:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAWAITING K-1 NOA2
I have a long wait as well, wedding planning and skype are both helping me deal but I don't get to see him as often as I like :< and I don't get to hold him either <3 I love my wonderful, sweet, warm furnace of a man :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-11-11 10:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsI travelled, I proposed, she accepted... the journey begins!
Welcome and congrats!! :)
AustramericanFemaleAustralia2011-12-23 09:00:00