Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IMBRA Special Topics	help!	QUOTE (monikak @ Oct 21 2007, 03:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Guys need help. I am july filler. Have permit to work and case is in CBC. Checking mail box every day for envelope with interview day. Here is a problem. Me and my hubby had fight 2 weeks ago. I didnt let him out and yelled and scratch his neck. He called police. They arrived , listened to him and took me to jail! Didnt tell me my rights or anything , just took me to the car and to jail overnight. Next day my husband arrived with my doughter and talk with judge. They let me go but i have court date next month! Domestic violence and harassment. I am not guilty yet..but still- how INS will look at it. Should i plaid guilty and take less consequences and have it in records for 24 months or fight in court? My hubby didnt realize they will take me to jail and how that will affect my green card and my CV. (background check) If anybody know any similar case? What should I do? Thanks for any help! MonikaK, I am a NOOB here but if I may offer a piece of advice: If you and your husband believe in your marriage and in your love for each other, more important than you getting a job would be getting counseling to resolve the DV issue that you two have. The marriage WILL fail if you two do not learn how to resolve conflicts with non-violence. Beyond that violence whether it be physical, verbal or emotional towards someone you love is unacceptable and provides a poor example of how to live as a couple for any children you two might have. I don't mean to sound harsh but I've lived in a DV situation before. Know that I wish for you, your husband and your children the best.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-02-01 10:33:00
IMBRA Special Topics	Waiver?	QUOTE (Rings @ Oct 1 2009, 10:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Here is some information you should read. http://www.visajourn...hp/t210048.html PM the OP of this link for info http://www.visajourn...howtopic=200384	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-10-02 12:54:00
USCIS Service Centers	Passport revoked!	QUOTE (julezabelle @ Apr 4 2008, 04:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm only entitled to $75 a month (which I haven't gotten in ages) and I certainly would appreciate it, despite its low amount. It would pay for a pair of sneakers for one of my kids, or 2 & 1/2 counseling payments cos my kids are so damaged by their father's abuse. Wow! and I thought I had a good lawyer when I ONLY had to pay $1600/month... I should've had your ex's lawyer... On a more serious note, divorce sucks. I'm not referring to the financial losses incurred by both sides but rather to the turmoil and tumolt to each of the parties' lives. Especially the children. It's NOT their fault the divorce occurred yet they are the ones that so often pay the biggest price and lose the most in the divorce.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-04-04 19:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	I want my oligarch!	QUOTE (mox @ Mar 19 2008, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> MOSCOW — All Elena Larionova wants is a rich husband. It doesn't matter if he is fat, bald, a drunk or all of the above. Love doesn't interest the striking, blond 24-year-old. Stability does. If she plays her cards right, she says, she might land herself the biggest Russian catch of all: an oligarch. That's why she is teetering in her stiletto black boots in a Moscow dance studio on a Wednesday night after work, her ankles bound by an elastic band, ensuring that she can only take baby steps. http://www.theglobea...ernational/home very similar to this story Lessons in Love: The Millionaire Hunters both articles were written by women; one in Canada, the other in the US.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-03-20 12:10:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	My wife left me!	QUOTE (panamania79 @ Feb 23 2008, 08:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Satellite, My wife left me! @ Feb 22 2008, 10:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Unfortunately she left me... I do not know what to say... I will not write here again... That is so sad,I'm sorry to hear that. Hope it works out well for everybody. You never know if you will be taken for a ride by an unfeeling, inconsiderate, poor excuse of humanity. That I guess is a part of the great unknown for all of us on VisaJourney.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-02-26 18:19:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Georgia/Russia Conflict	here is a link to site that shows a bit of what is happening in Georgia http://www.navoine.r...topic.php?p=551 I don't read Cyrillic. Warning: some of the pictures are pretty intense.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-08-19 14:12:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	So.... how are the driving lessons going?	QUOTE (slim @ Mar 31 2008, 09:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Anyone have any ideas or tips/suggestions on helping her learn to drive? She's just not getting it. We've been driving at least a dozen times and she's not making steady progress. One day she'll improve, the next, she's right back to square one and just forgot everything she did the last time. She's telling me it's something along the lines of not ever driving anything so it's very difficult for her to learn to drive a car. I thought maybe taking her to the go-karts or even a driving video game would help but it seems like stuff like that is even too difficult. Would a Power Wheels Barbie Jeep be going to far? I had an ex-girlfriend that knew not how to drive. I took her to parking lots for basic practise. After doing ok there we went for test drive on streets. Not so good. She signed up for professional driver training and she did much better. Later I gave to her tips and suggestions on improving driving skills, like paying attention to signs on highways to know what exit to take.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-04-01 11:00:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Adjusting to Life in USA	QUOTE (phewall @ Oct 21 2008, 02:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hello All, We've completed the first part of the "Visa Journey" and my lovely Svetlana is here in the USA with me. Now it seems comes the hard part. She has been here since 1 July and we've gotten married, had a beautiful wedding in Lake Tahoe and are settling in together. The hard part has come as my bride is feeling down about not having work and worried about her "level" going down as a result. She is 35 and worked very successfully in Moscow as a type of business consultant for taxes and labor laws etc. She has a very nice degree from Moscow University and now feel like it was "wasted" since it may not translate directly over here. Unfortunately as luck would have it, the first two ladies she has encountered (1 from Odessa and 1 from St Petersburg) have relayed mostly negative stories about how they were successful in Russia/Ukraine, but that now they are like "guest workers" in the USA with little prospects for success. Of course this has only brought Svetlana's mood down only more. (Needless to say these very nice ladies have other issues in their relationships which are the true source of their unhappiness). I'm working now to get some of the basics taken care of like immigration paperwork for AOS, driving lessons, English courses, although she speaks pretty well, etc. I work as an officer in the USMC and we have plenty of money. We live in a nice apartment with palm trees and a swimming pool in Oceanside, CA yet she still feels like she's gone backwards in life because of this job issue. So the bottom line is that I'm looking for anyone out there who has had POSITIVE experiences getting adjusted and beginning their careers in the USA after coming from Russia. I know that if she can see some positive examples of ladies who have transistioned successfully that will really help her outlook and hopefully she can get some constructive advice on what steps she can take to attain the success here in this country that she seeks. Please feel free to email me at phewall@mac.com and let me hear from you. I can certainly give you more information than I can in this short space. Thank you all and God Bless you! James James, There is a substantial Russian/ FSU community in the La Mesa area of SD. In addition there is a Russian bookstore on Lake Murray Blvd which also sells sundries from that area of the world. I realize that Oceanside is about 45minutes from La Mesa but if your wife could network in that community that may assist her in "getting her foot in the door". The contacts that I have had with members of the Russian/FSU community in this area have all been highly motivated people.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-10-21 18:12:00
Mexico, Latin & South America	Pensamientos del proceso de inmigrar como novios	QUOTE (FaSa2008 @ Feb 6 2008, 05:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hola!! mira te cuento mi historia rapidamente ! Mi novio y yo comenzamos a hablar de comprometernos un anhio antes de q el me lo propusiera oficialmente! y el decidio q seria buena idea mudarse para USA ya que hay mas oportunidades de ganar mas dinero q en Lima Peru. Yo comenze a averiguar TODO el proceso q es largo y tedioso ! Lei investigue pregunte me serciore de las cosas q necesitaria en su debido momento y si lo podia conseguir! El secreto es ser obsesivo con lo q piden hazte un checklist de lo q necesitan si quieres te doy una lista de lo q yo mande! yo fui bien perfeccionista con mi applicacion la hize linda ! comunicate conmigo y te doy muchos derroteros para ayudarte a q tu aplicacion tenga exito ! no necesitas un abogado esto lo puedes hacer tu ! cuentame quien es la ciudadana americana tu o tu novia?! Suerte FaSa2008, Yo soy el gringo (el ciudadano americano) y ella es una linda mexicana Si no sería una molestia para ti, sí me gustaría tener la lista. He estado haciendo los preparativos para empezar esta jornada pero para poder ir en los pasos de alguien que ya ha hecho el viaje sería mejor para minimizar los errores y el estrés. Gracias por el bienvenidos y los buenos consejos de los de mas	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-02-07 14:08:00
Mexico, Latin & South America	Pensamientos del proceso de inmigrar como novios	Mi prometida y yo platicamos del proceso de inmigrar a EUA para que podamos estar juntos para siempre. Hemos empezado leer los foros aquí antes de llenar los formularios para entender cuales son los requisitos por el gobierno de EUA. Por leer un poco de aquí ya entendemos que el proceso es largo y de mucho estrés y también que las siguientes ideas debemos tomar en cuanta. Qué opinan ustedes? Hay algo mas que debemos considerar? El proceso de inmigrar como novio/a o esposo/a es verdad una prueba del amor y la perseverancia en un tiempo en que muchos parejas recién de ser comprometidos o acaban de casarse. Cada uno tiene que hacer su parte, no importa de cual lado de la frontera estén ellos. Sí, es un gran cambio de la vida para la persona se case con un/a americano/a y se mueva a su país. Afecta cada aspecto de su vida: emocional, financiero, cultural, carrera, familia, y aun más importante, la dirección de su futuro. Cada uno de la pareja tiene que confiar en el compromiso y en su pareja. Es difícil comenzar a pensar como pareja temprano en una relación o un matrimonio, pero eso es lo que tiene que suceder si la petición de la visa y la vida conyugal después van a ser exitosos. Algunas parejas no lo hacen. Su resolución común no es bastante fuerte. Una pareja pueda todavía pensar como individuo. Incluso si se concede la visa, un patrón ha estado establecido de una persona cargando todo mientras el otro no hace nada. Pienso que si una pareja no está en la misma página, cada uno haciendo su parte para entender y para apoyar el proceso de la visa, entonces no presagia bien para su vida futura juntos.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-02-06 14:14:00
Mexico, Latin & South America	Does Anyone know where the "Border Zone" ends?	From the following link: http://travel.state....is/cis_970.html QUOTE Tourist Travel: U.S. citizens do not require a visa or a tourist card for tourist stays of 72 hours or less within "the border zone," defined as an area between 20 to 30 kilometers of the border with the U.S., depending on the location. U.S. citizens traveling as tourists beyond the border zone or entering Mexico by air must pay a fee to obtain a tourist card, also known as an FM-T, available from Mexican consulates, Mexican border crossing points, Mexican tourism offices, airports within the border zone and most airlines serving Mexico. The fee for the tourist card is generally included in the price of a plane ticket for travelers arriving by air.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-08-05 11:41:00
Mexico, Latin & South America	Does Anyone know where the "Border Zone" ends?	QUOTE (NicoleX08 @ Jul 31 2008, 03:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Len_and_Bren @ Jul 31 2008, 04:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Now mind you, if you move to Mexico; you could be giving up residence in the US. This is a tricky move if you already filed. Do a lot of research and good luck! I would not be applying for citizenship in Mexico, plus I would be working in the US. We only plan on staying there until this immigration nightmare is over and then we can move to the US together. And I am a citizen, I don't think they can take that away unless I do something really bad. if you are living in Mexico keep a US address. Use your parents' address if they are still alive and you have a good relationship w/ them, a close friend or relative. As a last resort use a PO box. Keep your finances at the same bank that you have been using. Have all your important correspondence go to your US address. The comment by GuateItaliana about the Mexican 180 day tourist visa is good advice if the 2 of you need to travel back to Puebla or anywhere else in the interior but buy when you need it, not before, since it is so easy to get.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-08-01 18:43:00
Mexico, Latin & South America	Does Anyone know where the "Border Zone" ends?	QUOTE (NicoleX08 @ Jul 31 2008, 12:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My husband and I have decided that while we wait for the process to complete, that he will move up to the Mexico/US border (He lives in Puebla, MX now) and I will move to the Mexico side of the border with him and travel to the US to work. My question is, how far does the "Border Zone" extend into Mexico so that I am not required to have a visa? We are looking at places like Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa or Nogales. Thanks for the input! Nicole I don't know the exact number but I do know that when I travelled to Magdalena, Sonora, which is south of Nogales I needed to get the temporary visa. Ensenada, BC is more than 20 miles south of the border of California and no visa is needed.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-07-31 14:57:00
Mexico, Latin & South America	Fuera de Lugar!!!!	QUOTE (Bootylicious @ Mar 11 2008, 12:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well Javi won't speak spanish to me because he wants to always use english. I'm really good at tuning things out too so listening to spanish tv or music doesn't help. I just don't pay any attention to it. I think the only way I really could learn is by total immersion, but that's kinda impossible. I get so frustrated at myself for not learning. Good afternoon Miss Booty, I've bolded a line in your message that I believe to be incorrect. One of the ways that I learned Spanish without going to another country or taking classes was listening to the radio tuned to a Spanish music station as I travelled to and from work. I didn't pay any attention to it because initially it was all jibberish and I could not break up the sounds into words but over time I gradually was able to pick out indivual words. It seemed like I was not learning anything but later when I actually had the opportunity of speaking in Spanish to another person, I surprised myself with how much Spanish I had subconsciously absorbed. The sub-concious mind, from what the psychologists/psychiatrists tell us, is very much able to learn. It is believed by some to be the basis of "deja-vu" experiences. Child psychs and other child experts believe that this is pretty much the way children learn when they are at a young age they are actually using the subconcious mind. My room mate in college learned English by watching TV programs that were in English.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-03-11 17:24:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Angry at Stereotypes... WHY CAN'T I LOVE AN ASIAN???????	QUOTE (ILoveTan @ Feb 22 2008, 02:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> WOW. Can I just vent here for a second? For those of you who don't know me and my big mouth - I am the politically incorrect, tell it like it is Linda - the tall white woman from America. I am in love with TAN - the short asian from Vietnam. :-) DO I HAVE TO HEAR ONE MORE PERSON TELL ME THAT A GOOD LOOKING WHITE WOMAN WOULD NEVER CHOOSE A SHORT SKINNY ASIAN MAN?!?!?!?!?!? What is the problem here???? Are asian men just off limits to white girls or are they just so physically repulsive that I would have to be cracked in the head to want one?!? NOT EVERYONE ON THIS PLANET is turned on by TALL MEN. Sheesh. God had to make ONE WOMAN that likes SHORT. It just happens to be ME. And since I am good-looking, I get hassled all the time about how much better I could do than Tan. Not to mention all this prejudice and stereotyping crapola is not only on the white side.... the viets are no better... they tell him, right in front of me (I SPEAK VIETNAMESE BUT THEY DONT ALWAYS KNOW THAT), don't take a white wife, americans only use vietnamese as slaves, are you a traitor? You are too different, you can't love each other. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! So basically, I am using him to have a slave in america (for what, exactly?!) and he is using me for a green card. OHMYGOD. He never even thought he had a chance with me, ... I LOVE TAN. I was crying today because I feel SO LUCKY - this true love stuff is a gift you get with one person, one time. I really believe that. You can have special relationships but your true soulmate is only 1. Well anyway, enough venting... if anyone wants to come to our Dinh Hon, we are having it in Nha Trang Vietnam in 3 more weeks.... *hugs to all* KEEP ON LOVING Linda Hi Linda, first time in the Asia forum and this thread caught my eye. What you wrote here is a pretty good summation of what one of my friends is going through. I feel for you and Tan that you have to endure the slings and arrows of envious small-minded people. My friend is a 2-time loser in the marriage category. Outside of intimate relationships he has been extremely successful in business, in sports, and in personal looks and charm. About 6 months ago this man who could have just about any woman went on a bender in TJ and ended up getting to know one of the ladies of the night from the red-light district of TJ. After starting out with a prostitute-client relationship, they found that there was a chemistry between them and forged a relationship based on love and trust. I thought my buddy was deep in a mid-life crisis. In my mind the "chemistry" was his dollars for her and for him being able to captain her "pleasure-boat" body. As he detailed to me the relationship developments almost in real time I tried counseling him so that he wouldn't throw his life away. My breath was wasted, my words fell on deaf ears. Events took a turn for the worse; he rented an apartment in TJ so that he could be with his love interest. The love birds were building a nest. I told my buddy once again that it was just a fantasy and that she was, for God's sakes, just a prostitute and scamming him. And then he introduced me to her. The English langauage doesn't have the words to say how badly I felt, how seriously I had erred. I begged forgiveness not only of him but of her as well. How wrongly and how easily we misjudge others. There is absolutely no reason why they are a matched pair. The differences are overwhelming. He's tall. She's small. He's on the near side of 50. She will be 25 in a couple of years. He's been educated at some of the best universities in the US. She almost graduated from junior high in Mexico. He's a business exec. Some day she would like to be a kindergarten teacher. He speaks English with some smattering of Spanish. She speaks Spanish along with some English words that you wouldn't use in polite company. He's a fighter for what he believes in. She's a fighter for what she believes in. He needed a reason to move ahead with his life. She needed a reason to improve herself. He is extremely intelligent. She has a natural uncultivated intelligence and a strong interest in the world around her. When they are together there is an unmistakable aura of happiness, peace and love around them. They bring out the best in each other. She and I later had a conversation that tore my heart. (Readers' note: I am NOT a tree-hugging, bleeding heart liberal. I did believe and still believe that the US has the right to maintain its borders as the US sees fit.) She is from the state of Veracruz on the East coast of Mexico. With no education and a worsening economy, job prospects which are pretty lean under the best of times in "Mexico Lindo" were pretty grim. She made a bad decision based on deceiving information from a "friend". Her decision was to cross the border illegally and get a job in the US. She travelled to TJ on the West coast of Mexico with borrowed money and hooked up with a "coyote", someone who would lead a group of illegals into the US. Just after crossing the US-Mexico border the group was interdicted by the US Border Patrol and returned to Mexico. Now back in Mexico she needed to get a job to payoff the money she owed the "coyote" for crossing the border. So she got a job working as prostitute in a bar. That's the short story. Then I started asking questions. How much did crossing the border cost? $2900 Did the "coyote" hook her up with the job at the bar? Yes (I surprised her with this question and the subsequent questions) Was the group crossing the border mostly women in their early 20's? Yes Were her prostitution clothes given to her on "credit"? Yes Was the "coyote going to get her a job in the US? Yes Was she scared when she was caught by "la migra" Yes Was she without hope when the "pinche coyote" offered her a job? Yes Did she hate herself and feel bad when she started the job? Yes (her eyes watered at the recollection) Basically, she and the other girls were going to be illegally brought into the US to be prostitutes. Plan B for the "pinche coyote" was to prostitute the girls in TJ. The money owed for crossing, the clothes, the housing and the food given on credit were all "hooks" in the girls to ensure that the coyote "got his pound of flesh" and recouped his investment and then some. Her plan before she met her "principe azul" (imagine meeting the man of your dreams in a sleazy bar) was to save as much money as she could to pay off the debt ASAP, quit the "puta" business and get into a different line of work. I asked her show much she still owed the PC. She told me $5500. The surprise in my eyes caused her to add that the increase was due to interest compounding on the initial sum. Looks like the PC previously worked for a US credit card company. I told my buddy that she needed $5500 to get out of the trade. I told him nothing more. Americans that murder Mexicans in Mexico are not looked upon kindly by the Mexican judicial system. She is now being housewifely in TJ and just started studying English and working towards completing her junior high diploma.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-03-26 15:46:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	A later version of the I-130?	the link to I-130 pdf on the USCIS website has the following information in the upper right hand corner of the form. OMB #1615-0012; Expires 11/30/07 I-130, Petition for Alien Relative and on the bottom right hand corner of the form this information: Form I-130 (Rev. 07/30/07)Y My question is this the proper version to use or is there another version? My preocupation is that the form says that it expires 11/30/07.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-02-07 13:46:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Women,does your spouse help you with finances for the visa process or are you doing it alone?	QUOTE (~Dream Love~ @ Sep 10 2008, 01:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hello! I am the female, US citizen and he is the Pakistani citizen awaiting an NOA2. Ok, my question is did any of your spouses help out with the financial side of the visa processing or did you have to do it alone? My spouse kept telling me he would send $ to help, but he never did. He has been saying he would send $120 (which I consider a modest amount but I thought it'd be nice for him to help me atleast to show he cared) but he has not sent me one penny. I feel hurt, but I know he does not have a lot of $ in American terms. But, he did tell me he'd do it but then never does so it makes me feel he is ungrateful because I have kids and he always says I never call him, etc. But, all my $ is invested in the lawyer and this immigration process. Also, in Islam the man is supposed to take care of the woman; not the other way around. My dad says he is not a "fit" husband and that when he gets here he will want me to take care of him and he feels I have married the wrong man. So, I need advice here especially from females....because I think men are the ones paying for their wives expenses here anyway. But, for the women are you paying for your man's expenses or is helping you out? Please reply ASAP! Mahitab QUOTE (~Dream Love~ @ Sep 10 2008, 01:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> But, I am a woman and he is still the man. I do not have a job right now anyway and I am a college student. The $ I spent on him was supposed to be going towards my school and I had saved it for that purpose. He wants me to come to Pakistan for our anniversary, but he is expecting me to pay the full amount of the ticket. Dream Love, From the 2 posts that you here may I suggest another alternative? There are 2 key points in your posts: 1. You have small children (that may or may not be the children of your husband) 2. You are in college and are not working. Focus on completing your education so that you might be able to get a decent job to benefit your children and yourself. Money that is taken away from your educational objectives will delay and possibly reduce your chances to get a decent job. Money that is taken away from the children to be used on something else ultimately ends up hurting the children such as living in a cr*ppy neighbourhood, going to cr*ppy schools etc. It sounds like the marriage has some challenges; that there is the possibility of the marriage not lasting. By completing your education first, you will be in a better position to give a better life to your children, yourself and your husband.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-09-10 15:29:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	my interview in Juarez, my tips	QUOTE (alicia_tij @ Feb 17 2008, 06:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The process should be only 2 days, but we were there for an extra day just in case something went wrong. It was a good thing because my husband was sent to the psychologist and the results of the medical exam took longer. They were ready the next day at 10:00 am. Sometimes it is better to have an extra day just in case any documents are needed or if the exam takes longer than usual. Not everybody is sent to review their documents. Sometimes they decide that so they can have some work in advance and it is easier for them. Some people go through this process the same day as their regular interview. Mine was not an open appointment. Any questions let me know. alicia_tij, from your profile it says that your application was for a CR-1 visa, no? roughly what was the length of time that it took from sending in your initial I-130 to your interview? When did you receive your permant resident card (green card)?	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-02-20 12:25:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	La Gripe Porcina (Swine Flu) Mexico and Visas	Received an email from my wife today that her sister who has a tourist visa application pending at Cd Juarez has had her interview postponed until June. My wife's interview is May 8th and we have not heard anything about immigrant visa interviews being postponed. Does anyone else have any additional information?	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-04-27 17:22:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	CD Juarez Consulate Visa Appointments Cancelled	I just received a phone call from the consulate at Cd Juarez. My wife's visa appointment has been rescheduled from May 8th to June 9th due to "la epidemia de la gripe porcina" in Mexico. Edited by franklie, 30 April 2009 - 11:29 AM.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-04-30 11:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	CD Juarez Consulate Visa Appointments Cancelled	http://ciudadjuarez....e.gov/h1n1.html the following is from the above link In accordance with measures announced by the Government of Mexico to limit the congregation of large crowds, the Embassy in Mexico City and the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez advise that all immigrant visa appointments are cancelled at the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez beginning Thursday, April 30th through Friday, May 8th. The immigrant visa panel physicians will also be closed during this timeframe. All immigrant visa applicants with appointments scheduled on these dates will be rescheduled for June 5th, 8th, and 9th and will receive a new appointment via regular mail. Applicants with serious health emergencies or petitioner’s in the military preparing for deployment may contact us at through our website listed in the last paragraph below To check rescheduled appointment status, applicants may contact the call center at 01-900-849-4949 (from Mexico) or 1-900-476-1212 (from the U.S.) ....K-1 (fiancée) applicants and approved waiver applicants who have received an open appointment letter may continue with their open appointments after May 8th. Edited by franklie, 29 April 2009 - 10:41 AM.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-04-29 10:40:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	A few more questions on getting married.	My $.02. My wife and I married in San Diego. We filed an I-130 for a CR1 visa for her last August. She continues to live and work in Mexico but visits me here frequently in the US while we await the interview at the consulate. The interview is in two weeks. It is NOT illegal (visa fraud) to get married in the US if one has only a tourist visa. It is also not illegal to visit the US on a tourist visa while the CR1/IR paperwork is being processed.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-05-27 12:08:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Concerns about H1N1 spread & upcoming medical exam	QUOTE (US math guy @ Jun 12 2009, 11:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Mi wife from NL, Mexico has an interview scheduled for July at the Ciudad Juarez consulate so she can get her CR-1 visa. Of course it must be preceded by a medical exam. She is usually in fairly good health and she passed the exam last spring (in 2008) when she was going for her K-1 visa. Her current plan is to fly to the consulate, get all of that stuff done, and then return home to work for 12 weeks or so before she actually emigrates. Where she lives she has seen no sign of H1N1. So I am not expecting any real issues. But now that the WHO has declared H1N1 to be a real epidemic and my own company (with offices in around 50 countries around the world) has appointed a global HR pandemic H1N1 response coordinator, this swine flu thing is getting a bit harder to ignore. Just curious if anyone has had any experience in this area. First of all, just to ask I guess a dumb question, if god-forbid my wife should develop the flu (of any type), is that grounds for denying or delaying issuance of a CR-1 visa, if you otherwise qualify. I have only heard of this coming up on the news at POE immigration office evaluations. I guess in the latter situation conceivably you could be quarantined. Also in buying airline tickets and hotel reservations, maybe it would best to be very flexible, i.e. 1. Allow at least two business days for the medical exam. 2. Do not buy non-refundable airline tickets to the consulate, either up or back. 3. Avoid paying non-refundable hotel reservation deposits. Comments? My wife and I just got back from Cd Juarez. Though the swine flu is called a pandemic, as for as I have seen from the news reports it is less lethal than the standard flu. My wife did her medical on the morning of the day before her interview and picked up her results that afternoon. There is a thread dedicated to CR1/IR visas here IR-1 / CR-1 in Ciudad Juarez, It seems like everyone in the Ciudad Juarez thread are on K1 that may help you as well. WRT the flu I'm not sure what they would do. Probably make sure that you were asymptomatic before allowing you to travel. BTW, if your wife travels by air in Mexico she will have to fill out a form concerning any flu-like symptoms that she may have. It gets turned in w/ your boarding pass. It's issued and filled out at the airport.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-06-15 10:16:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	problem with fiancee's ex-bf	If your phone records show a list of the harassing phone calls from the x-bf, make copies of the phone bills and have her bring them with her as counter evidence of the maliciousness of the x-bf. If the CO asks about the allegation (which I doubt he/she will) your fiancee can show that the x-bf is in fact a liar and a loser with your phone records.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-06-12 09:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	IR-1 / CR-1 in Ciudad Juarez	QUOTE (Pily @ Jun 11 2009, 05:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sorry, didn't Post it right , I got my interview for July 14th!!! Franlkie did you have to fill out the forms again? I talked to an operator and she told me I have to bring all the document with me, the DS-230 and the AOS packages. Another question I read you've been married before, did your wife was asked to bring your divorce decrees to the interview? My husband has been married twice and I only have the last decree the firts one was a long time ago so he does not have a copy, and I'm very worried about it, so any comments on the topic will be very helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Like I said in my PM to you, Bring copies of all the documentation that was sent to the USCIS and the NVC. This website has stated that one should make copies of the documents before they are sent. I am sure you did that. From what my wife wife told me, the CO rifled through the documentation in front of him and asked only about the children from our previous relationships and about the divorces. He did NOT ask to see any of the documentation that she brought with her. An aside, a couple we met when we went to the medical was applying for a K-3 visa. The lady had her interview an hour ahead of my wife. While my wife was waiting she saw the lady getting worked by the CO. The lady had left her album of pictures of the relationship outside the consulate with her husband. The CO asked to see pictures of the relationship. She asked to go outside to get the album; the CO said no. My wife has no idea whether or not the lady got approval but the lady was still in the consulate being browbeat by the CO when my wife left at 4:30pm. Another aside, from the small sample size of people with whom I spoke, I have no idea why anyone would ask for a K-3 instead of a CR-1/IR visa. It takes the same amount of time, roughly 9-10 months.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-06-12 10:04:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	IR-1 / CR-1 in Ciudad Juarez	Today my wife received her visa, CR-1. Timeline: We flew into CD Juarez from TJ on Sunday. We had reservations at the Holiday Inn Express, Las Misiones. Monday we got up at 4am so that my wife could prepare herself for the med exam. We got in line at 5am at the Hospital across the street from the consulate. She was done with the medical exam by 9am and we had to wait until 2pm on Monday for her to pick up the sealed black envelope with the medical results. In the medical exam she was weighed, her vision was checked, she had to undress and a nurse looked at her naked body. She was given 3 vaccines; Tetanus, Dtap and MMR in spite of the fact that her Mexican health card showed that she had had the vaccinations. The total cost was $300 USD, 135 for the exam and the rest for the vaccines. Tuesday, was her appointment at 12:45pm. The consulate security used a bull horn to organize the people in the line according to their appointment date. She entered the consulate grounds at approximately 1pm. She left the consulate at 4:30pm. The majority of the time was simply waiting. The consulate officier (CO) who interviewed her spent maybe 5 minutes with her. He asked her about my previous marriages, my children and her children. The system was down to verify her statements but the CO still approved her peticion for visa. Her passport and tourist visa were taken from her at the interview. She was given a paper that had a DHL tracking number for the package that would contain the package and her passport to be delivered to US Customs and Immigration. Wednesday, we were anxiously scanning the DHL website starting at 10am to see if the DHL overnight package had arrived. At 11am nothing had arrived so we went to the mall across the street to kill some time. We came back to the hotel at about noon and I checked once again the DHL website. This time the following messages had shown on the screen: 12:38 pm Awaiting pickup by recipient as requested. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico 12:32 pm In transit. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico 12:26 pm Arrived at DHL facility. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico 12:22 pm Depart Facility Ciudad Juarez, Mexico 11:13 am Departing origin. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico 11:12 am Shipment picked up Ciudad Juarez, Mexico We then went to the DHL address at Lopez Mateos and where she signed for and picked up the package. IMPORTANT: The DHL website only says that it has been received and does not say where the package is as shown above. On the paper received from the consulate there are two addresses for DHL in CD Juarez. The majority of the packages (more than 95%) go to the Lopez Mateos address. Other IMPORTANT note: Her Mexican passport was inside the DHL envelope outside of the sealed envelope that was to be delivered to USCIS with the US visa inside the passport but not yet stamped. Other IMPORTANT notice: The DHL office does NOT close for the lunch hour. We picked up the package at around 1:30pm. Other IMPORTANT note: The taxi drivers outside the hotel do know what to do. Our taxi driver took us to DHL then walked us to the USCIS office where my wife delivered the package and got her visa stamped. Our wait at customs was less than 15 minutes. Our taxi driver then took us back to the hotel. It cost us $70 USD for the taxi. I hope this info helps those of you still on the journey. One final comment. The info on this site is solid. I have spoken to others while I was waiting for my wife both at the med exam and at the consulate interview. People have paid $1500-$2500 to have their paperwork filled out by lawyers and they still don't have a clue as to what they are supposed to be doing.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-06-10 17:16:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	IR-1 / CR-1 in Ciudad Juarez	QUOTE (estrella @ Jun 1 2009, 04:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I know I'm not the only one that has to go to Ciudad Juarez for the interview, is anyone else out there? we can share info and all that. I tried to get info from the Ciudad Juarez thread but it seems like everyone there is in the K1 process. So does anyone has experience with Juarez on IR-1 / CR-1?? My wife and I will be in Cd Juarez next week. She has her interview on Tuesday.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-06-01 15:39:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Juarez Consulate	QUOTE (Ivonne'n Jim @ Jun 11 2009, 09:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> On Monday we had the medicals. We heard there were lots of people at the Clinica Medica and decided to go to the older clinic. The taxi was 120 pesos and we were done in about an hour. We got the results at 4pm that day. We went to the Consulate on Tuesday for the interview and there were lines and lines of people there. It seems like they have a lot of people now due to the influenza thing. We spent 7 hours there. First, document check, then fingerprints and at last the interview with the Consul who was truly nice. He made things a lot easier for us and helped us feel comfortable and relaxed. He didn't ask much. Only when and where I met my fiance, what my fiance and I did for living, he asked a few questions to my son like how many times he had seen my fiance, if he had had a student visa and what school grade he was planning to study in the States. Again, he was so nice that he made us feel very confident. He didn't say we had been approved but he told me he'd cancel our tourist visas so I asked if that meant we were approved and he replied, smiling, they would better be. We were hoping we would get them on Tuesday but nothing happened. Then Wednesday, we spent almost all day checking for the tracking number and there was nothing. I had to change my flights and get another night. Just after getting in the room, we checked again and the status started changing. It was 6:40 pm when it finally appeared on the web page that the package was ready to be picked up. We ended up getting it this morning and followed your veeeery wise advise Just one thing. Make sure you check the Consulate will be open when you are there. Even as we didn't have a problem the first two days, the Consulate was closed on Wednesday and I didn't know until I was there. Some people say that could've been the reason for the delay in deliveries. APPLICABLE ONLY FOR K-1's THAT DO NOT HAVE A SET APPOINTMENT When my wife went for the medical @ Clinica Medica Internacional she said that many people were being referred to the psychologists for additional evaluation. She had no idea why that was happening. She also saw many people being rejected for visas but since Juarez does tourist as well as immigration visas, she felt that the majority of the rejects were for tourist visas. The standards for obtaining a tourist visa for the US in Mexico are quite high. My wife was rejected on her initial application for a tourist visa some years ago. A couple of years later she obtained her tourist visa. My wife said that being confident in your relationship is a big plus wrt how you present yourself to the CO. The COs look at the attitude you show; they know it's stressful for the interviewee and some of them play head games to see if your relationship is real. They want to screen out the frauds and the cheats from emigrating. I was suprised to see that people that were out of status in the US had no significant problems getting their visa approved.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-06-12 10:32:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Juarez Consulate	QUOTE (epifreak @ May 18 2009, 10:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Later he went to pay for the interview at BanaMex. He said he had to go several times. At first he forgot his passport at home so he had to go back and get it. When he came back he let them know that he was paying for the interview and he gave them the money in US dollars but they told him that he had to pay in pesos!! I thought that he could pay either in pesos or us dollars but I guess not. So then he had to go to get pesos. The total fee he had to pay for the interview was 1900 and something pesos, which is the equivalent of 148 us dollars. So know I'm worried because lately I've been hearing that you pay 171 us dollars. I guess we will find out tommorrow. This is really frustrating because you can't even trust what the juarez consulate website has posted. In there posting it states you pay 131 us dollars and it says that it was updated on april 2009. But everyone here has been paying around 171 us dollars. I just hope that tommorrow everything will go well. Is the $1900MN a special fee for the K-1 visas? Is it a separate fee from the $400 paid to the NVC? The consulate website says nothing about $1900MN in the Packet 4 pdf (linked here).	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-06-01 17:21:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Juarez Consulate	QUOTE (David-J @ May 15 2009, 01:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Anyone has the address for the Holiday Inn Express. I just want to make sure that I book the right one. I believe this is the place http://www.hiexpress...l...AZO&dp=true good luck	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-05-18 12:56:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Juarez Consulate	QUOTE (JMZ @ Apr 28 2009, 05:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This might be kinda of a dumb question, but hey someone must ask it. Do have to wait until the exact date of the interview to go to ciudad juarez. From what I understood is no. The type of visa we're going with is the I-130 (CR-1). For CR-1 visas you will be sent a letter with a date and a time for the interview. According to the counsular officer with whom I spoke it would be good to arrive 1 - 2 days ahead of time so that the medical exam can be completed and the interviewee can have the medical results in hand for the interview at the consulate. We initially received an email from the NVC with a pdf attachment of the request for interview letter from the consulate in Ciudad Juarez. Due to the pig flu scare our initial interview date was cancelled and I received a phone call from the consulate in Ciudad Juarez advising me of such and giving me a verbal confirmation of the new interview date in June. The actual letter confirming the consulate's phone call was sent to my address here in the US.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-05-18 12:18:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Juarez Consulate	QUOTE (_Hopefully @ Apr 22 2009, 12:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How long do you all wait for an interview date to be set after your case was complete at the NVC? How long after that was the interview? Our case was complete last week. Should I call the NVC asnd ask to speak to an operator, use the AVR, get an e-mail or just letter in the mail? Thanks! call the NVC. our interview date is May 8th. I called the NVC per the NVC's instructions mid March after I received notification that the NVC had accepted and closed our case. the lady at the NVC told me that the NVC sends a request for interviews once a month to the consulate in Cd Juarez for interview dates. when I called on April 13th I was informed that our interview date was May 8th. About a week later I received the official notification from the NVC in an email. the redacted text follows: Dear MY WIFE: The enclosed information pertains to MY WIFE's interest in immigrating to the United States of America. The National Visa Center (NVC) has completed its processing of MY WIFES 's petition, case number CDJ##########; and forwarded it to the American Embassy/Consulate in CIUDAD JUAREZ. An immigrant visa interview has been scheduled for the applicant at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in CIUDAD JUAREZ on Day, 2009 at hour.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2009-04-27 16:56:00
Philippines	IS THIS IMPORTANT	QUOTE (redjoshua @ Jun 24 2008, 09:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hey there!!! i been quiet reading all the venting drama's ,frustration ,and waiting stuff on this journey its been helpful in my case since then i got all my information here but lately i checked and noticed that most of the thread here is just a ####### it is like gossiping !!! is it???? it seems that some other people need help a lot because this might be the forum is for and seems mostly want to reply to gossips stuff rather than to reply to some people inneed ....try to check guys you will find out the number of people replied to some important stuff than to a gossip stuff !! is it true filipina like gossip very much??? I feel sorry for his "wife". Such a poorly written post in English indicates either a lack of education if the OP's primary language is English or that the OP's primary language is NOT English. I suspect it is the latter case which leads me to believe that the OP is a troll and looking to stir up some sh!t as another poster has previously mentioned. Peace out!	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-06-25 18:05:00
Philippines	Bringing your new spouse and ex-wifes, kids	QUOTE (martinbr @ Jul 29 2008, 02:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My daughter is feeling rejected. This is very hard on me because I believe as long as I am married to my new wife, she won't talk to me. My ex-wife I believe is the culprit of this whole mess. I am feeling guilty about as well like I am ruining my relationship with my daughter. Has anyone else gone through this with other family members. I really don't know what to do at this point. I don't know if I should pursue my wife and daughters petition or think about the possibility of a annulment and just stay on my own and try to redevelop my relationship with my daughter? Has anyone else gone through this? thanks, martinbr Martinbr, Find a family therapist to work with you and your daughter. Your relationship as "dad" to her is very important. Your daughter may be afraid of losing you as weird as that may sound. Your daughter did not ask to be divorced. A good family therapist can help the two of you develop a healthy relationship and help your daughter come to grips with the big relationship changes coming due to your impending marriage.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-07-30 13:34:00
Philippines	Fil/American Woman Speaks Up About Mail Order Brides	QUOTE (Jabberwocky @ Jul 30 2008, 09:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In the process of applying for a mail order bride, "the husband holds all the cards." The women are told virtually nothing about the male customer, only what he provides. The ads often advertise "seeking one special woman." The rest is to satisfy that need. After a man responds to the ad, correspondence takes place until he chooses to meet her. Some IMO's set up packaged tours to the foreign countries to meet a wide selection of women. The men who purchase these women are financially secure, but seek a woman from a poor country because it makes him look more attractive to her. Many of these women live in emerging or turbulent countries where jobs and education for women and girls are little. The movies make American men look like the perfect game. The opportunity to leave the country looks twice as tempting, to be able to leave and pursue their dreams. Often there is a push from home to support the family. By being married she relieves the strain at home. The woman is often searching for a better life. "The perception of American men, by the women, is that they make good husbands, that the men are faithful to their wives. That the American men are like 'movie stars.' The men perceive the women (as having) traditional values. The American woman is not seen as traditional. These brides are homemakers. That all they want is to be a wife." The men who order brides are generally white, with at least two years of college education. (True dat) A couple of comments from the perspective of a white male, who has travelled a bit. The comments above are pretty stereotypical thoughts from both sides of the relationship. There are threads on the VisaJourney forums that support what was written above. The countries that I see in terms of "Mail Order Brides" are Phillipines, Colombia, Russia. Mexico with its proximity to the US border has females coming to the border cities (Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nogales among others) where they are more likely to find a "gringo" husband. My wife and I recently had dinner with a friend of ours who lives in Mexico and our friend reiterated the part about "gringos" making good faithful husbands and loving dads.I secretly rolled my eyes at that because I know that there are American men just like men anywhere in the world who can be a-holes to their wives, who can be lazy-a$$ SOBs. But OTOH from my limited experience, those men that actively seek out foreign brides generally are NOT those bottom of the barrel type guys.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-07-31 14:39:00
Philippines	Time to say goodbye	QUOTE (rosal548 @ Sep 1 2008, 05:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> is this normal for me not to fell sad right now but only to feel ANGER ? yes, it's normal to feel pissed off. Dude, she gave you the high hard one and you had to bend over and take it like a man. Platypius had a good solution for you. IMO you need to beat the sh!t out of something, to emotionally wring yourself out. Girls can cry, boys act it out physically. Your ego has been trashed, your dreams have been dashed and your hopes have been smashed. When you are ready to get on the horse again and if you have a hankering for another pinay the following link may help you. - http://www.filipinaheart.com I truly am sorry for what you are going through and hope that after you finishing grieving that you DO find your "better half".	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-09-02 18:05:00
Philippines	Cheating	FWIW, My nephew ended up getting screwed over by the Cebu bar girl as some of you here predicted. He is, now, sadder but wiser.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-09-25 15:18:00
Philippines	Bar girl and K1	I agree with what Jabberwocky has written and I thank him for his insightful posts. In general the posts have given pause to my nephew's plans. As I advised him lying is never the best way to accomplish one's goals and invariably will come back to bite one in the a$$. I urged him to nothing rash. I thank as well the others who have tried to provide a workable solution for my nephew and his Pinay girlfriend. If he moves forward with the relationship he will have, without a doubt, a tough row to hoe. He will also have to convince his mom, my sister, that he wasn't thinking with the "other head".	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-07-28 11:38:00
Philippines	Bar girl and K1	I'm apologise for including this part of my nephew's letter "My friends say that it shouldn’t be a problem for me because most of the K1 petitions are for former bar girls." As I stated in my follow up comment, IMO I believe his "friends" are ex-pats speaking out their a$$. FYI, my nephew is currently living in the Phillipines and has been for their entire relationship. He is in general a fairly squared-up individual and for that reason he asked me the question. There is a saying in Spanish "En el corazón no se manda." It means that the heart decides with whom you will fall in love. I appreciate the non-judgemental comments from the members. In general they are what I have told him. He related to me that his GF is sorry and ashamed that she was a bar-girl, that she wasn't "pure" for him, but as the oldest of 7 children with her dad unable to work she didn't have many options. She is worried that her past could now be an impediment to their future. His contract still has a year left in it so it would be at least another 6 months before he started the K1 process. If it turns out that this girl is the one indicated for him, he wants at least 12 more months to develop the relationship before proposing marriage. The silver lining, if there is one, is that her being a bar-girl gave the two of them the opportunity to meet and to know each other. He viewed the Visa Journey links and was surprised at the vituperative responses. My reply to him was that the comment that I unfortunately included from his letter was like a swift, hard kick to the 'nads of most of the Filipinos on the forum. In addition, most people are pretty judgemental when it comes to prostitution. The common theme seems to be prostitute=evil, dirty woman.	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-07-25 14:08:00
Philippines	Bar girl and K1	QUOTE (dbears @ Jul 24 2008, 03:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I beg to disagree on the highlighted statement. There may be former bar girls but I believe MOST of K1 petitions are for filipinas working in less questionable fields. There are lawyers, doctors, researchers, teachers, designers, web programmers, sales reps, entreprenuers, accountants, nurses, sales ladies in department stores, etc. Former bar girls constitute the minority.... well at least here on vj and also amongst the people who filed K1 or K3 visas outside vj that I know of. Saying somebody was a bar girl has negative connonotation but I agree with stuart, bar girls do not automatically mean they are/were prostitutes. And even if they were, if they are truly reformed then there is no problem giving them a fair chance in love right? Perhaps this old thread could be of help: http://www.visajourn...h...109645&st=0 Thanks to all for the input. As related to me, his GF/SO/fiance did in fact engage in prostitution. His concern is now related to crimes of "moral turpitude". I do not judge any girl for being a prostitute. I have on occasion been asked to talk with girls and see if I can convince them to leave the trade. A mother that I have never met in person is forever thankful for my intervention in her daughter's life. Most of these girls to use a Biblical analogy are like the "prodigal son". The comments by nephew's "friends" are IMO are ex-pats speaking out their a$$. the other link has a lot of good info as well. I'll send him the links	franklie	Not Telling	Mexico	2008-07-24 17:34:00