Will I EVER get to USA?

[mrsB 0]

Wow, this post has seen so much since my last visit here. At some point it trailed off to some completely different case all together, then came back to me and not in the most positive ways. I'm sure that the whole point of jundp's snapping at me was to "wake me up" to realize what a horrible, self-centered person I am. Or perhaps it was just there to point out his/hers serious nature. We may never know, as I suspect that jundp took off in a hurry after getting all that off of his/hers chest. Anyway...

I have a feeling that jundp hasn't been following the topic from the start (and I can't blame them as it's been going on for a good while now) as I thought that I've been giving everyone plenty of updates on how my case has been processing (or more like not processing) along. I've stated when we got married, when we sent off our papers and what has happened since. I never felt it to be that important to fill in my timeline because (and I've said this before) there are 3 dates that I can fill in. 3 dates that I've also mentioned in my posts. But I've added them to the timeline and 2 fictionary dates for when we sent our I-130 and I-129F because I don't have the exact dates and my husband can't seem to recall. So the 3 dates are: Our wedding on December 15th, 2007, the day we got the NOA1 on I-130 (April 16th, 2008) and the day we got the NOA1 on I-129F (June 6th, 2008). I'm not sure how posting those on my timeline are useful to anyone but there they are now.

Other than that, nothing official has been done to our case. We have no FOR SURE info on anything. That's kind of the problem. Our case has been f*cked up so much over the course of the past year (and some months) that I wonder if even the USCIS knows what's going on. In fact, my husband just called them and they said what they told us already half a year ago: that the case has been forwarded to the "correct personnel".

I'd also like to point out that I'm sure it's easy for people to point out how we need a lawyer and such. I know we do. I just also know we simply cannot afford that kind of money. Everything we earn these days just goes to basic living expenses.

There's also another problem with all this, which I can't remember if I've mentioned but... The main problem is that I am in fact in Finland. And it's very hard for ME to do much for our case from here. The U.S. Embassy in Helsinki has no power in this and the USCIS won't give me any information since I'm not the American in this relationship. It's hard to keep in touch with the congressmen/senators when I have to be the one to try to track them down when they're present since I can't even give them my number so that they could call me back, since I'm foreign and all. Everything I or we do needs the participation of my husband. He's up for a promotion at his work and it seems that he has to work pretty much 24/7. When he's home, he's just so tired of even hearing about this immigration stuff that he'll rather just go to bed than discuss the topic. I have been minding my own business for a while now, to give him a chance to breathe again without the immigration hanging over his head. It kills me to constantly have to ask him to do this and that when I'd rather be doing it myself, but I simply CAN'T because I'm not American. Whenever I discuss the immigration with my husband he just tells me to have some faith in the process and that the USCIS MUST BE doing SOMETHING since they wanted his prints and claim that our case is being processed. I'm not sure how it can possibly take so long, since we demanded the expedite in April and all but hey...

So I'm not really b*tching and moaning about stuff here, at least I don't think I am. I'm simply stating the facts. If you'd know me, you'd know that these days the immigration isn't really something that I focus all my time and energy on. I was doing that for way too long, so long in fact that it was starting to affect my health and I was really ticked off all the time and generally unpleasant company. Right now, for a good 1,5 months longer I'm all about focusing on my job. And then my husband will come visit me for a couple of weeks and I'll be deciding what I want to do with my life. I am willing to do what my husband wants and just "give it (USCIS) some time", but not indefinitely. I'm going to want some answers by the next fall. Perhaps if we get no news from the USCIS by the time my internship is over, I'll just restart my life in Finland as I have no interest in sleeping any more YEARS on that damn couch... I want a proper job and my own apartment and the ability to know where I'll be in 2 months time.

[CnT4ever 1]

MrsB I wouldn't let certain people upset you. People who are critical of others complaints, are usually people that have not suffered the same problem as you...or they did and are now out of the problem, and seem to have forgotten how hard it was for them. I tell ya what! You can start reading their timelines and compare to yours! I bet it's a whole lot shorter and easier Then maybe you can have a discussion with them about it... Or better yet, just ignore people that give no help or support to your situation.

[mrsB 0]

TIMELINE (approximates)

Married (in Finland) 12/15/2007.

& Got the paperworks started once my

husband returned to USA after Christmas.

Filed I-130 in February 2008.

NOA1 on I-130 on 04/16/2008.

Filed I-129F in April 2008.

NOA1 on I-129F on 06/06/2008 (with our names spelled completely wrong).

Immediately reported the typo regarding I-129F and was told that it's being fixed.

No news from USCIS.

I contact the US Embassy in Helsinki in August 2008 asking about visa waiver & tourist visa, they instruct me to use visa waiver - at my own risk, they also tell me that I should be expecting my visa in October, this calms me down.

Around mid-December 2008 after contacting USCIS we hear that our case has been forwarded to an officer (I guess this means picked up,

already several months late). We also learn that the name on I-129F was never fixed. USCIS recommends dropping the I-129F as it hasn't managed to speed up our process.

No news from USCIS.

I contact the US Embassy in Helsinki 02/02/2009, they are surprised that I still haven't got my visa and instruct me to tell my husband to contact his local congressman. They also agree to send me their package already with the hopes that with the congressman being involved the USCIS will be done in a couple of weeks.

I start gathering up my paperwork for the USCIS.

Husband contacts the congressman/senator 02/03/2009.

Congressman's involvement resulted in USCIS contacting my husband around mid-February 2009, telling him our case is going through FBI name check.

I contact the US Embassy in Helsinki 03/26/2009 in hopes of finding out if they have new ideas or know what's taking so long, all they could tell me was to keep bothering the congressman and the USCIS. They are shocked to see my case STILL stuck with the USCIS and said that the FBI name check shouldn't take more than a few days.

I contact the USCIS 03/27/2009 in hopes of knowing more about our case, but all the info I get is the NOA1 from April 2008. They tell me to tell my husband to call them.

My husband contacts the USCIS 03/27/2009 and is romised more information within 7 days.

I contact the congressman's immigration specialist 03/27/2009 and I'm told that all they can do is contact USCIS every 30 days.

Waiting...

That would be from my post on another topic. And to be added, my husband has sent 4 service requests already, I've asked for one (mine was on 03-27-2009), don't know the dates of the ones husband requested.

And I'm sorry to all those people who keep asking about my timeline, it's very hard to do one in my case. This will have to do.

(AHH! It was MY BAD, I had posted my timeline but it was on another post... duh.) (I've probably been updating this since this?) (Anyway it shows the action. Or the lack of it. Sorry.)

And CnT4ever, I'm Finnish, I'm nearly impossible to get upset. :]

[CnT4ever 1]

And CnT4ever, I'm Finnish, I'm nearly impossible to get upset. :]

Is that so? Well I might need to take an extended trip to Finland and try to soak up some of that patience. I'm quite the opposite. Most things irritate me

[AngelnSteve 0]

Thanks for the info vickydeutsch

[Y's_habibitk 2]

And CnT4ever, I'm Finnish, I'm nearly impossible to get upset. :]

Is that so? Well I might need to take an extended trip to Finland and try to soak up some of that patience. I'm quite the opposite. Most things irritate me

Let's make it a group trip,eh?

[lgg 2]

You guys have room for a Canadian on board for that trip? I"m pretty easy-going but at times, impatient but my impatience is based on excitement so, it's not so bad!

And CnT4ever, I'm Finnish, I'm nearly impossible to get upset. :]

Is that so? Well I might need to take an extended trip to Finland and try to soak up some of that patience. I'm quite the opposite. Most things irritate me

Let's make it a group trip,eh?

Edited June 19, 2009 by lgg

[vickydeutsch 0]

MrsB

I know how you feel. I had to be away from my husband almost 1.5 years!!! but my situation was a little different. I had to go back to my country because my student visa was about to expire. At that time, we weren't married. The company where I was working for wanted to sponsor me so I could get a work visa. I received a letter from USCIS saying that I had to apply for the visa in Peru. Apparently everyhting was on my favor but when I went to the inteview in the American embassy in Lima, that b*tch dennied me the visa and I couldn't believe it. I left everything in New York: my appartment, my clothes, my car, bills to get paid, my job and of course my boyfriend!!!!...I tried to appeal the deny but it was almost impossible. I had to search for a new job in Peru even though I had a job waiting for me in New York. My boyfriend wrote letters to his congressman but nothing happened. We continued our relationship, a long distance relationship, my poor boyfriend had to deal with my car, my appartment, my bills; but that made me see of how much he loved me; of course sometimes I wanted to give up because I was living at my parents, I didnt know what future would be. My boyfriend went to peru to visit me, we spent the happiest two weeks of our lives and when it was time for him to leave, he proposed to me. I was in cloud 9!!!!!...Right after he went back to NY, he started the K1 paperwork.

I tried not to think too much about the time I had to wait to get the approvals. I was concerned about the dennied work visa and if that was going to affect the approval of my k1 visa......After 1.5 year I could finally huged my baby and now he's my husband and i love him with all my heart....

SO my thoughts for you is: patience, lots of patience... I know it's hard sometimes but just remember that there is a light at the end of that tunnel.....While I was in Peru I always ask myself: why bad things happen to good people???? but I think that God has a plan for us, so don't give up!!!!

[jundp 191]

MrsB,

Let me point out a couple of things to you. First of all, I wasn't be rude to you. I have followed this thread from the beginning and I've tried to be helpful. EVERYONE on here has had to deal with frustrations and disappointments through their journey.

Second of all, your timeline is of no PERSONAL significance to me except that in an attempt to keep accurate estimates going on VJ for others in the same situations as yourself, timelines are helpful. They are, of course, only estimates, but they can nonetheless be helpful. My 'snappishness' came about when I again politely asked of you what many other posters had asked and you got rude in return. If your response was not intended to be rude, then my apologies.

Giving updates on your case via posting in a thread does not help the estimates or statistics gathered by VJ when people fill in actual timelines. Since this is a family immigration forum and people with many different types of cases seek advice or encouragement or statistics here, THAT is why filling in an actual timeline is helpful. When people click on the 'see other timelines similar to my own' feature, they have all the information gathered, rather than having to search through thousands of threads on the subjects.

I'm sure that the whole point of jundp's snapping at me was to "wake me up" to realize what a horrible, self-centered person I am. Or perhaps it was just there to point out his/hers serious nature. We may never know, as I suspect that jundp took off in a hurry after getting all that off of his/hers chest. Anyway...

If you aren't easily upset, then why post such a snotty remark about me? In all of my previous posts I attempted to explain why timelines are necessary. My snapping, as I pointed out in my first paragraph of this post, was in response to "enjoy the timeline jundp" and imho, provoked by you. I don't recall insinuating you are a horrible, self-centered person. Notice that your assumptions were completely wrong, and I have been following your thread out of genuine interest.

I've been around VJ for quite some time and those who know me are aware that I am neither rude nor too-serious. But now, you've kinda pissed me off.

I wish you luck and hope that your journey ends soon.

[Philosykos 0]

MrsB's reluctance to fill in her timeline seems to be due to a lack of understanding of the fact that the 'official' timelines here feed a database that in turn generates statistics upon which many people here rely when trying to anticipate the length of their visa process. Otherwise she couldn't be thinking that giving the info in a thread fulfills the same purpose.

I am very sorry for what you are going through, MrsB, and I understand how extremely frustrated (and upset!) you must be (and sorry, but your posts just don't speak of Finnish equanimity), but I have to say that jundp's reaction to your snappy remark was entirely understandable as well. She was in no way discounting your suffering (so comments about how she just doesn't understand what you are going through are completely off target), she was just asking you to help feed a database that many here find useful.

Edited June 19, 2009 by Philosykos

[Chica Yeyé 41]

So I'm not really b*tching and moaning about stuff here, at least I don't think I am. I'm simply stating the facts. If you'd know me, you'd know that these days the immigration isn't really something that I focus all my time and energy on. I was doing that for way too long, so long in fact that it was starting to affect my health and I was really ticked off all the time and generally unpleasant company. Right now, for a good 1,5 months longer I'm all about focusing on my job. And then my husband will come visit me for a couple of weeks and I'll be deciding what I want to do with my life. I am willing to do what my husband wants and just "give it (USCIS) some time", but not indefinitely. I'm going to want some answers by the next fall. Perhaps if we get no news from the USCIS by the time my internship is over, I'll just restart my life in Finland as I have no interest in sleeping any more YEARS on that damn couch... I want a proper job and my own apartment and the ability to know where I'll be in 2 months time.

You are- and you have been rude to folks. People have given you ideas and tips on what to do and how they dealt with similar situations; yet you insist in doing things your way and having people respond to YOUR post instead of taking the time to use the search function to find more information that relates to your case; as if you coming to the US was a right. It is not, it is a benefit that entails a lot of hard work on the part of both petitioner and beneficiary. If your husband is *tired of dealing with immigration* (your words, not mine), and you being in Finland does not allow you indeed to make any progress in your case; what do you expect?

USCIS is not going to change for you or anyone else. Families here in VJ have waited for YEARS, yet they are not wallowing in self-pity - they are being proactive about it. I guess a lot also depends on how badly you want this. If you can redo your like in Finland, be my guest. It makes no difference for the VJ membership whether you stay there, post your time line, hire an attorney (or not), you are not that important.

[Ban Hammer 13,110]

I've been around VJ for quite some time and those who know me are aware that I am neither rude nor too-serious.

i'll attest to that.

[mrsB 0]

I wonder if certain people get some kind of kicks out of telling other people how they're "not that important" and how what they do matter not to them. Guess what Len, I REALLY DON'T CARE. If I'm not that important TO YOU, why are you making the effort of posting here?

I'm not assuming that I'm important to any of you, as far as I know, I'm only important to two people in this world and it has been enough for me so far and will do in the future as well. If you seriously have nothing actually USEFULL to say, save it.

I also STILL don't really understand this whole timeline-thing and why it would basically cause a RIOT here if I haven't filled one in. I only had 3 dates to fill in, that's all I could offer. I was hoping that someone would explain to me what good that really does to anyone, but instead I just keep being told that I should've filled mine in ages ago.

"Giving updates on your case via posting in a thread does not help the estimates or statistics gathered by VJ when people fill in actual timelines. Since this is a family immigration forum and people with many different types of cases seek advice or encouragement or statistics here, THAT is why filling in an actual timeline is helpful. When people click on the 'see other timelines similar to my own' feature, they have all the information gathered, rather than having to search through thousands of threads on the subjects." - jundp

I understand that, but the problem is that the timeline function (unless I'm not fully understanding how to use it), won't give much room for explaining anything, such as touches or the calls made by us, it just shows dates of actual actions, such as the NOAs. That's why I THOUGHT that it would've been a good idea to just post my info into this post but I guess I was wrong about that one too.

I'm sorry for being rude to some of you and I'm sorry that I started this post and that I didn't fill in a timeline on my first day here as I just didn't see the importance of it, not knowing about all these functions it apparently has.

How about we just put this post to rest now since it has already drifted far, far away from what it originally was about anyway?

[Krikit 1,163]

For some members it is important that people fill in their timelines to keep the stats current, and for comparison's sake. Others like that information there to reference when responding to questions. It helps to know what visa someone is going for in order to provide correct answers, as well as to know whether their timelines have fallen well past normal limits. I fall into the latter category.

I think we can all agree that dealing with US immigration is frustrating, and it's nice to come and vent somewhere where others understand. However, it is not nice when we are not considerate of one other. People forget that there is a thinking, feeling, struggling human being on the other side of the words on their screen.

Please keep things civil in here. Thank you.

[Nick Styles 0]

Hey MrsB.

i marryed my wife in 2005 and first this year 2009 i was able to get here and thats AFTER i had to hire a attoney here in the usa when i came on vacation, the USCIS told us nothing and did nothing until my wife and i hired the attoney and then the case speeded up and now i am awaiting the WP and GC.

So even that it can be hard wait and if you get the chance to go to the usa on vacation the hire a attoney here in the country and then you will be able to stay while they are handling your case

Nick Styles