Italia

[breezy 0]

swa,

Aha! So I see you convinced him to get a hotel in Naples....(Good work! lol)

Don't worry, you'll see that if he's got all his papers in check, things will go smooth in Naples.

Leave us any bit of info!

I'll be camping out here to hear how things go!

Breezy

A BIG Hello j-manu, looks like things are well for you two!

[breezy 0]

swa,

One thing I just learned,

I just called the Naples Consulate to confirm some mixed up info.

I had always thought the Medical Exam would be held in the Consulate by their Doctors.

Time went by and I never got anything about the Medical from Naples.

I called last week and was told that they no longer did Medicals IN the Consulate, and that when/if my packet three did arrive, it would give me the details...

It FINALLY got here, and wouldn't you know it, the LITTLE info i did get on the Medical, says that it's held in the Consulate.

I just now called Naples, again, and was told, NO, it is NOT held in the Consulate. A designated doctor is located at Via Conellia Dei Grachi 5160 Naples tel: 081-767-2202.

?

Sorry about being so vauge, just thought I should pass this along.

[kappa 0]

hi everybody

i am doing the CR1 process and thanks to Breezy happy to share my experience with u

i started the I-130 in november

and everything is going well

ciao

[swa 0]

swa,

One thing I just learned,

I just called the Naples Consulate to confirm some mixed up info.

I had always thought the Medical Exam would be held in the Consulate by their Doctors.

Time went by and I never got anything about the Medical from Naples.

I called last week and was told that they no longer did Medicals IN the Consulate, and that when/if my packet three did arrive, it would give me the details...

It FINALLY got here, and wouldn't you know it, the LITTLE info i did get on the Medical, says that it's held in the Consulate.

I just now called Naples, again, and was told, NO, it is NOT held in the Consulate. A designated doctor is located at Via Conellia Dei Grachi 5160 Naples tel: 081-767-2202.

?

Sorry about being so vauge, just thought I should pass this along.

Breezy,

Well yes you are right, my fiance took a walk to the embassy last evening after he had arrived at the hotel and the security guard was very helpfull.He showed him the map and everything where he had to go.I spoke to my fiance today,and said he took a taxi to the medical office which is in a different city then the embassy.Anyway it took him all day waiting for the medical,a lot of people were there,now the big day tomorrow ,will keep you posted.

[breezy 0]

swa,

So where did he go for the Medical Exam? What was the name of the building? Did he fill out a form when he got there? Leave me some more info would ya, thanks.

Well, it's 12.10 am thursday...

I just wanted to wish you two GOOD LUCK,

let me hear the news as soon as you get it,

and all i know is that i wont be able to sleep the nite before my husbands interview.

How nerve racking this whole process is...sheesh...

breezy

p.s. nag nag, dont forget to go to the Embassies and Consulate section and leave some info! There's not much on Naples...

HI THERE KAPPA, and welcome to our lil bunch!

Edited April 11, 2007 by breezy

[swa 0]

swa,

So where did he go for the Medical Exam? What was the name of the building? Did he fill out a form when he got there? Leave me some more info would ya, thanks.

Well, it's 12.10 am thursday...

I just wanted to wish you two GOOD LUCK,

let me hear the news as soon as you get it,

and all i know is that i wont be able to sleep the nite before my husbands interview.

How nerve racking this whole process is...sheesh...

breezy

p.s. nag nag, dont forget to go to the Embassies and Consulate section and leave some info! There's not much on Naples...

HI THERE KAPPA, and welcome to our lil bunch!

Hi breezy,

The medical building is called ISTITUTO VARELLI

Via Cornelia dei Gracchi 51/60

80100 Naples.

I am not sure if he filled a paper when he got there i will ask him tomorow when i talk to him again.

Well today he went for interview and he said that interview was done by a gentilman that he was asking too many question to each person that was there for interview. There was few people that were deined the visa.

The guy told my finace that everything looks good after asking him so many question ,and that he need to go back at 4.00pm.He went back at 4.00pm and was told that couple people 's fingerprints results didnt get back yet so was told to go back to embassy tomorrow afternoon.This is so stressful and so many stupid question has been asked to him such as

Why do you want to go USA you live on a nice island ,Then my fiance answeared well because i love her,then was asked WHY DO YOU LOVE HER lol and lots of similar questions.

Anyway this was my longest night ever barely got any sleep last night.Hope things goes well tomorrow when he go back to embassy.

Swa

[SimoFati 0]

best of luck to you swa

I hope you guys get your visa tomorrow

[mollyreyna 0]

Hello all!

I just wanted to report my good news to you...

We received approval for I-129F and I-130 today.

How long did it for your petitions to be sent to NVC and Consulate? How long to get packet 3?

Is there any info that you can give me to speed up the rest of the process so we don't waste time?

Thanks all,

Ciao!

[ace13 0]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

It has been a few years, but you can look at my timeline to see how long it took us... Best of luck at the interview!!

[churipu 4]

Hello all! It has been a long time since I posted here.

My husband just filed to remove is conditional residence status here in the states. we have been married for almost 3 years! Wow--time flies. He will apply for citizenship next spring and I am going to apply for Italian citizenship in 2009 (I think I have to wait 5 years from the wedding day, right?)

Best of Luck to all of you dealing with Naples. They are a headache, but in the end, all went smooth with us as far as the interview goes.

Happy Easter!!

You don't have to wait 5 years in order to apply for Italian citizenship. It is 3 years of marriage for people married to an Italian citizen but residing abroad. You can find everything here . i think you can safely edit your timeline now

Acquisition of citizenship

Italian citizenship can be automatically acquired

By filiation (birth to an Italian parent)--this is consistent with the principle of jus sanguinis.

By birth on Italian territory to stateless parents or to unknown parents or to parents who cannot transmit their nationality--this is partially consistent with the principle of jus soli.

By paternal/maternal acknowledgment or legitimation.

Through special application:

For those of Italian origin up to the second degree, the applicant must have served in the Italian armed forces or the civil service or have resided for two years in Italy before age of majority.

If Italian-born, the applicant must have resided in Italy continuously from birth to adulthood.

Through marriage:

After six months of legal residence in Italy, the spouse of an Italian citizen can acquire Italian citizenship through naturalisation or after three years of marriage (if overseas) provided lack of criminal record and lack of national security concern.

Through naturalisation:

After 10 years of legal residence, absence of criminal record, and sufficient financial resources, a foreigner may naturalise (three years for former Italian citizens up to the second degree and for aliens born on Italian territory, four years for nationals of EU member states, five years for refugees or stateless and seven years for those "affiliated with an Italian citizen."

Hope it helps.

Congrats to the new approvals and good luck to those waiting.

Edited April 13, 2007 by churipu

[tiano 0]

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina's top prosecutor dropped all charges Wednesday against the three former Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a party, saying the athletes were innocent victims of a "tragic rush to accuse" by an overreaching district attorney.

"There were many points in the case where caution would have served justice better than bravado," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a damning assessment of Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong's handling of the sensational, racially charged case. "In the rush to condemn, a community and a state lost the ability to see clearly."

Cooper, who took over the case in January after Nifong was charged with ethics violations that could get him disbarred, said his own investigation "led us to the conclusion that no attack occurred."

"I think a lot of people owe a lot of apologies to a lot of people," Cooper said.

At an often-bitter, I-told-you-so news conference with the three young men and their families, defense attorney Joe Cheshire accused the media of portraying the athletes as criminals, and said: "We're angry, very angry. But we're very relieved."

"It's been 395 days since this nightmare began. And finally today it's coming to a closure," said one of cleared defendants, David Evans, his voice breaking at one point. "We're just as innocent today as we were back then. Nothing has changed, the facts don't change."

He added: "I'm excited to get on with my life. It's been a long year, longer than you could ever imagine. ... But I hope these allegations don't come to define me."

Nifong was out of town and could not immediately be reached for comment. But his lawyer, David Freedman, said before Cooper's announcement that Nifong has "complete confidence in the attorney general's office to make the appropriate decision."

Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty were indicted last spring on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual offense after the woman told police she was assaulted in the bathroom at an off-campus house during a team party where she had been hired to perform. The rape charges were later dropped; until Wednesday, the other charges remained.

The case stirred furious debate over race, class and the privileged status of college athletes, and heightened long-standing tensions in Durham between its large working-class black population and the mostly white, mostly affluent students at the private, elite university.

The woman is black and attended nearby North Carolina Central University; all three Duke players are white.

The attorney general said the eyewitness identification procedures were unreliable, no DNA supported the stripper's story, no other witness corroborated it, and the woman contradicted herself.

"Based on the significant inconsistencies between the evidence and the various accounts given by the accusing witness, we believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges," Cooper said. He said the charges resulted from a "tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations."

Cooper offered no explanation for why the stripper told such a story and would not discuss her mental health or other medical history. However, he said no charges will be brought against her, saying she "may actually believe" the many different stories she told.

"We believe it is in the best interest of justice not to bring charges," he said.

The accuser's whereabouts were not immediately known.

Portraying Nifong as a "rogue prosecutor," Cooper called for the passage of a law that would allow the North Carolina Supreme Court to remove a district attorney where justice demands it.

"This case shows the enormous consequences of overreaching by a prosecutor," he said.

Cooper declined to say whether he believes Nifong should be disbarred, saying it would not be fair to pass judgment before he goes on trial before the state bar in June.

At the news conference with his former teammates, Finnerty said: "Knowing I had the truth on my side was really the most comforting thing at all throughout this last year."

Seligmann thanked his lawyers for sparing him from 30 years in prison for a "hoax" and complained that society has lost sight of the presumption of innocence. "This entire experience has opened my eyes up to a tragic world of injustice," he said.

The case was troubled almost from the start. DNA failed to connect any of the athletes to the 28-year-old stripper. One of the athletes claimed to have ATM receipts and time-stamped photos that provided an alibi. It was also learned that the stripper had leveled similar gang-rape allegations a decade ago, and no charges resulted.

Then, in December, Nifong dropped the rape charges after the woman said she was no longer certain she was penetrated.

Nifong came under furious criticism from the community, the university and other members of the bar for pressing ahead with a case that they said seemed pitifully weak.

The district attorney withdrew from the case in January after the North Carolina bar charged him with making misleading and inflammatory comments to the media about the athletes under suspicion. The bar later added more serious charges of withholding evidence from defense attorneys and lying to the court.

Among other things, Nifong called the athletes "a bunch of hooligans" and flatly declared DNA evidence would identify the guilty. He was also accused of withholding the results of lab tests that found DNA from several men — none of them lacrosse team members — on the accuser's underwear and body.

Duke suspended Seligmann, 21, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Finnerty, 20, of Garden City, N.Y., after their arrest. Both were invited to return to campus this year, but neither accepted. Evans, 24, of Bethesda, Md., graduated the day before he was indicted.

In the uproar over the allegations, Duke canceled the rest of the team's 2006 season, the lacrosse coach resigned under fire, and a schism opened up on the faculty between those who supported the athletes and those who accused them of getting away with loutish frat-boy behavior for too long.

The team resumed play this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070411/ap_on_...1HzAi6EvNGs0NUE

--------------------

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina's top prosecutor dropped all charges Wednesday against the three former Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a party, saying the athletes were innocent victims of a "tragic rush to accuse" by an overreaching district attorney.

"There were many points in the case where caution would have served justice better than bravado," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a damning assessment of Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong's handling of the sensational, racially charged case. "In the rush to condemn, a community and a state lost the ability to see clearly."

Cooper, who took over the case in January after Nifong was charged with ethics violations that could get him disbarred, said his own investigation "led us to the conclusion that no attack occurred."

"I think a lot of people owe a lot of apologies to a lot of people," Cooper said.

At an often-bitter, I-told-you-so news conference with the three young men and their families, defense attorney Joe Cheshire accused the media of portraying the athletes as criminals, and said: "We're angry, very angry. But we're very relieved."

"It's been 395 days since this nightmare began. And finally today it's coming to a closure," said one of cleared defendants, David Evans, his voice breaking at one point. "We're just as innocent today as we were back then. Nothing has changed, the facts don't change."

He added: "I'm excited to get on with my life. It's been a long year, longer than you could ever imagine. ... But I hope these allegations don't come to define me."

Nifong was out of town and could not immediately be reached for comment. But his lawyer, David Freedman, said before Cooper's announcement that Nifong has "complete confidence in the attorney general's office to make the appropriate decision."

Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty were indicted last spring on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual offense after the woman told police she was assaulted in the bathroom at an off-campus house during a team party where she had been hired to perform. The rape charges were later dropped; until Wednesday, the other charges remained.

The case stirred furious debate over race, class and the privileged status of college athletes, and heightened long-standing tensions in Durham between its large working-class black population and the mostly white, mostly affluent students at the private, elite university.

The woman is black and attended nearby North Carolina Central University; all three Duke players are white.

The attorney general said the eyewitness identification procedures were unreliable, no DNA supported the stripper's story, no other witness corroborated it, and the woman contradicted herself.

"Based on the significant inconsistencies between the evidence and the various accounts given by the accusing witness, we believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges," Cooper said. He said the charges resulted from a "tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations."

Cooper offered no explanation for why the stripper told such a story and would not discuss her mental health or other medical history. However, he said no charges will be brought against her, saying she "may actually believe" the many different stories she told.

"We believe it is in the best interest of justice not to bring charges," he said.

The accuser's whereabouts were not immediately known.

Portraying Nifong as a "rogue prosecutor," Cooper called for the passage of a law that would allow the North Carolina Supreme Court to remove a district attorney where justice demands it.

"This case shows the enormous consequences of overreaching by a prosecutor," he said.

Cooper declined to say whether he believes Nifong should be disbarred, saying it would not be fair to pass judgment before he goes on trial before the state bar in June.

At the news conference with his former teammates, Finnerty said: "Knowing I had the truth on my side was really the most comforting thing at all throughout this last year."

Seligmann thanked his lawyers for sparing him from 30 years in prison for a "hoax" and complained that society has lost sight of the presumption of innocence. "This entire experience has opened my eyes up to a tragic world of injustice," he said.

The case was troubled almost from the start. DNA failed to connect any of the athletes to the 28-year-old stripper. One of the athletes claimed to have ATM receipts and time-stamped photos that provided an alibi. It was also learned that the stripper had leveled similar gang-rape allegations a decade ago, and no charges resulted.

Then, in December, Nifong dropped the rape charges after the woman said she was no longer certain she was penetrated.

Nifong came under furious criticism from the community, the university and other members of the bar for pressing ahead with a case that they said seemed pitifully weak.

The district attorney withdrew from the case in January after the North Carolina bar charged him with making misleading and inflammatory comments to the media about the athletes under suspicion. The bar later added more serious charges of withholding evidence from defense attorneys and lying to the court.

Among other things, Nifong called the athletes "a bunch of hooligans" and flatly declared DNA evidence would identify the guilty. He was also accused of withholding the results of lab tests that found DNA from several men — none of them lacrosse team members — on the accuser's underwear and body.

Duke suspended Seligmann, 21, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Finnerty, 20, of Garden City, N.Y., after their arrest. Both were invited to return to campus this year, but neither accepted. Evans, 24, of Bethesda, Md., graduated the day before he was indicted.

In the uproar over the allegations, Duke canceled the rest of the team's 2006 season, the lacrosse coach resigned under fire, and a schism opened up on the faculty between those who supported the athletes and those who accused them of getting away with loutish frat-boy behavior for too long.

The team resumed play this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070411/ap_on_...1HzAi6EvNGs0NUE

--------------------

[tiano 0]

Torna la calma a Chinatown dopo gli scontri di ieri. Pechinbo: «Tenere conto delle esigenze e degli interessi dei cinesi residenti». Berlusconi: servono solidarietà e legalità

MILANO

È tornata la calma nel quartiere cinese di Milano dopo gli scontri di ieri tra forze dell’ordine e immigrati scatenati da una multa ad una commerciante che stava scaricando merce fuori orario. La guerriglia urbana ha coinvolto circa 300 asiatici, 19 le persone rimaste ferite. La polizia ha presidiato le strade di chinatown per tutta la notte. Intanto, con una nota ufficiale il portavoce del Ministero degli Esteri cinese, Tai Gang, ha detto oggi in conferenza stampa a Pechino che il governo cinese «spera che la parte italiana possa risolvere in maniera imparziale l’incidente» di ieri a Milano. «Speriamo - ha detto Tai - che il governo italiano agisca considerando seriamente le richieste ragionevoli degli immigrati cinesi, garantendo i loro diritti legittimi».

BERLUSCONI: SERVE SOLIDARIETÀ E LEGALITÀ

Sul versante della politica interna da segnalare ancora strascichi polemici dopo la ferma presa di posizione del sindaco di Milano, Letizia Moratti, che ieri ha definito inaccettabile il comportamento della comunità cinese. Oggi, il leader di Forza Italia Silvio Berlusconi ha cercato di smorzare la tensione ricordando che «a fronte di un contesto sociale ed economico mutato, - ha detto - Milano si trova, come altre grandi aree metropolitane d`Italia, al centro di una situazione particolarmente complessa che può vivere momenti di tensione, anche per un significativo intensificarsi dei flussi migratori». «Proprio per queste ragioni - ha sottolineato - la linea da seguire è quella della solidarietà unita alla legalità, delle politiche sociali ma anche del rispetto delle regole. L`accoglienza e la tutela della sicurezza devono necessariamente coniugarsi e stare insieme per la libertà di ogni cittadino».

VELTRONI: NO A SPECULAZIONI, MA SE FOSSE SUCCESSO A ROMA...

Ma sempre dal centro destra l’esponente di An Maurizio Gasparri ha invece cercato di mettere in risalto le responsabilità del governo centrale e della sua politica d’immigrazione . «Il governo in materia di immigrazione non sa cosa fare, ma è bravo solo nel creare disastri. Non riescono a varare le inopportune modifiche alla Fini-Bossi per liti e contrasti». Il sindaco di Roma, Walter Veltroni, ha subito contestato questa interpretazione dei fatti di Milano: la sicurezza nelle città italiane, ha detto «è un problema serio, da affrontare insieme e va messo al riparo da strumentalizzazioni e speculazioni politiche. Sono solidale con tutti i sindaci, ma mi stupiscono le polemiche politiche per cui se c’è un fatto di ordine pubblico a Roma la colpa è del sindaco, se accade a Milano è del Governo...».

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina's top prosecutor dropped all charges Wednesday against the three former Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a party, saying the athletes were innocent victims of a "tragic rush to accuse" by an overreaching district attorney.

"There were many points in the case where caution would have served justice better than bravado," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a damning assessment of Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong's handling of the sensational, racially charged case. "In the rush to condemn, a community and a state lost the ability to see clearly."

Cooper, who took over the case in January after Nifong was charged with ethics violations that could get him disbarred, said his own investigation "led us to the conclusion that no attack occurred."

"I think a lot of people owe a lot of apologies to a lot of people," Cooper said.

At an often-bitter, I-told-you-so news conference with the three young men and their families, defense attorney Joe Cheshire accused the media of portraying the athletes as criminals, and said: "We're angry, very angry. But we're very relieved."

"It's been 395 days since this nightmare began. And finally today it's coming to a closure," said one of cleared defendants, David Evans, his voice breaking at one point. "We're just as innocent today as we were back then. Nothing has changed, the facts don't change."

He added: "I'm excited to get on with my life. It's been a long year, longer than you could ever imagine. ... But I hope these allegations don't come to define me."

Nifong was out of town and could not immediately be reached for comment. But his lawyer, David Freedman, said before Cooper's announcement that Nifong has "complete confidence in the attorney general's office to make the appropriate decision."

Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty were indicted last spring on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual offense after the woman told police she was assaulted in the bathroom at an off-campus house during a team party where she had been hired to perform. The rape charges were later dropped; until Wednesday, the other charges remained.

The case stirred furious debate over race, class and the privileged status of college athletes, and heightened long-standing tensions in Durham between its large working-class black population and the mostly white, mostly affluent students at the private, elite university.

The woman is black and attended nearby North Carolina Central University; all three Duke players are white.

The attorney general said the eyewitness identification procedures were unreliable, no DNA supported the stripper's story, no other witness corroborated it, and the woman contradicted herself.

"Based on the significant inconsistencies between the evidence and the various accounts given by the accusing witness, we believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges," Cooper said. He said the charges resulted from a "tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations."

Cooper offered no explanation for why the stripper told such a story and would not discuss her mental health or other medical history. However, he said no charges will be brought against her, saying she "may actually believe" the many different stories she told.

"We believe it is in the best interest of justice not to bring charges," he said.

The accuser's whereabouts were not immediately known.

Portraying Nifong as a "rogue prosecutor," Cooper called for the passage of a law that would allow the North Carolina Supreme Court to remove a district attorney where justice demands it.

"This case shows the enormous consequences of overreaching by a prosecutor," he said.

Cooper declined to say whether he believes Nifong should be disbarred, saying it would not be fair to pass judgment before he goes on trial before the state bar in June.

At the news conference with his former teammates, Finnerty said: "Knowing I had the truth on my side was really the most comforting thing at all throughout this last year."

Seligmann thanked his lawyers for sparing him from 30 years in prison for a "hoax" and complained that society has lost sight of the presumption of innocence. "This entire experience has opened my eyes up to a tragic world of injustice," he said.

The case was troubled almost from the start. DNA failed to connect any of the athletes to the 28-year-old stripper. One of the athletes claimed to have ATM receipts and time-stamped photos that provided an alibi. It was also learned that the stripper had leveled similar gang-rape allegations a decade ago, and no charges resulted.

Then, in December, Nifong dropped the rape charges after the woman said she was no longer certain she was penetrated.

Nifong came under furious criticism from the community, the university and other members of the bar for pressing ahead with a case that they said seemed pitifully weak.

The district attorney withdrew from the case in January after the North Carolina bar charged him with making misleading and inflammatory comments to the media about the athletes under suspicion. The bar later added more serious charges of withholding evidence from defense attorneys and lying to the court.

Among other things, Nifong called the athletes "a bunch of hooligans" and flatly declared DNA evidence would identify the guilty. He was also accused of withholding the results of lab tests that found DNA from several men — none of them lacrosse team members — on the accuser's underwear and body.

Duke suspended Seligmann, 21, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Finnerty, 20, of Garden City, N.Y., after their arrest. Both were invited to return to campus this year, but neither accepted. Evans, 24, of Bethesda, Md., graduated the day before he was indicted.

In the uproar over the allegations, Duke canceled the rest of the team's 2006 season, the lacrosse coach resigned under fire, and a schism opened up on the faculty between those who supported the athletes and those who accused them of getting away with loutish frat-boy behavior for too long.

The team resumed play this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070411/ap_on_...1HzAi6EvNGs0NUE

--------------------

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina's top prosecutor dropped all charges Wednesday against the three former Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a party, saying the athletes were innocent victims of a "tragic rush to accuse" by an overreaching district attorney.

"There were many points in the case where caution would have served justice better than bravado," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a damning assessment of Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong's handling of the sensational, racially charged case. "In the rush to condemn, a community and a state lost the ability to see clearly."

Cooper, who took over the case in January after Nifong was charged with ethics violations that could get him disbarred, said his own investigation "led us to the conclusion that no attack occurred."

"I think a lot of people owe a lot of apologies to a lot of people," Cooper said.

At an often-bitter, I-told-you-so news conference with the three young men and their families, defense attorney Joe Cheshire accused the media of portraying the athletes as criminals, and said: "We're angry, very angry. But we're very relieved."

"It's been 395 days since this nightmare began. And finally today it's coming to a closure," said one of cleared defendants, David Evans, his voice breaking at one point. "We're just as innocent today as we were back then. Nothing has changed, the facts don't change."

He added: "I'm excited to get on with my life. It's been a long year, longer than you could ever imagine. ... But I hope these allegations don't come to define me."

Nifong was out of town and could not immediately be reached for comment. But his lawyer, David Freedman, said before Cooper's announcement that Nifong has "complete confidence in the attorney general's office to make the appropriate decision."

Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty were indicted last spring on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual offense after the woman told police she was assaulted in the bathroom at an off-campus house during a team party where she had been hired to perform. The rape charges were later dropped; until Wednesday, the other charges remained.

The case stirred furious debate over race, class and the privileged status of college athletes, and heightened long-standing tensions in Durham between its large working-class black population and the mostly white, mostly affluent students at the private, elite university.

The woman is black and attended nearby North Carolina Central University; all three Duke players are white.

The attorney general said the eyewitness identification procedures were unreliable, no DNA supported the stripper's story, no other witness corroborated it, and the woman contradicted herself.

"Based on the significant inconsistencies between the evidence and the various accounts given by the accusing witness, we believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges," Cooper said. He said the charges resulted from a "tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations."

Cooper offered no explanation for why the stripper told such a story and would not discuss her mental health or other medical history. However, he said no charges will be brought against her, saying she "may actually believe" the many different stories she told.

"We believe it is in the best interest of justice not to bring charges," he said.

The accuser's whereabouts were not immediately known.

Portraying Nifong as a "rogue prosecutor," Cooper called for the passage of a law that would allow the North Carolina Supreme Court to remove a district attorney where justice demands it.

"This case shows the enormous consequences of overreaching by a prosecutor," he said.

Cooper declined to say whether he believes Nifong should be disbarred, saying it would not be fair to pass judgment before he goes on trial before the state bar in June.

At the news conference with his former teammates, Finnerty said: "Knowing I had the truth on my side was really the most comforting thing at all throughout this last year."

Seligmann thanked his lawyers for sparing him from 30 years in prison for a "hoax" and complained that society has lost sight of the presumption of innocence. "This entire experience has opened my eyes up to a tragic world of injustice," he said.

The case was troubled almost from the start. DNA failed to connect any of the athletes to the 28-year-old stripper. One of the athletes claimed to have ATM receipts and time-stamped photos that provided an alibi. It was also learned that the stripper had leveled similar gang-rape allegations a decade ago, and no charges resulted.

Then, in December, Nifong dropped the rape charges after the woman said she was no longer certain she was penetrated.

Nifong came under furious criticism from the community, the university and other members of the bar for pressing ahead with a case that they said seemed pitifully weak.

The district attorney withdrew from the case in January after the North Carolina bar charged him with making misleading and inflammatory comments to the media about the athletes under suspicion. The bar later added more serious charges of withholding evidence from defense attorneys and lying to the court.

Among other things, Nifong called the athletes "a bunch of hooligans" and flatly declared DNA evidence would identify the guilty. He was also accused of withholding the results of lab tests that found DNA from several men — none of them lacrosse team members — on the accuser's underwear and body.

Duke suspended Seligmann, 21, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Finnerty, 20, of Garden City, N.Y., after their arrest. Both were invited to return to campus this year, but neither accepted. Evans, 24, of Bethesda, Md., graduated the day before he was indicted.

In the uproar over the allegations, Duke canceled the rest of the team's 2006 season, the lacrosse coach resigned under fire, and a schism opened up on the faculty between those who supported the athletes and those who accused them of getting away with loutish frat-boy behavior for too long.

The team resumed play this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070411/ap_on_...1HzAi6EvNGs0NUE

--------------------

[tiano 0]

Click here to view the K1 Guide. Also check out the Guides Section for more helpful information on the K1 Visa process.

Make sure you also check out the Example Forms Section. This section has many example forms, for a general case, that you can use as reference.

Here is the official USCIS FAQ for Fiance(e) Visa's: http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/A2.pdf. Once you file you will have several options available to track your case.

Helpful Notes for K1 Applicants (If you have a suggestion that you think should be added please PM me):

Note #1 (suggested by member: Mew):

QUOTE

Many VJs find it difficult to figure out how to check for touches and ask for . So I thought I'd have this topic to make it easier for everyone.

What is a touch?

As JEDI's defined it (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20192#):

QUOTE

Any time your application is handled by someone at a Service Centre, the barcode is scanned, which results in an update to the "last date" for your case on the USCIS website. When the date changes, this mean that someone has physically handled or "touched" your case. There are many reasons your application may be "touched" - from simply being moved from one desk to another, to RFE's, to being approved.

There are 2 kinds of touches. There are the ones that show some kind of update, there are the ones that don't bring a new message. By logging into the account, take a look at the date that shows next to your case number. If it's changed, you've been touched.

By clicking on the case number, you get to check whether it was an update touch or not. The ones that don't show updates are connected with some kind of work done with regard to your case - it merely shows that they've taken a look at it somehow.

What? Case number? Account? Hang on, let me explain it.

How do I get to check it out?

First thing is, get your receipt number (or case number). You can find it online on the back of the check you used to pay for the filing of the application when it's been cashed. If you can't do that, wait for the NOA1 in the mail. It'll be there.

There are 3 ways to check for updates.

1. By searching online: https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/index.jsp - you'll just need the receipt number.

2. By logging into your account. To register on the USCIS site: https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/selectusertype.jsp

3. By e-mail (once you have registered and clicked on the "E-mail on" button.

Options 1 and 3 are good if you only wish to check for status update. Option number 2 shows the mysterious touches (somebody worked on your case but we can't be sure what has been done).

Option 2 in detail:

Log into your account: https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/login.jsp

It'll show a table:

Receipt Number | E-mail | Last Updated | (mm/dd/yyyy) | Form # |Form Title

Take a look at the date in the "last updated" box. Then go to "Receipt Number" and check the message. Is it different from the last update you got?

Yes: Great! You got an update that changes the status of your case.

No: Aw. They have just worked on your case...

Please note that the date on the update notices don't change. For example, if you got a message saying your petition was approved on JUNE 20, 2006, that date will never change. The ones that might change are the ones you get to see at the chart when you log into the account.

Do I really need to check the mysterious touches?

Not at all. Only obsessive people like me, for example, will do it. I find it comforting to know that someone's been working on my case

Also, you only get to check the status before your petition is fowarded to the NVC...

I hope I covered it all.

Note #2 (suggested by member: sukie175 and pax):

QUOTE

***This applies in general to everyone**** Regarding your Overseas Medical: Please note that you need to ask the Doctor at whichever Hospital you go to - To give you the Department of State's vaccination worksheet (or at least an official copy) - it is known as the DS-3025 (this is not the same as the USCIS form I-693 or I-693A Suppliment). You will need this for your Visa interview and for later on when you adjust status to a permanent resident in the US.

When you apply to adjust status in the States, assuming you as a K-1 holder apply within one year of the original medical, you need an I-693A. This is USCIS'S VACCINATION SUPPLEMENT. Here's where it gets tricky! Some people have submitted a DS-3025 with their AOS package and have NOT received RFE's. Some HAVE. If you want to be absolutely safe in terms of your medical documentation as a K-1 adjusting status, you should take your DS-3025 to a USCIS-certified civil surgeon and ask them to transfer the information from your DS-3025 to an I-693A. They should do this for a nominal charge. If they try to tell you you need a full medical examination, DO NOT LISTEN. You ONLY need the vaccination supplement. The following memo from the USCIS documents that this completed form will remain valid beyond one year when submitted with most Adjustment of Status applications.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/I693MedExt011106.pdf

The civil surgeon should give you an I-693A documenting the fact that your vaccinations are complete (either they were completed when you had your medical or you had them completed stateside). You should submit this with your AOS package.

Note #3:

QUOTE

Make sure on all photo's you submit to the USCIS / Dept of State that you label on the back of the photo (felt tip marker suggested) the names, date and location of the photo and the people in it (namely you and your fiance).

Note #4:

QUOTE

Later on when you file for AOS you will need to know where your non immigrant visa # is. This image shows you where:

Note #5:

QUOTE

Frequently Asked Questions answered by the Department of State regarding a K-1 Visa:

http://usembassy-australia.state.gov/consular/ivfaq.html

Note #6:

QUOTE

This thread discusses exceptions to the requirement for having met within the last 2 years:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33474

--------------------

---

I am an Ewok. I am here to to keep the peace. Contact me if you have a complaint regarding a violation of the Terms of Service.

If you have a technical issue with the site please contact Chief Wookie

-Captain Ewok

meng

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Find Member's Posts Jul 28 2006, 12:47 AM Post #2

Junior Member

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hi,

I am confused by the meaning of RFE.

Any exact definition?

nsdale

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Find Member's Posts Jul 28 2006, 12:53 AM Post #3

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QUOTE(meng @ Jul 28 2006, 01:47 AM)

hi,

I am confused by the meaning of RFE.

Any exact definition?

Request for Evidence (i think)

It is when USCIS decide that additional information is required. This is quite often if something which was required was not included with the documents sent to them.

When they issue a RFE they normally state exactly what they require to be sent to them eg. birth certificate.

Hope this helps

--------------------

--- I-129F ---

Filed I129F ---- 03th June 2005

All Forms Recieved by London ---- 16th August 2005

Medical ---- 22nd August 2005

Interview Date via E-Mail ---- 05th October 2005

Interview --- 14th October 2005 10:30am Approved

Passport Recieved Back --- 18th October 2005

Flying home to be with my sweety --- 24th October 2005

Arrived in JFK POE was easy took 30 mins finally with my sweety

Went to Brooklyn SSA and applied for ssn told approx 14 days --- 07th November 2005

Got SSN married Dec 14th 2005

Applied for EAD/AOS recieved NOA 31st Dec 2005

Mid Jan RFE recieved FOR AOS

RFE info recieved at Chicago --- 31st Jan 2006

Biometrics --- 10 Feb 2006

EAD Recieved --- 16 June 2006

RFE AOS --- 29 June 2006

RFE AOS replied and recieved by USCIS --- 19 July 2006

AOS Touched --- 21,22 July 2006

AOS Approved ---- 08/03/06

Welcome to America Letter ---- 08/07/06

Personal Meetings - August 2002 (NYC), December 2002 (NYC), December 2003 (NYC), August 2004 (England), December 2004 (England), May 2005 (NYC), June 2005 (England)

meng

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Find Member's Posts Jul 28 2006, 12:57 AM Post #4

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QUOTE(nsdale @ Jul 28 2006, 12:53 AM)

QUOTE(meng @ Jul 28 2006, 01:47 AM)

hi,

I am confused by the meaning of RFE.

Any exact definition?

Request for Evidence (i think)

It is when USCIS decide that additional information is required. This is quite often if something which was required was not included with the documents sent to them.

When they issue a RFE they normally state exactly what they require to be sent to them eg. birth certificate.

Hope this helps

I think we didnt receive any of RFEs but we have been waiting for 4.5 months since we sent. Btw, we had transferred our case from NSC to CSC. Still NO@ never came....

Anything wrong?

aussiewench

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Find Member's Posts Aug 9 2006, 05:14 PM Post #5

'Avast Ye'

Group: Members, Organizer

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USCIS Interoffice memo which will help in seeing how an adjudicator will view your file re IMBRA issues and by doing so give some guidance as to what one should submit to support waivers.

Re: International Marriage Broker Regulation Act Implementation Guidance

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/lawsregs/han...IMBRA072106.pdf

This post has been edited by aussiewench: Sep 15 2006, 03:31 PM

--------------------

You can find me on FBI & VJ

Click here for 2006 Poverty Guidelines & I-864 Guidelines

Click here for Time Savers for CR-1 at NVC + Finding your NVC Case Number + Jame's Shortcuts

An overview of Security Name Checks And Administrative Review at Service Center, NVC & Consulate levels.

Detailed Review USCIS Alien Security Checks

Trouble with forms?? Download trial Adobe Acrobat Pro 7

View Timeline HERE

I am but a wench not a lawyer. My advice and opinion is just that. I read, I research, I learn.

BigD_LittleL

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Find Member's Posts Sep 4 2006, 07:58 PM Post #6

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Is there a flowchart for K1 visa, specifically for beneficiary in Manila for her portion more detailed than the one in the guide? For example with a detailed list of documents needed to send to the embassy and all the different papers such as NBI clearance, birth certificate, proof of being single etc? We are rushing as much as possible to have her here for Christmas. Any time saving tips and detailed information will be highly appreciated. I have already sent "practice" copies of DS156, DS156K, and DS230 to her along with blanks so she can have those completed and ready to send back to the Embassy via LBC overnight.

Thanks,

Rob

--------------------

03/20/2006 - I-129F - Sent FedEX

03/28/2006 - NOA 1 (Receipt) - NOA issued from CSC

07/03/2006 - RFE (Receipt) - RFE Received

07/07/2006 - RFE and Waiver Request - RFE arrived at CSC

09/01/2006 - NOA2 - USCIS Email - Approved w/Waiver

09/22/2006 - Electronic Version - Manila - Embassy Received

12/13/2006 - Packet 4 Received via DHL

12/21/2007 - Medical St. Lukes

12/22/2006 - St. Luke's canceled medical in progress - required additional tests in Jan for upper respiratory congestion.

12/28/2006 - Interview Canceled because of congestion and cough during medical at St. Lukes

01/09/2007 - St. Luke's for 3 consecutive days of "sputum tests and finish medical"

01/10/2007 - St. Luke's for 3 consecutive days of "sputum tests and finish medical"

01/11/2007 - St. Luke's for 3 consecutive days of "sputum tests and finish medical"

01/12/2007 - St. Luke's for pulmonary exam - EVERYTHING CLEAR

01/15/2007 - St. Luke's for vaccinations and release of medical to USE

02/26/2007 - Interview APPROVED - 11+ months for K1 Visa

xx/xx/2007 - Visa in hand

xx/xx/2007 - CFO Completed

xx/xx/2007 - Arrived in Dallas

Mew

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Find Member's Posts Sep 4 2006, 08:05 PM Post #7

Little girl from Brazil

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QUOTE(robhankins @ Sep 4 2006, 09:58 PM)

Is there a flowchart for K1 visa, specifically for beneficiary in Manila for her portion more detailed than the one in the guide? For example with a detailed list of documents needed to send to the embassy and all the different papers such as NBI clearance, birth certificate, proof of being single etc? We are rushing as much as possible to have her here for Christmas. Any time saving tips and detailed information will be highly appreciated. I have already sent "practice" copies of DS156, DS156K, and DS230 to her along with blanks so she can have those completed and ready to send back to the Embassy via LBC overnight.

Thanks,

Rob

Rob, have you tried posting that question to the Manila thread? http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=181 - I guess they'll be able to help you.

--------------------

I only offer advice - not even legal. Just the plain and simple kind.

(VSC)

I-129F Sent: 2006-03-14

I-129F NOA1: 2006-03-19

I-129F NOA2 : 2006-03-29

Packet 3 Received : 2006-04-14

Packet 3 Sent : 2006-05-11

(IMBRA recall)

Packet 4 Received : 2006-05-24

Interview date: 2006-06-06

Case back: 2006-06-27

Case reopened: 2006-06-27

RFE update: 2006-06-29

IMBRA RFE received: 2006-07-05

RFE sent back: 2006-07-06

RFE received: 2006-07-10

RFE received update: 2006-07-12

touched: 2006-07-13/14/15/17/18

RFE approved!!!! 130 days after NOA1

Reapproved: 2006-07-26

NVC sent: 2006-08-07

consulate got it: 2006-08-15

Packet 4 sent: 2006-08-16

Packet 4 received: 2006-08-21

interview date: 2006-09-26

APPROVED!

leirma_ricky

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Find Member's Posts Oct 5 2006, 05:16 AM Post #8

Member

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From: california,usa

Filed for: AOS (pending)

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QUOTE(aussiewench @ Aug 9 2006, 05:14 PM)

USCIS Interoffice memo which will help in seeing how an adjudicator will view your file re IMBRA issues and by doing so give some guidance as to what one should submit to support waivers.

Re: International Marriage Broker Regulation Act Implementation Guidance

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/lawsregs/han...IMBRA072106.pdf

GOOD LUCK ROB

--------------------

k-1 visa

service center- - - - -- - - -- california service center

consulate ---------------------- manila phils

1-129f sent ------------------ 05-09-2006

1-129f NOA1 APPROVED-------05-19-2006

1-129F RFE [s} --------------- 06-25-2006

1-129F REPLY --------------- 07-16-2006

1-129F NOA2 APPROVED ------ 09-01-2006

NVC RECIEVED ---------------- 09-25-2006

NVC LEFT ---------------------- 09-29-2006

CONSULATE RECIEVED---------10-12-2006

PACKET 4 DELIVERED

BY DHL ------------------------- 12-13-2006

SCHEDULE FOR MEDICAL

[ace13 0]

Thanks CHURIPU for your advice!!! I guess I can apply for Italian Citizenship at the end of the year at our 3 year anniversary!! Thanks again!

[churipu 4]

Thanks CHURIPU for your advice!!! I guess I can apply for Italian Citizenship at the end of the year at our 3 year anniversary!! Thanks again!

You're more than welcome