ATTENTION JULY FILERS!

[GeordieWife 1]

At least we have all filed. We are all on our way. The journey is going to be long, all you VSC-ers pity us CSC-ers, it will be even longer for us. Some May VSC-ers have started getting NOA2's. Still hovering around 12-20th april for CSC. The thing that gets me is that I really wouldn't mind the waiting if everything was 100% guarenteed at the end. It's the fact that you can go through all this and there is still a chance, for some reason, that someone behind a sheet of glass in london can say no! it could all be for nothing. Sorry....spot the person on the downer! I'm super stressed about the financial aspect due to our position of needing a co-sponsor and nick NEVER having filed taxes as never made enough money.

Buck up little camper!!! London hardly ever denies anyone a K1 visa! You seem to have a straight-forward case and a co-sponsor is nothing to fret about! Check out the UK forum - tons there have received visas with co-sponsors! You'll get one too! Now, put away the inner pessimist! It wil take a long time, BUT you WILL get there...er, here!!!

That makes me feel better too...I'm trying to Buck up! My petition got sent to CSC lucky me. I'm looking at it this way....a long engagement may quell some of my skeptical family and friends...thinking i'm being 'used' for a green card. They haven't been ugly about it...just looking after my best interest. After they met Peter and got to know him better, it eased off some...but they still mention it sometimes...grrrrr.

Lets all just stick together to stay strong during this arduous process that 'outsiders' don't understand.

As for a green card husband? From England? HA! They CANNOT be serious! Personally, I just don't see it. I think the only green thing here is the envy of friends who want a Brit of their own

Stick with us, GeordieLover - we'll keep your spirits bolstered during the wait!

Thanks so much for that. I thought it was sort of funny too. I've just had REALLY bad luck with men and have attracted jerks (my personality flaw I think)...so they're just being protective. I'm REALLY thankful for the support here!

weedebz..wow! we do have alot in common. I love Jesmond, but I'm marrying a 'bad boy' from Kenton. He's not a badboy at all and quite the opposite..has been a bit sheltered in his life and quite sweet and innocent. He's a wee bit younger than me as well (not enough to count though)...and he has family up in Edinburgh.

And about the art degree....you're young, and you have pursued your passion...something I regret doing. I sought a career to please my parents, and while I'm secure and have a good job, I'll always wonder what if I had gone for what I loved (I wanted to be a news anchor but mom said I'd never find a job, it's too competitive), I always loved writing and journalism. To my parents that was a 'liberal art'. I wish I learned a long time ago to listen to parent's advice, but sort through it and do what your heart and conscience tell you.

[StillThePrettiest 3]

...If we had a definite ending date, or even a definite approved outcome it would be soooo much easier. It's the nature of the beast that kills us.

so VERY true... I'm already tired of answering 'I don't know' to people's questions...

- So when are you getting married?

- I don't know.

- When are you leaving England?

- I don't know.

- When will you see your family in Australia?

- I don't know.

- When will your family get to meet your fiancé?

- I don't know.

- When are you finishing work?

- Guess what? I DON'T KNOW!

whole life's on hold for USCIS to get around to putting my papers in the right pile... and yes, we're all in the same boat, but gad, why we're seen as less priority than people on employment visas and so on is beyond me

[done 0]

Is there a possible reasons for decline thread around here?

[a-jeanne 2]

Does anyone else's heart skip a beat when you see "ATTENTION JULY FILERS!" in the post? Man - I feel like I'm dodging bullets here. At least sweating bullets! This is how I know that I've been checking the posts too much before bedtime - I had a dream that I saw "ATTENTION JULY FILERS!" and clicked on it and it said - "All July filers are free to move wheverever they want!" I then woke up in a sweat wondering if it were true?

Wishful thinking.

[Jeraly 4]

Geordielover...we have the opposite problem....my parents here in scotland (my dad is from Jesmond by the way and I have lots of family there) are the ones that keep trying to talk me out of going. Nicks parents are great support. My parents are stressed about our age difference which is no biggy for us....I'm 26, Nick is coming up for 21. (my toyboy). I have very conservative parents who still haven't given up moaning that I went to art school to persue an art and photographic career (not a real degree or job apparently).

Hey - I did a teaching degree specialising in art and design and now I don't want to teach! I don't know what I want to do with my life but I know I need to get out of the country if nothing else! I am hoping to set up my own business

Jeremy is a toyboy as well but only by a year - I'm 25, he's 24

At the end of the day, these are our lives and if we don't live them how we want to then how are we ever meant to be happy? We can't make ourselves happy by trying to please *everyone* else all the time!!

[BabyBlueSusie 1]

Does anyone else's heart skip a beat when you see "ATTENTION JULY FILERS!" in the post? Man - I feel like I'm dodging bullets here. At least sweating bullets! This is how I know that I've been checking the posts too much before bedtime - I had a dream that I saw "ATTENTION JULY FILERS!" and clicked on it and it said - "All July filers are free to move wheverever they want!" I then woke up in a sweat wondering if it were true?

Wishful thinking.

aww cute =)

[jundp 191]

Thanks so much for that. I thought it was sort of funny too. I've just had REALLY bad luck with men and have attracted jerks (my personality flaw I think)...so they're just being protective. I'm REALLY thankful for the support here!

weedebz..wow! we do have alot in common. I love Jesmond, but I'm marrying a 'bad boy' from Kenton. He's not a badboy at all and quite the opposite..has been a bit sheltered in his life and quite sweet and innocent. He's a wee bit younger than me as well (not enough to count though)...and he has family up in Edinburgh.

And about the art degree....you're young, and you have pursued your passion...something I regret doing. I sought a career to please my parents, and while I'm secure and have a good job, I'll always wonder what if I had gone for what I loved (I wanted to be a news anchor but mom said I'd never find a job, it's too competitive), I always loved writing and journalism. To my parents that was a 'liberal art'. I wish I learned a long time ago to listen to parent's advice, but sort through it and do what your heart and conscience tell you.

GL, I've had someone say that to me about P, as well. Yes, a guy with his degree and qualifications, from Germany, needs to marry me for a greencard....DUH. Some people truly can't accept that we could be in love. Oh, and I'm older than him too, but by 10 years, so you can imagine the other comments I've heard. (Of course, it helps that I am youthful looking...tee hee).

I got my degrees in English even though everyone told me that it would be a wasted degree. I teach, which is not what I started out to do, but has ended up being exactly the right job for me. I say it's my "calling" (if that doesn't sound too dorky). I really wanted to work in publishing, and maybe still do a bit, but I don't regret studying what I wanted to study. There's ALWAYS time to go back to school or change your career. Don't forget that. My step mother went back to college at age 60 and got a totally different BA from her original one, and then went on to get her MA at 65.

Um, and yeah, I still can't see my check image and I don't have an NOA1 and I'm really annoyed.

But P will be here...TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[weedebz 0]

Well I'm a creative/wedding photographer of all things. Anyone fancy checking out some of my work you can HERE I'm winding the business down now and managed to get a part time reception job on £10 an hour at a law firm to supplement income until I can head over.

I actually had great fun trying to explain US immigration to one of the partners in the law firm. He just looked at me and said "wow....rather you than me and I get paid to fill in forms full of jargon" hence to say the company I work for don't do immigration, just corporate, employment and property law.

[Jeraly 4]

This is my fave

http://www.jamesdev.net/dreamcatcher/portf...rtraiture/5.jpg

[tucson_chick 0]

Geordielover...we have the opposite problem....my parents here in scotland (my dad is from Jesmond by the way and I have lots of family there) are the ones that keep trying to talk me out of going. Nicks parents are great support. My parents are stressed about our age difference which is no biggy for us....I'm 26, Nick is coming up for 21. (my toyboy). I have very conservative parents who still haven't given up moaning that I went to art school to persue an art and photographic career (not a real degree or job apparently).

hi weedebz and everybody!

oh my! yeah. and now imagine your parents' reaction if Nick was divorced. My parents are having an extra hard time with eric being divorced. i'm the youngest daughter and really really close to my parents. so they and most of my friends are trying to talk me out of it. it's really painful for me. i wish they were just happy for me.

and now, everyboby is extra-worried bc i am in the US, visiting him bc i just graduated. where is the sense in signing a one-year contract if i might be in the US in half a year? so i decided to just take 6 weeks off and to go to Arizona. BIG worries and complaints from everybody.

BTW: i made it through immigrations WITHOUT any question being asked, i had binding ties with me, but the immigration officer just put the stamp in my passport and told me to walk on

[Jeraly 4]

You mean you didn't get grilled until you were burnt?! I always feel like a criminal when I enter being asked so many questions...

[NonyGuy 0]

So I just tried call number 2 for the day to try to get someone to tell me what my receipt number is...this is what I was told this time....

"There is a huge backlog of applications that have not even been opened yet. USCIS is telling customers to expect to wait 90 days before inquiring about receipt numbers."

When I asked her how anyone else would have called just yesterday to obtain a receipt number, she told me the policy just went into affect TODAY. I can't believe this sh!t. This can't be real.

How is someone supposed to wait for 90 days just find out if their application was even RECEIVED! Assume someone's application didnt get received, they would have to wait 3 months just to find out that they their application NEVER moved ANYWHERE...and they have to do everything all over again.

What can I do? Who can I call? RFE trick? Is there anyone I can beat up?

Man i just wanna know that I'm in the system at least....im going crazy.

[tucson_chick 0]

You mean you didn't get grilled until you were burnt?! I always feel like a criminal when I enter being asked so many questions...

yes, it was unbelievable!!! whenever i was entering the US on my J1-Visa or on the Visa-Waiver in November and in March, they grilled me, it was insane. this time i entered through philadelphia and it was just:

immigration officer: having a sip of dr. pepper

immigration officer: grapping a handful of peanuts and starting to chew

immigration officer: what are you doing the US?

the chick: visiting friends.

immigration officer: taking another sip of dr. pepper

immigration officer: slight burb

immigration officer: bye.

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

so sorry abt the backlog and the receipt-number-mess! i guess that everybody was swamping them with petitions and stuff before the fee-increase took place. but they should have anticipated that.

[Jason-Sasha 1]

F*&k 'em! I hope they are working their little red government asses off. They should have planned for this. Their policies are finally pissing people off. Is it so hard to hire a few people to answer phones and do nothing but check on cases for people? With the cost of filing now, they should offer free mints and a pillow for the wait! I respect their jobs and the service they provide but they can certainly come up with a more organized way of handling the public's questions. they waste time and money simply telling people that they have to wait 90 days. It takes only 2 minutes to find out whether someone is in the system, based on their name alone. Mr Cochran, hang in there buddy! We're all pulling for you and we certainly understand your pain.

[rae_and_scott 1]

With the cost of filing now, they should offer free mints and a pillow for the wait!

I hear you! The fees are ridiculous now. They should pay for my wedding, too!

Seriously, though, the increases are considerable. They should be hiring more people to take care of all the paperwork in a more timely manner. We shouldn't have to pay more AND wait longer.