New here, and a bit worried!!!

Paul and Melanie · April 27, 2006

Hi my name is Melanie, from Las Vegas, Nevada. I just wanted to share our story and introduce ourselves.

Paul and I met online on December 13, 2004. We talked on the phone for the first time about 2 days later. We chatted online everyday for hours, and both though we should meet in-person. We set up a date for the month after. Paul flew in from London to Las Vegas on January 28, 2005. We spent 4 days together, and got on really good. Paul returned to London. We talked on the phone everyday still and online for hours and hours and hours (good thing AT&T had an unlimited calling plan to the U.K). Anyway, Paul flew in again from London for a week in April of 2005, again had a wonderful time. We decided he should come in July for a couple months since he had lots of vacation time from work and to spend more time with me and my children from my previous marriage, to get to know each other better in person, and see how things would turn out if we were to think about a future together. I was married for 11 years, but separated for appox. 3. My ehusband and I filed for divorce, a joint petition which took a whole TWO days for it to be final! My divorce was final July 8, 2005. Paul flew in from London on July 28, 2005.

One day we were out shopping at Kmart (of all places) and walked by the jewelry dept. I stopped because I wanted to see some earrings or something, can't really remember, but I glanced at the rings that were behind the glass, and said "Oh, I want that one!" only kidding. A few days later, Paul gets on his knee, and asks me to marry him with the ring that I said I wanted!! I couldn't believe it! This was sometime in August. I don't remember the exact date :blush:

A couple days passed- Oh..BTW, I said YES! So we started talking about how he would go about living here, we had NO CLUE whatsoever! We looked online and went to the USCIS website and saw the info for the info pass. We made an appt. BEFORE we even got married. We get to the Immigration office, stand in the infopass line. We get up to the officers desk (I'm assuming she was an officer), and explained to her that we wanted to get married, and wanted to know what exactly we had to do, we didn't even know if we were allowed to get married since he was from another country. We asked if he had to go home, can we get married etc...

She gave us a packet of forms, and said "After you get married, fill out these forms, mail them along with a check to this address and he does not have to leave." We were very happy that we were allowed to get married and he didn't have to leave back to his country. We got married on Sept. 4, 2005 with my mom and my two children present.

Again, we wanted to MAKE SURE that everything was ok for him to stay here and not have to go back. So yet again, we made another infopass appt. AFTER we got married. We went back to the Immigration office, got inline, and spoke again to the same woman sitting behind the desk. We told her we had come in before and wanted to make sure that everything would be ok and if these were the correct forms we had to fill out and send in. She gave us the same forms again, and told us again he didn't have to leave and to fill them out and send them in along with a check.

Forms were sent out in October, but rejected because the wrong fee. We received the forms back and mailed everything back with the correct fee on November 1st. They received them on November 5, and sent out a letter saying it was received November 22, 2005 (I have no clue how that works).

One day we were looking online for some English chocolates, and came across an expats forum that someone posted about chocolate. We went to that site and started reading other posts and so on. We read about people getting married under the VWP calling it the "10 foot pole" and how "awful" and "bad" and "cheating" it was. We were SHOCKED! These people were talking so down to the ones who got married under the VWP. We had no clue, that's why we went in TWICE to make sure we would be ok. Now I come to find out that that's not so good to do. Now I'm afraid my husband might get sent back home. Our Initial Interview is for May 3- next week. I'm a little nervous. But I don't think we were in the wrong, as we went in twice and did NOT plan on getting married when he planned his July trip.

So that's our story and why we're a bit scared.

We hope to meet other couples in the same situation as we are in, and hope to hear others' experiences. This is a wonderful board what I've read so far.

Melanie and Paul

Paul and Melanie · April 27, 2006

P.S. My timeline on this thing is wrong in my profile, but I have no clue how to chage it lol

Kez/JWolf · April 27, 2006

Congratulation on your wedding.... I did exactly the same thing as you have done... I cam over in Feb 2005 for a 10 week stay to recover from surgery.... Well while I was here my now husband asked me to marry him.... we went to the local office and asked the same question about what to do..... Well we filed for AOS in May 2005 and in Nov 2005 we were approved.... we had no problems at interview... infact the only problem we have had is that my Greencard got lost in the mail... I am waiting on another one to be issued...

Relax dont panic.... just make sure you have lots of evidence for your interview and you will be fine... and REMEMBER you have done nothing wrong.....

Good luck

Kezzie