January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?

[sunnybear 0]

Yup that is the one Gareth had too...no fair... I told him I need to go find me a hot doctor to do an exam on me since it has been over a year now LOL!

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

Nope, £180 EXCLUDING the vaccines. All you get is the checkup for that.

I guess they charge extra to see your wiener

[sunnybear 0]

So Sunnybear, why do you hate your dress now?

btw, yesterday I asked Bryan if he wanted me to show him my dress, and he said "No, I want to wait until the ceremony". I wanted to show it to him because I can't wait until next spring/summer! And I also wanted him to take a picture of it, but I guess that is not going to happen anytime soon.

Well I tried it on again to see what alterations would need done and it just overall is not as flattering on me as I thought...I still think it was made super well for the price so I should be able to make money back no prob. I just decided I want a different style and most likely not using red as a main color anymore. We are going for more a woodland look with browns and greens then minimal orange and reds tossed in....so yup I go Monday to try on and hopefully get a new one I LOVE ordered. Gareth won't see mine either until the ceremony

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Ooh, I've seen autumnal themed weddings (oranges/dark reds/greens/browns) and they've always looked fabulous!

I had a svelte, petite, olive-skinned Asian doctor - she's not the South African, is she? I thought there were only two doctors, one male and one female! She gave me a rather thorough breast exam.

I've had both a brilliant weekend and a bad weekend.

On Saturday I was feeling very lonely. I came in to work to do some overtime - completely voluntarily! - because I was bored and missing Alex so much. Where was Alex this weekend? At a convention in Seattle. More specifically, at the Penny Arcade Expo.

Penny Arcade is the site we met on, and whose forums we are both active members of. We are friends with many of the other forumers.

So while I was all alone, Alex was meeting with over 80 members of the forums, at least 30-40 of whom I have been wanting to meet for several years now! Not to mention a few other forumers I have met before and had a fantastic time with. I was getting periodic text updates from Alex and it was making me all the more envious! By late Saturday I was really feeling quite low indeed.

However, yesterday was a brilliant day - one of the best days I've had in a very long while. My friends gave me my belated birthday presents, and as they know that I didn't want anything material (I already have far too much to ship over to the US) my present from one friend was 3 hours in a spa, my present from another was having my nails done, and my present from a third was having my lunch paid for! So four of us spent all morning undergoing the spa experience here and then we ate lunch and, in the evening, played around with tubes of henna, giving each other temporary tattoos. So much fun!

Edited September 1, 2008 by Alex & Rachel

[lucie&damon 0]

However I have one concern. They never asked me if I wanted to take his name (which I want to do) or keep mine. Bryan says that since they didn't ask they'll just do it like they do with 99% of people and will give me his name. I hope he is right!

Hi everybody!

I haven't been here for a while! I was quite busy with wedding plans! ; )

Damon and I got married last friday! It was really easy! we went at the court house in the morning, there was no line!it went so quickly that i still don't realize i'm married!haha!we had a party with our friends at night! It was lots of fun! : )

Congratulation to Cécile and Bryan!

about your concern about the name: they didn't change my name either! you need to ask to change it. When I went after we got married at the office of social security number to ask for info, the girl in front of me got married and was asking to change her name. But since we don't have social security number, I don't know when we will be able to change our name...

anyway, now we are trying to fill everything for uscis.but we are a little confused...

1) Is there anything besides the AOS and EAD packet we need to fill out?

2) When we fill out the EAD to go along with the AOS, should we send them all to the same place in one packet, or in another packet?

3) When we went to the SSN office, the woman said we needed an EAD, but other sources say we just need the K1, I94, and some ID. Who is right?

Thanks!

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

Damon and I got married last friday!

Congratulations

When I went after we got married at the office of social security number to ask for info, the girl in front of me got married and was asking to change her name. But since we don't have social security number, I don't know when we will be able to change our name...

Don't you have to do that or tell people that when you get a marriage license or when you file the marriage certificate?

1) Is there anything besides the AOS and EAD packet we need to fill out?

You might want to fill out the forms for the AP (advance parole) too since you pay for it anyways

2) When we fill out the EAD to go along with the AOS, should we send them all to the same place in one packet, or in another packet?

I think (I am not sure) it has to go to the same address and has to be in the same package (I believe there is an option somewhere that has to be checked on the AOS request thingie) since you have to pay it all at once as well.

3) When we went to the SSN office, the woman said we needed an EAD, but other sources say we just need the K1, I94, and some ID. Who is right?

A K1 holder is work authorized, of course it is not allowed to work without the EAD but it does grant you to get the SSN (your SSN will get something like 'valid only for work with INS authorisation' written on it). At question #3 on the form 'Citizenship', you have to check 'Legal Alien Allowed To Work'.

Also, read (and print it out to take it with you to the SSN office) this PDF file: http://www.kamya.com/ssn/em00154.pdf its a notice that you are allowed to get your SSN even though you did not file for your EAD yet. Be sure to hand it over at the SSN office as they might not be aware that your K1 is good to get a SSN.

Everything is also explained here: https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx...33;opendocument , you might want to print this one out too and bring it to the SSN office also (in specific: "C. Policy - Employment Authorization by Class of Admission".

You are allowed to get the SSN even if you do not have the EAD yet

Also, be sure to read all the guides and example forms on this site as these things are all explained in it

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

about your concern about the name: they didn't change my name either! you need to ask to change it. When I went after we got married at the office of social security number to ask for info, the girl in front of me got married and was asking to change her name. But since we don't have social security number, I don't know when we will be able to change our name...

Congratulations to you too!

Maybe when we go to get the social security number, we can change it directly? this is all so weird!

And yes, as Jeroen says, we can get the SSN with only the K1. Just print everything he sent you.

When I went after we got married at the office of social security number to ask for info, the girl in front of me got married and was asking to change her name. But since we don't have social security number, I don't know when we will be able to change our name...

Don't you have to do that or tell people that when you get a marriage license or when you file the marriage certificate?

They never asked! so the whole time I thought they would ask us after the 'ceremony' but they didn't :S

[Alex7892 0]

Firstly well done to everybody who has got all the great news lately and good luck to everybody else who is still waiting!

Just to give people an update on my situation - and hopefully this will put anybody else in the same situation at ease - our case finally arrived at the NVC having been approved way back on the 30th May and having virtually 'gone missing' since then as literally nobody at the CSC/NVC could inform us where it was.

6 weeks ago just when the whole thing was really starting to frustrate us, I sent a speculative e-mail to the NVC which they replied saying that they did not have our case on file - I replied back (3 weeks ago) asking them to double check because it didn't seem right that nobody knows what was going on with out approved visa and last week, much to my surprise, they replied stating that they have processed the case and quoted me an LND number.

I've re-read the e-mail about 20 times and the buzz is still the same each time! Total relief after all that stress!

I presume it will be relatively straightforward from here on in - the NVC send it on to London and then London send it on to me etc but if somebody can give me more of a definitive guide as to what happens next and how long it usually takes I would be very grateful - i'm talking approximate dates on how long things take and what the checklist comprises of, will the interview date arrive with the checklist or will that arrive after I have returned the checklist to the consulate in London etc

Obviously there's info for this kinda thing all over the web but seeing as a lot of you guys have gone through the same procedure I think i'd rather get some jargon-free advice!

As i've suggested before, if your case is taking an age or you think there's something just not quite right in the delay then keep calling the CSC/NVC (or e-mail), take names and extension numbers of anybody you speak to for future reference and eventually, through persistence, you will get answers!

[lucie&damon 0]

thank you very much Jeroen and Cecile!

everything is clear now!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Congratulations lucie on your marriage!

Alex - wow, that sucks that it was delayed so long, but what a relief that it's finally been processed! Hope things speed up a little for you now!

[sunnybear 0]

ARGHHH sorry I am a bit MIA but I am in panic mode over London not getting our case yet that was sent from NVC on the 19th grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...what is even more irritating is others who supposedly cases left NVC a couple days after ours have gotten their P3's already!!! Do they not know I need this next step so that I can get on with wedding planning?! Haha..

Good news is found dress of my dreams and bought it yesterday...I LOVE it!!!!

Where are wedding pics at people I want to see!!!

[sunnybear 0]

Alex can you please share your timeline or at least let me know when they said your case was supposedly sent from NVC to London? I am going nuts waiting for them to say ours has officially reached London as they keep telling me it was sent from NVC on August 19th.....

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Ooh, what does your dress look like, Sunny?

[sunnybear 0]

Ooh, what does your dress look like, Sunny?

Wellll since Gareth doesn't come on this site I will post the pic my sis took of me in it.....The green sash is called fern for the color and it will hang down lower in back of the dress (they didn't have one in stock in longer length so I was just holding a flower girl one around me for picture sake haha) I loved this dress and feel like a lovely cupcake in it heehee I am so excited to wear it!!! Now to hunt down some sort of little coverup sweater,shawl something for the pics for the grandparents and such haha!

[sunnybear 0]

Hmm won't accept my dress let me try another way........

Grr still won't take it...I need to reduce file...anyway it is a white strapless floor length gown with all the pickups on the skirt part....I feel like a cupcake I love it haha! I then will have a fern colored sash to go with our brown and green woodland type theme

Edited September 2, 2008 by sunnybear