January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Have you tried looking for local forums? I know that there is such a thing for me as the Sheffield Forums where you can sell your things and people will come and pick them up from your house and there's no need to deal with ebay or postage. That might be handy for furniture. Either that or classified ads in the paper.

I'll be selling my only piece of furniture - a big, comfy desk chair - and probably my computer and some DS games on there as those don't sell well on ebay.

I can't imagine letting everything go, either. I imagine I'll keep a good many DVDs and books. Those will be more expensive to replace than to keep and move. I'm hoping I'll make enough money from selling my other belongings to cover shipping costs for the rest.

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

Hmm... I actually started selling stuffs before we even filed the petition haha.

I started with my CD's since I got everything of that on a harddrive anyways...

I gave away my PS2 including the games..

My DVD's will all go to my mother, the furniture will be sold...

Some other stuff like electronic equipment (synthesizer, vinyl, recordplayers and such) are also already sold since I wasn't doing anything with it...

Ah some furniture also went to my mom in the meantime..

I don't have much at all to take with me since we're all set over there (she actually even bought stuff for me for when I am there like a new desk for my business lol)..

The only stuff I will take with me is my clothes (not even all at once, it's too much but I will take more with me when I go back and forth again), photoalbums, some important papers and some books... that is basically everything I need lol..

[BlakeandOlha 0]

The timelines are kinda weird right now. We've had no approvals, yet my anticipated adjudication date has continued to move up. Now I'm at July 2 where yesterday I was at July 4. Go figure. Anyway, if last year is a guide (optimistically stated) this will be the last slow week of the spring holiday season. Next week we shoudl see a significant increase in the number of approvals - this should continue through to the memorial day weekend. According to Igor's list the first January filers are about to crack the 100 mark - which is when I've seen approvals start. The big target is 70 after which I've seen approvals becoming frequent. On occasion the CSC has been able to string together some 30 - 40 approval weeks. So...... even though the slow pace we are seeing right now is depressing, I truely think this is the dark before the dawn.

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

I'm probably not going to have lots of things to take with me either. the very few furnitures I have will go back to my parents' house, they'll do whatever they want with it

I think I'll try to choose which clothes to bring because there are lots that I own and that I never wear (especially old ones). I have two teapots that I almost never use but I want to bring them with me. Some books, some important papers. And probably a few other things I haven't thought about. Oh yeah 4 years ago my family gave me a picture frame with photos of the entire family, I'd like to bring it too (but it's quite bulky...)

Anyway I doubt that is going to fit in two suitcases, but when my parents come for the ceremony wedding next Spring (nothing planned so far) they can bring the rest of it.

Or maybe if NOA2 takes too much time to arrive, I'll go back to the USA for 2 weeks, and that way I start moving my stuff!

Of course moving is a lot more complicated when you have children! Good luck MissYoko!

Edited April 11, 2008 by Cecile and Bryan

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

The timelines are kinda weird right now. We've had no approvals, yet my anticipated adjudication date has continued to move up. Now I'm at July 2 where yesterday I was at July 4. Go figure. Anyway, if last year is a guide (optimistically stated) this will be the last slow week of the spring holiday season. Next week we shoudl see a significant increase in the number of approvals - this should continue through to the memorial day weekend. According to Igor's list the first January filers are about to crack the 100 mark - which is when I've seen approvals start. The big target is 70 after which I've seen approvals becoming frequent. On occasion the CSC has been able to string together some 30 - 40 approval weeks. So...... even though the slow pace we are seeing right now is depressing, I truely think this is the dark before the dawn.

Yes the timelines are acting strange! I've noticed it too.

If they start approving 30-40 petitions a week again, that means that maybe they're going to start approving January filers in 3 weeks! that would be awesome!

[BlakeandOlha 0]

Yes the timelines are acting strange! I've noticed it too.

If they start approving 30-40 petitions a week again, that means that maybe they're going to start approving January filers in 3 weeks! that would be awesome!

I actually think that we'll see our first January approval in about 2 weeks - end of April. May belongs to us!!

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

I'm crossing my fingers then! (not easy to type! )

[Alex & Rachel 78]

I hear it's hard to get a decent electric kettle in the US. Because of the lower voltage, they don't boil water so efficiently.

[BlakeandOlha 0]

I hear it's hard to get a decent electric kettle in the US. Because of the lower voltage, they don't boil water so efficiently.

Funny quiestion. I really don't know anyone that uses an electric kettle, lol. Olga's got one that is amazing, but I've never been able to find one here. People just use the stove and a regular kettle (tea pot) or coffee maker. Of course you can always microwave your cup of water to get it hot, but I don't think that's very economical.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

It's rare to find a British home without one - largely because of all the tea and instant coffee we drink! I don't actually drink that much tea - and if I do, it's either really weak green tea or herbal - but I find an electric kettle really useful in so many situations - for example, boiling water for cooking vegetables with is much quicker to do in the kettle than on the hob.

[BlakeandOlha 0]

It's rare to find a British home without one - largely because of all the tea and instant coffee we drink! I don't actually drink that much tea - and if I do, it's either really weak green tea or herbal - but I find an electric kettle really useful in so many situations - for example, boiling water for cooking vegetables with is much quicker to do in the kettle than on the hob.

You are absolutely right - I think they're a great invention, just one that we don't use here. I absoulutely swore by the one I used in the Ukraine. The only water heaters like that I've seen are the kind college kids use to heat a cup of soup with, and even they don't work very well. Perhaps you could import and sell the British model.

[CourtAndGrey 0]

Yes the timelines are acting strange! I've noticed it too.

If they start approving 30-40 petitions a week again, that means that maybe they're going to start approving January filers in 3 weeks! that would be awesome!

I actually think that we'll see our first January approval in about 2 weeks - end of April. May belongs to us!!

Thanks for posting this. I needed a nice pick-me-up! If we start seeing January filers getting approved in the next two-three weeks, that gives me SO much hope!!! I have kinda reached the stage where it feels like nothing is happening, this is going to take FOREVER, and I'm starting to get depressed all over again. Your little glimmer of hope is exactly what I needed.

Thanks BlakeandOlha! Here's to May being OUR MONTH!!!!!!

[BlakeandOlha 0]

Here's to May being OUR MONTH!!!!!!

Going into a weekend after a particularly miserable week of approvals at the CSC (second such week in a row) it would be easy to be depressed. I pray that everyone remembers to stay strong and positive. Many of you have already made it 80, 90 or even 100 days - most of the wait is done. We've survived the hardest part and there is not much farther to go. I would suggest that, in a positive light, everyone make sure that they are well underway with the documentation needed for the interview so that there is no further delay once we move past the application approval phase. Stay busy, move forward, and have a wonderful weekend!

[shawndoc 0]

My mom is a big tea drinker.... And no, there are few electric kettles around. Its not a voltage thing (Amps are what are important, and that's the same), it just American's don't drink tea. Most drink coffee so there's plenty of electric coffee machines.

[dbears 1]

The timelines are kinda weird right now. We've had no approvals, yet my anticipated adjudication date has continued to move up. Now I'm at July 2 where yesterday I was at July 4. Go figure. Anyway, if last year is a guide (optimistically stated) this will be the last slow week of the spring holiday season. Next week we shoudl see a significant increase in the number of approvals - this should continue through to the memorial day weekend. According to Igor's list the first January filers are about to crack the 100 mark - which is when I've seen approvals start. The big target is 70 after which I've seen approvals becoming frequent. On occasion the CSC has been able to string together some 30 - 40 approval weeks. So...... even though the slow pace we are seeing right now is depressing, I truely think this is the dark before the dawn.

Yes the timelines are acting strange! I've noticed it too.

If they start approving 30-40 petitions a week again, that means that maybe they're going to start approving January filers in 3 weeks! that would be awesome!

they are saying that USCIS has not been updating their site and that there are more and more people who have not received NOA2 emails from CRIS but have received the hardcopy by snail mail (a few days to a week delayed of course). If this is the case then maybe there were many approvals say, first week of april but have just updated their timeline coz they have just received the hardcopy of NOA2. when they update, they will not be shown as most recent approvals but will be inserted on a previous date... sometimes there are even people who update when their approval date has been pushed down away from the list so we don't see their names on the approved list anymore. they simply disappear from the waiting list.

who knows there has been december approvals or late november approvals that has been inserted on the approved list (you would need to take note not only on the names on the top but also the names on the bottom of the approved list and then the names in between) or some additional december approvals may have had NOA2 dates like march 23 which can't be seen on the list already but will still move your tentative adjudication date up.

Blake, I like the dark before the dawn that you mentioned. I have this quote that was passed on to me as a text message years ago. I have saved it on my phone and I read when i feel down and I have also passed this on to some of my friends when they are facing trials of their own:

"Do you know that the darkest hour is the hour before sunrise? So when you feel you're at your darkest moment, you may be just a moment away from your sunrise."