January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?

[dbears 1]

It's goos sunday morning here.. here's another january filer approval for Blake to add to the list: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profil...l=&id=47860

Gosh, you have 5 so far not counting the half december, half january approvals.. GO CSC!!!!

BLESSED SUNDAY everyone and hope there will be many meaningful touches by Sunday eve.

[BlakeandOlha 0]

Either way, I'd like to pass in the UK because the UK has a very tough driving test, so the idea is that if I can drive in the UK, I can drive anywhere! We also have to pass in a manual transmission car, and Sheffield is full of hills and very narrow roads that are going to be good practise for me.

We've been begged by our relatives and friends not to separate the legal wedding from the ceremony. They don't think it's 'proper' to celebrate the a wedding that wouldn't be 'real' in their eyes.

As for the real vs. "non-real" wedding, simple solution.....just don't tell em, what they don't know will not hurt them.

As for the driving test in the UK being relavent in the US, just remember we drive on the other side of the road

[BlakeandOlha 0]

It's goos sunday morning here.. here's another january filer approval for Blake to add to the list: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profil...l=&id=47860

Gosh, you have 5 so far not counting the half december, half january approvals.. GO CSC!!!!

BLESSED SUNDAY everyone and hope there will be many meaningful touches by Sunday eve.

Thanks dbears, I'll post the new list tomorrow night after all the updates are in. One thing that is interesting is that nobody is mentioning that they received any touches prior to approval. That might be of interest to the obsessive amongst us bouncing around the USCIS website all the time.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

As for the real vs. "non-real" wedding, simple solution.....just don't tell em, what they don't know will not hurt them.

As for the driving test in the UK being relavent in the US, just remember we drive on the other side of the road

The real wedding is hopefully going to be cheap as chips anyway! What I'm concerned with is having money for moving/visa/medical. Until I have enough money to pay for my flight and shipping my belongings sorting out the actual wedding is a moot point.

And I won't forget! I've never so much as been behind the wheel of a car, so any driving practise has to be beneficial in some way.

[BlakeandOlha 0]

As for the real vs. "non-real" wedding, simple solution.....just don't tell em, what they don't know will not hurt them.

As for the driving test in the UK being relavent in the US, just remember we drive on the other side of the road

The real wedding is hopefully going to be cheap as chips anyway! What I'm concerned with is having money for moving/visa/medical. Until I have enough money to pay for my flight and shipping my belongings sorting out the actual wedding is a moot point.

And I won't forget! I've never so much as been behind the wheel of a car, so any driving practise has to be beneficial in some way.

Well good luck on the driving, Olga's in the same situation. She want's me to teach her when she gets here, but I think that in order to avoid having to "correct" her continually (always dangerous for a husband to do) I'll get her in a driving class so someone else can do it.

The money issue is a big one for most of us. I'm trying to figure out how I'll get through all this without getting up to my eyeballs in debt. August is going to be an ugly financial month for sure. My daughter's first semester college tuition is due and if things go smoothly I'll be forking over a round trip and two one way tickets from Kiev. Mucho Dollars. Oh boy.

[BlakeandOlha 0]

This is wonderful, you turn around and there's another January approval - Congratulations to Tanya & Hersham - January 14 filers

Edited May 3, 2008 by BlakeandOlha

[dbears 1]

The real wedding is hopefully going to be cheap as chips anyway! What I'm concerned with is having money for moving/visa/medical. Until I have enough money to pay for my flight and shipping my belongings sorting out the actual wedding is a moot point.

Well good luck on the driving, Olga's in the same situation. She want's me to teach her when she gets here, but I think that in order to avoid having to "correct" her continually (always dangerous for a husband to do) I'll get her in a driving class so someone else can do it.

The money issue is a big one for most of us. I'm trying to figure out how I'll get through all this without getting up to my eyeballs in debt. August is going to be an ugly financial month for sure. My daughter's first semester college tuition is due and if things go smoothly I'll be forking over a round trip and two one way tickets from Kiev. Mucho Dollars. Oh boy.

I can relate with the money thing... we've changed plans so many times becoz of it.. Ricky was supposed to come here and get us by end of july or first week of august but we figured we could save the $2,500-3,000 that he is going to spend coming here on other things that we would be needing... this process is indeed a very expensive process most especially since the cost is times three for me and the kids. Ricky feels bad about letting me & the kids fly half way around the world without him but since I was the one who suggested it, I had to tell him it is ok and it is the most practical thing to do, besides I don't think I would be dragging all our luggage all over the planet, it will just sit on the cargo portion and me and the kids will just sit and wait for the plane to land.

I honestly would have loved for him to come here and personally assure my parents that he will not insure me then chop me to pieces and I would have loved for our church to lay hands on us and pray for us but with the rising cost of everything and with the ailing economy of the US, I just thought that practicality should take centerstage. I don't want to put more financial strain on both of us since we will be starting a new life and I know I still won't be able to work and help him financially right away. I'd like to think I am just a very practical person and $2,500-3,000 is still huge amount.

[dbears 1]

BIG BIG CONGRATS to the new addition in the growing list of January CSC approval.

Cecil and Aliona, this will be the hardest part of waiting.. seeing people who filed within your timeline and after your timeline getting approvals but I hope you will both stay strong. In God's perfect time you will get your NOA2 and pls pls pls don't ever lose sight of what's in the other side of this agonizing wait: A LIFETIME OF BLISS WITH YOUR SO.

Blessed Sunday to all of you.... I'm holding all of you in my thoughts and prayers.

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

Hmm... I could be wrong but isn't getting your UK drivers license a bit like throwing away your money right now? I mean, if you move to the US next year, you probably will have to do another exam and might have to turn in your current license (I dont know how this is in CA tho but I read it will be like this for me in HI).

Sorry to hear you'll have to wait so long still until you guys will marry.. have you considered a marriage just for the papers first and a bigger wedding with relatives later? That's what we will do since we wont have the money for a huge wedding either.

I doubt that I'd actually have to turn mine in - surely that isn't legal? My UK license will be valid until I turn 65 and if I ever return to the UK I shall need it again. Also, I'll be visiting the UK often and I'd like to be able to get insured on my dad's car for the odd week or two so Alex & I can tour the UK.

Either way, I'd like to pass in the UK because the UK has a very tough driving test, so the idea is that if I can drive in the UK, I can drive anywhere! We also have to pass in a manual transmission car, and Sheffield is full of hills and very narrow roads that are going to be good practise for me.

We've been begged by our relatives and friends not to separate the legal wedding from the ceremony. They don't think it's 'proper' to celebrate the a wedding that wouldn't be 'real' in their eyes.

Hmm... Well, according to the law in Hawaii it is not legal to have two licenses, which I can understand as well.. there's also a lot of countries who do not allow you to have two passports, in which case you also will need to surrender the old one if you want a new one (like I would have to if some lawmaker in my country would get his way, I would lose my Dutch passport in that case). Like said, I didn't know about how it is in California but I just checked on their .gov site to see what the rules are for a foreigner.. it says the following:

If you are a visitor in California over 18 and have a valid driver license from your home state or country, you may drive in this state without getting a California driver license as long as your home state license remains valid. If you take a job here or become a resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days.

If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take a driving test.

California does recognize a valid driver license that is issued by a foreign jurisdiction (country, state, territory) of which the license holder is a resident.

The full page can be found here: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#two500

From what I read in the above, I think you are allowed to drive with your UK license only if you are UK resident but if you're moving on a K1 visa to the US then you will obviously no longer be a resident of the UK and that one will not be valid. There is also a part in the above page where they say something about surrendering your license but I am unsure if that is for renewals or also for foreign licenses.

Anyways, I could be completely wrong about what I seen so far but this is what I could find on their website. I have a drivers manual for the state of Hawaii over here and that actually tells me I should surrender my foreign license when I want to have my Hawaii license (my foreign license will also only be valid for 6 months after I gained entry to the US, after that I am officially not allowed to keep driving on that license).

I can understand your motives about the UK being more strict on driving tests, that is a very good reason indeed. Also the manual shifting is a good thing to learn I think. I especially noticed the difference between myself and my SO.. my SO doesn't dare to drive in the Netherlands while I had no problems driving over there at all, all because we're more like maniacs over here in her eyes haha. So yeah, I think it is a good thing to do it in the UK when it is for the strictness of the exams.. I was merely just wondering if you wouldn't be better of saving the money

Also, I don't know how it is in the UK but over here you are allowed to drive a foreign car, with a foreign license, as long as the car is insured and as long as you have a valid license which is recognized in our country. I think it might be the same in the UK because people had no problems at all lending me their car (and neither when I rented one). I don't think you have to worry about that... the only part is when you come back again indeed. That is something I am wondering about as well (my SO and I are thinking about buying a house over here as well so we can move back and forth if we want but we might also end up here in a number of years, we don't know).. but yeah, what happens then if I don't have my Dutch license anymore? Take another test? lol :S

About your wedding, I kinda like the idea Blake gave.. if you don't tell them, they wouldn't know lol.. oh well, guess they would know now tho.. I kinda think you told them all about how things work with the K1, or am I wrong? hahaha I know I do all the time to my mom and such hahaha

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Yes - I guess we are all going to be pretty poor! Blake - sure my dad could relate with you on the college front. He had three children at university at once...our tuition is a lot cheaper but it was still an expensive time for him!

Jereon - that would really suck if you had to surrender your foreign license! Oh well...I guess so long as you could drive in The Netherlands with your American license. Thank you for looking up the information for me! Oh, and please don't worry about the cost of driving lessons - the first ten are a belated Christmas/birthday present from my parents!

Congratulations to Tanya & Hersham! Wonderful news!

[sunnybear 0]

Yes - I guess we are all going to be pretty poor! Blake - sure my dad could relate with you on the college front. He had three children at university at once...our tuition is a lot cheaper but it was still an expensive time for him!

Jereon - that would really suck if you had to surrender your foreign license! Oh well...I guess so long as you could drive in The Netherlands with your American license. Thank you for looking up the information for me! Oh, and please don't worry about the cost of driving lessons - the first ten are a belated Christmas/birthday present from my parents!

Congratulations to Tanya & Hersham! Wonderful news!

Woohoo on you getting your driving license! Gareth never did get his over there in England....I keep telling him I am going to get him his American one though and he chuckles at me like I am joking....he is such a lazy bum I tell ya hahaha! Not really but he claims that is what kept him from completing it the first go around when he was 18/19 that and the pubs...heh heh

[BlakeandOlha 0]

OK, here's where we are at the end of Saturday - 'scuse my French, but it's been a hell of a couple of days. Let's all pray it continues.....

Remaining 91.4%......... Approved 8.6%

……………. Filing Date

Remaining

1 Bryant & Aliona 01-01

2 Plami & Krasi 01-01

3 Ayako & Nathan 01-01

4 Cecile & Bryan 01-02

5 Belen & Tim 01-02

6 Ten & DJ 01-03

7 Yuliya & Brian 01-03

8 Paola & Chris 01-04

9 Thanh & Cao 01-04

10 Zrinka & Eric 01-05

11 Lili & Matt 01-05

12 PT & J 01-07

13 Ajay & Komal 01-07

14 Matt & Robin 01-08

15 Maria Ameliza & Eric 01-09

16 Judee Anne & Reynaldo 01-09

17 Robe & Victoria 01-09

18 Irina & Zubzare 01-10

19 Pamela & Joshua 01-11

20 Eliciana & Benjamin 01-11

21 Rachel & Alex 01-11

22 Erica & Scott 01-12

23 WW & MM 01-12

24 Sarah & Rudi 01-12

25 Bruno & Carol 01-12

26 Myriam & Gary 01-14

27 Russell & Dakotah 01-14

28 jj & sh 01-15

29 Elena & Sergey 01-15

30 jen & jay 01-16

31 Hilda & Chris 01-16

32 Steph & Gareth 01-17

33 Oscar & Joselyn 01-17

34 Marina & Eugene 01-17

35 Agatha & Robert 01-17

36 VRP & SK 01-18

37 Levi & Heather 01-19

38 gabbie & erv 01-22

39 Chris & Therese 01-23

40 nr123 & nm123 01-23

41 Laura & Scott 01-23

42 Joanna & Dale 01-23

43 Lean & Emil 01-23

44 Nick & Sarah 01-23

45 yan & isa 01-24

46 Lucy & Damon 01-24

47 a & o 01-24

48 Greivin & Courtney 01-24

49 Jeroen & Michelle 01-24

50 Olga & Blake 01-25

51 Lea & Ron 01-25

52 jennie & matthew 01-25

53 Paul & Joanna 01-25

54 Rymma & Vadim 01-25

55 WE & CE 01-25

56 Supida & Supida 01-25

57 Lena & Val 01-29

58 Susan & Chris 01-30

59 Ersila & Ilir 01-30

60 Mary & Carl 01-30

61 Benny & Cassi 01-31

62 Ge & Haibo 01-31

63 Benny & Cassi 01-31

64 Richel & Michael 01-31

Approved

1 Gerald & Vinera….….01-04…...04-22

2 Bing & John……… …01-12…...05-02

3 Shirley & Steven…….01-07…...05-02

4 J & Paulie…………….....01-04…...05-02

5 Rosi & Chuck……..…..01-04…...05-02

6 Hesham & Tanya…….01-14…...05-02

[Pandora01 0]

Just checked Igor's list, oh my! We're at 107 in there! Woohoo!

And congratulations to everyone who got their approval! Things are moving, yeah!

[shes 0]

Woo-hoo! Look at CSC go!!

The party was fantastically fun! Lots of drunkenness and LOTS of debauchery.

so debauchery was fun eh?

[CourtAndGrey 0]

OK, here's where we are at the end of Saturday - 'scuse my French, but it's been a hell of a couple of days. Let's all pray it continues.....

Remaining 91.4%......... Approved 8.6%

Blake, thanks (as usual) for the numbers!!

I can't wait until Monday when you'll have to send that list out every hour cause you can't keep up with all the new approvals!