AOS-Filing (or Compiling) in October 2008

[aleena 0]

I just got my biometrics appointment!

And the good thing is that i don't have to go all the way to Baltimore like i thought... Looks like USCIS has an office 10 minutes from where we live

So i am scheduled for November 12.

I am getting ready to bake my baby some apple pie

He's out in the woods putting corn our for the deer. Oh my God! hunting season! There will be deer hanging from the garage door soon....

Poor Bambi.... Hope I can make it through...

Good luck with unpacking Nich. That sounds like a lot of stuff! It probably seems like you married half of the British Kingdom, doesn't it? lol

I only came with 2 large suitcases and one smaller one. And Lee brought back my winter stuff last time he visited. I really don't have too much stuff i couldn't live without. I have moved a lot while in college and after so i never actually had any belongings other than clothes and personal items.

Hope you all have a nice Sunday

[KimandRuss 0]

Surely Kim has mailed her papers. And I guess your next step will be getting the biometrics appointment.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Surely Kim has mailed her papers. And I guess your next step will be getting the biometrics appointment.

KIM!!! Get with the program.

I know how you feel. Get the guy here and the "hurry up and wait" mentality during the K1 process seems lags a bit. I don't even check the website for touches. LOL. When I get something in the mail, I'll deal with it.

Hope you guys had a good weekend. The weather here is so nice. It's like spring...short sleeves, no jackets. We goofed off and made no progress clearing out junk to make room for Nick's boxes. He's a packrat of sorts, but actually pared down his things to only 23 smallish boxes. I have a "junk" room, as I call it right now, that has things that need to go to Goodwill and other things that need organizing or throwing out. One bedroom, my youngest daughter's, has a walk-in closet full of her things. Now that she's moved into a house, she's supposed to come get her "treasures." I agreed to leave them until she had a house of her own. Bet she decides she doesn't want all that stuff so much anymore. Does a Certified Public Accountant really need a trunk of 50 something My Little Ponies?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hi all!

Something new to report. Got a notice today that AOS was transferred to California Service Center on Halloween (Sorry, ya don't get too many opportunites to use the pumpkin thingies.)

So, is that a good thing? Does it mean our medical will get lost on the way? Does it mean they overlooked our failure to send in the I-693 transcription? Stay tuned for the continuing saga.

Other that that, we are doing well and being totally lazy. Life is good being in the same time zone, not to mention the same house. Last night I called Nick from upstairs to his cell phone just to be silly and say, "I miss you honey" like I used to do. Oh man, remember the days of long distance relationships and checking USCIS case status constantly? Speaking of the case status online. I haven't checked mine since I added the new applicatons, which had a date of 10/22. So since the transfer notice came today I had a look. Nothing has changed and no email about the transfer.

[Dutti 0]

So, is that a good thing? Does it mean our medical will get lost on the way? Does it mean they overlooked our failure to send in the I-693 transcription? Stay tuned for the continuing saga.

lol...this is exactly what I was thinking when I read our case got transferred too.

I just got an online update today that our case is now pending at CSC..

Let`s hope for the best for our medicals

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Oh Dutti, we're hanging out in California together. Nice weather here. Love the palm trees. Well, we can compare notes again, just like VSC days.

[BexandAlan 0]

Hi Guys.

It's great to see all my friends in one place again. Ana and Alina I hate all this sitting around, I'm going crazy. Was lucky enough to go on one of Alan's business trips with him last week so that at least got me out of the apartment but I'm otherwise going insane. We can't afford another car right and there isn't a whole lot of stuff I can walk to around here. My days are spent clock watching, waiting for my husband to come home - not exactly the life I had in mind when I spent four years at university getting my BSc. Anyway I finally got my act together and sent off the AOS package. We should have done it straight away and the majority of the forms were all ready but we just needed a little break from the USCIS.

I'm doing ok with all the general adjustments but I'm missing home a whole lot. We have Vonage so I get free calls home but it still not the same, I was sick the whole way through October and just wanted my mum ... and the NHS! Nich I don't know if you have a whole foods (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/all/index.php#tx) close by but Alan and I went to ours a few weeks ago and not only did they have a ton of English food (the best selection I've found so far) but right next to it they had a huge Indian section and I was able to buy all my favourite Sharwood and Patak curry's mmmmmmm. A local Publix has also recently opened a British food section which is awesome, I can get gravy and cordial and proper chocolate. They told me at the check out that you can request an inventory of Publix products at any store, choose what you want and then have it shipped in so for those of you who don't have a British section you can still get the products if you ask (the right person...)

I just caught the end of October filing, my package was received on the 29th so I'm counting myself in. Check was cashed on the 5th so hopefully I will hear something from them soon.

Lots and lots of love

Bex xxx

[aleena 0]

Nice to hear from you BEX! Welcome back!

why are you not stopping by more often if you have so much time on your hands?

I have started a training job yesterday at a hotel. I will assist the Sales Manager and so far i like it. Hopefully i will get my work permit soon so i can officially be on the payroll. It is weird to wake up at 7.30 in the morning ...lol... But i really needed to fill out my time. I know all of us went through the "waiting for a real life" stage and hopefully we will all get there soon. We have a saying: what's worse than not having any free time? Having to much free time

My case has also been transfered to CSC...which i find extremely weird... I was ready to come here and write a desperate post all worried that they might have made a mistake... But since more of us are in the same boat i guess we are ok...

To tell you the truth i am not really worried because no matter what happens we will work it through... I am not by myself anymore

NICH sometimes i have nightmares..that i am separated from my baby again and it is such a nice feeling when i wake up and he's next to me

It is really unbelievable that we are where we are after what we have been through...

Hope you all have a great weekend!

By the way...i have noticed there is another October AOS thread. I found it a few days ago. I don't know any of those people...lol

I feeel much more comfortable here with my old friends!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

By the way...i have noticed there is another October AOS thread. I found it a few days ago.

I saw that too, but it gets a little confusing because I realized people are adjusting from so many types of visas all lumped together. They have different requirements and applications...like sending in an I-130 and not already having a recent medical abroad. I'm clueless about the work or student visa process or how it plays out in the AOS.

Alina, it's pretty common (for K1s and K3s?) to be sent to process at CSC. It's supposed to save time and you will most likely get the green card without an interview. Maybe it's because we already have done so much recent documentation and name checks, as well as interviewed that they figure we don't need to be quizzed yet again. LOL

And Bex~~your Mommy Nich is proud of you for getting your paperwork done. I know exactly how you felt about needing a break from USCIS. It's really good to hear from you. I've been wondering about you. Sorry you were sick and homesick.

[aleena 0]

oh my God Nich! I almost didn't recognize you under your new "look"! That profile picture is hilarious!

Even more hilarious as i actually know what a cool charming lady you are!

Is CSC really good news? And it might mean no interview? that is awesome!

the less USCIS in our lives the better!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hey there Alina. Missed your post. This AOS topic moves so fast. Guess there's alot more since all the visa types are joined into one forum for AOS.

Don't ya love my new pic? hahahaha I'm probably scaring people now. Maybe I scared Bex and that's why she doesn't come around since she's so bored. How's the hotel going? Is it a good one? Maybe we'll come check in and call it a honeymoon. Bet it's already cold up there. Not even close to sweater weather here yet.

Wonder how long this will take to get all the stuff...EAD, AOS, etc. I don't pay that much attention to the timelines like I did during the K1 fun. Nick probably won't be able to find a job anyway with how the economy is going. People are getting laid off and businesses are hurting. There would be more opportunity in Houston for his field...computers, networkig, telecommunications. We've talked about moving but not sure I want to take on trying to sell my house or a house payment. It's kinda scary how much money I've lost in my investment accounts lately. It's only "on paper" as they say, but still looks dreadful.

We're going to biometics appointment tomorrow. I'll let you know if it was fun or not.

Yes, the transfer to CSC is supposed to be good. We'll see.

[BexandAlan 0]

Hey guys.

Not sure why I'm not around as much anymore, in a strange little way being on VJ makes me think about home way too much. I think I just kind of OD'd whilst waiting for the K1. I think about you guys a lot though, my little VJ family, without whom I wouldn't have made it this side anywhere near as mentally stable as I did.

I got my biometrics appointment, yey. Still can't access my case status online though, grrrrr. Having a bit of a tough time being an "imigrant" recently.

Incident #1: Went to get my name changed on my Social Security card yesterday which had I read enough about on here I wouldn't have gone to do but I got conflicting info from the SSO and the vital statistics office and went anyway. The women there was so rude, she clearly didn't know anything about immigration. She kept calling me illegal even though I explained all about aos etc. I finally told her to leave the application to change my name and said I would do it when I got my EAD (which now I understand is the correct way to do it) and she insisted on running it through her system because ... "something doesn't seem right with YOU and when I enter it in it will red flag you with INS and they will have to investigate you." Finally her computer said NO which she was hoping for all along and then she told me that INS would contact me in 8-14 weeks!!!!! The whole time she was rude and belittling me, I just wanted to run from the office, hide in the car and cry.

Incident #2: I have just gotten back from Publix. I know it a bit naughty but I haven't gotten my GA driving license yet. I tried but because I didn't have anything with my address on they wouldn't let me, I haven't been able to borrow the car since I've had bill and stuff with my name on so I haven't done it yet. Anyway I'm still using my UK license. I buy alcohol from this particular Publix almost every week, always with my same UK I.D never have I had a problem. So I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself and decide to buy a bottle of wine (LOL to go with my Johnny Depp DVD and cherry coffee cake - Such a lonely heart!!) The lady at the counter takes my I.D and then proceeds to tell me all about her Nigerian-English boyfriend which is nice and the bag girl is asking me a few questions about home, we're having a nice little chat. Then along comes some other lady who tells the woman on the checkout she can't accept my I.D. I ask her why and she says they only accept GA state issued licenses.!! I was like so if I had a North Carolina I.D you wouldn't be able to sell me alcohol? Thats RIDICULOUS! She ignored me and carried on saying we can't accept THAT and then she asked for my passport. I asked her if she would ask MR or MRS North Carolina for their passports too, they only have a 22% chance of actually owning one after all. She said that she would probably be able to accept their out of state I.D after all, Humph. I told her that none of her fellow employees had ever had a problem with my license and neither did Kroger so if she was going to be defiant I was going to go across the street and buy my groceries from now on. She finally backed down but my victory was dampened by the effort I had had to put into it.

Blah, everywhere I go I feel like I have to defend myself. The novelty of being here is wearing off and the reality of spending the next 4.5 years battling USCIS and INS is starting to sink in some more.

Sorry guys needed that whine to go with my wine!!

Momma Nick how did the biometrics go? I hope all is well. I think you guys should move to GA, I'll hook Nick up with a telecommunications job with Alan's company. I could do with another Mom around here.

Lots of love and hugs xxx

[aleena 0]

hello my dear friends!

home alone tonight... My hubby went away for 2 days for business. It is the first night without him since we got married and i miss him already

i am learning new things every day at work. the economy problems are hitting the hotel business pretty hard but we are hanging in there. i might go to a Holiday Inn school in a couple months. that should be interesting. It might actually be in Atlanta Maybe i will see you for a glass of wine, BEX!

I am so sorry for your unpleasant events... It happens to all of us... Just don't let it get to you!

I had a melt down last night... I was on the phone with my Romanian friend and she was boarding on her plane to go home... Made me very very homesick and i did a little crying... Sometimes i just can't help it no matter as hard i try.

Yes NICH it is "already" cold here... Been cold in the last month or so. Heath is on... and it really feels like cuddling under the blanket time at night. especially since it's getting dark at 5 pm... I would love you to come and visit, but this is really not the right reason! It seems like it's been raining for the last 2 weeks...Depressing...

Ok....gotta go rake my cake out of the oven!

Lee's dad is coming to hunt for the weekend and i want to be a good daughter-in-law

Good night!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hey Kids! I'm so that you guys are having a rough time. I know it's got to be so hard to make such a change in your life. But adding rudeness from people like you experienced Bex is horrible. Too bad Mommy Nich couldn't come with you and take the ladies on too. Sounds like you did a good job of standing up for yourself.

I just was telling Nick and asked him if he was having a hard time too. He said "With what?" I said, you know missing England, and your family, and feeling like people are treating you badly. He said "no, no, and no." A guy answer. He said you should move to Texas because it's a much nicer country. LOL. He's already getting that Texas mentality in just 6 weeks here. We've been taking Texas History. It's just a once a week fun thing and only hits the highlights. One of our friends is teaching it and he's such a funny guy and a great story teller, so a bunch of us signed up. Yesterday we covered the whole Texas Revolution in an hour. That's when the Texans declared independence from Mexico, fought a revolution, and became a country. Thus he called it a country...cracks me up.

Actually everybody practically swoons over him because of the British accent. The girl at the coffee shop hangout wants him to order a scone everyday just to hear him say scone. hahahaha. He's really funny when he tries to tell me in a fake southern accent that sales girls say, "Ah jes luuuvvv to heah you tawk." (tried to do that phonetically...we don't really sound like that. LOL.)

Biometrics was pretty fast. Not many people in there so he didn't have to wait around at all. He just filled out the paper and showed photo id. It seemed like it took her a long time to do the prints. She kept doing them several times to get them just so. After that we went to a real pub and he got Cornish Pasty, chips (fries) and Heinz beans. Ah, real British food! Then we went to my daughter's house so he could be "tech support" and fix up her printer on the wireless network and make it work with the desktop and laptop.

I checked my online status to see if biometrics triggered anything. It looks like the AOS got touched 11/7 and 11/9. Guess that had something to do with the transfer to CSC. At first I thought it was the same, but I had jotted down the dates and realized that there was another touch. The 11/7 as I recalled mentioned transfer. Couldn't click on it tonight to see what the status said like you normally can. Their system must be broken.

I've got to work tomorrow. Darn! I work for my investment broker guy when the regular girl needs off. At least it will be busy with the economy like it is. The phone will ring off the wall since people are freaking out over their accounts.. It is so boring when nothing is happening and I just sit there from 8-5.

Take care and pour the whine anytime.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

What's going on with everybody? No news on any of the AOS for us. We did get Nick's shipment from the Port of Houston this week. It was ridiculous. We got charged another fortune on this end by the ships agent, and various custom inspection charges. In the end, the charges after arrival were $615. It's like they have your stuff hostage and you have to pay what they say. You get no choice of who the ships agent is going to be or what their charges are. We borrowed a big pick up truck and finally got the stuff home. Yay for that, at least.

Edited November 20, 2008 by Nich-Nick