Approved in Record Time!

Pilgrimtozion · October 4, 2008

In December of 2007, my American fiancée was over in Holland for three weeks. We got engaged on the 20th of December and set the wedding date for the 17th of October. I have family all over the world, so we needed to set a date ASAP, at the same time leaving enough time for the visa process. My fiancée went back to the States and shortly after that, I sent her the biographical data necessary for the petition. We had hoped to get the process moving in February, but because my fiancée was in her last semester of college, we didn't get the papers out until the 20th of May.

Considering the timeline this website gives for the whole process, we thought we wouldn't be able to make it for the 17th of October. This was only confirmed when we received a notice in June that the payment had not come through. We did the payment again, but this set us back another month - the date of processing was now the 20th of June. With an average time between NOA1 and NOA2 of 110 days, we thought we could forget living in the States. We began looking at other options (living in Belgium) and agreed that if we didn't receive the NOA2 by the beginning of August, we would forget about moving to the States.

The 19th of August, the NOA2 came - 59 days after the NOA1. We were shocked that it had come through so quickly!! Still, it takes an average of 25 days for it to go from the Service Center (we used the Vermont Service Center) to the consulate/embassy, so were still in limbo. 9 days later, I received packet #3 from the embassy - the 29th of August!! All of a sudden, there was a good possibility we might still make it!! I still needed a Swedish police certificate, a birth certificate, and my sweetheart's I-134, but we had some hope. As Christians, we had been praying very hard that things would work out...and now it was actually a possibility.

I sent in the checklist a week later, around the 7th of September, knowing that I would have all the necessary papers in my possession within a week. With the checklist, I sent a letter requesting an interview date before the 6th of October. After all, I explained, our wedding was on the 17th of October!! A few days later, I received a phone call in which they told me that the earliest they could receive me for an interview was the 9th. This meant my visa would come around the 14th...three days before my wedding!!! I was happy and sad at the same time - everything would come on time, but I would be arriving in the States later than my own family!!

I then asked the lady whether there was any possibility of still rescheduling it to an earlier date. She informed me that she could only look at that once they have all the information from my medical. I scheduled my medical for the 24 of September, made a quick 9-day trip to the States in the meantime, and called the consulate back on the 30th of September - exactly as they had advised me to do. The results of the medical take approx. 5 days to get to the consulate, so they should have them by the 30th.

Unfortunately, they did not have the results yet when I called them. The lady said she would call me as soon as she received them; the best I could do was wait. Ten minutes later she called me back, informing me she had made some phone calls and found out that all the results from my medical came out as ok. She then said that I could come for an interview on the 2nd of October. Two days ago, I went there, got approved, and am not waiting for my passport with visa to come in the mail.

My fiancée and I are stunned at how quickly this has gone - from the 20th of June to the 2nd of October!! People ask me how we did it, whether there is some trick to it or something. All I can tell you is that we prayed and Jesus answered our prayers. I cannot tell this story without giving glory to Jesus Christ for answering our prayers and beating the system for us. The 10th of October, I will be flying to the States!!

This is our story, my journey to approval. I cannot give you any other reason for the quick approval than this: we prayed and God answered.

Stinky Monkey · October 4, 2008

CONGRATULATIONS :dance: :dance: :dance:

WELL DONE ON SUCH A QUICK TIMELINE!!!!!!

sara..... · October 4, 2008

congratulations :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Laura+Tom · October 4, 2008

You must have had all the efficient officers!

KAT&Allie · October 4, 2008

Congratulations! I'm so pleased everything worked out so well for you. Hope the rest of your journey (AOS and such) goes as quickly and smoothly as this part. Best luck to you both. (F)