March 2009 k-1 people

[Paul n 0]

Hi,

We just started this process and hope to MEET other people whom are in my timeline ..

I just recieved my NOA2 also we have an interview date on nov.17, my girl is from the philippines,,

[missmissy 38]

Hi,

We just started this process and hope to MEET other people whom are in my timeline ..

I just recieved my NOA2 also we have an interview date on nov.17, my girl is from the philippines,,

Congratulations!!

[destinystrikes24 0]

Hi,

We just started this process and hope to MEET other people whom are in my timeline ..

I just recieved my NOA2 also we have an interview date on nov.17, my girl is from the philippines,,

hi! there...were on the same timeline. i already got my noa2 hard copy but my girl still did'nt receive her letter from the us embassy which would contains her interviewed date...how long did it takes ur girl to get her us embassy letter after u get the noa2?

[XR600SM 0]

Hi,

We just started this process and hope to MEET other people whom are in my timeline ..

I just recieved my NOA2 also we have an interview date on nov.17, my girl is from the philippines,,

hi! there...were on the same timeline. i already got my noa2 hard copy but my girl still did'nt receive her letter from the us embassy which would contains her interviewed date...how long did it takes ur girl to get her us embassy letter after u get the noa2?

K-1's have to schedule their own interview. You should call the NVC to see when your petition is sent to the embassay then call 1-2 weeks after that date to schedule the interveiw.

[Richard-Joanna 1]

Good morning March...

Missy, it is a holiday for the US Embassy, Warsaw.... So, I am guessing it is for Congo also... our package is sitting in Warsaw! Have to wait another day

[missmissy 38]

Good morning March...

Missy, it is a holiday for the US Embassy, Warsaw.... So, I am guessing it is for Congo also... our package is sitting in Warsaw! Have to wait another day

Yikes, you are right! DAMMNIT CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS!!!

[Jessica Carl 1]

Good morning March...

Missy, it is a holiday for the US Embassy, Warsaw.... So, I am guessing it is for Congo also... our package is sitting in Warsaw! Have to wait another day

Morning

I hope you guys get your interview this week.,,

I really never paid attention to the holidys before..

I do now..

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

Stephen!!!

Richard!

Back in the States, time for an update...

Wednesday evening, September 30 (Thursday morning in Korea): We finally got the Packet 3 email (dated October 1), which the Seoul Embassy and Department of State computers showed as having been sent on the 29th. Elisha promptly faxed the DS-230 Part I (after a minor meltdown occasioned by my failure to tab-separate the paperwork I sent her with Post-Its), and I submitted the interview request via the embassy website shortly thereafter. I called during the visa unit's service hours to see if they'd received everything, only to find out that they were only working 'til 1 pm as it was the day before the Chuseok holiday. Hence, no one would be in the office again 'til October 5th, the day we were penciled in (but had no confirmation) for an interview.

Thursday morning, October 1: Off to Korea! During my layover in San Francisco, I called the Department of State in Washington to see whether the interview had in fact been scheduled for the 5th. The answer: a big depressing no. The system didn't show them as having processed the Packet 3 return yet either. Then onto the airplane for the 12+ hour flight to Seoul.

Thanks to the wonders of the International Date Line, fast forward to Friday evening, October 2: I arrive in Seoul! Elisha and I have a wonderful reunion, not allowing the disappointing news on the embassy front to get us down. We spent the night in Seoul, then packed up most of her remaining belongings from the storage room at her apartment building to take back to her hometown. Got down there Saturday afternoon, greeted her mom and dad at the train station, then headed to their apartment. Spent Saturday and Sunday relaxing with Elisha and her family.

Monday, October 5: The good folks at the Seoul embassy were back to work! We received the interview letter, timestamped at 7:30 am. Our interview was scheduled for the next day, October 6! We were to report at 8 am for intake; as there was no express train that would get us there early enough, we determined that we'd need to take an overnight bus to Seoul. The rest of the day was filled with errands, errands, and more errands!

Tuesday, October 6 - INTERVIEW DAY! We arrived in Seoul around 5 am, made our way up to the embassy area, and killed time at McDonalds until it was time to head over to the embassy. We were first in the door when they opened up at 7:30, and grabbed number 1 from the machine (aside: what do you call those things, anyway?) when we got upstairs to the Immigrant Visa unit. Waited 'til just before 8, when they called our number to submit our documents through the window. Then waited... and waited... and waited. Shortly after 9, a consular officer and a Korean staff member came out to announce that they were sorry for the delay, which was due to computer problems (minor oh ####### moment) that they were working to resolve. Fortunately, about 20 minutes later, they called Elisha up for fingerprinting. 5 minutes later, they called her back up to do it again. Then, perhaps 20 minutes later, they called her up for the interview. The very kind and friendly CO swore us both in, and then proceeded to ask Elisha a couple simple questions (how did you meet? when did he propose? etc.). Last question was "When do you plan to go to the US?" She was a bit surprised when we said "this weekend," and gave us the standard "we advise people not to make travel plans prior to receiving the visa." But she was very sympathetic when I explained about getting tied up at NVC (she actually apologized for that!) and that we were trying to make up time at the embassy stage. She then told us that we were approved pending the clearing of final checks, which usually take no more than 24 hours, and that we had a shot at making our timetable.

Wednesday, October 7: I called the visa unit in the morning during the embassy's service hours; the woman I spoke to said that the fingerprint check had cleared and that Elisha's visa had been issued. This information led to a lot of confusion and stress over the next couple days! Elisha called the courier service, which told her that they hadn't received the visa yet from the embassy. This put us in a bit of a bind, as we absolutely needed the visa by Friday in order to fly on Saturday—but the visa unit only accepts calls in the afternoon on Thursdays. So we were stuck waiting.

Thursday, October 8: Still no visa. I called the embassy in the early afternoon and found out that while the visa had been approved the previous day, it wasn't actually being printed until today—and wouldn't be picked up by the courier service until Friday morning. Elisha called the courier service, where the jerk informed her that no, they wouldn't be able to deliver it the same day, and yes, we would still have to pay their $10 fee if we asked them to deliver it to another courier who could get it there the same day. That would be on top of the second courier's fee, mind you. It was looking more and more like I'd have to go back up to Seoul on Friday to collect the visa from the embassy myself. I called them to arrange that, which they graciously agreed to—but stated that it would have to be in the afternoon, as they were doing interviews all morning. Ugh! After getting this all arranged, however, we get a call back from the embassy 5 minutes later: when she went to pull the courier slip from our package, she found that it had already been picked up by the courier service after all. Another call to the service confirmed that they would indeed be able to deliver it on Friday.

Friday, October 9: This is getting long, so I'll cut to the chase: the visa arrived, but of course not until the afternoon!

Saturday, October 10: We flew back to the US together! POE at Washington Dulles was fantastic: no secondary inspection, waved right through customs, and it was off to the taxi stand for the ride home.

So, now the next phase of the journey begins: adjusting to the US, dealing with homesickness, and getting everything lined up for the civil wedding and AOS! Wish us luck, and know that all y'all are in our prayers for your journeys to progress swiftly and smoothly. And I'm sure I'll still be haunting the boards checking up on everyone and correcting the know-it-alls for the foreseeable future

[missmissy 38]

Stephen!!!

Richard!

Back in the States, time for an update...

So, now the next phase of the journey begins: adjusting to the US, dealing with homesickness, and getting everything lined up for the civil wedding and AOS! Wish us luck, and know that all y'all are in our prayers for your journeys to progress swiftly and smoothly. And I'm sure I'll still be haunting the boards checking up on everyone and correcting the know-it-alls for the foreseeable future

Wow! Great update and we have missed you terribly! A lot has happened while you were away. Please tell Elisha hello from all of her friends here and I look forward to hearing more about how things are going.

[Richard-Joanna 1]

Stephen... wonderful update... sorry it seemed stressful for you two... but you both are here and in the end that is all that matters!

At your POE did you go through the Citizen lines or the Non-Citizen ones?

Please tell Elisha hello from her friends here that she never knew she had

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

Stephen... wonderful update... sorry it seemed stressful for you two... but you both are here and in the end that is all that matters!

It was a bit stressful, but that was mostly on account of the time crunch. And yes, the fact that we were able to come back together meant the world to both of us!

At your POE did you go through the Citizen lines or the Non-Citizen ones?

Some airline putz told us she had to go through the non-citizen line, and that I was welcome to wait and go through with her—or leave her and go through the USC line by myself. Needless to say, I waited with her. We ended up being waved over to the USC lines anyway, as they cleared out much faster than the non-citizen lines. When we got to the officer, he told us we should have gotten in the USC line from the beginning.

Another interesting note from the POE: the CBP officer told us we only needed one customs declaration for the two of us, even though we're not "legally" a family yet. Wanting to err on the side of caution, I had filled one out for her too, but he tossed it and just handed back mine.

Please tell Elisha hello from her friends here that she never knew she had

I certainly will! Are you on the way to Warsaw yet?

[Richard-Joanna 1]

Please tell Elisha hello from her friends here that she never knew she had

I certainly will! Are you on the way to Warsaw yet?

Our file, if I tracked the right one, should be delivered tomorrow! I will call them, probably Wednesday to make sure and to see what can be done about a quick interview. I still intend to go there with Joanna, however, work has been a bear the past few weeks. I am working both China and US time, I have 1 new deal that I am trying to done, 1 deal that should close in another month and 2 deals that have gone sideways and need some attention and there is just not enough hours in the day. Our company hired a new CEO after a bit of a power struggle inside... So that should both take away some stress and add some new stresses.

I was really hoping to go to Poland, attend the interview and take a trans-atlantic cruise back... but that will be more than 2 weeks in total (including time to have the visa shipped to Joanna) and I dont think I can take that kind of time off work. I guess that it is going to have to be a flight there and bring them back via plane as well... oh well... the best laid plans of mice and men I guess.

I can't tell you how happy I am... after all that you (we all) have been through... the NEW beginning is among us...and that is such a great thing!!

[mari joe 1]

Wow, what a journey for you and Elisha so far! You certainly did everthing you could at each step to facilitate her getting here sooner. Good story and good luck from now on.

[Richard-Joanna 1]

Morning March

[missmissy 38]

Hi