Fiance' from Belarus. Whats taking USCIS so f#$king long?

[amberdima 6]

awesome!

[mendeleev 68]

Congratulations!

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

Great to hear, umm not to burst your bubble, this is just the homestretch for this lap, you have several more to go, remember its the marathon not the 400m.

[danat 1]

Yeah but the marathon is a lot easier to finish with your loved one by your side. Having to be apart is the worst part of the whole process. So whatever is next we will face it hand in hand...

[belarus1 0]

Awesome! Now things are really going to speed up. Good luck at the interview!

i assume your interview was in Warsaw too?

we have all the things ready on the checklist and it seems we need to email the list along with part one of form ds230 and then an interview date will be set.

when is the medical exam, after we send this info back?

does she need to send all this stuff along with my I-134 before the interview or take it with her?

[danat 1]

Awesome! Now things are really going to speed up. Good luck at the interview!

i assume your interview was in Warsaw too?

we have all the things ready on the checklist and it seems we need to email the list along with part one of form ds230 and then an interview date will be set.

when is the medical exam, after we send this info back?

does she need to send all this stuff along with my I-134 before the interview or take it with her?

Yeah our interview was in Warsaw. I wrote a review about what happened there. They like to ask for University diplomas for some reason. So if your loved one obtained a degree, make sure she takes her diploma (translated) with her. (Just in case.)

As far as the medical exam, you can get that at anytime. Just have her call Lode in Minsk. They have a website in english and Russian: http://www.lode.by/english/ She will need to get her shot record from her local doctor to bring with her.

So make sure she has her Police certificate (translated) and call for the medical exam to get those out of the way. My wife had to go twice for the Medical Exam... first day to do the exam... second day to pick up the results.

BTW, you'll probably have to stay 2 days in Warsaw... the best hotel there is the Novotel... they have AC and it is a newer building. Don't stay at the MDM.

Here are some links you may find useful:

Warsaw Embassy Info (This link explains what to send back to the Embassy from your Packet 3, checklist only. You take everything else with you for the interview.) We were IR-1 so we didn't have to do this.

Embassy Instruction Packages and forms (Invitation Letter, Med Exam Info, 156, 230, and how they want it assembled.)

Embassy Appointment Schedule It's great to finally see your number on the list. It will also give you an idea of how many are scheduled for your day.

Required Documents (Docs they want and info about each)

One more thing... make sure she gets her Polish Visa ASAP. It takes 2 weeks to get the Polish Visa, so as soon as she has the Invitation letter have her go to the Polish Embassy right away. They will require 200 EUR in travels checks to secure the visa which she will get back.

Hope that helps... Good Luck!

[Brad and Vika 129]

Yeah but the marathon is a lot easier to finish with your loved one by your side. Having to be apart is the worst part of the whole process. So whatever is next we will face it hand in hand...

True. Congratulations on reaching the end of this stage.

[belarus1 0]

Awesome! Now things are really going to speed up. Good luck at the interview!

i assume your interview was in Warsaw too?

we have all the things ready on the checklist and it seems we need to email the list along with part one of form ds230 and then an interview date will be set.

when is the medical exam, after we send this info back?

does she need to send all this stuff along with my I-134 before the interview or take it with her?

Yeah our interview was in Warsaw. I wrote a review about what happened there. They like to ask for University diplomas for some reason. So if your loved one obtained a degree, make sure she takes her diploma (translated) with her. (Just in case.)

As far as the medical exam, you can get that at anytime. Just have her call Lode in Minsk. They have a website in english and Russian: http://www.lode.by/english/ She will need to get her shot record from her local doctor to bring with her.

So make sure she has her Police certificate (translated) and call for the medical exam to get those out of the way. My wife had to go twice for the Medical Exam... first day to do the exam... second day to pick up the results.

BTW, you'll probably have to stay 2 days in Warsaw... the best hotel there is the Novotel... they have AC and it is a newer building. Don't stay at the MDM.

Here are some links you may find useful:

Warsaw Embassy Info (This link explains what to send back to the Embassy from your Packet 3, checklist only. You take everything else with you for the interview.) We were IR-1 so we didn't have to do this.

Embassy Instruction Packages and forms (Invitation Letter, Med Exam Info, 156, 230, and how they want it assembled.)

Embassy Appointment Schedule It's great to finally see your number on the list. It will also give you an idea of how many are scheduled for your day.

Required Documents (Docs they want and info about each)

One more thing... make sure she gets her Polish Visa ASAP. It takes 2 weeks to get the Polish Visa, so as soon as she has the Invitation letter have her go to the Polish Embassy right away. They will require 200 EUR in travels checks to secure the visa which she will get back.

Hope that helps... Good Luck!

cool! thanks for the info and the links. very helpful.

ive been to warsaw a couple of times so will probably rent an apartment in the old town(little more homey feeling) and see the sights for a few days inbetween interviews and things.

[danat 1]

That sounds like a good plan! Anything you can do to relax and take your mind off things is good. Before the interview we were pretty nervous. There was really nothing to worry about though. The CO's are nice in Warsaw and the interview lasts for just 5 to 10 minutes if everything is in order... really quick. The longest part will be waiting (2 to 3 hours total for both days)... and you can go before your time... even if you go at 8am there will be people in line before you.

When you are approved... they will say come back at 3pm for your visa. When you come back at 3pm, don't be shocked if they give you a 221 (g) saying can't issue visa at this time due to requiring further administrative processing. Ours said... we needed proof of education and administrative processing. All it is is the standard background checks they do before visas are issued. Some of them they finish before 3pm and the others they finish by the next day. If that happens to you two, then you'll go back to the embassy at 8am again... give them her passport again... and they will tell you to come back at 3pm again. When you go back the second time, they will have the visa for you.

Just letting you know so you don't freak out like we did... We were just thinking... what happened? I thought we were approved! But anyway... we wish you two the best of luck!

[Brad and Vika 129]

Awesome! Now things are really going to speed up. Good luck at the interview!

i assume your interview was in Warsaw too?

we have all the things ready on the checklist and it seems we need to email the list along with part one of form ds230 and then an interview date will be set.

when is the medical exam, after we send this info back?

does she need to send all this stuff along with my I-134 before the interview or take it with her?

Yeah our interview was in Warsaw. I wrote a review about what happened there. They like to ask for University diplomas for some reason. So if your loved one obtained a degree, make sure she takes her diploma (translated) with her. (Just in case.)

As far as the medical exam, you can get that at anytime. Just have her call Lode in Minsk. They have a website in english and Russian: http://www.lode.by/english/ She will need to get her shot record from her local doctor to bring with her.

So make sure she has her Police certificate (translated) and call for the medical exam to get those out of the way. My wife had to go twice for the Medical Exam... first day to do the exam... second day to pick up the results.

BTW, you'll probably have to stay 2 days in Warsaw... the best hotel there is the Novotel... they have AC and it is a newer building. Don't stay at the MDM.

Here are some links you may find useful:

Warsaw Embassy Info (This link explains what to send back to the Embassy from your Packet 3, checklist only. You take everything else with you for the interview.) We were IR-1 so we didn't have to do this.

Embassy Instruction Packages and forms (Invitation Letter, Med Exam Info, 156, 230, and how they want it assembled.)

Embassy Appointment Schedule It's great to finally see your number on the list. It will also give you an idea of how many are scheduled for your day.

Required Documents (Docs they want and info about each)

One more thing... make sure she gets her Polish Visa ASAP. It takes 2 weeks to get the Polish Visa, so as soon as she has the Invitation letter have her go to the Polish Embassy right away. They will require 200 EUR in travels checks to secure the visa which she will get back.

Hope that helps... Good Luck!

cool! thanks for the info and the links. very helpful.

ive been to warsaw a couple of times so will probably rent an apartment in the old town(little more homey feeling) and see the sights for a few days inbetween interviews and things.

If you are in old town anyway, there is a great restaurant just on the other side of the town/fortress wall that seems to be famous for schnitzel. Draught beer wasn't bad either, but tables are tough to get after about seven. Out the main gate, turn left and follow the water - most locals know it. I will try to find the name if you are interested. You can also get guided tours with bilingual guides (English and Russian) for about $100 for four hours, ours took us through the museum in the old castle, WWII sites, etc.