September 2009 K-1 Visa Filers

[Jenn and Fuat 2]

I talked to the NVC today and they told me our packet has been sent to Guatemala. Happy Friday to me! the only thing is, I got so excited that I forgot to ask when?!

call them again I called several times and got a different operator each time!

question - how long did you guys wait before you started calling NVC to see if it had arrived yet?

(god i'm such a stalker)

I waited 2 days from approval and then called everyday... but talk to someone, just like Jenn said they do not keep track of k-1 in the automated system... in other words dont make the same mistake as me.

thanks all! maybe i shall try this afternoon, then.

hope this is a happy friday for everyone!

Guys...Great news!

No, no, not my NOA2 (though I wish)

(I'm sure I told you guys I was robbed)

God is not sleeping! I just received a letter from disability w/ the info on the bank account my (stolen) disability check was deposited into!!! So now I'll know who & how I got robbed!

I was soooo down yesterday but today I'm up again. Yay!

GREAT NEWS!!!!

[AandD 20]

What a great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited November 20, 2009 by AandD

[paciencia y fe 2]

guys, i just called NVC - they received my petition today!

(oh and i should add that i spoke with a really nice guy named Caleb and he verified all my information plus took down jose luis' email so he could receive email info directly as well. i'm so psyched!)

kjenkins86 - that's great news! hope you nail dem bastards!

Edited November 20, 2009 by paciencia y fe

[brightskte 18]

All this good news happening!!! Great!!!

Now we need those remaining NOA2s to come out!

[Seb928s 2]

That's great news. Should be pretty to get them locked up. Put that sucker that robbed you in jail so he doesn't get anyone else. We don't need these people running around on the street. I know it's hard time these days with jobs and everything but you can't just go rip good hard working people off because you don't want to make an honest living yourself.

[brightskte 18]

Has anyone ever tried Rosetta Stone??? I'm dying to learn french before our wedding so I can talk to his family, but when I took the course through my school that didn't really go so well.

[houstonking 0]

soooo cool we have been getting lot of good news. Congrats to folks!!!! btw i have a question....i got the new case number from NVC....where do i ck its status???

[garfield529 47]

soooo cool we have been getting lot of good news. Congrats to folks!!!! btw i have a question....i got the new case number from NVC....where do i ck its status???

so sad to see all of the petitions sent after me already at NVC, while I just sit and do my daily USCIS check for a touch.....oh ho hum.......silly CSC needs to get on the dang ball!

[Jenn and Fuat 2]

Has anyone ever tried Rosetta Stone??? I'm dying to learn french before our wedding so I can talk to his family, but when I took the course through my school that didn't really go so well.

I can't speak for the French version, but the Turkish version was very difficult. I did learn a lot of words, but what I don't like about it is that it does not teach you the rules of grammar.. and there are up to 6 different versions of a word depending on the grammar. So, a word would change with no explanation.

NOTHING is in English, so it took me three days to figure out that the words under the pictures of people I was looking at were for "Man" "Woman", "Girl" and were not their names

For example, it showed four pictures.. and the words were "Adam", "Kedin", "Kiz"

The "Adam" thing threw me and I thought it was his name and it was asking a question about Adam. Three days later I figured out it meant "man"

I did not think it was a useful took for putting together sentences, but it did help me to learn a lot of words.

I ended up hiring a graduate student, at one of the universities, to tutor me. That helped a lot, but I still cannot put together many sentences Of course, I did not have a lot of time to dedicate to it during the summer so need to get back at it.

[brightskte 18]

I plan on starting it tonight...I'll let you know how it goes. I know some languages are harder to learn than others, so we'll have to see. I did read that there was no english on the software, but I would think it would force you to understand and really try to learn more.

At this point I'm willing to try anything and everything because I hate not being his equal on this. He can talk to my family, but I can't talk to his. They know limited english and it's a struggle for both sides.

[Jenn and Fuat 2]

I know very little French, but I think it is easier than Turkish and the Rosetta Stone program is probably very good for languages that don't have such complicated grammar rules.

I know about the family communication problem! Fuat is the only member of his family that speaks English. His sisters know a few words.. and it's a common joke with one sister.. She says "You're Welcome" and I say "Tamam" ( means.. OK) but that's about all she knows. "tamam" is the first word I learned.. and "You're Welcome" is what she knows.. so we just say this back and forth to each other and laugh.

His youngest sisters can count to ten in English.. I can count in Turkish.. so we sit and count to each other But that is about the extent of our English/Turkish conversations She's young, and hasn't really grasped the idea that I don't speak Turkish. She is always talking away, and whispering secrets in my ear.. and I just shake my head and smile or laugh if I think I should. She really has no clue that I don't understand a thing she says.

His mother, three other sisters and I use a lot of hand signals and flipping pages in dictionaries to point to words. I really want to be able to hold a conversation with his mother in Turkish. Right now I can say "Hello, how are you, I am good, thank you, good night, good morning, etc..."

Not a great start... when we talk on Web cam I can type to her in Turkish, using an online translation program.. but she can't type So.. she just sits there and reads what I say.. and then Fuat has to respond for her.

One day we'll have a real conversation. That's my dream!

Edited November 21, 2009 by Jenn and Fuat

[paciencia y fe 2]

I plan on starting it tonight...I'll let you know how it goes. I know some languages are harder to learn than others, so we'll have to see. I did read that there was no english on the software, but I would think it would force you to understand and really try to learn more.

At this point I'm willing to try anything and everything because I hate not being his equal on this. He can talk to my family, but I can't talk to his. They know limited english and it's a struggle for both sides.

Yup, i know this problem well! Jose Luis is also the only person in his family that speaks english. When I first met his family august of last year, i was so frustrated because i couldn't understand anyone and i wanted so badly to be able to communicate. Before that point I had started to learn a few words and things via rosetta stone but didn't really know enough to actually communicate. my other problem was that i am super shy around people i don't know so that made it even harder. luckily his family is wonderful and loving and accepting and they just took it in stride and gave me lots of hugs.

being shy i think was one reason rosetta stone was not the solution for me. i need to actually work with someone who would force me to practice talking, especially since i am a perfectionist and didn't want to say a word until i knew the precise correct word. So soon after that trip, in september, i went hardcore into learning spanish, i took private lessons 4x a week for the first month, then 3x times a week for another month, then 2x/week another couple months, then down to 1x/week since then. nowadays i can communicate with my teacher very well, and with jose luis in spanish, and i can read a write pretty decently (or course i don't know all the tenses)...but i still have problems trying to converse with other people. so i just started taking (in addition to the private class), a conversation class with other people 1x/week. i'm hoping that will help me a bit. but really what i think i need is just a lot of exposure to native spanish speakers so i can get used to their accents and ways of speaking. might need to start watching some telenovelas.

anyway, sorry for the ramble. i do think rosetta stone is good software and you can definitely learn some things from it. and if you are less shy then me, and more willing to throw yourself out there and try and not be afraid to make mistakes, then it could be a lot more beneficial to you than it was to me.

[brightskte 18]

Mathew really wants to help me in French, but because I'm a perfectionist too, I can't stand the thought of messing up a word. He thinks my country accent is cute when I try and speak french. I just want to do it WELL. I'm not really shy around him so hopefully he'll be able to help me. I promised I'd let him try. Hopefully it works out for me.

lol, we need to start a support group about those who can't speak to SO's family.

[brightskte 18]

Okay, I'm totally confused. On the packet 3 it says to send IN the documents they list, but then it also says to bring some of them with you. So which is it? Or do we send in the whole thing and then bring it with us too?

Ugh.

Then on the embassy page here on VJ under the "what forms to send back to consulate" part it only has DS-230, DS-160, and the checklist on there.

Edited November 21, 2009 by Kayla*Mathew

[garfield529 47]

Okay, I'm totally confused. On the packet 3 it says to send IN the documents they list, but then it also says to bring some of them with you. So which is it? Or do we send in the whole thing and then bring it with us too?

Ugh.

Then on the embassy page here on VJ under the "what forms to send back to consulate" part it only has DS-230, DS-160, and the checklist on there.

Yes, only part-I of DS-230, the OF-160 check list, and the shipping label for Packet 4. However, this is from my understanding for the consulate in Guangzhou, but should be the same for others. All other forms will be taken with you to the interview, and this includes the medical forms from Packet 4. From what I have read of other's interviews...it would be a good idea to take copies of everything and the required originals. If you have a divorce, it seems that some consulates are asking for a notarized letter of explanation. I think some of these things are to "trip up" people who are not completely prepared. Plan carefully.....and triple check everything.