November I-130 Filers

[usncorpsman316 0]

I just came back to the US in October of last year from the Philippines after living there for a year and a half.

I decided to live in the Philippines in March of 2010 so I could spend time with my wife.

I couldn't take it anymore so I told my wife I'm going back to the states and you're gonna follow me.

I did tell my wife that she could return to the Philippines after I die.

II told her that I don't want to live in the Philippines unless we live in Baguio City cause's it's high up in the mountains and its cold like San Francisco cold. It's so humid in that part of the region that I got tired of it.

My disability from the US Veterans Affairs was more than enough to take care of our expenses and have some pocket money.

In the Philippines, owning a car is a convenience. Having air conditioning is a convenience. Having a maid or house helper is a convenience.

There are so many filipinos with a college degree that there are not enough jobs so most work abroad.

Both sides of my family at some point tell me how they use to help my mother or father when they were young or tell me some sad story about their financial troubles in hopes that I'll give them something.

It sucks to say it but that's life in the Philippines.

[The Mean Lady 604]

I just came back to the US in October of last year from the Philippines after living there for a year and a half.

I decided to live in the Philippines in March of 2010 so I could spend time with my wife.

I couldn't take it anymore so I told my wife I'm going back to the states and you're gonna follow me.

I did tell my wife that she could return to the Philippines after I die.

II told her that I don't want to live in the Philippines unless we live in Baguio City cause's it's high up in the mountains and its cold like San Francisco cold. It's so humid in that part of the region that I got tired of it.

My disability from the US Veterans Affairs was more than enough to take care of our expenses and have some pocket money.

In the Philippines, owning a car is a convenience. Having air conditioning is a convenience. Having a maid or house helper is a convenience.

There are so many filipinos with a college degree that there are not enough jobs so most work abroad.

Both sides of my family at some point tell me how they use to help my mother or father when they were young or tell me some sad story about their financial troubles in hopes that I'll give them something.

It sucks to say it but that's life in the Philippines.

That was nice of you

I don't know what you mean by cars AC and maids being a convenience.

Those are convenient things in the US too.

Edited January 31, 2013 by KDH

[MeredythB 38]

The economy is great and there is no poverty or working poor...in fact someone working a part time cashier job gets enough money to live off of and then some. Single mothers don't suffer financially and the state can only charge 25% of cost of daycare.

It is the weather and the people that don't sit too well with me. Sometimes it feels a bit like what I'd imagine Soviet Russia to be like (no offense to Russians). There is also the really high taxes on everything, even healthy food and a massive tax on cars. For that reason, most of our neighbors use bicycles even in the dead of winter. I can literally look out my window in a snowstorm at 3 am and see people bicycling, perhaps not a whole lot but you do see them. The culture is not friendly to traditional relationships, stay at home wives, etc. It is a weird place to live.

TBH, I've never seen an American wife last it permanently here.

He knows how I feel about this and is against us being separated after getting married. We've never spent more than 4 months apart and we met in person about 2 months after we met online, so the extended separation would be weird for us.

Honestly, he could care less where we live as long as I am happy. We've got family and friends in the UK and Netherlands who'd take us in in a pinch. If we get NOA2 before the summer, I am probably going back to America in May regardless as it is in between by Abstract Algebra I and Abstract Algebra II classes and the wee one probably should go to summer camp.

He knows I call him the Dane because he reads my blog! Actually, I think it makes it easier to identify that I'm the USC when I refer to him as the Dane. I did call him BJ for a long time because I couldn't pronounce Bjarne too well, but he isn't fond of that.

I feel some of your pain. Things here in Ireland are so expensive; cars, healthy food, even clothing. At least the Irish are much more accepting of traditional relationships, as there are a lot of women who stay home with their children. The other issue that I am dealing with here is that the people outside of the larger towns are very insular. I have been to a knitting group, a mother/infant group, events in town, and talked to people at the park. They are perfectly friendly to speak to for a minute, but no one is particularly interested in hanging out. I have NO friends and it's depressing. I keep in touch with all of my girlfriends back home, where I was part of a group from high school that got together monthly, belonged to the Junior League in town, had friends through work, which added up to a really fulfilling social life. Hubs says that it's not unusual, that to meet friends we'd have to spend time in the pubs. I have a one-year-old, so I'm not really interested in going out drinking when I know she's going to be up at 7:30. We don't even have child care at the gym in town, so I can't even go work out.

Hubs works in Dublin, an hour away, so even his work pals aren't local. Life has become a lot less fulfilling for me in some ways (greatly fulfilled in our relationship and I LOVE being a mom) and really, how interested can my husband be when the most exciting thing I have to talk about when he gets home is laundry and my fear that the baby might be constipated?

Not to say that it's all bad. Ireland is absolutely gorgeous, without question the most beautiful place I've ever lived. We've gotten wonderful medical care here and I am extremely grateful, as my daughter could have died in utero if not for the excellent doctors and nurses working with me. My in-laws, who live about 20 minutes away, have been wonderful grandparents to our daughter and we will miss them immensely. It's also provided my husband and I the opportunity to visit a lot of other European countries, something that we both like doing. But all in all, I think that our lives will be much more fulfilling once we're back in the States. Now just to wait for news from NVC.

I'm crossing fingers and toes that you get good news soon! That goes for everyone else here waiting as well!

[usncorpsman316 0]

That was nice of you

I don't know what you mean by cars AC and maids being a convenience.

Those are convenient things in the US too.

I need rephrase what I said. Those that I have listed as conveniences should be replaced with the word "luxury."

I do sincerely apologize.

[The Mean Lady 604]

I need rephrase what I said. Those that I have listed as conveniences should be replaced with the word "luxury."

I do sincerely apologize.

Yeah, Maids and AC are still luxuries in the US.

Maybe not so much AC, but Maids, yes. definitely.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Yeah, Maids and AC are still luxuries in the US.

Maybe not so much AC, but Maids, yes. definitely.

I'm not representative of the US, because we've always had air conditioning and a maid. Most people I know in America have a cleaning lady once a week. I'm sure that isn't normal though.

@usncorps I think that cars aren't exactly a super luxury here, but even with my husband at a good salary when he is doing being an apprentice we were looking at buying a house *or* a car. I saw something about bicycling in Denmark where a Canadian said she sold her car in Canada and was able to afford a bicycle here, a close to $1000+ investment. A good bicycle for children carting will easily cost $3000.

@Meredyth There are things I love about Denmark and I do love my in-laws so. They are amazing grandparents and endlessly energetic (being in their mid 40s helps). I love my SIL too and she lives like a block away. Our standard of living and mental health will just improve so much by being in America. I totally get what you are saying about the socializing (I've also tried the knitting groups, foreign mom meetups).

[The Mean Lady 604]

I'm not representative of the US, because we've always had air conditioning and a maid. Most people I know in America have a cleaning lady once a week. I'm sure that isn't normal though.

@usncorps I think that cars aren't exactly a super luxury here, but even with my husband at a good salary when he is doing being an apprentice we were looking at buying a house *or* a car. I saw something about bicycling in Denmark where a Canadian said she sold her car in Canada and was able to afford a bicycle here, a close to $1000+ investment. A good bicycle for children carting will easily cost $3000.

@Meredyth There are things I love about Denmark and I do love my in-laws so. They are amazing grandparents and endlessly energetic (being in their mid 40s helps). I love my SIL too and she lives like a block away. Our standard of living and mental health will just improve so much by being in America. I totally get what you are saying about the socializing (I've also tried the knitting groups, foreign mom meetups).

The only people I know that have cleaning ladies are my bosses.

And MAYBE my rich uncle.

Regardless, all of the people I know with cleaning ladies own companies.

ACs are sort of luxury.

I know a lot of people that don't have central air, but they all live in houses that were built before central air was standard

HOWEVER I would not consider a window unit a luxury.

Just central air.

We have a window unit.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

The only people I know that have cleaning ladies are my bosses.

And MAYBE my rich uncle.

Regardless, all of the people I know with cleaning ladies own companies.

ACs are sort of luxury.

I know a lot of people that don't have central air, but they all live in houses that were built before central air was standard

HOWEVER I would not consider a window unit a luxury.

Just central air.

We have a window unit.

Yeah, I've never lived in a house with central air I don't think, but again like you said it has to do with the age of the house and also I've never lived in the South, so it is only really hot 3 months a year in other places.

I always thought an at least once a week cleaning lady was pretty common, but I had a pretty insular upbringing.

[MeredythB 38]

I'm from South Carolina, and believe me, central air is a necessity there. On the hottest days, you can't even breathe. We had cleaning ladies when I was growing up, but once I was on my own, they were definitely a luxury. I'd certainly love to have one now!

[palomino 3]

I feel some of your pain. Things here in Ireland are so expensive; cars, healthy food, even clothing. At least the Irish are much more accepting of traditional relationships, as there are a lot of women who stay home with their children. The other issue that I am dealing with here is that the people outside of the larger towns are very insular. I have been to a knitting group, a mother/infant group, events in town, and talked to people at the park. They are perfectly friendly to speak to for a minute, but no one is particularly interested in hanging out. I have NO friends and it's depressing. I keep in touch with all of my girlfriends back home, where I was part of a group from high school that got together monthly, belonged to the Junior League in town, had friends through work, which added up to a really fulfilling social life. Hubs says that it's not unusual, that to meet friends we'd have to spend time in the pubs. I have a one-year-old, so I'm not really interested in going out drinking when I know she's going to be up at 7:30. We don't even have child care at the gym in town, so I can't even go work out.

I know exactly what u mean, its hard to make friends with people when u move to a small town. Its like they already have established their friends/lives and aren't interested in meeting new people. We moved to a small(ish) town and its the exact same , the people are friendly enough but I have found it hard to make friends. I have to go to Dublin to hang out with my school friends. And we are not big pub people either , which is the main social activity in Ireland! I can't wait to live in the States just from what my husband has told me about weekend BBQ's etc!

[dubaiguy 1]

Hi All,

November 2012 filer here. Thought I'd share my info...

i-130 spouse of USC, both live overseas currently.

Sent I-130 to Phoenix address early Nov 2012.

Nov 8 2012- NOA1 from MSC/NBC

Dec 17 2012- touched

Jan 30 2013- called ISO tier 2, they state case is now with local office (San Francisco)

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Hi All,

November 2012 filer here. Thought I'd share my info...

i-130 spouse of USC, both live overseas currently.

Sent I-130 to Phoenix address early Nov 2012.

Nov 8 2012- NOA1 from MSC/NBC

Dec 17 2012- touched

Jan 30 2013- called ISO tier 2, they state case is now with local office (San Francisco)

Did they give you an indication of the transfer date to SF?

[dubaiguy 1]

Did they give you an indication of the transfer date to SF?

I asked them. No indication, but the assumption on their part (and mine too) is that it was transferred around Dec 17 when the file was touched.

I asked them. No indication, but the assumption on their part (and mine too) is that it was transferred around Dec 17 when the file was touched.

Although it is interesting I see that you and I have exact same NOA1 and touch dates...

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

I asked them. No indication, but the assumption on their part (and mine too) is that it was transferred around Dec 17 when the file was touched.

Hmmm, interesting! You and I have the same NOA1 date and both lives overseas and both had a touch on December 17th. However, the ISOs keep telling me that I'm at NBC.

[dubaiguy 1]

Hmmm, interesting! You and I have the same NOA1 date and both lives overseas and both had a touch on December 17th. However, the ISOs keep telling me that I'm at NBC.

Some more info in case it helps:

I put my american address (mom's house) for both of us as we receive mail there for everything on the i130. However on the portion that says 'relative's address abroad' I put our overseas address. San Francisco office (where my paperwork is at now) serves the area of my american address.