And more waiting !

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

Probably it's already too late for OP, but I want to repeat advice you can read in hundreds of threads here - NEVER seriosly plan anything in the US before you'll have valid visa on hands. It's ok to make some easy to change plans, but never pay for anything or book anything which would be complicate or not free to change. So many people make the same mistake by booking tickets, paying for some wedding plans etc. not even before they got visa, but even before their petition approved by USCIS. It's SO many cases when approval/visa delayed or even denied, that it's like buying a lottery ticket to pay for anything ahead. But if with lottery ticket you will lose just a few bucks, here you're going to lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and ut's nobody else's fault.

Shorty, about our story. When we submitted our 129F in June 2011, it was sent to CSC, and that time CSC was approving K-1 petitions within 2.5-4 months on average by statistics. We were extremely happy and even thought that may be I will be in the US around Thanksgiving and we will get married around Christmas. Haha, life had other plans for us. Soon after we submitted 129F, CSC fell asleep and barealy was approving anything for a few months. After tons of calls, service request, contacting congressman and other actions we were approved after 6 months since NOA1, in January 2012, when we earlier were thinking we possibly already could be married that time (yes, I know, now CSC takes so long time that many people wish they would be approved in JUST 6 months, but 6 months in CSC for 2011 was a really long time, beyond all processing times). NVC took pretty short time, but again it was some delay with scheduling interview in the Embassy, because they didn't have any opened dates for a few weeks ahead. So, I got interview only in february 2012 and my flight to the US was in March 2012 instead of Nov-Dec 2011 as we thought after submitting petition.

Fortunately, after reading so many stories about delayed/denied petitions, we didn't seriosly plan anything ahead. I even didn't buy plane tickets before I got visa on hands. If we would book anything and would prepay some stuff, we would lose money and would have to re-schedule everything.

So if you didn't pay for anything yet and you don't have visa on hands, do not book anything what would cost you money to change timeframes. You never know when your visa will be issued. Average statistics - it's nothing you can rely on. It's like average income in the city - one guy lives in 5-br house in downtown and has new Mercedes, another one digging dumpsters for food, but on average they both belong to middle class.

- Victor from Russia

[Dave + Loni 10]

hard rule to remember but don't plan anything until the last bit of paperwork (visa with stamps if needed) are in hand. same with airline tickets, don't buy before hand.

[CANbirdUSman 11]

We filled on September 12th and was told last week we had at least another 56 days to wait ! we thought we,d timed it right to get married on August 25th which is our anniversary ...will be lucky if i get there for Christmas ! ! ! ! This process is so depressing

Welcome to the 'Waiting Club'.

I too was hoping to get married on our 'anniversary'.

Didn't happen. You'll LOVE whatever date you end up with & it will be special.

You can plan only so many things ahead of time. Just concentrate on the paperwork, and be ready for what's next.

Lots of people have 2 weddings. The official/legal one in the US, then a BIG family & friends ceremony. (or vice-versa)

Claire & Joe, REMEMBER it's about you two, and what works best for you guys.

I know people that have had the BIG ceremony first, then went to a court house to make it legal.

The wedding can happen whenever. Making it 'LEGAL' depends on your VISA.

Edited April 7, 2013 by CANbirdUSman

[chrisclassic 14]

You'll be close to us in Anaheim . Please fill out your timeline too. It helps with the stats on the site

yeah about 20 mins or so from anaheim we will be spending alot of time in brea too and course il get on the time line too so you can see