BINATIONAL SAME SEX COUPLES !! Show up!

[James N 6]

Great to see the dialog starting on here. Awesome to see so much support from others, "thank you!"

I am Australian and my husband is a USC, and we live just north of Dallas (Frisco, TX). My husband and I have been together just over 14 years. We were married this past March (thank you Canada) on our 14th anniversary (we kept it simple with just one date to remember).

We initially went through the emotions that everyone else in our situation went though, initially shock that DOMA was overturned, fear that this was just a dream, and now action. We explored using an attorney for our filings, but after we recovered from the sticker shock on the price that was going to cost us (in addition to the fees), we diligently reviewed books, articles and VJ.com to prepare our documents ourselves. We sent the documents this past Monday (I-130, I-485, I-765, I-131 and supporting documents) and they were received on Tuesday morning. We are still waiting for our NOA.

We are now just waiting.

~James

[futurechemist 1]

Hi everyone. I'm a USC and my husband is British. We've been together for 7 years, married for 2 years. His F1 OPT visa ended January 2013 so since then we've been forced to live in different countries. He got a job offer at the college I'm teaching at, but they only offered to sponsor him for a J1 which was rejected. And I can't quit my current job to go live in the UK with him. We just filed our I130, and are not looking forward to the 6-12 months processing time, especially since we've already been forced to live apart for 6 months. If not for DOMA we'd have never been apart at all. Is there any chance Obama might order certain same-sex petitions expedited considering the years those couples of waited to be able to apply for a green card, especially those that were unnecessarily forced to live apart? Our former senator also expressed interest in trying to get the process sped up.

On another note, we're debating filing a K3 visa in case that would be faster than the I130. Our lawyer recommended against it as an essentially pointless option. Any thoughts?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

On another note, we're debating filing a K3 visa in case that would be faster than the I130. Our lawyer recommended against it as an essentially pointless option. Any thoughts?

K3 is dead and trying to get it actually makes the case slower. Don't do that.

[R & M 14]

We are also a bi-national same-sex couple, however none of us is a USC (yet). My husband is a LPR from South Africa. I'm Brazilian. We have been together since 2009 and got married in DC last year in May. Additional information can be found in my timeline below.

Best of luck to all of us!

[Davesings 30]

Glad to have found this forum. We received our NOA1 dated Aug 1, 2013. I am the USC and my fiance is from the UK. We are so excited and wish speedy processing and good luck to everyone.

[AustinCanada 681]

My same-sex partner (American citizen) and I (Canadian) live in Vancouver, Canada. We've been together for 16 years.

I've already filled out our immigration forms and have gathered our relationship documents. We're getting married in Sept and are mailing our immigration package (I-130) to Chicago Lockbox. We're planning to move to Seattle once my immigration process is complete.

Looking forward to reading everyone's immigration timeline. I'll post mine once I send our immigration package (I-130) to Chicago Lockbox

Austin

Edited August 14, 2013 by AustinCanada

[speaktru69 5]

My civil partner (British Citizen) and I (USC) have been together the last 10 years. I have been living in England for the past 8 years and filed our I-129f (because the states don't recognise our civil partnership as marriage) in July. Received the NOA 1 in July now just waiting. Bit of a problem with sponsoring as I live in England and foreign income not accepted. First co sponsor pulled out so looking to alternative means of sponsoring partner myself.

Received a lot of criticism on k1 forum from people who I don't think understand what it's like to be forced out of your home country to be with your partner. However it's nice to see some supportive friendly people here.

Good luck to everyone!

Cheers

[Davesings 30]

Speaktru- I'm sorry you have encountered criticism. I can imagine how stressful it must feel to have to deal with the sponsoring issue from outside the country. Perhaps you could get some legal advice from a sympathetic attorney - Masliah and Soloway were offering free consultations to binational couples. I don't know if they still are but I'd think they could help you strategize. That's too bad about your cousin backing out. My fiancé and I are waiting for the NOA2 and all the other steps. It's going to be a long eight? months(we don't really know how long). We have been together 10 years but have been going back and forth between US and UK.

[Donna&Noelia 6]

Hello everyone. I am from New york, and my beautiful fiance is from Peru. We met at the start of 2012, and began a relationship.

She was on a work visa here, but left the states in November 2012. ... OBVIOUSLY - I miss her like crazy, but anyways. Here we are!

July 8th we received our NOA1

August 9th it was transferred from VSC to TSC ( and from a lot of reviews I am hoping I should have an NOA2 very soon considering the TSC transfers have been processing much quicker. )

Hoping to be in each others arms for Christmas, wishful thinking anyways. <3

[FulanoDeTal 19]

Hi butterflycharmer8,

Welcome to "bi-national same-sex couples immigation world." It's nice finally to be able to stand in line with everyone else when even a few months ago that was impossible. Anyway, I was struck by the fact that our timeline is almost exactly the same. Our NOA-1 date was July 10, and we were transferred to TSC on August 9 as well. Who knows, maybe our petitions are in the same pile sitting on someone's desk? Good luck with your petition, and keep us posted. It will be interesting to compare the process as between Peru and Brazil.

Buena suerte!

[Donna&Noelia 6]

Yes it surely will! Seems we were part of the same transfer. I was transferred on August 9th, and then notified August 15th they began processing it. Impatiently waiting of course.! I will surely keep you posted, and feel free to do the same. I'm not going to lie... I check my case status once a day, lol.

&& maybe so.. our petitions might be on the same desk! Neat thinking anyways.

[Nadiab 3]

Same here.. Im from Paraguay and my wife is from Hawaii.. We've been dating for almost 5 years, last year we got married and yesterday i sent my I-130, I-485, I-765, I-864 and I-131 hopefully we get some news soon... This waiting game it must be as stressfull as the filling forms part..

Im happy we are making a group thing here.. Is there any same-sex couple that already got the GC here?? I would love to know what do they ask in the interviews..

The best of lucks to everyone here!

CHEERS!!!!

[TicoLover 17]

Jay (USC) here petitioning for my husband Juan Carlos (Costa Rican). We met online in January 2006, met in person in Costa Rica in May 2006, and Juan Carlos came to the US in November 2006 on a tourist visa and decided to stay in the US. We were married in Sacramento, California on July 1. We have an immigration attorney who did our paperwork and filled our I-130, I-485, I-765 & I-131 for AOS. Having been able to marry and apply for residency has been a great relief for both of us as Juan Carlos will now be able to return home to visit his family after 7 years once his residency is approved. Our immigration attorney has told us it is technically legal for him to travel even with the expired tourist visa because the rule was recently changed, but she wouldn't want to put the new rule to a test, so he will wait until he has his Green Card in hand. Our lawyer has told us he should have his GC by early November.

I am currently in Costa Rica obtaining documents for Immigration, Police Certificate and Court records. I've spent the last two weeks crisscrossing San Jose from court building to court building to US Embassy to Costa Rican Foreign Ministry to obtain all the letters, documents, signatures, and seals to make everything official. Of course, I've managed to make it to the beach at Manuel Antonio for a couple of days over the weekend.

I really feel for those of you who have made the sacrifice of self-exiling yourself to be with your significant other. There was a time that I was considering immigrating to Canada also before I could start to see a light at the end of the tunnel a few years ago.

I would be very curious to know what kind of questions are being asked of same-sex couples in the interviews. It sounds like some of you should be going in for your interviews about a month or so ahead of ours.

Buena suerte a todos!

[Susan53011 14]

Well the Supreme Court has smiled upon me and I am smiling back!!! Received my NAO2 for fiance visa yesterday!! Next step packet 3 then medical and interview. After all this time spent waiting, I can't believe we are this close to our dream. Good luck everyone

[Davesings 30]

Wow Susan congrats on the NOA2! Can you tell us when you had your NOA1 and in which service center it was processed? You may be one of the first same sex NOA2s...Our NOA1 date was

Aug 1.