France/America couples

[sheigh87 0]

Angilla, I'm DCF not K3.

All DCF interviews were cancelled because of the new Walsh law (look on the DCF thread it's all explained). I hope they will work it out soon, this is messing it up for everyone.

Hmm, what I'll miss when I move back to SoCal, tartiflette, raclette (though you can buy it on amazon along with the machine) goose liver, cheap health care and free preschool.

What I'm looking forward to, good mexican food, donuts and the beach, watching the sun set over the Pacific listening to the waves, lots of outdoor activities.

Sheigh

[bostonparis 0]

I don't even LIVE in Paris, just visit frequently (next trip, February 21!!), but I'll miss the baguettes (sigh!), the rillette, the fois gras, the cheese, the wine, the cafes, the palace hotels...

We decided to send our Packet 3 back early next week. Will keep posted!!

[shayrene 0]

What I miss about Paris, is everything. (cheese, bread, wine and my weekly pain au chocolate, hmmm!) I also miss being able to buy food on the street (crepes avec nutella et banane o almond) And every now and then something not so French, the grec sandwich which you can buy anytime of the day. I loved sitting at cafes with my cafe viennious and people watching. Boy, are you Parisians stylish.

Oh and I miss the shopping. Visiting my Frenchie husband (fiance at the time) gave me an excuse to shop. (Which is why I was in Paris for the January sales when I met my husband 3 years ago).

My husband is so happy that he found Nordstrom's here in the US because they sell the brand name clothes from France that he loves.

Edited February 2, 2007 by shayrene

[Orc 0]

Just wanted to give anyone waiting for the Paris interview a heads up if you are curious since we had ours 2/7/07. It was pretty much what the other French VJer's mentioned on the embassy info site.

Fiance went to Dr Meyers, she's next to the embassy so my fiance went and to pick up his medical paperwork there before heading to the interview. (His medical appointment was three days prior but he had to take one vaccination so she told him to return after it was administered in order to give him the completed paperwork. Also, please remember to get a copy of the DS-3025 vaccination form from the doctor - it'll be important for the AOS application later on).

At the embassy, the lady who takes your paperwork took our I-134 instead of the I-864 after looking at both. She was joking around with him a bit in sort of a dry humor way. There were two other K-1's there and the french orchestra trying to get a visa for their tour, so it's very noisy inside. It is the immigration booth you go to and not nonimmigration - they consider the K-1 as an immigrate visa even though it is technically a nonimmigrate visa. He waited about an hour and a half before talking to the officier. First he made him give the oath verbally - "You swear that you intend to marry .... within 90 days." He asked him about - any issues between our age difference (4 years), how we met, my religion, type of marriage ceremony we would be having - religious vs civil, how my family felt, where the town I lived was located. Then said we had everything and it was ok, took his passport and chronopost. My fiance noticed that since he spoke in english he was asked more questions than the previous guy who spoke in french with the officier (two questions only) - officier spoke in broken french and the other guy didn't understand english well.

Other than that it was okay. Good luck and thank you to everyone - every bit of information you provided helped a lot!

[bostonparis 0]

Congratulations Orc!

Thanks for the information from the Embassy. I'm getting nervous and excited about my fiance's interview. He just sent packet 3 back - how long did it take your fiance to get Packet 4 after he sent back his form?

Just wanted to give anyone waiting for the Paris interview a heads up if you are curious since we had ours 2/7/07. It was pretty much what the other French VJer's mentioned on the embassy info site.

Fiance went to Dr Meyers, she's next to the embassy so my fiance went and to pick up his medical paperwork there before heading to the interview. (His medical appointment was three days prior but he had to take one vaccination so she told him to return after it was administered in order to give him the completed paperwork. Also, please remember to get a copy of the DS-3025 vaccination form from the doctor - it'll be important for the AOS application later on).

At the embassy, the lady who takes your paperwork took our I-134 instead of the I-864 after looking at both. She was joking around with him a bit in sort of a dry humor way. There were two other K-1's there and the french orchestra trying to get a visa for their tour, so it's very noisy inside. It is the immigration booth you go to and not nonimmigration - they consider the K-1 as an immigrate visa even though it is technically a nonimmigrate visa. He waited about an hour and a half before talking to the officier. First he made him give the oath verbally - "You swear that you intend to marry .... within 90 days." He asked him about - any issues between our age difference (4 years), how we met, my religion, type of marriage ceremony we would be having - religious vs civil, how my family felt, where the town I lived was located. Then said we had everything and it was ok, took his passport and chronopost. My fiance noticed that since he spoke in english he was asked more questions than the previous guy who spoke in french with the officier (two questions only) - officier spoke in broken french and the other guy didn't understand english well.

Other than that it was okay. Good luck and thank you to everyone - every bit of information you provided helped a lot!

[Orc 0]

Congratulations Orc!

Thanks for the information from the Embassy. I'm getting nervous and excited about my fiance's interview. He just sent packet 3 back - how long did it take your fiance to get Packet 4 after he sent back his form?

We sent packet #3 12/26/06 and heard nothing from the embassy. A month later 1/29/07, I called the embassy number a fellow VJ member gave me 011 33 1 43 12 22 22 - ext 4842 (no fee!) and the lady mentioned our interview date and that the letter was mailed the week before. We received the letter the next day and it was postmarked on the day I called. Don't know what would have happened if I hadn't called. Anyway, if you feel that it's been more than the normal waiting time, call and don't let them make you call the fee-based number. You may get a run-around like I did but eventually you'll be connected to someone who'll know - they are nice but the process can be frustrating.

[RosaMystica7 0]

Awww I'm sorry sheigh87.. I hope that gets straightened out for you soon.

Congrats Orc - thanks for the info!

bostonparis - my fiance returned packet 3 on January 16th, recieved his letter with his interview date on February 9th, and his interview is February 28th. We didn't need to call like Orc and Larig did.

Edited February 10, 2007 by Angilla

[bostonparis 0]

Thanks for the number, Orc.

Angilla, you must be so excited!! Just a couple of more weeks and he'll be here!

My fiance got his UK police certificate in the mail a couple of days ago - didn't take close to the 40 days we thought it would. Hopefully we'll get an interview at least by mid-March. But now I know where to call if we don't get a letter!!

Awww I'm sorry sheigh87.. I hope that gets straightened out for you soon.

Congrats Orc - thanks for the info!

bostonparis - my fiance returned packet 3 on January 16th, recieved his letter with his interview date on February 9th, and his interview is February 28th. We didn't need to call like Orc and Larig did.

[RosaMystica7 0]

All that's left to get in check, after the visa's in hand, is finances... I need to find an apartment that I can afford and make sure we have at least $1000 in the bank after all the moving and first month's expenses as emergency money. It might take another month's worth of paychecks to do, I have to keep playing with my excel spreadsheet. To be honest, I'm kinda scared! I've never had an apartment before. The longest I've ever been away from home was 2 months, being able to come home for a few days 1 month through. I don't know how to cook - and when I do cook baaaaaaaad things happen. But yet I know that I'm not happy with my life the way it is right now, so I have to change it to where I'll be happy - and that's with Saint-Clair by my side. It's just scary, ya know?

Bostonparis, I'm glad he got the police certificate, one less thing to worry about!

[bostonparis 0]

So Saint-Clair is not coming until you get an apartment? That must be killing you knowing he'll have his visa but won't be here! You'll do just fine when you're in your apartment. It's kinda like bringing your first dog home. You have no idea what to do or how to take care of him, but it just happens. You get the bills in the mail, you pay them. You pay your rent on the first day of the month, or the last day of the month. If you keep all your bills on your Excel spreadsheet, it will help you keep control of things so you know when the bills will come.

With cooking, start slowly. Try boiling water (literally, just boil water - watch it, see what happens). Then throw in pasta and stir it occasionally. Add a little bit of salt and olive oil to the water. Dump it into a strainer. Add some butter and parmesan cheese. If you want, heat up some pasta sauce in the same pot that you cooked the pasta in (makes for less cleaning up!). Just put a little in on medium heat, cover it for a couple of minutes, and it's hot. EASY!!

Watch some of those easy cooking shows, like 30 Minute Meals. Rachel Ray makes things that are easy to follow. Start doing this now, at your parents' house so that if you get lost in the kitchen, someone can help!!

All that's left to get in check, after the visa's in hand, is finances... I need to find an apartment that I can afford and make sure we have at least $1000 in the bank after all the moving and first month's expenses as emergency money. It might take another month's worth of paychecks to do, I have to keep playing with my excel spreadsheet. To be honest, I'm kinda scared! I've never had an apartment before. The longest I've ever been away from home was 2 months, being able to come home for a few days 1 month through. I don't know how to cook - and when I do cook baaaaaaaad things happen. But yet I know that I'm not happy with my life the way it is right now, so I have to change it to where I'll be happy - and that's with Saint-Clair by my side. It's just scary, ya know?

Bostonparis, I'm glad he got the police certificate, one less thing to worry about!

[marcycat 0]

Hi Frenchies and Francophiles! A question for y'all-

I need to get my husband a tax id number (ITIN.) He's still in France, waiting for his visa; I need the ITIN for him so I can do my taxes. To get the ITIN, he needs to submit a "notarized" copy of his passport. But, they don't really have notaries in France, at least not like here in the US. Any ideas about what he can do to get an official copy of his passport?

Angilla -- how's Saint Clair's cooking? That could be the answer to your cooking questions......

[RosaMystica7 0]

So Saint-Clair is not coming until you get an apartment? That must be killing you knowing he'll have his visa but won't be here!

My parents won't let him stay here - we tried that already to save money. We asked them if we could rent a room for, say, $400/month or something to help us get on our feet. Didn't work. So, until I secure and set up our apartment, there's nowhere for him to be.

You'll do just fine when you're in your apartment. It's kinda like bringing your first dog home. You have no idea what to do or how to take care of him, but it just happens.

True. A part of it is just that... I'm ending a part of my life that I'll never be able to get back, being a "kid" at home with mom and dad. For the next 70 or whatever years I'll be living completely different and it'll never be like this again. But I'm unhappy the way I'm living right now, so I should wholeheartedly want it to change... part of me doesn't, though. Part of me doesn't want to let go of something I'll never be able to get back. Does that make any sense?

With cooking, start slowly. Try boiling water (literally, just boil water - watch it, see what happens).

Hehehe there was one time in the Bronx back when Saint-Clair was a friar... after cleaning the stove he had put something back together wrong that really messed the stove up. A pot of water was on the stove for SO LONG and... it wouldn't boil. Word spread that Brother Saint-Clair couldn't even boil water and oh did we tease him!

Angilla -- how's Saint Clair's cooking? That could be the answer to your cooking questions......

Christimas Eve 2005... he was making crepes, I was making strufoli (the only thing I can successfully cook LOL)... we set off all three fire alarms in the house - one on this floor, one on the floor above, and even the one in the basement! My dad was running up and down both flights of stairs disabling one fire alarm after another! My mom, in all her years of cooking, has never set off all three! He claims he's a good cook, but I'm not totally sure about that! (When he gets home I'm gonna tell him to read this... )

Edited February 10, 2007 by Angilla

[bostonparis 0]

Oh, I'm sorry you can't stay with your parents. That's too bad, that would have been really helpful to help you get on your feet with a decent head start instead of feeling like you have to rush because you want him here.

I do understand what you mean about moving out of your parents' home. It's everything that's familiar to you, and really all you've known. I subletted an apartment first, and that made me feel like the move was "less permanent", even though I never moved home again. Just remember, they're not going anywhere, and when you feel like being a little girl again, all you need to do is go and spend the night there. The feeling never changes!

My mom made strufoli for the first time this last Christmas - it's really hard to make!!

So Saint-Clair is not coming until you get an apartment? That must be killing you knowing he'll have his visa but won't be here!

My parents won't let him stay here - we tried that already to save money. We asked them if we could rent a room for, say, $400/month or something to help us get on our feet. Didn't work. So, until I secure and set up our apartment, there's nowhere for him to be.

You'll do just fine when you're in your apartment. It's kinda like bringing your first dog home. You have no idea what to do or how to take care of him, but it just happens.

True. A part of it is just that... I'm ending a part of my life that I'll never be able to get back, being a "kid" at home with mom and dad. For the next 70 or whatever years I'll be living completely different and it'll never be like this again. But I'm unhappy the way I'm living right now, so I should wholeheartedly want it to change... part of me doesn't, though. Part of me doesn't want to let go of something I'll never be able to get back. Does that make any sense?

With cooking, start slowly. Try boiling water (literally, just boil water - watch it, see what happens).

Hehehe there was one time in the Bronx back when Saint-Clair was a friar... after cleaning the stove he had put something back together wrong that really messed the stove up. A pot of water was on the stove for SO LONG and... it wouldn't boil. Word spread that Brother Saint-Clair couldn't even boil water and oh did we tease him!

Angilla -- how's Saint Clair's cooking? That could be the answer to your cooking questions......

Christimas Eve 2005... he was making crepes, I was making strufoli (the only thing I can successfully cook LOL)... we set off all three fire alarms in the house - one on this floor, one on the floor above, and even the one in the basement! My dad was running up and down both flights of stairs disabling one fire alarm after another! My mom, in all her years of cooking, has never set off all three! He claims he's a good cook, but I'm not totally sure about that! (When he gets home I'm gonna tell him to read this... )

[hmm 0]

Angilla, I'm DCF not K3.

All DCF interviews were cancelled because of the new Walsh law (look on the DCF thread it's all explained). I hope they will work it out soon, this is messing it up for everyone.

Hmm, what I'll miss when I move back to SoCal, tartiflette, raclette (though you can buy it on amazon along with the machine) goose liver, cheap health care and free preschool.

What I'm looking forward to, good mexican food, donuts and the beach, watching the sun set over the Pacific listening to the waves, lots of outdoor activities.

Sheigh

Some good news i got today from the US Embassy in Paris for who get interviews cancelled coz walsh law

That few I-130 Petitions are back to the Paris US Embassy from the USCIS Roma office after have been checked...

good luck

[sheigh87 0]

Some good news i got today from the US Embassy in Paris for who get interviews cancelled coz walsh law

That few I-130 Petitions are back to the Paris US Embassy from the USCIS Roma office after have been checked...

good luck

I called the Paris Embassy this morning and my husbands DCF interview was finally rescheduled for April 24th. I don't have the paper yet, just the info from the lady on the phone. I was hoping it would be earlier that way we wouldn't have to split up the family, but it looks like that is going to be the case. It's not so hard on me as it will be for my husband coming home everyday to an empty house and not hearing the lil guys all excited to see him. But it will only be 2 months which is not so bad for the 3 year old, but he'll miss the first b-day of the youngest.

The good side is we are no longer completely in limbo and know better now what's going on.

Sheigh