December 2014 Filers - Texas Service Center

[mstarrboudrye 0]

I'm an RPCV too We got engaged the week I COS'd, but I waited til I actually got back to the US to send it because the Cameroonian postal service is terrible too and I was afraid it would never make it.

Welcome to the thread and best of luck!

That's awesome I'm sure there are a bunch of us on these forums I just COSd a few weeks ago we started the process ahead of time, though I really didn't do my research I thought he would be able to come shortly after I returned but that is obviously not going to happen...

[ichnusa 4]

Hopefully I won't get in trouble for this being off-topic, but just curious how you guys plan to get married? Courthouse then ceremony later? Just courthouse? Put together a wedding in 90 days?

I keep going back and forth because we want to get married ASAP to get his work authorization, etc. and we don't have the money for a ceremony yet so we decided to go to the courthouse where I'm going to school and do it the same week he gets here, then have a ceremony back where I'm from when we can save up and really plan it out 1-2 years after that (maybe make that a "renewal of the vows" but tell everyone it's our wedding, lol). But will I tell my friends I'm married and change my last name after the courthouse? Obviously we will take that really seriously and want to act emotionally as if we're married...but I think that will be difficult if I can't introduce him as my husband, we're not wearing rings, my name stays the same, and....most of all...if I get pregnant! At the same time though, I feel like if we do the courthouse and announce it officially and show people pictures, then when we want to do the "real" ceremony it won't be special and people will say "aren't you guys already married though?".

Sorry to ramble, I just need other perspectives on this and none of my friends can help because they can't relate!

We also want to get married asap and are planning on getting our marriage license at the courthouse and having a religious ceremony (cheap, small, and simple with close friends/family) and then it'll be official. I will be changing my last name immediately and we will already have our rings. Then in the future we want to go back to his country and have a post-wedding celebration for those who were unable to attend. It'll be more like an anniversary party...

I would say that the important thing here for you, and for all of us, is to be finally married with your loved one and not worry too much about what others will think. Whether you go to a J&P/Courthouse or do it differently I believe it will be very emotional and special for the couple and family/friends

[muhkoo 12]

Me and my PanaMan are thinking of doing a flash/pop up wedding. I'm in dc so there are lots of options of interesting places and the best part is it's free!! The only real risk is possible getting fined if you do it on private property but that generally doesn't happen because no one wants to ruin a wedding. My younger brother is going to marry us and we are just going to send out an email/Facebook/Twitter blast to invite everyone a few days or weeks beforehand. Afterwards we will hold the reception at my moms house or at a bar/restaurant.

I just really don't want to stress about anything and my man and I are both very non-traditional so a formal wedding was never going to be for us. There are lots of blogs and news articles about pop up weddings that you can check out for inspiration.

That's really cool. So when would you pick the place, right before sending out the invites? How do you resist the urge to plan ahead? haha. I'm speaking from a control freak perspective though.

[TabeaK 517]

We are also planning something small ASAP so I can get the work permit/AP/green card stuff sorted.

We are thinking at sort-of eloping to somewhere in New England - we plan to pick date once the case reaches the embassy. Hopefully it'll be December as originally planned. We will only have a few friends attend as it will be impossible to get my European family over there without having a date that can be fixed now.

Then we may end up visiting my family and have a party/renewal ceremony of sorts later - once the paperwork is squared away and we go for our first visit - probably about a year later.

It helps that neither of us is really traditional-ceremony oriented and I will keep my name anyway.

[mstarrboudrye 0]

Haha I am absolutely a control freak as well though you'd have thought two years in panama would have made me more laid back... I am going to be looking around for locations until he gets here as well as bar/restaurants with the space for the number of people I expect to becoming.

I have a few ideas already and I'll double check with all the locations to make sure that they don't do private party rentals so they'll be less likely to fine us for just showing up and using the space. But the sculpture garden at the hirshhorn modern art museum is my first pick right now it's open and outdoors and beautiful so that's what I'm leaning towards.

And I am researching how other people have organized their pop up weddings to get some inspiration

[muhkoo 12]

We also want to get married asap and are planning on getting our marriage license at the courthouse and having a religious ceremony (cheap, small, and simple with close friends/family) and then it'll be official. I will be changing my last name immediately and we will already have our rings. Then in the future we want to go back to his country and have a post-wedding celebration for those who were unable to attend. It'll be more like an anniversary party...

I would say that the important thing here for you, and for all of us, is to be finally married with your loved one and not worry too much about what others will think. Whether you go to a J&P/Courthouse or do it differently I believe it will be very emotional and special for the couple and family/friends

Well it isn't that I care what others will think because the people I'm close with are aware of the situation already anyway, so I guess my main problem is that I'll still be in grad school when he gets here (I mean...at least I hope he's here before December...) so we would be getting married where I'm going to school now as opposed to back home where friends and family could come, even if it's just the courthouse. It's disappointing, but so is this whole thing! I know we will want to do all of the stuff I mentioned as soon as we're married (except the baby part), so we probably will. And then in a year or two we will have a fun celebration where we can invite everyone and we'll just have to come up with some creative wording on the invitations, haha.

Your plan sounds great. If we could just do a party in his country that would make things much simpler! But his family won't be able to attend our American wedding so it would be really important for us to do a Cameroonian one at some point.

[TabeaK 517]

Oh, and in two weeks when my fiance comes visiting, we'll finally go ring shopping. Looking forward to that. We tried before stateside, but I didn't like any of the designs.

[muhkoo 12]

We are also planning something small ASAP so I can get the work permit/AP/green card stuff sorted.

We are thinking at sort-of eloping to somewhere in New England - we plan to pick date once the case reaches the embassy. Hopefully it'll be December as originally planned. We will only have a few friends attend as it will be impossible to get my European family over there without having a date that can be fixed now.

Then we may end up visiting my family and have a party/renewal ceremony of sorts later - once the paperwork is squared away and we go for our first visit - probably about a year later.

It helps that neither of us is really traditional-ceremony oriented and I will keep my name anyway.

Sounds lovely!

Oh, and in two weeks when my fiance comes visiting, we'll finally go ring shopping. Looking forward to that. We tried before stateside, but I didn't like any of the designs.

What a wonderful occasion to look forward to! Hope you find something you like.

[CharlieTanger 76]

There was just a December filer from TSC who was approved at 148 days!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/526033-k-1-december-2014-filers/page-38

[coa24 69]

Makes me wonder if TSC is starting to move faster. That makes 2 I believe so far this month. Also notice that both were at the beginning of the month.

Edited May 2, 2015 by coa24

[TabeaK 517]

I've seen it before. There are often a few random early approvals, but so far, the majority has ended up waiting 200d+ - check out the September thread to see what that's like. A few cases doesn't make a trend, though I do wish you were right.

[TabeaK 517]

Anyone see that NOA-2 on May 1st with a NOA-1 of Dec 23rd?

Wondering if that was an expedite.

[rob999 51]

Anyone see that NOA-2 on May 1st with a NOA-1 of Dec 23rd?

Wondering if that was an expedite.

Just TSC just keeping the processing date's better looking.... (one adjudicator processing some forms a few months ahead of the rest)

I've seen it before. There are often a few random early approvals, but so far, the majority has ended up waiting 200d+ - check out the September thread to see what that's like. A few cases doesn't make a trend, though I do wish you were right.

Based on some recent stats I have done average is 205 days and it's still increasing. The 205 included expedites, without them it's around 220 days. Based on community data

[TabeaK 517]

Thanks rob. I am not getting my hopes up - just curious, is all.

I mean, they are not using approvals lengths as a deliverable, so why bother?

[waitingstill21 44]

Anyone see that NOA-2 on May 1st with a NOA-1 of Dec 23rd?

Wondering if that was an expedite.

There were 2 December filers on May 1 and I read where one of them posted they requested an expedite but they never followed up and posted if it had been approved or not.