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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: China
Timeline

Hello everyone,

I just joined this forum in hope of getting some much needed support through this very long adventure I've begun. Let me tell you a little about myself and the wonderful woman I met.......

I work for one of the major theme parks here in Orlando (shouldn't be too hard to guess which one - it's not Universal or Sea-world). In January I was asked if I would like to go to Shanghai China to help with the construction of the new park being built. Of course i said yes - what an opportunity, to see China and get to help build a new theme park - seemed like a win/win. I left at the beginning of February and arrived in China on a cold, snowy Friday - just three days before Chinese New Year. The first couple of weeks there were a wonderful/hectic mess - becoming familiar with a new culture, enjoying the Chinese New Year celebration, settling in at the new job and trying to soak everything in as fast as I could. I will admit that I fell in love with Shanghai. It's a wonderful city, full of energy and life and the Chinese people were very friendly and welcoming. China was nothing like I imagined it would be - I pictured a bleak impoverished country under the thumb of a communist ruler. It was the exact opposite. I was having the time of my life.

Then I met Michelle.

Let me give you a little background about myself before I go further with the story. I'm 51 and was divorced last year after 24 years of marriage. Yes it was a long time but honestly it was the best for both of us. Being single again after so long was an adjustment but I got through it, as so many of us have had to do. I was not ready to get involved again though and as I was leaving for China had to strongly protest the many suggestions of "bringing home a Chinese wife" - I was not going to bring anyone home with me - period.

Then I met Michelle.

Michelle was a manager at one the restaurants we went to (Pistolera's - a Mexican restaurant that was very good). Funny thing is that we didn't meet there - when I went there, she was off - when she was working I didn't eat there. One night though the guys in my group asked her if she wanted to go out with them and she said yes, so they all left and went to a little bar we were going to quite frequently.

That's when I met Michelle.

We hit if off immediately. We talked for awhile at the bar, then started texting each other that night after we left. A week later we went on out first date together. It was amazing.

We started seeing each other 3-4 times a week after that. In early May we went to the trial operations opening of the Shanghai Disneyland park together (amazing day!). After that we spent almost every minute together. We had an amazing time. We ate in some fantastic restaurants. She introduced me to some wonderful foods (places that the tourists do not know about) and showed me around the city. I amused her with my very, very bad mandarin. We wandered around Shanghai with each other - falling in love.

Originally I was supposed to return to Florida in early May but I was asked to extend my time. I eventually left at the end of June. As my departure loomed talk began to surface about our future. Did we have one? We both decided that we wanted to go farther. We hadn't known each other for very long and neither of us was looking for a serious relationship but here we were. I interviewed for a permanent position with Disney in Shanghai. I was very willing to stay in China - I loved the country, the city and the woman I had met there. I was offered a job there but unfortunately the salary they were able to offer was very low. We discussed the offer and decided that I should stay with Disney in Florida and she would come to America to live here. We bought a ring before I left, I proposed and she said yes!

So..... I am here in Florida adjusting to being back in the states and away from my love. She is in China - impatiently waiting for the visa to be processed. I sent the visa petition to the Texas center yesterday July 27 and they will receive it tomorrow July 29th. I know that we are in for a long long 5-8 months (hopefully) waiting for the paperwork to be processed. We video-chat almost every night, work on her paperwork for her part and wait for the day we can be reunited. I am planning on flying back to China in October for a week or so but that seems like a lifetime from now.

Anyways, thanks for reading - if you made it this far :)

I'll keep posting as we reach each step in this process - and it's very nice to meet you all and be included in this fantastic forum where we can all support and draw on each others experiences.

Thanks for letting me join

Andy

K1 Application
Day 000: 2016-7-27 Sent out I-129F Package
Day 002: 2016-7-29 I-129 Received

Day 006: 2016-8-2 NOA1
Day 047: 2016-9-12 NOA2
Day 056: 2016-9-21 NVC Received/Case # Assigned
Day 058: 2016-9-23 NVC Forwarded to Guangzhou

Day 063 2016-9-28 Received by Consulate in Guangzhou

Day 069 2016-10-03 Packet 3 Received

Day 073 2016-10-7 Packet 3 Returned to Consulate

Day 087 2016-10-21 Packet 4 Received

Day 111 2016-11-14 Interview

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Ireland
Timeline

I read your whole story. :) The wait for a response is painful and, as I'm told, the worst part. I filed the I-130 petition to bring my husband over from Ireland on April 11, and current wait times suggest we have another 3 weeks or so before hearing an answer on the petition, fingers crossed.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
Timeline

Andy, good luck.

Bear in mind that the wait for the petition can pale in comparison with what can happen during the consular phase...

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
Timeline

Welcome to the forum.

Completed: K1/K2 (271 days) - AOS/EAD/AP (134 days) - ROC (279 days)

"Si vis amari, ama" - Seneca

 

 

 

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