I129F April 2017 filers

[Kevin Crawford 34]

27 minutes ago, Tatiana&D.S. said:

it is averige waiting now, do not worry, all will be good !

138 days here. I called USCIS on Thursday. He gave me a "referral number" Said I will be contacted by mail/ Anyone had any luck with this?

[ColdSummer 41]

6 minutes ago, Kevin Crawford said:

138 days here. I called USCIS on Thursday. He gave me a "referral number" Said I will be contacted by mail/ Anyone had any luck with this?

My fiance called Friday and they didn't give him any referral number, they were just saying they were processing february cases. Maybe it could be a good thing that they gave you a referral number at least

[Ricky_Randhawa 20]

17 minutes ago, Kevin Crawford said:

138 days here. I called USCIS on Thursday. He gave me a "referral number" Said I will be contacted by mail/ Anyone had any luck with this?

They are no help,i called them twice and even tried to speak to tier 2 but they repeat whatever listed on USCIS website to track my case which we already know also i dont know why but every time they say that now they start processing February files since which is not true as april filers has been already approved and some have their interview scheduled .

[Ricky_Randhawa 20]

13 minutes ago, ColdSummer said:

My fiance called Friday and they didn't give him any referral number, they were just saying they were processing february cases. Maybe it could be a good thing that they gave you a referral number at least

Hahah exactly thats what they told me everytime.

[Kevin Crawford 34]

7 minutes ago, Ricky_Randhawa said:

Hahah exactly thats what they told me everytime.

I asked for a tier 2 officer. Put me on a call back list. 45 minutes later i received a call. He seemed helpful. 

[AnJ Co 1,676]

2 hours ago, Estibaliz said:

.........

@AnJ Co Actually I wouldn't say Saint Luke is expensive, specially considering vaccines are included. It's 313€ here, which with today's exchange rate means $373, plus around $20 extra minimum for each additional vaccine required  And I think it's even more expensive I'm other countries... My poor wallet

 

Costs add up - regardless where you are.  The vaccines included are a nice benefit of SLEC.  The medicals hidden costs in every country also weigh heavily: adding travel, lodging, meals, and gathering documents & the associated fees and other etc's.  Some things just boil down to relevance, where in Europe the average salary breaks down to about 18k/yr.  In the PH, the average salary is about 12k/yr.  Though the cost of living is unknown to me in Europe, and I concede in the PH it is smaller, but slice it any way - 16,049 php is a lot of money in the islands  

Edited September 4, 2017 by AnJ Co

[Estibaliz 3,037]

5 minutes ago, AnJ Co said:

Yes, it is expensive - regardless where you are.  The vaccines included are a nice benefit of SLEC.  The medicals hidden costs in every country also weigh heavily: adding travel, lodging, meals, and gathering documents & the associated fees and other etc's.  Some things just boil down to relevance, where in Europe the average salary breaks down to about 18k/yr.  In the PH, the average salary is about 12k/yr.  Though the cost of living is unknown to me in Europe, and I concede in the PH it is smaller, but slice it any way - 16,049 php is a lot of money in the islands  

Cost of living here is significant lower than in the US, but so are salaries... not to mention unemployment rate is much higher. So one thing balances the other.

But you are right, the difference can be appreciated if you measure it on $, but there's other factors. At least I'm happy the euro is so much stronger than the dollar right now, that paying the visa fee is slightly better and also my savings will look better when moving 

[AnJ Co 1,676]

2 minutes ago, Estibaliz said:

Cost of living here is significant lower than in the US, but so are salaries... not to mention unemployment rate is much higher. So one thing balances the other.

But you are right, the difference can be appreciated if you measure it on $, but there's other factors. At least I'm happy the euro is so much stronger than the dollar right now, that paying the visa fee is slightly better and also my savings will look better when moving 

I think the median income in spain is like half of that in the U S ?????  Surprising to me, but go figure.  

There is a saying that goes 'It's not what you make, it's what it takes'  Earning a 6 figure salary is nothing if it takes all of it to live on, and there is nothing left over for saving or fun    I've seen people live a better life on 30k than someone living on 150k.  One thing for sure, the cost of living in the islands is significantly lower for many things and comparable for others.  Utilities (ironically) are about the same ($40 internet, $100 electric, $2.50 gasoline).  But rent or mortgages are dramatically less.

The exchange rate is working out nice (except for Canadians 1.4 to 1).  The dollar continues to gain on the PHP as well.....   Nice

[AnJ Co 1,676]

CSC-XII.129f@dhs.gov

 

Anyone still waiting for a NOA2?  There's an email address I stumbled across.  

[AnJ Co 1,676]

More than 11 years ago, these guys were saying the same things that I was saying for the last 2 months........    (Not Fair, cases worked out of order, Approvals a month after mine.)  Page 2 is an interesting read......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AnJ Co 1,676]

4 minutes ago, AnJ Co said:

More than 11 years ago, these guys were saying the same things that I was saying for the last 2 months........    (Not Fair, cases worked out of order, Approvals a month after mine.)  Page 2 is an interesting read......

 

 

 

The author ends her post with " have a feeling that I'm barking at a wall, but I do hate to see such distress. I wish you all peace at heart and am glad that you're filing now, and not two years ago when the average wait for a petition was over 8 months."

 

Eight months!  Wow, looks like we are getting back into that same cycle again

[Estibaliz 3,037]

17 minutes ago, AnJ Co said:

I think the median income in spain is like half of that in the U S ?????  Surprising to me, but go figure.  

There is a saying that goes 'It's not what you make, it's what it takes'  Earning a 6 figure salary is nothing if it takes all of it to live on, and there is nothing left over for saving or fun    I've seen people live a better life on 30k than someone living on 150k.  One thing for sure, the cost of living in the islands is significantly lower for many things and comparable for others.  Utilities (ironically) are about the same ($40 internet, $100 electric, $2.50 gasoline).  But rent or mortgages are dramatically less.

The exchange rate is working out nice (except for Canadians 1.4 to 1).  The dollar continues to gain on the PHP as well.....   Nice

You sure have your facts right 

It's about the same here, with utilities being around the same price (well, sure not gas) but rent or mortgage being like a 40% less. Also, and no offense, things like fresh food (fruit, vegetables, bread, fish...) are cheaper and easier to get here. When Gary came to visit last year, he said that was one of the things that stood out more to him, and I think it got him into having better eating habits  Also social life, of course. We are Spain after all

I don't think it's a matter or better or worse, though, just different... And I was digressing here.

 

And yep, you are right about being a matter of quality and not quantity. The worst time of my life was when I changed jobs and was making double, but I just had a lot of work and stress and not time to enjoy.

[AnJ Co 1,676]

1 minute ago, Estibaliz said:

You sure have your facts right 

It's about the same here, with utilities being around the same price (well, sure not gas) but rent or mortgage being like a 40% less. Also, and no offense, things like fresh food (fruit, vegetables, bread, fish...) are cheaper and easier to get here. When Gary came to visit last year, he said that was one of the things that stood out more to him, and I think it got him into having better eating habits  Also social life, of course. We are Spain after all

I don't think it's a matter or better or worse, though, just different... And I was digressing here.

 

And yep, you are right about being a matter of quality and not quantity. The worst time of my life was when I changed jobs and was making double, but I just had a lot of work and stress and not time to enjoy.

heh heh heh   Yeah, Im a dropout from the rat race.  I used to make a smoking salary, owned a business, and burned the candle on both ends.  I found it just wasn't worth it.  But I know what you mean about fresh fruits and veggies - here in FL there is usually something in season here - right now it is Avocados.  Mangoes just ended.  Jackfruit is next yummm   all free for the picking.   I suppose it is regional - and I've never been to UT, maybe they don't grow veggies well there?

I would love to go to Spain!  2 work colleagues have travelled there independently of each other in the last 6 months.  Each came back with such cool details.  Ann and I hope to go there some day for a vacation.  Hopefully in a few years we will make it.

[Rickey&Aiza 21]

1 hour ago, Ricky_Randhawa said:

 

I'm 137 days and nothing here either. 

[Tanya@D Starcher 585]

1 hour ago, Kevin Crawford said:

138 days here. I called USCIS on Thursday. He gave me a "referral number" Said I will be contacted by mail/ Anyone had any luck with this?

my fiance called just  one time... and we were approved the same day, it was our 138th...coincidence.