ATTENTION JULY FILERS!

[Jeraly 4]

Yeah - our house is just a normal three bed semi-detached house with a single garage and ok, to be fair, a pretty large garden and it is worth well over $500k... it's insane

We'll defo be looking at places but it's just a case of knowing where to start - we'll have to rent at first anyway just so we have a place to live! How feasible is it for Jeremy to get a mortgage on his own when he earns salary of $24900?!?!?! Do we need to wait for me to be earning as well? He doesn't think we can afford a mortgage right away but if it is possible... well then it makes sense for him to be looking at that rather than for a place to rent after I come home

[bakofoil 27]

We're hoping to snag a bargain on the property front too when I move out there, but Jesse is worried because he's going to be a student for a couple more years. I still think it's worth taking advantage of the property market as it stands currently. We might just end up staying with his mom until we get really settled financially - and that is no hardship at all. She is wonderful and a great cook!

Which reminds me. As soon as she heard about our approval she started getting paperwork together for the I-134 but I am concerned she's being a bit previous (although I love her excitement). I have a few questions on this for those in the know;

1. Where (other than USCIS since the nearest office to Bakersfield is Fresno) is free/cheap best to get the forms notarised?
2. Should she hold off getting the letter from her employer and notarising the I-134 until we get an interview date?
3. If she is earning well above the poverty guidelines am I right in thinking details of assets/savings are not required?

That's it for now but I may have more later Edited February 4, 2008 by babblesgirl

[Jeraly 4]

As far as I know you can get things notarised at most banks for free. Jeremy is getting his stuff notarised at AAA if that is any help

Not sure about number 2...

As for #3 as I understand it, as long as she is making the 125% in her salary then she doesn't need to worry about assets/savings although it can't hurt to declare them

[bakofoil 27]

Okey dokey. Thanks for the tip! It just occurred to me that you won't have put together your I-134 stuff yet. I just don't want to be too 'soon' with it really - no good it holding up things at interview. I'm planning to be over there as soon as humanly possible

[StillThePrettiest 3]

Aly, just a couple of things to maybe consider:

- you could think about signing a rental agreement for 6 months instead of 12; that would lock you in for less time

- you could see the rental period (however long it is) as a way to get a credit history happening / improve Jeremy's current one - the guy leasing my SO's place is doing just that, after a divorce (he has the money for a place now, but will get a lower interest rate on his mortgage if he can show a good credit history)

- renting for even a short time would allow you to get a better idea of places, and where you might like to live (says she who picked out her partner's place on the internet )

[Jeraly 4]

Haha - yeah I think Jeremy is convinced on the idea of speaking to a realtor at the very least anyway just to see what we can get - no harm in finding out!!! It's just nice to think of these things Making a life together will be so exciting (and bloody hard work!!) because I have never moved out and lived independently and Jeremy hasn't either really - it is going to be a steep learning curve but it should be fun figuring things out together

Am still going through panic mode - just got an e-mail from someone through our website from VJ asking about the whole non-legal wedding concept. I was trying to explain it and also explained that it is just how it has happened for us but that I can highly NOT recommend it to plan it like that!!! He was saying his lawyer had said it was practically impossible to enter the US while going through K-1 and I was thinking... "either your lawyer knows nothing or I am deluding myself" then the panic started allllll over again - yay me

Saying I am going to visit my boyfriend for Valentine's day will be fine won't it?! I have a letter from my employer (no address but on headed paper - hope this won't cause issues) as well as return tickets for all three legs of my flight (ONT-ATL, ATL-DUB, DUB-BRS) and my NOA1/2 to show if asked that I am going about things in the proper manner... does this sound ok? I know I have been over it a million times but....

[BabyBlueSusie 1]

oh, same in Sydney... where, unfortunately, I have a mortgage

however, there has to be SOME advantage to moving from one of the most amazing cities in the world to HOUSTON

and at the moment, the insanely cheap cost of living is it

(apart from my SO, of course )

lol I know how you feel...I will be attending graduate school in the fall, and may have to move to South Bend, Indiana in order to do so (that is where Notre Dame University is located, one of my top three choices)...coming from New York City, I cannot even fathom what life will be like there!! I was doing some research on Craigslist though, and found out how INSANELY cheap it is to live in the MidWest...compared to the neighborhood where I currently live, the rent is anywhere 5-10x cheaper...what im paying for my tiny little room in Brooklyn (in an apartment which I share with two other people), I could pay for a 3/4 bedroom house with a yard and driveway there...its absolute insanity...thats the perk though

[Jeraly 4]

According to Jeremy there aren't 6month/12 month leases?!?!? Ahhh- this place is crazy!? I am never going to figure things out

[a-jeanne 2]

According to Jeremy there aren't 6month/12 month leases?!?!? Ahhh- this place is crazy!? I am never going to figure things out

I'm here for you!

[mox 298]

Saying I am going to visit my boyfriend for Valentine's day will be fine won't it?! I have a letter from my employer (no address but on headed paper - hope this won't cause issues) as well as return tickets for all three legs of my flight (ONT-ATL, ATL-DUB, DUB-BRS) and my NOA1/2 to show if asked that I am going about things in the proper manner... does this sound ok? I know I have been over it a million times but....

Yep you'll be fine with this info.

And welcome to Cali!! (early edition)

[Thee_Rak 0]

...all of us recent July approvees.

Oh great... rub it in why don't 'cha

Well I only ever intended to be helpful. My NOA2 is very new and many July filers are well past the stage we're at. I apologise if pointing the finger at the latest July approvals was upsetting for you but my intention was definitely to spread the message to all remaining July filers that there is a board (set up for August and September filers) where we can find the help we need (without scrolling back through weeks of posts). I certainly hope you will be joining us there soon.

Don't worry about it... I'm resigned to the fact that we are going to be the last July Filer approval. I guess sarcasm doesn't come across well in writing (or maybe I'm just no good at it).

[janaus 0]

oh, same in Sydney... where, unfortunately, I have a mortgage

however, there has to be SOME advantage to moving from one of the most amazing cities in the world to HOUSTON

and at the moment, the insanely cheap cost of living is it

(apart from my SO, of course )

houston..atleast it's a city with stuff...i have 2 move to iowa for a year.. my fiance promised to bring me back to the east coast before i wither!. All I saw there was corn.

[janaus 0]

We're hoping to snag a bargain on the property front too when I move out there, but Jesse is worried because he's going to be a student for a couple more years. I still think it's worth taking advantage of the property market as it stands currently. We might just end up staying with his mom until we get really settled financially - and that is no hardship at all. She is wonderful and a great cook!

Which reminds me. As soon as she heard about our approval she started getting paperwork together for the I-134 but I am concerned she's being a bit previous (although I love her excitement). I have a few questions on this for those in the know;

1. Where (other than USCIS since the nearest office to Bakersfield is Fresno) is free/cheap best to get the forms notarised?
2. Should she hold off getting the letter from her employer and notarising the I-134 until we get an interview date?
3. If she is earning well above the poverty guidelines am I right in thinking details of assets/savings are not required?

That's it for now but I may have more later

London has been pretty good about giving out interview dates within a month or two of pkt 3. I did my employer letter and I 134 soon after I got noa2.

I got mine notarized at the local ups store. But banks do them too. U can look up local notaries on the internet.

[brooksmc 0]

We were approved today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mox 298]

We were approved today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Always good to see the July stack getting shorter!

(there's a cookie in it for you if you update your timeline! )