Waiting for a NOA2 from CSC for your I-129F?

[StillThePrettiest 3]

oh, that's such a shame

is there any wiggle room? I know you'd like to go to get her, but can she come on her own? that could save you time and money... and if she spoke to her employers, could she maybe change her leaving dates? (I don't know how business works there either, but it can't hurt to ask, surely? )

[Jeraly 4]

Yeah - I am lucky that Jeremy will be coming over and flying back with me... He had suggested maybe he didn't come over to save money... That would have been fine but I had to explain our UK reception would be a bit crappy without the groom!!

[mox 298]

Oh dear... what do you do for work again moxie?! I want your job - you get paid to watch numbers on VJ!!

I'm whatchacall a systems engineer. Fancy way of saying I make lots of really big computers crunch lots of numbers. I don't get paid to watch numbers on VJ, although I put enough time into it that I ought to, dangit!

How are we supposed to plan our lives when things are so unpredictable? Maybe I should send USCIS a bill for our lost income. Haha. I know that would be an exercise in futility, but it's a delicious thought!

It's tough for sure. From the outset Nadya and I decided not to even attempt to make plans for anything. As much as I'd love to go to Moscow for the interview with her, we've decided to save the money and vacation time for later. We'll have a civil wedding with just enough people for witnesses and maybe a few more, and then a reception that will probably consist of just a nice dinner and drinks. Then at some later undesignated time we'll go back to her village and have a wedding there. But we're not setting any time-tables. I can't even imagine what additional pressures that would create.

I know I've said this on at least 3 other posts, but I think it will help relieve some of the stress you and others are feeling: CSC are not outside their 6 month goal for adjudication yet. As for myself, I got really excited when it seemed I was on track for a 4 month approval, but we need to consider anything less than 6 months as gravy. It makes me nervous to see things ground to a halt, but it's got to pick up any time now. In fact there's a very real possibility that if processing picks up soon, that most of us will make it well under the 6 month goal.

[Jeraly 4]

Yeah I must say punching a timeclock hasn't been fun - part of me can't wait until it is all over so I can go back to waiting with no deadline like most normal people

[bakofoil 27]

I know I've said this on at least 3 other posts, but I think it will help relieve some of the stress you and others are feeling: CSC are not outside their 6 month goal for adjudication yet. As for myself, I got really excited when it seemed I was on track for a 4 month approval, but we need to consider anything less than 6 months as gravy. It makes me nervous to see things ground to a halt, but it's got to pick up any time now. In fact there's a very real possibility that if processing picks up soon, that most of us will make it well under the 6 month goal.

Not far off it though mox. 3/4 days in my case and I have a late July NOA1. There's plenty with earlier filing dates who (I think) haven't heard anything yet. But, yes I take your overall point and I've said it myself many many times over recent days. CSC are working within six months right now.

[Melrose Plant 1]

oh, that's such a shame

is there any wiggle room? I know you'd like to go to get her, but can she come on her own? that could save you time and money... and if she spoke to her employers, could she maybe change her leaving dates? (I don't know how business works there either, but it can't hurt to ask, surely? )

Hehe, I don't want to say too much on a public forum, but let me explain this as best I can. You've got to understand that in VN, a good deal of the capitalist economy is, well, not on the books.

My fiancee is an advertising exec. She sells and services mainly billboard advertising. This job involves a somewhat broader range of responsibilities than a similar position would in the U.S. or Western Europe. For example, she has to actually hire and supervise the actual carpenters who build the sign itself. Can you imagine? Anyway, the jist of it is, somehow, when she gets a contract with a client, she actually invests her own personal money in that contract. That's a little weird to us, but that's how business is done over there. The catch is that she needs to be around at the end of the contract to collect her money. Otherwise, that money goes to giam doc ngu (stupid director). Yes, there's a little secrecy involved here. It's a growing economy under a communist regime.

By looking at the past, she assumed that this whole process would take 5 or 6 months from start to finish. So naturally, she didn't invest a lot of money in pursuing these contracts in the past few months, figuring that she wouldn't be around to collect. In other words, she sent clients away. Now, we see that we figured wrong, and so there's the lost money, and there's nothing to be done about that now. Oh, well.

I just feel fortunate that she does earn a good living, because most people on this forum who have Vietnamese fiancees are sending money every month to their sweeties because they are making maybe $120 per month if they're lucky, so they can't afford things like internet in their homes, or they can't afford to buy a computer.

P.S. She constantly argues with her boss, and I am pretty sure he hates her, but there is no one else in that company who can consistently bring in the contracts like she can! I wish I could tell off my boss like that!

[mox 298]

Not far off it though mox. 3/4 days in my case and I have a late July NOA1. There's plenty with earlier filing dates who (I think) haven't heard anything yet. But, yes I take your overall point and I've said it myself many many times over recent days. CSC are working within six months right now.

Yeah, I usually caveat this by saying "except for some July and previous filers..." In the harsh light of statistical analysis however, the number of filers who are outside the 6-month goal is very small. This is of no comfort of course if you happen to be one of those small numbers of people, but for the community at large at least we can say that it's an uncommon enough occurrence that it's unlikely to happen to most filers. And I want to be really clear that I'm not making light of anyone who has had to wait beyond the 6-month timeframe. It's easy enough for me to sit here and say "statistically speaking you are unlikely to have to wait more than 6 months," but if it happens to me I'll be just as torn up and angry about it as I'm sure you'll be if you don't see that approval soon.

This is sort of citing an overall low crimerate to someone who's just been robbed, I know.

[bakofoil 27]

Not far off it though mox. 3/4 days in my case and I have a late July NOA1. There's plenty with earlier filing dates who (I think) haven't heard anything yet. But, yes I take your overall point and I've said it myself many many times over recent days. CSC are working within six months right now.

Yeah, I usually caveat this by saying "except for some July and previous filers..." In the harsh light of statistical analysis however, the number of filers who are outside the 6-month goal is very small. This is of no comfort of course if you happen to be one of those small numbers of people, but for the community at large at least we can say that it's an uncommon enough occurrence that it's unlikely to happen to most filers. And I want to be really clear that I'm not making light of anyone who has had to wait beyond the 6-month timeframe. It's easy enough for me to sit here and say "statistically speaking you are unlikely to have to wait more than 6 months," but if it happens to me I'll be just as torn up and angry about it as I'm sure you'll be if you don't see that approval soon.

This is sort of citing an overall low crimerate to someone who's just been robbed, I know.

I don't feel robbed - yet. You're absolutely correct and this post is very well thought out. Top marks for level-headedness and empathy I do hope things speed up for all our sakes

[Jeraly 4]

Yeah I am just kinda bummed that there is such a huge difference between VSC and CSC now - it wouldn't be so bad if they were moving the same pace but when you see Sept/Oct filers getting approved with VSC and CSC is still working on July...

Then when I see people complaining that they have been waiting *so* long after two months and freaking out about calling up and contacting their congressman and things like that I kinda want to tell them to get a grip - I know we all find it hard but... Maybe they just haven't had the time to let it sink in that it can be a lengthy process or maybe they are still taking it for granted that the whole process will only take six months... who knows?! I am really pleased we have had our spreadsheet for July because it let us really see when people were getting approved so ok, it was taking ages but it was taking just as long for everyone else who filed at the same time as us

Oh and any July filers watching - make sure you let debz or myself know to update the spreadsheet if you have any details to add/edit!

[TBoneTX 45,091]

It's tough for sure. From the outset Nadya and I decided not to even attempt to make plans for anything. As much as I'd love to go to Moscow for the interview with her, we've decided to save the money and vacation time for later. We'll have a civil wedding with just enough people for witnesses and maybe a few more, and then a reception that will probably consist of just a nice dinner and drinks. Then at some later undesignated time we'll go back to her village and have a wedding there. But we're not setting any time-tables. I can't even imagine what additional pressures that would create.

Mox strikes another blow for lucidity. This is what I would like to do, but I'm not sure that C. understands it; we had talked about a civil wedding here and a blowout wedding later in Ecuador, but she has also said something about her parents (who speak no English and have never left Ecuador) wanting to come here for the civil wedding. That would be at least a full day's trip or more from their hometown in the far south just to be able to catch a flight, then a day to recover upon U.S. arrival (redeye flight), a "nuthin'" ceremony in front of a judge, a small/medium-sized reception at a relative's house, then nuthin' again.

Even more: C.'s "most romantic" scenario is me flying down to take her back (away) to the U.S. Romantic, si man, but what about job & finances? Makes more sense for her to come whenever she's approved and has said her various goodbyes (all over Ecuador, si man!).

Yet more: Due to having been burned salary-wise at a previous job, she has started her own business and is traveling all over Ecuador, AND is trying to complete another course of her University correspondence study, AND is still being the "eldest sister" of the family. We haven't talked for nearly a week, we've e-mailed only a couple of times, and she completely ignored (or didn't read far enough down) my latest e-mail, in which I very excitedly told her that our papers would imminently reach the consulate. I also told her that I went into the office on Sat. night and spent 5 full hours compiling, concocting, and otherwise coagulating most of the papers & evidence that she will need... and she didn't comment on that, either.

I strongly suspect that she is working like a ####### to make some money to help with her trip and with our pending new life, but if she happens to be too busy to go for her consulate interview (or even to acknowledge that there IS one, once there is one), how will that look to the consulate? I don't know that that will happen, but it's easy to get up-wrapped in one's life when there are competing priorities. I'm also rather worried that she'll work herself into exhaustion or illness.

Ergothuswithforthly, this is some of the stuff that can happen AFTER our ####### NOA2s arrive. I present it not only to "try" to make the NOA2-waitees feel better (maybe it won't, but this K-1 process has shat on me pretty consistently from the outset), but also to hear anyone's wisdom regarding my specific challenges. Si, man?

T-B.

[TBoneTX 45,091]

It's tough for sure. From the outset Nadya and I decided not to even attempt to make plans for anything. As much as I'd love to go to Moscow for the interview with her, we've decided to save the money and vacation time for later. We'll have a civil wedding with just enough people for witnesses and maybe a few more, and then a reception that will probably consist of just a nice dinner and drinks. Then at some later undesignated time we'll go back to her village and have a wedding there. But we're not setting any time-tables. I can't even imagine what additional pressures that would create.

Mox strikes another blow for lucidity. This is what I would like to do, but I'm not sure that C. understands it; we had talked about a civil wedding here and a blowout wedding later in Ecuador, but she has also said something about her parents (who speak no English and have never left Ecuador) wanting to come here for the civil wedding. That would be at least a full day's trip or more from their hometown in the far south just to be able to catch a flight, then a day to recover upon U.S. arrival (redeye flight), a "nuthin'" ceremony in front of a judge, a small/medium-sized reception at a relative's house, then nuthin' again.

Even more: C.'s "most romantic" scenario is me flying down to take her back (away) to the U.S. Romantic, si man, but what about job & finances? Makes more sense for her to come whenever she's approved and has said her various goodbyes (all over Ecuador, si man!).

Yet more: Due to having been burned salary-wise at a previous job, she has started her own business and is traveling all over Ecuador, AND is trying to complete another course of her University correspondence study, AND is still being the "eldest sister" of the family. We haven't talked for nearly a week, we've e-mailed only a couple of times, and she completely ignored (or didn't read far enough down) my latest e-mail, in which I very excitedly told her that our papers would imminently reach the consulate. I also told her that I went into the office on Sat. night and spent 5 full hours compiling, concocting, and otherwise coagulating most of the papers & evidence that she will need... and she didn't comment on that, either.

I strongly suspect that she is working like a ####### to make some money to help with her trip and with our pending new life, but if she happens to be too busy to go for her consulate interview (or even to acknowledge that there IS one, once there is one), how will that look to the consulate? I don't know that that will happen, but it's easy to get up-wrapped in one's life when there are competing priorities. (Maybe it's mostly an overall matter of noticing the forest among the trees, which she can be pretty good at.) I'm also rather worried that she'll work herself into exhaustion or illness.

Ergothuswithforthly, this is some of the stuff that can happen AFTER our ####### NOA2s arrive. I present it not only to "try" to make the NOA2-waitees feel better (maybe it won't, but this K-1 process has shat on me pretty consistently from the outset), but also to hear anyone's wisdom regarding my specific challenges. Si, man?

T-B.

[TBoneTX 45,091]

How the above ended up being posted twice, I dunno, si man. Mox will have to engineer the figgers.

[Jeraly 4]

It's dead in here tonight... I miss the bubbling hive of activity... even if we were just all moaning about CSC being #######

[mox 298]

Dang TBoneTX, sorry to hear about that. I know it drives me crazy when I can't get ahold of my SO.

I've already started putting together as much of the post-NOA2 stuff as I can. Gathering my taxes, filling out (but not dating) forms, etc. There's a lot of work involved, but I guess I'll take it over waiting and waiting and waiting...

[TBoneTX 45,091]

It's dead in here tonight... I miss the bubbling hive of activity... even if we were just all moaning about CSC being #######

Aly dear, please decease (ha!) and desist, because I earlier hived with active bubbles. Er, uh... si, man. And the CSC IS #######!!!!!