Our first update!

[Nywoek 10]

Our NOA1 took 4 days, and today I got my first email from VisaJourney with an approval estimate. 😃

 

The email says December 4th! Exciting. Although I clicked it and it sent me to someone elses profile, lol. Upon checking our current estimate on my actual profile is december 23rd to January 14th, so no complaints there. Kind of feels icky that we dragged our feet for so long, this has been up in the air since april so we could have almost been at that stage today. Not entirely true though, since I had to work thing out with my ex husband and wanted to spend the summer together with my fiance and both kids to really get a feel for things.

 

So all in due time.

 

Any recommendations for me? Other than have patience; I was thinking more practical tips. XD I already have a few things I have to do that I am thinking of starting with soon:

 

-Get up to date vaccinations. I have most of them, but some are old (full doses but like... 90s and early 2000s old. Anyone know if this matter?). I also dont have the Hep B at all, so I guess I will need that, and my last covid booster was in 2022. Also missing a flu shot, never had one.

-Get my kids to the norwegian embassy and get them registered and also get passports since they are half american. This will be a lot of work and I am not sure the timeline on it either, so probably sooner rather than later. At least they wont have to go get medical, and my oldest wont have to go to the interview if it happens after march next year when she turns 14.

-Start throwing away/packing/sorting/decluttering. I am not planning to bring furniture, but I was trying to research how to bring some of the things to the US. My kids want to be able to bring some toys/books/whatnot, and even if we all get 2 suitcases that probably wont be enough.

 

I will be travelling stateside soon, visiting for about 2 weeks by myself. My fiance bought a house this summer, so we will be setting up furniture and getting it ready. His lease was up and we needed more space, so it was time. Looking forward to spending some time together, might be the last visit before we move since I do not know the timeline after christmas and I will have to travel to Oslo for my medical and then Stockholm for my interview when that happens, plus I am not sure of my job situation then since I am currently in school.

 

Anyone else with a newly submitted I-129f? ^-^ How do you guys stay close and work on your relationship during this trying time?

 

[hplusj 135]

Things to do:

 

Vaccinations are going to be reviewed and administered by the panel physician after your case heads to the embassy.  It's not something you need to get a jump on, the PP will review them at the appointment and fill out your DS-3025 which becomes your immunization record in the US for life.  Might as well let him handle it.

 

Not sure about the K2 process with your children, I'll let others address that.

 

You probably have at least nine months (or longer) before the move.  Our petition was submitted last August and my fiance will be here in two weeks.  Granted there was a massive speedup on turnaround time at the end of 2023, they seem to be doing a lot of backlog cleanup at USCIS right now which may affect the speed by which cases are approved and forwarded to NVC.  Even still, the time at NVC is a complete tossup as well, with cases taking everywhere from a few weeks to years to move to the embassy.  Ours was projected to sit at NVC 3-4 weeks; it did not move for nearly five months.

 

Patience, above else, is key.  I know what it's like to be excited about the next stages, but take a deep breath and try not to rush into the future, when there's a lot to be done in the here and now.  Make sure all documentation is ready for the interview, as some items, like police clearances and birth certificates, can take months to gather at times.  Ensure all evidence is organized and ready for your visit to the embassy.  Foster your relationship with your future spouse, keep it healthy, because the stress and anxiety will build and lessen at times, it has an ebb and flow.   K1s are a true test of resolve to be committed.  Always keep the love for your partner a priority. 

Edited September 2 by hplusj
typo

[Ontarkie 14,217]

12 minutes ago, hplusj said:

Things to do:

 

Vaccinations are going to be reviewed and administered by the panel physician after your case heads to the embassy.  It's not something you need to get a jump on, the PP will review them at the appointment and fill out your DS-3025 which becomes your immunization record in the US for life.  Might as well let him handle it.

 

Not sure about the K2 process with your children, I'll let others address that.

 

You probably have at least nine months (or longer) before the move.  Our petition was submitted last August and my fiance will be here in two weeks.  Granted there was a massive speedup on turnaround time at the end of 2023, they seem to be doing a lot of backlog cleanup at USCIS right now which may affect the speed by which cases are approved and forwarded to NVC.  Even still, the time at NVC is a complete tossup as well, with cases taking everywhere from a few weeks to years to move to the embassy.  Ours was projected to sit at NVC 3-4 weeks; it did not move for nearly five months.

 

Patience, above else, is key.  I know what it's like to be excited about the next stages, but take a deep breath and try not to rush into the future, when there's a lot to be done in the here and now.  Make sure all documentation is ready for the interview, as some items, like police clearances and birth certificates, can take months to gather at times.  Ensure all evidence is organized and ready for your visit to the embassy.  Foster your relationship with your future spouse, keep it healthy, because the stress and anxiety will build and lessen at times, it has an ebb and flow.   K1s are a true test of resolve to be committed.  Always keep the love for your partner a priority. 

There's no K2 process for her. The kids are USC. 

[hplusj 135]

2 hours ago, Ontarkie said:

There's no K2 process for her. The kids are USC. 

See that's why I didn't even try to answer lol

Thank you

[TBoneTX 45,259]

Congratulations on the speedy NOA1 -- how envious previous generations of VJ-ers are of you.

 

I recommend gathering multiple copies of all documents that would be difficult or expensive to obtain after you leave your country:  birth certificates, divorce or death certificate of previous spouse if applicable, school records for yourself (wait until closer to the interview to get those for the kids), and especially copies of vaccination records -- on official clinic letterhead or with a certifying stamp (wait until everyone gets what's needed).  Think of other official records.  Keep a copy for the interview, and keep the other copies safe where you can gain access to them.

 

Before your interview, renew your country's passport and driver's license for the longest terms possible.  If you plan to vote from overseas, renew your voter registration as may apply.

 

Begin planning long-term for after U.S. arrival:  "If my ___ approval takes X months to come in, I'll spend my time doing ___, ___, and ___" (have plans for various durations, short & long).  Plan for what the kids will need.  This is a good way to strengthen your relationship with your fiance.

 

Before you visit the U.S. for your 2 weeks, contact your U.S. consulate (Stockholm?) to see what papers or approvals will be needed for the kids' passports.  I don't know if your fiance will have to provide anything, but your ex-husband might need to write letters of consent for your taking the kids.

 

That's all that I can think of for now.  These suggestions may spur further ideas of your own.

[Scandi 4,166]

I never needed any Hep vaccinations (never had a single one in my entire life). I had the typical vaccinations as a kid (applied for the visa when I was 32) and the only thing I thought I'd need was a Tetanus booster shot (hadn't had one since I was a kid). I prepared by getting it at my local vardcentral in Skane, and just asked to have them write a short letter as proof that I did get it. I brought evidence of all my old vaccines and the new booster shot to the medical in Goteborg and he didn't even look at it. He just asked if I had gotten the typical vaccines as a kid, like all Scandinavian kids get, and that was it. He marked my DS-3025 vaccination worksheet as "complete" and I never had any issues when I filed for AOS in the US. 

 

Getting the vaccination beforehand meant I didn't have to rely on the clinic to have it on hand and maybe being able to give it to me at the medical (or not, wasn't going to take the chance), everything was already ready to go and the doctor just needed to sign off on it. 

 

I sold or threw out everything that didn't fit in 3 suitcases, and my then US fiance came over to Sweden to "pick me up" so he could help me roll/carry the bags at the airports. There was absolutely no point in me bringing a bunch of stuff to the US as I knew I'd want to get new stuff after the move (this is especially the case of kids, they're going to want to get new toys and clothes in the US), and it would not be worth the cost to hire a shipping company. 
There's nothing cheaper than just adding extra bags on the plane. 
 

[Nywoek 10]

9 hours ago, Scandi said:

I never needed any Hep vaccinations (never had a single one in my entire life). I had the typical vaccinations as a kid (applied for the visa when I was 32) and the only thing I thought I'd need was a Tetanus booster shot (hadn't had one since I was a kid). I prepared by getting it at my local vardcentral in Skane, and just asked to have them write a short letter as proof that I did get it. I brought evidence of all my old vaccines and the new booster shot to the medical in Goteborg and he didn't even look at it. He just asked if I had gotten the typical vaccines as a kid, like all Scandinavian kids get, and that was it. He marked my DS-3025 vaccination worksheet as "complete" and I never had any issues when I filed for AOS in the US. 

 

Getting the vaccination beforehand meant I didn't have to rely on the clinic to have it on hand and maybe being able to give it to me at the medical (or not, wasn't going to take the chance), everything was already ready to go and the doctor just needed to sign off on it. 

 

I sold or threw out everything that didn't fit in 3 suitcases, and my then US fiance came over to Sweden to "pick me up" so he could help me roll/carry the bags at the airports. There was absolutely no point in me bringing a bunch of stuff to the US as I knew I'd want to get new stuff after the move (this is especially the case of kids, they're going to want to get new toys and clothes in the US), and it would not be worth the cost to hire a shipping company. 
There's nothing cheaper than just adding extra bags on the plane. 
 

I was just going by this list I found, because I remember hearing something about it previously.

https://www.uscis.gov/tools/designated-civil-surgeons/vaccination-requirements

 

Luckily Norway has a vaccine register, and I have to go to a norwegian doctor before my interview, so he will be able to look that up. I will probably get some boosters, my tetanus is also horribly out of date, and it definitely does not hurt to get that done. 🙈 I guess I could also call a vaccine clinic and ask about all this.

 

I own a house full of stuff, a lot of it I will get rid of, but some of it I will have to store. The biggest reason for that is that we plan to return to Norway eventually. Luckily I have parents who can keep some of it. I agree with clothes and toys being less important, but some of it definitely has sentimental meaning for the kids. We plan to return here once or twice a year while we are gone, and have budgeted for that expense, so another way to do it will be to "pack" stuff and leave it at my parents and bring it when it is possible for me to visit after all of that has been dealt with. I will also have my parents fly in for the wedding or at least sometime not too long after we move, so we can probably get them to bring stuff then. My fiance keeps saying we should find a company, but I agree with you that it will be incredibly costly and probably not worth it.

 

Thank you guys for your advice and kind words! This is not for the faint of heart, but we can do it. I definitely have to do what you say TBone and find some goals for the wait after we move, and the wait next year after i finish my studies but at least then I can work on selling my house, possibly learning how to drive and do lots of research. I will probably homeschool my youngest child, so at least I wont have nothing to do. XD I do have a early childhood teaching degree, so that will be of use to me, heh.

Edited September 3 by Nywoek

[Nywoek 10]

Their dad has agreed to try to set up an appointment while they visit the capital with their grandma early in october, so hopefully we can get all that out of the way. He is being very reasonable about the whole thing, which is nice. 😃

[TBoneTX 45,259]

We need more threads like this.