Marriage in Siberia. Anger and frustration in Moscow.

[visaveteran1 33]

I think the person who wronged you was really the one who wrote the e-mail. I have never heard of them giving a waver of the 6 month residency rule and I think if that were routine and available to all citizens we would all go that route, most of us anyway.

It is a sad situation and I feel bad for you. I figure USCIS ineptness cost me about $ 25,000 or more so far in our k-1 journey. It is sad that we have to waste money and our valuable time.

I think the same thing...the window clerk wrote the email and then had second thoughts when i showed up. To secure the wavier I invoked my status as a disabled combat veteran and retired military and also mentioned I'd be living with my wife for awhile in Russia. The email is clearly a blanket waiver without any terms whatsoever.

[desert_fox 32]

Any decision made or not made by some idiot that works for the govt outside the US are not actionable in a Federal Court. They are beyond their jurisdiction. Forget a writ of Mandamus.

[visaveteran1 33]

Any decision made or not made by some idiot that works for the govt outside the US are not actionable in a Federal Court. They are beyond their jurisdiction. Forget a writ of Mandamus.

The "idiot' clerk works for the Homeland Security Agency and an embassy is US soil...so I think accountability by congress or court is possible.

[russ 1]

The "idiot' clerk works for the Homeland Security Agency and an embassy is US soil...so I think accountability by congress or court is possible.

Well, as the party to the suit is outside the US, they would have a tough time suing in a Federal Court. Their job is to act on a petition, which means approve or deny it (which they did). You already have a form of relief, which is filing another petition.

I'm not a lawyer though, but what they tell me is being in the US is always better when it comes to immigration matters. At least then you can use the courts, whereas overseas, you can't. In general, foreign nationals don't have any rights when they are physically outside the United States.

[Kotenochek 0]

We spent bunch of money too before i finally got here,and now pressure of wedding within 3 month.I wonder how american embassy imagines u handeling ur house mortgage payements all these trips and fees and then wedding in a time they set for us...nonsense

[slim 1,530]

We spent bunch of money too before i finally got here,and now pressure of wedding within 3 month.I wonder how american embassy imagines u handeling ur house mortgage payements all these trips and fees and then wedding in a time they set for us...nonsense

They don't. Plus, that's why your sponsor has to prove 125% of poverty level so they can pay for everything. They don't have other bills, do they?

This was actually a big surprise for my wife and took several months (still adjusting) to realize that even though I make a couple thousand dollars a month, there are bills for a couple thousand dollars as well.

If money is tight, a good way to still go for the big wedding and pay all expenses is to have a civil marriage first and the

"big wedding" later on after EAD and AOS and once all the other bills are paid for and there's a little money left over. (Which can happen.... or may not ever happen!)

But, since this is America, the "big wedding" will probably never happen because you'll have "big bills."

[Kotenochek 0]

We married already in a court,since that does not really matter for us we going to be together no matter what,and i agree with you slim..

unless parents pay its too hard for new weds keep up on bills.

We have no support from parents and all we are are ourselves,so yes its hard even though none of us is really poor.My man makes decent money,but yeah bills are just making it even.

[slim 1,530]

Hang in there.

We went through a pretty rough spell where we didn't go anywhere because I didn't have enough gas in my Jeep and we couldn't even do our laundry until payday.

But.... all that's behind us now and we're about to go on a nice vacation. We still budget our money, but it's nothing like before when we were trying to decide if we should pay the rent or get groceries.

After you get EAD and start working, you'll be just fine. Think about it... if you're "making it" on just his money, you'll have TONS (used very loosely of course!) of extra cash.

[Satellite 1]

Think about it... if you're "making it" on just his money, you'll have TONS (used very loosely of course!) of extra cash.

Slim, don't forget, the more you make the more you spend. My parents who are in the highest tax bracket still live pay check to pay check because of this concept!

[slim 1,530]

Slim, don't forget, the more you make the more you spend. My parents who are in the highest tax bracket still live pay check to pay check because of this concept!

While most people do spend more when they make more, I learned a long time ago that having "extra" money is a lot nicer when you don't have "extra" bills.

Sure, I'll spend more like everyone, but the trick is to make sure what you're spending doesn't become a debt. Most people make more money so they buy a nicer house or a nicer car or get more (nice) junk in their house. I'm going in the opposite direction. I'm tyring to eliminate all of my debt and if I want something, pay for it outright. If that's possible to do, they paycheck to paycheck thing goes right out the window.

Trying to sell my wife on this concept has been pretty tough. She seems to think the more money we make, the more "credit" we can take. Sure we can... but I'd like to do the Russian style of paying up-front as opposed to the American style of signing on the dotted line and then paying 20% interest for the next few years.

Credit is the enemy!!!

[Nancy2015 2]

Think about it... if you're "making it" on just his money, you'll have TONS (used very loosely of course!) of extra cash.

Slim, don't forget, the more you make the more you spend. My parents who are in the highest tax bracket still live pay check to pay check because of this concept!

This is, unfortunately, true.

Right now we're making 3 times as much as 2 years ago when I didn't work and Sid worked a very entry level job. And we have 3 times as many bills as back then. It just happened naturally. You realize that you now can afford a better car, a better apartment, better furniture... *sigh* And we are very careful with money - we are both savers rather than spenders, yet we still have a lot of bills.

Edited December 1, 2007 by Sid and Nancy