December 2009 Filers - CSC!

[Y&E 12]

The bosses said I couldn't take off work during teacher inservice...nor the first week of school...nor the second because Union policy prohibits connecting a day off to the holiday weekend. So the soonest I could go down again to Ecuador to the interview would be Sept. 13th, postponing it ANOTHER two weeks. Nope. We have borrowed the money from family to move up the date (since saving for 3 interviews and Visas and legal custody papers was taking us a bit longer). We are turning lemons into lemonaide.

I am flying back to Ecuador on Friday, and we will interview Tuesday the 24th. I fly back Wed. the 25th, have my PhD class the 26th, and first day of teacher inservice the 27th. I'm sooooooo excited. Woot Woot. Cross your fingers for my sanity!!!

We are last but happy as can be to get in there and move on to this next step. I will keep you posted!

Stephanie

Good luck Stephanie. I hope that the interview goes smoothly and you get all your busy stuff done! Just a question - why do the schools go back so early over here? It's so hot in Indiana and the schools have started already. I don't know how the teachers get any work out of the kids.

[esperanza Ecuador 0]

ok, a call this morning to the US Consulate in Guayaquil, a request to interview the 23rd or 24th and AGAIN the response was, call back, we aren't scheduling that far out. To which Ivan replied "you told us last week to call this week". Then phone attendant Damian says "if you want to come in Wed. or Thurs, I can schedule you, but we aren't booking for next Monday or Tuesday yet, call back this Wed.". See why this place has the reputation it does? Six $12 PIN codes, six calls, and they won't schedule us yet for next week. And what if we call in two days and then they say "sorry, we can't fit you in". And my flight is for Friday...I'm sleepless and about to have a mental breakdown.

[Y&E 12]

ok, a call this morning to the US Consulate in Guayaquil, a request to interview the 23rd or 24th and AGAIN the response was, call back, we aren't scheduling that far out. To which Ivan replied "you told us last week to call this week". Then phone attendant Damian says "if you want to come in Wed. or Thurs, I can schedule you, but we aren't booking for next Monday or Tuesday yet, call back this Wed.". See why this place has the reputation it does? Six $12 PIN codes, six calls, and they won't schedule us yet for next week. And what if we call in two days and then they say "sorry, we can't fit you in". And my flight is for Friday...I'm sleepless and about to have a mental breakdown.

I'm so sorry, Stephanie. I hope that it will all work out for you next week xx

[esperanza Ecuador 0]

The US Consulate in Ecuador personally called me at home to apologize for the appt scheduling run around, and set our date for next Tues. the 24th. Then apologized again. Ticket bought, and now interview fees for all three paid. Taking a technology class for teachers today and tomorrow, leaving 4am Friday. After the interview Tuesday we have to bus back to the capital, and I fly out Wed. morning. I will update you Thursday!

[OBX 51]

The US Consulate in Ecuador personally called me at home to apologize for the appt scheduling run around, and set our date for next Tues. the 24th. Then apologized again. Ticket bought, and now interview fees for all three paid. Taking a technology class for teachers today and tomorrow, leaving 4am Friday. After the interview Tuesday we have to bus back to the capital, and I fly out Wed. morning. I will update you Thursday!

I have just read your timeline. What turmoil you have been through! Congratulations on finally getting the interview date and good luck to all!

[MeggyMo 4]

The US Consulate in Ecuador personally called me at home to apologize for the appt scheduling run around, and set our date for next Tues. the 24th. Then apologized again. Ticket bought, and now interview fees for all three paid. Taking a technology class for teachers today and tomorrow, leaving 4am Friday. After the interview Tuesday we have to bus back to the capital, and I fly out Wed. morning. I will update you Thursday!

Good luck to you both it has been a long journey and I have my fingers crossed for you guys!!

I can't wait to hear the good news

[MeggyMo 4]

Hey guys!

Right now my mom and my step dad are flying down to Ohio for their first visit

I can`t wait to see them I miss them.

An update also on Angelo...he is doing a bit better but he is still quite sore. We are going to see his surgeon today and he is going to ask for another week off of work. He deserves it!

Anywho the big day is tomorrow at 9:30 AM. I am just so excited we are finally going to be able to do what we have been working so hard for!

I wanted to thank all you guys for all the support over these months. It means a lot to Angelo and I that I had great friends like you guys it made me not go crazy!!

Tomorrow I will be Megan Mocella. What an amazing day it is going to be

[Y&E 12]

Congrats on the wedding, Meggy!

Stephanie, I hope that you have some good news to share with us.

I have a job lined up. Just part-time but it should be good. I'm going to be running the pre-school gymnastics programme at a local gym. I'm going to do it voluntarily until my EAD comes through and then they'll pay me. I'm looking forward to it

[TerriandEric 4]

Congrats Meggy & Caspar on your weddings!!

Congrats on the job front Emma..that's awesome news!!

Stephanie I hope everything is going extremely well for you.

We have our AOS interview this Friday...I didnt expect an interview as most others had been transferred & I was hoping for the same but I have put together all the things we need for it...now to sweat bullets until Friday afternoon!

[MeggyMo 4]

Thanks guys! We had such a great time.

Got married at 9:30 am

went for a nice lunch at 11:00

Drank till 3:00 pm to 1 am. LOL

Best wedding ever!

Some bad news though. I have spoken to many people and they will not allow me to get a SSN until I have completed the AOS.

I mean it is not a big deal I just really wanted to get my drivers license.

Anywho we are just enjoying married life and just hanging out together. Things couldn't be better

Good luck on the interview I doubt you guys will need it though!

[esperanza Ecuador 0]

I would love to say I have good news, but I don't. They said (in end) it was evident that we have a real relationship, that all documents are in order, that the kids are his, that he has a bond with mine, etc. But what we did not know is that he is not on a 5 year ban for having worked on a Turist Visa, he is on a lifetime ban. Apparrently, at some point, after having attempted working 1 week at a temp agency and finding out that would not work (dumb rich man who had no idea of ramifications of using his real name), he was ill advised by a priest in Green Bay, Wisconsin that if he was going to stay in the US longer than 6 months, he should do the right thing and ask for 6 more months on his turist visa. He applied in Jan '07 and was granted. He left three days before the one year mark. But had worked one week in Dec '06, so by signing the bottom of that form in Jan. and asking for more time, he misrepresented himself (aka, perjury, aka lying) as he had already broken terms on the bottom. Automatic lifetime ban.

She said our only option is to marry and petition for the ban lifted as his wife (but it might not be and we would need to live elsewhere) or to throw in towel.

My 8 year old has a father here with shared custody, and I cannot move without his legal permission, plus it would be hard on my other two older kids. I cannot even see how to marry him there because the new law in Ecuador is if you want to marry someone from there, you need to come in to his country on a (seeking) legal permanent resident Visa, stay 120 days, pay fees, become a resident, then marry, then wait for marriage certificate. Then I would have to return to US and file, then a one year wait. PS. I don't get that long off of work, and even if I COULD take my son and teach college there it is a salary of 12,000 a year, but it wouldn't pay my monthly debt here of car payment plus large student loan payment.

Ivan and I spun our wheels for Tues. evening, but saw no solution before I had left. We said our goodbyes Tues and Wed, and I cried a whole damn lot, even though the same options of what we can do kept trying to resurface. In the end, yesterday we both confessed neither of us wants to part ways, so we should try to find a way to marry. The US recognizes a marriage in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Costa Rica as legal and binding, so now he will investigate if his country will recognize it as legal too, or if it cannot be without me becoming a LPR of his country. I sure hope the lawyer he consults can come up with something. If so, we will shoot for an Oct wedding in Costa Rica, then start our new one year wait to ask for a pardon. Panama City, Panama, supposedly is one of the longest of waits at worldwide US Attourney General offices, but love provides us no better option...

and with that I will stop bloggin in the Dec. filers spot, and move over to the lifetime ban bloggers. I see I have a lot to learn about the topic. I just wanted to say a huge thanks to all of you, you have been supportive. Congrats MeggyMo on your wedding, I'm glad it went great for you. You guys have been the best, and I wish all of you joy. Ivan and I are hoping our day will come too. We are just going to have to dig in deeper for patience. Blessings, Steph

[TerriandEric 4]

Thanks guys! We had such a great time.

Got married at 9:30 am

went for a nice lunch at 11:00

Drank till 3:00 pm to 1 am. LOL

Best wedding ever!

Some bad news though. I have spoken to many people and they will not allow me to get a SSN until I have completed the AOS.

I mean it is not a big deal I just really wanted to get my drivers license.

Anywho we are just enjoying married life and just hanging out together. Things couldn't be better

Good luck on the interview I doubt you guys will need it though!

Meggy you CAN get your SSN without doing AOS. I got mine within 10 days of being in the USA. You CAN NOT get your OH drivers licence UNTIL you have the NOA2 for AOS. I sat the tests and everything...I rang state head office in Columbus to argue the point only to be told that until I have that I can not be given my license. Frustrating process all round.

Stephanie-- I sat here & read your update & cried. Eric asked me what was wrong & I read it to him & he jut sat in his chair speechless. I really wish there was soemthing, anything we could do for you. Know that we would love for you to stick around as you are one of the group regardless of the outcome. If there is anything at all we can do just drop us a line. *massive hugs*

[MeggyMo 4]

Meggy you CAN get your SSN without doing AOS. I got mine within 10 days of being in the USA. You CAN NOT get your OH drivers licence UNTIL you have the NOA2 for AOS. I sat the tests and everything...I rang state head office in Columbus to argue the point only to be told that until I have that I can not be given my license. Frustrating process all round.

Stephanie-- I sat here & read your update & cried. Eric asked me what was wrong & I read it to him & he jut sat in his chair speechless. I really wish there was soemthing, anything we could do for you. Know that we would love for you to stick around as you are one of the group regardless of the outcome. If there is anything at all we can do just drop us a line. *massive hugs*

Believe me Terri I know I can but I have already fought with 11 people on this subject who work in the building and I gave up. I will wait to get it after. I just wanted to be able to drive!!

I am so sorry Stephanie. I wish you guys the best of luck and please keep updating us and letting us know how things are progressing for you.

ditto on the massive hug

[TerriandEric 4]

Believe me Terri I know I can but I have already fought with 11 people on this subject who work in the building and I gave up. I will wait to get it after. I just wanted to be able to drive!!

I am so sorry Stephanie. I wish you guys the best of luck and please keep updating us and letting us know how things are progressing for you.

ditto on the massive hug

Meggy you can drive. The USA allows you to use your license from Canada so you can still drive on it while living here. I drive on my Australian license daily..but then again it could also depend on your car insurance carrier & their policy too. Eric's insurance allows me to drive as the vehicle is insured not me as such ..if that makes sense.

[MeggyMo 4]

Meggy you can drive. The USA allows you to use your license from Canada so you can still drive on it while living here. I drive on my Australian license daily..but then again it could also depend on your car insurance carrier & their policy too. Eric's insurance allows me to drive as the vehicle is insured not me as such ..if that makes sense.

I know hun but I don't have a canadian drivers license. never have.

So I am gunna have to wait