TammieJ

I am with you.. These days are dragging by...My Fiance's- k1 visa interview is in less than a week.. One minute I am euphoric thinking he may be here within 2 weeks and the next I am scared that for whatever reason they will deny him- totally irrational- add the fact that Christmas is just around the corner-which I am not ready for- I have just became a foster Mom which means I now have two 14yr old boys and one 15yr old girl-plus my Mother who lives with us and is -well you know-slipping a bit which makes me sad...Plus-I work 40-50hrs a week.Add it all up and it is a little close to the edge...Somedays I just have to remember to breathe... Not that I would change any of it...My fiance is worth any wait- I love all my kids and your Mom is always your Mom, and these are all decisions I have made but it is stressful.. Too- unless you have been through this process- No one understands it. I actually had a lady at work tell another Co-worker that I "made up" my fiance and this whole process..That's why I love this board...You can vent and people understand what you are going through and encourage you to just hold on a little longer..Give you hope that you will get through it...This too shall pass..Keep the faith-Tj

Hazard

    > I am now waiting for the visa to go to the NVC in New Hampshire now and
    > then onto the Embassy. Packet 3 hopefully wont be too long. (fingers
    > crossed)....you hear it takes a very short time and some long so we will
    > see. I'm sure you wont have to wait too much longer.

I've moaned about the NVC before, but it turns out they received our
petition last Friday. Some peoples took 4 days to get there, ours took 2
weeks. I'm sure they dont send approved cases out that often ( Or, they
get stuck in a "can't be bothered quite yet" pile.

I hear ya )

jgatties

^^^^
Thats my baby

I just found out this morning via AIM. Last night Clare was trying to call me to let me know we got forwarded to London but the phone lines in my apartment complex where down last night, so it was a pleasant suprise when I got to work today and got the news

SecretGarden

Congrats to you and Clare!

Looks like Clare and Mr. Pink might be there at the consulate at the same time. I'm hoping that our stuff will have arrived in London by Friday (after being sent on Monday) and that maybe Packet three will be to him by mid-next week? Let's keep one another posted as to progress......."on your mark, get set, GO!!!!!!"

~SecretGarden
~and Mr. Pink (on the way to London now---yay!)

clare009

clare009

Whoops - this is what happens when you forget to write something in the post before you hit 'submit'...

Anyway, SG - I wanted to ask if you have any estimates about when the interviews will be? Am I optimistic to think first week in January if we have all our forms done and sent back the same day?

Clare

(edited to say and then you belatedly see the 'edit' button...)

Booger

"CaliforniaBride" <member12142@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > things really seem to have slowed down for me. Feeling a bit fed up.
    > I'm waiting for my packet 3 now.
    > I'm going back to the UK for Xmas

    > I know lots of you here won't even be with your loved ones for Xmas and

Have a great CHRISTmas!

SecretGarden

Hehehehe!

Well, I asked Karen D this question the other day and she said to give careful thought to the question which inquires about travel date as they are "amazingly accomodating when it comes to scheduling interviews"....soooo.......

I wonder about the upcoming holidays----here in the US, we as a general rule, do not get as much "time off" at Christmas as those in the UK. Would the Consulate employees be following the US holiday schedule, or taking more time off as is customary in the UK? Hmmm. Dunno!

I would think it would be a bit ambitious to think "interview" in the first week of January. Mr. P. has some committments that need to be taken care of after the first of the year (extricating from his business, etc), so we're hoping to interview the third or fourth week of January and fly out the week of Valentine's Day. I have no clue how long it will take to receive packet three, but yes, he will be returning his checklist the same day.

Wow, what a rambling response. And I have no idea the answer to your question! I think I'm losing it........

~SG

clare009

Don't worry - I cut out most of it in the quote... lol

Thanks for the response. I had previously emailed London about this and they stated that they would grant an interview within 2-3 weeks of receiving packing 3 back if they didn't have to do any further processing. So, I'm thinking, at the earliest, the first week of January. Of course, this would be barring long Chrissie holidays and hangovers from all the festive season merriment.

Darn, I want to give my boss a letter of resignation now! Trying to plan your life around a visa application is damn near impossible. Ah well - this is the moan thread afterall. I'm just glad we've got this far, I guess a few extra weeks would not hurt. *sniff*

Clare

(apologies for my ramblings in turn and for having hijacked this thread)

CaliforniaBride

Well I certainly feel better thanks to the replies on this thread. I'm thankful for the support and encouragement from your posts and also thankful that other people have had the opportunity to moan too.

Quite humbling really.

CB

SecretGarden

Boy, isn't that the truth. We are wanting to plan an early April wedding (coincides with his daughters' school vacation, and it's important to us that they attend), so the date is confirmed with the church, restaurant for reception, and the musican. I haven't ordered invitations yet, but I'm thinking that by the time that visa is in hand, invitations ordered and sent, that people will only have about five weeks notice of the ceremony! Not alot of time to plan an international trip and all of that.

So here comes my *moan*----we talked about this the other night and figured we have two choices---either go with the April date and make some definitive plans (taking a chance that it might all go horribly wrong at the consulate!) OR, hold off until he has the stamp in his passport and then try to get a wedding together for early April. I'm tearing my hair out now enough as it is without having to wait another month to start the plans. *sigh*

The other thing that bothers me about this is that he can't be here to help me and be involved with the planning like a couple who lives on the same continent would be. We want to share all those moments (we did buy our wedding bands together when I was over there to visit in November, so that was good). Thank god for the internet. We sit on instant message and look at websites to get ideas for invitations, color schemes, etc. We've done our planning by sending one another URLs on instant message! I guess that's just the way it is.

He's lucky in that he doesn't have to give notice, being one of two partners in a small business, and as of two weeks from now will be moving in with Mom and Dad for the duration.

My question is, how have all the rest of you gone about getting your ceremony together on short notice and from such a great distance? Any tips would be appreciated. Oh, and to California Bride, sorry for hijacking..........

~SG

CaliforniaBride

I did it exactly the same way. It was so frustrating. And when I finally got here I had to tie everything up here but without my mother or bridesmaids (they arrived a week before our wedding). It was a very lonely time.

Yes! Yes and Yes! Try weddingchannel.com their forums are just phenomenal! I wouldn't have been able to do it without all the support, advice and insider knowledge that everyone seems to have there.

Aw, thats ok. We can share.

CB

Buendia

All I can say is, I completely understand.

And I'll bet I'm ten times less patient than anyone else on here. I'm known for it. My friends can't understand how I can even stand this whole process!!!!

whistlestop01

I'm too scared to start planning a wedding in case I'm not there in time. lol

CharlieS

SG & Clare:

I'm going through London.
I emailed the consulate about the interview the day after I mailed them packet 3. They emailed me my interview date and details of medical the following day. I still havent received the official letter in the mail but they confirmed the appointment and that was good enough for me.
Get those emails ready