episode 106: First Contact!
10.31.2006 - Steve received an I-797C (Notice of Action) from USCIS in his mail today for the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance he has sent. It says that they've received the payment of US$170. Receipt#: EAC-07-016-50988. Receipt Date: October 23, 2006. Notification Date: October 24, 2006.
This is the first reply from USCIS that we've got. The notice means that the ball has just stated to roll. I hope they find everything in order and would give the approval right away. Steve and I are hopeful. We're another step closer to the finish line.
episode 105: The count-down officially begins!
10.19.2006 - Steve received the package I sent him with most of the document needed for the I-129F on 10.18.2006 (US EST). I informed him ahead of time about the documents that he has to provide for to complete the requirements for I-129F. So all he had to do is to sign the forms that I have pre-filled on his behalf, toss in those documents needed from him, write a check out to USCIS or US Homeland Security for US$170 as the processing fee, send those documents out to the proper USCIS office which in our case is Vermont. Steve did all those on the same day he got the documents from me. Good job, baby! He sent the package out to USCIS through registered mail so we'll know when it got to USCIS exactly. He was told that it should only take around 2-3 days. We'll see.
So now is the official start of the count-down! Wish us luck!
episode 104: Registered Mail
10.16.2006 - I gave my "unmounted" passport picture along with some of the extra pictures of Steve and I that I've developed for the "proof" to Ira last Friday. I asked her to send it to Steve through registered mail which supposedly takes just a week to get to the destination. We'll see how true that is. If it's true, then my passport picture would get to Steve the same time as the documents for I-129F would. In that case, we're still good! So all you guys out there, if you find sending the whole documents through FedEx or UPS expensive, better remember to opt for registered post mail rather than the regular.
Ira has been my pigeon for sending post mails to Steve because she passes by the post-office on her way to work. Thanks for your patience Ira! Luv ya!
episode 103: Let the Journey Begin!
10.10.2006 - Mailed the filled-up forms and supporting documents for the Petition for Alien Fiance to my fiance Steve. I asked my friend/co-worker Ira (who in turn asked her boyfriend Cris) to mail it for me. It has been mailed through snail mail (regular post mail) which should take around 2 weeks to get to Steve in Virginia. Just for my record, it costs me P550. I know, I should have sent it through FedEx or registered mail for it to reach Steve earlier. Yes, it would've cost more but the agony of waiting would've been a lot less. Sigh ... I'm such a dumb-dumb sometimes. As if that's not enough, I also made the mistake of stapling my passport photo to my G-325A form. The instruction on I-129F form says the passport photo should not be "mounted" ... didn't realize that it means it should not be stapled. Duh ... sometimes, I just can't help but be amazed about how brilliant I am. Sheeesh! So now I have to send another "unmounted" passport photo to Steve tomorrow.
episode 102: How to make a Petition for an Alien Fiance?
Here are the information I know so far about what you have to do to apply for a U.S. K-1 Fiance Visa:
1. Whoever is the U.S. citizen of the couple will have to apply for a petition Go to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website to fill up the Petition for Alien Fiance form (I-129F). You can fill the information directly on the PDF form online and just print it out when you're done. If you're going to fill the form up manually, make sure you use black ink. For help on how to fill up the forms, go to VisaJourney.com where they have sample filled-up forms for your reference 2. Both the U.S. citizen and the fiance should fill up a Biographic Information form (G-325A). One for each person.3. Both the U.S. citizen and the fiance should get a passport-size color photograph taken. One for each person. The photos should be taken within 30 days of the date of filing the petition. The photo must have white background, be glossy, un-retouched and not mounted(don't staple). Using a pencil, lightly print the name on the back of each photograph. 4. The U.S. citizen should make a copy of Birth Certificate.
5. The U.S. citizen should make a copy of all the pages (including blanks) of the US Passport.
6. Both the U.S. citizen and the fiance should submit an original of the Statement of Intent to Marry which says that you're legally able and willing to marry the other within 90 days of the fiance's arrival in the U.S. The VisaJourney.com website has a sample of this that you can use. Have them notarized if you can. 7. Provide proofs of having met in person in the past 2 years. Copies of visas, entry and departure stamps, copy of tickets or boarding pass, copy of flight itineraries from travel agencies, pictures of the two of you labeled with the date and place they were taken, etc.
8. A cover letter for I-129F that states the nature of the submission and list all the documents that you're submitting in support of the application. 9. Write a check out to "Department of Homeland Security" for the processing fee. Check the latest amount for the processing fee on the USCIS website. Right now (10/10/2006), it's US$170. 10. Send all the documents according to you place of residence because USCIS has service centers around US that services specific areas. Read the instructions on the initial pages that comes along with the I-129F for the right USCIS Service Center. It should be under the question "Where should you file this form?"
Good Luck!
episode 101: The Beginning of A New Journey
This blog is intended to log all my experiences and goings-on of the new journey I have chosen to take ... being an immigrant in the US. I am a Tsinay (living in Makati, Philippines) who's engaged to a wonderful man who's an American. Even though I'm loving my job and my life here in Makati (refer to my other blog: http://justreesh.blogspot.com), I have decided to move half-way around the world to marry the man I love. Which means we have to go through all the filing of seemingly endless paper works and excruciatingly long process required for me to migrate to the US.Objectives of this blog:1. By logging the step-by-step process that I'm going to go through to immigrate to the US, I hope all the information would help others who are in the same situation as I am. 2. By logging all the similarities, differences and realizations I'd be having about my current life here in the Philippines in comparison to my life-to-be in the US ... I can compare notes with other people who are in the same situation as I am. May they be good or bad.
3. By updating this blog, my friends and families can then be updated of the goings-on of my new journey which is about to start.
4. By keeping this blog, I will be able to read the entries again one day years from now and reminisce about all the things that I've gone through to get to where I am then.
Wish me luck!
-Reesh
