Calvin's Corner

**Calvin** · January 27, 2009, 08:19 AM

So I'm Calvin and I'm an alcoho...wait, wrong sort of intro. (hohoho...) As some of you may know I'm planning on uprooting myself from beloved England and planting myself in Missouri USA to get married to a wonderful woman. This will simply be a place for me to keep people on TWC updated on my progress, and probably for me to rant about the US citizen and immigration services, differences between British and American cultures etc etc. Should be a fun ride.

Visa application = stress

Marriage planning = stress

Visa application + marriage planning = ?

We'll find out

**Calvin** · January 28, 2009, 08:11 PM

Ah...the joys of filling out paperwork. The little beauty that is I-129F is something that Bethany has to file to petition to have me come over to the USA and marry her. A mere three pages long you would think it was pretty simple. Oh no...think again.

Firstly we have to prove that we have met in the past two years. An easy thing one might think considering we've spent 6 months of the past two years together in the USA and England. Wait, photos don't count? Photoshopped? A pox upon adobe!

Also, you wouldn't think it was that hard to read the form and make a judgement. It must be though, because it costs $455 to have them do it...The first of many payouts to the good old United States Citizen and Immigration Service. I think by the end they'll have stripped me over nearly $3000. Ah well, who needs money? I do....

There's also a delightful form called G-325A which charts where I've lived and who I've worked for over the past 5 years. It seems unfortunate that my latest employer has been McDonalds (due to the recession lowering the amount of available plumbing work). Still, being a plumber should help when I eventually get to the interview at the embassy six months down the road. Anyway, I digress. Both me and Bethany have to fill this out and send it in with the I-129F.

Fun fun fun. Hopefully these boarding pass stubs and passport stamps will convince USCIS that we've met. I may as well send some photos along too. I need to get it all together in the next couple of weeks and ship it over to Bethany so she can mail it.

That's all for now. Aren't you jealous? Isn't form I-129F exciting?

**Calvin** · January 28, 2009, 08:14 PM

Soooo, we finally settled on a date. June 26 2010 - a mere 17 months away. Seems like a long time? Not to me, I've got loads to get done between now and then! Get enough money to afford it all for one! We've settled on having the reception at the local Hilton Garden Inn. Yes, it may only be a glorified travel lodge but the foyer is very nice and the room is big enough. Plus it's dirt cheap and I'll always be able to say I had my reception at a Hilton!

**Calvin** · February 13, 2009, 08:10 PM

Sometimes, a guy just has to rant. Especially when the gal he loves is 5000 miles away and he won't be seeing her again until December. Boy, sometimes it is just so damn hard.

That'll do.

**Calvin** · April 04, 2009, 07:03 PM

Well, its been just a few days over a year since a life changing incident leaving me blind in one eye and with one kidney. Very sobering really, struggled not to get depressed much or something like that this past week. I'm three months in to the year long wait to see my girl again, wishing she was around right now, I hadn't expected it to affect me like this.

A small update for those that care - those responsible for the events of last year were unfortunately never caught. I wasn't able to give a very good description of them since it all happened so fast - I doubt they will ever be caught now. Just another attack to go on police records. Too many around these days.

**Calvin** · April 22, 2009, 04:28 PM

Are mine!!!! Woohoo! Going for two weeks in June and it cannot come soon enough. We decided that since the tickets were cheaper than expected (a spot over £300) we could afford it. I cannot wait to see her!

**Calvin** · June 17, 2009, 05:11 PM

The wheels are officially turning now. I am excited and nervous about the whole thing...

**Calvin** · July 03, 2009, 03:35 PM

I love my parents. I really really do. Their wedding present is our honeymoon, and it just so happens to be a penthouse suite in a luxury hotel in the middle of down town Seattle. I am so excited!!!!!!!!! Five nights

I have no idea how they've afforded it!

**Calvin** · July 04, 2009, 04:43 AM

Well, she's just booked the tickets for coming to the UK for 3 weeks over the Christmas period which will be wonderful. What is so very exciting about this particular visit is that it is the VERY LAST visit before I move over to the USA if all goes well with the visa.

For once the goodbye will be easier

**Calvin** · August 26, 2009, 04:27 PM

I really hate this waiting game. My visa forms are out there on someones desk just sitting there. Not a peep out of USCIS since they cashed the cheque - no surprise there. Ah well, hopefully something will happen next month and I can feel a little less like I'm standing still.

**Calvin** · September 12, 2009, 07:26 AM

Forgive the caps lock title, but I am rather excited due to the fact that our visa petition has been APPROVED! Now they will send our package to the National Visa Center, who will then pass it on to the embassy in London. Then I get sent more forms (the joy!), gather together my evidence, have a medical and go to the interview. This part of the process is SHORTER than the time between NOA1 and NOA2 (noa2 is the petition approval) and that took them less than 3 months which is astounding. Man, I am excited and getting nervous at the same time!

**Calvin** · October 15, 2009, 12:18 PM

So lets see if I can list all the forms that need filling here:

DS-230 Part 1
IV-15 & Checklist
Form DS-156
Form DS-157
Form DS-156-K

I also need an Affadavit of Support which is form I-134 from my fiance.

I need to acquire certain documents too. And there are no instructions for any of these forms, which doesn't help with the questions I am confused by.

I hate paperwork.