I-129F posted! :)
For those not knowing what an I-129F is, its my petition to the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to bring Alison to the US on what's commonly known as a K1 fiancee visa! :) We have been working the last few weeks to get all the paperwork together and filling out forms to get ball rolling.
Today marks a very special day in that on May 28, 2008 at 10:16 AM the package was certified and now on its merry way to the Vermont processing center! :) Well I guess its not officially filed yet until it gets there and signed for(yes I sent it certified) , but this single step is such an amazing moment for us when all our plans are finally beginning to take some concrete steps. There has never been a doubt between us that we would be together, its just a long impatient wait as there are so many other factors involved in a move on this grand scale. I do feel a lot of anxiousness passed now as its been an ordeal just preparing the application. The main thing was trying to make sure everything is done properly and nothing left out. I had this awful dread of forgetting something that would hold up the approval (I'm thinking positive that it's going to be approved and wont let any other thought in my head ) I have triple checked over everything and made one last check this morning, notifying of Alison by text of just about each step too! lol I just know how these govt people want things done and its silly things they sometimes want done where common sense should prevail, but what can we do but go along. Well I feel confident ours will be verified to be a genuine case of wanting to be together in the same country and married as soon as we can! Officially that is, in my heart she is my wife already :) God joined us together and to me there is no higher authority! ;)
They say this part of the process is the one taking the most time and work to get in order as of course with all that is going on in the world they are scrutinizing everyone and everything. Well it's been an anxious time for us trying to just decipher the instructions of the form and making sure we have everything without feeling overwhelmed. Our first time looking into all this that was the case for both of us I think, feeling overwhelmed. We still have a long way to go of course but this is the most difficult part with this petition and her getting the visa. Once its approved they will notify the American Embassy there in Nicosia and set up a meeting and interview with Alison and then she will have her own set of tasks to complete and prepare a package for them there. She will have to have a background police check done from everywhere she has lived. Since she is a Brit she will have to get a clearance from the Sunderland police where she was living there, and one from Limassol, Cyprus where she has been living since leaving the UK. Well she has applied already for both of them ahead of time so she is well in advance of getting things done. I know she already has all her papers ready, birth certificate etc.. and the only thing I think that she will really have to wait for after the initial interview is the medical exam to certify she has a clean bill of health for entering the US. Not sure why really as how many thousands of people a day fly into the US and come to visit and Lord know what some of them may be carrying! :o) well anyway its something has to be done. Well that should be a simple thing to get, just taking the time to set up the Dr's appointment at the physician of their choosing. And then once that is all done she will go back and they will issue her the visa. I *think* the visa is good for 6 months from then to use, and once she arrives in the US we have only 90 days to get married. Well we are ready today but it would be nice to have time to plan a nice wedding, and of course we will!! I can't wait for it! :) but I feel its possible we may have to arrange a quick civil ceremony near her arriving to make it official per the terms of the visa. And then from there its still a matter of applying again for resident status and all the other things go with being a US resident, social security, drivers license etc.. well one thing at a time and we will get it all sorted. I just cant wait for the day my wife to be gets off that plane and into my arms! :) We'll keep you updated on the progress of things and where we stand as time goes by. Just send a prayer things go smooth and quick for us, we are sooooo ready to be together, you just can't imagine! :) love you baby! XXXXXXXX