HouMedGal!

[gingerBcookie]

::LOL Ginger!!!

Well, in researching what all we have to do for his immigration stuff, and the timelines and rules and things he can and can't do before, during, and after he gets his green card, we decided that it's best for us to get married ASAP so that we can start the green card process sooner rather than later. This way, by the time he finishes his PhD, he'll have his green card so he'll be able to transition right into a job. If we waited until right before he graduates to get married, then we'd apply for the green card then, and he'd have to wait anywhere from 6-8 months (on average...in horror stories it can take up to 2 years!!!) before he's able to work. Having his PhD and being forced to sit on his butt for months without getting paid kinda sucks. Especially considering all the student loans we will have to pay off! Med school is breaking my bank, lol.

Soooo basically, we want to get married ASAP and I have 2 weeks off this summer, and so it'll be the weekend in between the 2 weeks I have off! He's gonna call his mom tomorrow and make sure that she and his sister will be able to make it then, and if they can, then I'm pretty sure we're officially changing the date!

I'm actually VERY excited about the new timeline....it's a good thing I've been doing all this preliminary wedding planning! Oh, and we had a "sign" today that this is the right wedding date for us...my sister realized that, when she got married, she was exactly 24 years and 10 days old....and if we do indeed change our date to June 25, I'll be exactly 24 years and 10 days old on my wedding day too!!! Kinda freaky!
~A little more BLING is never a bad thing! ~::




Sorry to do this weird paging thing but I figured its better than hjacking the other thread!

WOW!!!! that is sooooo awesome ...i'm so excited for you!

eek! so have you started full steam ahead grabbing the rececption and ceremony spots? you're getting married in Tyler right?

lol...crazy preplanning LIW/BIW--laugh all you want, but how crazy would it be now if you hadn't done all that!

 

[LizzieC]

Congrats girl! That''s pretty much what happened to us too! We went from planning a May ''07 wedding to a June ''06 wedding! With all the immigration stuff it''s like, the sooner the better & easier. I''m so glad you''ve been planning ahead!

My sister and her husband have the same "dating" anniversary as my FI and me, which I always thought was a good sign... so I''m sure your sister sign is a great one too!

Are you working with an immigration attorney? I definitely recommend going through the AILA.org website for a referral. Too bad there''s no more PM or I''d give you the name of ours. If you want I''ll just give it to you anyway.

 

[appletini]

HOUMED, our anniversaries will be be 1 month and 6 days apart. We are going to have to have a special H-town newly wed get together this summer with all of us getting marrie so close together.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Ginger, you actually saved me from having to retype my explanation over here! Hehe! And I feel special, now that I''ve officially been "paged" for the first time. hehe. Thanks for the luv, ladies!!!

I was just about to come over here and start a thread because I just got word from FI that we can make it official now! He just got off the phone with his mom and sister, and they''re super excited and willing to come WHENEVER we want to schedule the wedding, so that was the last thing we wanted to make sure of before changing the date officially!!

I''m so excited, I''ve been itching to just get it on and going, and now I have a good reason!!! So June 25, 2006 is the official date now. YAY!!

Lizzie, it IS so much better and easier to get married as soon as you decide that you want to, as far as all the immigration stuff goes! I never realized how complicated the process is...I''m so glad we looked into it when we did! I''ve actually just scheduled an appointment with an immigration attorney tomorrow afternoon. I''m kinda shopping around right now for one...I''ve emailed with a few so far. I would like the name of yours, and if you don''t mind, the kind of $$ they charge for fees. So far, both attorneys I''ve gotten quotes from have said their legal fees to take our case, do the paperwork for us, etc. are $1500 and then of course you pay additionally for the government filing fees (around $800 or so total). Is that in the ballpark, as far as you know? I just want to make sure I''m paying the going rate, and not tons more.

Appletini, we are TOTALLY going to have to have a newlywed get-together! How exciting!!!

And Ginger, you aren''t kidding about the pre-planning stuff! I''m sooo glad I got a headstart! LIW''s and BIW''s: it''s never too early to start! hehe!

I''m super excited to join my other H-town girls as a 2006 bride!

 

[peonygirl]

Aww, that''s so great HouMedGal, my fellow half-of-an-MD/PhD-couple bride (whew!). Are you guys going to be able to be in the same city before he graduates? I have heard the immigration stuff can be a pain, so it''s great that you''re going for it!

 

[FireGoddess]

Will he be getting his green card through your marriage then? Is he here on a student visa? I ask because I did all the paperwork for DH''s green card, which we applied for on the basis of our marriage. I didn''t use a lawyer (so expensive!) and just did it all myself, so if you need some help or advice, let me know and perhaps we can figure out a private way to communicate specific details.

It has been 2 years since we filed and he got his green card. We just filed the I-751 for his green card to become permanent. (It''s only good for 2 years if you''ve been married less than 2 years). We just received notification that his green card has been extended another year and the application will be reviewed sometime in the next 11 months (their typical wait time for this particular form)....so we''re almost through with this process....next step....naturalization!

Either way you go about it, I wish you luck - it''s a long paper trail and sometimes frustrating, but there is an end!!!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Hehehe Peony, that''s right, you are my PhD/MD couple twin! Once we''re married his official residence will be with me in Houston, but he will still have to "commute" to Waco for a year to finish his PhD. He''ll maintain his apartment in Waco, since he''ll be there on the weekdays, but we plan to be together most every weekend. We''ll change his official address to my Houston address, put him on my lease, utilities, etc. so that his permanent residence is here.

FireGoddess, yes, we plan on doing an adjustment of status after the wedding. He''s here on an F1 student visa (has been here for almost 4 years now), so we''ll do the I-130 and I-485 and all other associated forms thing. And I''ve learned enough online (at www.visajourney.com) so far to actually know what you''re talking about with the I-751! hehe. We''ll have to do that too, 2 years down the road, since we''re doing his AOS immediately after the wedding. Out of curiosity, how long did it take from the time you filed for his AOS until his permanent resident status was official? I''ve heard on average it''s 6-9 months, but I''ve also heard horror stories about it taking 2 years!

As far as the lawyer thing goes, I think my dad is scared enough about us getting everything right the first time that he''s willing to help us out some with the $, so I think we''re going to take him up on his offer and enjoy the luxury of having someone who does this kinda stuff for a living answering questions for us and making sure we get all the appropriate stuff done. But I really appreciate your offer to help!

 

[FireGoddess]

That''s great that your dad is willing to help pay for the lawyer, cuz if I was charging that much to help all the people I''ve helped to do this, I could afford a big ole honkin stone. Seriously. If you can afford it, it''s nice to leave it in the hands of somebody else. I didn''t have that option, so I had to do it myself. We filed his I-130/I-485 in December, he got fingerprinted in January, we were interviewed in February, and he got his green card in March. So it didn''t take us long at all.

 

[selflove]

We also just started talking about this over the weekend. We are hoping that his company will help him with the green card process but if not, then I am going to do a lot of it for/with him. I don''t even know where to begin but his L-1 intercompany transfer visa is good through July 2007 and we''re getting married May 2006. Thanks for that website HMG!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Thanks FG, that timeline is encouraging!!

Selflove, you''re welcome! I had noooo clue either before learning some things on that site. It''s a great resource!!! I think I''ll post a thread with that site for all the other brides dealing with immigration issues.

 

[LizzieC]

HOUMedGal- our lawyer is Gary Ilagan, www.ilaganbachman.com. The rate he quoted us is the same as what you''ve heard. That includes representation at the interview.

It is expensive, and seeing as how I''m studying immigration law, I feel like I really could do it myself, BUT this is one of those things that I want to go as smoothly as possible, you know? Our lawyer also implied that since he''s been practicing in Houston for awhile, he knows lots of the immigration officials, which could make the difference between a pleasant interview, and a very UNpleasant interview. I''m sure you saw some of those stories on VisaJourney....

At our consultation I had everything well organized, already knew a lot, and had very specific questions. He was helpful and didn''t keep his eye on the clock the whole time. It was $100 for the consultation with AILA referral.

So many hoops to jump! Darn these foreign boys and their sexy accents!

 

[selflove]

Date: 2/23/2006 12:43:53 PM
Author: LizzieC
HOUMedGal- our lawyer is Gary Ilagan, www.ilaganbachman.com. The rate he quoted us is the same as what you''ve heard. That includes representation at the interview.

So many hoops to jump! Darn these foreign boys and their sexy accents!

YES! Those accents! I love my FI''s slavic accent! After living in Europe for a year, I came back to the states and was like "No way could I date an american boy again, they just sound so boring." No offense to any of the american boys out there or the women who love them, I just really fall for the accent!

Do you think during the interview it will be helpful if I have a baby in my arms and a pregnant belly? Because if all goes as planned and this interview really is two years down the road, that''s exactly what might happen. Hey, they can''t accuse us of just getting married for the green card, right? LOL!!!

 

[Strawdermangrl]

OHHHH MY GOSHH!!!!!

We have to have a bridal dinner for you three!!!! soon you will be an old married lady like me!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Ahhh yes, the accent.... *sigh*.....

Lizzie, I just got back from visiting my lawyer and she was awesome! Really friendly, knows her stuff, and she offered us a deal of either $1500 if we want to do an extended payment plan, or $1250 if we pay up front. Including representation at the interview too. And she didn''t charge me for the consultation today, which lasted for about an hour and was very informative and mind-settling! So we''re doing the $1250! Of course, that doesn''t include the $935 for all the filing fees....did you know it will cost $70 for fingerprints ALONE??? LOL. I think it''s kinda funny. My checkbook isn''t laughing, but I am. haha.
Thanks for linking me to your lawyer, though! If I hadn''t decided to go with this lady today, I''d totally look into hiring him!

So now I''ve got this checklist of the stuff we need to start getting together....there''s sooo much! I''m really glad we have an immigration lawyer to walk us through...I''m paranoid, I know, but the thought of anything going wrong really scares me! I agree, as smoothly as possible is a good thing!!

Selflove, are you really gonna start having babies soon? How exciting!! I can''t wait to have my first...I''m so excited about getting pregnant someday...I''m weird, I know. Not for another several years though.

Strawdermangrl: A bridal dinner would be faaaaabulous!!!

 

[FireGoddess]

I dunno, sometimes I think these people want to scare you into hiring a lawyer. Representation at the interview???? Sounds more suspicious than just walking in by ourselves! Why would I need someone to defend me if I''m telling the truth? I was all set for a bad interview, brought an entire wedding album of pics and as soon as I walked in the door, the guy was like, "You can just put that down, cuz I''m not going to look at it." Most of the time they''ve decided whether they believe you or not before you walk in the door.

As for the 2 year later interview...well, we don''t have kids yet, but I''m not worried. If I''m not lying about the marriage and it''s not a sham, there should be nothing to worry about. Wanna pop in on a surprise visit to my house? Go right ahead! Nothing to hide.

Now as for filing papers, that is a huge pain filling out the forms, collecting all the proof, yadda yadda...it helps to at least have someone knowledgable to guide you.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Well that''s good to know that they don''t really need all the picture evidence if your story is straightforward and doesn''t smell fishy. Which I don''t see why ours would, considering we''ve been dating for almost 3 years, spent tons of time together, etc.

I''m definitely glad to have someone to tell me what I need to collect and when I need to do it. It will be nice and will settle my mind while I''m doing some crazy I-only-have-4-months-left-allofasudden wedding planning!

 

[Strawdermangrl]

Date: 2/23/2006 4:19:36 PM
Author: HOUMedGal
Ahhh yes, the accent.... *sigh*.....

Lizzie, I just got back from visiting my lawyer and she was awesome! Really friendly, knows her stuff, and she offered us a deal of either $1500 if we want to do an extended payment plan, or $1250 if we pay up front. Including representation at the interview too. And she didn''t charge me for the consultation today, which lasted for about an hour and was very informative and mind-settling! So we''re doing the $1250! Of course, that doesn''t include the $935 for all the filing fees....did you know it will cost $70 for fingerprints ALONE??? LOL. I think it''s kinda funny. My checkbook isn''t laughing, but I am. haha.
Thanks for linking me to your lawyer, though! If I hadn''t decided to go with this lady today, I''d totally look into hiring him!

So now I''ve got this checklist of the stuff we need to start getting together....there''s sooo much! I''m really glad we have an immigration lawyer to walk us through...I''m paranoid, I know, but the thought of anything going wrong really scares me! I agree, as smoothly as possible is a good thing!!

Selflove, are you really gonna start having babies soon? How exciting!! I can''t wait to have my first...I''m so excited about getting pregnant someday...I''m weird, I know. Not for another several years though.

Strawdermangrl: A bridal dinner would be faaaaabulous!!!

You aren''t weird HouMed, I get excited about having kids one day too. Not too soon, but someday- it will be fun to be a pregger. Plus it gives me reason to eat, and we all know that I love to eat.

 

[MelissaSue]

Date: 2/24/2006 3:12:32 PM
Author: Strawdermangrl

Date: 2/23/2006 4:19:36 PM
Author: HOUMedGal
Ahhh yes, the accent.... *sigh*.....

Lizzie, I just got back from visiting my lawyer and she was awesome! Really friendly, knows her stuff, and she offered us a deal of either $1500 if we want to do an extended payment plan, or $1250 if we pay up front. Including representation at the interview too. And she didn''t charge me for the consultation today, which lasted for about an hour and was very informative and mind-settling! So we''re doing the $1250! Of course, that doesn''t include the $935 for all the filing fees....did you know it will cost $70 for fingerprints ALONE??? LOL. I think it''s kinda funny. My checkbook isn''t laughing, but I am. haha.
Thanks for linking me to your lawyer, though! If I hadn''t decided to go with this lady today, I''d totally look into hiring him!

So now I''ve got this checklist of the stuff we need to start getting together....there''s sooo much! I''m really glad we have an immigration lawyer to walk us through...I''m paranoid, I know, but the thought of anything going wrong really scares me! I agree, as smoothly as possible is a good thing!!

Selflove, are you really gonna start having babies soon? How exciting!! I can''t wait to have my first...I''m so excited about getting pregnant someday...I''m weird, I know. Not for another several years though.

Strawdermangrl: A bridal dinner would be faaaaabulous!!!

You aren''t weird HouMed, I get excited about having kids one day too. Not too soon, but someday- it will be fun to be a pregger. Plus it gives me reason to eat, and we all know that I love to eat.

TOTALLY off the original topic (I don''t know a THING about immigration.. but its great that there are several girls here with that in common to discuss it! I Love PS!!) .. But I''m SUPER excited about the kids thing too.. It will probably be a couple years off for me too.. but I can''t WAIT.. Lately I''ve even been looking at Maternity clothes fondly!!
My best friend just had twins (they are 2.5 weeks old, but they are preemies and SOOO tiny.). I got to see them the first day they were born.... and since then is when the maternity clothes thing started..