*** Immigration can feel abstract when we only hear about it in the news. For us, it’s personal, time-consuming, expensive, and deeply human. We’re sharing this timeline to keep our family and friends updated—and to offer a transparent look at what it takes, in real time, to build a life together across borders. *** NOVEMBER 27, 2025 I-130 APPROVED! 🎉 We were deeply grateful this Thanksgiving to learn that our Petition for an Alien Relative (Form I-130) — the first major step in our immigration process — was approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This approval means our case was cleared to move forward to the National Visa Center (NVC) for the next stage of processing. While this was a huge milestone, it is just one step in a longer journey still ahead. ^ | OCTOBER 26, 2024 I-130 SUBMITTED & RECEIVED 📄 We officially filed our I-130 petition, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed receipt through the Vermont Service Center. From this point forward, our case entered the federal review queue — beginning a long period of waiting, monitoring updates, and preparing for the next stages. ^ | OCTOBER 4, 2024 KRISTEN & LUKE WERE MARRIED ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 We were married at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in Ghana, surrounded by love, intention, and community. This marked the beginning of our life together as a married couple — and the start of the legal immigration process required for us to live together in the United States. ^ | SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 MARRIAGE REGISTRATION FILED 📝 We registered our intent to marry with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. This step is required at least 21 days before a ceremony and includes a public posting of the intent to marry, allowing time for any objections to be raised before a marriage certificate can be issued. (There were none.) * * * ONGOING WAITING, PAPERWORK, & REAL LIFE ⏳ While the process moves at its own pace, life continues — work, rent, healthcare, travel, and long periods of separation. Immigration isn’t just a legal process; it shapes everyday decisions in ways we never anticipated. *** Thank you for being here and walking alongside us. We’re sharing this timeline to keep our loved ones informed — and to offer a transparent look at what it really takes to build a life across borders.

We were married in Ghana on October 4th, 2024. Our love story began 10 years prior in Luke’s music shop (the first in WA), where I was a nearby Peace Corps Volunteer. From friendship to partnership, our journey has been filled with beautiful moments and dreams of a future together. Since our marriage, we have spent much of our time physically apart, navigating long-distance life across continents. Over the last 15 months, we have tried to connect every day, though this is often made difficult by demanding work schedules, a 4–5 hour time difference, and frequent network challenges. When daily check-ins are difficult, we prioritize longer, scheduled calls each week and do our best to show up consistently for one another. Because we share a love for yoga, we have found creative ways to feel close across the distance. Over the past few months, we have committed to doing the same daily yoga practice—often from a 30 Days of Yoga series—each in our own space. Even when we are not practicing at the same time, the shared ritual helps us feel connected and present with one another. It is incredibly hard to be physically separated as a newlywed couple, yet our love is being simultaneously stretched and strengthened by the challenges we have already overcome together. We keep hope as we move steadily towards a life together. We are deeply grateful to our family and friends who have supported us across years, continents, and milestones. Your love and encouragement continue to carry us. 💚🙏🏼

As we move through the U.S. family-based immigration process, we have kept our wedding registry open to help cover the many costs involved. These expenses range from approximately $2,100 to $10,000 and include government filing fees, potential attorney support, medical exams, required travel, and related incidentals—such as the $625 filing fee for Form I-130 and the $325 visa application fee for Form DS-260. In addition, because this process requires long periods of physical separation, we must also plan periodic visits to Ghana. These visits are essential not only for our relationship, but also for demonstrating the ongoing, bona fide nature of our marriage as required by U.S. immigration authorities. Extended periods without seeing one another in person can invite additional scrutiny, making continued time together an important part of both our personal and legal journey. Your generosity directly supports our ability to remain connected, compliant, and emotionally grounded throughout this process. We are deeply thankful.

When we first began this journey, we hoped Luke might be able to come to the United States by February 1, 2026, and we shared that date as a hopeful estimate. As we’ve learned more about the realities of the current immigration process—and as processing times continue to change—that timeline is no longer realistic. Based on the most up-to-date information available from others navigating the same path, the wait from being documentarily qualified to receiving an interview at the U.S. embassy can now exceed two years. With that in mind, July 1, 2028 represents our current best estimate for Luke’s arrival in the United States. This date is not a promise, but a marker of where things stand right now. We continue to move forward step by step, holding hope alongside uncertainty, and we will update this countdown as the process unfolds. Thank you for bearing witness to this journey with us.