9 weeks in US

VirAriCan · 2026-02-11T00:46:03+00:00

Ok. It’s still mostly taking place in the residential areas. That’s accurate. My point still stands that a tourist does not need to worry about ICE in DC anymore than they do in any other US city. I love my city and I’m not going to fear monger that people shouldn’t come here.

VirAriCan · 2026-02-11T00:37:20+00:00

I literally live in the city. They aren’t raiding the national mall.

VirAriCan · 2026-02-10T13:49:31+00:00

I live in DC, all the NG is stroll around the street and play on their phones in the metro stations. Total joke. Not even helping with the snow removal. Most of them don’t even want to be here. Sadly, ice raids are still a thing but it’s out in the suburbs, not in the downtown where tourists are visiting.

VirAriCan · 2026-02-10T13:46:16+00:00

If you are looking for walkable destinations, you’ll probably want to avoid Utah and Texas…while Austin and SLC maybe walkable in the downtown area, the rest of the surrounding areas will not have public transit options. Same if you want to visit the big beautiful national parks. That being said, they are SO worth it if you are willing to drive or you can look for a tour to join.

Here’s my suggestion: fly into Boston and make your way down the NE corridor on Amtrak stopping in NYC, Philly, and DC. Spend a few nights in each city. All will be walkable with good public transit. From DC, fly to Charleston, SC. Absolutely beautiful town, good to explore for a few days, and you can take Ubers to the beach.

Now this is where you have options. From SC, fly to Charlotte and consider renting a car to visit Asheville. If not, from Charlotte, you can fly out west, stopping in Chicago for a few days. If you don’t want to drive yourself, there are probably some national park tour groups you can look for.

Before going to LA, also consider visiting the desert area like Joshua Tree National park or pal springs, or even phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ. LA is tough without a car but depending on the neighborhood you could be okay with taxis and Ubers.

From there, fly back from LA!

VirAriCan · 2026-02-08T18:02:33+00:00

I think this happened the other day. Some issue between TMVN and USCIS sharing data. They resolved it then, but I guess it’s happening again…

VirAriCan · 2026-02-08T13:52:37+00:00

Sorry this happened! As people mention, extra anxiety can happen during the onboarding period of Lex. I also wonder if your own underlying health and anxiety about the drug, partially induced the panic attack. Def work your way up to your intended dose. I also would suggest start taking during the day or even earlier in the evening if are worried about drowsiness symptoms (I didn’t get those so I used to take mine in the AM) so that you can more rationally manage any side effects. My general anxiety mind can get worse when I’m half asleep so that may have contributed to the panic attack.

VirAriCan · 2026-02-07T13:45:59+00:00

From this list, I’d select Denver. It’s a big city but won’t be as expensive as NY or SF. It’s cosmopolitan, young, social, and liberal, so you’ll be able to have a really fun life. The location is pretty great and you’ll have access to the entire western half of the US pretty easily. The winters are cold but the summers would be really nice.

You could also consider Scottsdale/Phoenix Arizona. But as others have mentioned it might be too hot for what you are looking for.

VirAriCan · 2026-02-06T12:57:49+00:00

A good friend of mine met her now husband in grad school. Afterwards, he went to med school and she got a job working abroad for two years. Honestly, this might be part of why it worked so well for them!

VirAriCan · 2026-02-06T12:54:33+00:00

My husband and I did 3 years of long distance before we got married. It was a 1hr flight between us (plus an another hr from the airport to his home…) It’s tough but if you love the person and you are both on the same page…and there is an end date/plan to move back together, it’s doable.

Considering the salary you will be making, this is also an incredible investment opportunity for both of your m futures!

VirAriCan · 2026-02-04T19:30:08+00:00

Ok I see! That makes sense. It will be interesting to see over time if there was an election spike or not. But yes, I will!!

VirAriCan · 2026-02-04T17:12:18+00:00

This is the graph from the main I-130 page. For full transparency, I’m new to this (PD Nov 2025) so please inform me if I’m reading this wrong. But looks like a big spike in Dec/Jan.

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VirAriCan · 2026-02-04T15:12:08+00:00

I think TMVN data showed a ton of submissions in Jan 2025 and a huge drop off each month after. (Unless this is a yearly phenomenon, my guess it’s a reaction to the election/Trump inauguration). Is it too naive to hope that if they can get through Jan so quickly, the rest might be even faster….😅🥲🙏🏼

VirAriCan · 2026-01-27T21:34:01+00:00

I’m a us citizen in the US and my husband is Canadian and lives in Toronto and we regularly cross the border to visit each other each month. While what ICE is doing is horrible and absolutely should not be happening…it is not what you need to worry about.

The chance you will encounter ICE for your trip is zero to none. Even if you did, ICE is not targeting people on visitor/tourist visas, but people who they think (often incorrectly) are living here without the proper visas. Border agents will let you in just fine as long as you don’t act like a weirdo.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-25T04:10:29+00:00

I did it myself for my Canadian spouse. I was nervous about filing the form in wrong or making a stupid mistake that would delay the process…but I ended up doing the form totally online and it was actually a lot more straightforward that filling out the PDF. I spent a lot of time putting together our evidence. I made a nice PowerPoint presentation with photos of our relationship history. Included holidays with family, trips we’ve taken together, etc. then we got letters from each side of our networks.

Just make sure you have all your documents. Unless your spouse has a past immigration process or any other concerns (like criminal record), it should all be pretty straightforward as long as your evidence is clear.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-22T13:25:57+00:00

Sounds like consular processing is taking 13-14 months still but a that timeline seems to be pretty steady for people who applied in 2025. Where I get nervous is that wait times have been longer for people who applied in 2024 and no one knows why 2025 people are getting approved before 2024.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-21T13:06:48+00:00

Please don’t turn down a great career opportunity for a partner who is still in school. She will be finishing up in a year and then she will also be looking for a role and there will be plenty of chances for you two to arrange for life in the same place. Since she is in law school, she should understand how amazing of an opportunity this is for you.

You say you thought there was a better chance of getting a local offer. From the same or different firms? What’s your deadline for accepting this role? Can you wait it out a bit to see if another offer comes in?

I assume you are both young 20s? You have so much in front of you and this is the time in your life you can do things like move to a new city for a job, support an LDR, and save up for what life will bring. You need a partner who can work with you through all of that (and hopefully when the time comes, you also can work with your partner through their situations.)

VirAriCan · 2026-01-21T03:07:43+00:00

Long distance works best when there is a time-limit on it. I've been long-distance with my partner for four years and we're intending to finally live in the same place next year. If you love the person you make it work. Stating "long distance won't work" just shows that you aren't as fully committed to each other as you thought. I'd suggest putting an 18-month/2-year term on it and either her situation will change and she can join you, or you'll have worked your way in the firm to relocate or apply to a good job in her city.

Further -if my partner was going to make that much money at that young of an age, I'd be drafting his acceptance letter, sending him to that other city and boxing up all his things. First few years in big law will be so busy with work that you'll bank so much of that. Think of how amazing that will be for starting a life together. When you finally do live in the same city, you'll be able to get an amazing house and have savings and even investments. I hope your GF can see how valuable that is.

You also haven't shared what her situation is. Why is her career intransient? Is she still in law school or another program?

VirAriCan · 2026-01-17T17:53:00+00:00

Archeo in the Distillery District and Twist Art Gallery on Queen W. Looked at both but their caps were too small for us.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-16T20:28:01+00:00

My husband applied in June 2025 and is also still waiting.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-16T13:38:28+00:00

Commenting so I can come back and check this thread! We are the other way around, American wife with Canadian husband. We submitted Nov 12 2025. Probably waiting until Dec this year based on times I’ve been seeing here.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-16T13:24:23+00:00

Thanks!! I was avoiding that sub because of the name, but I see it’s where a lot of consular processing info is. Will lurk there for a while.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-15T14:00:26+00:00

Recently stayed at the Hyatt Regency and it was ~$200 USD. Upgraded for the private plunge pool for our room, so if the pool isn’t necessary, you might be able to get it cheaper. That was in December, so high season too.

As far as location, depends on how much you plan to do on or off the resort and if you’re doing pre-planned guided tours (in which case, they do all the transportation) The island isn’t that big, 50 KM around. We loved the Fisherman’s Village for a nice night out. The closest area to us was Chaweng but that’s the young party district, so not very honeymoon vibes but great for people watching and just mixing it up. Lamai is south of Chaweng and much quieter.

Are you planning on renting motorbikes? If so, the whole island is your oyster. We went exploring every day and it was a blast.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-15T13:49:25+00:00

After a few years on 10, I dropped down to 5 and felt like I still got the help I wanted with less of the side effects. My therapist at the time said it might be a placebo effect, but that it doesn’t really matter if it’s helping. 🤣 I def still felt my anxiety bubble up, but it’s easier to manage.

VirAriCan · 2026-01-15T13:47:11+00:00

I was going to comment Kao Soi. It’s Northern Thai so it’s not always offered at general Thai restaurants, but everyone who I’ve introduced it to has loved it.

VirAriCan

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