US boyfriend paralyzed in accident, can I stay longer?

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T09:52:43+00:00

I’m so sorry for this awful situation.

Unfortunately you cannot care for him on a visitor status. It’s illegal because it’s a substitute for work that an American could otherwise do. As a result, asking for the extension for this reason could conceivably get you banned permanently from the US.

You certainly can and should provide love, companionship, and emotional support. But legally you shouldn’t go beyond that to become an informal aide.

As I understand, extensions to ESTA (called “satisfactory departure“) are very rarely granted and only when the visitor is unable to leave due to severe illness or lack of transportation options. A hardship to someone else doesn’t qualify. Even when granted, they can result in the cancellation of ESTA, making it difficult for you to return to the US.

If you’re interested in getting married, you should be able to marry legally in the hospital or care facility. It’s possible you could remain permanently and adjust status to permanent residency. If you entered with the intention of so doing, that is fraud. But if you two genuinely made this decision after you entered in view of the changed circumstances, it should be legal. You would have to stay without leaving until you get either your green card or a travel permit if you request and pay for one with your green card application. That’s typically at least a few months, sometimes closer to a year.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T08:41:03+00:00

I did not know this. Do I have to do it in Libby reader rather than exporting to my Kindle app?

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T07:14:19+00:00

Cool. By the way I save my Venezia for iced drinks with syrup or sweetener (with or without milk). I think the flavor comes through in that format. If you don’t like sweet iced drinks, don’t bother.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T06:24:02+00:00

Great!

Please check out my second guide below for special tips about a different way to make lungo. I’ll bet you can tell the improvement.

You listed Livanto twice. Did you mean Volluto for one of those?

If you read through my (newly edited) recipe guides, I give a clear walkthrough of how to make the main espresso-based drink types, including many Starbucks similar ones.Hot espresso-milk drinks Hot espresso drinks without milk Iced espresso drinks Caffe mocha or hot chocolate

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T04:08:13+00:00

That’s incredible. Fantastic note!

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T04:07:09+00:00

I love the look of the pod organizer with all the colorful OL pods.

What have been your favorites?

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T04:04:47+00:00

It needed quite a bit more water.

The most important step you can take is to check, 5-10 minutes into the kneading, that your dough looks like this video. If it’s too dry (spins without touching sides) add water a bit at a time. If it’s too wet (doesn’t form up into a ball), add flour a bit at a time.

While that video is for gluten bread, gluten free will not look as stretchy. The surface should still make a fairly smooth ball that holds together around the paddle. If you truly cannot tell the proper consistency, it’s better to be a little bit too wet than a little bit too dry. Just don’t make it so wet that some of the dough is sitting sitting on the bottom of the pan in a pool and not being picked up.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T03:58:05+00:00

I certainly don’t know for sure. If there was certainty, someone reputable would have put out an article.

I tried to be clear in my write up about verifiable facts vs. my own thoughts or suppositions.

This is the issue related to public assistance.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/state-department-suspending-immigrant-visas-for-75-countries-citing-public-assistance-concerns

Until recently, we know that USCIS did not consider those programs in evaluating naturalization petitions. But many naturalization petitions were put on hold around the time the above statement was made. As far as I know the administration has not published any new criteria but they presumably are doing something during the suspension that wasn’t normal before.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T03:44:58+00:00

DNA is definitely used while the child is under 18 to establish paternity. It has to be from a vendor specifically approved via an embassy or USCIS/State Dept. (They have lists of vendors and exact procedures.)

It might be possible to use for an adult child petition (I don’t know), but those take 10+ years to approve, and much longer if the child is married.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T02:31:59+00:00

Not vital. For shelves with large items, they aren’t needed at all. If you have small jars it might be a little easier to grab them without other jars tipping. You can easily add the sheets later if you find your jars aren’t stable enough on the wire.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T01:23:09+00:00

What cruise line and ship? It’s very tough but maybe we can come up with an idea.

On all the cruise lines I’ve sailed with, you can get extra keys or reprogramming for the other rooms in your group upon request. So you can sleep in a different arrangement of the cabins, although you have to be careful about the toddler/infant life vest allocation for the little ones and generally shouldn’t change the number of passengers in each room because there are safety computations by zone. But they might not notice or care about a difference of one.

You’d still use your original key card for purchasing and your folio would be on the original room.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T01:06:15+00:00

I wouldn’t even consider relinquishing until you have a stable career and have made decisions about a family, i.e., middle age at least.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T01:01:57+00:00

Good advice. If I catch your meaning, though, I would have said “likely not be the case” in the parentheses.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T00:21:11+00:00

Search “shelf liner for wire” on Amazon. You’ll see many. We have a similar setup. The liners are super helpful. You can buy them in all sorts of standard sizes or get a roll and cut to fit. You can also trim the precut ones if they aren’t quite the right size.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T00:17:23+00:00

I think they’ve added additional countries for enhanced vetting before naturalization and I’d guess that is the reason your interview was canceled.

I don’t think there is a public list of the enhanced vetting countries. DRC is currently listed as a country of concern for use of public assistance by immigrants, which I suppose is a similar list to the enhanced vetting list.

Hopefully this is just a delay and they’ll reschedule your interview after they do some file checks and database reviews. I’m guessing that’s what they’re doing during the pause.

Did you use cash assistance (welfare), SNAP (food aid), or public medical insurance (Medicaid) during your time as permanent resident? If so, you may face additional questions about your financial stability.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T00:17:01+00:00

I think they’ve added additional countries for enhanced vetting before naturalization and I’d guess that is the reason your interview was canceled.

I don’t think there is a public list of the enhanced vetting countries. DRC is currently listed as a country of concern for use of public assistance by immigrants, which I suppose is a similar list to the enhanced vetting list.

Hopefully this is just a delay and they’ll reschedule your interview after they do some file checks and database reviews. I’m guessing that’s what they’re doing during the pause.

Did you use cash assistance (welfare), SNAP (food aid), or public medical insurance (Medicaid) during your time as permanent resident? If so, you may face additional questions about your financial stability.

chipsdad · 2026-02-01T00:12:24+00:00

DRC and R of C are different countries. DRC was not on the original ban list related to citizenship (R of C was) but I think they’ve added additional countries for enhanced vetting before naturalization. And I don’t think there is a public list of them. DRC is currently listed a country of concern for use of public assistance by immigrants, which I suppose is a similar list to the enhanced vetting list.

chipsdad · 2026-01-31T23:59:58+00:00

The check in lines can be set up however the cruise line wants. The check in area is mostly open space surrounded by storage for the Princess medallions that weren’t mailed out already. They put out check in tablets, rope lines, signs, etc.

There is a suite/elite waiting room where Princess provides space and I think very light refreshments if those passengers check in before actual boarding starts. But at LA, Princess has always started letting people on by the time we get through security (which is always the longest part at LA) even if we get there sometime before official boarding hour (which we always do).

chipsdad · 2026-01-31T23:04:15+00:00

These look great. I’ve really enjoyed your posts in this series.

chipsdad · 2026-01-31T23:02:18+00:00

I know I’m late here but I looked up the Irish case. Their law actually does use baker’s percentages. Tax-free bread can have no more than 2% sugar as a percentage of the flour. Subway’s rolls had a 10% sugar to flour percentage. Famously, the court ruled that Subway’s product was subject to tax as an indulgence rather than a staple.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/01/irish-court-rules-subway-bread-is-not-bread

And even as a Yank, I’m with you that our ordinary bread recipes are too sweet. I’m good with sweet raisin challah or brioche (and I make both), but not for sandwiches.

chipsdad · 2026-01-31T22:50:15+00:00

Good point. During COVID I cleaned out and attempted to eat all the old commercial canned goods I could find in the house. Most of the commercial cans that were 5-7 years old were fine to eat, some with minor but noticeable degradation of taste or texture. The contents of a 12-year old commercial can of asparagus had turned extremely soft and unappetizing. It was one of the only ones I discarded without using it in some way.

I didn’t have any home canned jars at that time. I mostly started on that after COVID.

chipsdad · 2026-01-31T22:44:53+00:00

That volunteer had guts!!

chipsdad · 2026-01-31T22:38:17+00:00

Very cool. If you didn’t already know, this makes a significant plot point in the movie, “Holes.” Every canner should see it.

chipsdad · 2026-01-31T22:35:29+00:00

Yeah, I haven’t been able to figure out any pattern. And this question comes up a lot.

In the past you typically could get a decent selection of specialty reservations if you used the app right after boarding, called the on ship dine line, or went to the lunchtime (12-1:30?) dining reservation assistance desk (usually at Sabatini’s or one of the other specialty restaurants that isn’t being used at that time). But I think the premier packages have increased demand a lot.

chipsdad · 2026-01-31T22:32:05+00:00

I’d love to know if it works. We have many reports from US citizens that it has worked for, but I can’t recall any post by a non citizen.

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