Hi all
Does anyone know if you have to actually reside in the US with your K3 visa before you can apply for the EAD or permission to work??? Seeing as the K3 visa seems the quicker route.. I would like to follow that option but I need my permission to work before I move as I want to transfer with my company. I cannot take a leave of absence in order to move first and wait the month or two for the EAD to be processed. I wonder if I can get my K3 and apply for the EAD and Social Security number while still living and working in Canada??

You would have to have activated your K3 and be here in the US to get SSN and EAD... it can not be done before you enter....

Kez

Ahh.. I was afraid of that. Guess it may be the longer CR1 route for me after all... or I just quit my job of 18 years! Onwards to new adventures!
Thanks for the info

The K-3 is a multiple entry visa. Why not enter activate the visa and apply for your EAD, return to Canada and continue to work there until approved for the EAD, then relocate.

T

[quote name='tiberonsuave' date='Feb 12 2007, 02:35 PM' post='720179']
The K-3 is a multiple entry visa. Why not enter activate the visa and apply for your EAD, return to Canada and continue to work there until approved for the EAD, then relocate.

T

That sounds like the best bet to me too.... I'm in the same position as you... been with my company for 14 years.. and I'm transfering once I receive my EAD. That being said... it looks like my CR1 might actually beat my K3 to interview... Go figure

That was my knee-jerk as well but then go figure I picked it apart until I found a potential problem/question.

Does not residing in the US after activating the K-3 have an adverse affect on Adjustment of Status?

That's what I was thinking. It is easy for me to travel back and forth as I work for an airline! I could establish my permanent residence as my husband's home in the US and start the paperwork and make sure I was available for whatever appointments I need in the US. We have to find some local office to apply for our change of status and EAD at the same time right?? I read somewhere you walk away with your EAD the same day rather than wait for it to arrive in the mail this way.
Thanks for your input. Good luck to you all as well.

As the others have said, you'll be fine to enter and apply for the EAD and then return to work for a bit, especially since your spouse will have established your home in the US.

It normally takes three months to receive the work authorisation. I have never heard of anyone receiving the EAD the same day as applying with a K3. As far as I know, someone entering on a K1 can sometimes get a temp EAD and when you enter with the CR-1/IR-1 you can work right away with the temp stamp in your passport.

You can submit the I-485 and the I-765 for work authorsation at the same time. They must go to the lockbox in Chicago when you're applying on a K3 visa. See this FAQ for info -

http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k3k4visa-aos.html#14.4

Nope, you send in your EAD and AOS applications to the Missouri service centre, they do all the leg work then send it down to your district office where they fingerprint and interview you.

EAD will be minimum 90 days from when you send it in before you get it, and AOS is anybody's guess.

However, for K3s, EAD is 2 years rather than only 1 is you send it in a separate envelope from your AOS.