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Visiting US after K-1 is approved

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Filed: Other Country: Canada
Timeline

I visited the US with my K-1 visa in my passport before I actually did my official POE. I told the officer that I was visiting and I made sure I had strong proof of ties to Canada with me -- I had a letter from my employer and some bills etc. I made it through no problem!

AOS/AP/EAD Timeline

Package sent to Chicago Lockbox: 06/16/2010

Chicago Lockbox received: 06/18/2010

Received e-mail notification from Chicago Lockbox: 06/24/2010

Hard copy NOA1 received: 06/28/2010

Touch!: 06/28/2010

Received biometrics letter in the mail: 07/16/2010

Attempted walk-in biometrics @ Salt Lake City office -- DENIED: 07/16/2010

2nd attempt at walk-in biometrics @ Salt Lake City office -- SUCCESS!: 07/28/2010

EAD card production ordered!: 08/09/2010

AP approved!: 08/09/2010

2nd EAD card production ordered e-mail: 08/12/2010

AP arrived!: 08/16/2010

3rd EAD card production ordered e-mail: 08/16/2010

EAD arrived!: 08/19/2010

Received interview letter in the mail: 09/13/2010

Green card interview -- APPROVED!: 10/15/2010

Green card received: 10/25/2010

The whole AOS process took almost exactly 4 months ... not too shabby!

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Wow...well, there are a lot of other countries that don't require visas either to visit the U.S. I guess the big difference would be that if you flew over from the UK and were denied, you'd have to fly all the way back.

Can they activate your visa without telling you? Or would the people looking at your AOS paperwork see that you entered the U.S. after your visa was approved be suspcious? That would be really bad because then if you left the country you wouldn't know and then would have to start all over again.

Naturalization

9/9: Mailed N-400 package off

9/11: Arrived at Dallas, TX

9/17: NOA

9/19: Check cashed

9/23: Received NOA

10/7: Text from USCIS on status update: Biometrics in the mail

10/9: Received Biometrics letter

10/29: Biometrics

10/31: In-line

2/16: Text from USCIS that Baltimore has scheduled an interview...finally!!

2/24: Interview letter received

3/24: Naturalization interview

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

wow haven't logged in for 1 days and see so many replies for this topic. Thanks guys for giving suggestions and sharing past experience. I will definitely ask the officer in US consulate if I can send in my passport when I'm ready. Otherwise my plan B would be just wait till Oct when my fiance pick me up and help me move. :blush:

Our AOS Journey started:

Nov 06, 2010: CS & CQ got married in Las Vegas

Nov 26, 2010: AOS-EAD-AP package sent out

Nov 29, 2010: Package delivered at 1:12pm

Dec 10, 2010: Received text messages from USCIS regarding receipt numbers for AOS, EAD, and AP

Dec 14, 2010: Received three I-797C from mail

Dec 18, 2010: Touched

Jan 05, 2011: Received RFE for I-485 (email)

Jan 10, 2011: Received RFE for I-485 (hardcopy)

Jan 11, 2011: Sent response to RFE for I-485 (Fedex/UPS do not deliver to PO Box. Only USPS does and it takes 2 days even for Express Post)

Jan 13, 2011: Response to RFE delivered

Jan 14, 2011: Touched

Jan 15, 2011: Touched

Jan 18, 2011: Received Biometric Appointment letter in mail

Jan 21, 2011: Biometric Appointment (Walk-in Successful)

Feb 10, 2011: Biometric Appointment (Originally Scheduled)

Feb 12, 2011: Received 1st text/email for EAD card in production and AP was APPROVED

Feb 17, 2011: Received 2nd text/email for EAD card in production

Feb 18, 2011: Received 3rd text/email for EAD card has been mailed out

Feb 18, 2011: Received AP!!!! YAY!!!!

Feb 22, 2011: Received EAD!!!!

Feb 22, 2011: Received letter for 2nd fingerprints :(

Mar 17, 2011: 2nd fingerprints

May 02, 2011: AOS Interview Approved!!!!!!

May 07, 2011: Received "Welcome to America" letter

May 09, 2011: Received Green Card. Yay!!!!!

as1cHvOuM2B0010MDA3MjM5cHN8NDUyOTY1c3xIYXBwaWx5IE1hcnJpZWQ.gif

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Can they activate your visa without telling you?

You'd know, as you'll have the USCIS endorsement stamp, usually on the visa itself or on an adjacent passport page. If you check your passport after you leave POE, you should be pretty sure on what grounds (visitor, K-1, etc) you've been admitted.

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You'd also know cause you have to hand them your big fat "DO NOT OPEN, DO NOT PACK" envelope.

12/31/2009 - Marriage

07/21/2010 - AOS approved

08/04/2010 - Green Card received (and it's actually green!)

05/30/2012 - Sent ROC packet to VSC

06/08/2012 - Received NOA1 for ROC (Dated 06/04/2012)

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Good point Peachey!! If it were I, i would try entering without them activating it--and just have a back up plan if they say no!!

Canadians Visiting the USA while undergoing the visa process, my free advice:

1) Always tell the TRUTH. never lie to the POE officer

2) Be confident in ur replies

3) keep ur response short and to the point, don't tell ur life story!!

4) look the POE officer in the eye when speaking to them. They are looking for people lieing and have been trained to find them!

5) Pack light! No job resumes with you

6) Bring ties to Canada (letter from employer when ur expected back at work, lease, etc etc)

7) Always be polite, being rude isn't going to get ya anywhere, and could make things worse!!

8) Have a plan in case u do get denied (be polite) It wont harm ur visa application if ur denied,that is if ur polite and didn't lie! Refer to #1

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

I entered the US after my Visa was issued, but i brought proofs that i was gonna return back to Canada. I said: I don't want to activate my visa now. They were suspicious, asked me a lot of questions, but they let me enter the US without too many problems.. But be sure you seem honest in your answers and bring some proofs you want to come back to Canada. It's all up to the guard at the border.

Hi AandB, did you tell the CBP upfront when you passed them your passport? I'm quite sure I'll be sent to secondary area as I was detented a year ago. I visited US 2 times after that and was sent to secondary area both time. Fortunately they let me in as I brought a lot of document to prove that I would come back as promised. So I'm not sure if I should tell them upfront when I pass the passport to the first office or when I'm to the 2nd officer. Thanks!

Our AOS Journey started:

Nov 06, 2010: CS & CQ got married in Las Vegas

Nov 26, 2010: AOS-EAD-AP package sent out

Nov 29, 2010: Package delivered at 1:12pm

Dec 10, 2010: Received text messages from USCIS regarding receipt numbers for AOS, EAD, and AP

Dec 14, 2010: Received three I-797C from mail

Dec 18, 2010: Touched

Jan 05, 2011: Received RFE for I-485 (email)

Jan 10, 2011: Received RFE for I-485 (hardcopy)

Jan 11, 2011: Sent response to RFE for I-485 (Fedex/UPS do not deliver to PO Box. Only USPS does and it takes 2 days even for Express Post)

Jan 13, 2011: Response to RFE delivered

Jan 14, 2011: Touched

Jan 15, 2011: Touched

Jan 18, 2011: Received Biometric Appointment letter in mail

Jan 21, 2011: Biometric Appointment (Walk-in Successful)

Feb 10, 2011: Biometric Appointment (Originally Scheduled)

Feb 12, 2011: Received 1st text/email for EAD card in production and AP was APPROVED

Feb 17, 2011: Received 2nd text/email for EAD card in production

Feb 18, 2011: Received 3rd text/email for EAD card has been mailed out

Feb 18, 2011: Received AP!!!! YAY!!!!

Feb 22, 2011: Received EAD!!!!

Feb 22, 2011: Received letter for 2nd fingerprints :(

Mar 17, 2011: 2nd fingerprints

May 02, 2011: AOS Interview Approved!!!!!!

May 07, 2011: Received "Welcome to America" letter

May 09, 2011: Received Green Card. Yay!!!!!

as1cHvOuM2B0010MDA3MjM5cHN8NDUyOTY1c3xIYXBwaWx5IE1hcnJpZWQ.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...
Filed: AOS (pnd) Country: Canada
Timeline

Wait im more confused now. Can I visit my Fiancee in the U.S? I have only recieved the confirmation #. Is this too soon? I have no immigration forms yet only the I-129F form is that one of the immigration forms? advice please. thanks.

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