Looking to Move

[LindseyAndWilliam 0]

Me and my fiancée (soon to be wife) are looking to figure out what exactly are wait times like, fees, and can we do all the exams, interviews, filing within the 3 months I am allowed to stay in the US. I am a Canadian citizen residing in Nova Scotia and my fiancée lives in Tennessee. Any additional information would be great.

Thank you all!

Edited February 13, 2014 by LindseyAndWilliam

[ricnally 261]

You'll have to do the medical exam and interview in Montreal. You can certainly file while you're visiting in the US, though (as long as you have all of the docs with you that you need to send in with the petition.)

[Pitaya 2,580]

Welcome to the forum.

easily accessible at the top of the forum page.

Check out these links for more information:

http://www.uscis.gov/i-129f

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do

Good luck on your visa journey.

[LindseyAndWilliam 0]

Can I get my medical done in the US since there is a three month period I can be there, as long as it's pre-scheduled?

[Crumulent 7]

No. You have to see one of the 5 doctors in Canada, and have your Consulate interview in Montreal as well.

Don't count on it taking three months either. It might, but even if you do everything right you have virtually no control over the time it takes. Some NOA 2's alone take more than 3 months. My interview date alone is two months away. And I'm going through Vancouver which is usually quicker.

5 months is a more likely timeframe, and it could easily be longer.

[LindseyAndWilliam 0]

Obviously, we are trying to work through immigration as fast as we can because of both love and time. If we don't get it done and ready for August, we have to wait another six months until our schedules line up again to do so... :/

[lost_at_sea 995]

Obviously, we are trying to work through immigration as fast as we can because of both love and time. If we don't get it done and ready for August, we have to wait another six months until our schedules line up again to do so... :/

What do you mean by schedule line up?

Your response here makes me think you don't totally get the process yet, which is understandable (it's a little confusing at first) so let me help...

You can file the I-129f anytime - it'll take as long as it takes to complete some forms and gather some documentation. Like, your fiancé could file it on Monday if she has all the documents in order (you could fedex them down to her). You don't need to be together in person in order to file, nor will it prevent you from visiting (but you must return before your allotted approved stay ends - probably that 3 months you mention).

You guys will file the petition, and it'll get adjudicated in 3 - 6 months or so. After that, you'll get to do things like book your medical, gather more documents and have an interview. All of the post-adjudication stuff happens in Canada, not the USA. Once you've had your interview, assuming it's successful, you'll get the K1 visa in your passport, then you're free to move to the USA. It's a one-use only visa, so once you enter, you'll have 90 days to get married and then you'll file for Adjustment of Status (and you can't leave the USA again until the AoS process is over or you have your Advance Parole document - there's a guide for all this stage too).

Take some time, and read these links:

K1 visa flowchart. Start here, familiarise yourself with the steps you'll be going through: http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1flow

K1 visa guide. This'll tell you exactly what needs to be in the petition. You can put that together in the first couple of days you're visiting him, if you like, or you can mail her your documents and she can send it out sooner: http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

About visiting the USA with a pending I-129f: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/67796-yes-you-can-visit/

Also go visit the Canadian sub-forum for specific advice about Montreal: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/93-canada/

Edited March 2, 2014 by lost_at_sea