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kitsulli

hamilton ontario to buffalo ny, anyone else go through the k1 process while being so close in distance?

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So all in all,for my specific situation a k1 is definitely the way to go over a cr1? The more I read around the site the more I see some say one is the better choice than the other and vice versa.

I wouldn't say so. It's personal preference. For instance I would never have gotten a K1 but others feel that a K1 was entirely appropriate for them.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.  - Dr. Seuss

 

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

I guess I'll keep researching and see what's best! I don't know if the longer visits would be allowed on the cr1. She wants to try and do her allowed 6 months while things process (going home here and there throughout it) I'll look around the site some more and see what I can find on the pros and cons of both.

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

I moved to Buffalo last year from St. Catharines.

We did the IR-1/CR-1 route.

Dated for 3 years before getting married and I travelled back and forth extensively (Nexus became my best friend), we had our wedding in Buffalo.

I had a few grumps in the booths crossing the border, but the majority of my crossings and lengthy stays were never an issue.

By the time we finished our immigration process, we had already been married for 2 years, so I received my 10 yr GC.

I still work in Canada and drive in to Niagara on the Lake 5 days/week.

Definitely read extensively in to the pros and cons of the K-1/CR-1 routes - the employment issue was a deal breaker for us choosing the K-1 route. :)

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Just to toss another story into the mix....

I'm in Windsor ON, hubby is just outside of Kalamazoo MI, so we only have 150 miles between us (about two hours). I have two daughters from my prior marriage. Agreeing to move to the US I still need to cross back into Canada on a regular basis, to be able to bring my girls back for time with their father and to visit friends and family. Because of this, the K1 option was not viable, though it would have got us under the same rook living together sooner.

We are coming to the end of our CR1 process and in hindsight, it's been fairly straightforward. I also have a Nexus card (as do my girls) and it's been a huge time saver for us!! Only once has a border guard given me a hard time (but still let me through). Anytime we cross I make sure I am only bringing what I need for that trip (usually just a weekend) and I carry with me proof of ties to Canada as well as copies of all our paperwork. ***knock wood*** it's not been an additional hassle!!

I think ((please don't quote me on this)) I think the CR1 was a little cheaper than K1 but it's been awhile since I compared the two.....

Overall, best wishes!!!!

Met in the SCA - DRACO INVICTUS!  08-14-2014 Married in Ann Arbor, MI

Spoiler

 

USCIS.... DONE  in 150 day from NOA1 to NOA2 (TSC)

NVC... DONE  in 116 days from NOA2 to final CC

Final Steps... DONE in 350 days from NOA1 to POE
POE 08-11-2015 in Detroit, MI 

 

 

 

 

Removal of Conditions

07-11-2017 NOA1 date (rec'd on 14th)

08-03-2017 Daughter and I completed biometrics; May 2018 - I had to redo my biometrics (reason unknown)

WAC17283xxxxx....and we wait...400 days

07-13-2018 I-551 extension stamp (12 mths) obtained at USCIS office in Detroit

09-20-2018 Transferred to TSC

10-15-2018 Text notification "New Card Being Produced"   YAY!!

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

I am really thinking the cr1 would be our best bet. We aren't really in a hurry, we have been doing our trips/visits every week for a year and a half already so the benefits of it being cheaper, allowing her to work and cross right away would definitely be worth continuing what we've been doing in the mean time.

I have a pretty basic question , when she crosses over, the visit that we would plan to get married, what does she say, just it's a normal visit? Bc I know it's huge not to lie but also that they will probably turn you around if you go with those intentions (from what I've been reading) and when she returns does she just say she got married while she was here? Honestly I know I keep getting told to just look up the processes on here and it's great to see a time line but what are the very first steps, let's say doing the cr1. I feel like I don't even know where to begin. Just feeling overwhelmed =/

Edited by kitsulli
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Others may give you better advice/insight, but my husband and I decided to get married in Canada to avoid any suspicion or problems. Maybe it wouldn't matter at all because she would plan to go home after getting married, but saying she's planning to get married in the states might be difficult because in the eyes of the officers, she could just get married there and adjust status without leaving the US, instead of doing K1 or CR1. No on one VJ advises this.

 

~12-25-2006: met online (a blog site)
05-01-2013: FINALLY MET IN PERSON! in Canada
05-04-2013: finally became a couple
06-14-2014: got engaged
08-08-2014: got married in Canada
09-18-2014: sent I-130 via UPS, 142 pages in total
09-19-2014: I-130 arrived and signed for
09-24-2014: NOA1 text & hard copy received same day, Vermont Service Center
11-20-2014: NOA2 (I-130 approval!) hard copy received, 57 days from NOA1


12-08-2014: NVC received case
01-14-2015: case number and IIN number received via email
01-14-2015: DS-261 submitted
01-14-2015: AOS fee paid
01-22-2015: IV fee paid
01-24-2015: DS-260 submitted
01-25-2015: AOS and IV documents submitted electronically
02-18-2015: petitioner's proof of US domicile submitted electronically
02-25-2015: email confirmation received (31 days after sending!), scan date of 01-26-2015 <--60 day wait starts
03-24-2015: email confirmation received (34 days after sending!), scan date of 02-18-2015 <--60 day wait starts (a 2nd time)
03-31-2015: case completed at NVC! 2/18 documents got reviewed with the 1/26 ones, 64 days from original scan date

 

04-07-2015: case complete email received
04-22-2015: interview date email received
05-13-2015: medical in Montreal

05-19-2015: picked up medical results
05-20-2015: interview in Montreal --- APPROVED!, 238 days from NOA1

05-25-2015: passport/visa received!

05-30-2015: POE, Calais/St Stephen land crossing, 248 days from NOA1

06-03-2015: paid ELIS fee

06-10-2015: SSN received

07-02-2015: green card received!


03-13-2017: sent I-751 via USPS to Vermont Service Center, 156 pages in total 
03-14-2017: I-751 arrived and signed for

03-23-2017: NOA1 received, dated 03-16-2017

04-07-2017: biometrics appointment letter received 
04-18-2017: biometrics appointment 

02-05-2018: I-751 approval received!, dated 02-01-2018

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

And bmc, it's nice to hear from someone who is from the exact same area! You know how easily it is to go there since we are so close, that's something most people can't say bc they are flights away from the significant others. My biggest worry was just being able to see eachother during the processing, after it being so easy and frequent it would be terrible if it was restricted. Others are used to not visiting often so it would be alot easier to have to be apart for a period of time if you weren't already so caught up in seeing one another so much. Also, I've been meaning to get a nexus, how do I do that? Do I say it's just bc I visit my gf so often?

Edited by kitsulli
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No. My husband had ZERO issues crossing to get married. CBSA even waived the duty on my rings. In general the CBSA tends to be easier than the CBP.

However 6 month planned stays are hard if you are engaged or married. Plan on less. If plans change at least be back before the passport stamp date.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.  - Dr. Seuss

 

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

Just to toss another story into the mix....

I'm in Windsor ON, hubby is just outside of Kalamazoo MI, so we only have 150 miles between us (about two hours). I have two daughters from my prior marriage. Agreeing to move to the US I still need to cross back into Canada on a regular basis, to be able to bring my girls back for time with their father and to visit friends and family. Because of this, the K1 option was not viable, though it would have got us under the same rook living together sooner.

We are coming to the end of our CR1 process and in hindsight, it's been fairly straightforward. I also have a Nexus card (as do my girls) and it's been a huge time saver for us!! Only once has a border guard given me a hard time (but still let me through). Anytime we cross I make sure I am only bringing what I need for that trip (usually just a weekend) and I carry with me proof of ties to Canada as well as copies of all our paperwork. ***knock wood*** it's not been an additional hassle!!

I think ((please don't quote me on this)) I think the CR1 was a little cheaper than K1 but it's been awhile since I compared the two.....

Overall, best wishes!!!!

Aw, SCA love! I just did my Pennsic pre-reg. :)

kitsulli, Yes, we are definitely fortunate with the close proximity. Audiobooks are my favourite for the drive! It makes it so much easier.

I visited very regularly and we just kept track of how many days per month/year I was there so that we did not cause trouble for ourselves. He would come here to balance out the time spent evenly and it worked out nicely for us.

We had no major issues during the process - just make sure to always have the paperwork with you when you travel - it's the best proof that you are doing things properly. I was only ever pulled in to secondary for the random Nexus compliance exams and never for my frequency of crossing or questionable ties (and I lived with my parents for awhile - no lease for proof!)

When I went over for our wedding weekend and following honeymoon, I said I was going to visit my fiancée as I always did and it was a quick conversation and pass through. We choose to get married in Buffalo because it was so much cheaper and where we were eventually going to make our life together.

After we were married and I started saying "going to visit my husband" as the purpose of my trip, there was never an increase in hassle (on average; you still get the grumps) but I was asked a few times if we had started the immigration process and then sometimes I would show the NOA1 and subsequent letters and that was enough for them. I feel like as along as you have established a routine of visiting and not taking advantage, you are fine. I never lied about anything crossing (sometimes I arrived in tears because the guard was just outright mean) but was never refused entry.

Nexus you can apply for online through GOES (Global... something Enrollment something) it's $50 for 5 years and is wonderful especially in the summer when the traffic on the bridges increases. One of the border officers suggested to me to apply one time I was crossing and in the interview process in the office, the officer laughed when I said I was tired of getting stuck in the lines when I went to visit my boyfriend. I'm sure they see a lot of us in the border town areas!

Sorry, this was long. Hope it helps! :)

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Aw, SCA love! I just did my Pennsic pre-reg. :)

OMG another SCAdian!! :D :D Yay!!!!

And as for crossing to get married, I crossed into the US, told the guard I was coming to get married in Ann Arbor, then spend the weekend on our little honeymoon (was beautiful <3 )

She asked me about returning to Canada, she looked in the trunk to make sure I wasn't carrying more than I needed, and wished me well..... was super easy!!

We looked into getting married on both sides, and between my city and the Michigan marriage license - MI was a heck of a lot cheaper!! I couldn't believe the difference!!

Anytime either of you are crossing - always be honest!! The risk of getting caught in a lie isn't worth it!!

Met in the SCA - DRACO INVICTUS!  08-14-2014 Married in Ann Arbor, MI

Spoiler

 

USCIS.... DONE  in 150 day from NOA1 to NOA2 (TSC)

NVC... DONE  in 116 days from NOA2 to final CC

Final Steps... DONE in 350 days from NOA1 to POE
POE 08-11-2015 in Detroit, MI 

 

 

 

 

Removal of Conditions

07-11-2017 NOA1 date (rec'd on 14th)

08-03-2017 Daughter and I completed biometrics; May 2018 - I had to redo my biometrics (reason unknown)

WAC17283xxxxx....and we wait...400 days

07-13-2018 I-551 extension stamp (12 mths) obtained at USCIS office in Detroit

09-20-2018 Transferred to TSC

10-15-2018 Text notification "New Card Being Produced"   YAY!!

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Wow you guys are really calming so many anxieties I had. After so many people in my life acting like us being together was unrealistic and always hearing horror stories of people having an awful time I really needed some positivity. Thank you! I'm gonna begin looking into the CR1 instead of the K1 now. :) I hope you didn't mind my million questions, all of this was so good to hear. Any other feedback on getting the ball rolling or the actual process will still be appreciated! The more I know the more confident I will be. Everyone in the K1 forums/posts (which was all I was looking at considering I thought that's what I would be doing) made it seen like the CR1 was an awful idea. It sounds ideal to me,especially given my situation. And she will be beyond excited to hear she won't have to wait two years to return to visit any friends and family!

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

I cross to pick her up even on her visits to me (she buses into niagara falls and I grab her and bring her back) they never give any hassle about that, just nervous for the time we cross together and have to say we are getting married or returning her and having to say we got married during her visit.

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Those who go the K-1 route do so for their own reasons, those who do the CR-1 route do so for our own..... It's up to each to weigh the pro's and con's of both and go the route they feel is best for them. There are certainly quite a few advantages to K1, but they were not worth the ability to cross promptly for me and my situation.... to each their own :)

Whenever she is coming from Canada into the States, make sure she has the best possible ties to Canada to show she has a solid reason to return - things like lease agreement, car payments, letter from employer... it's different for everyone.....

If you do go the CR1 route, first off congrats on your upcoming marriage ;) lol, but start gathering proof of your relationship - tickets from trips together, photos with each other & your friends/families, chats back and forth, wedding pics.... again it's going to be different for everyone. My own personal feeling is anything that shows the families coming together, or being a public couple with friends helps..... they want to see you're not a secret relationship (know what I mean?)

The first stage - USCIS - is a long wait with little to do until they approve your petition. It can be frustrating as all heck..... but from start (NOA1) to finish (visa in passport) you can realistically get it all done in 10-12 months. It helps to stay on top of things, and do a lot of reading so you understand what to expect..... and as always, this forum is an incredible wealth of info!!!

Best wishes!!

Met in the SCA - DRACO INVICTUS!  08-14-2014 Married in Ann Arbor, MI

Spoiler

 

USCIS.... DONE  in 150 day from NOA1 to NOA2 (TSC)

NVC... DONE  in 116 days from NOA2 to final CC

Final Steps... DONE in 350 days from NOA1 to POE
POE 08-11-2015 in Detroit, MI 

 

 

 

 

Removal of Conditions

07-11-2017 NOA1 date (rec'd on 14th)

08-03-2017 Daughter and I completed biometrics; May 2018 - I had to redo my biometrics (reason unknown)

WAC17283xxxxx....and we wait...400 days

07-13-2018 I-551 extension stamp (12 mths) obtained at USCIS office in Detroit

09-20-2018 Transferred to TSC

10-15-2018 Text notification "New Card Being Produced"   YAY!!

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Thank you so much! I'll def start gathering things to prove our relationship! Since they don't stamp a passport when you cross and i have no flight tickets etc since its so close i wonder if there's any way to get records from customs how much it has been happening for years? It's in the computer we are in a relationship, they barely even ask the purpose anymore. I doubt anyone specifically knows this answer haha. I'm just spewing out questions left and right. We have plenty of pictures, letters, emails, phone history, bank statements showing how frequently i go there and purchase things...all dating back up to 4 years when we originally met as just friends (we have been a couple for a year and a half) Being able to prove we consistently crossed for so long would definitely prove the legitimacy of it so I'll have to figure that one out.

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