SF2007

No, it might be true for other visas but K1 holders can use their AP for any purpose.

Should be 12 months.

It could very well be an engagement celebration where you exchange commitment vows or something like that. Which could be done at any point of the process, whether you have received the visa or not, and can be planned independently of your visa process. It just can't be a wedding ceremony or look like you got married in Canada prior to activating the visa (and moving to the U.S.).

By the way, tip for you: start recording all those trips and keep evidence (flights tickets, receipts, photos, etc.) as they are strong evidence of an ongoing relationship. Canadians usually don't need to go out of their way to prove relationship at the interview, but it's always good to have.

Unfortunately we cannot give you that kind of advice as on Visa Journey, we all have immigrated to the U.S., which has nothing to do with immigrating to Canada. You will have better luck on this website: http://www.roadtocanada.com/forums/index.php. Good luck.

Unless your attorney can make a high ranking U.S. representative call the consulate, he can expedite your case no more than Santa could. Attorneys (good ones) can make sure your paperwork is filed correctly and thus not slowing down the process, but that's it. Which, if you have a good head on your shoulders, can do as well as him/her and save your money. So unless you have a problematic case (overstay, criminal charges, dui, etc.) attorneys offer no added value.

Also, as it has been mentioned before, if you go the K1 you do have to legally marry in the U.S. within 90 days of activating your visa. And the beneficiary will not be able to leave the country until he/she has received either their AP (Advance Parole) or GC (Green Card). I highly recommend you read the guides here: http://www.visajourney.com/content/guides. You apply for those during your AOS. AP takes about 3 months to receive and count 6 months for the GC. I don't know what the attorney told your friends, but if he told them it would take a year for what is a 6 months process, then of course they must have been very pleased to get it sooner than expected.

Also, planning an August wedding in Quebec at this point is unwise and unrealistic. As anybody here can tell you: do NOT make any plans before having your visa in hand. Processing times are guidelines and by no means a guarantee that you application will be processed within that time frame. And if you go through Montreal, they are notoriously slow. Be flexible and ready for a long wait. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but it is wiser to not make any definite plans and stay flexible. Having plans for a vacation (or your wedding) is not grounds for an expedite. So any time and money you would've put into it would be wasted. save yourself the hearthache

Good luck!

Try again. I called at every step and I am the beneficiary. No one ever refused to talk to me.

It shouldn't. Plenty of people have had to renew their passport during the process and it did not affect their petition. Just let the consulate know at your interview?

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chip in.

As Pocheros said. Very common,. Keep checking regularly for an opening.

Unless she has a close relative in the U.S. willing to sponsor her or has a unique specialization that would enable her to immigrate through work, it would take forever. Being in Canada does not offer any kind of privilege when it comes to immigrating to the U.S.

My bad I didn't check what type of visa you applied for, mine was a K1.

The officer never asked the balance of our bank account neither did we volunteer the information.

What is Advanced Processing? I go for my interview in Montreal next week and I have never heard of this before.

Thanks

I am not sure what they do in AP. But sometimes after the interview, some visas are not printed and sent right away. Most are in AP just for couple days, some for couple weeks. In my experience on VJ, it's usually people born abroad but living and doing their visa process in Canada. Perhaps they have more things to check then. Maybe they need to further review some cases, double check a typo in an application, ask a manager's approval to print the visa. Who knows? It usually simply means a longer wait to get your visa and passport abck, not that there's anything wrong with it.

My husband and I also did Bank of American joint bank account. That's what our interviewing officer was more interested in. Then came the items that proved we lived at the same address and mingled finances: marriage certificate, mail, bills under both your names (you will most likely need your social for this. We did water, gas and cable), driver's license showing same address, insurance paperwork showing you as beneficiary to his insurance, you listed as beneficiary to his 401k, a letter from his boss confirming you are his emergency contact and listed on his insurance, car insurance for both of you (same car, same address), pictures of you together, pictures of the wedding, pictures of you with his family, letters from friends or family confirming you both live together as a married couple, proof you have been taking vacation or traveling together, both cellphones on same plan, if you have a lease under both your names, AAA membership cards, etc.

I am not on our house's mortgage or have ownership and that was not an issue. I don't even own the car we bought for me because I hadn't yet received my social security number and couldn't be added on the title. It was never brought up at the interview as we had plenty other evidence.

Here's what I used for our friend's affidavits. We provided two; one for each our wedding witnesses.

DATE

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter to confirm that I have known [Husband's name] since 20XX. We met while him and I were co-workers at [Company name]. I first met [Wife's name] in 20XX. They were then and still are a loving couple.

I was [Wife name]'s witness at their wedding. Since their marriage, I have seen [Husband name] and [Wife name] together as a couple many times and in a variety of situations, both at my house and theirs, as well as in public. They are a wonderful and loving married couple.

The most recent time that I saw them as a couple was at a dinner, hosted at my house, on [Date]. If you have any questions, I may be reached at the phone number or the address below.

Regards,

NAME and signature

Address

Phone number

In couple weeks, they will send you your Packet 4, which are instructions to make an appointment for your interview and medical. You can pick where you have your medical done, but it has to be from one of their certified civil surgeons (current list available on their website). Your medical has to be done prior to your interview as you are required to bring the sealed (unopened) envelope at your appointment with the consulate. And you will need an appointment with the consulate to book your medical, so as soon as you receive your Packet 4, book your interview and then your medical.

It's pretty easy from then on, but a long wait game. The soonest appointment available with the consulate could be months ahead, so be patient. Also, make sure you have at least 3 business days between your medical and appointment with the consulate, as they cannot deliver results faster than this. And you might want to confirm with them what they recommendation is. If you have known health issues, increase the amount between the two appointment to ensure it won't delay your process further. My own medical took 3 weeks to come back due to a false positive result to one of the things they screen for. They gave me a letter to hand the consulate and I had to mail them my medical once I received it, after my interview had taken place. It delayed my process by about a month and a half. Whenever you send anything to Montreal, it sits in their mail room for a week or two before they process it.

After your interview, you will wait for them to mail your passport back with your visa in it. You might be in AP (advanced processing) for little while, which is nothing to worry about.

You can keep calling DOS for updates on your case.

Edit: There is no portal for people at that stage with that consulate, but feel free to post your questions in the ''Canada'' forum. We pretty much all been through it

I wouldn't base this decision on processing times as those fluctuate a lot. There is no guarantee a K1 is/will be processed faster than a CR1. Mine took forever and there was nothing special about my case.

For the K1 route, you also have to consider the AOS fees, which are a little over 1000$ and more paperwork. It also implies your fiancée waits at least 3 months from application to be able to work and about 6 months to receive her Green Card. She will not be able to leave the U.S. during the process or she will abandon her petition. Not until she has obtained her green card (or Advance Parole if she chooses to apply for it). If money is no object, then you can pick whatever you want. I personally didn't like the idea of marrying my husband and then having to be apart for months.

Also keep in mind the medical examination must be done in Canada as well as the interview.

Either, just make sure you have your case number handy.

I was unaware of this! I will contact my local bank as well. Is there a bank with an American counterpart that would allow it? It is also my main way to access the money I left in my Canadian bank account.

I concur. Our Senior rep at Bank of America has been notarized couple documents for my husband and I. They see us without an appointment.

If you dont want to send orginal documents such as Baby's passport, or SSn card,Birth certificate, then you have to send certified copies.

True. My son has a US passport, which can count as valid photo ID. I am puzzled as what to provide as a second photo ID. It's not like he has a driver's license...

If the child is a minor, you can apply for a Citizenship Certificate. He/she is a Canadian citizen by default if he/she is first generation born abroad.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/CIT0001ETOC.asp

I am currently looking into applying for my son. Nowhere did I read it needs to be filed for in Canada or notarized. You can ask a notary public to do it as listed in the instruction guide. However, I don't know what kind of photo ID I could provide for a 2 month old baby...

You can access your bank account, see a dentist, a vet, and pay your bills from anywhere. These are not substantial proof of ties, a job, rental agreement or owning property in Canada would be good ones. Quitting your job prior to visiting the US might seems suspicious. I am by no means trying to be a downer but to a customs officer, you will be an unemployed living-with-mom traveler visiting the US with a pet you don't want to leave behind. In short, you have no reason to go back to your home country. You might get lucky and not be questioned or you might.

If you were to be denied entry, you would loose your airfare and it would be exponentially harder to visit your fiancé again without the proper documentation or an immigrant visa. It would however not affect your visa petition, as long as you did not lie. Lying will always get you in trouble with US authorities and can be grounds to deny you entry or immigration privileges. Don't do it.

If you do intend to immigrate at some point to be with your fiancé, perhaps you should consider filing for your visa before visiting. That would be a good thing to show customs; that you are immigrating through proper channels, not visiting with the intent to stay (which is illegal and grounds to deny your visa). You could also visit for a shorter period of time. Short trips are less likely to be questioned than long ones.

Good luck!

Do you mean DOS will say my case has been logged, or that Packet 3 has been logged? Thanks!

You can send your completed Packet 3 as soon as DOS tells you it has been mailed to you.

Get a copy of your records or you can have a antibody titer test done for the required vaccines. Not sure how it works in BC, but in QC, we have a health book that keeps track of that stuff. Whenever you get a vaccine, the healthcare professional signs and indicates it in there. That's what I brought.

Also I recommend you get the missing shots before your medical appointment. You can have them done during your medical, but they will charge you much more than your usual doctor will.

The million dollar question! Montreal is notoriously slow and no one can predict how long this will take. Based on my experience and one year on VJ, you can count about 3 weeks for Montreal to receive your case from NVC, log it and to send you Packet 3. Then it all depends how quickly you send them your documents. Say it's right away, it'll sit in their mail room for 2 weeks and most likely processed on the 3rd, when they'll send your Packet 4. You can then schedule your medical and interview appointment, which will most likely be at least 4-5 weeks out. I'd say you're looking at minimum 11 weeks. So perhaps, an October visa?

Keep in mind that is if Montreal is not any more backlogged than it has been lately; if you are on top of things and send your documents back right away; assuming there is nothing wrong with your medical AND you are not stuck in AP after your interview. It will all be over soon. Good luck!

I have not been through your specific situation, but back a year ago, my medical was delayed and I had to mail it after my interview took place in Montreal. It took about 4 weeks between me mailing my documents and receiving my visa and passport back. It sat in the mail room for 2 weeks before it was logged as received, the rest was waiting for them to actually issue my visa and mail it back.

There is nothing you can do to speed things up. You can call DOS to know where your case is at, but they can't do anything. And as far as Montreal is concerned, you are back in the queue of pending applications and they will get to it when they do. Hopefully, it will be quickly. Good luck!

That explains a lot Sounds good. He can get into more details if need be but I am pretty sure a ''so she can move indefinitely to the U.S. with me and be granted a Green Card'' would also make pretty clear to anyone what a K1 is.