WishUsLuck

Sometimes you just have to trick TurboTax into moving on. Things to check--

If it pulled in data from last year, does it know your spouse was resident all year or is it getting info about Canada mixed in. Did you go back through the personal interview?

Did you go through the "Less Common Income" income section/interview to say No for foreign income?

Can you go to the forms view and delete form 2555 from the return. Then what does TurboTax say? I manually delete forms all the time that it spuriously generates.

If those don't help--

Say yes to revoke. If you had actually formally revoked it with a statement to IRS, then you could not use it for five years. However, you are just tricking TurboTax to move on. You don't need the form this year. IRS does not require you to revoke it, nor file it. You can lie to TurboTax because they are not the IRS, and you are doing your return correctly. So saying you revoked to a software program in this case has no actual IRS implications.

It did pull data from last year, which is probably why the 2555 showed up this time. I did go through the interview section and specified no foreign income - that's why it was such a surprise when the extra form showed up at the end.

I'm pretty sure we would be able to just manually delete the form and/or figure out another way to get rid of it; mainly I wanted to make sure we don't actually need it this time. Thanks for the helpful advice!

Hello there,

Thanks to the awesome resources on this site, my husband (Canadian Citizen) and I (USC) filed our taxes last year with apparently no problems. Last year was the first time we filed together (for tax year 2013) - he moved here in mid-2013, and he had some income earlier that year from Canada, so we filed our 1040 with a form 2555 using Turbo Tax.

This leads to my question. This year, there was no income from Canada involved at all (not even bank interest, etc.). We both have jobs, so we got our W2s and such as normal. When we went to use Turbo Tax, everything seemed fine until we got to the "error check" at the end. Apparently Turbo Tax is trying to include another 2555 THIS year, and the error alert required that we answer question #6c on that form - "Have you ever revoked either of the exclusions?".

My guess is that if we had to answer that question, it would be "no," because we haven't revoked anything. However, my main worry is whether or not we even need to submit a 2555 this year. We had zero foreign income - do we still need to submit a 2555 every year unless we revoke the exclusion?

I was hoping this year's taxes would just be simple this time, but I'm concerned about leaving out things that should be in there (or accidentally sending another 2555 when we're not supposed to).

Thanks for any assistance!

For anyone in the Baltimore, Maryland area -

Dr. Kwasi Poku
7401 Osler Drive, Suite 210

Towson, MD 21204
(410) 847-9111

We just needed vaccination records transcribed in response to an RFE. The doctor and his staff seemed very experienced with these types of documents, and we had no trouble getting only the vaccination portion (though he did want to check the language of the RFE to make sure that's all we needed). He's a pediatrician, but handles immigration stuff for adults as well. Cost was $75 (a little on the high side, but not too bad), and turnaround time for us was a day or two.

Hello all - first off, thanks to the helpful folks on this site, we've had a very smooth immigration process (up to this point). VJ is awesome.

Unfortunately, we now have a problem, and I'm not sure how to approach it. Here's our backstory so far:

- My then-fiancé applied for a K1 visa back in 2012. He had his medical exam in March of 2013 (slightly more than a year ago), and everything went fine.

- He was approved for the visa, moved down here, and we got married within the 90 day window.

- We submitted our AoS application packet in late August 2013. He got his EAD in the mail a few months later, and we hadn't heard anything until now...

About a week ago, we got an RFE. It is two pages long, and extremely wordy - the first page seems more like a cookie-cutter form, with various check-boxes, and the second page quotes some immigration laws and then has some information at the end.

This is the most pertinent information on the first page:

"Please submit ALL of the document(s)/item(s) indicated with a check mark below:" and then these two are checked:

"-- a signed Vaccination Certificate (see attached for more information)"

"-- Other: Note: Please submit your vaccination record only. Please find attached form I-693. Please be acknowledged that your vaccine history was incomplete at the time that your K1 visa was issued."

And then the part of the second page that tells us what the problem is (sort of):

"You have not provided documentation from a Designated Civil Surgeon that these Vaccination Requirements have been fulfilled." Then it talks about the different types of waivers you can get (not medically appropriate, religious/moral reasons, etc.).

"You have also failed to establish that you are eligible for any of these waivers. Failure to provide EITHER the complete vaccination supplement OR evidence that you qualify for one of the waivers outlined above before the "due date" indicated on the attached I-72 will result in a denial of your application."

When we initially submitted the AoS application, we did not get the vaccination data transcribed by a civil surgeon. We sent a copy of his DS-3025 instead, because we thought it should have been good enough, according to what we've read on here. The only shot he needed at the medical was a Tdap booster, which he got, and the date of the shot was noted on the form (there was also an "insufficient time interval" box checked for the Tdap). Everything else was proven positive with blood titres, and that information and the date of the blood tests was also noted on the form. At the bottom, two boxes were checked: "Vaccine History Incomplete," and "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s) because vaccination(s) not medically appropriate."

My questions are:

1. The RFE is obviously asking for the vaccine supplement, which is fine. We can have it transcribed. But I'm concerned about the line that his "vaccine history was incomplete." Why would they say that? I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be complete, and I'm afraid the civil surgeon will just fill out the I-693 in the same way (based on the DS-3025), and it won't be good enough.

2. It's now been over a year since the original medical was done. If we do a vaccine supplement now, and it's dated more than a year after the original medical, will that be a problem? The RFE didn't mention any of this, and was technically sent out before the one-year mark passed.

Thanks!

Thanks; we scheduled today and got one in mid-April.

Just thought I'd share our experience with Montreal so far. After reading everything about how slow they are, my fiance and I were prepared for a super long wait. We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly things happened after NVC sent our petition up there.

It only took about a week for them to send out Packet 3 (though the physical packet still has not arrived). They received our completed Packet 3 on Friday, and today we already got the Packet 4 e-mail (that's like, 2 business days later).

I also really was not expecting an e-mail; is this normal? It says we can schedule an appointment now, but I'm almost afraid to try because it seems like everything went through too quickly.

Hello there -

I know this question has been asked before, but all I've found are contradicting answers. For DS-156, does Canada have a "National Identification Number"?

Some people are saying the SIN would be it, but some people have said that Canada doesn't have a National ID Number. Has anyone actually left that space blank (as in the VJ example) or written "none" and not had any problems or RFEs?

Thanks so much - this is worrying us quite a bit.

Once again, thanks to everyone on VJ for the help so far. At this point, our K1 petition has been approved, left NVC, and is on its way to Montreal. We have a case #, but Montreal hasn't received the petition yet and consequently Packet 3 hasn't been sent out yet either.

We're working on getting everything together for Packet 3, however I am super confused about this entire phase of the process. I did look at the helpful sticky at the top of this forum, but I feel as though Packet 3 information was sort of glazed over (and that's been my experience searching anywhere on the internet for guidance about this stuff).

I'm sure we'll have more questions later, but here are my main ones so far:

1. This one is simple curiousity: When/if folks actually get Packet 3 in the physical mail, what does it really look like? Is it just a printout of the checklist, or are there instructions and other information as well?

2. These are the forms I understand we need to send in: DS-230 (Part 1 only), DS-156 (two copies), DS-156K, and DS-160 (just the confirmation receipt). Then we also send the checklist, two passport-style photos, and a copy of his passport bio page. Is this correct? There aren't any fee payments we need to send with Packet 3, are there?

3. For the checklist, should we put a check next to every single item, even if certain things don't apply (like divorce certificates, etc.), or do we only check what applies to us?

4. For the passport-style photos, should we put his full name and A# on the back (or any other info)? The directions don't say anything about this. For the I-129F, I had written the full names on the back because it was required.

5. The DS-156 and the DS-160 (from my understanding) both have barcodes associated with them. Are we allowed to complete these forms and generate the barcode at any time, or do we need to wait until Packet 3 has actually been sent out? I don't want to mess anything up in their system (as I mentioned, we do have a MTL case #; Montreal just hasn't actually gotten our peition yet).

6. For DS-156, there are a bunch of questions that don't apply to the K1. For example, the date my fiance intends to arrive in the U.S. The VJ example form leaves this space blank; is that what other folks did? I heard we aren't supposed to leave any spaces blank. This same issue goes for the Spouse name/DOB spaces.

7. The DS-156K mentions that we need to attach a bunch of documents - birth certificate, etc. I think I read that we don't actually need to send those in with Packet 3; is this correct?

8. For DS-230: my fiance went to college, but had to stop halfway through and did not get a degree. Should we list the college anyway under "educational institutions" and put something like "Not Completed" under Degree/Diploma?

And finally, jumping ahead a bit to the interview. I am so confused about which "original documents" he needs to bring from the I-129F petition. At first, I thought it was just originals of the evidence (like tickets, receipts, etc.). But then a couple of places I read that I need to actually send my fiance MY original birth certificate (a copy of which was sent with the I-129F), which he will be asked for at the interview. I'm worrying like crazy about this, though it seems weird that I would have to send him something like that... I mean, what if I need my birth certificate for something in the meantime? Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone - just an update from a July 18th VSC filer.

I received e-mail notice of our NOA2 (approval) this afternoon, which made our wait almost exactly six months.

Thanks for all of the replies so far. I have a feeling he may wind up having to redo the Td vaccine, but better to know now than later.

Hello there - we're (hopefully) getting close to NOA2 time, and some questions have come up about the medical, etc. (my fiance is the Canadian/beneficiary).

First off, despite checking numerous sources, my fiance is unable to find any immunization records. He's lived in Canada his entire life, and he's pretty sure he's gotten whatever vaccines are standard, but he has no proof (we've checked with family, health department, etc.). We're especially worried about the tetanus vaccine, because if he needs to start that from scratch, it (from what I understand) can take almost a year to get all of the shots for it.

He'll definitely be getting the blood tests (titer?) for everything before the medical, but these are our questions/concerns:

1. First off, my fiance doesn't really have a primary/family doctor. To get the titers, does he need some kind of medical form/order filled out by a doctor, or can he just walk into a lab and ask for the tests?

2. This is the big question - my fiance definitely has NOT had a tetanus (Td) booster in the past 10 years. As I mentioned before, he MAY have had his original shots as a baby, but he has no record of it. If they do a titer for Td, is there any chance the antibodies will even show up? I'm not sure how boosters work, but it seems like his vaccination was so long ago, it might not even be in his system anymore... if that makes sense. In which case we'll need to start the Td stuff from scratch (which is what we really are trying to avoid).

3. Kind of silly question, but. My fiance will be going to Toronto for the medical, and having the results mailed back to him. I know there's a sealed envelope involved that he's not supposed to open - is he allowed to open the "mailer" that the results come in, or does that count as the sealed envelope?

Thanks for any insight/information!

First off, I love this site, and thanks to VJ we've made it this far into the process.

It's been a couple of months since I received our NOA1 in the mail. Since we'll probably not get another chance until the entire process is complete, my fiance was hoping to come down to the U.S. for a visit sometime soon. Before anyone mentions it, I have read the sticky thread about visiting during the K1 process, but I was hoping for some clarification.

From what I've read, it would help for my fiance to bring the NOA1 physical form with him. My question is, how can I get the form to him? Obviously it's not wise to send originals in the mail... will they care if he brings a copy instead?

For that matter, does the NOA1 really help, or do we absolutely need a copy of the entire I-129F packet anyway? I know it probably can't hurt, but I was just wondering how often it's even asked for.

Thanks in advance.

First off, thanks for the input I've received so far about this.

I don't have a timeline yet because I haven't sent any forms in, so quick summary: I'm a USC petitioning for my Canadian fiance (who is Canadian-born and residing in Canada). I'm working on the I-129F and am almost ready to send, but even after I've read all the guides, threads, and FAQs I still have some nagging questions.

Again, this is for the I-129F packet; please forgive me if some of these questions sound like I'm worrying too much:

1. For the I-129F form itself, should I definitely not staple the sheets together? I feel like the three pages could get separated and there'd be no way to tell they all belong to my packet. I was planning to just paper clip them at least, but... maybe I'm being paranoid.

2. The letters of intent - we have the date and our names TYPED on the page. The only things written in ink are our signatures. Is this okay, or are we risking an RFE?

3. On some older guides, it talks about the G-325A being four pages. Ours are one page each, which I assume is the "new" form. Is this correct?

4. In the form instructions, it says to include ONE passport-style photo of each of us. However, some folks have said that they actually want TWO copies of each photo. Which is correct?

5. We have signed and dated all of the "obvious" things we're supposed to sign... should I also sign and date every page of evidence/birth certificates/etc?

6. If I provide copies of all pages of my passport as proof of my citizenship, will I have to later send my actual passport up to my fiance to use as evidence for his interview?

7. Finally, as I understand it, only I need to provide documents to prove my (U.S.) citizenship. Do I definitely NOT have to include my fiance's birth certificate, etc. in the I-129F packet?

Some of these might seem picky or self-evident, but I just really want to make sure I'm doing this right. Thanks so much.

I have his signed bio page, that's no problem. The question was whether I am also required to include a copy of his birth certificate along with my own.

I apologize if this is in the wrong place.. technically we haven't submitted our I-129F yet, but it will be going through Montreal. I'm the USC and my fiance is Canadian.

It is my understanding that with the I-129F, I only need proof of my citizenship in the packet. However, I saw this thread and got worried: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/297634-rfe-please-help-montreal-consulate/

Is this a normal occurance, getting RFEs from Montreal for not including the Canadian's proof of citizenship in the I-129F? I'm just not sure if I should try to include my fiances birth certificate or passport (would a passport be acceptable for this?) with my I-129F. It would set us back another few weeks... I was close to sending it out when this came up.

Thanks!

Forgot to add.. if not obvious, this is for a K1.

First of all, thanks to those who have helped me out with questions already.

I am only at the I-129F stage right now, but I'm looking ahead to cover bases for the interview as well. I'm the USC and my fiance is Canadian.

When my fiance comes down to visit, he usually asks for a passport stamp. Unfortunately, he's only been granted one stamp of entry into the U.S. out of all the times he's come to visit (the people at the border most recently told him they just "don't stamp Canadian passports unless they have to," even when my fiance practially begged for a stamp). On the flipside, he has a single return stamp into Canada from a different, later trip.

My question is this - at some point, my fiance will probably have to show his passport to someone, and they're going to see that he only has two stamps. I'm pretty sure the stamps just have dates on them, and time between the entry stamp and the "back to Canada" stamp is over a year. He wasn't actually down here for a year, and I don't want the immigration folks to think that's the case. Do they understand that Canadian passport stamping is spotty, or should I be worried that my fiance will get in trouble for appearing to stay longer than is allowed? He doesn't have a visitor visa or anything, he just comes down as a tourist for a week or two at a time.

Thanks for any help you might be able to offer.

Hello there, I'm a U.S. citizen filing for my Canadian fiance.

I'm currently working the I-129F documents and am almost ready to send them in. My fiance and I already completed our letters of intent, and it was only after he sent his to me that I realized we don't have our middle names on them. Our middle names are on the I-129F and G-325As though. Could this potentially lead to an RFE? I'm just a tad worried.

Thanks; I did try searching for my answer, but the discussions about this I found were inconclusive or vague.