BaBamSam

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

Well, this comes off as an extremely ungrateful and arrogant response. Like it or not, you are not more special than anyone else here trying to marry/reunite with their loved ones.
I'm from upstate New York (Buffalo area) and am very familiar with Canadian/American couples getting married. You can come to Buffalo and marry no problem, that is true. You then return to Canada and immediately file for the I-130. As Canada does not offer DCF, you can wait with your spouse as long as possible, but there will be separation. Right now CR-1 visas take about a year to process. You are going to have to plan for this. If she can prove ties to Canada, she could be permitted to visit you for up to 6 months (based on the officer at her POEs judgment).
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of immigration.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

Well, this comes off as an extremely ungrateful and arrogant response. Like it or not, you are not more special than anyone else here trying to marry/reunite with their loved ones.
I'm from upstate New York (Buffalo area) and am very familiar with Canadian/American couples getting married. You can come to Buffalo and marry no problem, that is true. You then return to Canada and immediately file for the I-130. As Canada does not offer DCF, you can wait with your spouse as long as possible, but there will be separation. Right now CR-1 visas take about a year to process. You are going to have to plan for this. If she can prove ties to Canada, she could be permitted to visit you for up to 6 months (based on the officer at her POEs judgment).
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of immigration.

Well, this comes off as an extremely ungrateful and arrogant response. Like it or not, you are not more special than anyone else here trying to marry/reunite with their loved ones.
I'm from upstate New York (Buffalo area) and am very familiar with Canadian/American couples getting married. You can come to Buffalo and marry no problem, that is true. You then return to Canada and immediately file for the I-130. As Canada does not offer DCF, you can wait with your spouse as long as possible, but there will be separation. Right now CR-1 visas take about a year to process. You are going to have to plan for this. If she can prove ties to Canada, she could be permitted to visit you for up to 6 months (based on the officer at her POEs judgment).
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of immigration.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

Well, this comes off as an extremely ungrateful and arrogant response. Like it or not, you are not more special than anyone else here trying to marry/reunite with their loved ones.
I'm from upstate New York (Buffalo area) and am very familiar with Canadian/American couples getting married. You can come to Buffalo and marry no problem, that is true. You then return to Canada and immediately file for the I-130. As Canada does not offer DCF, you can wait with your spouse as long as possible, but there will be separation. Right now CR-1 visas take about a year to process. You are going to have to plan for this. If she can prove ties to Canada, she could be permitted to visit you for up to 6 months (based on the officer at her POEs judgment).
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of immigration.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

Well, this comes off as an extremely ungrateful and arrogant response. Like it or not, you are not more special than anyone else here trying to marry/reunite with their loved ones.
I'm from upstate New York (Buffalo area) and am very familiar with Canadian/American couples getting married. You can come to Buffalo and marry no problem, that is true. You then return to Canada and immediately file for the I-130. As Canada does not offer DCF, you can wait with your spouse as long as possible, but there will be separation. Right now CR-1 visas take about a year to process. You are going to have to plan for this. If she can prove ties to Canada, she could be permitted to visit you for up to 6 months (based on the officer at her POEs judgment).
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of immigration.

Well, this comes off as an extremely ungrateful and arrogant response. Like it or not, you are not more special than anyone else here trying to marry/reunite with their loved ones.
I'm from upstate New York (Buffalo area) and am very familiar with Canadian/American couples getting married. You can come to Buffalo and marry no problem, that is true. You then return to Canada and immediately file for the I-130. As Canada does not offer DCF, you can wait with your spouse as long as possible, but there will be separation. Right now CR-1 visas take about a year to process. You are going to have to plan for this. If she can prove ties to Canada, she could be permitted to visit you for up to 6 months (based on the officer at her POEs judgment).
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of immigration.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

I would love to know what exactly it is that makes your case "slightly different than all of the others." Pretty sure 99% of us here love our spouses and most of us have had to spend significant time away from them. That's just the way the system works, and it's that way for everyone. It sounds to me like you have done very little to prepare for this process. Immigration is a major step, it's not as simple as crossing the border and being in a new country. You did not make the effort to research in advance what would have to be done and now you are planning to move here with her, even though she does not legally have the right to live here on a permanent basis.
Being away from a spouse sucks, but like it or not, you're not any more "special" than the rest of us. The same rules apply to us all and they are long established and actually pretty easy to understand at a basic level, especially if you have done any research on this site. If you really "can't be without her," then your best bet is probably to keep working in Canada until you properly apply for her visa. Sorry if I come off as being blunt (which I am sure I do), but this is a MAJOR life decision and not one you begin to plan for merely a month in advance. I do sincerely wish you all the best and hope everything works out well for you two.

Your story is similar to many other couples' stories. You're not any more special. It's already a relatively unfair advantage that Canadians don't need a tourist visa to visit the US, so she could visit throughout the process pretty often if she wanted to. People who married Africans, Asians, etc, have to wait it out. You're lucky. Don't keep pushing it.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

Well, this comes off as an extremely ungrateful and arrogant response. Like it or not, you are not more special than anyone else here trying to marry/reunite with their loved ones.
I'm from upstate New York (Buffalo area) and am very familiar with Canadian/American couples getting married. You can come to Buffalo and marry no problem, that is true. You then return to Canada and immediately file for the I-130. As Canada does not offer DCF, you can wait with your spouse as long as possible, but there will be separation. Right now CR-1 visas take about a year to process. You are going to have to plan for this. If she can prove ties to Canada, she could be permitted to visit you for up to 6 months (based on the officer at her POEs judgment).
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of immigration.

I don't understand what you're saying because you are no better than anyone else, so the immigration process applies to you as equally as it does to anyone else. MsHogan, myself and many others on here are just trying to inform you of the reality of the time-consuming process that is immigration. We have no motive to make you feel worse or bad about anything - it is just reality.
And, to be honest, I am sorry you feel that you are so much more important. My case is most important to me sure, but not so important that I feel like I should be pushed to the front of the queue and everyone else should wait. It is a process and everyone who applied before me deserves to be processed first. This forum is a community for people to support each other and reward one another for patience. We celebrate when others are finally successful, and we empathize with those of us still waiting.

Yep, first of the November group from what I remember. I won't take it personally, though Nola!
I got lucky and busted my a$$ to make sure I didn't miss a beat. I am one of the fortunate few to get through very quickly. Which again, is why I said don't look at my timeline as an example.
Thank you for adding this.
I apologized in advance for what I felt might be a reality dose that would be taken hard. It is what it is. My intent was, of course, to share feedback based on what I've experienced personally and learned from others here.

Well, this comes off as an extremely ungrateful and arrogant response. Like it or not, you are not more special than anyone else here trying to marry/reunite with their loved ones.
I'm from upstate New York (Buffalo area) and am very familiar with Canadian/American couples getting married. You can come to Buffalo and marry no problem, that is true. You then return to Canada and immediately file for the I-130. As Canada does not offer DCF, you can wait with your spouse as long as possible, but there will be separation. Right now CR-1 visas take about a year to process. You are going to have to plan for this. If she can prove ties to Canada, she could be permitted to visit you for up to 6 months (based on the officer at her POEs judgment).
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of immigration.

I'm sorry if it sounds negative but Ms.Hogan has it spot on. An attorney can give you advice, but frankly your process is going to take a heck of a lot longer with an attorney, and a heck of a lot more money.
The immigration process is time consuming. There is just no way to get around that.

I haven't had a tough time. I've had an easy time. That's why I said don't look at my timeline as a "normal" example because we flew through the process.
And most people here will also let you know that working with an attorney makes everything take a lot longer, unless you NEED a lawyer and don't have an option when there are special circumstances making it harder for someone to get approved. Lawyers don't have it in their best interest to move things along quickly and stay ahead of the game. They, from what most have experienced and shared here, wind up causing a lot of necessary back and forth which in the end delays your progress. When you read the guides here about getting through the process as quickly as possible, you'll see there are a lot of preparations that can be made ahead of time to stay on top of things. An attorney likely won't do those things.
Again, good luck with everything!

I hate to add to the negative vibe but my first question is whether or not you already have your marriage license for the state of New York. You will need to apply for that at least 24 hours before you plan to get married. I was married in Niagara Falls, NY so yes, I'm familiar with this part.
On to the next part... to be completely frank, your wife is going to need to find a job and contribute. I'm sure this sounds harsh but unless you want to;
a) pay for everything yourself while being separated OR
b) stay in Canada a while longer...
you don't have much choice.
There are many MANY stories here on the boards of people who have been waiting a very long time to be reunited with their loved ones. They are also not all as fortunate as we are in Canada to be able to visit without needing a visa. With that said though, your wife, when crossing the border, won't be able to prove that she has any ties to Canada. She doesn't work, she doesn't have her own lease... does she have any income or banking or anything at all in her name? I have been driving back and forth across the border for 3.5 years to visit my boyfriend/fiance now-husband. I have been fortunate enough to never be given a hard time but more-often-than-not I was asked what I did for a living and when I had to be back to work. My visits were no more than a few days at a time. Your almost-wife isn't in the same situation.
When you pull up to the border with a truckload of stuff saying you're moving, your almost-wife can't be stating that she's moving. Because she isn't allowed. If it were that simple, none of us would be here jumping through all the hoops we're jumping through.
I was also surprised when I found out how complicated it was going to be. I was shocked when I found out how long the "normal" processing times were as I had no idea until I arrived here on the message boards. Do NOT follow my timeline as an example because we have gone through faster than most as of late. Mine is not the norm.
You already know you're getting married. So get that taken care of and then start building your case for your application. There is a lot of preparation.
I apologize if my wording is harsh in any way but you have some stuff to think through and plan around because what you thought you might be able to do, simply isn't allowed. She must stay in Canada whether with you our without, other than her coming for visits. As Canadians we are often permitted to visit for up to 6 months BUT that also is usually only permitted after being able to prove that we're coming back to Canada. With you getting married, you moving, and her having no ties, that will be very hard to convince the border guard to be true. On the other hand you might just get lucky and they let her in. Either way, your case will almost definitely take longer than the 6 months maximum before to be complete, which means she needs to come back to Canada at some point. Does she have anyone to stay with during this time?
Good luck with whatever you decide. There's a lot of support here on the boards.

I believe they were asking because the OP used the term "partner", which didn't reveal - kudos to together4never13 for not following heteronormativity.
They were asking because the US government does not recognize same-sex engagements or marriages and family visas would not be applicable if the OP was in a same-sex relationship.
Actually, it's impossible to get approved because the US government does not recognize same-sex relationships. It's a federal thing, so it doesn't matter which state is involved. EDIT: on the K-1 or CR-1 visa, that is.