Crumulent

Interesting, it appears my mistake was in choosing TD. I'll have to call them and see if I still qualify now that I'm living in the USA.

Update, after initially declining me for a credit card because I didn't have a US credit rating, TD contacted me again and said they could get me a US credit card based off of my Cdn Credit Rating. The woman I spoke with made it sound like they're rolling out a program like RBC has and I was accepted as an early testee type thing. Or maybe it was because I told them I was leaving TD.

Either way, I now have a US TD Visa with a significant credit limit, that reports to US credit bureaus.

I didn't go with RBC in the end, because I didn't have an active account with them. They said they could approve me for a card, but unless I went to an RBC branch in the next 3 months (in Canada) to finalize it, it would then be closed.

I have a US credit card through RBC that I got in the USA, but they checked my Canadian credit to do so which is a feature they offer if you have a US and Canadian bank account with them. I double checked and they report to all 3 US credit bureaus. But Trans Union has me frozen for some reason that I can't figure out. But I'll be calling next week to find out.

Interesting, it appears my mistake was in choosing TD. I'll have to call them and see if I still qualify now that I'm living in the USA.

I thought a TD card would help as well, and was given a lot of wrong and misleading information by various people at TD before finding out it can't. I've since learned that;

A TD Cross-border credit card has ZERO impact on a US Credit rating. It's just another Canadian card that processes transactions in USD.

I don't qualify for a US TD Bank card because I don't have a credit rating in the USA. Apparently they cannot even consider a CDN credit rating for a US product.

It's too late for me to get a CDN Amex card, I wish I had done that. So the only options that I can see for myself are being added onto my wifes cards, and getting a secured credit card (Where you put a deposit down for the amount of 'credit' you want.) From what I can see, the better options there are the ones offered by Capital One, and Wells Fargo, because they have the option to change into an unsecured card once you've proven yourself (which is better for your credit than replacing it with a different card down the line). They also report to the credit bureaus (Many, but not all secured cards do that).

Yesterday I entered the USA through the Edmonton Airport (YEG). S but he asked for my ince this thread hasn't been updated in a while, I thought I'd add my review.

Delta made my airport experience a very stressful one, but the Customs experience was great.

When I got to the front of the line, the officer asked for my passport, I told him straight away that I was activating a K1 Visa. He was amused and a bit confused by the term 'activating' but he asked for my passport, customs declaration form, and the sealed envelope.

He then took me to the back area, and gave my paperwork to another officer working on of the stations there. There were no travelers there when I went, but two other people were brought back there after me. I sat and waited while she went through the paperwork, doing what she had to do. She mentioned that she hadn't done a K1 in a very long time (and the other officer in that section had never done one), but she clearly knew what she was doing.

When she was ready she asked me some questions about what I was bringing, but no one ever asked for a list of belongings. She did ask to see the vet paperwork for the cat that I was bringing with me.

She asked some questions about the wedding plans, if we had a date, where we were getting married, etc, and if I had children, very basic stuff. She then went over the rules of the K1 visa, and then let me go, I was done!

It was a very easy experience, and only took about 10-15 min longer than a typical trip through customs. But if people had been ahead of me in that area, it could have potentially added more time.

On a side note, for the customs declaration, I filled out my name and destination info (questions 1-14) but left the value of goods (question 15) blank as I wasn't sure what to put there, and I had my itemized list of stuff. As mentioned, no one asked for my stuff and my Customs declaration was taken without issue or comment.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Sounds like you've got it covered. All I submitted were several boarding passes and hotel receipts, along with photos of us together (signed and dated by both of us on the back) and that part was never an issue for me.

The majority of people who get stuck in Administrative Processing for months are from countries with poor record keeping, high rates of fraud, and/or other security concerns.Anything is possible, but I'd say your odds of that happening are probably low (at least based on being from those countries)

I went through Vancouver, but I had my interview on Thursday. On Friday it changed to Administrative Processing, Monday it went to Issued and I had my waybill # on Tuesday morning.

That's a hard question to answer. At my interview they asked me for everything I had. She wasn't specific about what I need (other than the affidavit itself) didn't tell give me any feedback about what was or wasn't needed.

If you have a years worth of payroll deposits up to the most recent one, that would probably satisfy them. I imagine the letter is more pertinent to someone who hasn't held their current job very long.

I think some of the Dr's offices cite the total number of photos you'll need (1 for the medical, and 2 for the interview.). Perhaps they just want to make sure you have enough for everything (Since I'm pretty sure it has to be copies of the same photo for all.)

I brought 6 photos because I'm kind of OCD about having backups of everything. But the Dr took 1, and I needed two for the interview and that was it. (Note, I saw Dr Cheema, not Mascarenhas)

Did you contact them to arrange home delivery? Has Loomis contacted you at all?

I went through Vancouver but I had to go pick it up when it arrived at the nearest loomis facility. Loomis sent me an email the night before it arrived and called me around noon on the day it got there.

Ok, maybe you're not. Then again, maybe you are. Or maybe you aren't doing it at all.... which is still wrong.

Or maybe who cares, because the timeline system is broken and prevents updates for people who got stuck in the process.

Any news Lights? My status switched to Issued on Monday, and this morning it showed the Waybill number on the CSC site and Loomis sent me an email as well.

Around noon Loomis called and said I could come get it. I'm going to go tomorrow.

Whatever he asks you, tell the whole truth. The last three trips I made I said I was 'visiting my fiancee' and they never made an issue of it. If you don't have a return flight, or are taking too much stuff, they might question you more. But the last thing you want is to be barred from entering because of a pointless untruth.

If you want to use Transit instead, it's cheaper than renting a car, and not difficult to use (just time-consuming)

There's a train that runs back and forth from the airport and downtown. And the Skytrain runs between downtown and Surrey. I stayed downtown and got to Dr Cheemas and the Lab and back using it and one bus.

Review of K1 Interview at Vancouver Consulate

Getting in the Building

I arrived 20 minutes early and there was a fairly long line when I got there. But they were telling people to leave and come back later if their app't was more than half an hour away. The place to line-up was easy to find (Outdoors on the East side).

A lot of the process involves moving from one line to another line. That's kind of good because it breaks up the tedium of waiting. First they check if you have your DS-160, passport, and medical packet. They give you a card with the floor and window you'll have to go to. K Visas have a different process than the work and travel visas that most people there are getting. So you're not always going to have the same people in front of you.

Then you get in another line for the building entrance, security looks you over to make sure you don't have anything that won't be allowed inside. Then you go through the metal detector check, and then another line for the elevator.

After the metal detector, they escort you to your floor in groups.

Pre-Interview Processing
Go to the assigned window, flip the light switch (up or down, but not up/down). They take your DS-160 and passport. Then wait.

Then they call you back, and take all of your documents from the packet 3 list. They took everything I had for my fiancee's proof of income, but did not need her divorce decree (they had it from the I-134 packet) or any additional proof of relationship. (I'm not saying don't bring it, just that in my case they didn't end up needing it)

They did ask for a new Letter of Intent from both my fiancee and myself, even though Packet 3 just says from the petitioner. Luckily I had made one for myself anyway (and I could have written one right then and there if need be.)

Then you wait again while they go over your documents and put them into the system. This is probably the longest individual wait. I can see this part really dragging out if there are other K Visa applicants ahead of you. I think the woman getting a K1 after me spent quite a bit more time waiting than I did.

Once your paperwork is done with, they give you a new number and it's back to waiting. For me this was the second longest wait.

Finally, the actual interview!

My process here got delayed a bit due to computer issues but it was simple. They asked if I had anything additional and I pulled out my added proof of relationship but they never actually looked it over.

They fingerprinted me, I swore an oath that everything was truthful, they asked me some VERY basic questions. (When did we meet, where does she live, where do her parents live, have I met them, has she met mine, that kind of stuff.) And that was pretty much it. It was not a quiz. At no time did I feel like I was being tested, doubted, or questioned. Everyone was friendly and helpful throughout the entire process.

Then you're done, and you can leave, go get your cellphone and tell your future spouse! I was there less than 2 hours. But I can see it easily taking longer.

That's what we had as well. A printout of the page that listed the deposits.

That was it. Dr Cheema's office told me to come back between 4-6pm the next day for the results. I ended up getting there ~3:30 and they had just finished preparing it. They gave me the sealed packet for the Consulate interview, and a second packet that's for my records, which I will need in the future.

I had my interview yesterday, she told me that Loomis would contact me either by phone or by email when they received my Visa.

I think (I vaguely remember other threads about this) it's common for the status to say Ready at this point, either because they're passing it around as they're processing it, or because they don't change it. Mine now says;

Application ID or Case Number: VAC20145----- 01 VAC

Case Creation Date: 02-May-2014

Status Updated Date: 02-May-2014

Approved! ! !

Had my interview this morning! I'll post reviews of it all this weekend most likely.

Good luck! I've got mine next week too, on May 1st

I wish I could offer some advice, it took 8 weeks for USCIS to forward the approved petition. We called and emailed and called again, and I don't think it made any difference in the long run.

Hmm. Maybe Montreal sends different paperwork. I'm going through Vancouver and don't see that anywhere on my packet 3 or 4 letters.

Hello all,

Thanks for your wonderful site and the great info we were able to find here. My fiancée and I are at the Packet 3 step right now and I have a few questions I would appreciate answers to.

• What evidence is sufficient to prove my domicile in the US? Is a copy of my lease and some bills enough?
• What about the evidence of my status in the US? What does that mean exactly?

In which part of Packet three does that come up? Looking at my DS-160, and checklist, I don't see anything asking for proof of the US citizens residency or status. I would think that had been covered within the I-129f application.

As faras I know, Montreal accepts co-sponsors on a case-by-case basis.

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.

Congratulations Everyone!

My application has now made it to the consulate and I've booked a May 1st Interview.

I'm not aware of any consulate requiring a copy of the US Citizens passport, but each is slightly different.

For my consulate, the things I need from my US Fiancee are

1. the Affadavit of support documents
2. another signed and dated Letter of intent to marry (dated within a month of the interview)
3. and the divorce certificate from her previous marriage