rowanheather

Just received my husband's approval in the mail!  Here are our details:

(VSC)

01/11/17:  Sent I-751

01/23/17:  NOA

03/15/17:  Biometrics 

12/28/17:  Approval

Good luck to everyone still waiting!  VSC is on a roll...

Hi all! Just stopping by with a final update -- my husband received his green card on Saturday! YAY! We're all done with this immigration process until it's time to remove conditions.

All the best to everyone

Hi all! Just a quick update...

I checked this morning, and my husband's USCIS status changed to "card is being produced" -- yay!

I used the USCIS.gov "check case status" function and entered the receipt number from his USCIS IV fee payment (IOE##########).

Can't wait to finally have that card in hand

Anyone receive their actual green card yet? How long did it take from POE?

My lovely bank will not add my husband to my account without his actual green card. They will not accept the stamped Visa :|

It's a bank that services the NSA, so I guess they have enhanced security requirements.

Oh well, we're used to waiting...

My husband received his SS card 12 days after POE.

Hey Canadian Peeps.... those who have done, or are about to go for your medicals (Toronto/Montreal)

.....when it's time to pay.... is it cash only or can they take credit/debit??

I will be going with my two girls and I'd rather not carry $600+ cash on me.....

Cheers

My husband had his medical in Toronto -- it is cash only. Not sure about Montreal.

After the approval at the interview, there was no letter or mention of any fee. Is that normal for an IR1?

My husband was CR1 but didn't receive any letter or mention of fee either following his interview.

However, there was an letter with his Visa/Passport package that explained how to pay the USCIS Immigrant Visa (green card) fee.

no SSN yet. It will be two weeks tomorrow since my POE. I was hoping for early SSN so i could get my drivers license and open a bank account.

elis is for green card status i assume, anywhere to check SSN status?

My husband's SS card arrived in the mail today. I think you POE'd a day after, so I bet yours in in route. I don't know if there's any way to check status.

What does your ELIS status say? I think my husband's is "In process - Optimized" whatever that means

Congrats to everyone on the interview dates! It all goes SO fast from this point forward.

FWIW, my husband stayed at the Travelodge Montreal Centre (http://www.travelodge.com/hotels/quebec/montreal/hotel-travelodge-montreal-centre/hotel-overview) -- it was $90/night and less than a 5 minute walk to the consulate. He said it wasn't very nice, but it was close and for a one night stay, it was fine.

Now we're waiting patiently for his green card and social security card. Anyone who's recently POE'd -- any updates on receiving either of yours? Just curious

Thanks for sharing this! My husband just entered the U.S. as a permanent resident and has an RRSP back in Canada that he plans to leave there. We'll have to take all of this into consideration for our 2015 tax reporting. Very helpful information

Hi there! Congrats on the approval!

If you're referring to the Immigrant Visa Fee ($165), it's paid through the USCIS ELIS system (http://www.uscis.gov/uscis-elis). You will need your MTL case number and your husband's alien registration number.

The alien registration number is found on either the Visa itself (labeled as registration number) or on a handout either given by the interviewing officer (in some cases) or included in the visa packet (in my husband's case).

Hope that helps!

So excited! My husband has just cleared customs at Pearson -- said it only took 5 minutes to activate his Visa! Good thing he arrived 4 hours before his flight

I can't wait to pick him up at 6PM! Champagne is chilling

Well I am happy, no ecstatic, to report I just saw 3 n/a on our file!

Calling now......I am thrilled, super happy!!!!

It has been a very long and arduous journey.

Hoping we made the beginning of the month deadline for Montreal interviews!!!

Fingers crossed!!!

Wishing all my friends here much success!

Congrats!!! I know how exciting it is to see the 3 N/As

The last few things go by so quickly (medical, interview, etc.) -- you'll be done with this whole process in no time.

Best of luck to you!

congrats! I was going to POE on april 11 as well but upped it to April 10 via pearson

Best of luck on your POE tomorrow!

Two more sleeps until my husband is home -- I can't wait

We've finally made it to the end!!

Hiya,

Along the way I always assumed your passport got sent to you (i.e. your home) after the interview.

I just went to register my appointment, and it looks like a list of branches - none of which are in Toronto where I live.

Did I miss something or does everyone have to go to one of those branches to pick it up?

Not whining just making sure I didn't do anything wrong or miss something.

Tks.

Hello -- yes, you have to select from the branches for delivery. I think there's one in Brampton -- that might be the closest one to Toronto. My husband had his sent to London, which was the closest to him, but still a 2-hour drive.

You also have the option to pay extra for it to be sent directly to your home. There is information on arranging this is with the initial shipment email that's send when your passport leaves the consulate.

so different doctor require different sized photos? I am mostly confused because it was simply "4 recent photos" when I first made my medical appt for Dr Lyon.. so I got 4 canadian passport photos. Now, it specifies this international visa size! What gives ??

Strange. My husband had his medical with Dr. Lyndon Mascarenhas on 03/17/15 and he brought 4 U.S. sized passport photos (2" x 2"). He didn't have any problems.

Probably too late for you to email them and ask if your appointment is tomorrow. Sorry I can't be more helpful!

A few final updates -- my husband's Visa was shipped from Montreal on 4/1; ready for pickup on 4/4.

With the holiday weekend, he's picking it up tomorrow, 4/7 and we've made his POE flight arrangements through Pearson on 4/11. Can't believe he'll be here in less than a week!

For all of you still going through the process -- hang in there! There is an end to this crazy marathon

CC for me today!

Wondering if you have any insight into how far in advance MTL interviews are being scheduled these days? 8 weeks?

CONGRATS!!

My husband just got his shipment email from Loomis -- 2 days after his interview.

Should have his Visa/Passport in hand on Friday!! I can't believe it!

Time to book his flight home

There will be a big envelope you can open that will have the immigration package in it (will say DO NOT OPEN, lol) and then your passport with the visa in it separately.

You can pay the fee after arrival, I think people worry about it more than necessary to be honest.

yay!

Thanks again! Sounds like we're fine. I'll quit my worrying

Yay!! Our case is done at the NVC...well almost done. Just waiting for our interview date!

CONGRATS!!

so it seems like yours will be in the package when you get your passport from loomis. That number isnt on any other emails i got.

BTW i still cant pay that fee, tells me to wait at least 5 days after visa was issued to pay that fee so you have time! lol.

Thanks, much! I immediately panic when it seems things aren't as they should be. So strange how inconsistent things are with this whole process.

Guess I need to relax a bit now -- the hard part is over

A# will be on your visa. I got the sheet about the ELIS fee when I got my visa package back.

Thanks, NLR! Stupid question, but is this part of the packet you can access before POE? I have no idea how the documents are packaged.

I want to pay our fee ASAP and need that A# to do so.

Hey, the interview officer handed me that paper while I was interviewing. The Dos case id is your MTL case number. But the Alien registrations number is different than any numbers I've seen before. He handed it to me when he returned my originals during the interview. Ask your husband to check that pile

Edit: you need your dos id and alien registration number in order to pay that fee. That paper has your alien registration number. If you can't find it then maybe call the consulate??

I've heard Pearson is an easy Poe which is nice.

I got my email this morning that passport is ready for pickup at my local loomis location! So that's 3 business days including interview day to get my passport work. I'm so happy!

Awesome news about your passport! That was SO fast!! I hope we're as lucky!

My husband didn't get the originals returned to him. He asked and the officer said they would be sent to us. He assumed that meant they would come with his passport and he didn't ask any further. Was your Alien Registration number on the email with your waybill number by any chance?

Hi! I am trying to remember how I got mine - I know it wasn't on a handout. I think it was on the email they will send with the waybill number. All of that info is sent in an email, I do remember that. You have lots of time to pay the visa fee. Once he has that email you can register with ELIS and pay the fee. So much with process is changing so quickly it seems. Hope this helps!

Dualie -- Thanks! That does help! Just wanted to be sure we didn't miss something. Always trying to stay one step ahead of the process

I'm flying out of Toronto so I will POE at Pearson airport (Pearson does it right at the airport, before entering a US city)

My husband's POE will be Pearson airport as well. Just waiting for that Loomis email to book his flight!

Email with waybill number received. So two business days including interview day. Time to book my ticket!

I'll update once passport is delivered.

Awesome news! Maybe my husband will be as lucky and get his email tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Where are you planning your POE?

Trying to get prepared for the next few steps after the interview...

For the immigrant visa $165 fee -- I saw on this USCIS site (http://www.uscis.gov/uscis-elis/immigrant-fee-payment-tips-finding-your-number-and-dos-case-id) that at the time of the interview the applicant was supposed to receive an "Immigrant Visa Fee Handout" that includes the Alien Registration number needed to create the USCIS ELIS account to pay the fee. Did anyone receive this? My husband did not.

Guess I'm just asking when and how we make the payment.

Thanks for all the well wishes on my husband's approval today. We're so excited to finally be at the finish line!