chiggins82

1 hour ago, Benjamin44 said:

I'm in the same situation as you- Canadian married to American, living in the US. We have gone back and forth to visit Canada about 6 times now since COVID started- without any problem whatsoever. (We always drove in a personal vehicle and went right to place of quarantine- which was my father's place- and then left straight home from there, so it was perfectly safe.) Immediate family members of Canadian citizens have been allowed into Canada under a special rule that has been in effect since June 8, 2020. There is absolutely no problem for you or anyone else in that situation to enter Canada, I'm a bit surprised people on this thread didn't realize this? Maybe not everyone is driving distance like we are, and weren't comfortable taking a flight during COVID (neither were we), who knows. But it doesn't matter where you live or who you are visiting- you can cross together and your husband is allowed in as an immediate relative of a Canadian.

 

You will need to bring your marriage certificate that shows your husband is an immediate relative of a Canadian, and you will need proof of Canadian citizenship. Note that you don't need a Canadian passport- crossing back and forth on your US passport or Green Card is fine, but without one you would need proof of Canadian citizenship such as a birth certificate for example. 

 

Under the rule starting July 5, you won't need to quarantine if both of you are vaccinated. You will still need a test within 72 hours of departure and another one at the border. Once that one comes back negative you're released from quarantine. You will need to upload your vaccine cards on the ArriveCan app before you leave- that app and the associated website explain pretty well how to register before you leave. You still need to have a quarantine plan in case your test comes back negative. 

Technically, there is a rule that the foreign spouse needs to stay 15 days in Canada- this is not a quarantine rule, normally it is totally fine to leave the country during the original quarantine as long as you go straight- but rather an immigration rule specifically for non-Canadian family members. It is not clear if it still applies as of July 5 for vaccinated travelers. But either way, the rule is unenforceable- you don't need to pass exit controls to leave Canada, they don't keep foreigners in the country after all, so there's nothing stopping him from leaving early, especially since plans can change. You just may need to have an original plan for him to be there 15 days in order to get in in the first place. All 6 times we have gone, it has been for 5 days or less and we have never had a problem re-entering. But again- that rule might be gone now since July 5, it's really not clear.

 

They also just announced today that as of August all vaccinated Americans will be able to enter even if they don't have Canadian family. So the 15 day rule will be gone at that point for sure. But in your situation, there's really no need to wait until then.

 

Let me know if you have any questions!

This is so helpful! Thanks! I guess I should have been patient for another day since they released the date for US travelers, but gives me some extra reassurance to hear your experience. 🙂

Just now, mushroomspore said:

Yeah, I get where you're coming from. I haven't traveled or tried to travel to Canada since COVID has happened. The only Canadians I know who did travel were Canadians who were stuck in the USA or elsewhere and then traveled back to Canada solo just to get back home. I don't know any Canadians who traveled back to Canada with a foreign spouse or significant other or friend. Ultimately, your options are:

 

1. Don't travel yet. I saw some headline saying Trudeau said the government is trying to open the Canada-US border up to vaccinated Americans by August.

2. Go solo to Canada.

3. Take the chance and go to the border with your husband and all the necessary paperwork. If you and your husband are both vaxxed, I'm guessing that that would help your chances quite a bit. But obviously I cannot say for certain.

I haven't traveled back either, but that's why I'm asking to see if anyone else has.

My dad is in failing health and facing surgery that he may not make it through. We have tentative plans to drive back at the end of August and banking on the rumors about more relaxing for vaccinated US citizens.. but yeah, worst case I'll go alone. 

My question is on the definitions and if anyone has experience that might shed a bit of light on what it means in this situation. I've tried to contact the border, but haven't heard back yet.

Really just curious if anyone has successfully had their US spouse travel with them successfully.

So I guess my problem is I don't know. The visit is to see my parents, not his so I don't know how to answer that question on the checklist because it doesn't really define it for someone to see a father in-law. It's clear he can come to Canada to visit me, but we'll cross the border at the same time. While I know it's always to some extent up to the person at the border, it would be good to have a bit more information before we go... I thought maybe someone on here has traveled back by now with a spouse and might be able to share

Curious if anyone can share their experience. I'm a Canadian citizen, married to US citizen and living in the US. My husband and I want to drive to Canada to reunite with family in August. Under the current criteria, I can't figure out if my husband can cross the border? 

I think I clearly qualify as a citizen, but is my husband ok to travel with me too reunite with his inlaws (my parents)?

Has anyone done this and any hassle at the border?

I am reading all the responses, thank you so, so, so much for making me feel a bit less alone right now. 

I called my EAP and they are sending me out a list. I managed to clear a good chunk of my calendar at work because honestly, I am not functioning right now.

I'm planning to tell my husband to stay somewhere else until after Thanksgiving and then I will let him know what I want/need next. In the meantime, I'm reading a book and some articles the EAP people recommended. There is no way I am going to thanksgiving and he knows that. 

I'm so devastated. I'm so grateful for all of you.

I don't know if I want to consider reconciling or not. I told him I would consider it and he said that he ended it. I will talk to a counselor first and hopefully get some perspective on things. It's so hard to hear people say that he is only sorry because he was caught... and I know it's true. He had 1000 days to deal with this and he didn't. I never knew how truly selfish and immature he could be. I'm hoping he will accept and respect my decisions and walk away until I'm ready... I am fully expecting he won't.

It's really hard not to feel worthless from all this. I know I'm not, but it's keeps popping into my head. I hate that I have to be alone. I wish I had somewhere to go. I thought about going myself, but I don't want to lose the comfort of my home because of him. Why should I be any more uncomfortable??

3 minutes ago, Russ&Caro said:

My advice:

1. Get some distance from him for a set amount of time, e.g. live apart for 1 month, don't speak by phone for 1 week. You need some perspective and you only get that by being apart.

2. Next, counseling, as others have stated.

3. Then, once you've had some time to reflect, reach out to the one family member or friend back home that you can trust the most and who will give you the best advice. You don't have to tell everyone but you should have at least one person you can rely on.

4. During counseling, bring up whether your husband is a sex addict. If he totally denies it and refuses to consider the idea, that's a red flag. He might not be a sex addict but he's crossed enough lines that the concept should not be foreign or offensive to him.

Thank you so much for this advice... I'm going back and forth on whether I need to have that space or if I should just reach out to a counselor first. I'm thinking space is needed. Last night I told him I needed space and I went into the bedroom. He came in 3 times over the evening. To tell me he's sorry and that he knows this is his fault and that he doesn't deserve me, once to say that he was reading a book on infidelity and it was giving him even more perspective on how much he hurt me, once to ask if the dog could come hang out with me....

I'm scared to be alone right now, but I think it might be because I don't trust him (If I am gone, will he contact her. etc.etc.). That isn't healthy or helpful for me.

I never thought about the sex addict part... He was a virgin when I met him. He'd never had a girlfriend. I'm pretty certain that's all true.

31 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

OP: I know... I know.... it doesn't feel like this right now.. but..   It is not your fault. You are not a failure. There is nothing you could have done, no way you could 'be better' to cause anything to happen differently. Your heart, your trust, your soul, and your marriage has been abused by a man who cared nothing about any of these things. He is not sorry. He is sorry he got caught and has to make a choice. I'm a bridge burner, because well, I've been hurt before deeply. And I felt all those things you do now, and it took me a long time to not feel that way anymore. At the end of it all, I realized that person wasn't worth it, and it was time to start taking care of me.

 

You have two choices: Counseling and risk and hope he is willing to break clean and stay true.

Or pick up and move on. Focus on yourself. You picked up and left your entire life behind for him, and he betrayed and now risks everything without a care to you. Yes it will be hard, but it does sound like you have friends and family that will support you, and a path forward. They have every right to not want to support him either - afterall it's *you* they care about.

I know this isn't my fault. No matter what good bad I have done, I did not choose to step outside of the marriage. I didn't choose to hide it and keep it going. Thank you for reminding of this. I know it, but it is near impossible to shake those other feelings of guilt on myself.

6 minutes ago, Luckycuds said:

OP- I’m sorry this happened to you. Definitely utilize those EAP counseling sessions and if you need more than are allotted they will help you find a therapist that is covered by your insurance. This is all new and overwhelming and the feelings you have are normal. First take care of yourself and talk with someone. I understand if you don’t want to talk about it with family and friends yet- that’s fine- you have us and please utilize those EAP sessions. Down the road if you feel you want to work things out and he’s willing you can do couples counseling. As for now, in my opinion, you need to work through this with someone. Some advice- yours to follow or not- don’t read anymore of his emails. Don’t do that to yourself. You are hurting yourself and no one else. You already know it’s bad- there’s no justification for an ongoing affair- you won’t find an answer or solution in the emails. Focus on you- please speak with someone. Good luck 

I'm going to call this afternoon once my last meeting is over. Thank goodness I have them. I can't access the emails. For all I know he deleted them. He left for a walk yesterday and I was going to do some yoga.. I opened our laptop and he hadn't logged out... and I looked.... and then had an hour before he came home... so I looked at a bunch. I saw how many. Honestly if this was a sexual thing, I feel like I could move on with work and commitment. But these emails.... it was a full online relationship. And who knows what they talked about on Skype and outside of the emails. It's just such a deep deception. He was fully capable of this for such a long period time with almost no signs (well who knows, maybe there were and I'll realize later...)

Thank you so much everyone for replying on here. It helps so much to just write out some of this.. and It helps more writing to people that know the sacrifice I went through to be here.

His mom keeps texting me about THanksgiving... We're supposed to bring things for it... just every little thing is twisting the knife deeper right now.

So this is what I've found out. The woman lives in Canada and he's never met her. Shes younger, but not young... like 27? (We're in our late 30s). I had about an hour to read the emails I found... there wasn't really anything that jumped out that told me she knew we were married, but he says she knew. He said he met her before we started dating and cut ties with her then.... and then in 2016 (about a year after I moved) she reached out to him. He said it was first because he was into things sexually that he didn't think I would be into (he never talked to me about that), but then he started getting involved more and more. They email every day. He would talk to her while he walked our dog and after I fell asleep.

Up until this, I thought was had a an extremely solid relationship. We didn't fight. We rarely argued. We talked every day... but I could tell he had been pulling away and he'd shut down if I wanted to talk about that. Anything to do with his feelings beyond the more superficial ones. I knew he was stressed at work an thought he might be going through a bit of a crisis (like, am I doing what I want, do I like my life, etc.) The past few months though, I noticed the bigger signs.. hiding his phone when I walked by, typing a lot and saying he was looking at articles... I knew he was lying.. 

but the bombshell is THREE YEARS and you're absolutely right. He never ended it. He never confessed to me. I had to catch him and only now he wants to work on things. I'm furious. I told him he could leave and decide what he wants to do, or he could break it off now and block her from communicating again... so he did that.

I've been cheated on before. I don't know now if we were solid enough to move past this. I would have thought so until yesterday. Now I question it. I've loved my life with him. He's my best friend. I'm scared to tell my family and friends because if I decide to choose to make an attempt at overcoming this, I don't think they would ever accept him again. Plus I feel like it's humiliating because it feels like I failed. I guess, I feel like I am dealing with so much pain right now, I don't think I can handle also dealing with my family.

Last night we slept in different rooms and I avoided him. I tried to pack up some things and he broke down crying, he got in front of my car and begged me to stay..

So now, we're both at work for the day. I could pack up before he gets home. Or he said if I needed, he would leave.

I think what I'm most confused about is that I don't know how much time to give this before I decide anything? Like should I rush right into kicking him out, or should we just get a counselor? I have EAP at work... Maybe I should just talk to someone on my own. I don't want to make decisions out of anger, but I don't want to not do anything. Right now, I feel numb. I don't feel anything. I don't feel anger right now, I don't feel sad... I just know that something needs to happen and I don't know what.

I guess the lucky thing for me, we both have good jobs. I have the means to leave if I need. We don't have kids, just a dog..

3 hours ago, debbiedoo said:

Only you know what you want to do. No one here can make that decision for you. I could tell you what I would do, but you are not me.

 

I am sorry you are going through this, truly I am.

Yeah I get that. I think I'm reaching out because honestly I feel like I can't tell my friends back home and I don't have anyone in the US that I feel I can trust. 

He is begging for forgiveness and I just don't know where to start. 

This just f*cking sucks.

I just found out that for the past 3 years, my husband has been chasing on me with another person, long distance and outside the US. 

I'm not looking for advice around immigration, but I had nowhere to turn for advice. I'm totally alone here and I'm scared to call my family because I don't know what to do.

I just uncovered this this morning. I don't know everything, but there are email exchanges going back 3 years. Love letters, he sent her gifts, he spends the day on Skype with her when I'm out of town. He emailed everyday how much he loves her. Sounds a while lot like how we emailed when we were dating.

I have nowhere to go right now and I don't know what to do. He says he wants to stay with me and work it out. Where do I begin

4 minutes ago, SAS007 said:

OMG!!!! I"M APPROVED!!!!

 

I checked this morning and was still same message of under jurisdiction! Literally 2 mins ago I checked on a whim and it says new card being produced!!!

 

To confirm, i am a CSC filer transferred to NEBRASKA!!! So hopefully you Nebraska folk will get approvals soon!

 

Number is WAC17289XXXX. 

 

I received no notification or text of this. 

 

I'M SHAKING!

 

Congrats! Hoping this is a good sign for others that were transferred!

8 hours ago, Donut35 said:

“Last Action Taken on Case 

 

Based on the processing time table, you believe the case to be outside processing times. Please provide details of the last action that you received on your case in the space below “

 

It is a part of the content of inquiry form . What should I provide to them ? 

1/ received 18 months extension letter 

2/ or the status when I check my case??

(uscis.gov or Dhs?)  

 

I need your help. Anyone made inquiry and how was the respond? Does it take long time to get a respond? Thank you in advance. 

 

If this were me, I would use the last mail you received. The auto-emails and you checking the case online (to me) are not actions. 

11 hours ago, loveapplejuice888 said:

I filed my case on July 27, 2017 to VSC - but still haven't heard anything since. Is that abnormal? Also, when checking cases on USCIS website and DHS websites using the case number on the biometrics and the receipt notice, they are all showing differences status. Did that happen to any of you?

 

On USCIS website: 

- case status using the case number on Biometrics:

1. On July 17, 2017, we received your Form CRI-89, Petition to Remove Conditions of Permanent Resident Status Received, Receipt Number EACXXXXXXXX.

2. Nothing is showing for the change of address using the case number on the Biometrics

 

- case status using the case number on receipt notice:

1. On April 9, 2018, we received your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, Receipt Number EACXXXXXXX, at your local office. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

 

2. On August 31, 2018, your request to change your address, referral number CAXXXXXXVSC, was completed.

 

3. On October 25, 2018, your request to change your address, referral number CAXXXXXXXVSC, was completed.

 

On DHS website: 

- case status using the case number on Biometrics:

1. On July 19, 2017, we received your case and waived the filing fee for your Form CRI-89, , Receipt Number EACXXXXX. We mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your receipt notice by August 18, 2017, please call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

 

2. I never asked for fee waive, so not sure what that is.

 

- case status using the case number on receipt notice:

1. On July 17, 2017, we received your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, Receipt Number EACXXXXXX, and sent you the receipt notice that describes how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your receipt notice by August 16, 2017, please call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

 

2. On February 25, 2018, we received your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, Receipt Number EACXXXXXXX, at your local office. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

 

3. On February 27, 2018, we received your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, Receipt Number EACXXXX, at your local office. If you move, go to www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

I had different statuses too. I didn't have the address change one, but I think I had all the others until I was approved. I believe others had that address change one too. It seems like it's glitches in their system and/or different systems not being synced up so they say different things. It's frustrating and kind of unnerving to see all those!

You could call USCIS. I doubt they would tell you much, but as a just in case you could try that. At least then if there was actually something wrong, they could fix it (most likely they'll say it's fine and they can't do anything because your case is still within normal processing time). As soon as your case is outside the processing window, I would send a ticket for them to look into it.

Slightly Off topic - But to my Canadian friends in this thread:

I got my renewed Nexus card! It arrived on the date that it was expiring. No interview needed. I applied in Aug/ early September, so it took ~2-3 months to arrive. Had to activate when I got it and I updated my green card info online as well.

1 hour ago, nintendoswitch said:

Question for the people who didn't have biometrics appointment and have the new 10 years green card already:

 

WHAT PICTURE YOU HAVE ON? THE SAME THEY TOOK FOR THE 2-YEAR GREENCARD?

 

 

It's the same pic as my old card. I am so grateful for that too because it is seriously the best picture I have ever had on an ID card before. It looks like they put a fan on my hair when they took the pic!! hahaha! 😎

It looks like you have lots of great evidence. Honestly, I would just organize it well and have the cover letter (like you're doing) and send it. My cover letter was two pages long, but had similar stuff to yours. My personal opinion is send more and hopefully avoid RFE's.

I think though that the most important evidence is evidence that finances are tied, joint taxes and then proof that you live together with a lease or deed, etc. Since you couldn't add her to the title, it seems like you have lots of evidence to indicate that you are living together. All the utility bills, evidence of trips, etc is secondary and not actually required, just supplements the evidence that you have a legitimate marriage.

You could probably lighten up on the secondary items and be just fine, but if you have them, I personally would just send them too.

With the Bank statements, I just sent 1 per quarter since I moved so it wasn't so much. It shows the history and pattern, but is a lot less paper. Maybe you could do that?

Hope that helps

I would have thought the cases that were transferred would have moved as fast, if not faster! Go figure that USCIS didn't roll out their plan to level out the work properly... Seems like they just transferred to cause the exact same backlog somewhere else. 😖

17 hours ago, hiimkristina said:

Today my status was changed to say my birth date was updated. Any idea what this means?

I wonder if someone was adding info somewhere that triggered an "action" that or just usual USCIS weirdness! Hoping it means that they are working on your case though

11 hours ago, seldk said:

hello,

I just got a notice of my card is being produced on November 2 , filed on July 26th, my number is WAC17298 and Still didn't file for n400.

Good luck to the people that are waiting.

Just want to know how long does it take to receive the card in the mail from the date of card being produced???

Thank you.

 

Mine took a little less than a week. So pretty fast here. 

2 minutes ago, T.J said:

Got a text message from USCIS this morning. It says "Your case WAC1727900XXX is now updated. Check "My Case Status" at www.uscis.gov

 

Then when I logged to view my status, this what it says. 

 

Sorry it's an RFE, but at least things are moving! I see this as light at the end of the tunnel and Congrats will be in order soon!

4 hours ago, CanadianAtHeart said:

I called the USCIS Call Center and they advised me it was transferred to my ACTUAL local office (Albuquerque). She gave me a ridiculous timeframe of 24-42 months or something like that, though. So I'm not holding my breath that I will be approved any time soon.

 

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but this whole process has given me more grey hair than I care to admit.

 

 

They told me this too at my infopass appointment. They're just going by the info on USCIS and I'm guessing because they're trained to stick to the public info.

Just because a lot of people that filed in July have had action on their case, doesn't guarantee you will... But I'd say maybe makes it likely? 

I hope you hear news soon! 😞

9 hours ago, tdotca said:

Wow these systems are way out of whack but as soon as it is GOOD NEWS , s'ok with me!

 

Got text that my case had status change so I went to egov.uscis site / entered WAC # and it said my case was transferred to a new jurisdiction on Jun 27,2018!  And  I thought snail mail was slow ... :-).  Went to myuscis site and got another notification that card was mailed  Oct 27.

 

Picked up mail. PRIORITY MAIL envelope !  YESSSSS PR card !!! I was not expecting this until sometime next week the earliest.  I did not get any email notification with tracking number either as others said they got. 

 

Amazing ..that is all I can say !

 

Sending good vibes to all! 

 

 

Yay! Nice to see that they are mailing things out quickly, despite their wonky system! 

I'm leaving the country in a couple weeks, would be really nice to have that card in hand before I go

2 hours ago, d24v said:

I could Google this, but oh well - where in YEG is the terminal?  I'm thinking I can probably wrangle a few friends to truck my stuff out there to save a couple bucks.

It was West - I think just north of Yellowhead and 149th Street.

They were very good. Answered all my questions and walked through the process and timing

I used UPack from Edmonton to Minnesota. I did the cube and did terminal to terminal instead of them dropping a pod at my home. This brought down the cost a lot. I needed to get my stuff to the terminal which in Edmonton I used a Uhaul and in Minnesota, I borrowed a truck. My total cost was somewhere around $1,500 I think. For me it was worth it. I left most of my furniture behind, but I had enough stuff that I wanted to bring along that a pod made sense.

12 hours ago, ChristinaG said:

Oh wow!!   I had a Grumpy Gus when I did my Nexus 'interview' To be honest, I had not gone back and updated my Nexus info after that initial one!!   Not once in crossing the border frequently, or the flights from Detroit-Toronto-Halifax or the Detroit-Orlando (that we just came back from) said a single word about the info in my profile!!  I took some time to figure out how to log-in, and managed to update my mailing address & GC expiry date (with the 10 yr card date) and otherwise seemed fine..... My card is coming up for renewal 12/2019 so I'll update job, residence address then....

I have bad luck in the Toronto airport and my running theory is that the IO I got was having a real bad day or something! But multiple times I have been scolded about not "going into the Nexus office" for some of the updates... I've called the office and they have said a few times if you have a change like AOS or ROC you need to go in to update it, but you don't need an appointment. Everything else you can just go online I think.

The Toronto guy I dealt with said that would be "out of the circle of trust" if I ever missed updating ANY info in my profile and "made notes on my file". Pretty sure that wasn't true, but man those are the experiences that make you leery when you are going going through customs.