chiggins82

I agree with everyone, your plan sounds fine. I was told very specifically by the border agents (I contacted them) about the itemized list. They told me the list needs to be specific enough that they can find each item. I had some stuff coming with me and some stuff with movers so I went all out and made a spreadsheet, I numbered every box and had a fairly detailed description of everything. When I got to the border, they never even asked to look in my car... It all depends on who you get so I figure best to be over prepared... Spreadsheet + numbered boxes was the easiest way to do it in my opinion

Safe travels!

3299 is for unaccompanied goods, so if you are with your goods, you don't need that form

I used it because I worked with a moving company for some of my stuff and I drove a car load over the board. For the stuff in my car, I made a list for, but only because I was doing it with everything else. They never asked or looked at it when I went over the border.

You definitely should know what is with you, so if it is a lot, a list can help.. but if you are with your items they likely won't need it. They will ask questions and they may or may not inspect the car.

If you decide to make a list, I numbered all my boxes and bags and then made an excel spread sheet to itemize... it was the easiest way for me as I packed over a few weeks. I was told they need more detail on the 3299 than "household goods" so I had a lot of decor and trinkets that I just sort of described in a few words. They don't need a ton of detail, but the moving company said that they should be able identify what you listed with the good... if that makes sense!

I think the RCMP one is required if your name shows up on the local police name checks.. Here is where it notes that on my packet 3 (I did mine in 2014, so it may have changed. Check the wording on the packet 3 to be sure)

"If a namecheck by a police agency reveals a conviction record, that agency may refer you to the RCMP for a "Certified Criminal Record Check"..."

I am not sure where you are located, but if you did the full RCMP record check, try going to a local police station for a name check instead. If that is what is delayed, I guess you just need to wait?

You don't actually need the papers until your interview, so you could check it off so you can get going with booking your interview. You cannot go to the interview without this though

You are not allowed to import your things until you have entered the country. It's possible they wouldn't notice if he brought some things back, but if they did find out, he might have to leave it at the border. I don't know if that happened what they would do with your stuff (ie hold it or destroy it).

I guess it depends if it is worth the risk vs cost of the trailer. They probably wouldn't even ask about it if it was just some clothes, but if they did and he lied and was caught, that could be a problem for him. If he told the truth, there is a possibility they would not let the items across the border. If they don't ask then they'd probably get through.

Doesn't make the choice easy! If it was me, I would just get the trailer then you don't have to worry about it.

You also don't have to import your stuff all at the time you move, so if that was an option they could leave some items behind and get them later.

You can't forfeit the I-864. Once you sign and send it in, you are tied to it. It sounds like you both have moved on and that she is working and holding her own. If she continues, then you won't have anything to worry about.

If she did, one day, receive social assistance, my understanding is that you would be responsible for it... now that said I have no idea how they go about getting that money from you or how that works. Maybe someone on here more familiar can tell you.

I don't think there was anything a lawyer could do either. You can't back out of the I-864, the whole point of it is that by bringing your spouse to the country that you are prepared to support financially. Whether you remained married or not.

If this was me, I would move on and hope for the best. I would also try my best to keep things on OK terms with her if that is possible.

Sounds like you need to take a look at the options and timelines, pros and cons for each. For me, we knew the likelihood of getting a work visa was slim and we weren't ready to marry before filing, so we went the K1 route. It was faster than CR1, a little more expensive and I had to be ready to not work for a while.

If your line of work qualifies for a TN visa, you might want to look into that. Much easier to obtain so long as you qualify. My job didn't and a lawyer told me the HB1 visas we not easy to get and would require an employer to sponsor me, then wait for the application while holding a vacancy. Unless your job is pretty specialized or you have good connections with the employer, it could be a tough road.

But definitely do some research both on here and the government sites. Look at what you need to qualify, look at the costs and consider the timelines. Hope you find something that works for you

How would I go about asking for the new one back? Just tell them when I had in my papers/documents for the new passport?

I am pretty sure it was in the application... I may have asked when I applied in person, but almost certain there is a check box in the renewal application. You can download the form, it should be there.

I got mine back, they hole punch it to invalidate it. It was handy to have as I started the application with that one, and then finished with a new one.

I think there is a site http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/index.php

I would also just go to the Canadian Government website. It is much, much easier to understand compared to the US! http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp?_ga=1.107103746.1089979993.1470074895

I would renew it with lots of time before your interview and ask for the old one back. I would make a copy of it as well, especially if you start the application with the old one.

I hear it is a pain to renew passports abroad.

Even if you plan on changing your name, you may need to renew before the interview anyways since they want a passport with more than 6 months left before the expiration date. Just depends on when everything is approved and interview is scheduled.

If you are not planning to change your name, definitely get the 10 yr passport if you can. Not much more and then you don't need to worry about it again for a while.

It shouldn't matter what time of day you cross, but they post the wait times online. I don't know if they are reliable or not, but maybe keep an eye on the one you plan to cross. Or you can do a search on here with the name of the border crossing? People do post a lot on this topic, but it is hard to find them sometimes!

For me it took 90 minutes to cross, but I was bringing animals with me and it complicated things and the officers didn't know how to process my documents.. once they figured it out it took maybe 20 minutes for the paperwork. If you are crossing at a popular one it shouldn't take long.

From what I remember, I got to the border, and had to wait in the office for a bit. They then opened my envelope and looked at the documents. Then they did the I-94 (which they made me pay for), stamped and signed some things. Same with my car. I gave them my letter of compliance and they gave me some import papers which I needed to get a US title... Next they dealt with my unaccompanied goods, then they dealt with my animals and I was on my way. For me, they did not search my car, but I was more or less ready and knew what was in there and vaguely where it was.

To make things easier for me, I kept a backpack with me with all my visa documents, forms, etc so if they asked for something, I had it handy. They didn't ask though.

Definitely search around for other experiences. It is pretty easy so long as you have your paperwork. Happy travels!

Evidence is needed for removing conditions, not the I-485.

I would look at the guidelines on here and follow it / follow the instructions of the forms. You do need to prove you are married (marriage license) and you will need to send things like your passport copy, visa copy etc. For the I-864 for the USC will need to submit financial info, but it's ok if you haven't mingled everything yet.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1k3aos

Bolded my answers below for you. Not 100% sure about all of them, but don't over think it too much! There is an expample form on here, I think you should review that as well. It will help to understand the questions!!

Hello everyone!

I wanted to first off thank anyone in advance who has taken the time to offer advice and/or insight, it truly is hugely appreciated.

My Fiance and I recently had our K1 visa petition approved. I will be the one moving from CANADA to the US and now today I have received the package containing the packet 3 letter, copy of my approved petition and the pamphlet for rights and protections for foreign-citizen fiance(e)s.

I am currently filling out the DS-160 form to send back to the consulate but I have a few questions about what to answer for some areas as it is not that clear to me.

First concern - My mailing address. Although I did receive this package of mail from the consulate in my mailbox today, I'm concerned that if I put my home address as my mailing address on the DS-160, they will send it as registered mail and nobody will be here to sign for it. Is it possible to put my local post office as the mailing address so I can go and sign for it there?
My fiance had this happen to him and it delayed us by about a month until he changed his mailing address to his work address, the problem is that I don't want this type of mail going to my work.

I think if you put your address and they require a signature on anything they would hold it at the post office if you weren't home. That is how other registered mail has worked for me. I would put a home address on it. I would not put the post office as they would probably return to sender because they won't know where you are.

That all said, I think they need your address to send the actual visa to you which will be done by courier and you will have to pick it up. Others can correct if I am wrong there.

2. It asked me if I had been to the states before. I have when I was about 8 for a week's vacation with my family but I don't remember the date and my mother doesn't either - It says.. "If you are unsure about when you visited the U.S., please provide a best estimate." I could guess around the time but if I am way off, I wonder if that would be really bad for us if they looked into it

They won't care if you are off. I had been to the states numerous times and I just listed as best as I could remember. I think they get with Canadians we cross the border more frequently and land crossing is hard to track back on.

3. "Has anyone ever filed an immigrant petition on your behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services?"

I was going to say yes because obviously by fiance has filed it for us but in the little text field below, should I write "Yes my fiance has filed the K1 visa petition for us which was approved" or something along those lines?

I put No for this one as I assumed they were referring to other petitions, not the one they were currently looking at. I think the example for on here did the same.

4. It's asking me where my dad lives. I have no idea where he is and I think it's going to make me put something. Do you think writing NA would be acceptable?

Not sure on this one. Hopefully someone has advice. Maybe search on here, seems like a question others have probably had.

5. It's asking me about if I had a past spouse. I was common law when I was a teenage with a boyfriend and it says on google that a common law is legally considered a spouse.... It's asking me on the same page our date of marriage and why we divorced but we never got married....

Not sure here either, but since you were a teenager, I think for me I would say no unless I filed taxes as a common law... if you lived together, but nothing legally showing you were and you were under 18 I am not sure they would consider that married. I would think they would then need proof you are no longer married/common law if you say yes.

6. "Have you belonged to, contributed to, or worked for any professional, social, or charitable organization? "
I am not sure if this is talking about my work or not when it says "professional".

I don't think I have done any charity or volunteer work that I can remember or that would be on record.

I had similar questions here. In the end, I only included charities I have reported in my taxes. Professional organizations is not your employer, they mean like if you had a professional designation

and for your 7th question - I don't think they meant who you are traveling with... I think they mean are you immigrating with other people. I couldn't find this question on my forms, so not totally sure. I doubt they need to know that you might be crossing with the USC Fiance though.

I think this is it for now but when I read over it again, there may be more things I am not sure about.

Anyway sorry for the wall of text. I wish it made more sense to me but I am really afraid of messing this up.

Thank you thank you thank you.

Best regards,

Jamie & Charlie

Agreed, always use the USCIS forms. IN the end the VJ ones are a guide, I doubt they re-do them every time there is a minor change to them

Also the VJ sample might be a print out and yours looks like a PDF that you can fill out and print? That could be the discrepancy there.

Do you still have a Canadian Bank account and good credit? You can set up cross border banking and get a credit card that way if you're having trouble getting one. I heard from someone (no idea if it is true or not) that you can go to some major banks and when asking for credit ask if they will check the Canadian Bureaus. If this is true, It would likely be ones like BMO, TD, PNC that already have cross border banking ties.

Otherwise, I think the secure card is a good idea and will let you get a credit history established.

Totally agree... why risk having delays over a few dollars in re-printing. I don't remember if I did mine in colour, I wouldn't think that one would matter since there isn't really anything that needs colour... but yeah if they say colour, I print colour!

Good luck!

I think it would completely depend on the type of work you're looking for. My current job had no problem waiting 10 weeks for me to start.. but many employers would have an expectation of starting pretty soon 2-4 weeks I think would be common.

I didn't seriously look for work until I had my authorization because many applications ask if you are legally allowed to work in the US with a yes or no response. I didn't want to lie and figured they wouldn't review my resume if I checked no. I did take a couple job search workshops and I started looking at the companies in the area. That helped make things go smoother when I really started looking.

So not really a for sure answer. I would say it absolutely won't hurt to look. You can at the very least refresh the resume, start some notes on companies to keep an eye on, look for some networking opportunities etc. If there was something you really wanted, it is not illegal to apply, but you should to be ready for employers to say no or not even welcome an interview if you cannot legally work.

I'd think you should be fine to get through. I drove through and it took about 1.5 hours, but I had some complications bringing pets.

With the form, I had shipped my items with Upack and when I gave them my shipment I was given the CBP 3299 form to bring across the border. Then I had to send them proof that I entered the country before they would release my goods. If you're using a shipping company you can confirm this with them. This is the instructions I got. I would confirm always with the shipping company though!

1. A clear black-and-white copy of the page of your passport that includes your photo
2. A copy of your visa – not required for U.S. citizens
3. A copy of your completed U.S. Customs Form 3299 – Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied articles (You keep the original
   
   As soon as you receive it, send a copy of your U.S. Customs and Border Protection Form I-94 form or passport stamp (not required for U.S. citizens) to have your shipment released to continue in the US

You should call your insurance and check with them. I was able to keep mine for 30 days I believe (might have been 60) and then I needed to insure it in the US.

You may need to adjust the plans a little bit depending on what the insurance company says.

Not sure what kind of visa you will be entering on, but for me, I could not import my car unless I had activated my visa. That's because they can't import something unless you are in the country. Keep that in mind too. You have a year to import your car when permanently moving (at least with my K-1 I did).

I feel for you! This is the hardest part and I think when you are just waiting to leave, it gets even tougher. I made mistakes during the process. I started dropping out of my life in Canada. I figured it would be easier to leave if I wasn't so close to people. Try to not do that!! Remember to take time for yourself. You have no idea if you are leaving in a month or a year.. it is out of your control. Make sure you go out and be a local tourist. Go do things in your current home town that you haven't done in a while. I even made a bucket list at one point.

As for you and your Fiance, this is so tough and everyone will be different about it. For me, we were communicating all the time.. like more than maybe normal. We started every morning with an email and ended every night with an email. No days were skipped! Honestly, we are still doing the morning email now a year after I moved.

Some days, I would skype and just be bummed and cry or get angry and take things out on him. That wasn't fair of me and I am lucky that he seemed to get it. That said, we didn't miss a skype call. Whether for you that is every night or week.. You should do it. Some of our skype calls got ridiculous.. we would just do chores together. We even from time to time would attempt to sync our TV;s so we could watch a show at the same time. Even though these calls got really boring and sometimes caused arguments, I am glad we always did it.. Made things more real.

Some other suggestions (I didn't read all posts, so sorry if this is repeated)

• Get a mutual hobby - Maybe do like Duolingo or something with the same language or start watching a show together so you have things to discuss that aren't immigration and how everything sucks because immigration is not fun
• Do research on your new city - I figured my husband would help here... and he was not a help. He didn't know the town at all. I was stuck for months without a job and on my own. Have a plan for something things you want to accomplish when you get here... like going to tourist attractions, maybe taking seminars or community involved etc.
• Find someone to vent to - Do you know others that have been in a long distance relationship? Or just a friend that is a great listener? Sometimes it just helps to vent. Most won't get it, but I found this helpful sometimes
• online games - Like words with friends or chess or something that you could have on your phone and pass back and forth regardless of time zones
• Blog - Lots of people on here blog.. I tried for a while. Even if you don't keep it up, blogging is a nice way to vent frustrations and it is super time consuming when you start one up.
• Plan - Worry about what you can control and spend time working on it. Things like, what are you taking when you move, What you need to get SSN, Adjust status, wedding plans etc.. (I'll be honest this one I did and sometimes was great to keep my mind focused on the future... other time, cause stress...)

In the end, this time is very stressful and it is that much harder when you are not with the person going through it with you. It can feel isolating at times and it is very difficult not to obsess about the parts you can't control (like how long you wait!) I hope it helps to know that we are all there with you or have been there before.

Above all else, communication is key however you do that. You don't get the luxury of going to pout for an hour and then give your fiance a hug and apologize for being cranky. Be honest and open and talk about how you're feeling. When you can't talk, email or use Viber.

Hope this and all the other advice helps!!

All options are good. You can fly with or without your belonging or drive with or without belongings. If you choose without, do some searches on how to move your stuff. It isn't super complicated, but you need to cross the border before your things do which for me made it tricky!

If you drive or fly with your things, I advise you have the itemized list. It will have the additional benefits of being an organized packer and for me, a way to purge (if I couldn't figure out how to list the item I was packing... i.e. some weird knickknack then I tossed it). I have seen a lot that they don't care so much at the border, but I asked CBP and they said to have it. Moving companies require it. When I drove through, they didn't even glance in my car which was loaded with stuff.

As for the paperwork, they will need your envelope with the visa items in it and car import info if you are doing that, I just kept all my visa stuff in a backpack with my laptop and it didn't leave my side. Keeps everything together.

All borders will process the visa to my knowledge.

Congrats!

I would get the letter of compliance soon just so you know (not all cars meet the safety standards... I would assume a 2011 Toyota would, but you never know!)

No appointment, just be ready to hang at the border for a little while. Mine took about 90 minutes.. but I was importing pets as well. I would recommend going in the day time. I landed there later in the day and supervisors had gone home.. I had to convince the border person to call them when there was some discrepancy over how to do the paperwork. Was really frustrating! I went through Dunsieth ND apparently they don't get a lot of K-1's there!

I was able to get my letter of compliance really quickly from Toyota.

Email them at Toyota_feedback@toyota.ca

You will need a pic of the CMVSS sticker which should be inside the driver side front door of your car and your VIN.

I was able to get my letter of compliance by email in a couple days.

Hope that helps.

I didn't cross in Maine, but I did go by land and it was similar experience to what was said above. For me, the people at the border we VERY unfamiliar with how to process my visa and had to dig into their training. They need to give you some papers when you cross for your car. Make sure you get these. Cannot remember what they called them but you will need them to get a title for your car.

I second asking the CBP people. Might take a while to get a response, but they do respond to questions

This is what I found on their site

Based on the info on the site, it sounds promising that you could be able to use a notarized document as a way to have your Mother in Law / Husband bring it over. Just check first. You don't want anyone getting in trouble over a car.

Thinking outside the box.... You could sell the car to someone you trust to bring it over the border and then sell it back? I have no idea if this is legal or not, but I know friends that have sold family their car for $1 to get it off their hands.. If this is allowed, you'd probably have to pay tax on the car. K-1 (and I'm guessing CR-1) get to bring 1 vehicle duty free. That wouldn't apply.

Another option, sell it and buy something in the US. Again, would likely need someone helping on your behalf on this. Could be worth it depending on what you drive.

POLICE CERTIFICATES/RECORDS: Each visa applicant aged 16 years or over is required to submit a police certificate from the police authorities of each locality of the country of the applicant’s nationality or current residence where the applicant has resided for at least six months since attaining the age of sixteen. Police certificates are also required from all other countries where the applicant has resided for at least one year.

​I read that as meaning, if you are Cambodian citizen or resident, you need to get a police certificate for every area you lived for over 6 months. Or if you were currently residing there maybe and had been their over six months. As a tourist that is no longer there, I don't think it applies. What does apply would be any country you lived in (whether as a resident or tourist etc) for over a year, you need a police certificate. For you, that sounds like Canada only (unless you stayed in any other country for more than a year)

For example, as a Canadian Citizen, if you lived in Alberta and Ontario each for more than six months, you would need a police clearance from both since I think they only check the province that you're in + the national registry (at least on mine they did)

That's how I interpret this. It's so tough to read these things though.. I suppose you could try contacting the consulate and see what they say? Is that possible?

I have heard a lot on here that K3 is either phased out or rarely used. I am not totally sure why, but I did see this in the guides:

http://www.visajourney.com/content/compare

You can also go to:

https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/family/fiance.html