hockeygal

There is no order in my AOS process!

I assumed this was the interview that should follow my AP and EAD, although it is rather late. Turns out, USCIS doesn't know what it is either though.

Hubby and I showed up today with all our documents. I gave the guy behind the glass the letter I received telling me they had sent me a letter to interview but had no copy and I was to make an infopass appointment to complete the process.

The guy got onthe computer. He got on another computer. he made a phonecall. He left the room. Then he came back and told me the letter was full of #######, I have never been requested to come to an interview, my name is still caught in some endless FBI namecheck loop and it won't "drop" so that the file gets sent to them to interview me. he said the office he called claims their system is down so they can't give him any information, but he promised me he would check with them agian today to see if they can release my name, and if not, he will have his supervisor request the file so that they can get me in for an interview because I am at 10 months now and should have already had my permanent resident card.

I'll say.

Not sure when I will ever hear from them again. Hopefully before I have to pay to renew my EAD and my AP.

wait, I am really confused. Your timeline and letter/checklist indicates that it was for permanent residency after getting Ap and EAD? So do I need to follow that checklist, or is that just for green card stuff that comes when I have to lift status?

I have no idea what this is I am going to. They responded to my service request saying they already sent me a letter to appear for an interview but can't provide a copy and I should schedule an infopass appointment to complete the process.

Sounds like I need to show up with everything and defend myself!

The change of address thing happened to us too, during the K1 process. I even got a letter (to my NEW address) from USCIS confirming the change of address. Then 2 months later I got an RFE to the OLD address, thank goodness my old roommates gave me that letter! Listen up, all: if you change your address during the process (and better NOT to!), make sure someone at the old address receives your mail and gives it to you!

Anyway, I'm sorry for your trouble. Sounds like it is only an Infopass on Monday, not the actual AOS interview. But better safe than sorry, I advise you both to go, with all paperwork from the entire visa journey so far. Again, good luck and keep us informed!

Yes, this is just the first appointment for residency, after submitting the initial I-485. Apparently I am on the wrong board! If my husband doesn't need to be there, it works better for us if he can just go to work and I take care of this one on my own. Also, if I don't need all the mountains of paperwork, that would be good for now too.

OK, so do you mean that they entirely lost your case and you scheduled an Infopass to discuss it? Or do you mean that the interview appointment letter never arrived and your actual AOS interview is on Monday?

I have no idea what happened. I applied in April, and got my biometrics appointment in mid June, got the EAD and AP in the mail by mid July. Not a word on the permanent residency though. We moved at the time of my biometrics appointment, and I had asked at the local office when I went for the appoinment that they update my address, which they did. i then mailed the change of address forms in as well. I finally got hold of a human being at USCIS who put in a service request on the I-485, and they sent me a letter saying they had already contacted me about an interview and I should schedule an infopass appointment. Which I did. Not sure when they sent me this letter, or where it went. I had checked status in late Dec and there had been no action, so I dunno. But life here has been totally hectic since I arrived and I have not been as on top of this as I was the K-1!

Well, thanks for the list! I will show up on Monday and hope all goes well.

Oh wait, nevermind! I just found a post with a list of items to prove common residency. If that is all I need to know, then I've got it!

I still don't know if the USC spouse has to be there though...

Hi. Hate to be the dork with the dumb questions, but since my case got lost and the letter they claim they sent me never arrived, all I have now is an infopass appointment set for Monday and no letter from them indicating what I should bring or whether my husband needs to be there or not.

I searched this site, but I can't find a detailed list, just some posts saying what they were asked for. EAD, SSN, Travel docs, marriage cert, birth cert, maybe some wedding pics? Originals or copies? I've got one bill with my name on it, I think I am on the car insurance... and do we both need to be there or can I go alone and knock it out while he goes to work?

Thanks.

Bring on the white gravy! The single best thing on any US breakfast menu! yummers!

This has nothing to do with a stocking stuffer - I just wanted to complain!!

I finally decided on a gift for my guy - I found an electronic doodad he was looking at on Best Buy. I tried to purchase it, but they won't accept a Canadian billing address. When i called customer service, they said "buy it a best buy canada" Well, the gift recipient lives in the USA - how does that help me any? Not to mention it isn't even available there.

I'm so irritated! I've never encountered this problem orderingonline from US based places before. People love to take my money.

I guess I can try circuit City... maybe they will have it too - though I doubt it will be on sale.

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wow! this is so sudden...

congrats!

Thanks for the info ... would your insurance company happen to be Sunlife?

yep!!

Depends on the 'package of the year'. Right now, I'd get a month's pay for every year I worked. I've been here for 18 yrs.

That is amazing! Do you get that if you quit, or just let go?

I work for the government, I think it is in our contract.

I will get severance pay when I quit - I've worked over 10 years, so they will give me 1/2 week's pay for each year. So I will get 5 weeks pay. I know I am lucky.

Just in case anyone in this process has supplemental insurance...

I submitted my medical receipt in with my last prescription batch. They gave me $100 of it back! They said they would cover what a normal practitioner would charge, and this doctor charged more.

Actually, they gave me 80% of the $100 back, but that is still $80. Seeing as the paycheques are about to end, this was welcome!

Just passing this on in case anyone else has coverage!

I think you have lots of time to move your things to the USA - it doesn't have to happen right away. Shouldn't be a problem returning once you get AP.

I am actually considering this myself. it is becoming increasingly complicated to have him come up here and move me with a trailer, not to mention his house is small, so I might have to put most of my things in storage there anyhow. I am thinking I might just store my stuff here and come get it later. Of course, for me, it would be about 6 months later, which I am not crazy about. I'm really tired of living out of a suitcase (since July) and extending it further isn't a happy thought.

How do you sit down when your rear is that large? Do you just dangle off things?

I'm also surprised to hear that the west is conservative too. I've never thought of the political climate in BC as being particularly conservative. At the very least, there's usually room for intelligent discussion.

Ok, well, I never meant to label the west! All I said was from my perspective of things, it was more conservative than I was used to. Vancouver has a mish mash like most cities. It is pretty NDp actually. (and why would csaying a place is more conservative equal no room for intelligent discussion?) Again, guys, I grew up in Montreal. Remember, no one in Quebec cares what you do, as long as you do it in French!

besides, we are still talking Canada. There is a limit!

yes. Snugglebunny has warned me repeatedly that I am in for a shock, and he wonders how I will deal with it. I will deal, because that is what we have to do to make this work, and I am hopeful that I will find something unexpected out there and be happy, if not rolling in dough and benefits.

But given that nothing in life is ever certain, I have some concerns about my cv. Maybe my new community only offers a certain wage and a certain type of job, and maybe I have to deal with it to get what I want overall (ie. a life with him) but it might affect my cv and future career path. If things go belly up between us later on, I could be at a disadvantage.

There is risk to all of this. I am more than willing to take it, but I am not going to lie and say it doesn't pop up every now and then to rain on my happy love parade!

Some assumptions made here as well eh? I'm from Saskatchewan, where the Father of universal healthcare came from, and the LONG history of NDP comes from. Conservative? Westerner? Yikes....

Carla

Yeah, and BC has had lots of NDP governments. I never said the west was completely conservative, I said it was more conservative. The reform party was born in the west. Most of their seats are in the west and they've had to change their name to "conservative" and work hard to earn seats in the east. I don't think it is an unfair statement. And it wasn't meant as an insult, just my observation having moved from one place to another.

PS - I think of Alberta and BC as "the west"! That is hockeygal geography!

Well, most people I know in Canada are very passionate about politics. We just agree on it, so it doesn't make as big a stir when we talk about it. I think the Reform party in Canada has changed things a little though.

But sometimes I get uncomfortable by how black and white the politics seem to be in the US. Liberal versus Conservative. If you are liberal you are this way. If you are conservative, you are that way.

Are the majority of Canadians more liberal than conservative? I don't know. I would tend to say yes, or at least more live and let live. But I base that completely on having grown up in Quebec! I've discovered the west is more conservative. People who support the Reform party and I have had some pretty heated arguments at times!

When people I don't even know find out that I am moving to the USA, they ask me how I will deal with the conservatives. I find it funny that they just automatically assume I am liberal. I don't wear a sign! Common assumption though, especially in the government world I work in, where we have even celebrated gay marriages in the office with cake and fizzy drinks!

My friend's wife wanted to name their baby Sunshine. He vetoed it based on "what if she wants to be Prime Minister?"

That is my rule. Will it be made fun of when they are president? Also, if you need to put pronounciation hints for it in brackets because the spelling is too "original", then don't do it. i.e Mykehnszei (prouncounced, McKenzie)

oh. Montreal food. Steamed hotdogs.... go to LaFleurs or La Belle Province. Get their version of a chili dog and fries.

<insert Homer-esque drool here>

As happy as I am to finally be with snugglebunny, I am really not looking forward to the new job part. I know I will never see the kind of money I am making now, or the benefits, or the vacation time etc.

I guess it paid off to transfer... congrats!

I'm kinda late with this, but...