mag2929

I can't answer re: taxes for sure, but refiling as married filing separately is a good thing… I am not sure they get a "receipt" - my husband never gets a "receipt" of any sort like we do in Canada (we get our notice of assessment from CRA), he just gets a deposit if he is owed a balance.
Re DS-260 - it's that confirmation page that you should have gotten an emailed copy of, titled Immigrant Visa and Application Registration Confirmation. It just says that you filed the IV and it has a couple of scan bars at the bottom, and has in red letters "this is not a visa."
Yes, th eloomis confirmation page looks like a three year old typed it up. And I bet you today's three year olds would do a better job.

oh wow, ok. Oh well, I probably won't sleep much the day before anyways, so I will probably be there at 5:30:)
How does it feel? Real yet?
Hey!!! congrats!!! nice to know that eh?
I think it takes a few days, up to a week or so I believe. Most people get it within a week or so. I may be wrong, but from what I've seen so far!

yeah… those took me a while to pay off, with hubby's help, but then a very nice Rogers guy gave me an unlimited U.S. long distance plan for only a few bucks a month extra (I think he felt bad for me), and I have had that since (and it doesn't even exist at Rogers anymore).
Well lady, get to it!!! We have our medical exams next week;) I now have mine on the 13th at Dr. M's (they moved me up). Time is all of a sudden going faster!

LOL too true!! I am just sitting here, putting together our picture album, and I am obsessing over what to include. And then I think, come on!! So I am only taking a couple of phone bills (there is NO WAY I will bring 4 years worth), but the phone bills from the beginning are over 1000 bucks/month before I figured out how not to break the bank and still talk to my love.
If that's NOT love, then what the heck is???
I think I will finish the album, put in a few more interesting emails (wondering if I should include some of our "really interesting" emails hehe, just for shock value), and leave it at that. If anyone can mistake our looks for something other than love they are crazy.
SORRY I totally went off topic. Good luck NAT!!

You are a brave woman - I think I'll be staying away from checking my docs last minute, because what will I do if I am missing something? However, I will have checked them 1000+ before then, so probably not going to happen.
Glad Medisys keeps its promises.
Is ten to six a week bit early? What if you went around 7? Is that really too late? People seem to go around that time.
I can't believe you'll be joining your wife so so soon! So excited for you.

Ah good catch!!
Ha ha… maybe I should take your lead. I am SO SO bad with navigating;)

Ok I know I probably sound crazy, but I LOVE having you to ask stupid questions of. Thank you!

Oh no, you are not the only one with excellent taste in hair color;)

Oh no, you are not the only one with excellent taste in hair color;)

Most likely, yes;) I feel WRONG with brown hair (no offense meant to all the lovely brunette people out there).

Np.
LOL. I am not THAT old. I will be 38 this June. BUT hearing about birthdays in late 80s makes me FEEL old. I have also been going through a bit of an age crisis lol. Mind you, my hair has been pink for years, and I only recently dyed it as I said before, so my Dad has always told me that although I may be 38 people cant tell as I ACT so immature;)

One more thing - IF for any reason any of you reading this in posterity don't want to get a vaccination because you have had the disease or you think you had the vaccine but maybe it isn't documented, you can do what is call a "titer" - they look for antibodies against whatever disease. As per the CDC:
Laboratory evidence of immunity is acceptable for measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, polio, and varicella. A titer is laboratory evidence that you are immune or not.

Just in case anyone is searching on the VJ site.

ha ha you are always so sweet;0 Age hasn't made me feel any smarter about this process either!!

By the way. All the instructions for panel physicians are posted on the CDC site: http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/panel/vaccination-panel-technical-instructions.html#tbl1
If anyone requires a translation please let me know;)
And CanadianGirl - you should probably just get the vaccine. This is what they tell the docs who do these exams:
For example, if the applicant is 35 years of age, then he or she is required to receive tetanus and diphtheria toxoids vaccine (Td) or tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap), MMR, and varicella (if no history of varicella disease). If the applicant had previously received a dose or doses of a required vaccine but had not completed the series, then the next required dose should be administered according to standard ACIP recommendations.
Because completion of the vaccine series often requires several months, immigrant visa applicants arenot required to have received all doses of the ACIP-recommended vaccines prior to departure. Rather, they are required to have received at least one dose of each vaccine, and they are encouraged to receive as many additional doses as possible. The panel physician should stress the need for the applicants to complete the series after arrival in the United States.

Heya!
Ok, so I only have one MMR but I have a mumps, measles, rubella titer (measurement of whether I am immune), but that's only because of work. The CDC only requires ONE MMR for immigration, although you should have two in general to be immune, and immigration goes by the ONE MMR shot. That's what I found out when I was researching this.
So maybe just call Dr. Zatzman tomorrow and make sure that's how they roll before spending money on this, or I guess you could just have the vaccine. But I would call his office and double check first. I am not getting a second MMR, but again, I have the titers.
M

Don't know about being a lady but I much appreciate the reassurance. Enjoy another day in Montreal!! only 2 more days!

LOL ok! You guys are hilarious, I am now planning on how to extend my Montreal jaunts to include all the cute cafes!
I will try not to stress. Now I am thinking if they will get onto my having been born in Poland, and scrutinize us more. Sigh - it sucks, I was born there but lived most of my life in Canada, grew up here, I actually speak English better than Polish! I don't know why any of this matters. Argh.
Thanks TwoChickies for listing the stuff you are taking. It helps.

LOL I don't think you are jinxing yourself, I think you are being practical. Good for you! I love ticket sales.
And re: the poor horn player. You know, it's so hard not to laugh initially, but I see SO many people with substance abuse problems, it kind of bothers me that adults would turn a blind eye to a kid who drank alcohol to stay strong and brave. That's terrible. As kids, we don't understand the implications so we help, but the adults around him should have known better.
And as for you, it sounds like things go fast, and they ask pretty straightforward questions. Don't psych yourself out. Mindfuless meditation really helps (I know it sounds silly, I thought that too until I started it), and so does deep breathing. I've struggled with some serious anxiety and issues with authority figures (I went through a refugee camp as a kid and I have a thing about people in uniforms or authority, I always start shaking and turn beet red with customs, you can imagine where I end up:), but honestly, breathing and mindfulness and relaxation really helped. As do people on this board so feel free to lean on us as well as your partner!

LOL I don't think you are jinxing yourself, I think you are being practical. Good for you! I love ticket sales.
And re: the poor horn player. You know, it's so hard not to laugh initially, but I see SO many people with substance abuse problems, it kind of bothers me that adults would turn a blind eye to a kid who drank alcohol to stay strong and brave. That's terrible. As kids, we don't understand the implications so we help, but the adults around him should have known better.
And as for you, it sounds like things go fast, and they ask pretty straightforward questions. Don't psych yourself out. Mindfuless meditation really helps (I know it sounds silly, I thought that too until I started it), and so does deep breathing. I've struggled with some serious anxiety and issues with authority figures (I went through a refugee camp as a kid and I have a thing about people in uniforms or authority, I always start shaking and turn beet red with customs, you can imagine where I end up:), but honestly, breathing and mindfulness and relaxation really helped. As do people on this board so feel free to lean on us as well as your partner!

From my perspective it sounds like you have all your together. It sounds like the docs tends to be thorough but not ridiculous in their expectations, and I actually think what you have will be enough. I also only have a print out of my vaccinations.
Sit back and relax before you have to go. You are almost home.

It's MINDBLOWING exciting!! I am so happy. Now of course I found something new to stress about - booking the medical appointment!!!! I am on call the weekend before and after my interview, and of course it's Victoria Day on Monday, so I really hope ANY doctor will get me in for a quick appointment. I do hope it's possible!!! But overall, I think it's really really cool. I just feel so ridiculously happy right now. But tired. But happy. But tired… and so on;)

KEEP LAUGHING!!! If you cry, they win;)
There is no rhyme or reason to all of this, as you well know, so just call. I called yesterday and the young lady, very nice one, told me that it now takes 45 days for reviews. She also told me that there is no difference in EP vs. paper. So like I said, just call and ask about your specific application. And don't compare yourself - I've stopped because it just makes my heart hurt.
And please note that I have seriously started believing in a Canadian conspiracy:)

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!! So excited for you. So so so excited.

I know how you feel! And I know you've been at this way longer than me so I shouldn't even be complaining but it is sooo hard to watch people with dates way after mine get finished in such a short time. It is just plain unfair!! And we have done nothing to deserve getting left behind. I keep telling myself every night I will stop checking and take a break but then at some point during the next day I just need to know! I feel like I'm coming unglued a little. Anywho you are not alone, so yes, take a break and when you return we will be here! Take care!

Yeah, maybe I will stick to this thread. Someone got a CC from Feb 23rd. I don't even know what to say. Yet the NVC rep told me that it all goes in order and that email is FASTER. Yeah. Ok.
Hang in there TwoChickies!

I think my lesson from all of this is not to panic. We all get mad and frustrated, and thise of us whi waited longer at the USCIS stage are probably even more easily upset. I panicked and resent docs on advice of people who are KNOWN to be notoriously wrong. So lets just track our dates, document our conversations, and NOT let this define our mood for the day or week. We HAVE outside lives that we should live BUT I still think bringing this to the attention of Congresspeople, Senators, media etc is key!!
All in all, this sucks but I remain hopeful and dedicated to sticking through it with all of you!