lilacmarie213
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Posts posted by lilacmarie213
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On a philosophical level I think it makes sense to require some level of health coverage...but given the currently terrible logistics of the U.S. Healthcare system, unless the list can be amended to include "effort to obtain health coverage", this has the potential of being a nightmare.
Travel insurance does not typically cover those migrating, so is a no-go. And speaking from experience, it's an extremely lengthy, slow, ridiculous process trying to buy regular health insurance, especially without an SSN. I tried to buy health insurance for my then-fiance so he'd be covered immediately upon arrival (his arrival time also just happened to be during annual enrollment period)...I called all 6 providers in my state, only one of them (Regence, for around $400/month) agreed to cover him without an SSN + on a short term basis. I had arranged this 2 months in advance of his arrival... but never actually received any of the official paperwork, bills, cards, etc. until nearly 5 MONTHS after the application had been sent in/approved. I had been following up on a weekly basis and was repeatedly told "sorry, we're really busy because of the open enrollment period, please be patient". Of course, 5 months in we were married and he'd been added to my health insurance...
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16 hours ago, little immigrant said:
Seeing how they have been acting, I wouldn't be surprised if they are the type of employer who fire you on the date of your GC expiration date
This ^! Different company, but that's what almost happened when his EAD was expiring - despite the fact that he provided a copy of his GC to 3 different people (two in HR, and his immediate boss) immediately after he received it.
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16 hours ago, CJKylie said:
To add to this, they’re actually prohibited from doing so
Ah really? I hadn't heard this before - is there something I can find on the USCIS site that references this?
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15 minutes ago, belinda63 said:
Look at the I-9. It lists the specific documents that must be provided and specifically states the employer cannot tell the employee which ones they can use. If the school district needs the green card for background checks I can understand that but they can't require him to list it as a document for I-9 purposes.
Having it be part of the background check isn't something I'd thought of - thanks!
Supposedly the background check for this specific job is only through the state patrol though so I'm not sure if that would still apply, but interesting possibility nonetheless. -
8 minutes ago, Boiler said:
Why make a meal of it?
His green card will be expiring in the middle of this assignment - hence why we'd like to avoid using it altogether.
He's also had employers claiming that even if the GC is not used on the I-9, they still want to make photocopies of it, which I also find strange. -
Hello,
My SO has had a couple different jobs so far in the US, and so far every single one of them has insisted that he use his green card (from list A), instead of his drivers license (list B) + unrestricted SSN card (list C). My understanding is that it is illegal for employers to dictate the documents used on the I-9 - so why do they keep doing this?
One of his new job prospects (he's already been "hired", but is still in the background check process) is also claiming that because it is a school district, he is "required" to use his green card instead... I think this is also incorrect and just some human resources BS. Any thoughts? Or advice on how to approach? -
Hi all,
My SO got his SSN back in the beginning of the year. His legal first name that we've used for everything from immigration paperwork, to financial accounts, to his drivers license, etc. has two "words". However, we found out recently that although his name somehow looks correct on his SSN card, the SSN "system" only allows for "single word first names" - or at least that's what we were told at the SSN office earlier this week.
We had a couple of clues that something was off:
* He's had credit cards for well over 6 months, but no matching records would come up in equifax/transunion/experian when trying to get his credit report.
* When he applied for a job, the employer said there was a "red flag" on his application due to "mismatched information", which we're now thinking was because the first name didn't match what's in the SSN "system".
* Wasn't able to sign up on ssa.gov, kept saying his first name was "invalid".
Now we're not sure what to do about the situation. Anyone experienced something similar and have any advice? -
I feel like it's all luck of the draw at any SSA office. We ended up going to the Bellevue office multiple times, because the first few times we went, the person didn't know how to check to see if the info was in the verification system and wouldn't make the effort to find anybody else that knew how either.
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Since you're on a K1 - unless you're also getting married in November/December 2017, you wouldn't be part of joint tax filing for US taxes in 2017, and would likely just need to file Canadian taxes that year.
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This isn't something the consulate needs, but it is something that you will need to report in your US/IRS taxes every year.
- FBAR dictates that anything over $10,000 aggregate in foreign accounts must be disclosed and filed yearly. This is a pretty straightforward form that is submitted online as FinCen Form 114. Even if you are not earning interest, etc., you must report.
- You may need to file IRS Form 8938 if the aggregate value of foreign accounts exceeds $50,000.
- All interest/dividends/etc. income from foreign accounts should be included on your IRS 1040.
- All foreign income must be reported on the Schedule B IRS form (even if you did NOT receive $1,500 or above).
Other reporting requirements are based on when you take distributions from the RRSP/Pension plans.
- I believe pension income is supposed to be filed as if they were received by the SSA (so basically you'd pretend you received SSA-1099 form, see https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf page 6) due to the tax treaty between the US/Canada. It would be reported on the IRS 1040 form as if it was received as an SSA benefit.
- RRSP/RRIF distributions are also reported on the 1040 Form, on line 16a and 16b (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-03-75.pdf).
- You may also need to file Form 1116 (Foreign Tax Credit), if you paid any foreign taxes that year to prevent double taxation.
TFSA/RESPs should be closed the year prior to moving to the US, as they are often considered a 'Foreign Trust', and filing Form 3520, Form 3250-A (and potentially Form 8621) is a pain.
The Serbinski forum was very helpful when I was navigating these sorts of things.
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Hi all,
My SO's AOS is pending, but we've been invited to a wedding back in Canada. We do have the combo AP/EAD card. The paper the combo card was attached to states "See the instructions for Form I-131 and the enclosed Form I-931" for information about using AP for travel. However, I don't recall ever seeing or receiving a Form I-931...?
Any idea on what this Form I-931 is and if we need it for crossing the border?
Thanks.
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I've encountered numerous problems filling in USCIS forms in general - mostly due to missing input fields, but I also had the issue where I-864 would always put a 1 for household size in an incorrect spot in every editor I tried. I used PDFescape.com to add any missing fields, or white out/cover any fields that were incorrectly calculated (such as the I-864 household size calculation) and place a new field or value on top. I don't have the original fixed version I created, but the correct font settings in PDFescape are size 14, courier new, bold.
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I've read the stickied post here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/551080-immunizations-ds-3025-or-i-693/ but am unsure if my fiance has "missing" shots and would thus require a I-693 for AOS (despite his DS-3025 being marked as 'Complete' in the summary)?
His DS-3025 only has one date specified for the MMR (a few days before his medical). It is mentioned in the linked post, and I've read online, that MMR is usually two shots (no doctor or nurse ever mentioned this to my fiance though). There is no blanket waiver for MMR listed on his DS-3025. He does have 2 measles shots, 1 mumps shot, and 2 rubella shots from when he was a child listed and checkmarked on his DS-3025. Would the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella shots he had a child, along with the recent MMR shot, be satisfactory for fulfilling the requirement for having two MMRs?
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You can certainly go in before 10 business days, but it may be a waste of time... it was for us. The SAVE Case Check thing that is available online is meant for tracking application status and is thus different than what the people at the SSA office use to verify identity (or that's what we were told)... so the online SAVE check will not accurately give you an idea whether or not you can bypass the manual verification process or not. We found it better to ask the SSA agents if his information was in the the "Alien Verification system" so we could "avoid manual verification", rather than mentioning SAVE specifically.
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My fiance came on the 22nd, his information wasn't able to be verified by anybody at the SSA until today. This was despite the fact that his I-94 was available online within an hour of him crossing the border. We had been told 10 business days is the standard time it takes for the SSA office to be able to see the records in their verification system, so that still seems to be accurate for certain points of entry.
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I recently went through the process of trying to find health insurance for my fiance until we get married and I can add him to my insurance. My work will not add him to my insurance, regardless of our marriage status, until he has a SSN. I do not know if that is common, but because of that I would advise submitting the application for the SSN 10-14 business days after arrival in the US. If you try to apply for a SSN sooner, manual verification aka form G-845 may be required which adds a lot of processing time. Despite many people stating that that this is all instant/immediate now, it still took 11 business days for us to be told at the SSA that my fiance would not require manual verification.
Your fiance is indeed eligible for healthcare through the government (I-94 is proof of status), just not tax credits and such. The deadlines and sign up process for the government-run plans vary state by state, though. We did not opt for a government-run plan because it wouldn't be active by the time my fiance arrived to the US. Do NOT buy travel insurance as this is not intended for immigrants. You will need to call private insurance companies to find one that will insure someone without a SSN/ITIN. I called around 7, and only one (Regence) was willing to insure my fiance. Blue Cross and United would not, the rest I called were all regional companies. 3 weeks later my fiance's health insurance application is STILL pending, due to the influx of applications insurance companies are getting right now as it happens to be open-enrollment. I suggest calling around and then having him apply for health insurance as soon as you can because of this, as you cannot legally apply on his behalf.
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You will want to stay somewhere along the metro/subway line. Airbnb or similar sites are the best way to save some $$, we stayed part of the time at an apartment that was 45$/night along the metro line that was serviceable. Montreal has a very large bed bug problem as well, and while we personally did not encounter bed bugs, we did end up with flea bites (we stayed at a B&B, a rented apartment from VRBO, and a hotel...not sure which was the problem, all appeared clean).
Maxi/Provigo/Loblaws for groceries. eating out in Montreal is more expensive than many areas of the US and other parts of Canada due to Quebec's higher tax %. I do recommend Bistro Tot ou Tard, Juliette & Chocolate, and Main Deli Steak House for places that have decent prices and portion sizes.
The 747 bus from the airport will take you into downtown, you must buy at minimum a $10 one-day-pass (there will be "OPUS" machines in the airport to do so) to use the bus, but if you are staying for more than one day, it's better to buy a 3-day pass so you can use the metro. Do not count on the 747 bus driver speaking English, making stop announcements, or being able to help you find your destination. For metro/subway stops on the 747, get off at the very first bus stop, or the very last one. You can download an offline version of the Metro map as a PDF. Be aware that the Metro is full of stairs, and no elevators along most of the routes. Some stations in the Metro connect to the underground city (a giant shopping mall, basically), it's easy to get lost in the underground city, so I recommend downloading a PDF map for that beforehand as well. US Consulate is only a few blocks from Victoria station on the Orange line.
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We also came from Vancouver and will have a land POE in WA. Anyhow, when we asked about picking up the passport (we were staying a few extra days anyway) we were told that's not really feasible because the processing time "varies a lot" - and this was after the interviewer said we had one of the most straight-forward, well-organized cases he'd come across in a while. Interview was on 11/30, and the passport will supposedly be ready to pick up at the Vancouver post office on 12/9, so not too bad.
We also did attempt to have a 'vacation' at Montreal, but a lot of things were closed and/or under construction during the winter time. Botanical Garden was closed, Biodome is rather underwhelming compared to the Vancouver Aquarium/Woodland Park Zoo, Biosphere area was empty and we were approached by two homeless men asking if we had seen any cops around (we lied and said yes), a lot of buildings in "Old Montreal" were closed for renovation, etc. As such, unless you're really into the clubbing/bar scene, I think you can definitely see most of the worthwhile attractions/restaurants in Montreal in just a couple days anyway.
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The beneficiary/non-US sponsor will receive a copy of the approved I-129F form (with an approval stamp, signature, etc.) as part of their physical Packet 3 mail. The entire I-129F packet with supporting documents will not be returned.
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Be sure to bring a photocopy of the birth certificate as well. This is listed on every packet 4 PDF/email I've ever seen or received, but for some reason many people seem to not have this item in their packet 4.
If the Canadian resident was not born in Canada, you also need a photocopy of the Citizenship or Resident Card/Certificate.
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A W2 on its own is not sufficient. At a minimum they require the 1040 as well as the W2.
Personally, I included tax transcript, my 1040 & W2 for the most recent year, and my original job offer letter from when I first got my job, and my last 3 pay stubs - they took all of it at my fiance's interview.
Bank letter(s) are not needed if you have sufficient income (3x-5x the poverty level for your household size). If needed to make up missing income requirements - you may not however just print your online banking statements. You will likely have to physically go to the bank (or call/make an online request), send/print out the I-134 Instructions and highlight the instructions about the date opened/12 months deposits/etc. and ask them to provide you a letter.
Although I make well over the required income, to be on the safe side, I did request these letters. I went to Bank of America with the printed instructions for I-134, and had no issues - it was signed by an employee of the bank, but not notarized. I asked them to notarize it just in case, and was told by multiple bank employees that it did NOT need to be notarized for immigration support purposes. However, I later found out that some other banks/credit-unions will notarize this kind of letter by default. -
The exact same thing happened to us as well. We sent over a scan of my fiance's citizenship card via email in our reply. After not hearing anything for a week, we sent in Packet 3, including the scan of the citizenship card. Weeks later, they replied via email to the original request for proof of citizenship that they wanted the passport biographic page as proof of citizenship - which makes no sense to me, given that it's part of the packet 3 requirements anyway. They approved our Packet 3 minutes after they had replied to the previous email requesting the passport scan.
TL;DR - Just send in packet 3 via email anyway, but include your citizenship card or other proof of your status in Canada in your packet 3 email as well. -
My fiance opened up an account with Bank of America longggg before we had even started the immigration paperwork - all they asked for was his passport, a deposit, and contact information. Similarly, I opened an account in Canada (TD Bank) with just my passport as well.
Joint checking account has old/parent's address listed - still include as evidence?
in Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion
Posted · Edited by lilacmarie213
I'm in the process of preparing our ROC packet. In doing so, I realized the only joint checking account we have has my parent's address listed on all the statements. I had the account since I was a minor, apparently forgot to change the address to my residential address after moving out years ago, and also didn't update it after adding my husband to the account. Should I still include it (with a statement about why the address is what it is) since it shows joint ownership? or is it better not to include it since it's the "wrong" address?
I do still use my parent's address as a mailing address for "important" stuff, including immigration paperwork...so at least that address would be "somewhere" in their system already.
Other evidence I'll be submitting: