tkelt

Just to clarify, you will need to file for EAD at the same time you file AOS. EAD will give you permission to work until you receive your green card. A green card can take several months to receive depending on the workload at the field office yours is sent to. It's also a good idea to file for AP at the same time in case you need to leave the country unexpectedly. Both EAD and AP are no charge when filing in conjunction with AOS.

Sorry I couldn't answer you question though. My wife came here on K1 also but spent her time caring for our newborn which kept her plenty busy

Good luck!

how long does it take for EAD to be approved?

Hi everyone,

I entered the U.S. on August 3rd on a K1 visa. I'm unable to work until I adjust my status and receive my green card. The process can take 3+ months. My fiancee is a school teacher, so she will be at work every day starting September 1st. She just moved to this town a year ago and neither of us have any friends here, and I'm unsure how to fill up my time while I am unemployed.

What did you do while you weren't able to work? How did you get through the down time? I'm so afraid of going nuts with all the down time! We live in a very small town so there aren't a TON of volunteering opportunities but that's certainly something I can look into.

I honestly looked like TRASH at my interview LOL. I wore leggings, a somewhat nice shirt, no make up, and my hair was washed but pretty messy.

there was a girl there in shorts and a flip flop. I mean, dress up if you want, but it doesn't seem to matter to them either way.

you don't need fingerprints unless you have a record.

I just told them I needed the clearance for immigration purposes and they made sure I got the correct one.

Hi everyone! not sure if this is the right forum, but you guys have been so helpful in my previous posts so I thought I would check here first!

So, my POE was August 3rd, and my fiancee and I are getting legally married on Friday at the courthouse! I intend on taking her last name, but I'm so confused about the name change process. Is it immediate? Do I need to do the name change before I get another SSN? everything has been so confusing since I got here! Do we need to tell the officiant marrying us that I would like to change my name?

We're in Wisconsin, if that matters.

Thank you!

Heya! Are you able to see this website?

https://www.torontopearson.com/Connecting.aspx#

It claims to be a step by step depending on where you're going and what airline you're on. Also, you can ask at Pearson, they'd be much more likely to be accurate than in Ottowa.

Quick question out of curiosity-- You're going to have 3 flights? Where are you coming from?

I looked at that but it didn't say anything about my baggage I guess I'll have to ask once I get there. And I'm coming from Halifax. Halifax-Ottawa-Toronto-Milwaukee. Awful trip but it was the only one that allowed me a bit of a layover in Toronto to go through Customs.

hello everyone!! I am heading to the US today, but I've been given some conflicting information. I've never gone through Customs before, ever, and right now I'm on a layover in Ottawa trying to figure out what to do once I get to Toronto. I've been told that I do need to collect my baggage, and then go through immigration, but the Air Canada security people keep telling me that I just have to go to a kiosk and that I don't need to get my baggage. Help!!!! What do I doooo

Congrats!!! The guards were pretty .... not friendly when I was there too and I definitely got flustered, especially after reading multiple reviews about how nice they were

Thanks everyone! We reprinted it. I'm glad I was reading those reviews, though, because I honestly wouldn't have known. It adds an extra level of difficulty when things like this aren't clarified on any of the checklists because I probably would have panicked in line tomorrow morning.

Good luck today! Let us know how it goes

Mine wasn't in colour and didn't have a picture and it was fine.

Oh my lord the exact same thing happened to me Re: the packet 4 email! My heart nearly stopped. There's literally no barcode anywhere on the email. It was so confusing.

Unfortunately, your Canadian credit history cannot follow you to the United States. While credit reporting companies like Experian have operations in multiple countries, the information they maintain in the individual nations cannot be transferred across national boundaries for several reasons.

The first is simply a matter of law. Laws governing credit reporting differ from nation to nation. In some instances the laws prohibit the transfer of information across borders or have restrictions on such transfers that effectively prohibit them.

Another complication related to the law is that if the information is transferred, the companies reporting information would have to comply with the laws governing credit reports in the nation to which you moved. A Canadian company could find it very difficult, if not impossible, to meet the U.S. Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements governing the reporting of credit history information, for example.

The second issue is that credit reporting itself is often very different from one nation to another. For example, information included in credit reports in one country may not be included in the one to which you move. In some nations, credit reports may be linked to more than one person. For instance, the credit histories of everyone who shares a common household address may be tied together, whereas in the U.S., each individual has their own unique credit report.

Third, technologies used in credit reporting may differ from one country to another. The software and systems used to collect and maintain credit history information may simply not be compatible, and so impede the ability to transfer credit history information.

For these reasons, credit histories do not follow you when you move to the U.S. from Canada or other countries.

Thanks for asking.

well honestly this is pretty good news. I was worried that my poor credit would prevent me from being able to get an apartment. it's weird because when I spoke to the landlord she said that if they put in my Canadian SIN that they'd be able to see my credit report? but perhaps she was just mistaken. hoping they'll just accept our cosigner and be done with it.

Hi everyone, another question from me! ... lol

I have my K1 visa, and I am intending on crossing the border on August 3rd. My fiancee currently lives in an apartment complex, and I am applying to be listed on the lease and considered as a tenant. The landlord explained that I have to undergo a credit check, and that they will be able to see my credit score. I was under the impression that Canadian credit is useless in the U.S.

The thing is -- I have not so great credit here in Canada :/ made a lot of dumb mistakes when I was younger, working on getting it fixed now but obviously it won't improve drastically in the next 3 weeks.

We have a cosigner who is willing to sign for me to be considered as a tenant and really I'm just being added on the to the lease because I wont be able to work anyway and my fiancee has already been paying the rent consistently on time for a year and has been a model tenant. She is terrified she will lose her apartment. We're both next to broke from this entire process and a move would be impossible.

I guess my question is -- will they be able to see my Canadian credit? If it's a bad score and they decline me, will a cosigner enable me to become a tenant? I'm so worried

Is there a better forum for me to post this? I dont' want to keep clogging up this Canadian forum but you guys have been so helpful throughout the process so I just thought I'd check.

Picked mine up as well just told them the tracking number and showed ID

I just got the email with tracking number! !! Didn't take long at all good luck!!!

Got mine today too! It's going to the location that's 10 minutes from my house thankfully

This probably sounds like a really dumb, overly paranoid question, but I really want to dye my hair soon! I read that you aren't really supposed to drastically change your appearance throughout this process, and I'm worried that the Customs officers will be suspicious! lol. All my pics so far, including passport, show me with my natural colour (strawberry blondish). My fiancee thinks it will be fine ... what do you guys think

I didn't hear from Purolator for 5 business days after my visa was issued. One of them was a holiday, so I'd say wait 4 days and then start looking at who to call. You'll probably hear something on Monday or Tuesday.

ok thank you! ahh i'm just so nervous that they'll have not sent it or sent it to the wrong place. i can't believe i forgot to bring it up at the interview, and they didn't even mention it either

So my visa was issued yesterday and I still havent heard from Purolator. I never registered with Purolator or anything and they didnt even mention it at the time of my interview and I was too flustered to remember to mention it.

What do I do? Should I just wait to hear from Purolator?

Mine was just issued today. Does this mean I have 5 days to pick it up or am I still waiting for a notification from Purolator? Lord what a mess...I would always feel bad for them if they hadn't already robbed me blind

I was worried about this as well! I had a letter from my fiancées employer stating her annual salary which she took instead of the pay stubs. I offered them but she gave them back to me.

Ours was a number. Somewhere between USCIS and the NVC they ended up losing our petition, so it took like two months to get it. The first time we called they said that they had received it but it takes "4 weeks to process it" (??) so we called back 4 weeks later and still nothing. took 4 more weeks of hassling them and going between them and USCIS to get the number. So frustrating. Make sure you keep on them. Call them every couple of days if not every day and request to escalate it to a supervisor if you have to.

I wouldn't leave it blank. They expect you to bring it with you to the interview, which is what you're acknowledging by checking that box. I checked mine off and didn't have any problems.

did they mention anything on how will you be getting the visa ? canada post or purolator

they actually didn't i was too frazzled to remember to ask.

did you get the e-mail that went out?

I wouldn't be too concerned high blood pressure is treatable. they're looking for communicable diseases and such. I'm sure they expect people to be nervous/stressed during this whole process.

you'll be fine! good luck.

Congrats! That's awesome to hear! I'm pretty sure you had the same guy who interviewed me too, because when I mentioned I was nervous he said the exact same thing.

Thank you!!! He was so nice I was hoping I would get the nice guy that everyone talks about LOL