CutienPurg

<best South Park voice>

THAT BASTARRRD!!!

Take the remote out of the doghouse......I think thats what keeps em goin back

bring the thickest skin you have in your closet and dont try to be helpful with security

make sure u have the signature sticker for your envelope.....and yeah write the tracking number down.

all the luck in the world to you on Monday. not that you'll need it

http://travel.sympatico.msn.ca/Canadian+Mi...Nuts.htm?isfa=1

Canadian Misconceptions That Drive Me Nuts!

by Mike Thorburn, TheSoko.com

Do Canadians have misconceptions about themselves and other countries?

Anyone who has traveled to a foreign country and introduced themselves as Canadian knows about the many misconceptions that float around about us and many of them border on the absurd. Do people actually believe we're all beer-swilling, dog-sled-driving, igloo-dwelling Eskimos, eh?

Lester B. Pearson, then the undersecretary of External Affairs, addressed a youth congress at the United Nations headquarters in 1947. He insisted that Canadians were more than just "a few frozen farmers and trappers huddled in igloos around the North Pole." We're also all familiar with comic Rick Mercer, who has had President Bush lauding the efforts of Prime Minister Poutine. Even Peter Jennings once commented, "Canadians have an abiding interest in surprising those Americans who have historically made little effort to learn about their neighbour to the north."

While that might certainly be true, how much better are Canadians in their perspectives on the world and themselves? Not as far ahead as you might think – here are a few popular ideas that Canadians have that drive me up the wall.

He Shoots, He Scores

The popular notion that hockey is representative of our country and the seriousness with which many Canadians take the sport, are both simply a mystery to the rest of the world.

I remember one of the many America vs. Canada debates that are prone to happening in my foreign travels, this time in Taipei. While one Canadian was lauding Canada's hockey brilliance, the American he was arguing with said simply, "Whatever, it's just hockey." Simple, concise and an absolute argument-ender.

While it's unbelievably huge in most parts of Canada, the sport of hockey is an afterthought just about everywhere else in the world. Even stateside, the revenue from hockey broadcasts in the United States puts it on par with arena football and extreme sports. Fox Sports was even desperate enough to try to give the puck red comet tails to make it easier for viewing audiences to see the elusive piece of rubber.

The population of Canada and the US comes out to around 330 million people and with India's population of over a billion, how surprised can you really be that a whole lot more people are watching cricket? Hockey is a great game, but that's the point: It's just a game.

Our Neighbours To The South

The disagreement between the Canadian and the American naturally spilled over into the relationship between the two respective countries. While Canadians are eager to distance themselves from Americans, Americans are secure in the belief that Canadians are nothing more than a barnacle on their hull – powerless without their bigger, stronger brother. While both can be argued ad nauseum, it's the Canadian perspective that irritates me the most.

The notion that Canadian society is drastically different than American society is simply naïve. Anyone that's ever been a cross-country trip knows that trying to define Canadian culture is next to impossible. The culture is a mish-mash of individual and unique groups which all have their own individual charms. Whether you're gallivanting down George Street in St John's, Newfoundland or skiing on the slopes of Whistler, B.C., your experiences in Canada are going to be profoundly diverse.

The United States is no different. My experiences in New York City or Boston have varied unbelievably from the time I've spent in California or Arizona, and while there are clearly similarities between the two cultures, the shared stereotypes make up a larger group that can be known simply as "North American culture".

Haggling over the similarities and differences will have you going in circles. The misconception (shared by a countless number of countries) that Americans are ethnocentric, loud and obnoxious is the same sort of pigeonholing that Canadians are often the victim of, yet we do the exact same thing to our southern neighbours. Many Canadians mock the obesity problem in America, yet Canada is the 15th ranked country in obesity deaths and the United States is the 5th. Governments aside, are we really that different?

Despite our efforts to distance ourselves from Americans, we favour many of the same celebrities, sports stars and fashions.

Not So Well-To-Do

A final misconception that truly irks me is how ignorant Canadians are about the poverty in our country. We're proud (and should be!) of being ranked the 6th best place in the world to live by the United Nations, but in a 2005 report by noted economist Armine Yalnizyan (a study performed for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives), it was revealed that over 1.7 million households are living on less than $20,000 per year, while post-secondary education costs have double and tripled.

In the early 90s, 75% of unemployed workers were receiving government benefits, compared to 38% now. An even more disturbing fact is that the number of homeless is figured to be a quarter million, which is a staggering amount considering our population now rests at under 33 million in total.

Other concerns, such as child poverty, have actually increased since the government pledged to eliminate them. So clearly we're not all as well off as we would like to imagine.

________________________

oh... canada

Despite the misconceptions that many Canadians have, which range from the comical to the morbidly serious, Canada is still a great country and a wonderful place to live. Every culture has its' share of misguided opinions and prejudices and we're no different. Canadians should be proud of their culture and embrace it, but not at the expense of recognizing the few flaws that do exist.

My friend just found out he is eligable to file for a visa in Manila to bring his wife to the US. One of the requirements is three years of tax returns. He is 100% disabled from his Viet Nam service and thus doesn't earn any taxable income which excludes him from having to file income tax returns.

Does anyone know what the embassy will do with this situation?

as long as he has the required income.....

he needs to document his income , write a letter explaining why he was exempt from filing taxes and provide a copy of the IRS rule that shows his exemption. I would assume he has docs from the VA that shows his pension amount and if he receives SSA disability he can acquire a letter from them.

He would fill out the I-134 stating he is unemployed and the dates in which he's been unemployed (again assuming), list the total amount of his pension(s) etc etc etc.

oops I-864

Depends on which visa. CR1 uses I-864. K3 uses I-134.

I forgot to read the title too Pushbrk That's why I had to edit

My friend just found out he is eligable to file for a visa in Manila to bring his wife to the US. One of the requirements is three years of tax returns. He is 100% disabled from his Viet Nam service and thus doesn't earn any taxable income which excludes him from having to file income tax returns.

Does anyone know what the embassy will do with this situation?

as long as he has the required income.....

he needs to document his income , write a letter explaining why he was exempt from filing taxes and provide a copy of the IRS rule that shows his exemption. I would assume he has docs from the VA that shows his pension amount and if he receives SSA disability he can acquire a letter from them.

He would fill out the I-134 stating he is unemployed and the dates in which he's been unemployed (again assuming), list the total amount of his pension(s) etc etc etc.

oops I-864

My friend just found out he is eligable to file for a visa in Manila to bring his wife to the US. One of the requirements is three years of tax returns. He is 100% disabled from his Viet Nam service and thus doesn't earn any taxable income which excludes him from having to file income tax returns.

Does anyone know what the embassy will do with this situation?

as long as he has the required income.....

he needs to document his income , write a letter explaining why he was exempt from filing taxes and provide a copy of the IRS rule that shows his exemption. I would assume he has docs from the VA that shows his pension amount and if he receives SSA disability he can acquire a letter from them.

He would fill out the I-134 stating he is unemployed and the dates in which he's been unemployed (again assuming), list the total amount of his pension(s) etc etc etc.

Only mind reader here is cutenbergy!! lol

I do NOT read minds .......I read lips......lemme give ya a lesson buddy......

<shoots a beer cap at Flames>

remember you already paid 450.00 to the nvc

so you'll have 325.00 to adjust status and 180.00 for EAD. EAD can take 90 days or more .....or less.

I spose if you do aos in the end you'll save the cost of travel.

Good Luck whatever you choose

No, I dont care for big cities!! Much prefer a smaller city, much more relaxed.

dont let him fool ya........the lines are shorter at Tim's in a smaller city

what I think is being suggested is that although it may be allowed, it is not recommended to present multiple sponsors who each fall under the acceptable income level.

Now wait sec here........it's from your guidance I made the statement about a single sponsor. Are you suggesting now that it may be possible under the law , that a k applicant could have more than one sponsor on an I-134?

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Only one person's name can go on an I-134?

what I meant by this was , there cannot be a sponsor plus a joint sponsor.......either you're the sponsor or you're not.....correct?

AMEN SISTA A-MEN!

my husband called OHIP a couple weeks ago and asked about this very topic. The person he spoke to at OHIP said you would be covered for emergency treatment in the US up to 7 months or until you obtain PR status in the US.

My argument was you should be covered until you obtain CR/LPR status since you arent considered as having abandoned your residency in Canada until the US says you're legally allowed to do so. If your AOS or CR-1 were to be denied , you would have no choice but to return to Canada, so technically I would think you'd be considered a visitor until that time.

A PHP requires you to be a resident of the province UNLESS you're going to be out of Canada temporarily......

the temporary absences are;

study

work

missionary work

vacation/other

......and its the "other" that has me wondering

NOW......OHIP says "Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care may continue your eligibility for Ontario health (OHIP) coverage when you are absent from Ontario for more than 212 days in a 12 month period, as long as you plan to return and make your permanent and principal home in Ontario."

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public...hip/longer.html

08 November Submit form DS-230

21 November 2006 Submit Checklist

12 January 2007 We are put on wait list for interview

you returned your checklist and ds-230 in November. that is when you should have been put " in line" for an interview. who told you january 12 and why wasn't it upon receipt of your packet 3 forms?

Over and over I read the same questions regarding the I-134 and the answers seem to vary and occasionally conflict. I'm hoping that maybe we can get some definitive answers in one place.

The instructions do not require tax returns unless you are self employed. How will a sponsor know if their consulate requires them? Will consulates requiring tax returns ask for them specifically? If a consulate does not ask for tax returns could a sponsor reasonably assume they will not be required?

Only one sponsor is allowed for the I-134. Is it always a good idea to provide an additional affidavit from the petitioner?

How are assets used? Would 5x the shortfall be required for a k-1 and 3x for a k3? Or would it be a standard 3x?

There is no specific income level listed for the I-134. Ive read the requirement is 100% of the poverty level. It is suggested to shoot for the 125% level so as to qualify later for AOS. Can a CO deny the affidavit if the income level is at least 100% but not 125% ?

That's all I could think of off the top of my head.......Im sure there will be more

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...ost&p=44496

you dont have to give up your Canadian citizenship when you get US citizenship.......you'll be a dual.

Good Luck

They do have a fax machine there... I have the number! Though they "lost" my fax request before... Hrmph. Anyway, have him email and call a couple days after he faxes it to make sure they get it. You know, it might be worth it for him to fax it and put on the coversheet that a copy will come by mail AND then FedEx a copy to them just to make sure they see it.

That's a really good idea. I'll be sure he does that!! Thanks for the idea girl

Never heard of having to make an appt 10 days in advance of putting in a memo,lol. I think he just wants more preciouis Tim Horton Time!! The power of the "Tim" is strong!!

I gotta tell ya......Petawawa is an entity all it's own. He once had to make an appointment to have the base surgeon make a phone call. When he booked the apppointment he told the secretary ( I guess she was ) that he needed the BS to call Ottawa and find out the status of his release. He gets there to see the BS and he says " I'll call Ottawa. Make an appointment to see me next week and I'll let you know what I find out". UGH!!!

Anyway......he was home this past weekend and we were on our way home from a party. We were passing a Tim Hortons and I asked if he wanted to stop...........HE SAID NO....I said OMG Im telling Flames and now you're a REALLY gonna be in his bad books.

Thanks you guys .......Im glad it's finally going to be over. He called Montreal to inquire as to what exactly he'll require for them to issue the visa. They said anything that shows a confirmed release date AND they said he could fax it............i didnt they even had a fax machine there

Stupid bureaucracy! But he'll be with you soon and you didn't have to kill or clone him!

I'd still like an extra to do the dishes while he's doing laundry

How much short is she? There isnt a hard-fast rule that states the income level for the I-134 is 125 % of the poverty level. Ive read the amount is actually 100% although it's best to shoot for closer to the 125% mark to make AOS easier. If you do indeed require someone to act as your sponsor , they would be required to complete the I-134. What you might consider doing is getting yourself a joint sponsor as a backup, have them complete the I-134 including the supporting docs and also have your fiance complete one for herself listing her current income. On the day of your interview , present your fiance's I-134 but hold back the back up unless it becomes a requirement. See if they let your fiance's I-134 pass. Another thing; you can use assests to make up for any shortfall as well.

Best of Luck

<taps fingers on desk> and where's your timeline mister <cheesy grin>

again , you have to make a decision as to what you would like to do

seems your choices are

1) have your wife fly to her home country and attend her interview and hopefully receive her visa. you have already paid all the fees for this process.......fees you will not get back......she could realistically have a greencard in her hands by June 1

2) file for adjustment of status in the US, pay fees again and wait for another interview ( maybe) then get the greencard......assuming you dont have any holdups

if u choose to file adjustment of status

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1k3aos

if it were me .......I'd be booking a flight to the Phillipines

Good Luck to you both

30 days from today is his release date

the thing that cracked me up was he needed to book an appt 10 days in advance to submit a memo.....friggin idiots

Cr-1's are stuck with Montreal.....sorry

Ugh. After hearing all these horror stories about the CO's there I'm terrified lol.

the guy who did my husband's interview was super nice. he even called my husband personally to let him know of the mistake he made when he said they could issue the visa and was very apologetic

ok here are the numbers as of today.....if there are any boo boo's lemme know