ljs

Thanks to everyone

As I sit here in the hotel warming up from my test walk to the consulate (less than 15 mins from the sheraton in a straight line so can't get lost!) it means a lot. Hopefully everyones wishes will boost my karma.

There are a few little irregularities in our journey, so we hired a lawyer to ease our minds and give us good advice, and on Friday he gave us heart failure when it became clear that since we retained him lo those many months ago, he failed to reread our file and on d day we are scrambling around trying to tie up our loose ends and write addendums.

I am currently a stressed out wreck. I can think straight, sleep or stop worrying about the outcome. Well at least it will be over tommorow, one way or the other.

Will keep you posted. Fingers crossed.

Linda

ljs, you're home free and there's nothing to get nervous about. Everyone who passes the interview says it's a breeze ... just a formality. Just bring your plastic shopping bag full of the documents they'll never ask to see and you'll be fine. You're done! Start thinking about what you'll do after the interview.

JG-

Thanks, fingers crossed

Linda

Welcome. Pull up a chair. The beer fridge is stocked with Labatt's and Molson's. On the dessert table, we feature Nanimo bars and butter tarts. The reading material includes the Globe and Mail, MacLeans, and Canadian Living.

We have been designated a charity of some sort, and have regular visits from hockey players and comedy stars doing feel-good tours with photo ops.

We are practicing our American English. Say "napkin," instead of "serviette." If you want a pop, ask for a soda. If you plan to do any driving in New Jersey, learn to stick your finger out the window. That's right, your flip-the-bird finger. It's a friendly, opening remark kind of greeting.

Get set for paying for your own health insurance and taking expensive pills for high cholesterol because the fast food here will kill you.

Thanksgiving is coming Nov. 23 and is the most heavily traveled day of the year. Notice there's only one "L" in "heavily" and traveled."

It's 5 o'clock somewhere, so open me another beer, eh?

Man...it figures! As soon as the beer and Nanimo bars get served I have to leave...our appointment is next week, and the nerves are starting to get to me. As good as the company and refreshments are, if I wind up back here I don't know what I'll do Quick pass me a beer, eh.

Linda and Mags,

The Panel Physician may not do a pregnancy test, but they do have to indicate on the DS-3026 medical worksheet whether or not the person is pregnant and when the last menstrual period was.

My wife's and stepson's visas were held up for 2 weeks because the Panel Physician had not provided this information for the 3 year-old boy, and the consular officer required my wife to take her son's form back to the doctor and have him enter the missing information.

Yodrak

Really? They actually wanted medical opinion to confirm that a 3 yr old boy was not pregnant nor menstruating?

Linda

would there be a problem if my fiancee was found to be pregnant during the medical exam at st. lukes in manila?

I don't know if it is different in Manilia, but in Canada they did not do a pregnancy test. If she thinks she may be pregnant, she should do a test prior to attending the medical, as xrays and some immunizations are contraindicated during pregnancy.

Linda

A K-1 visa being an non-immigrant visa does not require you have any of the immunizations until AOS.

Though as suggested, you may wish to have them courtesy of the provincal government before you leave for the US.

Linda

At the risk of tempting the fates, we have an interview on Nov 14th, plane tickets to California on the 16th, and a wedding on the 18th. We need to start the AOS process asap as my daughter is 20yr9months and by some miracle need to have everything done and approved before March 07.

Fingers crossed!

Linda

Hey Rodney,

Do you think it would be acceptable to take in a CD, or other electronic format, of photos/phone conversations/emails/flight reservations etc.?

Opinions/advice anyone?

Peace to All,

Mark-N-AAm

I would contact the embassy to see if they will allow that. I seriously doubt you will be able to use a CD, how are they to know you aren't installing viruses or otherwise impacting thier security and computers?

Linda

I've been thinking about this a lot recently as my interview is fast approaching. A few days ago I saw this post from Yodrak, which I saved, but not the link to the actual thread (sorry):

"This "proof on ongoing relationship" is a mis-statement of the actual requirement. What it is that the visa applicant, not you, needs to prove is that the relationship is not solely for the purpose of evading immigration law.

This mis-understanding can be a big frustration for petitioners with fiance(e)s and spouses in high-fraud countries. "We provided tons of evidence - hundreds of e-mails and reams of phone logs". Great, but did those tons of evidence clearly indicate that the visa applicant wasn't patiently e-mailing you and listening to your voice because they thought it was their easiest route to a Green Card?

So, think about what it is about the relationship that needs to be proved, and who needs to prove it.

Yodrak"

This is a different perspective than I was looking at it from; how do you prove that your relationship is bona fide and you are not looking for an easy green card? A joke when you look at some of our timelines I know!

So the question remains...how do you prove that? We are treading into metaphysics now. I am hoping the consular officer can look into my heart and see the truth. And if s/he can't I have a truckload of phone bills and boarding passes to wow him/her with.

Food for thought.

Linda

You can have a varicella-zoster titre done. It is a blood test to check to see if you have the antibodies. The downside is that if you don't, you know have actual proof and they can require you have the vaccine. And you then have the cost of the titre and the cost of the vaccine.

Do you have siblings? Do any of them recall having chickenpox? If they did then more likely than not you have been exposed. It would appear that if the local Health Dept doesn't offer the vaccines then they are not to worried about it being a public health threat!

Linda

so its only k4 children who need to be interviewed? not k2

K-2 children over a certian age need to be present at the interview...I believe it is 14.

Ok I know that we want a police certificate done using CPIC. I have that. But I was reading my papers that came as part of the checklist (I copied them before mailing them back) and it says "Please obtain police certificates from the police authorities of each locality where you have resided for six months or more since attaining the age of 16."

My question is this....my current certificate lists it is a CPIC search and a local (Brantford Ontario) search. I grew up and lived in North Bay until 1998 (when I moved to Brantford), do I need to travel back to North Bay for a "local" search or does CPIC cover that? I think I know the answer but of course stress causes one to doubt themselves.

You would get exactly the same thing if you went to Brantford as you would if you went to Moose Jaw...Canada wide is Canada wide. I have over 20 addresses in Canada and have only the one report, I'd go broke collecting them all! I'm off to the RCMP to get my daughter's search done, I'll ask when I am there

Isn't it amazing what happens to our otherwise functioning selves during this process? I am astonished by what a blithering idiot I've become... although it may just be me

Thanks DeadpoolX...but we have been in the UK for most of the 10 years

Oh...well, in that case, I don't know what to say...now I feel foolish.

I don't know WHY I just assumed you were living in the United States. If you were, then you wouldn't be going through any of this right now in the first place!

Anyway, I suppose that information will be useful for you, sometime down the road a bit. Too bad it's none too helpful right now though.

I'm taking it that a "In Lieu of Guarantor" form wouldn't work out, right? I don't think those forms slow down the passport processing time at all; they might slow down the application process some though, since you actually have to obtain the form, and get it notorized by a notory public. From what I've heard, it's a real pain, but sometimes it's the only option as well. I don't know if your passport would get to you in time though...

Don't worry about it

I was at the passport office last week and spoke to the supervisor about the "In Lieu of Guarantor" and the timeline for such applications and was told that if you have no guarantor, they cannot guarantee that you will even get a passport, which I think will not be the case here, but she explained that they have to check every reference (4) and do extended security checks. Because of this all bets are off regarding timeframe for getting your passport back and you cannot have it expedited.

So as far as I can see, our best option will be going with the 10 months remaining passport and hoping for the best-as if the interview isn't nerve wracking enough!!

Member Name----------Visa Type-----NOA2-------MTL Rec'd-------Packet 3-------Packet 4------Interview Date

ljs--------------------------K-1-------Aug 18 06----Sep 06 06------Sep 18 06-----Oct 10 06-------Nov 14 06 (expedited due to child age out)

Heather,

For Montreal package 3 comprised of your case number, information on required documents, the checklist, forms for the visa, medical information, a list of doctors and a FAQ sheet.

Packet 4 comprised of interview date, fees information, addendum re DS-230, security notice, and note on when visa are issued (next day or by post).

Is this what you wanted to know?

Llinda

Okay, from what I've read before here on VJ -- and just looked up on Passport Canada's website, in order to be sure -- is that your guarantor can be a citizen of Canada OR the United States, so long as you're a Canadian citizen living within the United States.

The same rules apply to American guarantors as they do to Canadian ones (medical doctors, dentists, attorneys, police officer, etc.), and they must sign the necessary documentation and photos. Your guarantor CANNOT be retired; however he or she CAN be a relative.

I have a feeling, however, if you had a relative who could act as a guarantor, none of this would be an issue. Anyway, that's the scoop on guarantors within the U.S. for Canadians. Here's the link on guarantors at Passport Canada as well.

I hope some of this has helped.

Thanks DeadpoolX...but we have been in the UK for most of the 10 years

The passport must be valid for the entire time that the visa is valid. So since the visa is good for 6 months, the passport must be good for 6 months...

Zyggy, that makes perfect sense, and the logical part of me thinks it will be fine, but is not what it says on the checklist....so will you come with me on the 14th and explain it nicely to the consular officer?

When you apply for the passport they ask you if you would like the old one returned...so you can still have it as a record of your past travels.

Ok..I found it in my checklist from Montreal....I was beginning to think I had lost my mind!

"1. Passport: Obtain valid passport or if you already have a passport,

make certain that it is still valid for at least one year. "

This add a new level of stress to my life now! My daughter's pasport expires Aug 07 and since she has not lived in Canada for the past 10 years of her 16 yrs, we have no guarantor for her. The passort office told me that they cannot guarantee a passport with no guantor and cannot expidite it either. Our appointment in Montreal is in two weeks! Ugh...

You should be fine, print out the page from the state department that I posted and point out the 6 months claimed there, your daughters passport should fit with in the parameters set out by the State-Department which oversees the consulate.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...4.html#Applying

I think the consulate puts a year on the form to make sure that beneficiaries look and have more than what is required so that they can anticipate the ones that are close at the point of interview.

Make sense?

Yeah makes sense, still worried though.....

Ok..I found it in my checklist from Montreal....I was beginning to think I had lost my mind!

"1. Passport: Obtain valid passport or if you already have a passport,

make certain that it is still valid for at least one year. "

This add a new level of stress to my life now! My daughter's pasport expires Aug 07 and since she has not lived in Canada for the past 10 years of her 16 yrs, we have no guarantor for her. The passort office told me that they cannot guarantee a passport with no guantor and cannot expidite it either. Our appointment in Montreal is in two weeks! Ugh...

For some reason I have it in my head that passports must be valid for 12 months+ when you go for your interview in Montreal. I have searched through my packets 3 and 4 for something to that effect and had a look on here too, and have come up empty. Does anyone have a link or information as to how long passports must be valid when getting your K visa?

Thanks,

Linda

We got our packet 3 on Friday, from Montreal.....NOOOOOO mention was made in the letter or instructions of their recent policy change regarding the DS-156. The thing that PEEVES ME OFF ROYALLY is the additional note on the website of "Hand-written forms will no longer be accepted. If you appear for your interview with a hand-written DS-156 application form you will be turned away and assigned another date for your interview." So it's ok for these idiots to not give proper instructions and then TURN YOU AWAY for not having completed the form properly. This, after you've already waited longer than necessary because they can't seem to do their jobs properly.

So , without the benefit of this particular website and the invaluable source of information it provides, how would a person just fumbling through this process know to check the consualte website for additional instruction?

Add this to the list of Montreal gripes!!!

It came with my package 4 documents as an addendum...

Just to clarify...the AOS needs to be ajudicated and approved prior to the K-2 applicant's 21st birthday? I was under the impression (from my attorney) that only the AOS interview had to be held before the K-2's 21st birthday. I really do need to do some research!

This is the most absurd law I have ever come across in my lifetime.

Agreed...

I am so sorry to hear what has happened to your family..you must be devastated!

I have a daughter who turns 21 on March 07. We have not yet had our consulate appointment (Nov 14), but our attorney seems to think that the AOS can be turned around very quickly if they will expedite the AOS appointment. I am thinking now this may be impossible given what you have been through. I have no concept of what is involved in the AOS...guess I'd better do some research

Linda

The few times I have applied for a Canadian passport, was under 2 weeks, and that included being mailed to my house with (un)speedy Canada post, lol

You can if you go to an issuing office get them done quickly...you drop it off, they look at it and see that everything is there, process and you can pick it up again very quickly, especially if you explain you have a visa appointment pending.