Kathryn Baer

So I just can't seem to find an answer to my question anywhere, but I may not be looking hard enough.

Just wondering if anyone knows of a list of doctors/medical centres that I could go to for my medical exam before my interview (not to that point yet, but I live out in the sticks in Alberta so I need to plan ahead haha). Any information would be greatly appreciated

I set myself up that I we would probably wait up to 5 months for ours (so I guessed it would be in around April), but it's so hard to be patient haha. 

My initial estimate was March 11 - April 26, then it drastically went down to February 11 - March 3, now it's been fluctuating between Feb 15 - Feb 20 so the estimated dates have been sticking to a much closer date range. It's good to know that they are fairly reliable, but it definitely would be good to just assume that it will take the 5 months I originally guessed to not get our hopes up. Still, would be quite nice is VJ was right about it though lol. 

Probably a dumb question, but just wanting some input from people who have already received their NOA2 or have gone through the entire Visa process.

Do the majority of you receive your NOA2 at around the time that VJ estimates you'll get it? Like usually around that exact time or within a month of it? My estimate keeps changing, but has been steady in February for the past 3 weeks or so. Just don't want to get my hopes up that's all lol. 

3 minutes ago, KierenHby said:

Oh.. not sure about vehicle ownership laws between the US and Canada. 

This official CBP site says 6 months, but the standard definition I've read everywhere is 180 days. 

I'm thinking maybe I should stay for about 4 months (March - June) that way if our visa hasn't made progress by then I can still go back to visit before the end of the year. 

32 minutes ago, KierenHby said:

Why sell a car to a fiance? Who does that? Transfer the title, no? 

Not 182 days; it's 180 days max on a B2. 

To transfer the title, would he not have the "import" the vehicle from Canada into the USA because he "purchased" it?

Everyone seems to say something different when it comes to how long Canadians can stay in the USA and vice-versa. Some say 182, some say 180, others say 120. But really, who's right? When trying to search stuff on official government websites, there's nothing.  

I will be going to see my fiance for two weeks in February. but we have been talking about me going there for an extended stay (4 or 5 months). So we were thinking that once I get back to work on February 21, 2017, I would hand my request for a Leave of Absence to my boss, stay in Canada for two weeks to do my taxes, clear bills, etc, and then go back for 4 or 5 months.  

His car is currently dying on him, and we had the idea of me selling my vehicle to him for him to use as it is much more fuel efficient anyway and would save him oodles of money. I would book a return flight home as I would be driving over the border with my vehicle to enter the USA and then flying back home once my time in the USA as a visitor is up (I wouldn't be overstaying my allowed time of 182 days out of a calendar year). Since Idaho isn't a state that recognizes common-law as a legally binding agreement, we would be living together during my stay. I also recently purchased a mobile home which I could use to show ties to Canada, along with a letter from my boss stating I am taking a Leave of Absence, bank statements, recent pay stubs, and a copy of my itinerary for my one-way flight home once my time is up. 

Just wondering if anyone else has visited their fiance for this amount of time, driven over the border while waiting on their K-1 (we have received our NOA1 at the end of November), if it would work to sell my vehicle to him, etc.

I have looked into what is all needed to be brought along to the interview at the consulate in Montreal, so I have most of that stuff together already (Packet 3). In regards to the interview & medical, I would make a trip to Montreal to do both the medical & interview there in the same week (assuming I'd be able to pick up the medical results in person and not have them mailed to my home in La Crete, AB). After the interview I would return home to be with my family as I wait on the Visa package to arrive in the mail (if I am approved of course). 

5 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

... Maybe it was  something else then. Ajustment of status?

Because you can't remove conditions if you do not have a green card, and if you have a green card, you're authorized to work.

 

I'm not quite sure really, she seemed confused herself.

Quick question, you seem to be quite knowledgeable; does my fiance need to show that he meets the minimum poverty guidelines yearly until I receive my green card? Like now to obtain the Fiance Visa, when I'm there as a conditional resident, and when we apply to have my conditions removed? 

Thought I would share my experience on here since I know how much I love reading other peoples experiences. Just a little background; I am a Canadian Citizen, my Fiance is a US Citizen.

Received NOA1 November 28, 2016

First trip to USA since filing for K-1: December 10 - December 19, 2016

POE was Vancouver, BC. Was asked the following questions;

"Where are you going?" Boise, Idaho. "Who are you seeing?" My fiance. "Where will you be staying?" With my fiance & his family. "How long are you there?" December 10 - December 19. 

Second Trip to USA: December 31, 2016 - January 3, 2017

POE was Edmonton, AB. Was asked the following questions;

"Where are you going?" Boise, Idaho. "Who are you seeing?" My fiance. "Where will you be staying?" With my fiance & his family. "What's the address?" [told the location] "How long are you there?" December 31, 2016 - January 3, 2017. "Why are you going?" Last minute trip to spend New Years with my fiance.

My next trip is February 5 - February 19, 2017 so we'll see how it goes then. I do bring a package containing evidence of ties to Canada just in case they ask for them.

The package includes;

- A letter signed from my boss stating a date that I am required back at work (example: "Kathryn is required back at work on Tuesday, February 21, 2017." 

- Most recent pay stubs (previous two months)

- Bank statements for previous two months

- Most recent Credit Card bill

- Signed letter of support from parents stating that I live with them (since I do not rent a place). I do have my own place but it is a tiny house that needs to be officially set up on a piece of land yet.

- Copies of Bill of Sale & Insurance/Registration Policy for my vehicle 

- Copies of my flight itineraries showing my return flight information

Some people face lots of issues when trying to visit their fiance, others not so much. I think it really also depends on who you talk to when at the POE. Some of the security/border control people are easy going and understanding, others not so much. Best of luck to all of you!

1 minute ago, Lemonslice said:

You can't volunteer if it could be a paid position - so not legal.  Parents can take care of their kids, grandparents cannot babysit for example.

 

There is something amiss about your friend's timeline - you cannot remove conditions until you've been a permanent resident for close to two years. Being a permanent resident, you have a green card and you're authorized to work -no need for a separate authorization.

Yes, it took nearly two years for her to obtain work authorization which by that time was useless since she would be removing conditions soon anyway. 

15 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

Yeah, sorry... American visitors are not allowed to work in Canada.  While he might be allowed to visit for 6 months, he is not allowed to help your parents with construction work, or bigger projects than doing his own laundry, cooking you dinner and tidying up his mess really.   Call CBSA if you want all the details about what kind of work he is actually allowed to do.  

 

 

That goes for Canadian visitors to the USA - you cannot work or do the work an American citizen could be paid to do. 

 

----

If you have not been married two years when you cross the border/become a permanent resident, then you will still need to remove conditions. 

 

----

 

I'm sorry, I wish there was a magic trick to cut the wait, work and all... but there isn't.  If you have paid and filed for the K1, I would just continue and wait it out, prepare for AOS, etc.  

He wouldn't be getting paid, it would just keep him occupied while he's here. Same with me helping his mom teach his younger siblings, not getting paid just simply doing something so I'm not sitting at home alone all day. His mother is left with the task of teaching 4 boys on her own, so since I help out when I'm there visiting anyway when my fiance goes to work, I don't see why it would be a problem. 

10 hours ago, ricnally said:

work authorization (applied for with your AOS after marrying on a K1) takes 60-90 days, not 2 years.

A friend of mine did the whole K-1 process and applied for Work Authorization at the same time as her AOS and finally got her Work Authorization approval a month before she'd have to get her conditions removed. 

8 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Yes. A CR-1 grants LPR status, and you will receive a green card to prove this  "shortly" after arrival in the US. LPR status allows you to do any kind of (legal) work.

 

I'm certainly not saying they will turn you away. Prior trips are good. That said, and as it sounds like you already know, they can decide to do so at any point (and then you're marked so you won't get through again). As-is, it sounds like USCIS hasn't even really looked at your case yet, so there is no documented immigrant intent. I do wish you good luck.

They ask the regular questions, like what are you doing, who are you seeing. Especially this last trip. Kind of puts me off that they could potentially not have looked at our case yet  We got our first NOA quite quickly, and it's been nearly 2 months now. You'd think they would have looked into it already. 

10 minutes ago, Ortolan said:

If you get married now and file an I-130, you'll be getting a CR-1 visa. You will still have to apply for Removal of Conditions in the 90 days before the 2-year anniversary of your entrance to the US on that visa. You only are exempt from this if you've been married for over 2 years at the time you enter the U.S. Then you'd be granted an IR-1 visa, and wouldn't have to apply to Remove Conditions.

With the CR-1 I would be able to work in the USA, right?

8 minutes ago, geowrian said:

I think waiting on the K-1 is probably your best (safest and fastest) route. If you got married, you would have to start over with a CR-1 visa, which takes 10+ months to process. And although you have legal passage to the US, once filed, they may turn you away at POE as you have now stated immigrant intent. It all depends on if CBP believes you are going to actually return home or not. Some have done it successfully, while others have been turned away. Others were initially allowed but turned away on future attempts.

I have traveled to visit my fiance 3 times since filing our K-1 and they've never mentioned anything. I do always bring a packet proving I have strong ties to Canada like a signed letter from my employer stating I am required back at work on a certain date, evidence of bank accounts, most recent pay stubs, proof of vehicle ownership, etc just in case they do ask for it. I'm really hoping that it will stay this way and that everything will go through soon. 

My Fiance & are are waiting on our K-1 but have recently discovered that a CR-1 might be a better option for us. With a CR-1 you obtain your Green Card once the petition has been approved & completed, correct? No filing for an AOS, obtaining a work authorization (which I've heard can sometimes take nearly 2 years) and having to remove conditions after 2 years to obtain a Green Card/Permanent Residency. In the long run, it's cheaper & overall easier if I understand correctly. 

We kind of have this idea to get married here in Canada and then stay here in Canada for 6 months (or 180 days). I'm Canadian, he's American. So if he stayed here with me in Canada for 6 months after getting married, I would be able to maintain my current employment. He wouldn't be working here (obviously since he wouldn't have a work visa) but he would be helping my parents fix up their house. Once those 6 months are up, I would go to the USA with him where he would then work and I would stay at home. I'd also probably help his family as they home school their children and I have been trained in that field. We're both flexible people and willing to make whatever moves possible to stay together the whole time. 

Legally, we are both allowed into each others home country for 180 days (6 months) as a tourist, not requiring a visa. I have a place here, he has a place there so we would just have duplicates of things in each country meaning we'd have a place to live in both places as well. The only thing we would move back & forth across the border is ourselves & our clothes. I was just wondering if anyone has ever done this before? We've been in a long distance relationship for the past 2 years and we don't want to spend a moment apart once we are married. On our timeline it says that our Visa may be adjudicated between February 11 & 18..? If we get our next NOA within the next month or two, we'll just proceed with the K-1. We would be fine with waiting on the K-1 if this idea is not at all possible, but we are getting impatient and want to get married.  

Just now, Transborderwife said:

You don't understand.  Once you're here on a k1, you don't obtain a work visa.  You file for aos after marrying.  At about the 90 day mark (more or less) you obtain your EAD which is your work permit.  In that case cr1 is better as you can make visits (ESP as a nexus holder it's easier) and work right away when you receive your visa and enter.

I meant EAD, I know it's not a work visa I just forgot what it was called. 

33 minutes ago, caliliving said:

Just a bit of insight...

Are u In college? 

Do you work?

Is your husband going to support you in the US or are u looking to work?

Are u thinking to go to college in the usa at 30k/yr? 

U won't have canadian health care anymore - solid plans are 600+ (my company pays 800/month to my plan)

19 is young! What is your plan once you get here?  Atw youngoijf to work?

 

Jst thinking maybe a cr1 would give u a solid year to dilute these things out.

 

Off topic but as a Canadian it really isn't normal for a 19yr old to get married - i wish u well but the usa is not the land of oppoetunities...I have a good job, benefits, salary ect...maybe your husband has a great job! I understand that. But factor in your OHIP  (or whatever it is in your provice) will cancel once you move here. 

U have no health insurance. 

 

It's 600/month for a good plan

 

19 snd no educations- job opportunities ate slim. 

 

School here is 30k/yr and in canada is 5k/yr...

 

I understand you are in love but you are 18. Have you made plans for what will happen once you are here??

 

- I am turning 21 in a few months.

- I have two years of college (certified to work with Special Needs/Handicap children) I started my first year when I was 17 as I finished High School early. The only reason I am not working in my field of studies is because at the time there were limited opportunities in our area and that's when my current employer called me asking me to come work there

- I have a full time job at our local Chamber of Commerce and have the position of Administrative Assistant along with Tourism Coordinator (which lands me an extra paycheck each month)

- He is going to support me and once I obtain a work visa I will seek employment also to allow us to save more money

- I have been employed full time for the past two years, and worked part time for 3 years prior to obtaining my current job (I worked at home with my mom as she owns a greenhouse & berry business, and I worked as an Assistant manager for two years at a local business)

- I have $$$ in savings 

- I live at home with my parents so that I don't need to pointlessly spend $800/month to rent a studio apartment

- My fiance works as an HVAC Install Technician and is currently doing his apprenticeship. He's lucky to have parents who dedicate themselves to paying for each of their children's college degrees so that's not something he has to worry about

- I believe he receives health insurance through his job, so if it's like it is here in Canada, since I will count as a family member I will be added to his policy

- Most schools here in Canada cost more than $5k/year, more like $12k+/year. Small community colleges even cost more than $5k/year here in Alberta

A cr1 could be a good option but I know my fiance wouldn't go for it as he doesn't want to spend a second more apart once we are married.

Most people 30/40 years ago got married before they were 20 and they've been doing just fine. In the area where I live it's common for girls to get married at 16 (the guys are then 18 or 19). I wouldn't say that there's any "normal" age to get married, it all depends on each persons personal preference for themselves. 

Once I am there, I will be working on obtaining a work visa asap as I love to work and it would help us to save more money. We will be able to live comfortably on what he makes, but we both love to travel which means taking on an extra job to make the extra money to afford that. I am an artsy person so once I obtain work authorization I was thinking of opening my own Etsy shop (or my hubby & I could start our own craft business since we're both creative) as a way of making some extra money from home. We are going to be living in my fiance's RV for the first while after getting married as it's much cheaper than paying rent on an apartment. We've agreed that I will do all the budgeting when it comes to money. We have thought things through, and our parents have both given us good tips and insight as well.  

3 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

You have to go to one of the approved clinics listed on the Montreal Consulate (the Embassy is located in Ottawa) website.  Some Canadians prefer to extend their stay in Montreal and do it all at once (Medical exam and interview), others do two trips - depends on your personal preferences, resources (time and $$) and location. 

Do you know the link for the Montreal Consulate? I definitely think that since it takes a day for me to just get to an airport that I'd prefer doing everything in one trip. 

So I have a question that I can't seem to find an answer to anywhere. Are there specific clinics/health centres a person has to go to for the Medical Examination for a K-1 Visa? Or can I go to our local health centre and get the exam done by the doctor there? The closest hospital to where I live is 6 hours away, and the doctors listed under the Montreal Embassy Information are all 4 provinces over. Would it be easier to get the exam done in Montreal itself a few days before my interview appointment? 

Just now, caliliving said:

If you knew u wanted a wedding in canada why didn't you do cr1?????

My fiance is impatient and wanted the quickest route possible to marry & live together. And from what I've seen a cr1 takes nearly a year, if not more, to process whereas the K-1 takes on average 5 or 6 months.  

Which is why we've decided not to have a "private wedding" after all. 

1 hour ago, Transborderwife said:

You know...he could always give you away via skype.

 

try the redress number.  Or perhaps getting a nexus card if he's permitted.

Thing is my parents know nothing about computers and myself or someone who actually knows how to use Skype would need to be there to set it up. He tried to obtain a Nexus card and was denied, and they say you can only ever apply once so that's no longer an option for him anymore.

13 hours ago, caliliving said:

I feel like this is a case of "you can't have your cake and eat it to" if you do the k1 you are forgoing a marriage and ceremony before the wedding in canada. Decide what bus more important...if u work in canada it's prob best to get married like this week in canada so your father can be there and apply for cr1! As long as you have ties and a job back home u shouldn't have a problem visiting the usa during the process either. I have many canadian friends that did cr1 and worked out better as they had a greencard and could work right away. 

9 hours ago, caliliving said:

Exactly, get married and apply for a cr1 problem solved. Seems like u want to get married in canada anyways. 

It's like people read the rules and think they can change it:/

Good think about a cr1 u can plan the wedding better and u should be able to still visit while it's processing 

I've gone to visit my fiance twice since submitting the forms and Border Control/Security has never even asked for proof that I am not attempting to immigrate (I read some forums where people had to bring proof, like you're saying, that they have strong ties back home) but I haven't had to pull out my package of proof once, nor do they even stamp my passport (don't know if they're just being slackers or what's up with that). I am heading back to see him in a month. In my package I have a letter signed by my employer that I am required back at work on said date, signatures from my parents as I do still live at home with them (saves me oodles of money not having to pay rent anywhere), most recent pay stubs, most recent bank statement, copy of my vehicle bill of sale & registration/insurance policy, and copies of my flight itineraries with proof of a round trip ticket. 

Is the cr1 Form I-130? 

11 hours ago, mimolicious said:

Not sure why you're so upset your dad can't be there when you knew that you had to marry in the US when you applied for that K-1. If it was such a big issue for you, you should have married and filed for a CR-1. Do not have a ceremony of any kind ahead of time, you'll be denied. If you bend the rules, you'll regret it.

3 hours ago, Will_and_Tu said:

This makes zero sense to me.

 

Either:

1. The insistence on having this private ceremony before the actual wedding is because the private ceremony isn't as unofficial as you're suggesting, in which case you're trying to pull a con.

2. The insistence on having the "giving away" before is because you believe that makes some critical difference in the reality of your marriage, in which case it's something you just need to do your best to overcome, as harsh as that may sound (and/or also still suggests that you're doing something more formal at this ceremony than you're copping to).

 

In either case, though, if an additional reason you can't do it after the marriage is because your fiance refuses to ("has no intentions" - yikes!), despite it being something clearly important to you, then you have problems with your engagement that have nothing to do with USCIS.

When my fiance proposed (we were in Victoria, BC with our families at the time) his parents suggested doing the private ceremony here so that my dad could be involved. We applied for the K-1 because it looked like it had the quickest processing times and it would allow us both to save some more money before our big day. But, my fiance is an incredibly impatient man, and wants to be married like right now. I keep trying to tell him that our best bet is to wait for the forms (which are estimated to be adjudicated sometime in March. Does that mean that's around when I'll have an answer as to whether or not I get the Visa?), but he keeps bringing up getting married before the forms go through and doing the K-3 or cr1 instead. But, he also doesn't want to spend a second apart once we are married which I know wouldn't work either while we wait on the forms to go through (he says being apart once married would be more difficult than it already is now, which I agree with). 

I feel so incredibly stupid now, having complained about how my dad can't enter the USA, but he got a letter in the mail yesterday evening from the RCMP stating that they did not match my dads bio-metrics with anyone in their system that had committed a crime. I'm assuming that means he's good to go...? Not sure if he'd still need to apply for a redress number, especially since he already paid to obtain a pardon. But, if he can travel (I told him he needs to bring that paper along when traveling in case border control stops him again) then we don't need to worry about doing the stupid private ceremony idea here and just do the one in Oregon, then do a reception here with my family after everything else has processed. 

I'm an only child, and my parents are both nearly 60 years old now (they got married in 1982 and it took them 15 years before they were able to get pregnant). Not being involved in their only child's wedding would break their heart. But, like I said (I honestly feel so dumb now) if my dad can travel now because they did not match him to any criminal activity, then my parents will be able to attend a ceremony in the USA which solves the problem entirely. 

Thank you all for your responses, they've all been really helpful

2 minutes ago, David & Zoila said:

That's ridiculous!  So you will "punish" your spouse's family and not have them at the wedding because your dad can't travel to USA?  OMG, that is not the solution! 

If your dad has really not been arrested since 1984 I am sure he could clear it up.  Is it possible that your dad did not disclose the fact the he was arrested again to your mom and other family members due to shame?

Just a thought.

It wasn't my idea, my fiance suggested it. He feels that either we're obligated to have both families there, or neither. 

I live in an incredibly small town, if someone gets pulled over for speeding everyone knows about it, let alone getting arrested. My dad hardly does anything, and when he went in to get a Criminal Record Check done after being told he could no longer enter the USA, it came back totally clear except for his arrest in 1984 (which US Border Patrol say would have no impact on his ability to enter the USA since he received no jail time). The officer at the RCMP office did say that there was someone in the country with the same name that had committed a horrendous crime not long ago, so the officer thinks it has to do with his name and they flagged it. Border Patrol refuses to tell us what he has supposedly been arrested for, so it's incredibly annoying trying to get a pardon for something you don't even know you apparently did.  

5 minutes ago, David & Zoila said:

But he would be "giving you away" in an imaginary ceremony that doesn't count anyway.

I suppose yes. I think we'd be better off not having either parents there to get married, instead of having one or the other there. 

1 hour ago, Will_and_Tu said:

Incredibly bad idea to do it beforehand.

 

But I'm confused--why can't you have a private ceremony and have your father walk you after the fact? If the private ceremony wasn't a real wedding, anyway, what difference does it make?

Because he can't come to the USA, I really hate the idea of getting married without him there. And to have him walk me down the aisle after the fact (after we've officially gotten married in the USA) just seems dumb to me, because the whole point in it is for him to "give me away" to the groom before we're married, not after. My fiance has no intentions of having another ceremony after the wedding in the USA and wants my father to "give me away" as well (he's traditional), which is why we thought having a private ceremony in Canada would allow my father to participate and do just that.

Thanks for all your responses you guys. I understand that there could definitely be some major issues that could come up from having any kind of ceremony before the visa is approved and we get married in the USA. It just really saddens me that I'd have to get married without my dad there, which is why we had thought of doing the private ceremony first. I've always liked the whole symbolism behind the father walking his daughter down the aisle and "giving her away" to the groom. My dad would love to be there, but he does understand that it may simply just not work. He's in the process of obtaining a pardon (for who knows what cause he's done literally nothing) so maybe that will go through by the time our forms go through as well.

My fiance & I submitted our K-1 Fiance Visa package in November, 2016 and received our NOA1 on November 28, 2016. We have been talking about having a small private ceremony with our parents here in Canada where I live (potentially in March or April) before the forms go through and then I would live there (in the USA) with him until the forms go through (or until my 6 months are up). Since my dad is not permitted to enter the USA at this time (they say he was arrested recently but hasn't been arrested since his last impaired in 1984) he can't come to Boise or Portland for the official, legal wedding ceremony, which is why we want to do a small, private ceremony here in Canada so that my parents can be involved, too. No signing of any forms, just a private ceremony with our vows and me in a pretty dress. Once the forms go through we would do the "Official" legal marriage. We were just wondering if anyone has done this before and what their experience was? 

Also, I was wondering if anyone knew if since I recently obtained my Nexus/Global Entry Card (my fingerprints & background check for the USA were done in October, 2016) if that could potentially help make obtaining the K-1 faster? I am in the USA system already, and pretty recently at that, so I have hope that it will somehow make things go faster. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated!