freshheir

2 minutes ago, Suss&Camm said:

I also believe that in your line of business there are so many different kinds of educations and levels thereof that I really can't see an employer being either surprised nor confused.

This is very true, and I think that this will definitely apply in about a year when we move into a city. Right now my husband is finishing his Bachelor's in a very very small town and we are sort of in the middle of nowhere so my artistic career is limited without long commutes that I will admit I will not commit to (I did that while in Canada and it was something I knew I didn't want in my life, even with necessary sacrifices), so in the meantime I am looking for pretty much anything local to get me by. In this situation, having a post-secondary education might mean more, but it's specifics not meaning so much. In that case, I'm not sure what to put on the job applications for 'education'. But with what cyanmavi said, if I can write in my own response I will say "Advanced Diploma" and they should understand it is post-secondary.

Hi there,

So my Green Card was just approved and I'm preparing to start applying for work. I understand pretty much any job will want to know my education and I'm not sure where my education stands to an American standard. See I went to Canada's Sheridan College (considered an "art school" by many) for a very extensive "art" program (it was theatre production - set design, building, props, management etc). 
 

My program was called an "Advanced Diploma" because it was a 3 year college program. In the US, I understand that anything called a diploma is referring to high school. And Canada doesn't have Associates Degrees. I also feel that calling what I have an associates degree is selling myself short, because it was a 3 year program, not 2. This also means it also wasn't a bachelor's degree.

How do I determine what to call my qualification? Is there a way for me to find out?

Thanks

Just to follow up on this thread, I went to a civil surgeon for a I693 form to bring to my Green Card interview. It cost $100 and they didn't do any medical work, it was strictly paperwork with a nurse to save the money. When I was in the interview, I said I had brought my new envelope. The officer reviewed my folder and said that their request for an I693 didn't make sense, and wasn't required. He took the envelope anyway and apologized for the money and time I had used to get the unnecessary document. Whoever had reviewed my case had obviously made an oversight of my entire medical page, which is clumsy. I also had it listed in my Table of Contents. Unfortunately, there is no getting the money back. Thankfully I didn't have to pay for a whole new medical, just the transcription rate.

Hello

So I applied for my AoS about a month ago. I followed the guidelines to what I thought was to a T. I just got a letter in the mail saying that I didn't include a signed i693 form in my package. I read in the AoS package that K1 visa immigrants who already had their medical exam prior to entry, had it not expired over 1 year yet, could use their vaccination supplement form instead of taking another medical (which makes sense since it's stupid expensive and stupid redundant). 

Well, I included my DS3025 vaccination form, which is the only paperwork I have as medical exam evidence and then I got this letter saying I didn't submit the i693. They said I can bring the signed form to the interview or send it in if I don't require an interview. So now I need to find a doc that will transcribe, and the only one in the area said she'll assess the situation and probably charge the medical exam cost just to fill out my paperwork for me. 

Why did they say I could submit my vaccination supplement instead, and now are asking for the i693 too?

~~~

Lastly, when I went and got my SSN from my nearby administration, they said they couldn't find me in the system, so they searched me based on my middle name being a 2nd first name and was able to find me. They said that the USCIS seem to have been lazy about my middle name in put and actually put me as having a double first name, yknow? So he told me to call USCIS (hahaha). I was immediately at the biometrics appointment and they gave me the number to call. Well, it's that horrible automated system and my situation doesn't fall in any of its categories. And I don't know how to submit it as a typed error because I have no idea how long this has been a mistake, I don't know which form to make the receipt of when the error began. Not to mention, I could be worrying about it for nothing because my marriage changed my name so they had another opportunity to fix it if it truly has been going over their head and the change just hasn't officially been processed yet (its been about a month and a half since AoS application submission).

Anyway, the SSN office gave me a number under the name that is technically wrong and told me to try to get it sorted out ASAP because obviously having my US life in the wrong name is a problem. And I don't know what to do! I'm getting my license application done in the next couple days and everything I do now has to match the SSN record, which is my wrong name.

Hey everyone, just posting to let you know I made it through the Queenston POE in under 20 minutes absolutely no hassle. I didn't end up bringing my car, but the paperwork, my belongings, and my parents all managed without any harassment or delays. I just posted a lengthy and thorough review of my POE experience, which I don't know where else it can be found but is definitely on my profile. I think. (still kind of new to VJ)

So just for follow up, just like everyone said I was fine. I crossed at Lewiston/Queenston POE. They opened my package while I was sitting but when they called me up I saw page 1 (where the petition info was) and there was red pen ALL OVER the page saying things like "PETITION REVALIDATED" "DATE CHANGED" "SEE EDIT" whatever notes all over the place. It looked comical almost. So my petition had automatically been renewed 4 months from the interview like everyone said it would and there were no problems. I'm going to post a POE review in a moment to overview the whole experience but I was in and out in 20 minutes. Wonderful! Now to start stressing about wedding plans instead! Always got something chewing at me!

Good luck VJers!

On 5/1/2017 at 6:04 PM, Orit.d said:

( I will be in the same boat eventually, so let me know what happens ) 

Since posting this I've actually decided to simplify my moving process by bringing my car in at a later date because I won't be needing it for the summer anyway. You might actually go through before me! But I'll be coming back to this post to recollect the information you got about bringing it across when that time comes.

If it's not obvious as well, I'll be getting my NY license in relative quickness even without my car being with me (it'll stay in Canada under my mother's insurance and name while I'm gone - I'm a secondary driver right now. That was actually part of why I decided to wait - switching ownership was an additional complication to add to an already frantic process. T MINUS 18 HOURS UNTIL BORDER CROSSING!)

Just now, pajobra said:

You need to own it for at least a year from what I have read.

Oh god I hope not! It's been "mine" for 2 years but the paperwork is being done NOW to be mine. I guess if that's actually for sure how it is, importing will definitely have to wait!

3 minutes ago, pajobra said:

now we are wishing she gave it to me more than a year ago so I could but oh well

What do you mean by this? Do you have to own it for a certain amount of time in order to import it?

Also it's super cute about the small border thing! I think my POE would recognize me if it wasn't so big - which is still so so small compared to others in the area!

Hey guys!

So I'm preparing for my move - it's scheduled for Thursday morning (the 4th), probably arriving around lunch to miss work related traffic. I was wondering if anyone has any advice for border crossing by land!

For your information, I'm going with my parents in tow. I have my car and they have their truck. We're both filled up with boxes of my stuff. I'm already in the middle of an inventory list, and I'm aware I need to make some form of written permission for my parents to be carrying my stuff for me as well, so I've done that. 

I want to import my car but am I able to wait? I read online you need a US compliance letter or such and I ordered one but I don't think it will arrive on time for the move. Also, when I do import my car from Canada to the USA... it says on the border site that I have to clean the undercarriage to avoid contamination across nations. Does this actually apply to Canada? Because I've driven this exact car across the border for months at a time more than once. I can't see them being concerned about pests from Ontario to New York state. 

I'm nervous about my petition expiry but I already made a separate post about that and the VJers calmed my nerves for the time being. I really just want it to go smoothly. Are the officers at Lewiston Bridge generally easy going? How long does the process take (not including waiting in crossing line)? Can I wait to do the import procedure? If they're really going to have a problem with it my mom can drive it back when I'm finished moving but I'd like to keep it there if I can. 

I'M SO EXCITED AND ANXIOUS AND OH MY GOSH AFTER ALL THIS TIME THERE'S ONLY 4 MORE DAYS!!!

Just now, A'n'L said:

It did not come up at all during my interview. They can't process the visa without the petition being valid, so re-validating it (if expired) is a necessary technicality.

This answer and your story is, I think, the only thing someone could say to me to make me feel like I'm going to be okay. I appreciate it so much, thank you!

3 minutes ago, A'n'L said:

interviewed about two months after original NOA2 expiration. The CO automatically re-validated the petition.

Did they tell you it was re-validated at any point or did they just do it soundlessly? ie. is it possible and likely the petition in my sealed package is renewed and I don't even know.

13 hours ago, A'n'L said:

I experienced this first-hand when I entered with my K1 at DTW last year. My officer was new and in training, it was his first K1.

When you experienced this, what had your petition situation been? Did you request a re validation or had it been done automatically for you? Did you make it through? 

14 hours ago, Ash.1101 said:

Just for future notice, the person who was turned away at the border contacted Montreal, got their sealed envelope resealed and a new visa sticker showing a new petition date. I think it delayed them by a couple of weeks at most.

This is INSANELY comforting. I was worried if I got denied for a petition date of a few things. 1. is that Montreal has been horrible for me to contact. Requesting a revalidation in the first place took a 2 month reply and ended up saying 'no talk to the consular officer' as an answer, and 2. that they would see the petition expiry and THEN tell me to go to the beginning. So the fact that they acknowledge the error and work to correct it quickly is very comforting.

Annoying that I would have to drive out another 7 hours presumably just for a new envelope (unless they'll deal with it by mail?), but good to know it's only a couple weeks. 

The wedding is supposed to be June 10th. I panic at the thought of delays at this stage. In retrospect of all of this, I would have told my fiance to screw his intensely persistent concept of needing the "REAL WEDDING" right upon arrival. Too much money and friends hopes and our hopes on the line.

Granted I didn't think starting in July would cut so close!!

15 hours ago, KimchiLumpia said:

Did you get an email from the Montreal Consulate telling you that it was delivered and available for pickup?  

I got an email from the Consulate when they sent it, from Canada Post when they received it, a tracking number to eagerly anticipate its arrival, and an email when it was ready. 

The postal lady in my town teased me for being there within 15 minutes of it being registered into their system as available.

5 minutes ago, zilchfox said:

After POE, you can find your I-94 here. In fact, you can even look up past ones here, too. Give it a shot: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home

I'm not sure if I'm impressed or creeped out by this travel history. But this is great information, thanks! 

11 minutes ago, zilchfox said:

As a Canadian, you won't receive it physically, you will need to look up your I-94 after you've landed in the U.S. and moved to your new home. Use this I-94, along with your cancelled K-1 visa to go to a Social Security office to get yourself an SSN as soon as possible, as they will only issue them to you within the first 75 days of landing, married or not.

All new information to me - interested that I can an SSN before the EAD and AOS. Where do I look up my I-94 information to start this process? 

2 minutes ago, NikLR said:

ou have the visa, petition no longer matters.  Stop worrying. 

I would believe this because it's logical, except I know that even Toronto airport denies multiple people a day about this issue. They definitely do look at the petition validity if the border officer is particular enough. I think getting through with an expired petition means you got an easy going border officer.

Hey VJers, this is my first time posting something original so.. here we go.

First of all, I know I am an extremely paranoid, anxiety ridden worried wart. I have read here on VJ time and time again that it is routine and automatic for an expired petition to be renewed. Here is why I'm freaking out:

My petition was set to expire in February. Due to delays collecting documents, and needing to redo a form that ended up being expired (ie. it was mostly my fault not administrative), I wasn't able to do a medical until March and the Interview until April. I just had my interview on April 26th. I had planned on asking and submitting a written request at the interview for a petition revalidation so I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Of course, me being an idiot and literally blinded with excitement for being told I was "approved", I had a brain fart and walked out of the room. In the 30 seconds it took me to go from the room to the elevator and back the consular officer was gone. Nobody in the main sitting area would or could get him back for me and I got sent away. So even though I was approved I had to sit at home waiting for my visa just PRAYING that it was MOST CERTAINLY going to be done automatically.

Anyway I was able to calm myself saying that when I get my visa, the petition expiry is stamped on it as well and I could see for myself if it had been re-validated on its own accord. I got the visa SO QUICKLY. Interview Wednesday. Sent out Thursday afternoon. Received today (Friday morning). 

Of course I frantically flip to the visa in my passport and IT DOESN'T HAVE THE PETITION STAMP. This means if it is extended and I can stop worrying, I certainly don't know for sure. It's in the super secret visa envelope. And if it's not renewed it may be harder to be spotted by the border patrol but it's also something I won't know until I'm at the border, moving, with all my belongings and my parents in tow with even more belongings (we're driving across at Niagara Falls).

I've read horror stories of people being sent away at the POE the day they planned on moving. Most of the stories say its because the stamp was right there on the visa sticker, which mine isn't. Or the visa expired between the interview and going to the POE, but mine expired 2 months ago so they had plenty of time at the consulate to notice and renew it (including the day they put the visa in). 

So I don't know. I'm just freaking out and now I should be excited to move but, just like this entire process, it has been dampened by WHAT IFS. What if they don't approve the I129. What if they don't get the RFE. What if I fail my medical. What if I don't have enough proof at the interview. What if the petition is expired? WHAT IF I GET SENT AWAY WHEN I'M 4 HOURS FROM MY NEW HOME?

5 minutes ago, PWalker said:

I wish this stuff was listed in the emails. The i134 has his social security number, and birthday. Is that really not good enough? Will a photocopy of our sponsor's birth certificate be enough? 

For the banking and employment info, they ask for that in the form itself, but they never took it at my interview. Because the form asks for it I would recommend having it just in case its a case-by-case or consulate-feels-like-it kind of document. 

If you are only using a sponsor and no cosponsor, than you should only need the ID documentation you've used in the past (either a passport or birth certificate). I only mentioned the co-sponsor because they don't say that ANYWHERE EVER but I got asked for it, and was only sort of prepared thanks to VJers in the past. 

What I would recommend is be sure that you have all the documentation he needs to sort out exactly what his marital status was then, through the incident, and afterward. If you're worried that his documentation and evidence wouldn't be enough or isn't clear, the I-129 allows descriptions and additional information/breakdowns about what you are inputting. I would assume that, similar to how you may need to attach an additional page to elaborate how you met (they give you enough room for about 5 words there??), you can do so to elaborate on this instance.

For example, in the I129 Form I submitted at question 34.A it asks to describe how we met. In the blank I wrote "See attached supplement sheet, at the end of the I-129F form". As a header for my attached page I said "Supplement Form; I129F Question 34.A". 

In your instance, there isn't a spot to indicate there is an attached page, but they will definitely see it there. It's a good idea to include a sort of table of contents for your I129F anyway, so you can include the supplement page on that as well to be sure they get to look at it. Then you can write all you want to help clarify the situation.

For the K1 visa you most definitely use the I-134 form. I noticed while helping my fiance and co-sponsor fill it out that they also ask for banking and employment proof/information as support so I had that prepared, but didn't realize until some digging on VJ that you needed the tax return for the I-134 (I thought it was just post-immigration application before that). So make sure you have the tax return as well. I brought the whole thing but they only took the 1040 pages.

If you use a co-sponsor, your fiance AND co-sponsor need to do the form and the supporting evidence for themselves separately. My fiance NEEDED his father as a co-sponsor because he is a student. Even with 0 income and a lack luster tax return, he was approved. So don't worry about a main sponsor's information if you are dependent on a co-sponsor. At least, that's how it was in Montreal, Canada.

Also a side note: if you use a co-sponsor they'll want ID of the co-sponsor, ideally a passport or birth certificate that clarifies nationality or citizenship. I gave them a license and they took it, but it was apparently it was the least preferred option. 

The others have already listed what the packet 4 requires, I'd just like to note some off points that were relavent in my experience as well. First of all, a lot of what they asked me for didn't get used, but obviously it's important to have it available for them anyway.

Up until Packet 4, everything Montreal told me was that I needed a "birth certificate". It wasn't until Packet 4 that they specified LONG FORM and that was a very expensive and panicked rush for me over the recent Easter Weekend that I wish I had known about before hand (again, probably late for you/your fiance but still relevant if anyone reads this forum later).

Another thing they never asked for but I had seen mentioned in previous VJ posts was evidence of domicile for where you'll be moving upon entry.

Additionally, I made sure I had the supporting documents for the I134 forum (banking, employment, and tax return), though they only took the 1040 pages. I also had a co-sponsor for my application who was definitely about 95% of my financial dependability. They asked for my co-sponsor's ID and I gave them a driver's license. They asked me if I had a birth certificate, passport, or anything labelling citizenship/nationality. I didn't, and they took the license instead. But I see why they would prefer the alternative.

And just to re-iterate the packet 4 guidelines, they word for word told me the following:

-              (2) Passport size photos no older than 6 months and with a plain white background (if you wear eyeglasses, please remove them when you have your photo taken).

-              Copy of the first page (biopage) of your Passport.

-              Original & copy of your Long Form Birth Certificate.

-              Original Canada Police Certificate (Canadian Police Certificates have a validity of 12 months from the date they were issued) and Police Certificate from countries where you resided for more than 12 months.

-              Original I-134 Form along with 2015 1040 Form from your Sponsor (please make sure that you bring the original signed form, neither copies nor scanned copies will be accepted).

-              Original Letter of Intent to Marry from your Fiance(e) (only letters that have been signed within 30 days will be accepted,  please make sure that you bring the original signed letter, neither copies nor scanned copies will be   

                accepted).

-              Original & copy of Divorce Certificate if you have had a previous marriage.

-              Medical Exams from our Panel Physician.

If you're planning on going to the consulate with him, don't forget your passport!

I'm not sure if it's so simple to do in Russia, but here in Canada I can do a very simple sort of online tax file in about 20 minutes and it'll usually be sent back to me within a week. If it's available to you, maybe as a safety net you can do this past year on your own to get it done faster and just have your attorney due the remaining years and help you recover from your ex-lawyer. Generally it's not going to get as generous of a return to you because of small details that aren't available to include in the filing, but would be worth it to get your approval at the interview! Otherwise, let your new attorney know the issue and urgency, and perhaps ask for the 2016 rush (most businesses will rush their work for a price!), then wait for the rest like you otherwise would.