Peot

28 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

Félicitations on the approval (+ your Lionel-Groulx pronunciation!)

Haha that pronunciation is the best I could do! .... ROLL YOUR R's of course  

1 hour ago, danie82 said:

 Thanks!  Is there a rough timeline of how long things will take since I received our approval letter?  

Again, feel free to check out my timeline under my avatar for a rough estimate:

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=261489

Note that I was able to choose an earlier interview date. 

My times do not reflect what your times will be necessarily. Your notice of action (approval) is NOA2 on that timeline list.

It took one full month for it to go from NVC to consulate, and I have heard that it is rather high for US consulate in Canada.

I highly recommend you start filling in your own timeline here as well to keep track of this for yourself and other people who might be interested in how long it has taken others in the same situation

Let me first preface this by saying this is more of a "how-to" or a list of my experiences than a review.

As these usually go, I will go through travel, experience, wait, interview (documents needed), and so forth. Skip to the section you're most interested in. 

• Travel (To and From Airport to Downtown)

Getting around Montreal can be fairly confusing, especially if you aren't used to cities of this size or if you've never read a word of French in your life. Almost all street signs are exclusively French, and all wording on buses and trains is exclusively French. With this in mind, keep a keen ear and listen for the street names in announcements to get an idea of where you are and how far you've traveled.

Step 1: Getting from the airport to ANYWHERE can be expensive. The cheapest option will be a 3 (or more) day pass on an STM L'Occasionnelle card. 3 day pass is only $18 and works for buses and trains in the Metro. A cab ride downtown is around $50 one-way. See what I mean? At the airport, follow Sortie (exit) signs until you see the front doors. Look for signs that say "747" with arrows. Follow them until you either go to the info booth or the digital self-serve STM kiosks to print out your card. Yes there are English options on the STM machines.

Step 2: Walk outside and go as far right as you can at the airport's front sidewalk, again following the 747 signs. You'll likely see a long lineup with people holding bags waiting for or getting on a bus. Make sure it says 747 and hop on! Your card works here. The pink bus line is MUCH faster than the green bus line as the green line usually has a huge line of people waiting. You'll see what I mean when you get there. Either way though, it will take you to your next stop......
Note: Even if you are forced to take a cab, simply take the cab to the subway station below. It will still be cheaper to get a ticket there and use it for the week.

Step 3: The next stop is Lionel-Groulx. Pronounced (roughly) like Li-yon-al Grow. You'll walk inside, down an escalator, and hop on the subway going towards your place of stay. Look at the subway map and try to figure out which station is closest to your hotel / airbnb / hovel, and go in that direction. To get downtown, hop on the Honoré-Beaugrand platform. Again, listen for your stops or count them out as you go by as it can be hard to hear the announcements, especially if you are a non-native speaker of French.

Note: The closest station to the consulate is the McGill station which is only 4 stops away from Lionel-Groulx!

Step 4: The consulate is located at 1155 Rue St-Alexandre. The door looks like an unassuming door on the side of the building, but it is the only door directly on St-Alexandre. It has a US consulate logo on top of it.

Walking here to and from most hotels and places downtown (especially since you're now an expert in getting around the metro) is a piece of cake. 5 min walk to McGill station. 20 min walk from Peel station.

Step 5: On your return trip, go back to Lionel-Groulx via Angrignon platform. Once at Lionel-Groulx, walk to the street and head to the corner of Atwater and Delisle. You'll see a bus stop marked "#61334". It will also say 747. Wait for the bus that has "P.E.Trudeau" printed on the digital screen and you'll also likely see more people with baggage waiting. This will take you all the way back to the airport.

• Inside the Consulate

Step 1: A guard will greet you at the door. About one foot inside the door is a small podium where they will confirm your appointment, check your passport and appointment letter, and they'll give you a laminated number as well as a list of documents they need. You are then told to proceed to security which is right in front of you.
 

Step 2: Security is similar to the airport security. Take off any jewelry, metal objects, belt, empty pockets, jackets, etc.. They will ask you to turn your phone off and take it from you. You can keep everything else. They will hand you a very small ticket with a number on it. Keep this safe or you won't get your phone back!

Note: While at the appointment I saw many women with rather LARGE handbags and purses. Likely they would also let you in with a carry bag luggage that you might fit under the seat on an airplane.

Step 3: Head down a flight of stairs and then across a hall. To your left will be a photo booth that does passport photos for $10 if you need to retake them. The elevator is at the end of the hall and only has two buttons: RC and 19. Hit 19.

Step 4: You'll enter a waiting room. For me, about 15 people or so were waiting in the "immigrant visa" section. Sit down and (again, for me) 10 minutes pass and they'll call your number that you received earlier up. In these 10 minutes you should gather the required documents from their list and put them in order. Not necessarily in the order they say, but as long as you have them all together you'll be fine. See REQUIRED DOCUMENTS below!

Step 5: At the window, they will ask for the documents they had you gather, in no particular order. In fact, it seemed as though the person behind the window was remembering them as they went. They will prepare a file for you, and get you to take your fingerprints on a digital scanner. You're then told to wait until your number is once again called. This person was very friendly and understanding. She explained what I did and did not need to hand in.

Step 6: For me, an hour passed before my number was again called. I went down a hall and into a more private booth with a window. I was asked very basic questions such as "When was the first time you met?" "When did you start a relationship?" "How often do you visit?". She also thumbed briefly through the Affidavit of Support (I-134) and that was it. She handed back all originals. Again, see required documents below for what she did and did not take. I can't tell you enough how friendly (and happy) the person doing the interview was. She said she loved hearing about the "love stories". 

Step 7: I was informed that the application was approved, was handed a letter saying "Welcome to America", as well as a link to the "ais.usvisa-info.com" site where you paid the MRV fee, and was told Canada Post would email me a tracking number in 5 days. This tracking number can also be found on that link.

• Required Documents

Do not use this as a bona fide list! This was from MY personal experience and yours may differ. Always follow the Packet 4 instructions!
DO NOT EXPECT / ASSUME THIS TO BE THE SAME FOR YOU.

Documents I was asked for on the letter given to me:

1. Passport + Bio page copy
2. Divorce Decrees (original only)**
3. Fiance statement of intent
4. PROOF OF PAYMENT (this is not listed on Packet 4, but is mentioned when you pay!)
5. Affidavit(s) of support
6. Medical sealed exam
7. Long-form birth certificate + copy
8. Police certificate
9. 2 color photos (again, they do have a booth downstairs if these weren't accepted or were lost or forgotten)
    

**Note: Divorce decree was not mentioned on their form but both the first and second person I saw mentioned previous marriages and I had the decree ready.

Documents I was NOT asked for (These did not even appear on their list at the consulate)

1. CEAC confirmation page of DS-160
2. Proof of US domicile
3. Proof of petitioner status
4. Any previously submitted info on the I-129F including photos, relationship evidence, old passport stamps, I-94, relationship history (seriously none of it!)

I was handed back originals (including divorce decree) after the interview.

Super old topic and I apologize for bringing it back to life, but has anyone recently had any luck with Chrysler (Jeep, Dodge, etc)?

I spoke to one of the CBP officers at the border and they told me that for the past year they've been hearing nothing but issues from Chrysler on getting the EPA / DOT approval letter. My car DOES have the EPA sticker, but I'm told that I also need DOT sticker for importing (or a letter from Chrysler saying my car meets safety standards).

I called Chrysler's FCA corp help desk and they had no idea what I was talking about. When I told them to check again they realized I had called the right place. Spoke to them for about an hour and finally they said I was all set and gave me a fax number. The fax number is NOT IN SERVICE. Called back and they told me that it was inputted wrong and that I now had to wait 5 days and if I hadn't heard from them to call back.... well it's been 5 days again.

Any luck from anyone here?

On 8/22/2017 at 5:20 AM, danie82 said:

 Is there a specific website to get that police cert. thing?  Thanks again!

Your fiance must physically go down to the local police station in Ottawa, or to a rural RCMP station. Fiance MUST get the police record check in-person as they do not do online orders for immigration purposes (for some reason).

On 8/22/2017 at 8:40 AM, Helen Quail said:

I hear that the exact process is pretty embassy specific. I will interview in London. Can anyone advise for London Embassy?

 

Also on how I can use this time ( NOA2 due in a few weeks) to gather info. I have the guide for my partner in USA but what should I be gathering here now?  

 

Thank you all

 

Helen

Can't speak to London, but you should be getting any personal documents you will need ready at this time such as your police record check, lots of passport photos for medical + interview, etc..

This may not be updated, but it's the newest one I could find with a simple search pertaining to your embassy:

https://uk.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2015/11/iv_and_k_interview_checklist2014.pdf

1 minute ago, Kennycat said:

Dont get it twisted if u hv different barcode with the one u hv on ur appointment they wont allow u the embassy.......its better u cancel d appointment and reschedule with correct DS-160 

I disagree with this. Rescheduling an appointment can sometimes take weeks or months until a spot opens up again. If flights, hotels, etc, have been booked it's even worse. You can refill the DS-160 and bring BOTH confirmation pages with you. Marking down which one is the old one is extremely easy to do. 

Don't book another appointment because you can't find a pen to write with.

Also, depending on what the mistake (or missed information) is on the DS-160, it might not even be worth filling it out again anyway. Sometimes it's easier to explain this at the interview than to worry about wording.

The same thing happens all the time for the Affidavit of Support form. 

You will see I-134 and I-184 used pretty interchangeably. You just have to be wise in knowing that K1 always uses the I-134 form.

As others have said, it's just a generic message you're getting. Use the DS-160.

Feel free to check my timeline (to the left under my avatar) for estimated times for getting from one stage to the next.

The process at Montreal is that after you get NOA2, you get an email from the NVC telling you to fill out the DS-160 form and to be patient.

• Shortly after that you receive Packet 3 in the mail. Both petitioner and beneficiary should get a copy of Packet 3.
• On Packet 3 is asks you to start gathering evidence from the list above, and once you have gathered it, you must sign the checklist and email it back to them as well as a screenshot of the completed DS-160 confirmation page and your passport bio page.
• Days after that, you will get Packet 4 which gives you the same checklist, and suggests you book your interview and to pay your MRV fee. You cannot book your interview without paying the fee.
• Once you have paid, they will send you another email with payment confirmation. You can then choose your interview date. Do this right away as times and dates are very limited! 
• They will send you yet another confirmation page, and this one is important. Print this page out! You need it for the medical!
• You can then book the medical at your chosen physician. Be sure to bring vaccination records, any medical documents for known issues (if you have any), and a whopping 5 US-passport photos as well as your passport, and the printed appointment confirmation page you printed above.
• At the interview, follow the list above but also provide relationship details like photos, boarding passes, and any evidence you submitted with the original I-129F if you can. The more the better! Also bring the DS-160 confirmation page.
• Then it's the waiting game  to get the visa.

Where in Canada is he? Start planning on which panel doctor you'll be visiting now and get an idea of the fees. Western Canada you really have only one close option. Eastern Canada you have a few more. Make sure you get all of your necessary booster shots and tdap shot specifically for vaccinations BEFORE going to the medical to save $$. It's otherwise around $45 a shot. You cannot book your medical until you are given permission to (Packet 4).

Police check / record check can take a great deal of time. Do this BEFORE you get the Packet 3 (shortly after NOA2 is good). My criminal check, for example, took 7 weeks to complete. I have heard that going to a rural RCMP office yields much faster results for these checks though! Ask around before committing to 4+ weeks for delivery!

Your fiance will be doing their interview in Montreal. I highly recommend AirBnB for travel as it's very affordable, there are plenty of options around the consulate, and it's very difficult to find a flight into Montreal that can accommodate the early appointment times. You'll definitely be staying at least one night ahead of the interview to comfortably make it on time.

I will attach a screenshot of the Packet 4 email checklist. This shows you everything you need to bring to the interview at MTL (minus the DS-160 confirmation page that you also have to bring as well as relationship supporting pictures, documents, etc)

You are self-employed. You must declare so.

On a side note, hopefully you have been paying your self-employment taxes......

1 hour ago, Jasmayne said:

I was thinking the same, maybe they printed the wrong noa by accident, but that wouldn't add up to the fact that tier 2 said we got approved on the very day the letter got to my fiances dad. I guess we'll never know. 

 

What do you mean, I need the WAC number from the noa2? From my understanding i got the WAC number as of noa1 until it gets to the nvc where we'll be provided with a new case number, or am I tracking this wrong?

 

I've heard about the expiry date, and will double and triple check to make sure that this is not gonna happen, thank your for your advice, though. I truly appreciate it. 

 

And again thank you for your input and taking time to get back at me. 😊

 

Oh does the NOA1 have the WAC number? It's been so long since I saw mine, I can't remember for the life of me what it showed. I thought NOA2 was the first time you get that number. My mistake! 

The next confirmation number you'll get is from the NVC in the form of an email (if you provided email). It will show your embassy case number and WAC number. The petitioner receives this.

On 8/16/2017 at 2:10 AM, Jasmayne said:

Hello 😊

It really is the exact same copy of our noa1 we got back in april. 

Luckily we received a call back within  an hour and a tier 2 officer told us we were approved just now... 

I still don't have an answer why we got a second noa1 when our case got approved like a few days later, but honestly didn't ask because I was so happy to be approved. 

What a hell of a Rollercoaster ride that hour was. 

Your finally get that golden letter only to find out its another noa1 : bummer, waiting for a call for 390 minutes : bummer, being told you're approved after only 60 minutes : priceless.

Thank you for your reply though and good luck to you on what ever part of your journey you may be right now 

I have no idea how their workflow goes, but it could all come down to a simple checkbox. The person handling the case may have sent NOA1 instead of NOA2 by complete and honest mistake. 

Note that you will need the WAC number from the NOA2, so hopefully you were able to obtain that over the phone

As well, it's handy to know the NOA2 expiry date, as the interview MUST be completed before that date.

Are you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE this isn't the NOA2? It should arrive somewhere around 4-6 months from the time of NOA1. I mean they look completely different though, so it's hard to mix these up.

NOA1 for us was received one week after we submitted the application. Only one week. NOA2 came 4 months after that.

Might be worth the 6 and a half hour call back time!

On 8/12/2017 at 9:25 AM, DavidofLondon said:

Hello, I'd like to know if I am able to work in any capacity during the K-1 Visa Transitioning phase, Here are my questions:

1. After first moving to the US, can I still work for UK clients prior to gaining marriage/green card status, during the transitioning phase?
2. Is there any capacity that I can work for myself, selling digital content online, prior to gaining marriage/green card status, during the transitioning phase? 
3. After marriage, how long have you generally had to wait, before you have been able to work?

Thank you for any responses that may shed some light.

1. Depends on the nature of your business. If you are working for a UK-based company and getting paid in foreign dollars to a foreign bank, Yes. Foreign companies cannot accept EADs. 

If you're self-employed or working for a US company for UK clients, No. This changes your place of business to the US, and you're magically "taking American jobs".

2. Answered above. Self-employment would make primary place of business in the United States and therefore you need an EAD.

3. You can apply for EAD at the AOS stage (or upon entry if you have a US job offer), and usually this happens fairly quickly.... Couple months at best from what I've read.

6 hours ago, Aviinashh M said:

Is your doctor USCIS certified doctor ? Also have a look at the following pic....All the sections have to me marked by either a check mark or a note. That was filled by USCIS appointed Civil Surgeon

[EDIT: Unnecessary image removed]

Somehow I don't think you understand the process of getting vaccinations, the question that was being asked, or the answer I provided......... 

Thanks anyway? lol

3 hours ago, Hornswoggled said:

Okay, on this subject I'm wondering about supporting documentation from social media, specifically calls and messages using media such as Line, What's App, Viber, etc. It's really the only way I connect with my fiance when we're apart. 

 

Would it be best to just assemble multiple screen shots from the phone (4, 8, etc.) onto printed pages? 

Unless those messages establish that you've met in the last 2 years or describe how you became a couple, they're not necessary at the I-129F stage.

9 minutes ago, Dee elle said:

They will want the w2 for the tax return.. have the joint sponsor get their IRS transcript as it shows everything and is from the IRS rather than the individual. 

Welp... I can attempt to get a copy of that, though he is also submitting a bank letter AND letter of employment.... 

Since I'm not getting answers, I'll clear up another thing:

The jointly filed 1040 IRS form does NOT separate income. It shows total wages.

The bank account letter they gave me ALSO shows joint income of well over the minimum.

I have read here a few people who suggest submitting I-134 forms for both when they have joint income. I have also read here that only ONE person is considered, regardless.... 

But I guess my question is: If only one person's income is considered (not the joint amount on the tax return), then how do they get this amount? How would that amount even be proved?

If all of the evidence shows a single income amount, is this the amount that they should have put on the I-134 form, regardless of whether or not it was jointly obtained and filed?

1 hour ago, SusieQQQ said:

So Nolo is wrong when it says K1 can only work with EAD? Ok http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/fiance-marriage-visa-book/chapter5-22.html

 

but if it's easy to show that you're work authorized as a K1, why is this thread even existing?!

To be perfectly clear - People with K1 or are adjusting status DO need an EAD to work in the united states. An American company is required by law to obtain work permits from its employees. This is not what was ever in dispute here. Mentions nothing about working for a foreign entity remotely. A foreign company does not abide by US law, and is not required to, so cannot and will not accept an EAD. They aren't the ones required by law to do this.

As for why this thread even exists.... it was dug up from the grave when someone asked for an update. Beating a dead horse. There are no updates... it should remain dead and buried.

Sounds like good news to me!

If the person had said those exact same words to me, I'd be celebrating.

Now of course I'd be lying if I told you there wasn't still a final chance for refusal during administrative processing, but the changes of success are much greater for you unless you have skeletons in your closet you didn't disclose.

22 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Is there a difference between K1 and H4 on this basis? A friend of mine on H4 was also working online for a company outside the US, filing taxes on the income so no worries about that, and they hit problems doing AOS because even though the company was outside the US, because she was physically in the US uscis deemed her to be working without authorization in the US and therefore to be in violation of status. They did their AOS eventually but had to do some fancy footwork in the process. 

H4 visa holders CANNOT undertake any employment without USCIS permission (and a change of status to nonimmigrant category that DOES permit employment). I'm sure that's more the reason for their violation.

As of a couple years ago, they have changed it for some H4 holders to work, and can now get an EAD, but you still have to apply for it. In the past, this wasn't even a possibility for H4 holders.

EDIT: What I believe this means, in simple terms, is that since a foreign company cannot get an EAD, an H4 holder could not get approval from USCIS to work remotely from that foreign company... therefore they should not be working and earning income. Seeing this would be a no-no as it looks like visa type evasion. 

The paperwork for my co-sponsor has been bothering me and I need this cleared up. Should I get the paperwork (Page 3) redone on the I-134?

The co-sponsor is married and filed taxes jointly with their wife. Combined income on the tax return.

The reason for my concern is that on the Page 3 of the I-134, they only listed their single income, and it's $500 less than the required poverty limit! 

Is it true that they should have put the combined income from the tax return on this form instead, and if so, do I need to get them to submit a new Page 3 for me with the correct income amount?

I have seen this happen many many times with parents who have filed joint tax returns and can list their TOTAL income on that form. Is this the proper way it should be done?

Update for those searching for this like I tried to...........

Day of the medical I needed to have the Tdap shot done. Local cost was $45 for that shot. Despite the Tdap doses I had received as a child and the recent Td booster, this was still needed.

Having the Td shot within 2 or 3 weeks of the medical was completely safe, or so I was told by the doctor who did the Tdap.

The doctor provided me with an updated vaccination record right there on the spot.

On 8/11/2017 at 3:26 PM, theanswerisdance said:

Great write-up. It brings back memories! I was surprised to see a review for Dr. Cheema's office because I had just assumed that when Vancouver stopped processing K-1s, they also stopped offering medicals. I wonder how many non-BC residents they still see coming their way instead of doing it all in Montreal?

The morning I was there, one of the lab techs at the x-ray place said they had processed someone from Calgary, Edmonton, and one from Saskatoon. Seems like it's still one of the go-to places for people in the prairies and west coast.

Keep in mind that there are also a couple medical places that do it up in Toronto too  In fact Toronto was my second option when weighing whether to have it done in Montreal, Toronto, or Surrey.