dr0wsydruid

Got my biometrics done yesterday! The office was fairly empty, which I wasn't at all expecting--but this just means I'm one step closer! As mbssss said, my EAD/AP will come after this--so I'll update once I get the combo card

Hi! I'm Aes, and I'm from Canada. My husband (Max,) is an American citizen, and we've been working on Adjustment of Status since late April. 

I originally came to visit in January, the plague hit shortly after, and we decided to have me adjust status instead of being in a state of not knowing if this visit would be our last for a long while. We've been together 5 years now as of this past July, and married for 3 years as of October 26th! Most of our relationship in the first three or so years was online with visits here and there, but in May 2019, I came to visit for his birthday, and we just started travelling back and forth together. May to Sept, I was here; Sept to Jan, he and I went back to Ontario, and from January on, I've been here again! It's been such a whirlwind with everything happening in politics and health, but I'm just glad we're together. My AOS NOA date is April 23rd (or 24th, I'm tired and can't remember,) and we just got my biometrics notice, so my work permit should be here soon!!

I like coffee, cats, and creating things. Max and I want a farm someday, with chickens, a big garden, and an old timey radio in the kitchen. He's a 3D video game artist and character designer, and I'm still undecided (but leaning towards being a writer!) I collect vintage objects and try to restore them, and I love to sew, paint, do needlepoint, and spend literally all my time with my cat. Nyx is a 5 y/o black cat that talks a lot and loves to lay on me--Max and I 100% call her our kid, because we're those people and love her that much. 

A question here to anyone reading: What's your favorite book? If you're not a book person, what about favorite movie? 

Hope everyone is well and safe!

2 minutes ago, mbssss said:

I believe you can't get your EAD without biometrics so after you get that done, you should get it. I'm not sure how long after biometrics it will take, maybe someone else can fill you in on that, but you need biometrics before you can get your EAD. 

!!!!! I had no idea that it worked like this, I'm very much more excited for the appointment now! 

Thanks! ❤️

Wings

Cake

Hey all! I'm very unsure as to where I should post this--I'm not on here very often, though I'd like to change that, and there's just so many places and information blips that I get a bit confused. I'm currently in WA state, going through adjustment of status. I'm Canadian, married to an American citizen, and when I came to visit, the plague hit and we decided to apply for AoS. So...I'm not sure if I fall under AoS, or CR-1, or....where I should go. (That was a very long winded way of saying hello and I'm sorry if I post this in the wrong place!)

My question is very much what it says on the tin--we applied back in April, got our NOA on April 23rd (or 24th, I just woke up and the papers are all in my desk where I, sadly, am not.) I just got my biometrics appt. notice on Friday, but I have yet to receive my AP or my EAD. I know from the timelines I've seen that this is past expected waiting time for those documents (technically one, I believe our lawyer had us file for a combo card,) and I'm starting to get antsy not being able to work. Husband has been laid off since June, and not being able to contribute to the house is starting to feel worse and worse with the days passing. 

I wanted to ask anyone here that might come across this--what was/is your wait time looking like? Is it normal to wait nearly 6 months for your EAD/AP to arrive? Is there somewhere I should be calling to ask these questions as well? 

Thank you to anyone who's read this! I hope everyone is well and safe. 

We haven't filed the i-130 yet, and I don't have an ITIN. I don't have proof of residence (like a utility bill) because I don't live here yet. 
All we want is to add me to my husband's chequing account through Chase bank. 
When I called the info line for Chase, I was told all I would need is my passport, and that would be it. That I could go in, with husb, and set up to be added to his chequing account, with JUST PHOTO ID.
I called a branch we were going to go to, and the lady there told me that I needed photo ID (passport,) AND state ID, OR a photo ID and proof of my address in the US. 
I don't. Have? A state ID? Nor do I have a US address. We're trying to add me to his bank account so that we can start putting our  finances together in preparation for the i-130 and me moving here. 
What on earth do I have to do to figure this out and get it done? When I talked to the lady at the branch, and I mentioned that I don't even have an ITIN yet, she genuinely didn't know what an ITIN was. 
This is exhausting. Advice? 

1 hour ago, adil-rafa said:

i assume already married (no timeline)

when you fie tax returns for 2018 in the spring,  have canadian spouse fill out the W7 form to get a ITIN (individual taxpayer ID number) and add him to your tax returns

take the ITIN to the bank with POA from spouse to bank

US bank regulations allow this

 

I added Adil  while he was still in Morocco

 

for example foreigners working in the USA have this to open bank account

 

the only time u can apply for the ITIN is when filing taxes

 

since u are not doing the130 till october there is plenty of time to do this before interview 

Shoot, yeah, I have to update that as well. 

I'd heard about ITIN's but hadn't looked it up, and forgot until now. Thanks for reminding me! ❤️

4 hours ago, NikLR said:

K3's are only granted about .01% of the time.  Don't waste your time.

 

You can open an account in Canada and in the USA and add your husband onto your US account if you wish.  RBC does these cross border banking accounts.  (I have one, so I know.) TD also does them  I find RBC easier simply because I had zero issues starting a credit card in the USA with my SIN and Canadian credit score after I started working down here.  

 

You need a form called a w8-ben to be added onto a US account as a non-resident alien.  Get your husband to specifically ask a bank manager about that form and to add you onto an account.  The teller will have no clue.  Military banks do it all the time but they're used to foreign spouses. 

We've decided to not go the K3 route, so thank you so much for saving us that trouble, lol. 

We'll look into doing the w8-ben with Chase, as well as maybe adding him to my bank. We figured it'd be better if we added me to his, because I'm the one moving, but honestly, joint finances are what they are regardless of where they are. 
You're super helpful, tbh, I'm really grateful for your involvement in my question! 
 

4 hours ago, NikLR said:

Also you are currently in Canada correct?  So adjustment of status (which would be required for the K3 btw) is only for people who are present in the USA.  You cannot intend to enter the USA to adjust status.  (they allow this in Canada, they do not in the USA.) It is fraud. 

 

The CR1, while it takes longer, is the superior visa to the K3 in every way.  I've seen 1 K3 go through Canada since 2012.  One other person tried and it was sent back by Montreal to be processed as a CR1.  (Montreal is where you will be interviewing btw.) The K3 takes about 1 month less than the CR1 and is half the visa and twice the cost. 

I am in Canada, yeah. And yikes yikes, we definitely don't wanna do anything fraudulent in this process. Just the idea of that is frightening--but then, I'm one of those people that has stupid irrational fears of like...being denied border entry on a visit because the border guard just really hates my shirt that day. 

We'll definitely do the CR1 instead, then. This is all so complicated and overwhelming for us, but Visajourney seems like a great place for us to set up internet-camp while the process happens. ❤️

2 hours ago, Roel said:

Damn, you have things severely confused. You can't file any I129f, since you're already married.

 

This is the only guide you should be following - http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

We really do! The USCIS website is confusing and outdated, I have severe situational anxiety about it all, it's a big mess. 
We're gonna just exclusively use the visajourney guides, I think--this is the only place online that looks and feels like the best place to go for info and support. 
Thanks so much for your comment! ❤️

4 minutes ago, mushroomspore said:

I think you are confusing K1 and CR1.

 

K1 is a fiance(e) visa and is used to enter the US with the intention of marrying your American fiance(e) within 90 days. After that, you file adjustment of status papers (green card). When adjustment is done, you get the green card and become a permanent resident. I believe K1 involves the I-129f.

 

CR1 is the spousal visa (must already be married) and involves no adjustment of status. Once CR1 is granted, the immigrant enters the US and is a permanent resident upon arrival. Physical green card arrives 2-3 weeks after.

I probably am, tbh! 
I looked on the USCIS website, and at this link here, under that 'Can my spouse come to the United States [etc]' box, it says I can do both? That's why we were gonna do the i-130 and then the i-129f, but now I don't know because of the replies here. 
This is all so very confusing to me, and I'm really afraid of doing it wrong. 
Thanks for your reply! ❤️

1 minute ago, Ryan H said:

 

Doesn't work that way, procedures that are currently in place at USCIS and the State Department have rendered the K3 visa (the end result of filing the I-129F after the I-130) virtually unobtainable.  Using current processing times as a guideline, plan on at least 12 months from the time the I-130 is filed to the time a visa interview takes place and count your blessings if the time it ultimately takes for your case is less than that.

...Well heck. 
I don't remember the name of it, but isn't there a thing we can do where I go to the states, and we file the I-130 and something else, and I can stay in the states? I could swear it involves the phrase 'adjustment of status', but I really can't recall anything more, and wouldn't know where to begin looking. 
Thanks! ❤️

1 hour ago, mushroomspore said:

Wells Fargo allowed me to open an account when I was just a student in the US. I showed them my Canadian passport because I had no American issued ID obviously but I can't remember if I showed them my I-20 (official paper proving US student visa status). Perhaps your husband can give them a call or visit and ask.

!!! Perfect, we'll definitely check with WF too. Thanks for your reply! ❤️

1 hour ago, Ryan H said:

Quote

 

***Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to Tax & Finances During US Immigration forum.***

 

**Moderator hat off**

 

Thank you thank you! I'm very new here and couldn't find the right place. 

Quote

Don't bother filing the I-129F, the only form (along with accompanying documentation) that will need to be filed is the I-130.

 

The I-129F is so that I can work and live there while my I-130 is processing, I thought? We've been together 4 years, married 10 months now, and we don't wanna have to wait another 13 months to be together when my I-130 finally goes through all the way.
My info could be all wrong, though. And this again, could not be the place for this conversation? Maybe? I don't wanna make a mess on your forum omg. 

Thanks for your reply either way, I really appreciate it! ❤️

52 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

Opened a bank account with then boyfriend/now husband during one of my visits.  Smaller local bank was an easy process. Try with a credit union or smaller bank. 

You're a gem, thank you so much. We'll look into it at smaller places! ❤️

Heyo! My husband (US) and I (Canada) are looking into gathering more proof for our application. We have tons of travel stuff and all that, but he and I both very much want to open a joint bank account. (Largely because I'll be helping save for the i130 and the i129f that we plan to file come October.) 
The only issue, is that Chase bank (where my husband banks) refuses to let me either sign up for a joint account WITH him, OR be added to his current account. They keep saying we need me to have a residence in the US, and prove that I have it by having a bill in my name or something similar. I obviously don't have that stuff. 
Do you guys know which bank we CAN open a joint account with that'll allow me to be part of it regardless of me not living in the US yet? Even if he has to open it himself, and then add me to it, that would be fine.
I'm sorry if this is the wrong place for this question--if it is, lemme know, and I'll try to fix it. 
Thanks!