sadee

30 minutes ago, vRace said:

Once again ...............

I drove to the Sweet grass border AB/MT and presented the border agents the packets and told them i came for the 1st entry. They sent me inside and another officers processed it within 20 mins. That is it. They don't care if you go back or front. It's common to drive to the border for stamping and go back. This is where you are officially a permanent resident and you can enter and exit whenever as you like.

 

I went back to Canada right away within 30 mins. I actually got pulled in by the Canadians officer and i had to explain everything on why i was at the border.

 

I drove to US again from the Lynden border BC/WA with my US plated car and towing another US plated car and both full will stuff till the roof. No issues, other than the officer making sure these cars are mine.

Since you do not have a GC yet, just say you just got the permanent residency and the visa is stamped in the passport and you are moving.

 

 

Thanks

On 11/29/2019 at 9:35 AM, vRace said:

I think your lawyer is being overly scared.

Once they stamp the GC on you passport for a year, you are officially a GC holder. They cannot question you intent as you can always defend that you are disposing of property and stuff.

 

I think it's a common thing to get the stamping done at border POE and go back. I did that and never had any issues.

Did you come back to Canada on the same day after they stamped I551? When you landed in USA later, did they ask you any question like why you entered US and went back on the same day? Which airport you landed the second time? Please answer.

10 hours ago, vRace said:

They didn't ask anything to me at the border. They just processed it and done and asked if i had any questions.

 

You can come back to Canada right away if you want.

 

You will have 1 year stamping on the passport and if you didn't get the GC, i think you have to enter within 1 year.

Thank you V Race, I am much relieved now. I asked the same thing to USCIS, they also answered the same that we can reenter with no issues.

9 hours ago, shurix said:

sadee, I don't know why you want to keep your kids in Alberta during the winter instead of taking them to Florida with you right away...

My oldest is in grade 8 right now and I want him to go to school in US as soon as we get our green cards. This will give him a great head start for high school next year.

During orientation, employer prefers no family since they give hotel accomadation for us first 60 days.

2 hours ago, mlml19 said:

My lawyers said not to. Technically, once they stamped on your passport at POE, you're LPR even without the green card but if you exit the country a very short period after POE and re-enter without GC, you may be questioned about your intention to permanently live in the US. This suspicion will be greater if you land and leave the US on a single day especially. Again, technically you're LPR with you passport without GC but they may question your intention heavily and LPR status can be revoked. My lawyers' advice was, the best is to stay in the US until your GC arrives and re-enter next time with GC. At least stay in the US for some significant amount of time if you have to reenter with your passport without GC. 

Thank you for valid information. I have another question, for now me and wife will enter US since our job starts on Jan 6. But our visa expiry date is April 21, 2020,  6 months from the medical. So we have to come back and get kids from Canada to US before their visa expires. My concern is will we get green cards before their visa expires, totally stressed and confused. I sent an email to USCIS also to clarify it. If they allow me and wife without green card to reenter, then no problem. But I do not want to take any risk.

On 7/27/2019 at 12:10 PM, vRace said:

Carway border is very small and they were having internet connection issues.

 

I went to Sweet Grass border. Its bigger and faster. 

But is "First IN First OUT". Be there before 8AM in the morning and you will be the 1st one to be processed and be done in 30 mins.

If you go later on in the day, you will have to wait couple of hours before your turn.

 

 

Hi I have few questions, I like to cross the sweet grass border, what all questions they would ask? Is it O.K to come back on the same day back to Alberta? I am going to fly to Florida in January, want my kids to finish their school year here in Canada. How long they can be out of United States continuously after they entered once? Please let know.

3 hours ago, elcampesino said:

What did everyone's packets look like when they received them? Mine have like cheap scotch tape across the seal in the envelope. There are some stamps across the seal but one of my envelopes is pretty much open. It looks like the like and stick seal was never used and there is just a single piece of tape on horizontally. Should I be worried? I have not opened the envelope, this is how I received it. I am afraid officer at POE will think I opened it and taped it shut. Why would they use tape and not just lick and stick it?

Luckily mine is good, not opened. I think just send an email to them (Montreal), so it is an evidence.

5 hours ago, elcampesino said:

Glad to hear it!

Thanks

12 hours ago, elcampesino said:

Yep, I received an email from courier service around 11AM this morning. Shouldn't be long now for your case, not sure how it works since you were interviewed before me. Luck of the draw I guess. 

Finally received email and passports on the way back 

1 hour ago, elcampesino said:

Yep, I received an email from courier service around 11AM this morning. Shouldn't be long now for your case, not sure how it works since you were interviewed before me. Luck of the draw I guess. 

I received reply from consulate saying in one or two days.  So hopefully by tomorrow or Thursday I will get an update. Thanks 

9 hours ago, elcampesino said:

Status changed this morning to issued with the note that "Your visa is in final processing. If you have not received in five working days..."

Did you get any email from courier service?

3 hours ago, elcampesino said:

Status changed this morning to issued with the note that "Your visa is in final processing. If you have not received in five working days..."

good, mine is still same. Testing my patience

In CEAC last updated date changed to 25 Nov with the same content, so hopefully good news soon

On 6/18/2019 at 7:37 AM, NB90 said:

Hi all—

 

Just wanted to get advice from people who have had their interviews recently and received their passports back. My husband and I had our interview in Montreal on June 3 and as I had mentioned it was approved and we were handed the green “welcome to America” sheet and told our passports will be ready in 2 weeks max. It has now almost been 3 weeks and the CEAC status still shows administrative processing and no sight of our passports. We’ve been living in the US since 2016 on various non immigrant visas (TN, L1A, H1B) and had a valid 5 year H1-B when we went in for our interview. My question is do you think it’s worth requesting our passports back as clearly our file has been sent into some form of secondary security clearance? I read somewhere that once the immigrant visa is verbally approved, all other non immigrant US visas are canceled effective immediately, even if your case goes into secondary processing.

 

If someone has experienced this, please share your experience—we’re super concerned!

 

Thanks a lot 

Hi NB90, My interview was done on Nov 12, verbally approved and got green sheet "welcome to America", that day itself CEAC status changed to "issued" and VO told will get passports in 2 weeks. But still I do not see any status change in CEAC, same status. What to do?

1 hour ago, shurix said:

Hey sadee - did you get your passports back yet?

No Still same update only from Nov 12, only wait no other options. I emailed them few days ago, no reply.

5 minutes ago, KartineeKartoons said:

At this point, all you can do is wait. Hopefully before this week ends you get a new update.

When was your interview

Nov 12

8 minutes ago, KartineeKartoons said:

Yes I did.

Interview Nov 18 at 8:30 but actual interview happened 12:06 because there were too many applicants. 

On my way home, I checked 3:40pm and it says ISSUED with administrative processing note under it. 

It has been like that even when I checked this morning. And around 12 noon, one person in our group posted that his status changed so I went to see if there is any change for me and now it says ISSUED with note about receiving it in 5 days. 

Mine is still same, What I should do?

8 minutes ago, KartineeKartoons said:

Yes I did.

Interview Nov 18 at 8:30 but actual interview happened 12:06 because there were too many applicants. 

On my way home, I checked 3:40pm and it says ISSUED with administrative processing note under it. 

It has been like that even when I checked this morning. And around 12 noon, one person in our group posted that his status changed so I went to see if there is any change for me and now it says ISSUED with note about receiving it in 5 days. 

Is there any phone number to call them and ask?

4 minutes ago, KartineeKartoons said:

Mine changed today from AP to receiving it in 5 days. I went for interview last Monday 8:30am

Did you go for interview on Nov 18?

On 11/19/2019 at 5:34 AM, elcampesino said:

Hello, 

 

Our interview went well, we also received verbal approval and ceac status is same as sadee currently. Did not receive an email, just a sheet which gives a link to a website where you can check processing status. CSRA Visa Information service website, same place where you registered your interview with the consulate. It still shows current status as appointment on that website, so looks like nothing has been updated yet. Consular officer also told us we would receive our passports back in two weeks. I am hoping it is sooner than that but at this point after such a long journey it is just such a relief to have been approved, and after all we have waited what is another week or two?

 

I will post here if I receive an email and update once I receive my passport. 

Any update?

27 minutes ago, KartineeKartoons said:

Hi Sadee! What do you see on your visa status at the moment? What date is the last update? 

 

I saw a K1 interview date Nov 6 and only got the passport with visa yesterday. 

I still see last update Nov 12 same as interview date with "issued status" with AP processing note under. I sent an email yesterday to consulate.

3 hours ago, elcampesino said:

Hello, 

 

Our interview went well, we also received verbal approval and ceac status is same as sadee currently. Did not receive an email, just a sheet which gives a link to a website where you can check processing status. CSRA Visa Information service website, same place where you registered your interview with the consulate. It still shows current status as appointment on that website, so looks like nothing has been updated yet. Consular officer also told us we would receive our passports back in two weeks. I am hoping it is sooner than that but at this point after such a long journey it is just such a relief to have been approved, and after all we have waited what is another week or two?

 

I will post here if I receive an email and update once I receive my passport. 

Thank you, please update. Some people got passports back in 2 days.

1 minute ago, can2us_ said:

It went well! As I mentioned - this was 'follow-to-join', so it was actually my wife interviewing to 'join' my EB2 case. She arrived at the consulate around 6:45 for an 8:00 interview, and she was actually first in line. Once they opened the building up, she was out in about 20 mins. Apparently they barely asked her any questions. Basically what my name was, what my phone number was, and maybe one other question. At that point they informed her that she was approved!

 

Regarding CEAC status and visa delivery, these were the high level updates:

Oct 15 8am interview: CEAC status Ready

Oct 15 5pm (approx): CEAC status Issued (with text about administrative processing)

Oct 16 12pm (approx): CEAC status Issued (your visa is in final processing, if you have not received it in 5 working days go to this link...)

Oct 17 10:30am: Email indicating visa has been delivered (to Winnipeg). CEAC status is still in same state (ISSUED: your visa is in final processing...)

Oct 21: Paid IV fee, received IOE number that is used to track status on USCIS site

Nov 2: POE at YWG airport (straight forward, took 20-30 mins)

Today: Still waiting for SSN and GC. CEAC status still says issued, and USCIS site (with IOE number) still just says that IV fee was paid

 

Thanks for update. My interview was done on Nov 12, got verbal approval and ceac status shows issued with AP note. Still same update in CEAC. Is it normal? Will it take 2 weeks to get passports back?

On 9/10/2019 at 1:39 PM, can2us_ said:

We just got our IL   

 

October 15th date. Check your emails everyone!!

How was your interview? Did you get email regarding passport delivery?

On 10/8/2019 at 4:09 AM, elcampesino said:

Received my IL yesterday as well.

How was your interview? Did you receive an email regarding passport delivery? Please reply.

48 minutes ago, BurBur said:

The ISSUED status with AP message just means it's in process. Then it would change to ISSUED - Final Processing. In our case it was 1 business day later. Then 1 day later we received an email saying it's ready to pick up. We signed up the post office at Montreal and it was ready the day after the email. I think in your case it should be just fine since the officer said so. And it would be pretty quick based on some others' experience on the premium service. Congrates! Hope this helps.

So I had interview on Tuesday and still the status shows like this, is everything ok?

41 minutes ago, BurBur said:

The ISSUED status with AP message just means it's in process. Then it would change to ISSUED - Final Processing. In our case it was 1 business day later. Then 1 day later we received an email saying it's ready to pick up. We signed up the post office at Montreal and it was ready the day after the email. I think in your case it should be just fine since the officer said so. And it would be pretty quick based on some others' experience on the premium service. Congrates! Hope this helps.

Thanks Burbur, I attached the screenshot here and the lady told us  will get passports back in 2 weeks.