MsZ

They could teach us all of their procedures and then send each of us someone else's application and we could crank through those puppies in a short shot.

Let's all send gifts to the service centers -- cookies, snacks, fruit, etc. and sign the card "K3 & CR1 applicants" and see if they start liking us better than those pesky K1s.

The Tax ID has no impact on your SS#. So if you can get one pronto because you want to be included on the return, do so.

Since I've never lived w/my husband (he's the beneficiary) I claimed "head of household" and didn't put him on the return for 2007.

Having a lawyer would do nothing to improve processing times. (And half of the visa lawyers don't seem to really know their job as far as I can tell, anyway.)

On the 22nd it will be 6 months for me, too. But we are fortunate in that we get to see one another frequently. I feel for those who are apart for the majority of this process.

I see you've discovered the USCIS diet!

Chin up though. You will get your approval. You just have to be patient and try not to think about the lack of logic to their process. And also remember that this is a privilege and not a right.

But I agree 100% that it makes zero sense that a K1 is quicker than a K3 or above. Two people who do not have a commitment to one another in any legal sense have greater ease in bringing someone here than two people who have made an emotional, legal and financial commitment to one another. Whether he's here or not, if I get hit by a bus, he gets my 401K. But he just can't take care of my children because they're here and he's in Canada. So of course it makes perfect sense to bring in someone on a K1, someone who may or may not have spent much time together into the country so they can rush, hurry up to get married perhaps before they might otherwise, just so they don't have to date a continent or more apart. (Sigh...)

So Fruit, you are saying that the VSC online system was not updated to reflect your approval? Another person who was recently approved said that their approval _was_ reflected in the online status.

A love child? How about a can't keep it in his pants child? Or make that children. Or how about a doesn't have responsible sex child?

And no, if my husband cheated and had a child outside of the marriage, I would divorce him so fast he wouldnt' know what hit him. But you married him after the fact. This guy wouldn't even be on my radar because he is not a suitable partner. But enjoy living in denial believing that love is all that matters. You'll soon find out that is far from the truth.

As for people who think that exercising judgement is a bad thing, again I challenge you to tell whether you'd recommend this guy to your daughter.

But the truth is, they sometimes do approve a visitor's visa. So all you can do is try. The worst that can happen is they say no.

Then you need to have him travel w/documentation of his ties to his home country so they can judge that he will not be attempting to stay in the US.

Possibly. That's the only real answer. He may be able to get a visa (if required) and he may be allowed into the country. Or, he might not. All you can do is try.

thanks.. everyone deserves a second chance....

i trust my husband and he is now paying off his debts... i am patiently waiting and him too... were too young still (25)... so im not in a hurry to fly to USA...

It takes time...

A second chance? Seems he had two chances not to make a baby and instead, he made two of them.

And he's only 25? Great. I'm sure your parents are very happy to know that their son-in-law is such a responsible person. Further, do you want a family? If so, how is he going to be able to afford one when he's already paying two different women for the families he already has?

To me, you are far too young to be involved with someone who has this kind of history and baggage because you're going to be paying along side of him for what he's done in the past. You are going to have some mighty large arguments with him over money and this issue and you're going to resent that his irresponsibility will prevent you from having the kind of life you'd like.

The only thing this guy has to offer is entry into the US. And by all rights, he shouldn't even be able to do that since that money is owed elsewhere.

Take the document to a notary and they will make a copy and certify that it is an exact copy of the original.

I'm not overly keen on women who have children with multiple men, either.

The point is one of responsibility. So let's talk red flags -- if he were married to both of them, the new woman would be Mrs. #3. That's a red flag. If he didn't marry either of them, he is irresponsible by making not just one mistake, but two and then not living up to his obligations. That's a red flag. One baby out of wedlock, OK. I'll give that a pass. But two? Sorry. No pass. And further, birth control. It is readily available. So, he had sex without protection. (And we can get into a lot of discussions about forms of birth control but if he'd have used a condom he would not only minimise the spread of STDs but more than likely would have prevented two babies he can't afford to take care of.)

And how much you want to bet he can't wait to make a baby with his new woman?

Riddle me this -- would you tell your daughter that this guy is a good risk, good enough to leave your home country for?

It'd make more sense to hire a solid lawyer to fight these things, especially when they are clearly in the wrong.

But I do know that if someone couldn't pay their child support they have zero business sponsoring someone for immigration. And anyone who would trust a foreign spouse to tell you the truth is asking for a lot of trouble. Long distance hides a lot of things and when there are giant red flags, I'd require a lot more than just his word for why things are as they are.

Past that, the poster implies that he has two children by two different mothers. That's another red flag. Two babies. Two different mothers, and now he wants to bring someone from another country into the mix. If you love drama, this guy sounds like a real winner.

Did they update the online status to reflect the approval?

Argh. I hope we're soon. 2/24 last touch. (You know, when they finally entered us into the system.)

I'm glad to see others around us getting approved. At least I know that if we don't see movement in the next several days that something is wrong.

Hop on up to NY. No SS# needed here, either.

Arlington, this is the IR1 forum, not the K3 forum. Further, the I-130 went in for the majority of people in the last 6 months well before their 129Fs so they are a different kettle of fish entirely.

That is, if you've never been married before. If you have, you'll need your divorce documents to be verified as being legal in Canada. The Canadian website has information on this.

He can come to visit and you can get married. But he has to leave and return to Canada. He can't stay and adjust status. (That'd be visa fraud.)

Here's the tricky part about the above. They're going to ask the purpose of his trip. If he says "to marry my fiance" they may not let him in. Some border folk think that a K-1 is required to come into the US to marry even if your intention is to leave the US during the process. So, if at all possible, have other plans during this trip and then he can say that he's going to visit his GF or his family or Sea World or whatever. If they bring up marriage or something though, he needs to tell the truth. He can avoid telling them everything, but if asked a pointed question, he has to answer honestly.

So then you get married. You spend some time together. And then he returns to Canada.

You file your I-130 paperwork.

If getting him here in the fastest amount of time is important and, he doesn't need to return to Canada too soon after he's approved and, he doesn't need to work right away, go for the K-3. That'll involve other paperwork right after the 130 is received by USCIS -- mainly the I-129F.

If you need him to work right away and/or he needs to be able to freely leave the US after enternig on his visa, go for the CR-1. Once the 130 is approved then you'll have more paperwork to file.

During the time that your visa is being processed, if he can demonstrate strong ties to Canada in terms of a letter from work stating they expect him to return to work on a certain date, his mortgage statements, utility bills, etc. he'll probably be allowed to visit you. They may never ask for these things. But they might. Or, they could turn him away just because they feel like it. The rules are that there are no rules on who they let in and who they don't.

My husband has been coming here from Ontario every other week since we got married 6 months ago. He says, "visiting my wife" and they say, "OK." But YMMV. Again, there's no guarantee.

However, you can go to Canada any old time to visit or even to get married.

And yeah, most people think you get married and the foreign spouse just gets to stay but it isn't that way. And trying to explain how long it takes to get an approved visa usually makes them think you're just stupid and don't know how the system really works because surely it can't be that complicated or take that long. (It isn't really complicated. But it does take that long.)

I really don't think this is the right forum for relationship advice. Sorry. There are plenty of places for it though. You've got to follow your common sense and your heart.

My husband visits regularly but he drives in from Canada. I don't know that his experience is the same as coming from farther away via plane. However, he does travel w/proof of ties just in case. He's never needed them. Interestingly, the one guard who did talk to me about it prior to our wedding told me that he always turns people away when their application is pending. I guess Mike hasn't gotten him (yet).

Mike tells them he's going to visit his wife. Sometimes they ask if he's going to move there, sometimes not. Most of the time it is just standard questions (purpose of visit, anything you are bringing in, length of visit.) He's been doing this about every other week for 6 months since we got married.

Still, there is zero guarantee. So, the theoretical advice is based on the reality. You can try. You have no way to know if you'll be turned away. It is the luck of the draw of officers. That's the unfortunate reality.

B-2 or no visa at all. My husband came, we got married and he returned to Canada. No visa required. And he comes back and forth while the I-130 (CR-1) is being processed. No parole required.

But if you are doing an adjustment of status because she's living here, that's different. Then she would need advance parole to be able to come back into the US.

But the 485 (adjustment of status) does not apply for IR1/CR1 applications, only K3 or K1 apps. IR1/CR1 expressly includes the ability to travel out of the US as one of its benefits/characteristics.

Does he have any intention of going back to Canada any time soon? The reason I ask is that if he leaves he might not be let back in. He should also file for Advance Parole if there's any chance he will visit Canada while adjusting status.