Shumai84

On 10/13/2021 at 2:37 PM, From_CAN_2_US said:

If your husband ever filed his taxes as "Married Filing Jointly" you would have an ITIN. You can get one as a non-resident spouse of a US citizen. Check with your husband if you have it.

 

Regardless, my understanding is you are authorised to work immediately after entering the states and activating your green card. Your SSN normally arrives in about 2 weeks of crossing (can take longer), and once you have it you can submit this to your employer. (i think it needs to be done within 90 days of starting employment).

 

Not speaking from experience here, but this is to the best of my knowledge.

 

There are others here such as @Shumai84 who had job offers before interview, and joined work soon after crossing. They would be best to advise.

Hi guys, sorry for the late response. Didn't check this forum for a while I'm overwhelmed with all the changes happening at the same time after crossing the border.

My new SSN card arrived in a week from crossing the border. Since I went to a college in the US, I already had an old SSN card and they kept the same number and issued a new card. I haven't received my green card yet, but I gave a copy of my immigration visa (expiring in a year) and a SSN card to my employer as soon as I received them, and I started working in 2 weeks from crossing the border. 

My understanding is that IR/CR immigrants are legally authorized to work as soon as we cross the border, but an employer would ask for a SSN number.

28 minutes ago, Sunshine022 said:

Question, I got my first dose of covid vaccine on Sept 9 and I will have my medical on the 23rd in Toronto. My second dose will be around last week of  September. My interview date is on October 25, will it cause any problem that I am not fully vaccinated on the day of my medical exam????

Deleted. Sorry my info was outdated. 

My SSN arrived 9 days from the date of my entry to the US.  I had an old SSN card from my college days 15 years ago, and I feel relieved that they kept the same number and just reissued a new card. Hopefully my green card arrives in a timely manner as well!

20 minutes ago, gavinski91 said:

What state did you move to?

I'm only familiar with Washington, but you should be able to sign up for a monthly policy with any major provider in your area - if you're in Washington you can use wahealthplanfinder.org. Moving to the US from a foreign country is a "qualifying life event" so you're able to sign up for insurance outside of the normal signup window. You can then cancel that plan once you start your job and get coverage through them.

Basic "Bronze" level plans in Washington are around $500/month for a married couple with no kids.

Thanks! We are moving to Pennsylvania. This is good info. We will look into the government enrolment website. 

Just now, From_CAN_2_US said:

Not an answer to your question, but wondering why you don’t just get your spouse to add you to their health insurance, provided by their employer?

 

That’s interesting to note about the travel insurance not covering you… good to know.

My American spouse doesn't have health insurance in the US right now as we have been living in Canada and we are moving together to the US.

I already got a job lined up in the US starting later this month, but he doesn't, so we need a temporary health insurance at least until my start date. Initially we thought we can just buy a travel insurance for this gap period, but apparently it's not intended for a new immigrant who lives in the US and you have to be a resident of another country to be covered by a travel insurance.

I looked at an option of buying a short term monthly policy but the online agent said you have to have lived in the US at least for 12 months to qualify, so neither of my spouse or I will qualify.  I was told the only option I can qualify right now is a "fixed indemnity plan" which is basically a supplementary coverage that mitigates the risk of out-of-pocket expense but this is NOT a health insurance coverage. I guess this is better than nothing so I might go with this option if I can't find anything better. Unless my spouse can find a job immediately, probably he will have to do the same as the enrolment period for Affordable Care Act doesn't start till Nov 1st.  

I knew American healthcare system is crazy, but it's actually quite scary not being able to qualify for a decent coverage. Reading all these details of deductibles and payment limits makes me feel like there is a price tag to each of my body parts and life itself in the US....

Is there anyone who crossed the border and has a good idea on how to get a temporary health insurance coverage till starting a new job?

I'm crossing the border this weekend and trying to find a short term policy but haven't been able to find one. 

Initially I thought I can just buy a travel insurance, but when I spoke with the online agent I was told that the travel insurance won't cover my situation because I will no longer be a Canadian resident once I cross the border. 

7 hours ago, From_CAN_2_US said:

Wow!!

 

This is exactly what I see too. The number of cases being processed per month by Montreal has NOT reduced. It was roughly 100 per month before the pandemic and remains 100 per month now. We see it only 12/13 days of DQ dates, compared to 25/30 days before the pandemic, but this is NOT because Montreal is interviewing fewer applicants. It is because the number of DQs per month has atleast doubled... Surely. they see that though, and surely, they need to manage it to avoid a potential 2 year wait between DQ and interview (which can easily happen the way things are going in the next 9 months). The only way is for Montreal to increase their capacity; increase staff, increase floor area of the waiting room.... They need to have started working on this yesterday (nay, 6 months ago)... It is clear they did not, and I only hope they are working on it now.

 

 I totally relate to this. I am 37 years old and in the same boat...hugs!

I commented in the consulate review that I posted as well, but like many mentioned, there seemed to be only two officers interviewing spousal visas (only window 1 and window 2 were used for interviews). They seemed quite understaffed indeed as the office behind the windows looked quite sparse. There were many people in the waiting area, but I thought there is extra room for some more people. Also, most people were waiting for 1-2 hours because there were just not enough windows with staff actively processing/interviewing. 

Based on this observation, I thought the main constraint must be really the number of officers who are trained and authorized to interview for the spousal category. There were like 12 windows, and only 3 or 4 windows were actively used.... I could also see Consular Chief Jean Akers (the lady who appeared in the facebook videos) in the private office from the waiting room.

56 minutes ago, Fobosdaemios said:

Hello, does consulate only send back the passport with the visa inside it?

 

2 & 3. I'm pretty sure you still have to get tested for covid before entering USA or coming back to Canada. It's just that you're no longer required to quarantine when coming back to Canada. It's best to check with each country travel requirements before you're heading to the US or coming back to Canada though.

 

USA still hasn't lifted border restrictions for Canada yet but you shouldn't have any problem since your visa is approved. 

My understanding is that, if you are driving to enter the US through the land border, covid testing is not required, but if you fly to the US, the covid testing with a negative result is required within 3 days from your flight. Other VJ members who just got approved recently and crossed the POE should be able to share their experience. 

https://ca.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-canada-3/

I believe the quarantine requirement is set by each state, so it depends on where you are headed. We checked the info of the state of PA, and it doesn't seem like there is any quarantine requirement. 

I also read that, currently there is no global standard to prove your vaccination status, so the US government might not recognize the proof of vaccination from the Canadian government. It appears the US government is not recognizing those who got vaccinated with pfizer/moderna in Japan when they arrive the US by air, so it might be the case for those who arrive from Canada either. 

1 hour ago, hellbob said:

We had our interview 4 Aug.  He did not get accepted.  I was so worried about all the other documents and double, triple checked everything and got updated sponsorship forms and updated tax returns etc.  Of course something we never thought of occurred.  He lived in Arizona as a teenager under his father's investor visa.  Apparently they found a mention of a court document for a Failure to Appear in 1994.  He had moved back to Canada in 1993 and when he came to visit in the US in 1994, he found out about the notice and went to court and it was dismissed.  At the interview, they said that they had record of a Failure to Appear in 1994, but no information on what it was or what happened to it so they could not approve his visa.  We're obviously devastated after waiting this long.  They did keep his passport, which is hopefully a kind of good sign but also means he can't visit.  We've called Arizona and they have no records of anything at all and said they don't keep them over 10 years so we are getting them to send a certified No Records Found letter.  This is so frustrating.  We had a year to do this if they had requested it last year when we were DQ'd.  

 

I don't know how to proceed however.  I guess we got the dreaded AP?  We just need to upload the No Records Found letter to CEAC?  I uploaded a lot of other documents after we got DQ'd and they never changed status from Submitted to Approved.  Do we just hope our file is flagged and they look at any new documents?  We thought he'd be coming home.  Feeling so devastated and helpless and have no idea what to do or expect. 

I'm so sorry to hear this happened to you guys. This is a kind of thing that keeps me still sleep deprived with anxiety.... I double checked and triple checked the doc list and uploaded a bunch of docs to CEAC for any new information that seems relevant, but I just can't help but think about what if I'm missing something. My interview is on Wed morning this week. I will report back once it's done. 

47 minutes ago, MJ & FEK said:

Sooo my husband and I were DQd this week. Right now for Montreal, it is looking to be about 11 month wait between DQ and interview. However, last year at this time the backlog was only about 150k. Now it is over 500k. For this reason, I am wondering if it might actually take WAY longer than a year for us to get our interview  What do you think? Does anyone have any insight into this? Or can tell me my thinking is wrong? Lol

Someone mentioned the consulate is currently trying to hire additional officers to add more processing capacity, but who knows how long it will take for them to actually see any increase in the number of interviews per month as they need to train new hires before deploying them.

We all analyzed the available data and speculated, but basically most of us concluded that there is little pattern in the way they operate and whatever we predict is nothing more than a wild guess. If you are from another country other than Canada and have an alternative to transfer your case, you might want to seriously consider. If I knew it will take a year to get an IL from DQ, I would have done so.

1 hour ago, T&S_MTL said:

1. My wife (USC) is currently with me in Canada, and we hope she gets a job offer this week for a job in the US. She will still move to the US after the interview but I figured that this job offer letter would be a plus in terms of proof of domicile (we put the US, since we just graduated and the plan is to move to the US now) What do you guys think ?

 

2. Also, do we still have to update the I864 ? Because nothing changed yet; she will only sign the contract for this US job after the interview, or at least start after that's for sure.

 

Thank you!

1 -  I got a job offer from the US employer, so I'm bringing it with me to the interview in case the CO asks for additional supporting docs for the proof of domicile. But I didn't upload it to CEAC as I wasn't sure if having a job offer from the US employer while being in Canada could work against me. Until I get a visa, I'm not authorized to work in the US, so I thought maybe technically speaking I'm not supposed to get a job from the US employer yet. 

2 - As @Kai G. Llewellyn, my American spouse updated I-864 with 2020 income and asset information and uploaded it to CEAC. I'm bringing a copy with me to the interview as well. 

Prior to an interview, do we need to upload an updated I-864 with 2020 income information to CEAC?

I didn't see any instruction, but looks like @Kai G. Llewellyn and others uploaded an updated I-864.... so I not sure if this is required. 

I printed out the one we uploaded to CEAC last year which only includes income information up to 2019, but maybe I should update I-864 with 2020 income information and upload it to CEAC?

6 hours ago, Fobosdaemios said:

Thank you everyone with the helps and advices! I got approved yesterday!

It was definitely busier at the Consulate now. The whole interview was very easy overall.

Btw, please do print out documents for back up even though you reupload the updated ones to the CEAC website! There was a glitch from their system or something it didn't show my updated i-864 form and luckily I brought with me a physical copy.

Was there particular reason you needed to reupload and bring a copy of i-864 to the interview?

In the instruction, it says i-864 is not needed for the interview....

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview.html

3. Gather Documents Required for the Interview

Every visa applicant, no matter their age, must bring certain documents to the interview, including photographs, and the original or certified copy version of all civil documents submitted to NVC. You do not need to bring your Affidavit of Support or financial evidence you submitted to NVC.

44 minutes ago, Twiz&Toz said:

Were did u see the k1 info I been looking for it . 

here you go 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yXsBaODEcERCnBkkVhTklmw1LrFVkY9dE6z2Q5D2kCc/edit?fbclid=IwAR2y6wgSsyW0DjDRDar0yqH8FCHNhfWPeSX7HyJCSuCRGjkAfvquzrZSrKo#gid=1154446973

I'm gathering documents to bring with me to the interview. Do I need to bring an original birth certificate of the petitioner to the interview?

I only have a photocopy of my partner's (US citizen) birth certificate, but the instruction below is a bit confusing and I'm wondering if I actually need an original:

"Your original birth certificate and that of your petitioner if applicable, English translation, and a photocopy."

But there is another instruction also saying below, which seems to indicate the petitioner's original birth certificate is not needed if an original passport is available: 

"If you previously submitted to NVC an I-864 affidavit of support (AOS):  Bring proof of your petitioner’s legal status in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or legal permanent resident card) and their federal U.S. tax return (Form 1040) from the previous year."

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MTL-Montreal.html#pre_interview_checklist

Did everyone bring original birth certificates of the petitioners or alternatives like passports?

8 minutes ago, DrJanko10 said:

K1 visas were sent invites today (July 13th) for August 25th...that gives me hope that more invites will be coming our way for August too!!

Please fill out your timeline and request @Hawk Riders to add you to the spreadsheet. 

"If your visa application is approved when administrative processing is finished, you will receive notification to collect the passport with the visa from the Loomis branch you selected when you booked your appointment."

I saw this in FAQ. Does this mean you get an email notification after the interview when a passport is ready to be picked up at the Canada Post Office you selected as a pick-up location when you registered for the interview? 

I'm wondering if directly picking it up at the Canada Post Office is better than selecting  the "priority service" to have my passport delivered to my address. Maybe it will save a couple of days of a passport traveling from the post office to my address and also eliminate the small risk of it getting lost in transit.

6 hours ago, Melody1920 said:

For those of you who have interviews in august , are you planning to leave Canada as soon as you get your visa ? How long does it take to get green card after entering usa? Are you planning to come back after getting green card to dispose property , pack up etc … just curious how people have been planning the move as it is so uncertain regarding when you could have got the interview 

In my case, I'm planning to purge, pack up and leave Canada permanently within a month from the interview (interview on Aug 11th). I see most people get a passport back within 1-3 weeks so I think it's feasible, provided that my case won't be put on AP or it takes 5 weeks or more to get a passport back.  I know I'm taking some risk in case something goes wrong, but I already got a job waiting for me in the US and I need to give a firm start date with my new employer who's been so patient about this crazy delay in my immigration.  I believe it takes a month or so for a green card to arrive after you cross the boarder, but it really doesn't matter because the moment you are approved and the consulate issues an immigration visa, you are allowed to start working in the US legally.

I already gave a 60 day notice to terminate my apartment lease as well as renters insurance and started listing out all the things I need to do in the next 30 days. I also booked my medical for July 20th, reserved a rental car to drive from Toronto to Montreal, and booked a hotel for an interview as well. I'm an anxious person so I can't help but start planning everything ahead of time.... I'm kind of putting everything on the line assuming that the rest of the process will go smoothly. If I get put on AP, I will be screwed and don't know what to do. All I can do right now is to over-prepare everything and pray everything will work out. 

24 minutes ago, T&S_MTL said:

What option did you guys select when registering for the appointment, am I right to think it's the first option? Since Im still having the issue this morning on the site (appointment not ready yet), I just want to make sure I'm doing things right...

I think it's the first one, but I'm not 100% sure. Please correct me if someone else knows exactly. 

5 hours ago, bkoz said:

Congratulations to everyone on their interview letters.  However, based on the pace Montreal is working at, I think I made a mistake changing the interview location when NVC initially assigned me to interview in the country of my birth (i.e., South Korea)...

Your DQ is in April 2021, so you might want to seriously investigate the possibility of transferring your case back to South Korea. 

If I knew Montreal would be this bad much earlier last year, I would have seriously considered transferring my case back to my home country. By the time I learnt it takes only 2-3 months from DQ to get an IL at the consulate in my home country even during the pandemic, I already waited in queue for 8 months and was extremely close to getting an IL from Montreal, so I didn't consider it. South Korea must have far fewer immigrant visa applicants than Canada, so the wait time for an IL is likely to be much shorter. 

13 minutes ago, Fobosdaemios said:

Oh I tried to register too but it also said not ready for the interview message too. I assume it takes a few days before it registers into their system? 

I got the same message too. I read that it takes a few days for the system to be ready, so I wasn't surprised. 

Let's just give a few days and try to celebrate our step forward this weekend. 

7 minutes ago, annierob said:

Oh my, congrats to all who get their IL!!! It's looking like they stopped around Oct 2...

 

Which means Oct 16 DQ will likely be in September...I'm Oct 20 and I am now realizing I will likely be in October 😭

Seriously!???  They didn't even cover 2 weeks of backlog? That's insane... I hope they are releasing more this afternoon. Just doesn't make sense when K1 got that many and spousal is getting less.