Family One

Yes

I entered on a B-2 for visiting family. The IR-1 has not yet been endorsed.

But I am not even a LPR yet! I'm concerned that at one of the border crossings recently, they accidentally entered something wrong on my file which triggered SSN issuance.

I have never heard of this before. I just received a SSN in the mail, but I don't remember applying. I am still in Canada, and expect to be crossing in a few weeks. What actually triggers the SSN application? I thought it was something that was triggered when I got the IR-1 endorsed.

You probably won't have to say very much. When you cross for the first time, they may ask if you are "bringing your packet," or some other way of asking if you want to activate your visa. You can tell them you are just visiting now, but will cross later to officially immigrate. Or you can do it immediately. Keep in mind that for tax purposes, both Canadian and American, you officially become a US resident the day you activate your visa at the border. Any Canadian real estate transactions become more complicated and expensive after that date, and you lose Canadian health coverage on that date.

That depends which country you are talking about. I assume Canada. The one they ask for from Canada requires you to submit fingerprints. But the document you receive does not have the fingerprints on it. That does not mean an automatic refusal if you get the other record check. It has been done. But you are in a vulnerable position, with potential (maybe even probable) delays of months, if not more. If you want all the chances on your side, pay attention to each detail, and submit the correct criminal record check.

I'm sure you are aware that the CBP will accept the following documents for travel to the US: Canadian passport Enhanced Driver's License/Enhanced Identification Card NEXUS, FAST/EXPRES SENTRI enrollment cards. I have been told by a US passport agent that the best (and apparently legal) substitute for a passport is a color photocopy of the original passport, accompanied by an original photo (not photocopy) identical to the one in the passport. Most people probably don't have an extra photo from when they applied for their passport, but it's worth getting an extra photo next time. There is no way to guarantee that they will make any exceptions for you if you arrive without one of those documents. Sometimes it has worked with a birth certificate and driver's license, but it is completely at the discretion of the border agent. If you choose to assume the risks and try, make sure you have the following additional documents: - Proof that you will return to Canada - VERY IMPORTANT - Document(s) that show why MTL kept your passport (ex. interview letter, DS-5535, etc.) The consulate will not give any other document for the sake of traveling, and will tell you not to travel if you ask. Good luck with your wait. "A few weeks" in consular language stretches pretty long sometimes. I've been there.

Keep in mind that the interviewing officer is not obligated to accept your assets instead of US income, especially if those assets are located in a foreign country. In our case, $10 million of liquid assets in a Canadian bank would not have been sufficient. The officer would only consider assets on American soil, or a joint sponsor, or a combination.

That's strange. That's identical to the one I used. Perhaps the name or birth date was slightly different than on your ID?

If you regularly check your visa application status, you may notice after a few days that it still says "refused", but has a new date which probably will correspond to the date they opened your UPS package. Like someone else said, expect to wait more than a month from this point before they approve the visa or ask for more documents.

You need the interview letter before booking an appointment. I had no problem at all booking in Montreal with time to spare.

You are correct, it just says “issued” on the top, but then the explanation will tell you whether it’s in administrative processing or final processing.

My visa was approved a week ago, and I received an email with the Purolator tracking number about an hour before the status changed to "Issued-Final Processing." It had been in "Issued-AP" for two working days.