erintoronto

Alone, the beneficiary can't do much but let the petition expire. It might be worth a letter to the Consulate if you have a case number to reference. If nothing else, I'd write the letter, get it notarized and carry a copy of the letter and proof the Consulate received it then carry a copy of all that when crossing the border. At least you're on recordd you no longer have immigrant intent.

the USC is apparently now going to participate in all this. wait and see.

i did get advice from a US immigration lawyer who said exactly what was said above minus letting the petition expire. apparently if the USC has sent everything (letter from him, letter from me and copy of our NOA1) to california, then i can send that same package to montreal plus a copy of our NOA2 plus a letter explaining again that we had recently mailed a package of info to the service center and tried to have the petition withdrawn but missed it by a few days.

but a notarized letter is the way for me to go with this montreal package, and for my records. but this is all provided the USC has done what he said he was going to do.

thank you all for your help in this frustrating matter.

erin

I may be off base here, but I think the petition itself will expire eve if you do nothing. So if you sit tight the problem solves itself.

the bigger issue is that my family spends half of the year in the US. i'm canadian. i want to ensure that i don't have any problems crossing the border.

any advice?

I ended my relationship with my fiance (USC) almost two months ago.

It was my understanding that I could withdraw the petition if we sent the following to CSC:

1. a letter from him (USC) stating things didn't work out and he wanted petition withdrawn

2. a letter from me stating things didn't work out and he wanted petition withdrawn

3. a copy of our NOA1

Now the problem is that he didn't get his @ss in gear in time and our petition was approved on friday (june 18).

Should we still send the above noted to the CSC, plus should I send the full package plus a copy of our NOA2 and a letter explaining that we tried to withdraw the petition but did not do so in time to the consulate we'd be dealing with (Montreal)?

My biggest issue is that my ex has failed to send me a copy of our NOA1 and we're obviously waiting on our NOA2.

Would it be possible for me to write a letter independent of him and explain that he is being uncooperative? At this point I don't trust that I'll ever hear from him again, let alone receive these documents.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'd really like this part of my life to be over with. It's been horribly painful and upsetting to find out that the person I loved wasn't who he said he was.

i thought i'd stop by to say hi and hope you are all enjoying your weekends.

david and i are putting things on hold for a while. not sure where this will lead but given all that has gone on, i have a good feeling i know. i wanted to say thank you ALL for your love and support for the past couple of months. i might be back, but there is a lot of work to be done before i will feel i can trust him again and be fully confident in such a big decision to change my life so drastically to be with him.

much love, and best wishes,

erin

My cat prefers Diet Coke while we wait.

This really is my cat Muffin.

nich - you and muffin just brought the biggest smile to my face today

thank you!

hugs,

erin

there is so much happiness here for march filers!!! yay! P3s and NOA2s. we are on a roll!!!

and i am so thrilled that you'll get to see jeff soon, ana! yay!

Oh Erin sweetie, I'm glad you are feeling better, sorry you had to go through all that alone! I believe everything happens for a reason though and I'm glad you’re taking this time to look for a new job. Go and spend the four weeks in Chicago woman, everything will still be there to sort out when you get home!! Whatever you decide make sure you rest easy. I am dying for a break, just a few days off work to do me things...to do nothing at all. The last time I had time off was when Alan was here at Christmas

thanks bex. i hear you about breaks. the last break i had was over christmas with david in illinois. i am tempted to bail from things here and go and stay with him but i know i should be serious and get some stuff taken care of for me. i will likely go there for a week at the end of the month though. that was the plan originally

you are so close to the end that you'll see him soon and hopefully have some time off, yes? and will you be able to plan a long weekend or two between now and then? i understand what you mean about doing 'me things'. today i finally got to take care of some errands that i hadn't had time for during the last 2 months. so nice to cross things off the list

i am feeling much better but am kind of overwhelmed at the thought of having so much time for me. i'm also on new meds that are making me very, very tired. saw my doctor again today, got the paperwork completed for my leave, and got a couple of referals. i'll also be seeing a neurologist on tuesday morning which will be good to get out of the way. i feel so lucky to be living in canada where all this easily gets taken care of. with the appointments and tests from the last few days, i'd hate to think of what it might have cost me in the US.

i had a moment today where i thought 'dang, why didn't i just start trying for a work visa back in january'. i have no idea how complicated they are, only that we were considering it as a way to get me to the states so we could get married. now i want a new job and still want to go to the states. i'll have to do some research but if any of you have any experience/knowledge/input i'd appreciate it.

hugs,

erin

CONGRATS TO ALEENA!!!!!

this is such wonderful news! i am thrilled for you

hugs,

erin

congratulations! what fantastic news! have a wonderful wedding

hello everyone!

nich - congrats on getting your medical completed! woohoo!

the wedding plan discussion was exciting! glad to see how much fun you're all having with it. david and i will be getting married at the courthouse and that will likely be it. he got accepted into school a few days ago so the next 3 to 4 years he'll be a student. no point wasting cashola on a wedding! i'm really proud of him for moving himself forward. it's nice to see he can be motivated if he really wants something. makes me love him even more.

bex - have you really lost 33 pounds? wowie! congrats! i'm down from 173 to 122 at this point. while most folks would be quite excited, it's mainly due to health issues. it's staying off though so maybe it's a good thing? i should drink some protein smoothies though.

aleena - it sounds like you had a lovely time in london. yay! and hmmm... maybe i need to see the sex in the city movie. it might be a good break from things

i was hospitalized on monday morning. very sick, could not see and my head was killing me. it was very scary as i was alone i had a CT scan plus lots of good meds and all was okay but i'm waiting to see a neurologist and will be off work for at least 4 weeks. the paid leave is a good thing (union and doctor supported) as i have a horrid, horrid supervisor so it will give me a chance to get healthy and look for a new job without any of her stress. she is the type of person where it doesn't matter what you do, it's wrong. and even when you accept that and try to get creative, communicate differently, etc etc etc, she'll find other ways to upset you. it's been very, very trying. i won't even bother getting into the details... i'm planning to move on!

my internet at home refuses to work and given that it's technically a neighbour's internet... well, i shouldn't complain. so now i get to sit in the library with all the 'interesting' people and write to you all. i imagine i'll be here quite a bit. there are at least 10 jobs i plan to apply to (all sound interesting), so i best get that moving forward. i also have time now to deal with all the errands that my supervisor wouldn't give me time off of work for... like getting renewing my health card! (the only way you can see doctor's in ontario and have it covered by health care).

i also plan to spend a large part of tomorrow cleaning my apartment. i think a proper spring cleaning is in order, plus i need to hook up my air conditioner. it's supposed to be in the 90s here by friday.

tonight, tomorrow and friday i'm going out with friends so that should keep me occupied as well. someone asked me if i'd spend the 4 weeks in chicago. the thought did cross my mind but i think it's best i work on things here. i still hope to get there at the end of the month but we'll see what happens

anyway, i better dash and get dinner before tonight's meet up. funny how my appetite returns as soon as major stress is removed.

hoping for lots of approvals and bex's P3 this week!

hugs,

erin

zee (& inusah) - i will light a candle and say a prayer for you both tonight. i can't wait to hear your good news tomorrow!

wonderful news! i am sure you are enjoying every second of your time together. congratulations!!!

it's true that all we can do is be patient. so far only 3 of 58 VJ couples who filed in march through CSC have been approved (i've been posting a list sporadically on the 'filing in march' thread). there have been lots of NOA2s for january filers at CSC this month (they're past 50% now), so i would expect that we'll start seeing NOA2s for march VJ CSC filers within the next 2 months.

our time will come!

The train today was hell. It left NY on time but then we stopped in Saratoga Springs b/c there was a freight train ahead of us that had broken down and we couldn't bypass it. We were there for 2 1/2 hours before they transferred us onto buses, drove us up to Plattsburgh, and then transferred us back to a train to cross over the border. I got in at 10pm instead of 7. Tired. Time to go take a relaxing bath with the boy now.

Hopefully Leafgal won't be in the bedroom....

sorry to hear about your travel delays. but seriously, was leafgal in the bedroom? inquiring minds want to know!

best wishes for tomorrow. i can't wait to hear your good news!

erin

steph - i LOVE the idea of 'e magazine' even more fitting given that i'm moving to the chicago area, too! it's oprah time! heehee. i do have to say, i am actually thrilled when i think about moving and deciding what i want to do in terms of a 'career'. for the first time ever, it feels as if i can take some time, see what's out there, and, most importantly, see what i'd actually like to be doing. for the last decade i have accepted jobs in order to get away from negative situations (mainly office conflict that after a point, i could not stay out of. i am very bad at keeping my mouth shut when other people are being mistreated and have always wound up standing up for people who felt fearful of doing so themselves). now i get to make a choice! i am glad i have the next 9 months (or so) to really think on what i'd like to be doing, and to possibly try some things out here in toronto first.

tuty - i agree. we are lucky for so many reasons, K1 included. when david and i first started seriously talking about me moving there (in late december) we looked at every single option. we had lawyers tell us all kinds of misleading things about different visas and how i could get there 'the fastest'. thank goodness for VJ as i was able to start reading and researching. i am also very fortunate to have a good friend who just went through the K1 process less than two years ago, so she and i had many, many long conversations where she tried to explain as many details as possible. i am so blessed that our paths crossed and i got to know her when i did.

i am pleased to report that i finished my magazine layout yesterday around 6pm. it is not perfect but it's certainly much better than 'good enough' so i was happy to head home and do my laundry. then i went out and visited with some friends for a few hours and drank far too much diet coke so i was up for a couple of hours after i got home

today i'm not sure what i'm going to do. i have never been one who knows what to do with 'spare time' (read: anytime i'm not at work). i do need to look at my financial paperwork and properly set up my monthly budget following my meeting on tuesday with my financial counsellor. i am so glad i finally got the courage and got over the guilt so i could move that part of my life forward. for the first time in over 3.5 years, i will have more than $60/month to spend on groceries (without any guilt or serious consequences kicking in). i am tempted to go to the grocery store and just enjoy it, see if am inspired to make anything special for dinner, and maybe even buy some yogurt! it might sound silly but the thought of eating well and getting to eat yogurt and other lovely things every day... well, it makes me feel like i can properly nourish myself again and will only get stronger. i quite like that

nich - i hope you're managing to keep your flowers alive in the extreme heat.

bex - i hope that your stye has gone away never to come back!

aleena - i hope that you've found some patience to get you through for a little while i am sure you will hear something this week!

ana - i hope you're feeling better too and have found some ways to get over missing your honey so much. i know that last night i would have given the world to be with david even if only for a few moments. i miss him dearly and can't wait to be with him. *sigh* isn't love wonderful?

jmmr - i hope you hear something soon but i think we're on the long road at CSC. at least we're in good company!

i hope you are all enjoying your weekends.

:idea: :idea: good vibes to aleena for her noa2 this week!!! :idea: :idea:

time to write up a shopping list and get this day moving!

hugs,

erin

steph - cathartic and therapeutic. yes! it's nice to be able to share our feelings, ideas and opinions in this space. it's a comfort knowing we're all on similar paths in our lives and in love.

powerblessings to all of us.

welcome jmmr! i'm not entirely sure of the process after the NOA2 beyond what can be found on this page. seems it's off to NVC, then on the consulate where there is a package 3 and package 4 involved along with the interview. i like how the flow charts make it all seem so simple. tuty just offered some great information on her experience so that might help you

also glad to have you here as another CSC filer. oh! and i haven't had any touches since mid-march. i don't think it's a good or bad thing to have touches on your file. most touches are likely just them moving paperwork from room to room anyway. so hang in there. i know a few people who didn't have any touches throughout the process and they're happily married and together in the US now

tuty - i do like my job, but i love what i'm doing right now. i went to school for creative writing (which wound up being a general english degree when i realized how competitive and negative the creative writing program was... people crying in every class due to criticism? no thanks!) and then got a diploma in graphic design. being able to do layout for an 84 page magazine all on my own is exciting. just wish i was able to be a little more creative with it. i'm an aspiring photographer, too, so it always frustrates me when people send in awful photos. wish i had the time to take photos of everyone and everything for the magazine. but i need to be realistic!

anyhow, once this crunch time has ended i will likely not have any other major stress here until i leave early in 2009, plus i'll never have to design this magazine again. that's very positive and exciting to look forward like that.

i'm really curious about your jewellry and painting. when you talk about the different types of beads and materials you're using... well, it sounds wonderful. maybe you'll be able to share some photos with us sometime?

i better get back to work. if i can stay focused today, i will likely be able to take tomorrow off... and do laundry! and get some groceries!

hugs,

erin

Erin I hope your getting somewhere with your Magazine, sounds like your going to be working hard today.

oh gosh, that's an understatement. i'm working 14+ hour days with no breaks and likely won't have any time off this weekend. i just had a hissy fit in the washroom at work though, so i'm feeling better

i hope to catch up with you all soon! i hate having 'responsibilities' and 'priorities' sometimes. enjoy the weekend and i will live vicariously through you and all the fun stuff you're doing

hugs,

erin

ana and aleena, (and anyone else who isn't feeling their best)

i am sorry you're both feeling down about the process. it certainly isn't easy to stay positive at times but i find staying positive is what makes the process easier for me. i find the days when i'm really down and sad, the minutes and seconds drag by. i don't know when i'll see david again, and i don't even know when i'll talk to him again. such is life. so many of the good things are unpredictable but i believe they happen as they do for a reason.

i am doing my best to keep as busy as i can and living my life one day at a time... but most importantly, i am doing all i can to be patient and stay positive. sitting around and feeling sad doesn't get me anywhere... it just makes me feel worse. crying on the phone to david because we can't be together right now doesn't get me to him any faster and it doesn't help him feel reassured or loved.

because of my own financial situation, i know that i will not be able to move until next february or march (unless some sort of miracle happens, and i'm not doubting that it might, i'm just remaining realistic). i'm confident that david and i will have worked through our K1 process by that time, and i will have my visa in-hand. in fact, i'm pretty sure that by christmas i'll have it and then i'll just be preparing to start my life there... with him. so i have another (roughly) 9 months to do my best to be happy, treat myself well and live my life. my life will change so much once i move that i should really take the time to enjoy what i have now.

i'm not saying that we can't have our down days, i'm just saying that when i work to keep things in perspective, knowing that there is an end to the process, i feel much better.

my workload exploded this week. it went from being a bit batty to being completely unrealistic and unmanageable. i was told yesterday afternoon that one of my projects, an 84 page magazine, had to be completely designed with layout complete by 5pm on friday. yes, tomorrow! i don't even have all the content yet!!! of course, they agreed that i could work all weekend if i needed to. i had a few minutes yesterday when i thought i was going to have a complete meltdown but i sat down at my desk and looked at what i needed to do and decided to refocus. i know i can do a fantastic job. i've done far more complicated projects before. sure, i might not make the deadline but i am doing my best.

i guess that's also how i'm looking at the K1 process and a few other things in my life. as long as i can keep focused and keep positive, i know i can do it.

i know you all can, too!

so, that said, i'm going to get back to work so i can hopefully get a little sleep tonight.

much love,

erin

you look so happy and gorgeous! and your dress is wonderful! you look lovely in it, esp with the coors! (right on!)

congratulations!

Honestly, I am hunkered down in the mentality that I won't hear anything more from USISC until September and our wedding won't be until February or March. If things happen before the, well Great! If not, then I have time to plan and save money.

that's where we're at as well - moving and getting married in february or march. in fact, i just gave my landlord rent cheques through until january. and yes, time to plan and save money can be a good thing! it's only 9 or 10 months away which is minimal compared to the lifetime we'll spend together

erin

Well, the slow CSC visa processing time had led to me once again flying across the ocean to calm my fiancée down. Going out there on the 13th of June while putting my job at risk. Thank you USCIS CSC! I'm out $1,500.00 more dollars along with an irrational woman saying horrible things because she is not next to me yet. So, I have to visit her to calm her down. Gah, she's lucky I adore her. Any other man would have smothered her with a pillow

i know where she is coming from. it's definitely not easy being on your own when you want to be with the person you love. and patience is a virtue but not something most of us want to bother with day to day. at least you will get to spend some time together and think of all the amazing things that will happen once you're together. hopefully that will help her spirits. i'm planning a trip back to chicago at some point over the summer, just trying to negotiate some time off right now so it's not just another 3-day weekend with 24 hours spent on a greyhound bus

Ok, thank you! Yeah, I'm definitely feeling the same way... but I do think it's too late to fire her. We paid $500 for this:

http://www.4thelegalgroup.com/13.htm

Kinda depressing.

$500 isn't too bad, actually. In my experience with Montreal, they're very good about emailing back, and will probably just tell you that your case will be going thru Vancouver anyway.

Vancouver seems to average a month for getting interviews scheduled, lately Montreal has been about 2 months. It used to be a much greater discrepency, but it appears that Montreal has gotten their act together.

The trick is getting through California

i agree, $500 isn't bad at all. i was hearing $1,500 up to $4,500 for the EXACT same services when i was trying to find an attorney.

yes, getting through california is certainly the first big step (and banging head off of the wall). but if you filed in late january or early february, you might hear something within the next few weeks (according to the timelines i'm seeing on VJ).

I know... California seems to be taking forever. Another thing that irks me? I looked on the USCIS website, and our petition should have gone to Nebraska, not Cali... grrr

actually, K1 (I-129F) applications from washington state are supposed to go to california. other types of I-129 apps go to vermont. there are detailed instructions on how to complete the I-129F application here and you'll see on page 5 that it's supposed to go to california

best of luck!

i hope this info helps. i found it here.

"The Consulate in Vancouver processes fiancé(e) cases for citizens of Canada, or aliens who are permanent residents. Individuals in Canada on student and/or employment authorization will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Such individuals must be authorized to remain in Canada for a continuous minimum period of six months (from the time the approved petition is received at the Consulate). Applicants must also be residing in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon or the Northwest Territories. All other applicants in Canada are processed at the U.S. Consulate in Montreal."

i opted not to use an attorney as every single one that i spoke with seemed to give me a different answer *and* everything you need to know can be found online if you're willing to do a bit of investigative work.

best of luck with the process and if you are confused by your attorney, the folks at VJ have a wealth of knowledge that they're happily willing to share.

congrats to aleena!!! now you can do FUN STUFF and not think too much about work. woohoo!

:idea: :idea: GOOD VIBES!!! GET ALEENA HER NOA2!!! :idea: :idea:

bex - i hope your stye is starting to get better. i had one that lasted much longer than it should have... then suddenly it was gone. very strange. i hope yours decides to flee sooner than later. ouch! but the end of july... that's soon! that's like, 2 months away!!! you must be so excited. wow. i'll be living vicariously through all of you folks who get to move before i do. you'll have to keep us posted on all the fun and exciting things happening once you get to the USA.

"if I'm going to be there for you through the worst of it then I want to be there for the best of it too"

i'm going to pretend that david said this (thanks )

so... i didn't realize how nervous i'd be about my banking paperwork that i'm signing off on tomorrow, but i woke up with a major migraine and was quite ill. i called into work (not a good idea), took some zomig and went back to bed. now i'm sitting at home in my pajamas in the dark in the middle of the afternoon. how decadent! wish i had some bonbons! luckily the headache is starting to lift so i can finish pulling together the few papers i have left to find. i'm amazed that 20 hours from now i will be able to say that i have moved forward something that has been weighing me down for the better part of a decade. if i didn't have a headache, i'd be (nervously) singing and dancing and quite excited at this point, i think. so i'm going to get some emoticons to do it for me

hope you are all enjoying memorial day! just think - i bet we'll all be in the US to celebrate (and have the day off) next year. neat-o!

hugs,

erin

aleena - i hear you about mood swings/changes. but you all know that

that's exciting that you're breaking the big news at work tomorrow. i'm sure it will go well. then you just have to figure out all the fun stuff to do between then and when you get to the US! woohoo!

ana - i agree. vermont was slow... so was the csc. someone somewhere on these boards mentioned that it typically slows down around the memorial day weekend so that might be the reason why. i'm sure they'll pick up the pace again very soon

nich - glad to hear you're back home safe and sound. it sounds like you had an excellent time visiting

thanks for taking the time to post the link for the canadian consulate reviews, and this:

"Canada doesn't seem to be that difficult once you get to the interview so relax and be the fun girlfriend he fell for."

you couldn't have said it better. i've spent the weekend reflecting on our relationship, how much he means to me, and how much i am truly looking forward to being with him. we both deserve the best from each other and i've been... well, i haven't been much fun, that's for sure. so, here's to not sweating the small stuff!

hope you all had fabulous weekends!

:idea: :idea: and here are good vibes for all of us!!! :idea: :idea:

much love,

erin

for those of you who have gone through the K1 process and been interviewed in montreal, what sort of things did they ask to see as proof of your relationship? photographs should be easy for us, but do they need to see phone records from both the USC and beneficiary? emails? anything else? or is it based more on the questions asked and whether or not you can answer them?

we're having some issues getting our phone records together on both sides (i have mine, david kinda sorta has something but has 3 phone numbers and it's getting messy...). i'd prefer not to make a big deal out of it if it's not worth the stress and they really aren't required from both sides.

thanks!

happy memorial day weekend for those of you who are celebrating it! for those of us who are not, hope you're somewhere sunny and warm. it's beautiful in toronto today