erintoronto

i am so pleased for you both. what wonderful news! congratulations!!!

They asked for an original copy of my birth certificate too. I guess it's too make sure that I wasn't cheating on my age.

did they make a copy of your birth certificate and return the original to you right away? i'm assuming that making copies of original documents is always the case but don't want to assume. thanks!

You're welcome, uh... Erin or David?

Nope, haven't contacted them yet, just thought I'd check here first in case someone might have a more direct link to suggest. Will give them a call this week and see if they can help. I'll probably end up being transferred from one place to another though and that's what I wanted to avoid. Wish me luck!

heehee. it's erin

i am sending some positive vibes your way :idea:

hope the process isn't too complicated.

VJ March K-1 filers halfway done with NOA2's.

68 Filers with NOA1's dated between 03/01 and 03/31

34 Filers have received NOA2's w/ 45 day avg. between NOA1 and NOA2

2 Filers have received final visa's already.

thanks for the update on VJ march filers at vermont. wow. VSC is working overtime for you!!! that's fantastic! :joy:

i have no updates to report on VJ march filers at CSC (out of the 58 couples who filed, 3 have received their NOA2s). i expect that will start to change in the next few weeks and will happily report all approvals as they come in. i can't wait!

i will write more soon. i just got home from a weekend with my parents and have to get myself organized for the upcoming week. hope you all enjoyed your weekends!

hugs,

erin

i've been thinking of you two and sending good vibes your way all day. i am positive that you will have very good news to share with all of us very soon.

Well, they do say "all" previous visits so my first thought would be that yes, you have to list them all. I can see how it could be quite complicated for you though.

Sorry I don't have a sure answer on this but at least my reply will bring the thread back up in the list and maybe someone who missed it before will see it and be able to give you an answer.

Now, in regards to my own questions, am I the only one in Quebec on the board?

thanks pandora

i doubt you are the only person from quebec... maybe just the only active person from quebec? just a thought - have you contacted the minister of education for quebec? maybe if there is a general contact they can put you in touch with someone who could help you to find the info you require? if you have any idea of the school boards in the districts you grew up in, they might also be able to assist you. i hope you are able to find this info without too much hassle.

i am quite fortunate. my mom has copies of ALL of my report cards and assessments from kindergarten through until OAC (grade 13 in ontario). thank goodness for her very thorough record keeping!

There is tons of information on Montreal in the Canadian forum (the link is in my signature) -- you may also want to take a look at the consulate reviews for information.

As far as the birth certificate is concerned, take the original and a copy to your interview. Give them the copy when asked for it -- if they need to take a look at the original, you'll have it with you. If you are worried about them taking your certified copy, order two and then you'll have the back-up for when you get married. However, I don't readily remember anyone going through K-1 having to leave a certified copy with Montreal.

To help you out a bit, I am going to move this to the Canadian forum.

thanks cassie!

unfortunately ontario won't let you order more than one copy due to 'security concerns'. i have been told i can write a letter and mail it in with my application and they may or may not let me have more than one copy, i just wasn't sure if this would be necessary. if they deny me two, i'd have to start the process over again just to get one. oooh boy. glad i'm starting all this sooner than later!

Here are the things listed on my checklist:

1. Passport

2. Photographs

3. Medical Examination

4. Birth Certificate

5. Evidence in lieu of unobtainable birth certificate

6. Police certificates

7. Court and prison records

8. Military record

9. Divorce and death certificates

10. Evidence of support

11. Documents for accompanying child/children

i just found out that my mom doesn't have my certified birth certificate and that i will need to apply for one.

my question is - will i only need one copy of my certified birth certificate for the process?

i am not entirely sure of the process and i am concerned that the montreal consulate will put my birth certificate in the 'sealed package' that i am to take with me. when would i get this back? i will need my birth certificate to get married in the state of IL as soon as i move to the US. any advice would be appreciated.

thanks!

erin

ps. if any canadians could point me in the direction of some discussion on packet 3 and what might be specific to the montreal consulate, i'd greatly appreciate it. i looked but couldn't easily find anything... though i'll keep searching after dinner.

Ok, thanks. Guess I'll do the guessing game for the months too. Can't say I like though...

Anybody else here who can shed some light on this, please?

i don't particularly like it either! thanks for bringing my attention to the DS-230 form. i'll have to see if my parents can help me with the listing of educational institutions.

the other question that boggles my mind: "List dates of all previous visits to or residence in the United States. (If never, write "never") Give type of visa status, if known. Give DHS "A" number if any."

i grew up close to the border and my family owns property in florida. when i was younger, we used to travel back and forth quite frequently. they don't seriously want EVERY visit to the US, do they?

congratulations!!! wishing you all the best on the rest of your journey

fantastic news! congratulations!

i hope the other folks with the llloooonnnggg waits are right behind you with their approvals.

aw bex. i feel for you! i work at the university of toronto and the students here are MAD from studying. i will be so happy for you once you are finished!

aleena - i think that quitting your job is a very wise decision if you won't feel any financial stress and it will give you time to relax and spend quality time with friends and family prior to leaving for the US. i am sure you wouldn't be considering it if it didn't make sense we are here to support you no matter what decision you make

i only check uscis once a day and don't actually expect to see anything on the site at any point. i figure we'll get to the NOA2 stage without receiving any touches, and i'm okay with that.

steph - how exciting that your son will have a little brother!!! wow! it sounds like you have so many wonderful things to look forward to with corrie coming to the US. gosh. i am so pleased for you!

i can't wait to get to evanston and be with david and his son lucas. it will be so fun to be a family! we hope to have children of our own within a couple of years of me getting there as well. i think lucas would make a fantastic big brother, too.

hope everyone else is doing well, too!

:idea: :idea: good vibes and happy weekend to all! :idea: :idea:

congratulations! it sounds like it was pretty painless. and thanks for the info regarding travel without activating the K1. we'll be in a similar situation so i appreciate the info.

best of luck with everything you have on the go... and congratulations on the approval!!!

carla - i have had david ingram and his website recommended to me a number of times by canadians living and working (legally) in the chicago area. he is based in vancouver but deals with cross border issues all the time.

http://www.centa.com/

http://www.centa.com/articles/U.S.Cdntaxation.htm

These responses are expected from western-culture attitudes. So now that all the farang have chimed in, I will give you my 2 baht (having a Thai finacee/wife for over 3 years now). From what I read I am assuming you are the youngest or only daughter, so he must understand that YES IT IS your and soon to be his responsibility to support your mother. That is just one of the many "perks" he gets when a Thai woman agrees to let him marry her. Once you are in the US and get married, submit your EAD paperwork as soon as possible and you will get your work permit in just under 3 months. It doesn't take over year.

He needs to understand your culture and responsibilities, and adjust accordingly. If he cannot, then your marriage will not last very long. There should be plenty of samee-farang in California he can talk to about this, there are quite a few of us here on VJ that would be glad to explain all the responsibilites of having a Thai wife, but also in the same breathe how amazingly wonderful his life will be with a Thai woman who him.

Maybe he didn't realize these are expectations of marrying a Thai woman because she wasn't upfront with him in the first place?

my response was based on this: "my mom, house, car and all expense that I have now. It’s around $1200 per month that I need him to support my mom and my thing". yes, her mom is a part of it but there is a lot more it seems. and i agree with jack and barbara - it seems there was some key information that was not disclosed initially. there is an obvious gap in understanding and wants/needs but there was also a lapse in judgment for not disclosing this sort of information earlier on in the process. but yes, ilayja, part of it might be a cultural difference or misunderstanding that needs to be addressed. thank you for mentioning that. it just seems a shame that they weren't working on this level of understanding earlier.

some serious discussions could bring this together but it is going to take some time and effort in order for this to happen. and i still think it's key that she take time to figure things out for herself first. (she was the one asking for support and that's my suggestion.) we all need to be solid on our own before becoming a part of something greater, i believe. i also have no doubt that if they are willing to do the work they could be very happy together.

again, fabian

i wish you the best of luck in working through this and finding and accepting what it is you really want

congrats!

You might want to call your lawyer back and let him know that you shouldn't be charged for his time and effort in giving you bad information.........just so there's no confusion

I'm a bit suprised that this has become an issue at this late point in your visa application - I assume from your post that you did not discuss your Thai financial responsibilities with your SO until just recently. That's one cause for concern, the other is that you say your willing to just stay there and not be with your fiancee because of this. I would suggest you sell the car, house or whatever is causing the 1200 per month expense - and just eliminate those financial responsibilities. When your with your fiancee you will not have those financial obligations anymore. I understand the desire to support your mom - but in my mind that's really your obligation to figure out. Are there no savings she can live off of until you start working? What are her true support costs, forgetting the car, etc.? if the matter is a deal breaker for you, then I suggest you have that honest discussion now.

i found myself in a similar financial situation (in terms of the monthly amount, anyway) but was honest and upfront with my SO from the very beginning (day 5 of our relationship, if you want to get technical). he knows every detail and also knows that i'm working hard to ensure that i have resolved ALL of it before i move there to be with him. it would be unfair and unrealistic to expect him to carry any of my past/current obligations. they are MINE, not his to live and deal with. we are working on building something together and i know that i owe it to both him and myself to give us a fair shot by dealing with my own situation.

i agree that you need to have an honest discussion now with your SO. something like this can seriously shake a person's trust in another person and for good reason. you must also remember that these financial obligations have nothing to do with him. they are your responsibility. it is no wonder he is depressed and sad. this is a very big thing to suddenly reveal to someone. to expect him to quickly get over it or accept it just isn't respectful or fair. he has also done a lot for you in order to make it possible for you to be together. you cannot forget his efforts and how he must feel. put yourself in his shoes for a moment.

i also encourage you to be strong for yourself and take a realistic look at your expenses. you may find that many of them are unnecessary and extravagant. think about what is actually necessary, not what is 'nice' to have.

i wish you the best of luck in working through this and finding and accepting what it is you really want

wow! it sounds like everything is falling perfectly into place for you. congratulations!!!

Oh guys your going to be so disappointed in me ... I got a little eager waiting for Neighbors to start just now and called the NVC to pass some time.

What??!? Bex called? NO WAY! She's not the obsessive type.

too funny. i just love how casual she is about it... "i got a little eager... and called to... pass some time."

:idea: vibes to aleena :idea:

I was out during the afternoon to a bridge tournament, and there were lots of goodies there. Gene wasn't feeling too hungry either, so I put off making the perch, and we had grilled cheese sandwiches, cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes. Tonight we'll have the perch. I bought it fresh in Shop N' Save here in St. Louis. It says it's a product of Canada.

mmm that sounds good!

i have found that since i decided to make the move to be with david, i am eating all kinds of things that i know i'll miss once i leave toronto. especially the BAD poutine from the chip trucks around the downtown area. though for dinner tonight i'm going to have nachos at sneaky dee's. a much healthier option!

I wish you all well, I know how it feels waiting for your nao2 and its frustrating not knowing when you will get it, but once you do get that the next stages move really quick. More forms to fill in, medicals, documents to get from your SO lol (that is no easy task lol). Enjoy this time and know you are now on the way to spending the rest of your life with your loved one.

omg, you have no idea the 'fun' i've had with david so far when it comes to paperwork! at least he's trying and i love him for it

thanks for the well wishes your interview is just around the corner! you must be excited!

(btw - i am learning very quickly that i'm an emoticon fanatic. hope i don't drive you all crazy with them. heehee.)

congratulations to cecile and bryan AND bryant and aliona! i am so pleased to hear that you're moving forward on your journeys :joy:

the talk of chicago weather in august completely cracked me up i'm glad that toronto and chicago share very similar weather so i won't have much to adapt to.

happy thursday to you all!

tuty - i am pleased to hear that you were able to get your old marriage certificate! i'm also thrilled that you will be seeing each other in 6 weeks. that isn't very long at all! i'm sure you will have a wonderful time you are right! patience is key!!!

aleena - you are more than welcome for the support. yes, we are very lucky that we are fairly close. in fact, just knowing we share the same weather patterns (within about 8 hours of each other) and sky (within an hour of each other) helps a lot some days. our current situations are limiting us from seeing each other any time soon, but i am actually alright with that. we have so much to look forward to and i can focus on our future while i'm wrapping things up here in toronto. we have had three very, very meaningful conversations over the last few days and i am more content than ever. we just really had to dig in and discuss a few key things and all of a sudden some major weight has been lifted. i am so grateful and happy.

i am very happy that you have friends who can help you to surprise him on his birthday if you can't be there. we should brainstorm things to do for our guys if we can't see them on their birthdays!

and i should start thinking about whether or not i can get back to see david for his birthday. i'm glad i have a couple of months to figure things out

wow. july is a good month with all the birthdays!!

nich - i couldn't agree more re: strange set of circumstances. we so badly wanted things to speed up and now have to make sure things slow down so that i have enough time here... likely another 10 months at the rate things are going. gosh - it will be nice to have a more exact time, and i hope to know that within the next couple of weeks.

thanks sal for mentioning that a delay in sending package three would help. i was wondering about that

kim - haven't they been great lately at CSC? it's nice to see so many people with so much hope once csc started speeding up. i am quite excited at the thought of receiving our NOA2. i'm positive we'll see something by august.

BEX - the gift you sent to alan sounds perfect. photos mean so much, i think. i'm sure he'll be thrilled.

and YYYYAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, i didn't know yee was a pirate!

Together We ARE Strong.

most definitely!

i wish you all the best for your interview and am sending positive thoughts and blessings your way. i am sure you will have no problems this time around.