chris11xb

Our interview was in Montreal, so it may be different... but I did have to supply an updated letter saying my fiance (the petitioner) was still free and legal to marry me. But they did not ask for a copy of his birth certificate, just mine (the beneficiary).

Hope that helps some.

Lori (and Chris)

I agree. To me it sounds like the TB booster you've mentioned is actually the Td booster (tetnus), which should be provincially covered.

I just know months ago I kept on saying TB when I meant Td, so it's possible I'm not the only one.

Stacey, if your husband is a member of the Indi firefighters union, I would suggest contacting one of the member services reps. Sometimes when the benefits are dealt with on the City side of things, they need a little encouragement from the union/association side of things. If he pays dues, there should be someone there with the know-how of what needs to happen to get things moving for you guys.

Lori (and Chris)

Welcome Canuckcowgirl,

We were very happy with the K-1 route. I'm the Canadian and my US fiancee visited me frequently, so we didn't have long times apart during the process. It was straight-forward and all things being said, took a total of about 10 months from the date we submitted our I-129F petition to the day I received my Visa to cross the border.

Just to give you an idea of what it was like for us, we submitted the I-129F in March last year. My visa interview was early January this year, and I'm moving next week.

We found it very easy to navigate through the process, first doing the I-129F, then having packet 2 and 3 arrive, and getting things ready for the interview.

If your fiancee is able to visit you, or you him (or both!), during the process it really is a smooth way to go. We would do it the same way if we had to go back in time. We also liked how with the time in between it was afforable to space out the associated costs.

Best of luck deciding on your route. Read as much as you can on the Guides and instructions, and when in doubt ask questions.

Good luck!

Lori (and Chris)

And.... I also forgot to mention that filing your federal/provincial Canadian taxes through QuickTax (TurboTax) would be free for you, since you are a) a student and B) your income (in Canada) was less than $20K. Free!

http://quicktax.intuit.ca/tax-software/per...e-catalogue.jsp

Really, I don't work for them. But I do love their products.

Lori (and Chris)

Ooops. I forgot to share links. I think they are www.quicktaxweb.ca for the Canadian version and then http://intuit.turbotax.com for the US version. Nice part is, you can do your taxes online and see how they look (and how comfortable you are doing them yourself) without paying upfront. You only pay when you choose to complete and file the taxes.

Best of luck!

Lori (and Chris)

I don't have any recommendations for professionals, but I will say that Turbo Tax is a lifesaver!

You would do two tax returns. First, your Canadian (federal and provincial) and then you do your US return (federal and state), and Turbo Tax is super easy to use. I've been using it for my fiance's US taxes (I do his for him) and for mine in Canada, and will continue to use the program after the move - even in that critical "exit return" year.

Regardless of what you use or who you hire, you will need to file a separate Canadian and a US return. Best to do Canadian first so as to know what to include/exclude for the US taxes.

Unfortunately, the carry-over for your 2007 tuition credits will only be applied to your Canadian tax return this year, since they were acquired in Canada. Hopefully you can make the best of that deduction for your Canadian/Quebec return, so you have a nice refund.

Best of luck. Taxes are soooo fun.

Lori (and Chris)

Our interview was about four months after the packet 3 was submitted.

Seriously?!

I have been doing some checking into which of my beloved foods contain HFCS, so I can pack up some good old Canadian products prior to crossing the border.

I was not surprised about ketchup and mayo and Miracle Whip and Coke. Okay, a little bit. But. Fine. Pain the butt, but fine.

What I am surprised at... cereal. Cereal?!

Last night I saw one of those ridiculous commercials from the Corn Growers Association, yet again saying how HFCS is "fine in moderation." Well, how moderate is my consumption when they even put it in Special K and Rice Krispies and Almond Crisp and... and... what?!

I know it will be impossible to avoid HFCS altogether, especially since I can only take so much Canadian groceries with me every visit, but seriously. It's depressing.

As if I wasn't bad enough, stocking up on salad dressings and condiments here, now I'm also going to finish off our U-Haul with a crate of cereal. Sheesh.

Lori (and Chris)

Bauser, I noticed they gave you an Xray. Did they say anything about the new TB skin test?

I had my medical in September, so I had the Xray as well. No skin test.

I'm just curious if anyone going for their medical in recent weeks has had the TB skin test instead of the Xray, since USCIS is now switching over the requirements for the AOS phase. But it seems Canadians are continuing to have the Xray, so if that's what they want, so be it. I'm sure they're still sorting out what and how they are changing things.

Lori (and Chris)

Hmmm. Well, they took my appointment letter from me at the interview, so I can't refer back to it. But, I believe it said something like "please bring your passport, photos, the original and one copy of your documents, appointment letter and $131 cash." Something like that. It didn't specify what those "documents" were, so I just took basically everything from the Packet 3, including the evidence of relationship, affidavit of support, police certificate, etc. In the end, I think they just looked at the employment letter for Chris and took my police certificate. But as I mentioned earlier, they also wanted a photocopy of my passport ID page.

For the DS-160, that came into effect after our date too, but since my interview letter said on the bottom "please be advised the DS-160 is replacing the DS-156" (rough wording), I did the DS-160 online anyways, just to be sure. They didn't ask for it at my interview, but I think Jen said they asked for hers? Either way, it didn't slow things down for us. So, if your letter asks that you do that form online, I'd say go for it.

Best of luck on your upcoming interview!

Lori (and Chris)

Hey folks,

I am a K-1 fiance, moving to the US from Canada about two weeks from now. I've read and read and read this thread, but here's yet another question regarding the TB skin test:

I had my medical and vaccinations completed in Sept, and will get my vaccinations transcribed through Dr. Arnold (thanks for the tip!).

I did not have the skin test, but rather the x-ray, presumably as that was what was requested on my Packet 3 which was sent by USCIS in August (after the change, but whatever) and I just did whatever the doc said at my appointment.

I plan on submitting, with my I-485, the DS-3025 and the I-693 from Dr. Arnold.

Now, I understand I may or may not get an RFE for the TB skin test, so my options as I see it are:

A ) wait and see what happens, and if I get an RFE, follow through with that

B ) be proactive and get a TB skin test prior to submitting my I-693 form with the I-485

Now, if I choose to be proactive and get a TB skin test, is it:

A ) advisable to obtain that from the doc who did my original medical, seeing how I am still in Canada for the next few weeks? Or,

B ) should I wait and do this once I cross the border? Or,

C ) yet another variation, can I simply have this done by my family physician (in Canada) and attach the results to the entire package?

Just looking to see what the options are. Thanks for your responses.

Lori (and Chris)

Thank you!

Hi there,

The I-765 form (application for employment authorization) has a few spots I am wondering about. Beside the name and address area, to the right, it has a line for "Which USCIS Office?" with "Date" and then a line for "Results (Granted or Denied - attach all documentation)".

Just wondering, do I put the USCIS office which handled our K1 petition, and consequently sent us the I-797 Notice of Action (approval)? So that in our case it would be California, Aug 11/08, Granted... and then attach a copy of the I-797? Also, to clarify, would the date be the notice date (Aug 11, the date they approved) or the USCIS receipt date (April 1, the day they received the initial petition)?

Or, perhaps, is this section somehow not applicable to K1/family-based and I am concerned over nothing?

Thanks for experienced advice!

Lori (and Chris)

Pissed! Ha. Yes, it also means drunk. That's the best response ever. I didn't realize that it does not translate as such in the US.

Now, shoes. Oh boy. Personally, I will either say runners or sneakers. But my Michigan fiance and everyone he knows calls them "tennis shoes." My automatic response was... you don't play tennis. And if you did? Those would not be the shoes you'd be wearing. So, I had a good laugh with that one. My favourite, though, is that we keep calling our shoes in line with our respective cultures. So, in one conversation it'll go something like....

Him: "Babe, you know where my tennis shoes are?"

Me: "Beside my sneakers in the closet."

Old habits and all. (Plus a little Canadian stubborness.)

Great list topic!

Lori (and Chris)

Yes, I was given my original birth certificate back right then and there after they checked it against the copy. So no worries!

Going from memory, I think the only originals they kept were the passport (which gets sent back to you with the visa), the two pictures, the medical report, and the police certificate (so make sure to make a copy for yourself).

And... of course... since I last posted, I have been doing packing and purging and preparing for the move... and after I posted the details of that letter I tossed it in the trash which is long gone done the garbage chute. Of course. Naturally. Cuz I just didn't need it anymore. Ooopsies?

Hopefully what I posted will be helpful on some level. But really, the interview letter you get states exactly what they want, and then you take that stuff to the interview and hand it over to them when they ask for each document.

Sorry I didn't think to keep it for posting, but since I don't have a scanner either I don't know how much good I could have been.

Okay, so now I feel like a tool. I'll just slink away now.

Congrats Jen!!! I'm glad it went well for you. Best of luck with the move, too.

Cheryl and Richard - I wasn't asked for any of them at the interview, but I did take a copy of the past forms (DS230, DS156, etc) just in case. I also took a copy and the original of the DS160 that is the new form (with barcode) to replace the DS156K, but I wasn't asked for it. However, as you can see from Jen's post, she was asked for it, so it's best to take it with you. Heck, I even took a copy of the I-797 Notice of Petition approval, but was not asked for it.

I just checked, and I still have the sheet of paper they handed us after we got our number. This page, when in the consulate, says to put the following documents in order for when they call your name:

-passport(s)

-photos (with name printed on back)

-medical report

-police certificate

-evidence of support (employment letter, I-134, I-864, or most recent taxes)

-return envelope with your address

Then there is a note saying *if you previously sent any of these forms to NVS, they will be in your file.

So while we waited to be called up, we just made sure we had those things ready to hand over. It really was an easy to understand process with no confusion or stress. Plus, they have vending machines (takes Canadian money $1 for chips, $1.25 for pop), a water fountain, and nice bathrooms. So, it's a sterile office that looks like you're at the DMV, but the atmosphere is not stiff by any means. It was a comfortable and relaxing process.

Best of luck.

Oh goodness. I went through the same thing. I was terrified I would forget something, or somehow miss an important document. But... it really is a piece of cake once you're there. I know that doesn't mean much when you're on the other side waiting and nervous, but once you get into that little interview room, it's really all quite easy and pleasant.

Okay, so... the actual interview letter asked for passport, two pics, the $131 and then "originals and one copy of all documents". So, I took that to mean... the original and copy of pretty much everything you submitted last: birth certificate, I-134, evidence of relationship, police record, the official forms (DS, etc). So, I made sure to have one stack with the originals all neat and tidy, and then in the same order I had a stack of the copies of those. That's what I took to the interview.

When you get to the consulate and make it to the 19th floor, you first go to a window to get a number. Then they hand you a page that lists what they want to see in what order: passport, passport pics, evidence.

Then, in the first window where you are processed, the woman we had was very nice and easy to chat with. She asked for the passport, the pics, the renewed letter from my fiance saying he was still legally able and wanting to marry me, the original police certificate, and then she took the fee and my fingerprints.

She did not ask for the DS-160, and I didn't offer it, but I did have it ready for her. The only thing she asked for that I did not have was a photocopy of my passport. She then photocopied it herself. Otherwise, from my stack of papers, she did not ask for anything. But I was glad to be prepared!

Then, we sat down and waited for our name to be called to the interview room. Once inside, we raised our hands in oath/affirmation, answered questions (how did you meet, where was this picture taken, when is the wedding), and I signed the oath form. The officer made small talk while looking at the medical, checking off boxes, and verifying I had not been denied entry, had problems at the border previously, or been in trouble with the police. Once he signed off on a form or two, he said the visa would be processed and be in the mail. Then he wished us luck.

So, to summarize... take the original of your official documents, and one copy. Take an updated letter from your fiance that says he/she is legally able to marry you. Take a photocopy of the inside of your passport. Remember the police certificate. Carry additional evidence in case it is requested. And most importantly, relax. They were really nice people, easy to talk to, and we felt entirely at ease the whole time. It was five minutes with each person and it went by so quick, it really was painless.

Best of luck!

Lori (and Chris)

Hey everyone, Chris and I are back from the Montreal interview.

Our appointment was on Tuesday, and after spending a few days in Montreal to enjoy the food (and brave the cold) it all went well and we made it home in one piece.

The interview was super easy and basic. We arrived at the consulate around 8am, got in from the cold right away, went through security, up the elevator and waited for our number to be called. When it was, we handed over originals and copies of requested documents, paid the fee, and then sat down for about half an hour before we were called to window 8 for our interview.

We had a really pleasant officer ask us questions, check our documents, verify this and that, and it was really so super fast and easy, there was nothing tricky about it. I think we were in there for oh.. maybe five minutes. Then he explained the visa would be processed that day, sent off in the Xpresspost, and sure enough.... my visa arrived today! Yup. Interview Tuesday, Visa by Thursday. Not bad. I am truly impressed.

All in all, we were there for about two hours or so, and it was the most pleasant and painless process to date. The Montreal folks were a pleasure to deal with and it was a good overall experience.

Our hotel was perfect (Travelodge on Rene Levesque) and within three walking blocks. We couldn't have had a better overall experience. Plus, the food was great as per usual.

So, now, with Visa in hand... I'll be packing it in and crossing the border in a few weeks. Not bad. Phew. It's nice to have this part of the process over. On to the next stages of the game!

Best of luck to all waiting and gearing up for interviews, etc. And relax. Once you get to that point, it's a breeze!

Lori

Crossing fingers you hear good news soon, Sapphire!!!

Ljrascoe, you'll definitely need to consider the move very carefully. My fiance and I (I'm Canadian and he's American) have talked about this, as we do plan on coming to Canada someday. From what we have learned, if you do not yet have your US citizenship you will lose permanent residency status if you move out of the country. Meaning... if you move out of the US, to anywhere, but then someday want to go back to the US you will have to start all over for the visa process.

For this reason, my soon-to-be-hubby and I have decided we will not move outside the US until I have my citizenship several years from now. To lose all that money, to have to go through the paperwork again... oh boy. But, depending on your situation and if the move seems like it will be really, really permanent, that will be something you'll want to consider. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

Just keep in mind that a move to Canada means you lose your US residency, if you do not have citizenship. So, try to think about the future as much as you can, and see what works for you guys.

Best of luck. And yes, do check out the Canada Regional Discussion. There's plenty of helpful folks over there. (I stumbled on this thread accidentally!)

Congrats on your interview date.

The only part I can answer for you is regarding your personal belongings crossing the border. For that, make sure you pack neatly and have things organized in like manner. Example - books are packed with books; clothes packed with clothes; etc. Then, make a list of how many boxes and what thy contain; example - 4 boxes of books, 5 boxes of clothes, 3 boxes kitchen, etc. You want to make it as easy as possible for the border folks to see what you have and reference your paperwork.

If there are anyquestionable items you plan on taking (food, pet supplies, etc) check the Buffalo CBP (customs and border patrol) website via google to see what they limit or deny.

As for how long at the border... for a normal border crossing, depending on traffic, it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour or more. But for crossing with a visa and personal belongings... I would be very sure you give yourself several hours in order to comfortably make it to your flight.

Best of luck and congrats!

Yay for visas!

The rest will go smooth from here.

Ooooh the countdown is on.

With so many Montreal interviews in the next week or so, I wanted to send out some good vibes to all the interviewees. Here's hoping we all have some smooth stories to share in the aftermath.

So, next week, there are a number of us on the 12th, 13th, and 15th? Oh heck, let's just think happy thoughts all week to cover it all. Ha.

Chris and I are scheduled on the 13th, but we're actually headed to Montreal in the morning (Sat) to make the best of a weekend getaway, and also chill out and eat well prior to the Big Day. Plus, with this weather blast lately, better safe than sorry. On that note, happy and safe travels to all no matter how you're getting there. Methinks it's best to bundle up!

Anyways, fingers crossed for all. We'll be thinking happy thoughts for the others, and hopefully we make it back in one piece to share the experience.

Lori (and Chris)