ratfinkgrad

Hey, I do think that you need to submit the most recent tax return from your SO as well as a sponsor (if applicable). This is just based on research since I wil, too, have an interview soon.

Good luck

What is a SO?

Thank you very much!

I got my interview letter emailed to me today. They emailed it to both me and my husband for some reason.

I've been reading and re-reading instructions for hours. They say:

"The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all required documents are available at the time of the interview. While the applicant may have previously submitted the majority of required documents to the National Visa Center (NVC), the applicant may not have submitted all necessary documents to the NVC. Failure to bring all required documentation to the interview may result in a delay in visa issuance or a visa refusal. The following documents must be available for the interview:

Appointment Letter

Passport(s) valid for six months beyond the intended date of entry into the United States

Police Certificate(s)

Birth Certificate(s)

Court and prison records, if applicable

Military records, if applicable

Color photographs

Marriage Certificate, if applicable

Evidence of financial support (e.g. Affidavit of Support, a notarized offer of employment, or evidence of assets)

Divorce decree or death certificate of spouse, if applicable

Family-based cases: All original documents used to establish the relationship between the petitioner and the applicant

Employment-based cases: A recent letter from the prospective employer confirming the essential elements of the job offer"

The few documents that apply to me I already sent the originals to the NVC. My question is: Do I need to order and pay for another marriage certif and long form birth certif just so I can have it for the interview? I don't really understand what to bring and what I can trust them to have already and not expect from me.

As far as financial support, my father in law is co-sponsoring for us. We already did a AOS form for him and my hubby and sent it to NVC. In my appt letter, "financial evidence" is marked "received and accepted by NVC". Do I need to bring in extra evidence of financial support? My husband is currently unemployed so he's no help, but my father in law makes more than enough. Should I work on getting a bank account statement and a letter from his employer?

Also, from reading people's interview reviews there seems to be some fee to pay when you get there. The instructions I've read only say that if you haven't paid your $400 fee to the NVC you have to do it at the consulate. I thought everyone had to pay that $400 fee to NVC first. Which fee are people paying at the consulate?

Sorry for all the Q's. I filled in my timeline to the best of my knowledge. Thanks to everyone for you help.

Apparently my case was completed at the NVC on Feb 18 of this year. I am supposed to be waiting for "further instructions" but I haven't gotten anything in the mail yet.

What exactly am I waiting for? Should I be worried that I haven't heard anything yet?

Thanks for your clarification! I'm not stoked on having to travel to MTL or TO just to have a certain doctor confirm that i am female!

Thanks for your infos! That's a good link you send me too. We didn't bother filing for K3 since we were already married by the time we filed for a visa for me. This is a straight up IR or CR1 application (we'll be married 2 years in June).

So you're say that once the case is finished at NVC and they send it along to Montreal, I only have to wait a couple weeks for an interview date? No more 6 month waits languishing at the embassy? Once it gets to the embassy, is there anymore back and forth with forms? Or is it just a letter saying when and where to do your medical and when you can come to MTL for your interview?

I'd fill in my timeline but i'm afraid it might muck up your stats. Our I-130 was approved last March, but we sat on the application for a while and did not respond to NVC for a long time. Ours is not a typical fast-as-humanly-possible case by our own choices.

Can anyone with experience at the Montreal consulate please help me understand what the consulate step involves?

Hello all! From reading the Montreal embassy information, it looks like that after my file gets to the Montreal consulate, they'll send me a "packet 3", which will include forms to fill out and send back. This is what it says about it...

_{"Packet 3 Contains: Updated 1/22/2009}

Checklist

DS-230

DS-156K

I-134

DS-160 New online form https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

The new DS-160 Online, Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application, will eventually replace current nonimmigrant application forms DS-156, 157, 158, and other related forms, such as the DS-156E, 156K, and 156V. The roll-out of the new DS-160 will be gradual. Therefore, not all U.S. Embassies and Consulates will be required to use the form at the same time. U.S. Embassies and Consulates currently using the new form DS-160 are the following: CANADA: Vancouver and Montreal only The form DS-160 does require you to upload an "approved" picture, it lets you know if its not suitable. You can continue to submit without a picture, it gives you a confirmation page at the end and tells you to bring it with you with picture.

If you filed for CR-1, only DS-230."

We did indeed file for a CR-1/IR-1. Does that mean I can skip all that DS-156K, I-134, and DS-160 jazz? Does that mean that my packet 3 will contain only the one DS-230 form for me to fill out? And didn't I already fill that one out and send it along at the NVC stage a while back?!?

Can someone please tell me why it looks like I'm going to be asked to provide a form I've already provided, and kindly lemme know what a CR-1/IR-1 applicant can expect once my file arrives in Montreal? Will I be assigned an interview date immediately?

Thanks so much everyone.

I am planning on having my father co-sponsor my wife's immigration petition. He makes a sufficient salary as a tenured senior faculty at a private university to more than cover the sponsorship monetary needs for my wife. In the aim of involving as few people as possible in paperwork I was planning on not asking my stepmother to co-sponsor. However, my father and stepmother file a joint tax return--does that entail that she MUST co-sponsor and fill out an I-864 since her monies are already in the pot, so to speak?

I thank you all in advance for any advice you can provide.

Unless they are your household members, only one can serve as the joint sponsor. Supply a complete tax return including W2's so they can verify his income. Just state his gross income from his W2.

I didn't realize that bit about the household members. That's very helpful. Thank you for the clarification.

My wife was unemployed too we put unemployed on her i-864 and then got a co sponsor.

with the i-864 you have to submit the last 3 years w2 or if selfemployed i think its 1020

Yep, I've got all that stuff. It's ready to send in.

I'm nearly to the point of filing my wife's I-864, but I am currently unemployed, living in the care of friends providing free room and board to me while I apply to graduate schools. As soon as my graduate school applying is finished (no more than month longer left of that) I'll be hitting the job market looking to work until fall when I with any luck will be headed to whatever school accepts me. I expect to receive a graduate stipend while there.

The real nitty gritty of this problem lies in how and/or when to file my I-864. I have my father co-sponsoring my wife (which I mentioned and detailed in a preceding thread today) which should cover her monetarily in the eyes of the authorities, but all the same, for NVC to read my application where I've been unemployed since November 2008 and am applying to sponsor my wife still unemployed will that in some way complicate my process despite having more than enough monetary coverage from my father's co-sponsorship?

Furthermore, how do I project what my year's earnings will be for the I-864 when I'm as yet unemployed, unsure of what type of job I'll be getting when I do a job, and then the uncertainty as to what level of graduate stipend I'll be getting?

Time is, in some sense, of the essence here. I would like to have my wife with me by the time I begin school in the fall, and that inclines me to just filing the I-864s as soon as possible and simply sending NVC updates on my job/earnings/graduate school status as they become available for expediency's sake. Is any/all of this wrongheaded or misinformed?

Thank you in advance for your help.

I am planning on having my father co-sponsor my wife's immigration petition. He makes a sufficient salary as a tenured senior faculty at a private university to more than cover the sponsorship monetary needs for my wife. In the aim of involving as few people as possible in paperwork I was planning on not asking my stepmother to co-sponsor. However, my father and stepmother file a joint tax return--does that entail that she MUST co-sponsor and fill out an I-864 since her monies are already in the pot, so to speak?

I thank you all in advance for any advice you can provide.

"Do you want the Social Security Administration to assign you an SSN (and issue a card) or issue you a new card (if you have an SSN)? You must answer "Yes" to this question and to the "Consent To Disclosure" in order to receive an SSN and/or card."

Hello! How do I answer this question??? I am applying for a IR-1 or CR-1 visa through my spouse. This question appears in the second part of the DS-230 form. There's an area to check yes or no. Can't someone who's already successfully filled out this form tell me which box i need to check? Oh woe! :c

"Do you want the Social Security Administration to assign you an SSN (and issue a card) or issue you a new card (if you have an SSN)? You must answer "Yes" to this question and to the "Consent To Disclosure" in order to receive an SSN and/or card."

Hello! How do I answer this question??? I am applying for a IR-1 or CR-1 visa through my spouse.

Sorry. This question appears in second part of the DS-230 form.

"Do you want the Social Security Administration to assign you an SSN (and issue a card) or issue you a new card (if you have an SSN)? You must answer "Yes" to this question and to the "Consent To Disclosure" in order to receive an SSN and/or card."

Hello! How do I answer this question??? I am applying for a IR-1 or CR-1 visa through my spouse.

In the case of a sponsor who comes to the United States intending to establish his or her principal residence in the United States at the same time as the principal intending immigrant’s arrival and application for admission at a port-of-entry, the sponsor shall be deemed to have established a domicile in the United States for purposes of this paragraph.

Oh my god this looks to me like all he needs to do is move with me when I get my visa! This is really driving me insane. I almost wanna go see this lawyer again with all this new information but I don't have a spare 300 bucks to spend

YES pin this please!!!! I want my husband to read this too.

All those points are really really good. I wish I had brought them up with the lawyer we talked with. I think that my husband applying for schools in the US is good enough freaking proof that we intend on living there. However, my husband did only very recently become a PR of Canada. Would this fact make them think twice about granting me PR status for America? As in, "well why did he become a PR of Canada if you intend on settling in the US, hmmmmmm?" Do you think this is a valid concern and do you think this could be why the lawyer advised us to send him back down to the US to establish his domicile?

Is this lawyer completely dumb or actually very smart and perceptive and trying to save us the hassle of getting my visa denied because of "domicile"?

Thanks again! I'm glad there's a thread for this now. My husband can come back up to Canada anytime he wants. I know he's pretty unhappy right now which is really breaking my heart. As soon as I can feel confident in my knowledge of this topic, maybe get a second opinion from another lawyer, I'm going to try and have him return to me.

Hi rat,

I am starting a new thread to discuss domicile as the information will get lost in this thread.

Oh ok good idea. Where's the new thread? :c

You are very welcome! No, he didn't have to leave and your immigration lawyer is ..... wrong, but that's not surprising as many people have experienced that. I am sure there are good lawyers out there though.

I was born in Canada, I have dual citizenship through my parents, I have never lived in the United States before now - however I proved domicile. I know this information doesn't help you one iota at this point, however if someone else is reading this for the first time I hope they see it before their Husband or Wife actually leaves the country.

Good luck to you!

to_hope, congrats on getting out of NVC!!

Here's our situation: my husband became a PR of Canada recently because we thought we could wait out the US immigration thing together. He plans on attending a university down south and I plan on being there too, obviously. Would application forms and/or acceptance letters to universities be considered good proof of plans on living in the US long term ie. domicile? All this we made clear to the lawyer, but she still told him it's best move back down there. Is it because of how recently he became a PR of Canada?

Thanks for your help trailmix. We explained our entire situation with the imm. lawyer that we saw. We discussed domicile. In her profesh opinion, she told us that this was the best way to go for us, much to my weepy dismay.

You're right though. All that info there does make it sound like we did something stupid and are putting ourselves through needless pain. I wish i could have brought that info to the lawyer to show her. That is not the exact document i received in my choice of agent package from NVC, but the it's very similar and more detailed.

I wish there were some hard and fast rules to follow regarding this stuff. The reason why we decided to stay apart for the process is because I'd hate to have come all the way to the end, only to have the consular office deny me my visa because of something as ambiguous as this. It's the "safe way" for us, as heart-wrenching as it was to kiss him bye today.

And no, he didn't think to get a I-94 because I didn't explicitly tell him too (so I'm kinda annoyed). When he visits next I'll make sure he does.

Thanks again for you replies!

I'm not sure what you mean, there is no rule that says he has to go to the States before you.

He doesn't have to go there to prove domicile - I am the sponsor and had never lived in the U.S. before we both moved together after getting his IR1 visa.

The immigration lawyer we saw told us that it's necessary for him to move there to establish domicile because otherwise he won't be able to support me (on paper at least). He doesn't meet the income requirements on his own so we need his father to co sponsor. The material we received said that if the sponsor lives outside of the US, you can't rely on a co sponsor.

Also, he isn't employed with any American companies here in Canada so we can't go that route either.

How did you manage to do it trailmix??

(OFF TOPIC: Can my hubby ask the border guy at the American border today for some kinda record of crossing so he has proof of the amount of time he spends in each country?)

Thanks for your replies everyone!

This is the situation i'm in. My husband is leaving Canada today to go establish himself some domicile. We're so sad, and this is a really weird rule. WHY OH WHY would we pay a bunch a money and put ourselves through their process and jump thru burning hoops just to obtain a visa and not use it and never go to the USA?

Here's a domicile question: My husband will probably try to get an apartment that won't require him to sign a year lease (month to month type thing) so that when i finally get my visa we are free to move when we need to. Is just be physically present and holding a job in the US enough to establish domicile? He's a PR of Canada and legally allowed to be here too; will that count against us trying to prove that he has "domicile" in the US? Will they scrutinize us more and expect us to show stronger ties like the deed to a freakin' house or something?

interview was ok except they want more proof of domicile. bank statements and voter info wasn't good enough, she wouldn't take it. so i have to sign a lease with my mother now, which is lame. but everything else was ok. we could've left the passport but choose to take it because her promise of after we send everything back it only takes two weeks doesn't fly with me. so sad face today.

Is your sponsor living in Canada or the U.S. right now?

How many months does it take to get an interview at the Montreal consulate?

Why should a person answer "unknown" for the intended occupation question? Wouldn't it help your case to answer something universal like retail or food service?

I can't wait to get this form...