kittyrat234

Just wondering if my husband should watch out for any other VJer's.

Anyone going to be there?

You can follow the good advice that you got already, OR you can do what I did which is to send in everything except for the photos and something else. It didn't cause any problems. They have them on record and are holding onto them. We didn't need them before our interview so it all is going to work out fine.

Hum, I didn't know that I could do that since the Consulate doesn't take any inquiries over the phone or email. I never thought to call elsewhere.

Do you have the number? I am not sure where I would even call. That would be great, if I can.

Thanks!

We sent our Packet 3 in January and are now facing a decision as to whether or not to take a new job here. Without knowing when my husband's interview may be, we don't know if we are looking at leaving in a matter of months or closer to a year.

Anyone who filed recently able to tell me how from mailing packet 3 to getting a visa in hand - four months, 8 weeks, a year?

The law is on YOUR side. Believe me. My uncle married a woman from China and treated her terribly. We couldn't tell her before she came here not to marry him or come, but once she was here, we got her away from him and helped her. He has an "ex-wife", remember? She may be a friend to you. She knows what he's like. If you need someone to talk to the police to tell them what he does, ask them to contact her.

There are shelters where you can go live for free run by caring people. There are charities, government programs, you name it. There is a lot of help. You don't have to suffer and are not at his very cruel mercies.

Remember that many, many judges in the US are also women. This will especially strike a cord with them. No matter what gender the judge is, American law takes a very strong view against all spousal abuse, but especially against poor, lonely, frightened, immigrant women.

Bullies get strong because they aren't stopped. Next time, call the police and ask them to take you to a shelter and say "yes" you want to press charges. Tell them how afraid you are and about his forcing you to sleep in the closet or on the floor. Believe me, they won't say, "Well, that's too bad." I would mentally ready because he may be taken away in handcuffs. And YES, you do want to "press charges".

Did you call the general number or your POE? When I called the general number, they told me that we could as well, but that whether or not to allow to cross will be at the discretion of the POE. I have called Toronto Pearson border patrol twice and talked to them in person once. All three times they told me that they would deny him entry no matter what he brought, despite the general number's telling that he just needed proof of return and continuing residency in Canada.

I also called two of the Ontario bridges who told me "no".

I DO hope that you get a different answer and can go through without problems, but if you haven't called your port of entry, I would do that next. If they will allow you to, they should be able to tell you what they want to see.

Good luck! I hope that all is well for you.

If you are doing a DCF, the Canadian cannot leave the country. I talked to Border patrol about this three times. When I talked to them last time, they said that any attempt to cross the border may result in cancellation of the green card application as it may be interpreted as attempting to take residency prior to receiving your green card.

I would definitely call them to ask. My husband is a Canadian. We are doing a DCF for his green card, and he cannot even come to the States for a job interview or to do house-hunting with me.

I would make absolutely sure that you are not going to have problems. I was told that they DO have a record at the border of everyone in process. So, I wouldn't risk if it they say that the beneficiary can't go into the US.

I would contact your local US consulate or embassy as soon as possible. I applied for one earlier this month here in Canada and was told that all CRBA printing and issuance had been suspended indefinitely, per direction from the State Department as they change how they are printed.

So, I was able to get the passport from the Consulate, but there's no telling when I will get my son's CRBA.

Now, our consulates and embassy are not even taking appointments for them until the suspension is lifted.

All of us will be going to Montreal for my husband's interview. Can you recommend a hotel not too far from the Consulate that is family-friendly or has rooms that aren't a small fortune that can accommodate a family of five?

Yep, thank you. I sent it in already. I have a job in the States. We are moving back to where my corporate office is located and to be close to my family. Before the interview, we will enroll the kids in preschool and hopefully, have some solid leads on houses.

Yikes! We filed our I-130 back in 2009. I don't remember what we brought. All the required documents, plus pictures and records of trips and phone conversations, but I don't have them any more. It was a huge stack. Well, we will do our best.

We will bring our living proof - three year old, two year old and baby, with lots of family pictures.

All three kids are registered US citizens. Just my husband needs documentation to the come to the US.

I sent my I-864, proof of domicile and police certificates already with my packet 3 as that was what our instructions said to do. So, that should be all cleared away already. The only thing that we don't have yet is the medical exam. We are getting my husband's immunization record for the medical as well and then will be all set once we get our letter.

We had planned on just him going to Montreal, but it's probably best that we all go now based on what I've read. We should be really straight forward. First marriages, three kids, married for five years, known each other for over ten, and living in Canada together since a few months after we got married. That will be fun. Little family trip.

Background: Husband and I initially filed our 130 almost two years ago now, but we had to delay due to the residency requirement and a change in our family status (three kids in three years. The perpetually pregnant woman couldn't really do a cross-border move.) We have now submitted our packet 3 to Montreal two weeks ago. We had our old letter from early 2009 before the electronic processing came into effect so we followed the old directions of sending in the documents and checklist through the mail.

What I think is true: If I understand correctly, people have experienced a 6 week wait time between the time that they have mailed off their information and when they receive their packet 4. Once you have packet 4 (or an email?), you can go to the new website to book your appointment. Appointments are generally booked out for two months. During the interim, you go for your medical. On the day of the appointment, you pay your $404, bring ?? documentation, and an express envelope. You then go home and wait for them to express mail your passport back to you. Once you have it, you do your entry to the US and can start to work as soon as you have your SSN.

What do I have right and what do I have wrong?

Thanks for the help.

We just submitted our I-130 for my Canadian husband. I keep reading about this mysterious "packet 3". What is it? Is there anything that I can start getting now so that when the packet comes I can speed up the turnaround time?