bluenoser77

Hi fellow Visa Journeyers...

I am eligible to apply for naturalization around mid-April (this is 90 days before my 3 year GC anniversary). I plan on taking a trip to Canada at the beginning of June.

I estimate that if I apply at the end of April, I could possibly get a biometrics appointment in the beginning of June-- messing with my travel plans. I've read that you can reschedule the biometrics by requesting an early drop-in appointment, but I wonder if this will slow things down. For personal reasons, I am trying to get my citizenship as soon as possible. Should I wait to apply for n-400 after my trip (mid June), or right before my trip?

Also, would applying in mid-April vs. mid-June have an impact on when my interview date would be? If I apply early, I imagine the interview can't be before my 3 year anniversary, so it wouldn't be before July 15th (this is an assumption based on skimming through a couple of people's timelines, and I could be wrong).

Given my circumstances, and what you understand about the naturalization process, what do you think is the best time for me to apply?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer. It's always appreciated. I would be lost without this site.

Hi all,

I am eligible to apply for citizenship in mid-July. My Canadian Passport expires on July 30th. I'm trying to time renewing my passport around trips and wonder if renewing a passport has an effect on the naturalization process. Looking at the N-400 form, there is no field that requests your passport #.

My sense is that it doesn't matter at all. In addition, after reviewing other posts, I understand that I would just need to have a valid Canadian passport for my interview. Am I right here?

Also, when I do renew my passport, do I need to inform USCIS? If so, what form do I use?

Thanks for any info.

So yesterday I went to get my police clearance as per Pkg 3. The officer said it will take 4-5 weeks to arrive as they are really back logged. I have everything else on my end, just waiting for my fiance to get the finacials together. Ive asked him not to send anything or date anything until I have a consualte date. But Im afraid to make a consualte date. What I can see if I sent pkg. 3 in tomorrow, its about a month before I would recieve a letter. The letter would probably have the interview date 3-4 weeks after that. So as I can see, if I requested the interview tomorrow, I would be looking around 7 weeks till the actual date. Heres the thing, Im very organised, and although I hope for the best, you have to expect hiccups. Im just to afraid to scheduale the interview without actualy holding the police report in my hands ... but I really dont want to interview in December ... standing outside the consualte in the cold for hours ... brrrrr.

What would you do ? Send in Pkg 3 and hope that in 7 weeks you have everything, or hold off until you actualy do have everything ?

Yes, you can check that you have all the documents even though you are technically waiting on some. It's probably a good idea to just send pkg 3 in and wait for the interview. I imagine you will have police clearance by then anyway. If not, you can either reschedule your appointment when you get your interview letter or you can go to the interview and then have to send in the remaining required docs when you get them. I would do the latter, but again, you probably will have everything on time anyway.

Good luck!

I too am a little confused, i thought i had it all planned, Apply for SSN after two weeks, then get married then apply for AOS and EAD, should have EAD in about 70 days as per timelines.

Until.....I went to Social Security place today and she said ok the number will come to you in 2 weeks and then you can work. I was like really, i thought we had to do a EAD, she said no you can go ahead and work. Well my Fiance is extremely happy and i'm all confused.

Anyone else experienced this and should i just ignore her and carry on with what i was going to do?

Zoe

Hi there,

I don't think that's the case. Perhaps the person you were speaking to is ill informed. When your fiance receives the social security number, the card should say 'valid for work only with DHS authorization' which is your EAD. Your original understanding is more accurate.

Hi there,

I just wanted to run something by all of you. It's a contradiction between the 'check status' feature on the USCIS website and some USCIS mail I have received. I'm wondering how much I can trust the status update info online.

When I check my status on the USCIS website, I get this information:

Application for Travel Doc: Initial Review

Employment Authorization: Approved May 21st (originally it said approved on May 18th or something and then it changed ?) Can expect card in about 30 days.

AOS: Initial Review and transfer to another office.

Now, I have received actual letters from the USCIS. The first were my travel documents- they're approved and I have them in hand. As you can see this does not correspond to the website. I have also received a notice of my case being transferred to CA. This matches the website info. My question is, can I trust that my employment doc is approved and that I should get it in 30 days? I have a potential employer asking me about when my docs will be finalized and I want to say that I am approved and just waiting for the card to be produced and mailed to me.

I know I've read some accounts of people getting two approval dates, the last approval date being the final one and so I hope that, similarly, this is the last change for me.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

All the best.

Hello everyone,

So I have a question and need your insight! Let me explain the situation first:

I was in the U.S from May 09 to November 09 and came back on the 180th day. So no overstay. We are currently waiting very impatiently for an interview date. We were thinking that if we do not get a date by June 18th, I would go and visit from June 30th to July 28th or to August 4th, to plan the wedding and everything.

Now, I KNOW that it is entirely up to the POE officer whether they'll let me in or not, but from your knowledge, am I going against any rules here (amount of time in the U.S last time, visiting while on K-1, etc...) ?

I was going to bring all our documents regarding the K-1. I cannot bring a letter from employer because I'm a teacher and will be out of work anyways at that point. I was thinking of bringing my last pay stub anyways.

So do you guys think it SHOULD be alright or are we taking a risk?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Check this out from the VJ wiki:

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/Travel_To_The_US_While_Application_Is_Pending

You are taking a chance, so you should be prepared for the possibility of being turned back. However, I took this chance a few times and never had a problem. I was basically visiting my fiance for about 2 months, but it was broken up with trips back to canada. So, when asked how long I was visiting, my answer was always 2 or 3 weeks. I dind't have a job, apartment, or anything in canada (I had been living and working overseas) and only brought my K-1 application papers. I crossed the border by flight and by car. I always packed light- only a couple of bags and answered questions truthfully. The questions were usually 'what do you do for work? Answer: I teach ESL (I didn't mention that I was unemployed because they didn't ask) Why/who are you visiting (in) the states? How long are you going for? and 'Whose car is this (when driving- my fiance was always driving and it was his car). No problems, but I was always prepared to be turned away.

good luck!

Hi all - I'm getting ready for my medical. Required immunizations for me are tetanus/diptheria/polio, measles/mumps/rubella, and chicken pox. Was advised that a verbal declaration for chicken pox would suffice, no documentation required - all other shots do require written verification from your Doctor.

I've had about 10 doctors over the last 25 years so have no record of past immunizations so last week I got the shots, again. No big deal. I could've gone the 'titre test' route - blood tests that identifies antibodies/confirms you had the shots - but I decided against it as it was going to take too long.

Now I'm thinking I should've done the test. Read somewhere on here that when you go to do your AOS in the US they will not accept verbal declaration of chicken pox so you have to either get the shot or titre - both of which cost upwards of $100. I'd rather do it now/while covered by OHIP.

Thoughts?

Yes, for the K-1 medical done in Canada, they will probably take your word on having had chicken pox and will mark 'VH' (history of chicken pox) on your immunization record sheet. I was told that this is because over 95% of the population in Canada has had chicken pox. But for the AOS, you might need more proof (this was my experience)... I had to get a shot before the civil surgeon would sign my medical document for AOS application. If I recall, they said something like, they needed to know an exact date. So, if you can't find any proof (whatever that might be) of having had chicken pox, I would suggest getting it. Do whatever you can while still covered. It cost me over 100 bucks to get the shot here.

Hi,

I've heard that you need to ask for a document or a copy of something at the Medical appointment, because you'll need it for the AOS...

Does anyone know what it is?

Thanks for the help!!!

Hi there,

I'm not sure there is a document you're supposed to ask for. When I went, after the medical, they gave me a receipt for my medical to be picked up in a few days. Then when I picked it up, I got a package (my medical) and a immunization checklist sheet. To be honest, if the doctor is authorized to do this medical, s/he will know what you need. After the medical, the doctor told me to ask the receptionist to go through my report and make sure everything was in order and that all required forms were filled, which I did. No problems.

For me the only difference between the K-1 medical and the AOS one is that the AOS medical didn't accept my claim to have had chicken pox whereas the K-1 medical did. I ended up having to get (and pay $110 for) the immunization shot for my AOS application. When at the Montreal medical, I wish I had brought some kind of document supporting my chicken pox history so that they could have written an exact date on the immunization record sheet (which is what the civil surgeon wanted to see) instead of just 'VH' (history of chicken pox). Maybe then I could have saved some money.

So, unless I'm wrong, I think there is no document to ask for from the medical, except for the medical itself. Maybe you mean the immunization record sheet? I didn't ask for one, but they gave me a photocopy for my own records-- which i used, but didn't necessarily need, in my AOS application.

I hope this helps, and if I'm wrong, please, someone jump in.

Good luck at the medical and upcoming interview!

Hello all,

I entered on a K-1 in April, got married, and applied for AOS, AP and EAD right away. I have recently received my new SSN and today I went to the DMV here in NY to change my Canadian license to a NY one (was pressured by our auto insurance company). I was able to get one, except my new driver's license will state that I am a temporary visitor until July 1st (because my I-91 form in my passport expires on this day). She said I had to come back and update my card when my status changed, but AOS could take up to two years. My questions are:

1. Will this driver's license be valid after July 1st in the states and in Canada? (the answer they gave me was, the license actually expires in 2015, but basically the card will say I'm illegally here after July 1st, so she wasn't sure how that would affect my actual permit to drive).

2. After a few months, if I ever get asked for my documents by officials, what do I show them? My I-91 is due to expire on July 1st and my K-1 visa is due to expire on Sept.24th. Am I supposed to carry around my marriage cert?

Thanks for any responses. And if I've missed a previous discussion on this, please direct me to it.

Cheers.

I am going down for my second trip to see my fiancee at the beginning of June and we are going to be sending off for the K-1 Fiancee Visa. From what I understand from reading tons and researching at some point I will have to have an interview and a medical done, my question is because I can go down to the US for 6 months -1 day in a year, what happens if the interview comes up and I am still down in the US with my fiancee, I am planning to go down for about 4 months. Am I able to do the interview from the US or will I have to go back to Canada to do it?

Hi there,

Just so you know (and maybe you already do), as Canadians, technically we are permitted to be in the states for 6 months. However, it's not a green light to go and live with a fiancee for this period of time. Take a look at posts/topics about travel between the states and canada. Some people get denied at the border. Reasons tend to be that the border patrol was suspicous of people moving. So, when you cross, be sure to mention that you're 'visiting' not 'staying' with partner/fiancee. Also, pack light and be prepared to show any documentation of ties to Canada (rent, telephone bills, etc.) that support the fact that you are not intending to move to the states and never return. However, since you're applying for k-1 after you arrive in the states, perhaps crossing will be easier for you. But not always. I have some friends here in the states who are from Canada. One is an international student and one is her partner. The last time he tried to enter the states with her immigration patrol gave him a hard time. He doesn't have any application pending, he's just a canadian crossing the border.

All that being said, I visited my fiance for about 3 months and crossed the border a couple of times within that period. I never experienced any difficulty. I came in through flight and also my fiance came across the border to pick me up. I always packed light, answered questions truthfully and to the point. But usually my visits were broken up, so when asked how long I would be in the states, my answer was always 2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc. I'm not sure what would have happened if I had said 3 months. I was worried though, becuase I had no real residence in Canada (aside from my folks) and no job, etc. So I had no evidence of ties. I was always mentally prepared for the possibility of being denied, but again, it never happened. I wish the same luck to you.

Also, I'm not sure through which centers you're applying, but if you're required to go through montreal consulate, be prepared to wait longer than 4 months. If you're planning on sending the k-1 in June, your interview might not be until Jan, Feb or March. I applied in mid-August and was interviewed end of March and my NOA1 and 2 were a bit quicker than normal. If you do happen to get your interview while in the states, you will have to come up to where ever the interview is scheduled. You will also be required to do a medical in Canada by a designated doctor (the list is on here somewhere) and that usually needs to be done a week or so beforehand because you have to wait to get the results and bring them to the interview. Then once you have your interview, and if all goes well, you will wait for your passport with visa in it to be delivered in the mail, which could take up to two weeks. However, where ever you may be, you will have plenty of notice of when your interview is in order to make plans.

Good luck!

Hi all,

For those of you who have higher degrees, did you have to get them accredited to be able to work in USA? I'm going to be applying for jobs soon, but I don't know if I should get my degree accredited here or it's maybe not needed.

Thanks for your replies

I have never heard of this. I'm applying for jobs as if I were applying in Canada. I have an MA in Education from McGill. If I were a certified teacher for public schools, I would probably have to take a state test or exam of some sort. But I'm not and I don't plan on doing anything as far as accreditation is concerned. I guess it might depend on your field. You should ask others who are in your field of work.

We were in the same boat. We opted to go the K-1 route, get married in the US with a civil ceremony and then have the 'real' wedding celebration in Canada. It's not ideal, but it's fine. The other route (CR-1?) is also not ideal since you can't be together after getting married- but this is fastest, I think, for getting working permission. And if your fiancee lives in a border town, she may be permitted to enter the states with special permission, making the process easier for you guys. However, I know nothing about this, so unless you already know about this, it's something you could look into.

If you do K-1 (quick ceremony in the states and bigger one in niagra) be sure to calculate carefully the time needed to get papers together in order to get married in canada. I didn't calculate waiting for things after getting K-1 like marriage cert and advanced parole, which added a few more months on the process. It luckily didn't interfere with the wedding plans in Canada, but it came dangerously close.

The K-1 visa process you can get an idea of time-wise on the processing times links. You can also feel out other members waiting times by peeking at timelines. For me, I applied in mid-August/09 and was with K-1 in hand by April 1st/10 via Montreal and Vermont.

Things I didn't know about:

-waiting for marriage cert after being married: 2 weeks (this might depend on which state- I am in NY) You need this doc to apply for Advanced Parole

-waiting time for advanced parole: 2-3 months (although I'm expecting it in about 2 based on current trends) Your fiancee needs this approved before she can leave the states

My wedding is July 30th and I believe (hope!) I will be able to leave the states at the end of June.

Good luck in deciding which route to take, and congrats on the beginning of your new lives together!

Good Morning Everyone,

I thought I would post this so no one has to spend the same 3 hours I spent on trying to find this information.

Required Vaccines for Canadian Citizen aged 19-26:

MMR

TDap (Adacel)

Chickpox (either vaccine or the verbal confimation of the exact year you had chickenpox)

If you don't have your Immunization Records call the Health Region where you resided when a toddler. This will provide you with the record of your MMR.

Most Canadians will HAVE NOT ever recieved a TDap/DTap. We may have recieved a tetanus/diptheria but we are usually not immunized for Pertussis (Whooping Cough).

As an aside, the Dtap/Tdap has to be current (within the last 2 years) so more than likely you (lucky you) get to get a poke.

For myself (in Calgary) no one seemed to understand what/where/how to get this immunization. I called a private travel clinic, a regular clinic, the healthlink (regional information from the health services), a hospital, an urgent care centre....you get the idea.

In Calgary, there is only ONE place that is licensed to provide this vaccine to Adults (apparently its normally only given under 18). The International Travel Clinic downtown as part of the Health Region (1233 4th St SW 403-955-6777). They are super quick at getting people in for this vaccine and the appointment itself is very short (I was in and out in 10 mins). Cost for vaccine and administration is $50.

I am still at NOA2/NVC stage, however I figured since I have to bring this paperwork to my medical I might as well get on it right away.

On a side note, please be SURE you are getting the right vaccine, as there is one just for tetanus/diphtheria that doesn't count.

Based on my experience, I just made an appointment for immunizations at a clinic, brought packet 3 to show the doctor what I needed (after eliminating the one's I didn't need based on info I got on immigration websites- can't remember which ones) and my immunization records. The doctor gave me a shot I had never heard of (Tetraxim?), but described that it had a combination of the required immunizations on the list, so I think there are multiple options (I did this at an international hospital in Vietnam), but yes, the one just for tetanus/diphtheria was not enough.

On another note, I just went to the civil surgeon today in Syracuse (for the I-693, a form for the Adjustment of status stage) and showed them the list of Immunizations i was checked as having at my K-1 interview medical in Montreal, in addition to my immunization records. I'm not sure what you mean by a "verbal confirmation of the exact year you had chickenpox" but having 'VH' (history of chicken pox) recorded on my medical by the doctor in Montreal was not enough. I was told I had to have some kind of proof, so I had to go down the street and get the immunization before they signed off (I had to pay 110.00 for an immunization for disease i am already immune to- totally annoying). I could have also got a blood test verification, but i didn't want to wait as I live an hour and a half away from Syracuse.

So... my advice to all is to have some kind of appropriate verification of having had the chicken pox. You might not need it for the first medical (Dept. of State), but for the second (Immigration Services) you probably will. Good luck.

Hello all,

Hope your journeys are going well. I'm excited to say that after receiving my K-1 visa last week, I'm about to send off my AOS, EAD and AP docs soon after we marry this Tuesday.

I'm confused, however, about when to apply for the SSN. On the K-1 flowchart, it suggests applying for the SSN right away, then get married, then change name on SSN then apply for AOS, EAD and AP. Unless people take longer to get married, I don't see any other reason for applying for the SSN in that order, am I right?

Can anyone tell me if it matters when one applies for the SSN? I plan to do it right away, but I'm prioritizing the others (AOS, EAD, AP) because they take longer to process and I want to be able to work asap- I also need to be able to leave the states soon in order to attend our religious wedding ceremony in Canada in July (that would be nice, wouldn't it?)

Thanks in advance for any info.

Cheers

How long does it typically take to get the passport with visa returned? Problem is we live right on the border and she works in Canada so she crosses 3 or 4 times a week. Shes needs her passport to do that..

Is she permitted to live in the US before her visa is approved? If not, and she's just 'visiting' you in your border town, then they may not take this into consideration. Of course it doesn't hurt to ask, but when I did, they had no pity on me. Because Montreal is so close to where my fiance lives in the states (and where I was pretty much visiting for a month or so before my interview) I didn't want to return all the way home to NS just to wait for visa (expensive!). The interviewer explained- well, you're Canadian, you live in Canada, and so this shouldn't be awkward for you.

The best thing to do (if they don't let you pick it up) is to stay in Montreal and have it sent to an address there (hotel) or at least to an address in an Ontario major city. It's the fastest way to get your visa, usually one day in the mail, maybe two. I had my interview on March 25, the visa was processed on the 29th, in the mail on the 31st and I had my visa in hand on April 1st -- 5 business days. I stayed with a friend in Ottawa. Your fiancee should be prepared to take some time off of work, or stay with a friend/hotel on the Canadian side near her work until the visa arrives.

Good luck with the interview!

The day I went for my K-1 interview I was informed that another interviewee applicant (who I saw messing around on the computers at the consulate trying to update/ fix up her documents) had had a lawyer and she still didn't have all the docs. If your fiance feels more comfortable with a lawyer and doesn't mind paying, I would suggest that you continue familiarizing yourself with the process as you are and keep up with info on visa journey--even with a lawyer. You'll be fine. My partner and I did everything ourselves and got all our info from visa journey.

Good luck!

I got an accordion type file holder and individual file folders. I put each doc and copies in one file folder and labelled it. Just as Nik+Heather said, they ask in no certain order for your docs. Also, you might be nervous, so you should have some kind of system that makes it easy for you to thumb through quickly and locate each doc to hand over. I also had each document paper clipped if it was multiple pages and I separated the copies from the original. This worked really well for me. good luck!

Hi all,

Congrats to all those who have completed their interviews and good luck for the upcoming ones!

I'm just wondering if I can get an idea of how long people are waiting for visa in hand after the interview, and also if anyone has been able to pick up the visa the day after. I'm not planning on going home (all the way east), and am crashing at hotels and friend's places whenever and wherever until I get the visa and then I want to cross the boarder from montreal. I'm really hoping I can pick it up myself.

thanks for any posts.

Hi Tillian,

I'm nearing a final step in the process and am happy to share my experiences (my interview is in a few weeks!) However, I don't know some of the answers completely, I can tell you what I decided to do along the way based on what I could figure out. I'll respond below each of your questions.

Hi there, me and my fiance have been married for a few months now (I assume you mean engaged, because if you're married I believe that changes things) and I want confirmation on a few things. We want to get married and live in the USA, and it seems the "best" option is the K1 (fiance) license, I think ive got a decent idea how this will work, mainly through this site, but I just want confirmation on a few points. I live in the UK, and she lives in the USA, and is a full citizen etc

1) Will I (the immigrant) be able to look for work immediately after getting married (assuming the K1 is granted)

Although it's ideal to work right away, apparently it takes a bit longer. From what I understand, upon entering with a K-1, you're supposed to be able to apply for and receive immediately a work permit to last the K-1 visa period (90 days); however, only the immigration at JFK airport in New York are known for doing this and it is not even guaranteed. Alternatively, once you enter with a K-1, you apply right away for an adjustment of status and employment authorization. I've been skimming a few time lines of other VJ members, and it seems that process could take around 2 months or so.

2) Would I be able to work for a company in the UK remotely from the USA during this process? Its possible my current employer would be ok with this so long as the USA are.

I'm not sure about this. From what I understand, if you are making money on US soil, you are required to pay US taxes (even if it's not a US based company) and therefore would need work authorization to do this. i wanted to do some teaching for online courses from a uni in Canada, but opted not to. However, I would wait to hear from others if they did this or not. Are you planning on visiting your fiancee while waiting for the K-1? That's the situation I'm in now and when I have my K-1 if I do not get granted a work permit upon entry, I will continue not do any work until authorized. But I wasn't going to make very much, so it wasn't worth the risk, and therefore after meeting a couple of potential obstacles decided against it. not sure what your situation is.

3) How have other people supported themselves financially during this process, it seems that the US citizen has to support the immigrant completely, which will not be an option for us over the timescale I think we are looking at (a few months potentially, plus time spent looking for work after being approved.)

I was separated from my fiance for about 6 months while I continued to work abroad (we were both abroad but he came back to go to school). We knew we were going to do this and so I saved up enough money to be unemployed for 8 months for sure (and possibly longer). This was easy for me to do because I was making a foreign salary while living in Vietnam. He receives a stipend for school and we basically live (very cheaply!) off that. My savings will come into the picture to pay for our wedding. It's not so hard for us since we hang with grad students so our social group doesn't tend to do expensive things.

4) What would the steps typically be after getting married. Apply for a work permit while a full citizen application is processed? I realise that getting married would allow me to stay there for 2 years, what should i be doing during this time?

I haven't got there yet. I'm just learning myself. I'm like you, after reviewing options at the beginning stages, we decided that K-1 was the best option for getting me working right away. But basically, I have to keep refreshing myself as I go along. I assume you've seen the guides and the flow charts? They seem to be pretty accurate. I also follow other people's time lines who are dealing with the same regional embassey and US immigration service units.

Thanks for any help

Hope it is helpful and I hope you get more responses in order to get a clearer picture. It's a long process that is expensive, but people tend to do it and make it work somehow. I wish you luck in making your decision.

Wow,

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I've decided to drive the car to a train station and then park it and take the train across the border. I guess I can consider calling and asking, but even if I do, I'm not sure any answers would provide the peace of mind I would prefer. From what I gather, people have called authorities and got differing answers for various questions.

Thanks again for all the feedback. I really appreciate it.

Cheers,

Thanks. :-)

Hi there,

I'm currently visiting my fiance in the states. I want to travel back to Canada for a few days and then return back to the states. Flights are outrageously expensive for this trip, but driving would be reasonable. I am able to take my fiance's car to do this, but I'm wondering if I would encounter any problems driving someone else's car across the border, on either side. Anyone ever do this? or know where to look for official info regarding this situation?

Thanks.

Hi there,

If any of you have had experience with bringing a Japanese police certificate to an interview, your info would be greatly appreciated.

I have received all of my police certificates from multiple countries. The one from Japan, however, is sealed with a statement "to be opened by the addressee only". And the addressee is "the authorities concerned, united States of America"

My questions are:

1. Should I be concerned with issues of translation. I assume it's in English, since the envelop is- but I'm just trying to make sure.

2. I've read that I'm supposed to bring a copy of police records along with the original- which of course is impossible if it's sealed.

Any help on this matter is greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.

Hi,

I've just been surfing through various time lines and it seems that many (all that I have seen, actually) who have similar time lines to me (and similar locations- Montreal/Vermont) know about their interview date. I also noticed that people are reporting when their packet 3 was logged. how do you check this? is there a way to check online? I emailed the consulate about confirmation of my packet 3, but haven't heard back yet.

Thanks for any help, and congratulations to all who know their interview dates! All the best on a very important step!

Hi there,

I'm just wondering, what do you mean "long form" birth certificate? I have a smallish (the size of a driver's license) laminated card. Are we required to get something else?

Thanks!