maribear

Thanks everyone for the congrats!! SOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!

VISA APPROVED!!! VISA APPROVED!!!! IT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY!!!!!

Did medical in Vancouver last Wed. - #5 in line, and was out of there before 9 am. Had a pretty painless interview in Vancouver on Thursday (the only painful part was the super long wait and 2 bits of torn up reading material - 1 was a Mac computer magazine, and the other was a children's book with drawing all over it). They told me it was approved at the appointment following the interview.

But now it's here and I just feel like yelling it from the rooftops!!!!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!

Oooh- I have a zucchini recipe I found in a magazine I was going to try out next week. Forgive the lack of measurements (eg. with the stock/dill) - but it was a really basic recipe and this is how it was written.

Zucchini and Dill Soup

1 Tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

2 zucchinis, sliced

chicken or vegetable stock

fresh dill

cream/half and half (optional)

Directions:

In saucepan melt butter. Saute onions and zucchini for 5 mins. Add stock and simmer for 5 mins. Remove saucepan from element, and blend ingredients in a blender. Add freshly chopped dill. Reheat and serve. For a creamier soup, add cream or half and half.

Well, I'm pretty much in the same boat as your fiance. My family is not happy that I'm moving to US at all. And they are not coming to the wedding, nor are they going to come visit. They think the US economy is going to tank, and constantly send me (and my fiance) emails talking about how the US is going to have an uprising and riots, etc.

From the other perspective, it's a really frustrating situation to be in, because you feel like you're betraying your family by leaving, and that if things don't work out, you'll be told you made the "wrong choice". The amount of guilt a family can pile onto someone is kind of amazing.

I could see myself getting a little upset if my fiance talked about feeling guilty. And it isn't maybe completely rational - its just such a hard road managing everyone's feelings as it is, you just want someone in your life NOT to have doubts. But of course, the doubts are completely rational, and I think you have every right to express them. I guess what I'm trying to say, is he's probably got a lot going on emotionally, and doesn't want to have to convince someone else in his life (ie. you) that he's making the right choice.

Again its not fair - and I don't think you did anything wrong. Its just a really hard road, especially when you don't have family support. It was probably best that you were honest about your feelings, and he'll probably realize that (if he hasn't already).

Best of luck to you

Thanks Maribear- you're right. He just needs me to be the one person that stays positive and encouraging about this move. I know it's weakness when I let myself feel guilty. Perhaps the next time I feel guilty I should take that as a signal to say something positive and see if that helps the situation.

Oh no! I didn't mean it like that!

You can't help having feelings, and I think it is good expressing them. It's healthy and normal to communicate! And guilt isn't weakness, its just an emotion, and a pretty normal one to feel. And I'm sure he wants to hear how you're doing through this whole process as well. Just be prepared that you might get an emotional response back sometimes It's just an overwhelming process on the other end too. As much as I love my fiance, I just don't have it in me to give anymore after fighting through Visa stuff, work, and managing family emotions sometimes.

I do hope you've got some good supports around you as well - do you have friends and family that you can talk to too?

Sept 30th! Just got the appt. today. It's for Vancouver though (is everyone on this thread waiting on Montreal?)

Sorry about the broken link.

They changed the way it works. In fact, they even give the date they changed it: March 2009. It says all over the website that you MUST get your immunizations before scheduling your medical appointment. They go so far as to make you type in the phrase "I CONFIRM I HAVE PROOF FOR ALL THE VACCINATIONS REQUIRED FOR MY AGE" when you're booking your appointment online.

I don't know why you didn't need the special booster...but it could be a new requirement? As you can see from the copy and paste from the above poster, it's all over the website, so they're pretty hardcore about it.

Well, I'm pretty much in the same boat as your fiance. My family is not happy that I'm moving to US at all. And they are not coming to the wedding, nor are they going to come visit. They think the US economy is going to tank, and constantly send me (and my fiance) emails talking about how the US is going to have an uprising and riots, etc.

From the other perspective, it's a really frustrating situation to be in, because you feel like you're betraying your family by leaving, and that if things don't work out, you'll be told you made the "wrong choice". The amount of guilt a family can pile onto someone is kind of amazing.

I could see myself getting a little upset if my fiance talked about feeling guilty. And it isn't maybe completely rational - its just such a hard road managing everyone's feelings as it is, you just want someone in your life NOT to have doubts. But of course, the doubts are completely rational, and I think you have every right to express them. I guess what I'm trying to say, is he's probably got a lot going on emotionally, and doesn't want to have to convince someone else in his life (ie. you) that he's making the right choice.

Again its not fair - and I don't think you did anything wrong. Its just a really hard road, especially when you don't have family support. It was probably best that you were honest about your feelings, and he'll probably realize that (if he hasn't already).

Best of luck to you

*Waves to St. Louis!*

That's so cool! Where are you from CarlaWarla? I know Canada, but province?

Sooo...I've been waiting and waiting for Packet 3. Looked up the example form here, and tried to get as much done from that as possible.

Then, they messed up and sent all of our info to Montreal, which fortunately my fiance caught, and had our file re-routed back to Vancouver. In the meantime, I checked in with Vancouver if I could just fax in Packet 3 checklist I would be getting from Montreal. Of course, no dice. They told me to sit and wait for them to mail out Packet 3. And of course, I can't get police checks or anything while waiting on this packet (unless I printed off someones demo or something, which I was extremely tempted to do...). I get Packet 3 from Montreal and check it out, and then promptly recycle it since its useless to me.

And then finally, Monday, Aug. 24/09, I get mailed a letter from the Vancouver US Consulate. No packet. A letter.

TELLING ME TO DOWNLOAD THE PACKET.

Which is irritating, since, you'd think they could have just sent me the link after they went and misdirected my file to Montreal, which they were aware of.

So for all of you out there, sitting, waiting for Packet 3, I give you the sacred link that they include in the letter:

http://vancouver.usconsulate.gov/content/v...packet3k1k3.pdf

There are several other forms that you need to print off of there (DS-230, DS156, DS156K, and form for depositing with Scotiabank) so make sure to read it carefully!

Hope this helps others who sit waiting and waiting and waiting for a form thats online the entire time. Of course you can't fax it in or anything yet, (because they won't be ready to process) but at least you can get the forms earlier so you can get stuff done while you're waiting!

Hey! After tons of hassles, I thought I would share my experience with the whole immunization thing with everyone. Especially regarding the TDap/Adacel booster. If I've got any of this info wrong, I apologize, and please correct me! I just thought I would try and give people a head's up !

For anyone going to Vancouver who doesn't know, there are some immunization requirements for the medical clinic there (full list at http://wokingmedical.com/Vaccinations.html), and you have to have proof of these immunizations before you can SCHEDULE your appointment. The list looks kind of overwhelming (especially if you look at the scanned example form online here - I don't think they actually give you that big scary list anymore) - but just breathe, and it will be ok! The list online is comprehensive, where the list at Woking breaks it down by age group, and is a lot less overwhelming.

Now in Canada, I believe its recommended that you get your TD booster every 10 years. But for the US/immigration purposes, you need to get a SPECIAL booster if you haven't had a TD booster in the last 2 years. This booster is called TDap or Adacel (I believe its basically the same thing, but contains immunization against Whooping Cough).

I had read in the forums here that it might be free if I went through the a public health nurse, or my family doctor. Our travel health clinic charges $65 for the shot.

This was my experience in Victoria, BC:

I tried to arrange the shot through the public health authority - I had located all my old records (through my mom, old records, other health authorities and clinics). After giving the public health nurse photocopies of all my immunization records, and printing off what was required for the Woking Medical clinic (and highlighting where it said I needed the ADACEL booster NOT TD BOOSTER), and a weeks time, she called and informed me she could only give me the shot if I was in grade 9, and that I should go to the Travel Clinic. She also recommended a second dose of MMR.

So I tried through my family doctor. They told me it would be free, and I emphasized several times that it needed to be the ADACEL/TDap BOOSTER, NOT TD. They said it was fine and I booked an appointment.

When I went to my appointment, I received a 2nd MMR shot (free). My doctor began opening the packaging, and I said to him "now this is the TDap booster, no TD booster right?". Wrong. And he said something to the effect of "oooh right we've had problems with this before". He searched the clinic for Adacel, but no success. He quickly wrote out a prescription for me, and sent me downstairs to the pharmacy to get it filled and come back up so he could administer the shot.

I went downstairs to Pharmasave and handed over my prescription. The pharmacy tech/pharmacist looked at it and said "Is this for an IUD?". So I said "NO!! It's for a Tetanus shot!". He consulted with someone else behind the counter and they told me that was a very special booster and they would have to order it in. I asked if any other pharmacies would have it, and they said no.

I went back upstairs and told my doctor of the dilemma (and got signed off for the MMR!). Then, just to double check, I went across the street to a different pharmacy (Shoppers Drug Mart). I spoke with the woman there about the shot, and after checking into it, she told me she wasn't even QUALIFIED to order it in, and suggested I go to the travel clinic.

At this point I was feeling annoyed and disheartened, so I DID book an appointment at the travel clinic. But then I went grocery shopping, and there was another Shoppers drug mart right next to the grocery store, so I stopped in JUST BECAUSE.

And am I ever glad I did. Because even though once again, the pharmacy had no idea what I was talking about, and had to look it up in some green pages of some pharmacy manual, and were running around, etc. THEY HAPPENED TO HAVE IT IN THEIR FRIDGE!!! Apparently someone else had ordered it in at some point, and not picked it up. It still cost $45, but I managed to get the shot the next day (from my doctor, who told me to drop by once I got the prescription filled), and keep $20 in my pocket!

Thanks everyone for the welcome!

I have definitely been checking out those Canada forums - really really helpful!! Definitely the healthcare thing is an issue for my family, but moreso they haven't been happy with the whole economic crisis thing.

(I personally will miss the Timmies - I think my fiance already does! haha!)

Hey everyone,

I'm new here and just wanted to say hi. I've been reading up on a lot of topics as we "make the visa journey", and have found this website extremely helpful. I'm not very familiar with forums, so I haven't posted anything until now.

My fiance lives just outside of Kansas City, Missouri. We're hoping I'll get there before October, but we'll see. I live just outside of Victoria, BC, Canada. In case you're wondering, since we're always asked, we met through my ex-husband (which is always super-awkward to explain). We've known each other "online" for about 9 years, and have been an item for about a year and a half. He manages a courier company, and I manage a group home.

My family is NOT thrilled about me moving away, and have been using a lot of scare tactics to try and change my mind. so its been difficult due to the lack of support. But we're pretty patient people, and we know this is right for us. I was last there in the beginning of February, and he was last here in May.

Thanks again to everyone for being so vocal about sharing your successes and challenges. Its been very helpful both logistically and psychologically And it encourages lurkers like me to share too!