CBM

I have to say, Aloe's advise is pretty spot on.

There is only so much loafing around (and butt scratching, as one person put it haha) one person can do. If you are in a state where you can just trade in your DL for that state's DL, I would advise doing so right away. Driving is a freedom that people take for granted. I know I did. Being stuck at home all day gets boring and lonely.

Volunteering is a great idea, but it can be difficult if your city has no public transport and you can't get a DL until you can prove legal residency (as is the case in my state). If you can swing it, I think volunteering is great for the soul. And your resume!

I've only been here for about 4 months, so we are just starting to get into the routine of doing things separately, and I honestly think it's been good for us. I tried golf, I really did, but it made me want to rip my eyelashes out one by one , so now my husband just goes on his merry way with his friends, and I go shopping or work out or something. We still do loads of stuff together, but I think that was a GREAT piece of advise in this thread - accept that it's okay to do things separately sometimes and life in the homestead will be happier.

Obviously I'm no marriage expert, and there's still stuff I learn every day. I totally understand the OP's jitters about moving to the US... I love California very much, and I love my husband even more, but it is difficult to move across the continent where you have to start over. I think someone said this already, but I think attempting to start over as quickly as possibly is going to make your life easier. I have spent too much time loafing and feeling sorry for myself, and it really doesn't make life any better.. going out and doing things makes a world of difference.

I realize my post is just a bunch of ramblings jumbled together, so I hope someone is able to make some sort of sense of it haha

Good luck to the OP!

If memory serves from older threads, it was actually Krikit who used to be a little... irked... if people used the phrase "activate my visa", rather than "endorse my visa".

So I'm pretty sure Flames was just poking fun at Krikit.... no real "stories" to tell about a crazy Canadian memeber... sorry to disappoint!

PS - Krikit, I get it. I'm not being mean! I'm ####### with certain phrases.... e.g: "rate of speed" is just redundant and annoys me. It equally annoys my husband when I correct him

PPS - I agree! I used to enjoy reading through the chatty threads

OBX - your visit sounds awesome, albeit short!

My parents haven't seen me since March and I'm sure would enjoy a visit.. unfortunately, that won't be til Christmas

Thanks Nigeriaorbust... I found those listings earlier, but thought they couldn't possibly be all the sub jobs available. There are hundreds of schools per school board, so I just thought there might be a bigger sub list than there appears to be.

I'll keep looking.

Thanks

It's hard enough being in a country with very few friends and no family (not even in-laws)... I just wish I could get someone to take my degrees seriously without jumping through 90000 more hoops.

I just received my EAD last week, and I've been applying for jobs and writing cover letters, etc. I just shelled out over $200 to get my degrees and teaching license evaluated, so California can decide if I'm educated enough to receive a CA teaching license. I know this is a feeling of frustration that everyone must have felt at first, so I know I'm not the only one out there... it's just so exasperating! I paid a lot of money for a high quality education, and now I'm back at square one, pleading with people to take me seriously.

I love kids and I love teaching. And I know I just started applying, and don't expect to find something right away... it's just a feeling of hopelessness that someone would rather have an American educated person teaching in their schools.

I think more than anything, I'm starting to experience that dismal feeling you all express time and again, of missing how easy life in Canada was. I love my husband more than anything and I do love California... I'm just frustrated.

Phew. End of rant.

Go to the school district web site to find the employment area. Where I work they have all the teaching positions including subs listed. Call the districts in your area to see how this is done. We have an H R department that works with people as well. However I am not in Ca.

Yeah, I've searched all the school districts' websites. They just redirect to EdJoin. But thanks, it was a good try

I received my EAD last week, and I've been perusing the internet for teaching jobs in CA. I'm not overly hopeful for a full time job at this point in the year, but I would like to be able to substitute.

Apparently most teaching jobs go through EdJoin.org now, but it is kind of confusing if you've never used it. I can't really find subbing jobs on there.

Does anyone know if that's because they haven't been listed, or if there is some trick I don't know about?

I have searched the website high and low, and can't figure out how to apply for the substitute list!

I've also been searching CraigsList, Monster, etc.

I should add that I don't have a full California credential, or at least not yet, because my degrees and Canadian teaching license are still being evaluated. I have taken the CBEST, and still waiting for the results. So my options for now are a fulltime or PT at a private school not requiring a credential, or subbing at public schools.

I just don't know how to get on the sub list!

I went to Public Health in N.S. and they had most of my shot records. What they didn't have (because my doctor didn't inform them), I got from my doctor himself.

You can also get the titres done, if you have moved away from your doctor or can't access your records, etc.

Off topic, but if you can, I would suggest asking your family doctor for a complete record of your visits to him or her. I did that before I left for the US, and I'm glad I did. We don't have PPO insurance, so our out of pocket expense is annoying when I just need a routine thing done here. Last week, I told my new doctor here that I had a test done in Canada last year, so she agreed that I didn't need to have it done again so soon, and it saved us a few hundred dollars.

Why is having a baby so expensive in the US? I'm not pregnant yet, but we would like to have a baby in the next year or two... our insurance has a $4,000 deductible ... free pre-natal care, but a $4,000 delivery. I know it's not THAT much in the grand scheme of things, but I would rather save the money for the baby's education fund. Or mass amounts of Ketchup chips next time I go back to Canada. Whichever....

I found rhubarb at Whole Foods on the weekend! I made a strawberry rhubarb crumble

We are having homemade hamburgers for dinner (Vons had 93/7 on sale this week!), with corn on the cob and mushrooms/onions .... yummmm!

When adjusting from a K-1 visa, the category is c 9

As someone suggested above, give extra time for POE at Pearson. It'####### and miss. Secondary was full when I went through, and I waited hours and was minutes from missing my flight. Others have gone through in under an hour. It just depends. Better to be safe than sorry Good luck!

Hi Rammon,

Yes, you can stay while you I-539 is pending.

If your request is approved, no problem, you will be sent a new I-94 with your new departure date on it.

If you are denied, you will be sent a denial letter, along with your old I-94 (that you were supposed to send with the I-539 application), and you are given 30 days to leave the country (at least, that's what my denial letter stated). You then surrender your expired I-94 when you leave the US. As well, if you are denied AFTER your I-94 expires, you are accumulating overstay. So, for example, you said your I-94 expires on July 5th. If a decision is not made until July 30th, then you would have 25 days of overstay, because the overstay is considered retroactive from your denial back to the date of the expired I-94.

I can't comment on multiple entry visa, as Canadians do not generally receive them.

Good luck!

PS - you generally need an awfully persuading reason to extend your stay in the US, as was thoroughly explained in my 5 page denial letter. hah.

Another June filer here for the group. Got NOA's today. Hi all!

Hi! Good luck with AOS! Here's to hoping for no interview

I think your list looks quite thorough. You have only been married a couple months, and I would bet you have more joint accounts than a lot of other recently married couples.

As for your wife being excluded on your car insurance, don't worry about it. I think it's quite common. When my husband called to update his marital status (Mercury gives a marriage discount), they were happy to do so, but added a note in the policy that I am excluded until I get a California driver's license. Like you said, I think it just happens if there is someone living in the house who can't drive.

I just made banana bread... yummmmmmmm!

I find sometimes it comes out more dry than other times. I thought perhaps it was if the bananas weren't ripe enough, the bread would turn out more dry. Does anyone else find this?

Your Alien Number (aka A number) may be on your visa itself. It is on mine, towards the bottom. If it's not on your visa (I'm not sure how the UK consulate does it), it will be on your approval notice from the I-129F (your NOA2). It will be something like A 087 - ### - ### (it may not start with 087, I've just seen a few people who filed in the last year have an A number starting with 087).

And yes, your I-94 number is the actual number printed on the I-94. I'm sure you knew this, but just to be safe - don't send the original i-94. Make a copy of the front and back, and send the copy instead.

Good luck with AOS! Come join us June filers

I received my biometrics letter yesterday... scheduled for July 7th! I'm very pleased it was that early.. I expected a longer wait.

Any other June filers out there?

Maybe we don't have a proper steamer? I'm not sure how I would cook rice in it, because of the slats in the trays? Is there a secret or do I just have a steamer-wannabe?

I'm often tempted... especially when he's late! As if clients are more important than a hungry wife, haha

IS there a difference between a rice steamer and a rice cooker? If there isn't, we also have one that was really cheap... I think it's B&D

I am super hungry right now. lol

Agreed. And it's only 2 pm in California... my husband doesn't get home from work until 7...

That is awesome. My husband surprised me with a new mixer.... a Kenmore Elite. We took it back because it leaked gear oil through the part where the attachments lock into and it was super loud and smelly. The reviews had convinced him to buy one of those because he was originally going to get me a Kitchen Aid. Those make me purr. lol

I've been trying to find a replacement for my old Black and Decker handy steamer. They've changed the design on the new B&D's and the reviews aren't good so I don't know what to get now. I really miss my steamer.

I had no idea there were other steamer lovers out there! My husband bought one months before I arrived and swore by it, but I was hesitant to use it.. I tried it one day and enjoyed it immensely. It is a wonderful contraption.

Ours is "Rival" brand. Normally I wouldn't buy Rival because it's not a great brand, but I highly recommend this steamer. My husband said it was cheap ($20 or so) and it works wonders.

I'm using it tonight to make corn on the cob! It turns out really well in the steamer. We're also having pulled pork (cooked for 8 hours in the slow cooker and drenched with hickory & brown sugar BBQ sauce... yummmm), rice, and some other veggies that I haven't decided on yet.

Did you send a personal cheque for the payment? We did, and I just sent my package last week, and I checked our online banking yesterday and the cheque had been deposited by DHS as of the 6th.

Try seeing if yours has been deposited. At least then you know they definitely received it

We also got married at the county clerk's office (in LA), but the woman wasn't having any of it when I asked if we could get a copy the same day. We were told the wait would be 4 - 6 weeks, but it only took about 3 weeks. I know it sucks waiting and feeling like you're wasting time, but just get everything else ready for AOS & send it when the marriage certificate arrives.

Good luck

ETA: We also ordered 5 copies (at $14 each!!) and got a strange look.

I actually spoke too soon! Our check was cashed on the 6th. I didn't bother sending in the paperwork to get the email notifications (truthfully, I forgot), so I assume our receipt (or NOA1) will be dated shortly after.

I'm hoping for speedy processing of at least EAD & AP! I'm a teacher and would love to at least be able to substitute teach for September!

We filed on May 31st, but close enough, since we'll get our receipt in June

Our check hasn't been cashed yet.. how about you?