CBM

Well, to start, getting an approved I-129F & subsequent K-1 (fiancee visa) is going to be very difficult for you, since you have not met your fiancee. USCIS requires you to meet in person, UNLESS you can prove it goes against long standing religious/cultural beliefs of your families (or it causes extreme hardship the petitioner).

Just saying it goes againt your beliefs is not enough, you would need to sufficiently prove that to the point where USCIS is satisfied with your proof.

For this reason, I would suggest the spousal visa may be easier for you, as you are flying there to marry her early next year.

Whichever way you decide to go, it will not be done by March 2011. You will be very lucky to have just the petition approved by March 2011, not to mention the actual visa. I just wanted to give you a more realistic timeline.

That's awesome, Tallfrond!

I should have done that and saved about 4 thousand dollars (haha...) on DHL, but that's okay!

Congrats on booking your interview!! You're the day after me & Liltiggster!!!

Yeah, I am an addict to GoodWill as well and usually walk out with 2 or 3 books each visit. They cost more than 49 cents here unfortunately, but if I'm lucky I'll find ones I like at the half off colour and pay between 75 cents to $1.25 depending on paperback or hardcover. My husband just ordered in the Pandigital reader for a Christmas gift for us. He has been looking at the different eReaders for a while and this seems to meet our needs best for the least cost - don't need all the bells and whistles and apparently because it is an android system (he's the tech so he knows what that means!), he can also download the kindle software application to it. He keeps saying he is going to use it to read all of the hundreds of free books that come with it but we'll see - I can see him buying books he wants to read on the spot because he can . I think it will be much safer to our budget if I stay away from the thing - even ordering them in second hand online and paying shipping costs for anything I really want to read is going to be cheaper . Besides, there is something so satisfying about holding a hard-copy book in your hand and turning the pages.

very much agreed! I love holding the actual book. I have heard great things about the Kindles, and I'm not knocking them, but it'll be a long time before I get one! I love books! Actual books!

And I love collecting/keeping them to re-read

Plus I can loan them to friends and borrow theirs, too!

congrats on your marriage!

Echoing what everyone else has said - ties to Canada are definitely needed! Anything and everything you think can help!

Good luck!

You need to put your MTL case number in, which you get from Packet 3, or the letter from NVC.

As Tater pointed out, it doesn't take that long, so you may as well wait.

Good point! Will have to find the closest used book store. I think I might try Goodwill. I've seen that, but I haven't seen a used book store.

Yes! Goodwill is perfect. I have gotten Grisham novels for 49 cents there before! I think that's their going-rate for old paperbacks

I have read those. They were great! I really enjoy John Grisham novels.

I think I've read a couple of James Patterson books. I want to say Along Came a Spider and maybe The Lake House. I can't quite remember. But now that you've brought him up I'm going to check into it. I'm looking forward to getting a library card. For various reasons, I don't have one yet.

I don't go to the library simply because there isn't one close to me... but I constantly stalk the used book stores for those 2 authors, and usually have great luck, and usually for less than $1 a book I like to re-read my books, so I don't mind buying them if they're cheap!

Not being judgemental because I really couldn't care less what other people do to themselves, but your comparisons are invalid. I owe MORE than 200,000 US Dollars on a home mortgage that BOTH Alla and I signed. Is it the same? NO!

You owe $50,000 Canadian dollars on student loans which will pay a return on investment for a better job...or at least SHOULD. That better job will BENEFIT you and your husband to be. Is it the same? NO!

$4500 would be about 18 months average income in Ukraine. If my fiancee from Ukraine had the equivilent of 18 months income in CREDIT CARD debt and hadn't paid on it for 6 months she could find another fiance. But that is just me. You do what you want.

Good point. With more experience, I will hopefully make in a year close to double what I owe. It's an investment.

I still think the reason it wasn't paid on matters. Anyway, like yourself, I really don't care what the OP does, because it is of no consequence to me. I mean that in a nice way.

Anyway.... good luck to you, OP!

Interesting. I'll have to give that a read. I just finished reading "Breathless". It was a little strange. lol. I just picked up John Grisham's The Street Lawyer. I can't recall if I have read it or not. I hope not. lol

I have read most of John Grisham's novels, with the exception of Playing for Pizza and maybe another one... have you read The Chamber or A Time to Kill??? I really liked those ones!

Also... do you like James Patterson? I love him and wish he wrote the Alex Cross novels faster!! And I'm waiting for the latest Women's Murder Club book (the 9th??) to come out in paperback!

Be still my heart, I love those men and their books. hahaha

your A number should be on your approval notice (NOA2), as well.

OP, if it makes you feel any better, I have $50,000 Canadian dollars of debt from my student loans

Yes, it's an investment of 2 degrees but it's also a lot of debt!!

$4,500 isn't a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. Immediately, yeah.... but hey, that's life. It'll get paid off.

Not judging here (hello, I owe 50K!), but you may want to ask why she hasn't made payments in 6 months - there could be a very reasonable thought process behind it - eg: it was make the loan payment or put food on her table. It happens. Talk to her about it.

Good luck!

It CAN be "considered" but generally it is only considered available to liquidate if doing so wouldn't cause undue harm to the sponsor or their family. A disabled person who liquidates their paid for home to support an immigrant becomes a homeless disabled person. Sounds like undue harm to me.

Makes sense.

Couldn't the OP then just rent a place like a lot of others do? Lots of people sell their houses and don't end up homeless. Just my thoughts.

It doesn't actually matter to me personally because my fiance makes good money, but I guess I have just seen a lot of ambiguity concerning homes being used on the i-134 here on VJ!

Anyway, good luck, OP.

A) get her money and deposit it in your account before you get the bank statement needed for the interview ( Philippines doesnt have packet 3 )

B) usually the primarily residence and vehicle does not count as assets .considering you are disabled,i highly doubt it would count specifically in your case.the definition of assets is a residence or vehicle that could get turned into money within a year without any financial and/or physical hardship.so you see where im coming from?

C)how hireable ( made up word i know ) your fiancee is does not matter to the consulate in general.it varies from CO to CO tho.

from an unbiased third party point of view,there are no red flags other than you being disabled and her just happening to be a nurse,which is not really a red flag,all the things you mentioned are complications but there are actual ways to solve them.

your biggest pickle is the financial issue,which can be solved with a co sponsor,so worst case scenario your fiance goes in with your I-134,a letter proving that she is hireable and will be able to make a decent amount of money herself,and the co sponsorship documents just in case,if things go well,amazing,if not,she can give them the co sponsorship paperwork and it will be done.dont worry too much.

I thought the equity of one's home could be considered as an asset in the i-134? Otherwise, what is the point of having that option there?

I'm seriously asking - I don't know the answer.

I understand it can't create financial hardship or whatever for their family in order to be counted, ie - can't use the vehicle.... but I was sure you could use equity on your primary residence?

So... couldn't the equity (assuming it's positive!!) of the condo be used?

Would it be possible for you to bring your dog to your fiance in the US on a trip before your visa is granted? Or, your fiance could come visit you and bring the dog back to the US?

I'm not sure what the rules are ... if you have to show "ownership" of the dog for it to get on board... anyway, just a suggestion

It would mean you & the dog would be apart for a few months, but I assume you can do that, if you have been apart from your fiance for 4 years!

This question essentially boils down to, can I visit with the K-1 pending?

YES. You "can". Your fiancee is not guaranteed entry to the US, but then, no one ever is, even with a visa of any sort.

As always, your fiancee should travel with ties to her home country, in this case, China, and always tell the entire truth. If asked by a questioning officer if she has a K1 pending, she should of course say yes.

I think as long as she can show strong ties to China, visiting during the pending K1 should be the same process, with maybe a few more questions about her intent while visiting.

yeah seem pretty familiar with taxes, so you probably already know this... but in case you don't - the tax board will let you make payments on your taxes owed. My fiance is doing so because after doing his tax return, it ended up he was owed money by the feds (I think it had to do with medical expenses that could be claimed?) but owed California money.

Anyway, I'm sure you probably already knew that, but in any event - there you go

Good luck with your interview!

I thought Montreal only accepted emails, not phone calls??

Does the Embassy accept documents via express couriers from all companies, or only DHL? I understand that their preference of sending out passport is DHL, but what about receiving documents??

How is Packet 3 delivered from Montreal Consulate? IS it regular post, or via a courier service???

Montreal sends Packet 3 to you & your fiance(e) via regular post. For whatever reason, my fiance in California received it before my parents in Nova Scotia received it (I have my mail go there, because I move around for university and visiting my fiance, etc, so I use their address as my permanent address)

I wasn't sure if Montreal would accept my documents via UPS, which is really close to me, and WAY more convenient, so in the end, I just sent them via DHL. It was annoying and inconvenient, but now I have my interview scheduled, so the inconvenience is irrelevant, I suppose.

If I were you, I would play it safe and send it via DHL. I can tell you first hand though, it does NOT have to be one of the DHL locations they list on the website. I have selected London, Ontario for them to mail my passport back to me, however, I sent my Packet 3 back from Windsor, Ontario.

I personally don't see why they couldn't accept it via another courier service, or even Canada Post, but I didn't want to waste time having it rejected, so I just used DHL.

One thing - if you DON'T use a DHL on their list, you will pay for the delivery, but if you use one on the list, it is free if you print out some paper. I ended up paying close to $20 to have it delivered, but it would have cost WAY more to drive to London and send it for "Free" from there!

Yep, I did DS-230 (part 1 and 2), DS-156, DS-156K (which was expired on the Montreal website, so I attached a post-it note pointing that out, but it was the only one available, and said I would bring an updated version to my interview), DS-160 - this is actually submitted online, you only print the confirmation page. You can print the entire form, too, but you only have to send back the confirmation page.

And of course, the check list.

I opted to DHL my stuff back, not fax, but I'm sure if it says fax is fine, then it's fine!

And, for your other question, I printed 3 copies of everything. One to send back, one for me to keep, and one for me to bring to the interview.

Oh, and one of the forms requires 2 copies. I think it might be DS-156K, but the Montreal website will tell you exactly what to send, and in what quantity.

Hope this helps!

hey desi, you'll be getting the new Packet 3 from Montreal, with instructions to go online and fill everything out, print it, and mail it all back. We received our NOA2 as of October 20th, and Packet 3 was mailed out on November 1st.

Strangely, Montreal is now sending letters to both people. My fiance got a copy of Packet 3 before I did, and same as Packet 4. I think it used to be that only the Canadian got Packets 3 and 4, but now both people are getting it.

Packet 3 will instruct you to go online, and register for a DHL location "near" you. I put that in quotes because the closest one is 2 hours from me, so I registered for that. Now, that means the consulate will be sending my (hopefully!!) approved visa back to that DHL location, but I sent Packet 3 back to Montreal via a closer DHL to me. It's just that they don't have every location on their list of ones you can select.

Even though the same website you register for DHL, you also book your interview on.... don't book it yet! You will get Packet 4 pretty quickly. We sent Packet 3 back November 10th, and it was signed for a few days later (there was a holiday and weekend in between).... and we got Packet 4 the other day.

A lot of stuff with Montreal has changed in the last couple months, and most of the information on VJ is outdated. Me, tallfrond, and Liltiggster seem to be the first VJ'ers to get this new Packet 3/Packet 4 deal from Montreal, so feel free to ask away if you have any questions!

There's actually barely a net change in the I129F/K1/AOS process..... they lowered the I-129F, raised the AOS fees and biometric fees.

I doubt the actual monetary change will change anything directly - indirectly, maybe, if a lot of people waited until now to file because of the new fees, things will slow down a bit.

Gotta agree with the people who say, don't bother consciously waiting. Try to go about your days and prepare for your fiance(e) to arrive in the US. Concentrate on wedding plans. On where you will apply for jobs. School, if applicable. What evidence you will send with AOS. What things you want to leave behind, if you can't take everything.

I hate waiting, but more than I hate waiting, I hate waiting AND being upset about waiting when I know there's nothing I can do to change the wait. Just my opinion.

Thanks everyone

It ended up at a perfect time, as it were.... it's later than we wanted, but I will be in classes, not teaching, during March, so I won't have to stay later to make up any days - I can POE May 1st (assuming visa is approved, God willing!).... plus it gives my fiance a chance to do his 2010 taxes so I have the most up to date year available. Yahoo!

haha thank you!

funny story - I had no idea where that little dancing man came from all these months on VJ... then I finally asked J of JLovesA and she showed me how to do it!!! haha and ever since I learned (last week), I can't help myself....