mydogfarted

Congrats!

If she plans to naturalize, then there is that step

True.

My wife's status has gone from conditional to permanent! Her IR-1 approval letter arrived yesterday. We expected it to be months more, since her interview was in February. Now to wait for her new card to arrive.

I haven't been terribly active on here, but thank you to everyone who's posted such great information. Good luck to everyone still waiting.

Is there anyway to get this forced? My wife is Canadian, but spends most of the year with me in NJ. She travels back and forth across the border several times a year to avoid an overstay. The Newark facility is 25 minutes from us, vs 8 hours to go to Montreal.

We're at the DS-230 doc collection stage. YAY! *does happy dance*

For the documents, it asks for originals or certified copies. Does certified mean copies provided by the issuing agency (birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, etc), or can I make copies of the docs and have them notarized here in the states?

While waiting for a response, I called the NVC and they told me. Needless to say, everything was filled in, printed out and in the mail within hours.

My wife is currently here in the U.S. for another 5 months - she's Canadian, so crossing isn't an issue. I just wish we could do her interviews here in the states, instead of trekking the family up to Montreal.

I'm working on a CR1 for my wife. I paid my fees online for the Affidavit of Support 3 weeks ago, and was told to wait for a letter to file it. Yet, immediately after the fees cleared my bank (2 days after paying), I was able to download the cover sheets I need for all future mailings to the NVC. How long does it usually take to get that letter? Or am I supposed to download the i-864 and just sent it in?

This process has been so confusing, since the instructions have been clear as mud. I'm so thankful for this site.

We're a bit confused about questions 15, 16 and 18 on the I-485. They asks if you've been a part of a military organization, or received any training. My wife was a member of Canada's Army Cadets as a teenager. According to the Cadets' website, they say no:

"Cadets are not members of the Canadian Forces, nor are they expected to join the military. Cadets is a great way for youth to learn more about Canada, make new friends and develop life skills that will enable them to succeed no matter what career they choose."

However, she was given firearms and marksmanship training. What is the right way to answer this? Do we say yes, and then try and explain it at the interviews?

I'm sort of in the same situation. My wife and I have two children together. Both were born here, but are obviously U.S. citizens just being my children (cost us a small fortune too). My wife and I travel back and forth across the border (she's Canadian) several times a year. We got married while on vacation in the Caribbean last year. On the way back, she got flagged as a possible overstay risk. In some ways, this actually works in our favor. Canadians driving across the border are usually not given I-94s, but now she's required. When we travel, we make sure to have EVERY piece of documentation we have - ties back home to Canada, NOAs, etc. She was last issued a 180 day I-94 in January.

Started K-3 not long ago. Filed I-130 and have received NOA1 and 2, so it has been forwarded to the NVC. Contacted several lawyers recently because the instructions for using the I-129F for a K-3 are as clear as cement. - only one would talk to us without having $3000 or more in hand to hire them. He explained to me that all I need is an AOS at this point because she's here, and this is something he does often. I'm still a little leery of it, but I'm willing to bet he's not going to risk getting disbarred for the relatively small fee he charges. I'm going to do a little background checking on him before proceeding and ask for references.

I guess what I'm saying is have your husband contact a lawyer, explain the situation, and see what HE advises. Then make your decision based on his advice combined with what you've read here. Like I said, I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. Filing the I-129F isn't going to cost me any money either way.