LuvIllinois

DOS couldn't give me a reason, they said I have to wait to hear from the Embassy. Ugh, who knows how long that will be....

Well, if you read my new post, we are in AP

I called DOS this morning to find out if my Visa had been issued yet and that's when I was informed I was in AP. From what I read, not many Canadians go into AP after interview, not sure what has happened here. Hubby, USC, was born in Illinois, I was born in Ontario. We don't have weird names, criminal backgrounds....I just don't know what to think??? I can't even find that much info because I have not found one post from a Canadian here yet that has gone into AP after approval, that wasn't born elsewhere.

Now I just have to sit and wait and find out why. I'm betting it's the domicile issue, but we had sufficient evidence. Yes, he lives in Canada with me as a permanent resident, but he never gave up his job in the US (he commutes everyday) and from what I understood and why we filed DCF is because residence and domicile are 2 different things. We just sold our house, thankfully with conditions on getting my Visa in hand, but this really sucks. Even if it's one piece of paper they need, it's going to take 4-6 weeks additionally, if not LONGER. It would have been a thousand times easier if they said they had additional stuff to check at the interview then finding out now after getting all excited.

Has anybody recently gone through DCF? Did you have any issues regarding Domicile at your interview? Did they ask for your 2 passport photos?

And I tell ya, it's a bit frustrating that there are not many Canadians going DCF because it's REALLY hard to find answers, LOL!

I try not to read too much on IR1/CR1 boards (we would be IR1) because some of the things they have to do, I don't. So then my mind gets worried thinking I missed a step, but really I didn't. As it is right now, I just had my interview on Tuesday, the domicile issue was a bit tricky but we were approved. However, 2 things are bothering me at the moment: #1 domicile gave us a bit of hard time so I'm worried that we have gone into Administrative Processing for additional proof even though she said we were approved...and #2 I brought my 2 photos with me at the interview and no one asked for them. I had to give 3 for the medical, I wonder if 2 of those were already for the interview???? Who knows. Yeesh.

I didn't have a lot of time today but I had a small time frame that I tried calling DOS and it just rang...and rang....and rang....

Oh well, I will try again tomorrow to see if my Visa has been issued. I know, I'm not patient, LOL

Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse..I mean my visa with the stamp back, not the actual Green Card..my mistake

I just keep hearing conflicting things about AP. I know what it is, but how do they tell you? On the state website it says it will tell you at the interview, but other posts I have read here stated they were approved at the interview, but then found out days later they were put in AP. I'm just a worry wart! Just wondered if I'm really good to go. We have technically sold our house on condition I get my passport back. I hate to whine, but I want to go! LOL

She is saying that Montreal is a pain in the butt,lol They prefer that the USA citizen is pretty much living/working in the USA, and if thats not the case, one best have strong proof that they will soon be residing in the USA. In some instances, the USA citizen has left Canada, to set up residence in the USA, send in proof that they have, to get the Visa!

LOL! You are correct. Hope it all goes well as we accepted an offer on our house just 10 minutes ago. Our agent put a clause in there that we can back out if I don't get my GC in hand right away.

How soon did some of you wait before calling DOS to get a status on the visa?

Just wanted to repost my experience with my interview regarding domicile:

I got the "Welcome to the United States" today but as I stated in my title, but we had a bit of a hard time with the domicile issue. USC Hubby resides in Canada with me (as a permanent resident), but from all my research, that does not mean 'domicile'. He still works and banks in the states, files his taxes there every year, plus we had a letter from his parents stating we were free to live with them as long as we wish. Where it got tricky was, he works in NY but we plan on moving to Illinois. Well, his parents in Illinois aren't doing so well in their health...his Dad had heart problems years ago that are resurfacing and his Mom just suffered a heart attack in April. She just had a defibulater put in and had some complications during the surgery. He is an only child and we want to be able to be there for them as I have very little family here in Canada now. She asked if we had proof of their illness, which I didn't bring because I didn't think we'd get so detailed (silly me). That's when DH started to get a bit worried about the whole interview.

I didn't think this would be an issue because nowhere in the description of domicile does it state that we have to have proof of the STATE we intend on living in, only that he still has ties to the USA (which we had more than enough proof of that). We even brought our house sale listing from MLS.CA (already have 2 offers in one weekend, woohoo!) It's a catch 22 really...can't really have him apply for jobs out there and have him risk losing his here since we didn't have any official approval, yet, they want that proof. The company he works for has stores nationally, so he would just be transferring.

Anyway, we still got the approval, but have read about Administrative Processing. Is it possible we can go into this still if they aren't still satisfied (say, they want him to move RIGHT NOW)? If so, how would we know that they need additional proof? Would they have given it in the interview or could it be mailed to us?

I'm hoping it was all sufficient and all I'm waiting on is that green card!

Congrats! That makes me really nervous now. We did DCF also, however my hubby left last week to try and "re-establish" domicile in the us. He is going to get a DL, voter's registration card, lease agreement with his folks, we have the uhaul bill and storage bill (he already took all of our stuff). The kids and I are going to go and see him for 3 weeks in August so i'm going to try and get details from the schools for them. Oh ya, he opened a bank account....what else? He doesn't have a job yet but he's spending 9 hours a day looking. I'm so ANXIOUS!

You have NOTHING to worry about then. If he has already taken steps, that's fine. The lady at the interview was just concerned because my husband still lives in Canada with me. The only reason he didn't do what your DH is doing right now is because domicile and residence mean 2 different things and according to their definition, he never gave up domicile, just his residence. It would just be a huge financial risk if he had tried to move before getting any type of approval on my part. At least I know if we go into AP, we could do this, I would just have to send him down first and I can follow.

He was living in Chicago at the time I met him. Luckily, I live on the US-Canada border, so to be closer, he moved to Western NY, got a job there while we waited for our Canadian immigration to go through. Once he got his Canadian perm. res. card, he just continued working in NY and has been commuting everyday since. Because he DOES have domicile in NY (though it doesn't state anywhere in the paperwork about specific states, just USA as a whole) she wondered why we wouldn't just move there. Well, his parents in Illinois aren't doing so well in their health...his Dad had heart problems years ago that are resurfacing and his Mom just suffered a heart attack in April. She just had a defibulater put in and had some complications during the surgery. He is an only child and we want to be able to be there for them as I have very little family here in Canada now. She asked if we had proof of their illness, which I didn't bring because I didn't think we'd get so detailed (silly me). That's when DH started to get a bit worried about the whole interview.

Just have some type of proof of all that you mentioned in your post and you will be A-OK!

Congrats! Sounds like you were well prepared for the domicile issue which Montreal is notorious for!

They just gave you a hard time, I am sure the approval was yours for the taking

Good luck

Thank you. My husband made a similar comment (since we live near the border and cross often), that they tend to do that at the border too sometimes, just to see if you mess up. I knew from reading here that Montreal was pretty hard on domicile, so I'm glad I read up and brought sufficient evidence.

I'll just keep logging in to the CSC website and wait for a Waybill number

I got the "Welcome to the United States" today but as I stated in my title, but we had a bit of a hard time with the domicile issue. USC Hubby resides in Canada with me (as a permanent resident), but from all my research, that does not mean 'domicile'. He still works and banks in the states, files his taxes there every year, plus we had a letter from his parents stating we were free to live with them as long as we wish. Where it got tricky was, he works in NY but we plan on moving to Illinois. I didn't think this would be an issue because nowhere in the description of domicile does it state that we have to have proof of the STATE we intend on living in, only that he still has ties to the USA (which we had more than enough proof of that). We even brought our house sale listing from MLS.CA (already have 2 offers in one weekend, woohoo!) It's a catch 22 really...can't really have him apply for jobs out there and have him risk losing his here since we didn't have any official approval, yet, they want that proof. The company he works for has stores nationally, so he would just be transferring.

Anyway, we still got the approval, but have read about Administrative Processing. Is it possible we can go into this still if they aren't still satisfied (say, they want him to move RIGHT NOW)? If so, how would we know that they need additional proof? Would they have given it in the interview or could it be mailed to us?

I'm hoping it was all sufficient and all I'm waiting on is that green card!

Hey! I just got home and congrats!!! Hope that the rest goes smooooothhh!!!

I don't think everyone is eligible. I believe the USC has to be a permanent resident of Canada for at least 6 months to be eligible. I've noticed that there are more fiancée type situations here so they couldn't go the dcf route.

Sorry double post

Good luck tomorrow...I'm sure you will be fine! Maybe I will see you there, I have short blonde hair and lots of tattoos.

@ LuvIllinois

Where in Illinois? My lady is in Chicago

Crazy! My husband is the USC, and he is originally from Lake in the Hills. He lives here in Canada as a permanent resident right now but that's where we are moving back to. Back with the parents for a while (Yikes!) until we can get settled and get our own place. We get along so it won't be so bad.

What day is your interview? Mine is the 12th (not sure if you saw my previous post, but my hubby is a Manowar fan too, LOL). I am just as nervous! My husband tells me not to be, I'm just anxious to get over to the US!

Yay! Congrats!!!

Can't believe I'm almost there! It's been booked for 2 months now and it's now just over a week away. Gotta get all my paperwork lined up and organized...make sure I have everything

My hubby laughs at how I say Dollar..he says it sounds like Dough-ler (like someone mentioned earlier in this thread about Donna sounding like Dough-Na)

I laugh at how much his O's sound like A's! And he has a Chicago accent to boot.

I remember the first time he came to visit and I was at work. He had to call me to get directions to where I was going and he couldn't understand the name of the street I was mentioning. He wanted me to spell it and it had a zed in it. He said " A wHat??!/?" LOL I said it a few times before it clicked and I had to say ZEE!

Destiny: what is your status in Canada? The reason I ask is, I'm Canadian and my husband is the USC. We already went thru immigration for him to live here in Canada with me back in 2007. He is a permanent resident. We have now decided to move to the US (he is an only child and his parents are older...dad had quad. bypass surgery 10 years ago and his mother now just suffered a heart attack).

Anyway, we filed DCF. Because Montreal is so backlogged, it's not necessarily faster per se, but it seems a bit easier. You just kinda file everything at once at your nearest consulate, in my case it was Toronto. Everything still goes thru Montreal, we have our final interview in July there. Check out the DCF forum, there is a good thread for Canadians. It helped me immensely!!!

Although, if you are not a permanent resident anymore, DCF might not help you.

I'm getting nervous...and excited! You think DCF would have been fast but oh well. Started in September '10 and I'm almost there!

I usually just stay in the Canada forum, so I didn't see this until now! My interview with the Montreal Consulate is scheduled for July 12. Yippee! Less than a month away now!

I vote for Disney!!! They really put magical touches on everything and the higher end resorts are more adult oriented. The dining is pretty darn good.