HeartOfAllThings

Hi!

I hope this is the right forum for this question. I don't collect SNAP benefits but my spouse and children do. I work full time and make decent money but she stays at home with our three kids so they (spouse and kids) are still eligible.

I unfortunately lost my green card. I read about there being a fee waiver and I think I am eligible. My question is regarding this passage on the fee waiver page:

"Relying primarily on public cash assistance for income maintenance can affect your eligibility for some immigration benefits, depending on the totality of the circumstances. You may be inadmissible to the United States (and therefore ineligible for certain immigration benefits like a Green Card) because you are more likely than not to become a public charge. You may also be deportable for already having become a public charge within 5 years of entering the United States for reasons that arose before you entered the country."

I entered the country in 2016 with no conditions on my green card (I had one previously). Should I be concerned about applying for a fee waiver?

Thank you! I'll try to reply promptly if you think you need more information in order to answer.

Last question. To obtain a letter from SSS, you have to send a request form. The instructions SPECIFICALLY say not to send said form unless you believe you were not required to sign up(only happens if you are disabled, or were hospitalized or incarcerated for the entirety of the time you were 18-25). I'll check with them on that as well, I might just be reading it wrong. Stuff like this is why I worked with a lawyer even though I could still do it all myself with proper reading and prep 😵😕

Very thankful I do not reside in a state that requires SSS to get a driver's license. Then again I would have been promoted to sign up when I applied for mine, but I feel for those that find out too late for whatever reason.

It looks like while Michigan doesn't require SSS 'membership' to obtain a DL, but they do include signing up directly on the application form, from what I read. If I wasn't signed up through my I-485 form, this might be another saving grace. Anyway, sinal word will be with the SSS office tomorrow over the phone.

Not getting notifications anymore. Had been a long time since I posted here. Thanks all for the input! I had capitulated but some of the answers had me dig more.

By "it's up the the financial aid office", I'll double check but the process is as I explained, I can still apply for financial aid IF I can prove to them that I did not willfully not sign up. Not sure how to word that better, lol. 

I did go through AoS. I did file an I-485. I went back and looked at the instructions and info about the form directly from USCIS and it does say that they automatically transfer applicants information for SSS to sign them up. I did not have a SSN at the time so that could be why their online tool, which requires me to enter my SSN, doesn't show anything. Another user did mention their sons are signed up but nothing shows up on the online tool.

I'll call the SSS bureau on Monday. Thanks again for all of your input.

At the very least I, if I wasn't automatically signed up for whatever reason, I can show the I-485 form and that should help with acquiring student aid.

Will post an update tomorrow. Thanks all.

I checked with their online tool and they have no records for me. Thanks though. As for 31 years old, I did read about that in passing and will look into it more, thanks. Main concern currently is figuring out financial aid. It is up to the financial aid office, if they believe that me not registering was not intentional. Wish me luck!

More specific question for anyone who went thru this: my college asks that I provide a letter from SSS stating if I was registered or not. The request form for that letter says, complete this form only if —insert list of requirements, the one I'm asking about is: "if you wish to make the case that you were exempt from registering". But I'm almost certain I was not exempt. But I do need that letter from them for my case with financial aid.

I don't remember there being information about being required to sign up with Selective Service System in any step of my immigration process. The name is only slightly familiar but aparently it's a pretty big deal. I am 29 and now just learning, after trying to apply for financial aid for college, that I may be ineligible for that, or a US citizenship, having not signed up for SSS when I was required to.

Little background, I am a permanent resident, thanks to my wife. I entered the US March of 2016, three months before my 26th birthday. This timeframe might help my case (SSS is for males 18-25) but I also was a legal permanent resident for two years before that, 2012-2014. (Why I had it twice is probably irrelevant to the discussion)

Matter at hand is I now aparently have to try and prove I was unaware of the requirement. It is then up to the financial aid office(?) to make a decision. As for obtaining citizenship, I'm not sure anything can be done.

Can there? That's my question. Has anyone encountered the same issue and done anything to remedy it? For being eligible for financial aid, and/or US citizenship?

Thanks!

I can't find a written statement requiring it. You're right. I believe I might have been told that on the phone by an NVC costumer service agent when asking questions about submitting documents. Either way, seems like there is no need for that for the documents I'm bringing to the interview. Thanks.

NVC explicitly asked for it, but I don't see it mentioned anywhere in the instructions from the interview at the consulate.

Still want to make sure.

Thanks.

Yeah I read them, that's part of what made me wonder why I hadn't sent anything else in. We'll see how my experience at the consulate differs from others, if at all, since that wasn't done.

I'm getting things wrapped up for my interivew on Monday.

Nothing but pictures have been submitted so far as evidence for the legitimacy of our relationship, except for required things like marriage certificate, our son's BC, etc.

I hope this may give some people some ideas of what to put together. I'd also like feedback on if there's too many items, which might be totally unnecessary, and if there might be some important pieces of evidence that I could have included, but did not.

Here is what I compiled:

- Two lease agreements with both our names on it.

- Statements from both our parents, covering the time we did not share a lease, but lived/stayed with them.

- Letter from my bank saying she was added to my account two years ago

- Letters from bank and credit card company sent to my address in Canada, addressed to her(with copy of cards received)

- Several plane tickets for trips I took to see her, once where my passport was stamped, and trips we took together

- Her Canadian tourist visa from the last time she came in to visit me

- Our son's daycare papers when he spent months here in Canada

- His Canadian certificate of foreign birth, and his Quebec medical insurance card and paperwork

- Call and text logs(starting December 1st, when she went back to Michigan to wait for me. This is the first time we've lived apart in years)

- Random screenshots from Skype and Facebook conversations spanning the last 6 or so years

- Pictures, going for big events like birthdays, wedding anniversaries, trips, and pictures that includes other family members

Thans for reading! Wish me luck on Monday.

All the best to everyone, whatever step you're at.

Bump

(not sure if this is allowed?)

My question is: do documents need to be translated in their entirety?

The lengthiest French document I will be submitting at my interview is a lease agreement. It is 5 pages long containing huge blocs of texts regarding house rental laws, terms of the lease, etc.

Should I only translate the passages which are useful to the immigration process, like the signature page?

I'm also wondering if letters from our bank and credit card companies need to be translated at all, since the only thing they are looking for is official papers with both our names on it; the text in the letters, to my common sense, seem to hardly matter.

Thanks a lot!

I've read chat logs might be a good thing to show as evidence. Question is how to present it. If I was o print out our entire skype history it would probably be as thick as a phone book. Has anyone presented chat logs? If so, how did you present it?

Also, what's a good way of obtaining phone logs, showing our almost daily phone calls?

Thanks!

I've been reading more reviews and it seems like the interviews in Montreal are pretty quick and stress-free, and while my spouse could come to the consulate, I don't think they would allow her in for the interview.

I've been reading reviews for the Montreal US consulate. Some have mentioned that it seemed to have been helpful to have spouse/fiance present at the interview.

I had an interview in Sacramento for adjustment of status back in 2011, with my then pregnant wife. The lady was really nice and pretty much just said something to the likes of ''Well I can see you're a genuine couple. Good luck with everything. You'll get your card in the mail in two weeks.''

I wont get into details of why I'm back in Canada and applying again(unless you're dying to know I guess)

I would love for my upcoming interview to go as smoothly possible. Can my spouse come to Montreal to attend the interview with me, even though the letter from the consulate states that I am the only person eligible to attend?

Also, what are the next steps after the interview? Like, when am I allowed to move, and what steps do I have to take before I do?

Thanks a bunch!

No. The records check they handed me shows no entries.

Pretty self explanatory title. But here's the long version I went into the local police station to get my fingerprints taken because the the Canadian government website I got the info on how to obtain a police records check said it was the first step. They said the fingerprints check takes time to receive, but I did get my records check document on the spot. SO I'm wondering if I can send that in, without waiting for the fingerprints documents to come back? I called the NVC and they said the US consulate in my country decides if I need the fingerprints check. The guidelines for Canada* say I don't, but wanted to double check on here.

*my source is here: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/reciprocity-by-country/CA.html

"Applicants who are physically present in Canada should contact their local police service or Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) office regarding criminal record check procedures. Applicants may obtain a certificate of no conviction issued by any Canadian police service so long as it notes that Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) or the national criminal records repository was searched using the applicant's name and date of birth. Applicants should ensure that the search includes all names that they have previously used, including maiden names, prior married names, or names used before Canadian naturalization."

No mention of fingerprinting needed.

Thanks for your help!

Just to be clear. It lists on the NVC webstie that I must submit a photocopy of birth and marriage certificates, and only need to bring the originals(along with another photocopy) when I go to the embassy for my interview... correct? I only need to send in photocopies to the NVC? It would also make the most sense at this time since we have to option to submit our documents via email... Anyways, thanks in advance!

Good stuff, thank you! And I did indeed ask only for how it relates to NVC, and that answers my question. Once I'm in the US, and she also starts working again, we'll probably get tax help from a professional.

So it's alright not to send a tax return for her? Or I'm guessing* we should send copies of her tax forms for prior years where she did file?

Thanks again.

*not the best thing to do when it comes to dealing with the immigration process, which is why I'm asking

My wife will be filing her taxes for 2014. I was told to check "married and filing jointly", since, well, we are married.

Do I, a foreign national, put in that I was unemployed, since that is the case stricktly talking about working in the US? Or do I put in whatever my occupation was for that year here in Canada? I do not have legal resident status in the US.

Thanks a lot!

PS: She's filing late because she was unemployed so doesn't owe anything. We're thinking of sending it in now so we can have a copy for the NVC.

Once again, not sure this is the right section. Since they're documents we need in order to travel with our son, I think it's at least somewhat belongs in this section.

Our son was born at home in April 2012 in California. Since then, we've moved out of state. We didn't get to apply for a birth certificate in person at the county of birth when we were there, so we had to wait 'til the 1-year mark to apply for a delayed registration of birth.

I'm not even sure this belongs on this website but I'm sure someone will at least be able to guide me to the right place where I can find some help.

I'm having trouble figuring out what documents to send in along with the required forms. We don't have any of the documentary evidence listed on page 2 of the cdph guide that is in the name of our son, let alone documents created within his first 6 months.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Documents/DelayedRegistrationofBirthPAMPHLET-(01-12)-MERGED.pdf

I'm just really confused.. can the documents listed be for either of the parents? Or do we just have to wait until he gets a school transcript, participates in a census, or .. lol.. gets married or serves in the military?

Also, I've figured out some documents we can present to get his passport without presenting a birth certificate. The only thing we don't have is evidence of relationship, since, well, he doesn't have a birth certificate. Doesn't sound like we can get past that one :/

I appreciate any help or reference to another information source. Thanks in advance!

I appreciate all you guys' input. It's pretty much as I thought. Just wasn't entirely sure since I had a couple friends living in Montreal that both had green cards for a long time while living there.

I also made a mistake in the date of my approval for permanent residence. 2012, not 2011. Not sure if we're willing to wait two years(+ however long it takes after we apply)! It is a good point though. I guess we have some thinking to do!

I hope I'm posting in the right section. Here it goes:

I got my permanent resident status in February of 2011. Since then, loads of stuff happened, along with raising our first child who is now just over a year old.

To keep things short, we're considering moving to Canada next Spring. This would be after removing conditions at the two-year mark. How would living abroad affect my status? Meaning, if we want to move back to the US, will I have to go through the whole deal again? Or is my green card valid so long as I keep renewing it?

Thanks for your help!