RR2657

Thanks for the prompt responses!

Hey Everyone,

So my Canadian-citizen fiancee is now in the U.S. with me (thanks to a smooth process in Montreal - thanks to fellow users of this site!).

We are planning on applying for her Social Security number shortly, but had a question on the form.

One of the questions gives you the following options (ie, check one):

1) US Citizen (which she obviously is not)

2) Legal Alien Allowed to Work

3) Legal Alien Not Allowed to Work

4) Other

The instructions that accompany the form state that checking "Legal Alien Not Allowed to Work" (which I'm assuming she is, as she is on K1 status) or "Other" requires us to produce a government-issued document to explain why she needs a Social Security number.

So the question is this - has anyone been through this situation? If so, what is the best way to answer the question? I'm assuming she will be allowed to work once her green card arrives, so how do we best reflect this?

Thanks again!

Thanks again for all the replies - much appreciated!

Thanks so much for the prompt replies!

Here's another complication - she was born in Tanzania, so I guess we can show her Tanzanian birth certificate for proof as well.

She doesn't have an ON drivers license, but she does have a health card - any ideas if that would work (it is a "state" issued ID, after all).

Thanks!

Hello All,

First of all, a BIG thank you to all the helpful people out there that have posted hints on this website! My fiancee had her K1 interview in Montreal in December, and our process was very smooth - thanks to the helpful tips that people have provided (ie, stay at the Hotel Phillips Square, get to the consulate early, go to the back of the elevator!).

So now we are preparing for her arrival in the US, and I am wondering if anyone can help with the issue of getting a social security card. I notice the SSA ask for "at least two documents to prove age, identity, and U.S. citizenship or current lawful, work-authorized immigration status."

The only ID she has is her Canadian passport - so the question is this: will her Canadian passport (with valid K1 visa) + I-94 card be enough to get a social security card?

Any insight would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

Thanks very much for the prompt reply!

Hello Everyone,

I'm putting some documents together in advance of my fiancee's visa interview, and I realized I don't have a printout of the entire DS-160 form - and logging back into the "DS-160" site only allows me to reprint the confirmation page.

So my question is this - do we need a printout of the full DS-160 submission, or will the confirmation suffice?

I ask because I've heard it both ways, ie, sometimes Montreal requires the full form + confirmation, and other times they only want the confirmation.

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, but any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!

Hey all - thanks so much for the replies, and apologies for my late response.

She stayed in the US from December 1999 (ie, the end of the semester) through July 2000, so she was here without going to school for ~7 months.

Will the 7 months be an issue?

By the way, her student visa was valid until March 2001 (her visa was from 3/1999 - 3/2001).

Thanks again for the help!

Thanks so much to all who have responded! Feels great to not be alone in this ridiculously convoluted process...

Thanks for your response!

I called the NVC - they said "we sent instructions to Montreal on 4/28" (1 week after the NOA2).

I called the DOS - they confirmed Montreal sent Packet 3 in May.

I have been trying a variety of numbers at Montreal to get an answer, but to no avail.

Can I simply send in the forms without receiving Packet 3? If so, what forms does Montreal need?

Thank you so much for any advice you can provide!

Hello All,

My fiancee and I received an NOA2 on 4/21/2011, but no Packet 3 as yet (so ~2 months since NOA2).

My immigration lawyer is totally unhelpful and simply says "wait for it, there's a backlog."

Odd thing is, the NOA2 says "Toronto" as the Consulate (not Montreal, which is where we assumed all Canadian K1s are processed).

Anyway, can anyone please let me know how I can figure out if Packet 3 has been sent?

Thanks very much!

Hello Everyone,

So my situation is a little complicated (bear with me).

I applied for a K1 visa on behalf of my fiancee, and we just received our NOA2 (thank goodness).

While filling out the next set of forms, we realized we could have a serious issue.

The DS 156 form asks "Have you ever violated the terms of a U.S. visa, or been unlawfully present in, or deported from, the United States?"

The issue is this: my fiancee (who used to be a Tanzanian citizen, but is now a Canadian national) used to live in the US, attending university in Albany. She attended university there on an F1 visa, completing two semesters (Summer 1999 and Fall 1999). However, she didn't attend any classes during her third (Spring 2000) semester (health and financial issues prevented her from returning to school). She lived in Albany from January - July 2000 without attending school, and departed voluntarily to Canada (she was granted the Canadian equivalent of a green card, so she left the US).

So the question is this - how do we address the fact that she lived in the US on the strength of an F1 visa, but didn't attend classes? Can this pose a significant issue as we move forward in her application process?

Interestingly, she didn't return to the US until November 2000 (so 3+ years after she voluntarily left the US), and was issued a tourist visa without issue. In fact, she has continued to travel between Canada and the US without any issues, which makes me think they haven't "flagged" her for anything.

Has anyone else encountered something similar? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Hello All,

Apologies if this is in the wrong place / forum, but I have a (hopefully) quick question, please.

I am currently applying for a K1 visa on behalf of my fiancee (a Canadian citizen), and am in the middle of tracking down her police clearance certificates (figured we'd get things done in advance of the next step, since we just got NOA1 at the end of 11/2010).

Anyway, she resided for ~1 year in Albany, NY (she moved there from the UK, then moved to Canada)- my question is this: do I need to get her an FBI-style clearance (ie, a national check) for her US police clearance requirements, or will one from the Albany authorities suffice?

I ask because it seems the Albany check is relatively simple (we got prints done on a NY State-specific form at L1 Identity Solutions in Mississauga), while the FBI one seems more involved.

Any thoughts on which type of clearance we need would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much!

RR2657