Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	Getting US visa?	I know you keep mentioning that Canada is too cold, but honestly I would move to the North Pole if I had to. I hate the cold too and I'm Canadian, but you really do get used to it. And, if you dress for it, it's really not that bad. I find Americans do a lot of complaining about the cold, but are wearing sneakers and a coat with no hat, gloves, scarves. There's a reason that Sorel boots and Canada Goose parkas are trendy in Canada! You have to dress for it and be prepared! Canada, specifically Toronto also has a LOT of job opportunities. I would say it's even easier to advance your career there than in the US. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you sound very close minded about living in Canada. I think you'd be really surprised about how much you would like it. It's so much more liberal, the quality of life is amazing and it truly is a great place to live. Don't mean to sound that way at all. I have nothing against canada or the people who live there (though I've never been outside of the greater toronto area so my views are perhaps a bit skewed). I have heard canadians say they want to move to california or florida because they can't take the weather there, which is understandable. I want to move to florida or california because I have a hard time handling 30-50 degrees in winter, which is ridiculous. I also hate how early it gets dark there; gives me a bit of seasonal affective disorder. And everything is a lot more expensive there compared to here (you should have seen my girlfriends face when she saw some of the prices here). The vibe is also different there .. more like New York - rush rush rush everywhere. My girl likes the atmosphere better here. At the end of the day they're all things that I could and would get over in the name of love. There's no doubt about that. But this post isn't about me moving to Canada because, as I said, that is always in the backburner as plan B. I'm aware that that's a possibility and thankful that it is because canada is indeed more liberal and progressive than this country. I love that canadian citizens as a whole are more open minded and accepting than the majority of the people you'll find here (cough white trash and old people all over the south and midwest). But again, I am trying to get a career in the company I'm currently with and ideally if moving there is in the plans then I could be transferred and I can't really ask for that at this point. Anyway. I'd like to thank everyone for their answers so far. If anyone else has any suggestions or input they are more than welcome (ideally not a living here vs. living there debate, however).	NickiMinaj	Female	Canada	2012-02-15 12:48:00
Canada	Getting US visa?	Move to Canada. I do know realistically that this may have to be the eventual answer. Unfortunately it's not an option at the moment. I want a career with this company and after I build up a little seniority I can possibly be transfered to one of the Canadian stations. Even if I do die from the cold As far as the short term.. I was wondering how likely she would be to get student visa with a decent GPA but not a lot of money? I tried looking it up but I get so many different answers. Looking on school websites is pretty confusing as well... one told me to "Click here for internation students" then said you have to prove US residency to apply. lol what? When/where are student visas rewarded, anyway? At the airport? Sorry for so many questions and that this topic covers a lot of a lot of different topics. I do appreciate all of the answers very much, thank you. Ugh, that's such ^%&*ing bullcrap! Sure as hell is. The only thing that can overturn this is DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act... from 1996) being repealled. Several say it is unconstitutional and that when it finally hits the supreme court there's a good chance it will be overturned.. but I don't know, it's hard to put all your hope and trust in a government full of lying scumbags. Each state that legalizes gay marriage is a step forward but as long as DOMA exists the immigration laws will stay the same. And if one of these nutjob republicans win I'm afraid we're really ######. Edited by NickiMinaj, 14 February 2012 - 06:41 PM.	NickiMinaj	Female	Canada	2012-02-14 18:37:00
Canada	Getting US visa?	Hi friends, hope this is the right forum. Ggreat forum here. I am an american citizen currently living in Georgia. I have fallen in love with the most amazing woman on the whole planet and she is canadian. I have actually done the long distance thing once before and swore never to again because it was too hard (and that was with a girl in this country! Little did I know what I would one day get myself into ), then I got a job where I can fly for free and decided not to completely remove the option. Regardless, I don't think I could have stopped talking to this girl. She is truly my soul mate and we're both so in love. So here lies the issue: I'm also a girl. I would marry her in a second if it meant getting a green card and being able to live together, but with this country's shitty #### DOMA law not yet repealled, that isn't currently an option. I go to visit her about once a month (would like more but hotels are expensive... in fact everything is expensive up there ), and she's came to visit me a few times. I certainly wouldn't mind moving to canada to be with her, except my job is based here and it'd be difficult to transfer. I'm also a giant wimp when it comes to cold weather (indeed as I type this in Atlanta I'm wearing several layers of pajamas and gloves LOL) so I'm not sure if I could handle living up north. That being said, right now she's still a student and enrolled in university but not attending because her financial aid is on hold. She still has 2 years to go so we have to at least wait for that We've looked at student visas but everything says you have to have money and show proof of your finances. She doesn't have a lot of money. Obviously she would live with me but is this realistically even an option? The plan right now is for her to be done with school as soon as possible but I know it'd be more expensive to go to college in the us than canada for her. Money isn't something that either of us have an excess of at the moment. So assuming she finishes school there, and that DOMA is still in effect, what is our best option? She wants to be a school teacher so a TN visa isn't an option. She considered going to school for one of the careers for the TN visa but we agreed she should do what she has a passion to do. I think it's very admirable that she wants to be a teacher but they obviously aren't in high demand.... I've tried researching about other visas but it honestly makes my head spin. If someone could list some of the best options for us to narrow it down, it'd be a lot easier. I just want us to have a couple of different possible plans, really. It all seems so hard and complicated and impossible and makes me want to cry but I love her so much and she says as long as we love each other we will find a way and I believe her. I'm just so impatient and want it now but I'll wait for her as long as I have to. Obviously if it starts to take a ridiculous amount of time I will look into moving to Canada. Can I get a green card through her if we marry in either canada or usa? Also this is a long shot but the company my mom works for is run by 2 canadians who are now us citizens. If, and this is a big if, I could get them to give her a job/sposor her would that be an option? Would she then be stuck there and not able to seek out a job as a school teacher? Thank you all so much for taking the time to read/respond to this. I know her and I will be together one day, but I just hate how complicated everything is. Before researching because of her I never had a clue how hard it was to become a US citizen. And I'm sure most of the ignorat people who want to "ship the mexicans back home" don't either, but that's another topic... . Anyway, thanks again for any help you guys can provide. Being with her is the best feeling in the world and the day that becomes permanent will be the best day of my life. PS. Random question that I've been wondering: does it look bad for me to make so many trips across the boarder? I know it looks suspicious and though I haven't been to secondary questioning yet I have a coworker who has a boyfriend up there and she's been through secondary questioning 3 times. She's learned to say "friend" instead of "boyfriend" lol but she's been there a lot more than me and I know they get suspicious. Customs agents make me so nervous even though I always have intent to return to usa and know I'm not doing anything illegal. I just tell them I am visiting a friend and they ask a few more questions but I always get through. Should I feel nervous? haha I think it's mostly in my head that they're looking at me like some sort of terrorist	NickiMinaj	Female	Canada	2012-02-14 15:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Can girlfriend come here then file?	I would suggest that she do what I did.   Enter the US as a tourist, submit the K1 paperwork whilst she is here (it is a bit easier with you both together), leave the US before the 6 months is up (for me it was 90 days as I am from a VWP country) and then wait the rest of the time out in a rented room in an apartment.  A friend of a friend rented me a room for a few months.  This was at the time when K1s were taking 9 months to approve.  It should be shorter for you.   On entry to the US, your girlfriend must not lie about anything.  Just answer the questions she is asked but don't lie.  It is not just 'bad to lie' - it could seriously affect your future life together.  Read the pinned 'Yes you can visit thread' at the top of the K1 sub-forum for more info of travelling and look at this guide - http://www.visajourn...content/k1visit  See if she has any documentation to show that she needs to go back to Canada.   Yeah it sucks being apart but, having been in the US for 9 months now, I can tell you that the memories of the challenging times of being apart fade after a time.  Then real life of living with your husband or wife kicks in!     Thank you. I didn't think about that. She has to be back in Canada for as long as she was here, right?   We have been waiting for over 3 years so a few more months isn't going to kill anyone - it's just that I am growing more concerned about her safety lately. She has put into social services to help her get a job to be able to afford rent. It's not as if she isn't trying (and yes she knows I would also help her in paying however I won't be able to afford her entire rent + mine). She doesn't have her degree because she had to quit college halfway through several times to get a job. She will graduate next month with her 2 year degree and was then planning to transfer to a larger uni for the 4 but now she will just be trying to find a job (which hopefully wont be too hard once she at least has the 2 year).   One more question - once the K1 is filed and they mail her, what does it look like? And will I be able to change her mailing address/mail it to a friend of hers? We do not want it going to her house because a parent could intercept and ask questions. If her father found out she's in a same-sex relationship she could come into serious harm. He's already 'warned' his kids against it. Ideally she will be out of there soon and in her own place so right now we are waiting to file... even though we want to do it ASAP we want to do it right.   Thank you to those of you who were helpful in your replies.   edit - yes Atlanta is dirt cheap, especially compared to Toronto - I am shocked every time I go there at how expensive everything is   And yes, we know we have to marry in another state. New York is the plan. Thank you Edited by NickiMinaj, 10 April 2014 - 11:18 PM.	NickiMinaj	Female	Canada	2014-04-10 23:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Can girlfriend come here then file?	My other questions are how long on average is the K1 process, and how long would it be before she could start to work and/or go to school here? She'd have to have green card in hand before that, right?	NickiMinaj	Female	Canada	2014-03-25 11:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Can girlfriend come here then file?	Hi all. I posted here long ago about how to get around DOMA, and unfortunately there really was no way. Luckily we are now in a post-DOMA world. I am still with the same lovely girl, 3 years later. She is a Canadian citizen living in Toronto and I am an American citizen living in Atlanta.   Our plan has always been for her to finish school there (Canada) since it's cheaper than ridiculous US education fees. She is about to get her 2 year degree and was moving on to get her 4 year (in education.. she wants to be an elementary school teacher) when her parents informed her she was worhtless for not working and bringing in money and that she would no longer be going to school and had to get a job or get out.   She's in Toronto where the cost of living is ridiculously high (trust me, I know from visiting ) and though she's been searching for a job she hasn't found anything yet (her school is trying to work with her but so far nothing). She's 23 and would much rather NOT live with her parents (who have always pretty much treated her like ####### - also she's not out to them beause her father informed his kids he would murder them if they were homosexual...) but she's been working her butt off in school to get everything done so we can be together here. Now that her 4 year degree is no longer in the picture we are looking at options for her to come here ASAP.   My main question is (which I kind of already figure I know the answer to), if she were to come here saying she's visiting then we file paperwork for a green card would that work? Basically if we skipped the K1 process. I know it would be bad if she lied at the boarder but she is allowed here for 6 months at a time so could we not file and get everything done by then?   Right now the plan is to do the K1 process correctly, however she's in danger of getting kicked out if she can't get a job and though her and her sister are looking for cheap apartments right now those don't really exist around Toronto. My worry is that she will end up homeless in a shelter or something and I cannot let that happen, that is the woman that I love and I can't let her be on the streets so I would go and basically drag her to come live with me. But then she'd be an illegal immigrant until/unless we could file for a greencard while she's here but if it were denied I know she'd have to go back and everything would be even more complicated.   Any advice?	NickiMinaj	Female	Canada	2014-03-25 11:22:00