ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhen do they take your Green Card?

How about only have that new ten year green card for only a couple of weeks and having it taken away from at your oath ceremony. After all the expense and stress to get it, and no prorating on the fees.

If they had to prorate the fees for this, then those such as myself (who used the "conventional" GC, and applied after five years should get back 50% of the visa-fees we were charged at Consulate or I-485). :lol:

Depending on if your are flying or driving, if the latter and certain bordering states can get a special drivers' license to get you into Canada. LOL, if living in Minnesota or North Dakota, a snowmobile will get you in and out.

Then why Christmas for get togethers? Had to work long hours with my job and just wanted to spend Christmas with my kids without a bunch of in-laws around, and travel during that time is insane. A couple of weeks after Christmas, everything is dead.


Saddle BroncMale02011-11-01 10:00:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionCertificate of Naturalization - is it okay to laminate?
As a compromise, you can put a plastic report-cover over it (not the same as laminating--as the cert can be taken out of the cover), which will give it the protection I think you're aiming for.
Saddle BroncMale02011-12-10 23:36:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionCertificate of Naturalization - is it okay to laminate?
No, you absolutely SHOULD NOT laminate it.

If you wish to do something analogous, make a b/w copy of it (this is legal--a full-colour copy isn't), then laminate the copy (ditto).
Saddle BroncMale02011-12-10 00:36:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionBiometrics for Naturalization
Technically, the test and the interview (albeit they're most oft done together) are two separate points.

In the case of my own naturalisation (applied 2004/10/15), I was asked at the biometrics if I wanted to take the test (and availed of the opportunity). As Patriot stated, it typically takes a few months between biometrics and the interview (if the interview is early enough in the day, you may be able to avail of a same-day oath).
Saddle BroncMale02013-02-18 05:18:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionGeneral Info on Naturalization
QUOTE (Patrick n Olivia @ May 30 2009, 10:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I have one more year to go for applying USC; just a question to ask.

Becuase of my job (i m a airline pilot in US), i have to stay in Puerto Rico for seasonal factor; will that count as not in USA?

Thanks
Last-I-checked Puerto Rico is to US equivalent to what Lakshadweep is to India (or Nunavut to Canada)--not a State (Province), but still part-and-parcel. So, time in Puerto Rico would be "physically present in US".

Saddle BroncMale02009-06-08 14:38:00
CanadaCanada Post sucks
How slow Canada post actually is: when I lived in Calgary, it would take 4-7 days for a rejection letter written and posted in downtown Calgary to reach my home; oft almost two weeks if the letter was posted from MB or BC.

And I've had even worse experience doing address-change form:
  • in US, this is free, you just complete one and mail--in a few days, letters addressed to you will have yellow redirection labels
  • in Canada, you fork out for this--last I checked, it was C$40 for in-Canada change of address and C$60 for change of address to US--add GST to that and you get C$42.80 and C$64.20 as actual payment.
Even worse, Canada post cannot seem to tell whether it is individual or family. In 1994, I actually filed the change of address (for individual--and I had done multiple checks to ensure this)--and got several letters redirected to me which were for my dad (I was able to redirect these to his office at U of C--by placing on address labels overcovering the original and placing US stamps on). I had to call Canada post to cancel this redirection. Not only did I not get the expected quality for over C$60, but incurred additional cost (to resend the documents to U of C)--and they don't even have the courtesy to refund for such disservice!
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-02 08:12:00
CanadaAsk for help---urgent!
TN-1 attempt while IR-1 app in process? Bad idea--as applicant will be red-flagged.

CR-1 from (existing) TN-1: possible, but not ideal (better to do full-package--EAD/AP--AOS, and ensure not leaving US till AP in hand).
IR-1 from (existing) TD: (see CR-1 from existing TN-1--best to do derivative AOS).
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-08 13:22:00
CanadaCan my fiance enter US while K-1 is in process?
Yes; it would be a good idea to take a copy of the petitions/NOA's (or consulate interview appointment letters) along on such visits as evidence of intention to go back (USCIS uses some rather strange logic, but one of them is that since the applicant for consular processes MUST leave US to go to the consulate, it is sufficient evidence of not having immediate immigrant intent).
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-10 08:13:00
CanadaToronto to Montreal
Has anyone thought of Greyhound (or one of the other bus services)?
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-09 10:12:00
CanadaTravel to Toronto on Advanced Parole by bus this weekend

$10 for I-94? never heard that before. Where are you crossing? When I crossed by car it went fast.

Have fun!

zyggy may have meant C$10 (last I checked I-94 fee is US$6), a level it was set at in 1998/9.
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-13 10:39:00
CanadaWhen should I leave Montreal....
Nope. Only between 8:15 am and 5:00 pm, M-F.

http://montreal.usco...=business_hours
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-15 11:52:00
CanadaIs the Trudeau Airport and the Dorval Airport the same?
Yes, it is. Some of you have seen me rant about that name in previous threads (as I never believed Trudeau to be deserving of any honours, ESPECIALLY after 1982!).
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-16 07:23:00
CanadaDelta to start Calgary-Atlanta service in June

Actually, I like having to connect in another american city. it means not having to go through C&I in Atlanta

US bound flights from Calgary (except for the one to LaGuardia, which has to go through YYZ--due to distance regulations set by LaGuardia) are cleared at Calgary's PFI:
  • I'm "from" Calgary (not born there, but raised largely there and lived there roughly half my life)
  • I've also used that PFI's "scot-free" more than once (prior to 2002) to take in Claritin

Saddle BroncMale02006-03-20 14:04:00
CanadaDelta to start Calgary-Atlanta service in June
Unfortunately, several years too late for me (as I moved to DC for job reasons in Oct. 2000, and have not been in Atlanta area for any long term since).
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-17 15:52:00
CanadaCanadian Directions ..... lol
AlwaysCanadian carries:
  • Lays in Plain, Dill-Pickle and Ketchup
  • Humpty Dumpty in Dill-Pickle, Ketchup, Salt&Vinegar BBQ, and Smoky Bacon
  • Hostess in BBQ and Salt&Vinegar
  • Ruffles All-Dressed
CanadianFavourites carries:
  • Humpty Dumpty in Plain, Dill-Pickle, Ketchup, BBQ, Salt&Vinegar
  • HD Maine Coast Kettle in Plain, Cheddar, BBQ, Salt&Vinegar
  • Lays in Plain and Ketchup
  • Ruffles in All-dressed, Sour Cream&Onion

Saddle BroncMale02006-03-21 07:22:00
CanadaCanadian Directions ..... lol

Timmy's aren't everywhere in Ohio. I am SW of Cleveland and there are none here. My fiance is majorly bummed. A few times he flew down here he brought his own Timmy's. We are hoping that they make there way north from Columbus or East from Toledo.

He is also going to miss his Slurpee's! He couldn't believe there was no 7-11's near me. He was quite devastated! We have Circle K though and they are now owned by Mac's so I guess he will survive! :lol

Oh and I almost forgot. I love those Old Dutch potato chips. I am the USC but dang those are good. Yum! All Dressed is my favorite. Grrrrrrr!!! You can't order them to be delivered to the states. Its the only brand you can't have delivered. It figures!

I am leaving for BC in 3 days. Will have a suitcase full on my way back.....j/k :P


Your statement that you "can't order Old Dutch to be delivered to the states" IS FALSE!

www.alwayscanadian.com

www.canadianfavourites.com
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-20 06:35:00
CanadaCanadian Directions ..... lol

Damn you people of OHIO!!! No Tims here around the Nations Capital!! Time to start planning another trip back to SK!!


Actually, you could satisfy the Timmy's craving by making a trip to either Columbus (toll-charge avoidable by using I-68, I-79, I-70 route) or the Flint-Toledo corridor (which includes Detroit metro area; toll charge in this case nasty, as OH turnpike completely unavoidable).

In my case, I have such a trip (latter with toll-charge) already planned in less than six weeks (for my wedding).

(OK, I'll extend you a virtual invitation--so long as you're willing to attend the 4/14 evening message at Vassar; url of LEF's Easter Retreat flyer, which has directions to Vassar, below).

http://lefi.org/flyers/easter06.pdf
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-07 14:06:00
CanadaCanadian Directions ..... lol

County Style????

If giving directions to men... start with Beer Store or LCBO. :thumbs: Then we know which Timmy's to start with.

Brooke's hubby here.... K3 VISA interview tomorrow..... wish us luck!!! :dance:


Oh, you don' recognise Country Style Doughnuts (to Tim's employees, the "others")? :lol:
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-06 14:32:00
CanadaCanadian Directions ..... lol
:lol:

(uh, some might do that with Country Style instead of Tim's) :lol:
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-06 12:59:00
CanadaThe Myth of Taxes
Also, US does not use "non-refundable credits"--exemptions/deductions can be calculated toward refund; where Canadian NRC's can at best reduce to 0.
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-27 07:58:00
CanadaFlying up to Vancouver for the Interview
On the air-ticket, you can follow the tradition of "buy whichsoever is cheaper of one-way or ultra-ultra-restrictive roundtrip".
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-29 09:10:00
Canadarcmp told me 3-4 months for police check...???


I hope this sheds some light on it all. As long as they are checking CPIC you are fine. I'm pretty sure that's what Montreal cares about.

That's my 2 cents.


It makes me nervous when we advocate using local police, when Montreal is very specific in the Package 3 paperwork about having the records check completed by the RCMP, but that's just me. *shrug*

I'll give you something that'll make you even MORE nervous. There are even personnel at RCMP in Ottawa who advocate this incorrect approach.

I have a friend in NYC who I assisted with some I-129F details; his fiancée was the one who lived there 15 years ago. She had an interview at the Mumbai consulate which stated that it needed the RCMP certificate to issue her the visa. He called the RCMP in Ottawa (I don't know exactly whom he spoke to, but the woman there gave incorrect info) and was told that she could either wait to get the certificate by mail (the interview was in January 2006) or walk in and get it FROM THE LOCAL POLICE (fortunately, I was able to give him the correct information, having called the Calgary office--as I simply didn't want to wait endlessly on the Ottawa number).
Saddle BroncMale02006-03-30 12:53:00
Canadarcmp told me 3-4 months for police check...???

What part of Canada are you in? I assume Alberta? I belive only the Greater toronto area uses the Commisionaires!! Everyone else uses the RCMP. I had my RCMP check completed in 3 days and it was free, (most do charge a fee I believe) Some you get right there, others take longer. If you just require the name check, maybe the officer on the phone was confused, as stated above if you have had a criminal record, you wil require fingerprinting, which does take awhile!! If they are stead fast on the 3-4 months, phone another detachment!!

Last I checked, you can do a (no FP) RCMP check in AB for free--and get the certificate on the spot!

(I actually called the Calgary office recently to see if I could speed up getting the certificate for someone who lived in Canada 15 years ago--needless to say, no dice; but still true that you can get the name-check certificate rightaway).

Edited by sriniv, 30 March 2006 - 12:24 PM.

Saddle BroncMale02006-03-30 12:22:00
Asia: SouthQuestion as with MARM's thread for Indian citizens
QUOTE (CJ Vasani @ Mar 30 2009, 09:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (CherryXS @ Mar 27 2009, 03:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
(admittedly, visa was already issued and we've been married nearly three years--waiting on Conditions Removal)

"If you all with Indian spouses/ fiances had to go through the process all over again or had a chance to change your petition, would you still stick with the type of petition that you filed? Or would you go for a different one than the path you have chosen?
CR-1/IR-1, K-3, K-1 or 'other'?"

In my case, the answer actually falls (under the following conditions) into the "other":
  • INS/State Dept had actually trained officious for NAFTA-cognisance
  • longer-term (3-year; at the time the length was 1 year, which gave CO's lots of excuse to deny) TN-1 had been available
then I could probably have gotten married much sooner (assumptions: that I had started search prior to October 1997, gotten married in 1998 and petitioned for wife to get Consular-issue TD--on which wife could have entered).
I want to understand this better. Can you please explain your statements above to the layman (i.e. me)?

I chose K3 and regretted it, since I eventually took the CR1 route. The approval process at the USCIS level would've been much quicker had I stuck just with the I-130. Filing I-129F created delays (as it was evident by following other members on VJ) that cost us approximately 3-4 months in the end. For married filers, going for K3 is not purposeful any longer given the NVC shortcuts. In past, the NVC used to be another journey after completing the USCIS stage. Now, NVC is just a pit stop.
The route I eventually chose was naturalisation followed by K-1 petition.

In 1997, I had an approved I-140 but could not proceed further due to having been filed as EB-3 when I qualified (having MSCS) for EB-2--due to being born in India, that made a huge difference. I was working at the time on a TN-1 (1-year valid1 visa, issuable only to Canadians--I had been naturalised to Canada in 1982). Basically, that result was a complete disaster, as I could not get a marriage done to an Indian citizen (unless she happened to be already present in US on H1-b or R-1--which reduced the potential pool too far for searching2; a spouse with GC already in hand would also have been disastrous3). Also, you're familiar with H1-b quotas? Well, the I-140 approval was completed after the FY-1998 quota had already been saturated.

Basically, had the conditions been exactly as I specified, I could have gotten married (to a Born-again Christian from India) up to a good seven years before I was naturalised to US.

Notes:
  1. in October 2008 (three years after I was naturalised, and almost nine after I got my GC), the validity term of TN-1 was upped to 3 years
  2. You can do the demographics math using percentages to see how difficult it would be to find a desi (and not ABCD) Born-again Christian
  3. I would not have been able to renew my TN-1 visa after the marriage, as it would be "red-flagged" as seeking immigration (though surprisingly the existing approved I-140 didn't)


Saddle BroncMale03/30/2009 10:33
Asia: SouthQuestion as with MARM's thread for Indian citizens
(admittedly, visa was already issued and we've been married nearly three years--waiting on Conditions Removal)

"If you all with Indian spouses/ fiances had to go through the process all over again or had a chance to change your petition, would you still stick with the type of petition that you filed? Or would you go for a different one than the path you have chosen?
CR-1/IR-1, K-3, K-1 or 'other'?"

In my case, the answer actually falls (under the following conditions) into the "other":
  • INS/State Dept had actually trained officious for NAFTA-cognisance
  • longer-term (3-year; at the time the length was 1 year, which gave CO's lots of excuse to deny) TN-1 had been available
then I could probably have gotten married much sooner (assumptions: that I had started search prior to October 1997, gotten married in 1998 and petitioned for wife to get Consular-issue TD--on which wife could have entered).

Edited by CherryXS, 27 March 2009 - 02:10 PM.

Saddle BroncMale03/27/2009 14:08
Asia: SouthWedding Invitations needs translation?
QUOTE (CJ Vasani @ Apr 2 2009, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
They didn't ask us for the wedding invitations in the interview, but is probably a good idea to get it translated if it's relatively low effort on your end.

One thing about gujjus (I being one) is that we find our way to the remotest corners of the world...Chennai Consulate, after all, is not all that remote...you may just find a gujju translator there! smile.gif
True, especially considering there are substantial numbers of gujjus living in Hyderabad and Bengaluru (both of which fall under jurisdiction of....Chennai!).
Saddle BroncMale04/3/2009 11:10
Asia: SouthWedding Invitations needs translation?
Try VistaPrint, a popular site for business-cards and wedding invitations.

http://www.vistaprint.com
Saddle BroncMale04/2/2009 13:57
Asia: SouthDoes your Country charge Foreigner more than Local?
QUOTE (Nikita2Charles @ Dec 28 2008, 11:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
...
Is it fair I have to pay 30-40% extra for the same domestic airfare, book at the same time, siting right next to each other
....
There actually is a subtle difference. With $$-paid (or £-paid) airfare, the baggage allowance for that domestic portion is 2 pieces of up to 23 kg each--while the TOTAL for the Rs-paid fare is 20 kg (if you habitually travel with more than that, the airlines will clobber you royally for the excess-baggage--if you're travelling with 46 kg, that charge will exceed the airfare difference)

Saddle BroncMale01/28/2009 15:47
Asia: SouthAnd moving on to Plan C...
QUOTE (spygame @ Apr 8 2009, 06:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Oh sorry to hear about ur denial..

i m tired of this waiting game. here in CSC people from FEB end are getting approved and others with similar dates as mine are also getting approved. This anxiety just kills. Even during my citizenship i had to wait freaking 2 years.. good thing i stopped waiting for it after few weeks. lol

So going to India might just be a good option for me right now. Only problem i see is that if we have a small wedding would that decrease our chances of getting DCF
Even a plain-jane civil wedding is adequate--as the CO's will be interested most in the certificate/licence.
QUOTE (spygame @ Apr 8 2009, 06:14 PM)
i also have OCI to india , so dont know if that will be of any help or not
Well, it is at least incrementally helpful--as you have legal rights to work/stay in India.

Saddle BroncMale04/9/2009 9:24
Asia: SouthPakistanis...If You Had to Do it All Over Again...
QUOTE (MARM @ Mar 25 2009, 11:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Just curious...my fiance is a Pakistani citizen. If God forbid things don't go the way they are planned and he is not issued a K-1 visa...it was just a thought in the back of our minds...what route is the best for Pakistani citizens in Pakistan?

If you all with Pakistani spouses/ fiances had to go through the process all over again or had a chance to change your petition, would you still stick with the type of petition that you filed? Or would you go for a different one than the path you have chosen?
CR-1/IR-1, K-3, or K-1?

It would be great to hear what you all have to say! yes.gif
Based on that you petitioned for your SO in Britain....is your SO a dual Pak-Limey?

Saddle BroncMale04/1/2009 13:02
Asia: SouthPakistanis...If You Had to Do it All Over Again...
QUOTE (humpkinpumpkin @ Mar 27 2009, 02:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
what was the question? unsure.gif
If you all with Pakistani spouses/ fiances had to go through the process all over again or had a chance to change your petition, would you still stick with the type of petition that you filed? Or would you go for a different one than the path you have chosen?
CR-1/IR-1, K-3, or K-1 or "other"?

(question amended/fixxored).

Saddle BroncMale03/27/2009 14:05
Asia: SouthPakistanis...If You Had to Do it All Over Again...
QUOTE (childress_london @ Mar 27 2009, 01:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
OP if you look in the MENA forum, you will see your original post (with note "moved"). That's where I was lurking around when I saw it.
But (as OP states) it's also in the Embassies/Consulates section; my take on this--OP started threads in each, they were merged and placed correctly).

Saddle BroncMale03/27/2009 13:38
Asia: SouthPakistanis...If You Had to Do it All Over Again...
QUOTE (MARM @ Mar 26 2009, 09:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (charles! @ Mar 26 2009, 07:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
regional forum "mena" does not include pakistan. mena Includes Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, The West Bank And Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

regional forum "Asia: South" Includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

moved from mena to asia south.
I had not posted this in MENA, I posted this in the US Embassy and Consulate General Discussion.
......

I am requesting that you move this thread back to where I originally posted it, please.
Are you sure about that, Marm? You may actually have thought you were posting in one forum while actually posting in another--if so, you're by no means either first or last VJ'er to do so.

(I can remember posting something in K-3 forum a few years ago, that really belonged in OT--where I thought I had posted it; when I found out the mistake, I contacted Ewok to move the thread over, and also posted a request--not honoured--for others to refrain from responding until it was moved)

Saddle BroncMale03/26/2009 8:45
Asia: SouthChurch Wedding and Civil Wedding
Not an issue--"time-honoured" to use civil wedding date for immigration process (as some even do church wedding in the US instead of India).
Saddle BroncMale04/27/2009 7:49
Asia: SouthVisa Fee
QUOTE (lovica_l @ May 11 2009, 02:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
anyone?
http://newdelhi.usem...ivvisafees.html

(K-1 is considered as non-immigrant visa, so applies)

QUOTE
Visa Application Fee & VFS Service Charge

Before you can book a visa interview appointment online, you must go to a designated branch of the HDFC Bank and pay the Visa Application Fee and VFS Service Charge. When you have paid these fees, make sure you obtain a Visa Fee Receipt.

Fees & the Ways to Pay:

1. Visa Application Fee: Rs. 6,943. At the HDFC Bank, this fee can be paid in cash or by Demand Draft/HDFC check that favors the ?U.S. Embassy ? Visa Fees?
2. VFS Service Charge: Rs. 374. At the HDFC Bank, this fee can be paid in cash or by Demand Draft/HDFC Bank check that favors the ?HDFC Bank a/c VFS?

Edited by CherryXS, 11 May 2009 - 09:22 AM.

Saddle BroncMale05/11/2009 9:22
Asia: SouthWhat after 15 Months in USA
I-751, which is filed at around the 2-year mark (you can file it 90 days prior to 2-years-exact mark).
Saddle BroncMale05/11/2009 19:18
Asia: SouthLitany of to-and-fro journeys of trip to India
devil.gif One potential (admittedly costlier) approach would be for us to "transit" through Canada on our next trip off-continent.

I could then tell Canuck Customs (on return journey) that the mangoes are going to US (the ticket would be for same-day departure--they may actually allow such transit) and then brazen them through the airport's US-destinations PFI.
Saddle BroncMale05/26/2009 10:56
Asia: SouthLitany of to-and-fro journeys of trip to India
QUOTE (ELW @ May 26 2009, 09:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Gosh! What a journey! sad.gif Glad that everything worked out in the end though (except no mangoes in USA) crying.gif
QUOTE (CherryXS @ May 26 2009, 05:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
we should have only taken one kg of the Banganapallis in hand baggage
Is there such thing as ONLY one kg Banganapalli? blink.gif tongue.gif
Physically, it is possible (the mangoes we had, they were roughly 2 to a kg); admittedly it would not really have been really satisfactory wink.gif

Saddle BroncMale05/26/2009 8:20
Asia: SouthLitany of to-and-fro journeys of trip to India
(note: I'm only going to deal with the to-and-fro flights, not the portion of the trip in India)

Well, I had booked a trip for my wife to accompany her mum back to India on 2009/05/04 with myself following 10 days later (and both Pras and I returning to US 2009/05/23). The following happened.
  • Pras had the wrong document (she should have had the I-797 NOA-1 extension letter, but instead had the letter informing of moving case VSC-to-CSC), so was not allowed to fly out on 05/04 (booking was British Airways, BWI-LHR connecting to LHR-MAA). I had to rebook Pras' ticket to 05/14, but allowed MIL's trip to proceed as-was (to avoid complications from USCIS for future US visits by MIL--who had been in US since 2008/11/08)
  • on 05/14, I ensured that she had the right document (plus some others such as a copy of our current lease, and the chequebook to our joint account) and we were able to fly to Chennai through Heathrow
  • now, we'll fast forward to 05/23. At Chennai, about 15-minute delay due to BA staff having to get info from London as to what to do in situation (expired conditional GC, extension letter)--OK'd
  • high-point of journey back occured at Heathrow. Pulling up Randomizer's Heathrow I-551 experience of June 2008 (specifically for his reference),
    http://www.visajourn...howtopic=137446.

    When we went through the flight-transit at Heathrow, the officer told his colleage "Green Card doesn't expire, it says 'Permanent' Resident card' on it", so neither even looked at the extension letter--and we got through. At transit-connexion security (still at Heathrow), a desi staff member asked "are those mangoes in your bag?" I told her that we did have some foodstuffs for personal usage, but I wasn't sure which bags contained which stuffs, as I hadn't been involved in packing them (truth in this case). OK'd--though I was a little annoyed by her question (we weren't stopping at all in UK, but proceeding on; IMO, whether fresh mangoes were present was/is none of her business)
  • at BWI, some complications going through immigration. They accepted the GC and extension, but fingerprinted Pras and sent us to a waiting room--where after 10 minutes, Ok'd to come in
  • after baggage-claim, the result was travesty. The fresh mangoes seen by the transit-security-girl at Heathrow (3 kg of Banganapalli variety, the "rolls-royce" of the mango world) were taken despite of our pleadings that they were for personal usage crying.gif crying.gif crying.gif mad.gif , along with a jar of mango pickles (chunks too large, the culprit stated that the mangoes should have been ground nearly to paste)


So, in hindsight (figured this out the next day, way too late) I figured that we should have only taken one kg of the Banganapallis in hand baggage (all of our bags were dug through), and then slipped some moneys to staff at one of Heathrow transit-area eateries to cut them for us and enjoyed them in Heathrow's transit area.


Notes:
  • for those who wish to suggest, "well you should have maybe married USC instead of Indian citizen (since you could also have then married nicely prior to even 1999)" pre-emptive headbonk.gif
  • for any Canucks who wish to make the corresponding equivalent suggestion about marrying a Canadian prior to 1999 (at that time, I was on TN-1), pre-emptive headbonk.gif headbonk.gif headbonk.gif

Saddle BroncMale05/26/2009 7:38
Asia: SouthPLease Help!! K1
Never even been to ISB, but my fiancee went through Chennai Consulate for K-1.

The packet-3 does have to be submitted before the interview (submission is mandatory for them to schedule it).

On the medical: recommended that it be done prior to interview, but this can be difficult to achieve given dynamics of PCC issuance (exactly what happened for Pras--she had to postpone the medical to post-interview, then deliver the report to the consulate, and wait a few days longer in Chennai than originally planned).

Edited by CherryXS, 28 May 2009 - 07:53 AM.

Saddle BroncMale05/28/2009 7:51