Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	What do you guys do for health insurance?	I work at for the Marketplace.... here are a few important things for all to know... Instead of typing it all out, I'll just post some links.   Who can use the Marketplace https://www.healthca...he-marketplace/ You have to be legally here. We will ask you for proof   Cost-Sharing (lowering out of pocket costs) https://www.healthca...f-pocket-costs/   Advance Premium Tax Credit https://www.healthca...nthly-premiums/   Estimate what you're looking at https://www.healthca...mium-estimates/ Keep in mind some states have their own Marketplaces/Exchanges. If your state does, it will show you where to go   Employer based coverage https://www.healthca...alth-insurance/   How to apply https://www.healthca...place-coverage/ The website (as you most probably know) has glitches. It works perfectly for some and others are riddled with issues. I see improvements every day. If you have issues online, call and we'll do it for you right then and there.      Hope this helps  you out a lil bit. WOW! Great links and resources covering ACA info... You should totally pin this info in its own topic (and send out a mass email to like.... The ENTIRE COUNTRY! Lol)...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-11-23 01:32:00
Canada	What do you guys do for health insurance?	Obamacare is not insurance, it is a law which oversees the purchase of private insurance. You will have to go to the healthcare.gov (otherwise known as obamacare) website and shop for private insurance... The marketplace (aka. Healthcare.gov) is the "exchange" ... There are also professionals at some places such as Walgreens, CVS and local doctors that are holding sessions to help people choose and navigate the market...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-11-22 17:56:00
Canada	Mairjuana Use	Medical is different from country to country.  There was no drug test when I went to my medical in Montreal; no urine or blood were taken/given.  After admission of drug use, maybe/probably they do it then.  Similarly, in some countries, women get full gynecological exams and I never removed my panties. Ok.. Throughout they were more or less standard? I still would not advise anyone to risk it...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-12-04 12:49:00
Canada	Mairjuana Use	Then it would be a urine test... But a drug test IS performed... Daily users it can be detected up to 90 days after last use... Occasional... About 30 days...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-12-04 11:48:00
Canada	Mairjuana Use	For an occasional user, it will be detectable in urine about 30 days (blood less)... For a daily cannibis user, it can be detected up to 90 days... Hair follicle testing can detect drugs 90 days... After 90 days any drug use will not be detected.	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-12-04 11:07:00
Canada	Mairjuana Use	Don't volunteer any info you don't have to... Any admission of marajuana use will incur a 1 year ban regardless of how Long ago... Have a discussion with your loved one so they understand that this issue might come up at the medical...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-12-03 16:55:00
Canada	Border crossing with visa or green card	The stamp in your passport (I551) stamp will let you back in... My hubby traveled internationally only days after he arrived for work.	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-11-20 22:28:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Our marriage has been a secret!	Agreed, you seem to have a good base of evidence, and affadavits are secondary evidence anyway (as they can be easlily fabricated or manipulated)..	christeen	Female	Italy	2010-01-24 22:56:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	help my husband doesnt want to file taxes!!	Just file married filing seperatly... no problems for you... However, it might trigger a check on your hubby. But I would not omit filing as it will cost you BIG TIME years down the road if you do not file... Plus, depending on what you earned/paid in taxes, you could get a refund... But it is perfectly OK to file married filing seperatly	christeen	Female	Italy	2010-03-22 14:11:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Can you leave the country while your I-751 is being processed? Also citizenship question	It all gets processed in your district where you reside...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-06-30 11:47:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Can you leave the country while your I-751 is being processed? Also citizenship question	In the past year, it looks like Houston is working around the 5 month mark from filing to oath....	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-06-30 09:03:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Can you leave the country while your I-751 is being processed? Also citizenship question	I might add that if doing this, I would not refer to what you are doing as "living" in the UK as you are supposed to be "living" in the US. I would refer to it as visiting... Just be careful establishing residence overseas as GC is for residing in the USA	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-06-29 22:05:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Can you leave the country while your I-751 is being processed? Also citizenship question	Yes, that would work as long as you maintained ties in the USA and do not abandon residency requirements. For processing time, a lot depends on the processing center. For example, we completed the whole citizenship process her in west palm beach from filing the form to oath in 72 days... But New York processes are taking about 6 months. Where are you filing?	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-06-29 22:02:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Can we live separately to finish our education?	Agreed, to pass an opportunity like that would be difficult for sure... As a previous poster said, I would go out of my way to document that although you are living apart physically, you are in all other ways a co-mingled couple. Be sure to document visits, Skype chats and call logs showing constant communication, joint bank accounts and investments, perhaps a life insurance policy with each other a benificeries, if you have a lease see if you can be joint applicants and car insurance etc... But the best thing is to document your ongoing relationship regardless of how unorthodox it might be... And congratulations!	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-07-30 17:00:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	removing the condition status in my GC	At this point, I believe you will have to apply for the IR1 spousal visa, not AOS as I unfortunatly, think that ship has already sailed... You should have your hubby call and check, but I think they have accepted your application and will deny based on the fact you are not in country, too much time elapsed between expiration anf filing so it will be assumed that you abandoned your 2 year GC when you went back home. But have him make a infopass appt or call and find out if you need to start over...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-09-15 11:29:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	No evidence from first few months of marriage? Also name change Q	No issue, it takes time to get established and everything sorted out paperwork wise... I never changed my name.	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-12-10 17:06:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Foriegn spouse left the house on temporay residency CR-!	Any news? Have u filed a missing persons? I would be contacting the hospitals to see if she is there, given birth or maybe had a medical issue... I think immigration should be the last thing you are worried about!	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-01-15 19:41:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Out of the country before Conditions are Removed-Do you lose rights?	Yes, she will be denied entry...	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-04-28 21:19:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Moving to the UK for husband's job	In before the lock.... Hey OP... Good luck with your new UK adventure!	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-06-11 16:57:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Moving to the UK for husband's job	I agree that you probably will have to abandon the GC (without prejudice ) then, when ready to move back, file DCF from UK to get GC (10 year this time) ...	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-06-11 13:58:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Too Much Evidence?	Sending too much is as big a negative as too little... Keep it simple and concise...	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-06-11 14:27:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Too Much Evidence?	You will not get an RFE for more bank statements...	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-06-10 20:06:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Too Much Evidence?	Waaaayyyy overkill! Send in a few bank statements maybe one from each quarter NOT 240 pages worth! 90 pages of medical and dental?? Cut that down to an example spanning time... And seriously, receipts for family photo sessions (20 pages) really? What the heck kind of silly evidences is that? Totally useless tree deaths there... C'mon, use common sense, quality over quantity... There is no reason on earth that you need to submit 600 pages of evidence to prove you are living as husband and wife... That is just crazy... Edit, edit, edit...	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-06-09 11:38:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Is NOT changing your last name a "red flag"??	Absolutely, positively NOT! In fact, in many cultures women always keep their family name! It is YOUR decision and has NO effect on the process!	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-01-04 22:49:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Will this work? - File I-751? leave US?get NOA in the foreign county?enter us with expired GC and NOA	I noticed the 12/25 departure for a due date of 1/25... That seems to be risky no? Not sure of some airlines policies for boarding of pregnant women... And what if the baby is early?	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-08-21 22:28:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Removing the conditional on hardship grounds	Unless you are divorcing, then no, you can't file ROC early... Your 2 year GC carries the same rights and privileges as the 10 year one so there is not benefit... Wait and file with your spouse.	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-09-03 09:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	When (not if!) DOMA falls at the end of June...	I don't have any notes to compare, but I would like to say all the best in your journey and I really hope that you get the opportunity to be with your partner! Go get em!	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-06-01 14:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	time line for ir-1/cr-1 Spouse Visa Process	Time you have been married has no bearing on uscis processing times... We were married 7 years before filing and it was 5 months... Processing times vary from center to center and lunar cycle, weather, luck and general randomness...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-07-17 18:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Tired of waiting sent 129F for K3	To offer up a different viewpoint on this... For many, the k3 actually slowed down the cr1 ... This is because the cr1 application was pulled out of queue to allow for the k3 application to catch up with it and for them to be joined it.... It has happen to several VJ members... But I hope for your case, it triggers someone to pull the file and adjucate....	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-07-05 22:53:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	USC getting dual citizenship in beneficiary's country?	You have to renounce your US citizenship... They will not take it...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-08-14 18:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	USC getting dual citizenship in beneficiary's country?	It should not have any impact on your husbands petition. I did not process ate the same time, but I have Italy citizenship as well... USA only cares that you enter the USA with your American passport, they really do not care where else you, he USC holds citizenship. It will not even be addressed. Your relationship and bonifieds with your spouse will be what matters.	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-08-14 10:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA2 APPROVED IN 19 DAYS	But VJ is only a SMALL sample of the petitions that have been filed... I agree that there is likely to be a jump in the quick turn arounds (to jack the numbers and show a faster processing date) before they really attack the true backlog... But they will start to throw resources behind the backlog soon...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-11-24 20:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA2 APPROVED IN 19 DAYS	I just loved the way you discussed this post and certainely " the silver lining is that after they clear some super "short termers" getting approved they start to make real progress on the older cases... ". It's really hopeful and I just wanted to thank you Christeen   I guess the best way to think of it (without getting too depressed and/or pissed) it that at this point ANY movement in cases is positive given that recently there have been little to No approvals... I feel for everyone waiting to be with their loved ones!	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-11-22 18:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA2 APPROVED IN 19 DAYS	Unfortunately, I have seen this over the years... When there is a big backlog, they start to process the most recent files mind-blowingly fast to manipulate the numbers so it shortens the posted wait times... I have a feeling that there are going to be a few more of these "anomalies " in the coming weeks (so the wait times drop on paper) before they start working on the backlog I earnest. Yes, it sucks and it NOT fair in the slightest and Should,not be done! But it is how the system disfunction's currently. The silver lining is that after they clear some super "short termers" getting approved they start to make real progress on the older cases... These anomalies are usually a predecessor for real progress... Now, Don't hate on the applicants, it's just one of those luck of the draw things and Should not diminish the support they receive from this VJ community.	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-11-22 17:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Filled for I-130 . Wondering about some stuff . Plz enter(k3-cr1)	You missed the NVC step in there, but other than that, I totally agree.   Oops, yes I did forget NVC... And to the OP, the first approval is just the first step, NOT the vital one, that just determins you are eligible to petition for your spouse, the Embassy is the one you have to convince that the relationship is bonified...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-12-31 13:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Filled for I-130 . Wondering about some stuff . Plz enter(k3-cr1)	So after joining yesterday, we have an EXPERT... So no need for our extensive knowledge and experience answering questions... Casa embassy is a difficult embassy... Be prepared. Te wait time has nothing to do with criminal backgrounds, never been married etc... The wait time is your file sitting in a box until someone gets to it to physically look at it and see that you meet all the criteria (4-8 months)! Then, it gets mailed to the embassy (which can take 2-8 weeks),mthe embassy gets it and you get scheduled for an interview (2-10 weeks)... So it does not matter what your "friend" case happened, be prepared with your patience if things don't "happen" like they did for your "friend" maybe you get lucky... Maybe not... But having an attitude that you know better because of one "friends" experience is not a way to get help on this forum. There are 500 "friends" here on VJ that have filed for CR1 visas this year that can tell you a different experience.	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-12-31 11:53:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Rapidvisa.com	Better to have control over the process yourself (unless you have a complicated case, waivers etc..) you will do all the work anyway using a lawyer as you are the only one that can provide them the info... Use the guides here on VJ ... Hassles and worry are a part of the immigration process, no way to avoid... But you will worry less and better piece of mind having control of process...	christeen	Female	Italy	2013-12-31 17:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Inhumane	Perhaps... I just don't think raging at anyone who posts and flinging negativity and putting yourself through the wringer is a constructive way to deal with the stress of seperation. Not sure what you want to hear at this point? I tried to give you a different perspective and you jumped down my throat, people gave ideas about preparing g the house and other ways to use the time and you shouted them down too. So One or two people were Insensitive in their comments, no reason to go off the deep end. There HAS to be a better way to deal with the stress of seperation and all this negative energy cannot be good for the rest of the family as kids are sensetive to these things. Bottom line, immigration is a difficult and long process... It is not a right, it is a privilege... It is a slow and cumbersome system that is flawed and no amount of screaming or fighting will make it move faster for the people now reading this... To try to make a difference for future filers, ok, but for those now in the system, it is what it is. Keep the communication with your loved ones open, work extra to save money, organize the house, pack items, keep the kids happy and busy, these are all tangible things that people can do to help,pass the time. Hopefully, for most others reading this, I have faith that the painful memories fade once they are together... Good luck to all, hope the separations are short and you are all soon together... OUT	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-02-03 17:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Inhumane	One thing I will say, once you are reunited and living together, the memory of all the separation and the stress fades away... So it gets more difficult to relate (even though in actuality, we all went through the stresses of this process) Like childbirth, you remember it hurt, but difficult to imagine all the pain and discomfort once you have the one you love... I suppose that is why people who went through the process a while ago can sometimes come off as callous. I like to think that in this way, it is a positive that someday, you too will distantly remember your seperation and it will seem like a short blip in your life... Spend this time getting your home, life and personal stuff in order as th vs get crazy and difficult once they arrive...	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-02-03 16:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Inhumane	This forced separation is why I believe that the loophole that people can adjust status from a tourist visa should be eliminated completely! If there is NO chance to stay and adjust, the consulates could be more lenient regarding tourist visa's to spouse/family to at least visit... But since they currently can just "decide on a whim to marry or stay and adjust.. Wink wink" the consulates have to view every person with a tourist visa as an immigrant risk... Thus, less visa's issued. Why not make a visa catagory just for family members with immigrant applications? And put in the specific caveat than cannot adjust status no matter what! It does nothing to address the wait times, but it will at least help alleviate some of the separation pain...	christeen	Female	Italy	2014-01-06 11:45:00