Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Interview in 5 days, need medical info please	Uh.. yeah, u shoulda got a sealed envelope that said US Consulate on it as well.... very strange..	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-11 06:30:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	POE... in canada or in states?	YAY!! This was the answer I was looking for!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-15 01:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	POE... in canada or in states?	Hi all, need some help with what its probably a retarded question. When I used to fly to visit my hubby, I would go through american customs at the departure airport in canada (IE:calgary). Now travelling with my immigrant visa.. will my POE be at that customs area? Or at my layover in denver.. I just want to give myself enough time if its at the layover point. Thank you! Coralie	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-14 14:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NVC complete our case on February 12	Congrats!! Now for the freaking out/no sleep part of the process	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-15 17:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	send passports??	Well, how do they send my visa back to me after the approval? Or is this a way to waste more of my time and money.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-15 14:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	send passports??	Ok, so I was told to get my Daughters CRBA and send my mother in laws 08 tax info (she is our joint sponsor). Do I send my passport with it? (this was at my IR-1 visa interview in MTL) Thank you! Coralie Edited by coraliesolms, 15 February 2010 - 02:11 AM.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-15 02:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IR1 interview, does the US citizen needs to be present?	Addendum, after some PM'ing: Mothers of 2-year-olds deserve Olympic medals, si man. LOL, Ill second that TBone!!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-16 03:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IR1 interview, does the US citizen needs to be present?	Mine has taken 3 years, I dont remember the dates as I have had to raise our 2 year old mostly by myself on top of working and such. Unfortunately we gave immigration attorneys our money that they ran off with, leaving us in the dark on most of this. My husband cannot come to canada to visit because of previous DUI charges, and my B1/B2 got cancelled when I told them I was married at the border. DONT tell me I havent been in a hellhole. This last 3 years of STRUGGLING and penny pinching, and not having a second parent there with me raising our child HAS been a hellhole!!!!!! Get off your damned almighty pedestal, and DONT make assumptions about people before you know the Damned facts. JERK. But if you want your timeline, here it is as best as I can recall. Married 4 July 2006 Sent I-130 January 2007 Entire file sent back from USCIS as Attn spelt canada wrong and listed my husband as my son Refiled in April 2007 Daughter born May 2007 (husband could not be there, was alone in a hospital room) First NOA June 2007 It pretty much gets fuzzy from there, husband moved from NV to MO, went to pick up file from attn. Office empty, no forwarding address or telephone number. Contacted NVC only to be told we would now have to make a formal petition to remove the attorneys from our file. 2 months later back on track. July 2008 first attempt at getting police clearance from South Africa, 4 months of frustration and money later, we received that. November 2008, told Husbands affidavit of support was filled out incorrectly, sent in new one. January 2009 told husband and now filled in incorrect form, filled in correct form and sent it back. march to june 2009 hubby and I had enough of this and were talking divorce, as emotional/financial strain was becoming too much. June 2009 back on track FINALLY case sent to MTL in sept 2009. January 11, 2010, recieved our interview date January 20th - medical Feb 8th- interview, told they could not issue me a visa until daughter has CRBA (contrary to what MO border patrol had told me) NOW we have to wait for these retarded olympics to be over, as Vancouver consulate is closed until march 1st, at which point I cant get her CRBA, 2 weeks later I send that to Montreal, and sit tight and panic for 2-4 weeks until either I get my visa or get denied anyway and put a goddamned bullet in my head. THATS MY TIMELINE!!!! Dont tell me this hasnt been a hellhole. I may not be dealing with difficult consulates, but because I am a south african citizen living in Canada, it has place a lot of extra time and legwork and money onto this. Ive had to jump through all their hoops and walk on water it seems. So Tbone, the next time you presume that someone hasnt dealt with a hellish situation... perhaps you should think before you say anything.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-15 14:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IR1 interview, does the US citizen needs to be present?	Mine has taken 3 years, I dont remember the dates as I have had to raise our 2 year old mostly by myself on top of working and such. Unfortunately we gave immigration attorneys our money that they ran off with, leaving us in the dark on most of this. My husband cannot come to canada to visit because of previous DUI charges, and my B1/B2 got cancelled when I told them I was married at the border. DONT tell me I havent been in a hellhole. This last 3 years of STRUGGLING and penny pinching, and not having a second parent there with me raising our child HAS been a hellhole!!!!!! Get off your damned almighty pedestal, and DONT make assumptions about people before you know the Damned facts. JERK. Edited by coraliesolms, 15 February 2010 - 01:33 PM.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-15 13:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IR1 interview, does the US citizen needs to be present?	And thats fine and well, your knowledge on the matter is greatly appreciated im sure. My problem is the manner in which you deliver it. Telling people to shut the F up somewhat detracts from that though. A simple "Ive been there and done that, and this is the information I have" would have sufficed.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-15 01:44:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IR1 interview, does the US citizen needs to be present?	Well holy moley... I bow to your greatness... perhaps an adjustment of attitude would be nice? All of us are just trying to be helpful and supportive, to tell people to shut the f up, is quite uneccessary..	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-14 13:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IR1 interview, does the US citizen needs to be present?	As has been stated previously, the US spouse is not required at the interview, it does help. My hubby couldnt make it to ours, and I would really have preferred having him there to hold my hand/ hold my hair while I threw up THE STRESS IS KILLER!!! But you really arent required to be there.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-12 16:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR1 to IR1	Thank you for correcting my assumptions!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-21 04:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR1 to IR1	It's possible, but you have to talk with a CBP officer at the POE when you make the jump. Be prepared to show the marriage certificate , then if they are still confused, ask them to open the sealed envelope and review the paperwork inside, checking the marriage date against the Interview Date. It can be done, but be prepared to pulled aside, perhaps even put into secondary inspection, and talk with a big boss there. This will add time to your POE, but IMO, it's worth it. Congrats on getting the Visa - This would be a GREAT TIME to fill out yer timeline over at http://www.visajourn...le.php?id=79097 Is it possible that they purposely gave her a conditional GC?? Please dont take it personally, because I mean it very GENERALLY, but could a consular officer give a CR1 if he feels maybe the marriage isnt a BONAFIDE I love you you love me marriage?? AGAIN I mean this as a GENERAL question, not a personal question with regards to the original poster.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-21 00:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NVC schedule interview?	My case was finished in september, and i only just had my interview on the 8th of feb... I know thats frustrating to hear... but dont start packing just yet	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-10 02:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Frustrated with the whole process	Sure makes running for the border and jumping the fence sound like a good idea...If only I wasnt such a wuss...	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-25 11:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Name changing	I kept my maiden name because applying for a new SA passport was going to take too long.. it didnt affect my interview at all Havent gotten to the POE part yet, but you can change all that when you get to the states Im sure.. Good luck on your visa journey!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-26 03:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Visiting US on a B2 visa while awaiting I-130	I had a B1/B2 and they cancelled it when I went to go and visit my hubby in the states... it was a long ordeal in the mystic "back room" at the border, I wouldnt risk it.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-02-14 13:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Question to women who got their vaccines for their visas.	Your baby should be fine. If anything, he/she would have minor immunity to the virus for about 6 months after birth. Its not recommended, but the stats on it being harmful are minimal. Enjoy your little bambino!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-21 19:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Immigration Attroneys	Well I have an attorney horror story. We went through ICS (John Lee Carrico) in Las Vegas... they took our $3600 and filed the I-130 and ended up spelling canada wrong on it AND put my husband down as my son..every bit of filing was a hassle, it took 2 years just to finally ALMOST get to the NVC... then right as we were getting to that phase, my husband moved to a different state, went to go and pick our file up from their offices, and BOOM they had vanished. No forewarding address on the door, the phone number we had for them was disconnected. I googled them the other day and saw they are back up and running, called to see if we could get our money back. And happily for them, it turns out that in order to continue without them we had to write a letter to the NVC to say that we had "fired" our attorneys. This letter technically let them off. So that was $3600 down the drain, never to be seen again. We are now 3 and a half years into this process, and FINALLY Im waiting for my visa from montreal...... DO IT YOURSELF!! And if you need an immigration attorney.. STAY AWAY FROM JOHN LEE CARRICO!!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-21 01:36:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Additional information	Since this was asked for by the consulate, not NVC, I might suggest you try the regional forum or embassy reviews to get consulate specific info for S. Africa... others from that area might have more insight.... good luck Im a canadian permanent resident... my interview was in MTL, Ill try the Canada forums. Thanks	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-22 00:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Additional information	Anybody? Surely I'm not the only soul who was asked for more stuff at their interview...	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-21 19:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Additional information	I had my interview on Feb 8th in Mtl for IR-1... The CO requested my daughters CRBA and our co-sponsors 2008 taxes. I have it all together and sent it on friday. I would just like some feedback on how long it took everyone to get their visa's after a request for additional info. And if it is worth my time to contact a congressman in 2 weeks to check into the file? Thanks for your answers in advance (3 years and counting now on this visa... hopefully it ends soon!!)	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-21 15:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Anybody else using an attorney?	I wish we'd never hired one...ours ran off into the sunset with our $2600 leaving us with a nightmare of paperwork to sort out, as well as letters and affidavits to send to the NVC as to why we no longer had attorneys and why we had to continue with the paperwork ourselves.. I hope yours is a good, honest and caring attorney.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-21 19:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Do they ask about co sponser at the interview	They asked what mine did for a living, and if she was still employed Other than that, no, no 20 questions about co-sponsor. PS.. GOOD LUCK Edited by coraliesolms, 28 March 2010 - 06:58 PM.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-28 18:57:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NVC after OPTIN via EMAIL	hi, this weird question just pop up in my mind: I have successfully OPTIN'd to NVC electronic process by the time of sending my DS-3032 form, and later I sent the DS-230 package via email as well. My wife, though, who's the petitioner and needs to send in her I-864, the question is, could she still mail it the old fashion way ? Or Does she needs to send it in via email for electronic processing ? Thanks. Hmmm, we did EP, and I believe once you OPTIN everything has to be electronic.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-28 22:35:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	IR-1 Interview soon	Just to add to that, if you have a co-sponsor, they might ask about that person.. what they do for a living, their relation to you...etc.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-30 00:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR-1 Visa and Background Checks	Absolutely, my husbands whole sordid past showed up (even if he was just arrested and the charges were dropped it still showed up). They asked me about it to make sure I knew, and thats about it though. It doesnt really impact the visa, they just want to make sure the beneficiary knows what their spouse is all about.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-03-30 21:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	RFE ON MY BIRTHDAY!	Thats why I had vonage with a US dialing code Even though Im in canada I can call US 1-800 numbers The only thing that sucks about it.. is I cant call canadian 1-800 numbers Happy birthday though!!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-02 11:46:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	NOA 2 confusion?	Mine was one of the first EP eligible cases in Canada, and I can safely say it was the most frustrating thing ever!!! Nobody knew what was going on, where anything was, or what button to push. I'm to understand theyve ironed out the bugs now, but sheesh, it was draining to deal with. A donkey cart would have been faster!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-02 13:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Interview in 12 hours	Crossing my fingers for you!!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-03 14:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	confused about the IV bill....	And then you have to factor in travel costs for the interview... etc. Start saving those dollars	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-04 13:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Coming to US while CR-1 still pending	Technically, yes, its possible. Make sure she has the most up to date paperwork with regards to the CR-1 (like the NOA 2). She will need to demonstrate strong ties to her home country as well (Job, house, lease, car, family etc). Anything that shows she cant just up and leave and not come back. If she answers their questions confidently, and demonstrates that she is knowledgable about the visa (immigration) process, then there shouldnt be any problem. Keep in mind though. It is never guarenteed. If the border officer for some reason feels like she is going to abandon her immigration and stay illegally, then it will be a no go. Also, having a return ticket helps, to show that she intends to go back. Hope that helps!! Edited by coraliesolms, 10 April 2010 - 03:17 PM.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-10 15:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Possible visa fraud... what now?	Ok, to clear this up. I went to the states on my visitors B1/B2. I got married a week after I got there. Left the USA 179 days later (I had a 180 day stay stamped in my passport). We applied for the CR-1 and I just had my interview in February.. It NEVER even came up!!! Its normal, people do it all the time. To the OP... dont panic, dont even fret about it.	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-10 15:22:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Possible visa fraud... what now?	Rest easy, there is no problem there. There might be some questions about your relationship (so the consul can see that its on-going and what not). But getting married in the US is perfectly legal, she came back and u guys filed the CR-1... Good luck with your interview!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-09 22:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	AOS issued by main petitioner not approved	What the NVC is doing is actually a bit of a favour. They dont think you make enough, and instead of not saying anything at letting you find out at your interview, they are just giving you a "heads-up". As the letter states its ultimately up to the consular official doing the interview. You might want your non-us spouse to take an affidavit from a joint sponsor to the interview. That way, if the person doing her interview doesnt think you make enough, she can hand over the joint sponsors affidavit (make sure you include the last 3 years of tax transcripts with it). Good luck with your immigration process!!	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-17 11:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Correspondence instructions	It is the letter that they sent to you with your interview date and time on it	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-05-04 09:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I've been a bad girl!!!	I must apologise to the OP for my friend here.. Im sure they just gave her her visa to get her across the border and out of their hair	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-04 02:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I've been a bad girl!!!	just making sure I wasn't seeing double!!!! Put the glass of wine down Zansgirl....	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-04 01:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	I've been a bad girl!!!	why is this posted twice? Why are u replying twice??	coraliesolms	Female	South Africa	2010-04-04 01:55:00