ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaVancouver - When do you get your Visa
QUOTE (Bernie and Gary @ Dec 2 2007, 09:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I managed to change my interview to December 13th, in order to accommodate the medical on the Wednesday (Dec 12th). My interview on the 13th is at 1:00 PM. When do you get the visa? I'd like to fly out of Vancouver that evening or the morning of the 14th.

THanks again everyone!


Back in February C. had a mid-morning appointment and received the visa in early mid-afternoon, and flew back to Edmonton that evening. He was even able to snag an earlier flight than he had planned due to the amount of flights between Vancouver and Edmonton daily.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-02 10:18:00
CanadaFlying to US -- border tips please
C. flew down last Christmas while the K-1 was pending. No problems at all. He was never asked about proof of ties or anything like that.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-03 16:38:00
Canadaany other accepted docs to travel to canada?
Are you traveling by car or plane? Getting back in all you need is the green card, but the worry is that they wouldn't let you across (or board the plane, really) with an expired passport.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-07 13:35:00
CanadaKaren Cee
Congrats to Karen on moving into the new house!
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-11 09:49:00
CanadaAny of you planning to immigrate back to Canada someday?
We've talked about it. C. wants to retire to Canada as he'll be inheriting land there, and I wouldn't mind moving there sooner. But we've agreed to follow my career for a bit, and NOTHING happens until he gets citizenship because I am not putting up with US immigration more than necessary.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-04 17:27:00
CanadaCrossing the Border while Visa App Pending
QUOTE (djc @ Dec 11 2007, 04:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (zyggy @ Dec 6 2007, 05:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
However, after Jan 31, no documents.. no entry... period...


Hey Zyggy? So what if you go to Canada and get robbed of all your stuff, ID and all.... how would you get back home?


You'd follow the procedure like anyone would when in, say, the UK: go to the embassy and make it their problem.

C. flew down here last holiday season with no problems; I got the impression that they're really not picky over Christmas.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-11 21:27:00
CanadaHow did you get by w/o working?
QUOTE (HannahP @ Dec 12 2007, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
How are you intending to meet the 125% above poverty requirements to get his visa in the first place? smile.gif


Meeting the 125% above poverty requirements just means having a sponsor willing to sign a form. It doesn't say anything about your daily living expenses, which might come out of your own pocket.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-12 20:45:00
CanadaHow did you get by w/o working?
We had grand plans for C. to save up about $12,000 prior to his move down here. Due to some scheduling shenanigans with work, that ended up being about $2,000, but we lucked into being able to procure an EAD stamp so he was able to get in about two months' worth of work. We were lucky; his employer was going international just as we were moving down here, and it's not the sort of thing I'd recommend.

Of course, having to wait for the AOS-EAD meant that the schedule went ahead without him, and now they're shutting down work for Christmas, and we're now living on my grad student stipend until January. It's a little stressful because being married has essentially doubled my expenses with no income (doubled rent, as I split it before, health insurance for him, parking, car insurance, extra food.) We're making ends meet without going into debt, but we have almost no discretionary spending.

I would recommend having at least the $1010 in hand to file for AOS right away, but figure on four-six months of unemployment at a minimum for him. If he has a job now, have him start socking away as much as he can because between moving, putting a household together, &c, your 'burn rate' will be high for a few months.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-12 15:20:00
CanadaOff topic: need assistance with thermostat
http://images.google...G=Search Images

Here's a lot of pictures of Honeywell thermostats. Maybe one of them is yours?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-11 23:46:00
CanadaOff topic: need assistance with thermostat
Hrm. I'm going to be of no help then. (We have old fashioned radiators.)
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-11 22:33:00
CanadaOff topic: need assistance with thermostat
What's the name of the model?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-11 22:27:00
CanadaPeople who got married in Canada..
I'd put down whatever your residence is, whether it's in Canada or in the U.S. Immigration won't care about that (suppose you'd married years and years ago and were now just deciding to immigrate.) because they need separate proof of U.S. domicile anyway.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-13 10:46:00
CanadaCo-Sponsor Question
Hmm. You could work and go to school part-time, but the problem with that is that immigration can take so long that you'd be putting your education on hold in a way that wasn't predictable. It took us over a year from K-1 filing to green card in hand, and we had a very easy journey. Personally, that wouldn't be something I'd be comfortable doing.

What does he do? Could he find work in your area and get a work visa to come down?

You have a few separate problems here:
1) How to get through the immigration hoops that require you to show an income.
2) How to survive the first few months until he can find work.

The two problems can have separate solutions. You can solve 2) through a combination of savings, housing arrangments, budgeting, etc. And 1) could be solved with a co-sponsor if you get one. I would start by reading the FAQs here, and learning as much about the affadavit of support as you can, because people aren't always clear what it means.

Would you consider moving to Canada? You could finish your education up there, maybe?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-14 12:47:00
CanadaCo-Sponsor Question
QUOTE (MichelleMcK @ Dec 13 2007, 08:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So I am a university student, and only work part-time, so I need a co-sponsor for my fiance's visa.

So I asked my sister (who is an attorney) and sent her the forms today. She has been screwed over financially by co-signing for a good friend in the past, so she has chosen to say no to my request. My parents are also wary because they also have co-signed for someone...

It's not that my family doesn't trust me, they just don't like the situation that they would put themselves into... I feel no support from my family.

Is there any way around getting a co-signer? Has anyone else had a problem similar to mine?

I need helpsmilie.gif



How close are you to finishing your degree and landing a job? I ask because the I-134, which you'd need for the visa, are *not* legally binding. They're an administrative requirement that the consulate uses to assess whether you'll be able to adjust status successfully.

As it turned out, we didn't need it, but my dad was willing to co-sponsor for the I-134 but not for the green card (which is legally binding.) And in that time I landed a second job that made it certain I wouldn't need a sponsor.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-14 10:38:00
CanadaPeep toe pumps - what kind of nylons?
QUOTE (Alex+R @ Dec 15 2007, 12:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (cate @ Dec 15 2007, 12:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
hi lovelies,

i couldn't resist replying... i may be a visa rookie, but i know fashion. toes showing means nothing over them... get a pedi + flash those darling little piggies!

nylons are a bit outdated... unless it's for work. no one wears them to dress-up events anymore. if you must wear them, just make sure they match your skin - no awful orange/brown/shimmery legs for you, gorgeous!

xo


TG someone said that. I think it's totally cute now to wear tights or black opaque tights even, but if you're in Virginia, that might look strange. For my .02, wearing nylons with peep-toes is like wearing socks under sandals. It broke my heart going to a cocktail party last night in black heels when my heart was calling out to some purple peep-toes, but it seemed so silly to wear them in December. Maybe not in Virginia though.
Just as long as someone gets everyone on Earth to stop wearing skin-color nylons.


I agree with the bit about flesh-colored nylons. I don't look down on anyone for wearing them, but good lord they're the stupidest piece of fashion ever, and that's a long list of contenders. Do they add warmth? No. Do they add modesty? No, as they're sheer. Can you imagine the meeting on this? "Okay, bare legs are declasse, but wearing a sheer bit of fabric over bare legs that makes them look bare is the height of formality." It makes neckties look reasonable.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-16 14:50:00
CanadaPeep toe pumps - what kind of nylons?
A friend of mine wore peep-toes to a wedding and had special nylons that stopped just before the toes, except for a thin thong to keep it in place. So the effect was bare toes, but her legs had nylons on them. My solution, at the same wedding, was just to forgo nylons. I think you'd be okay with either option (we were in Philly in December.)
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-13 11:45:00
CanadaHelp a confused girl out!
I think you can work if you can show that you're work authorized (which the green card does) and that you have applied for the social security number and that it will arrive in a certain number of days.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-17 19:07:00
CanadaCar insurance
QUOTE (Len_and_Bren @ Dec 17 2007, 01:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Caladan @ Dec 17 2007, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
By 'don't drive' do you mean 'choose not to, but licensed' or 'not licensed?' If you're a licensed driver and in the household, most states require that you be added to the policy. Before C. got a CT license, though, I added him to the policy as a 'spouse', so his name was on it even though he wasn't covered by it directly at that point. So you can probably get your name on it either way.

We went through GEICO. Their policy is for six months, with the option to pay it every two (it's more expensive that way.)


Nope- hate driving so I don't have a license.
Cool- I'll check out GEICO as well.


We found that we got a very good price through them (about $400 per annum, total) due to the fact that our car is paid off and that we took out the bare minimum insurance, and we only own the one. Given that Connecticut is about the craziest state in the nation in terms of insurance, we're pleased.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-17 16:20:00
CanadaCar insurance
By 'don't drive' do you mean 'choose not to, but licensed' or 'not licensed?' If you're a licensed driver and in the household, most states require that you be added to the policy. Before C. got a CT license, though, I added him to the policy as a 'spouse', so his name was on it even though he wasn't covered by it directly at that point. So you can probably get your name on it either way.

We went through GEICO. Their policy is for six months, with the option to pay it every two (it's more expensive that way.)
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-17 13:55:00
CanadaDrivers licence
QUOTE (Krikit @ Dec 19 2007, 07:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Caladan @ Dec 18 2007, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
CT requires a marriage license and AOS receipt (or at least they did for us. I think Hamden makes up its own rules.) before they will issue a license. Once they do, however, you get the standard six year license with no restrictions, and you are able to keep your Canadian license.

Yeah.... I just don't get the States that take your out-of-country license. They have no authority to confiscate an official document issued by another country. That's along the same vein as taking your Canadian passport when you become a US citizen.


I think their logic is that they're treating Canada like the 51st state, and you can't have two state licenses. But it's a little screwy.

I made it sound a lot easier. First they said "oh, we just need your marriage license." Then they said, "oh, but your I-94 has expires so you're not here legally, so we need the receipt that you've filed."
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-19 14:14:00
CanadaDrivers licence
CT requires a marriage license and AOS receipt (or at least they did for us. I think Hamden makes up its own rules.) before they will issue a license. Once they do, however, you get the standard six year license with no restrictions, and you are able to keep your Canadian license.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-18 17:04:00
CanadaThe in-laws from heck
QUOTE (meow mix @ Nov 27 2007, 08:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Delicia @ Nov 26 2007, 08:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I just spent a good portion of my 5 days in Canada with my in-laws. Then, first she tells me in her very broken English (and partly translated by my husband for my benefit, "You in Arizona now, now you learn espanish." (Yep, espanish). I said "You're in Canada for 15 years, you learn English." I am annoyed by that whole never learning the language thing and making your eldest child translate every single piece of mail and call and make doctor appointments and every-other-normal-day-to-day-function-that-requires-a-person-to-communicate-with-someone-outside-the-family things. I couldn't resist. My husband just gave me a look and changed the subject.

I cooked a big quasi-Thanksgiving dinner for everyone on Saturday and while we were eating, she started going on (best I could understand anyway) about how when my husband moves to the U.S. we can just take his little brother (still in High School) and he can go to school and live with us while so she and her husband can move back to Chile. We tried to explain about the BIL needing sponsorship and how I (the USC) couldn't sponsor a BIL and having to wait for hubby's citizenship before we could do much, and she just said, 'no, he go with you now!' and she practically has the BIL all packed and ready.

My only response equates to: "....."


She sounds like a nightmare BUT BUT BUT - I wouldn't really make fun of the 'espanish' - my husband says things like that too, because no word in Spanish can start with an /s/ blend at the beginning of a word it is preceded by an /e/. She should learn English, but an accent is an accent is an accent. Husband has been speaking English for a good while and that's one thing he can't shake because it's not natural for him to have an /s/ blend at the beginning of a word without the vowel helping it out.

On that token (and how did I end up in the Canada forum?), I get annoyed when I see little kids having to translate everything for their parents, which turns into a life long battle for them. My MIL doesn't speak English (and is going back to Peru soon) but she never had to work or do much of anything that required it. She does try, but at 60 years old it's a little harder than it would have been at 20 or even 40. And she hasn't been in an English speaking country for 15 years either...only 5 and rarely has to use English where we live.


An old roommate has a great story of travelling in Central America, and having a cab driver, excited to learn that she was American, talk about his favorite musician, "Esnoop Dogg."
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-27 11:53:00
CanadaPost Holiday Blues
QUOTE (Modano @ Jan 2 2008, 02:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I am a complainer I know, but I am having a serious hard time this time around after coming back from Calgary to Chicago. I have been in the US for a little under 3 years now and I still have a hard time. I think it's worse now though since we moved from a small town in NE to a huge Megatropolis! blink.gif Just when I was finally getting used to the little town life, getting a great job and building really great friendships we move. So once again I'm friendless, jobless and now home from holiday traveling and it's setting in that it kinda sucks here! tongue.gif

Does anyone else feel this way sometimes or am I just a whiney today? unsure.gif


I think what you're going through is entirely to be expected given all the changes you've been through! Hoping things look up for you soon; Chicago's a pretty awesome town.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-01-02 17:22:00
CanadaAny recent EADs at the Windsor / Detroit POE?
QUOTE (Earmuffs @ Sep 13 2007, 03:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
just called grand portage Minnesota and the lady said they can do it..


im gonna call and double and maybe even triple check.


FYI when we crossed in May Grand Portage was one of the places that insisted to me that they never get the stamp. Not to discourage you, just make sure you get the name of whomever you ask. smile.gif
CaladanMaleCanada2007-09-14 16:58:00
CanadaWhat the heck did they do to the Heinz Ketchup???
QUOTE (~Laura and Nick~ @ Dec 17 2007, 12:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
U.S.: High Fructose Corn Syrup unsure.gif

This is the culprit. It makes everything taste CRAPPY!


Yup.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-17 12:26:00
Canadato tell or not to tell ?
I would tell her, assuming I had proof, and prepare to lose the friendship.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-01-05 12:49:00
CanadaTaxes! Taxes!
TurboTax can handle foreign income? Awesome. (Always used an accountant or did it myself just with the forms.)
CaladanMaleCanada2008-01-27 14:44:00
CanadaTaxes! Taxes!
So, I figure there's a few Canadian-American newbies going through filing for the first time as married, with income in both countries, and I can't be the only one that finds the IRS more confusing than immigration.

So here's an open thread where we can collect experiences. I'll start off with a couple questions:

U.S. Taxes:
1) C. has to file U.S. taxes, obviously. He has income earned in Canada before he moved down here, and income earned in the U.S. since he moved down here. Do we count his income earned in Canada as part of his adjusted gross income? If so, what do we do about the exchange rate?

Canadian Taxes:
2) This is sort of dumb, but now that we will file as married, will my income earned here count as income for him on the Canadian tax forms?

Any suggestions on software or forms or a link to a walkthrough would be much appreciated. I've read through the threads here, and am desperately in need of the process being explained in simple English.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-01-27 14:15:00
CanadaUpdate on Credit
We applied through Bank of America for a low-limit card, and it seems to be working out pretty well.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-09 09:59:00
CanadaA Question for the Canadians: Do you plan to become a citizen?
You don't have to give up Canadian citizenship. But you do, if I understand it correctly, give up your rights to use your Canadian citizenship to be treated as a Canadian citizen by the U.S. government. (I can't think of many ordinary circumstances where this would come up.)

Our intention now is for C. to get his citizenship mostly so it reduces the number of immigration agencies that can potentially be on our case to 1. smile.gif
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-10 22:09:00
CanadaAfter reading this..
QUOTE (Len_and_Bren @ Feb 10 2008, 10:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Caladan @ Feb 10 2008, 09:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
According to the NYT, her visa was revoked and she's not permitted to attend. Is this correct, or has something changed?


Apparently she will not show. Good.- Go back and overdose already skanky.
Case closed.... now can Ron/Sharon plzzzz have his visa???????????? We luv him wub.gif


Seriously. Our government needs to pull the bug out of its butt and get him the visa. I can see needing to rubberstamp a waiver but not it taking a year for someone to look at it.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-10 22:11:00
CanadaAfter reading this..
According to the NYT, her visa was revoked and she's not permitted to attend. Is this correct, or has something changed?
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-10 22:03:00
CanadaAfter reading this..
There's a difference between a presumption of immigrant intent (applies to everyone) and the rights accorded by a visa class, is all I'm saying. And the only reason I brought up the visa class is you often see people whining about say, derivative spousal visa off of H1-Bs or J-1s, and the reason they're subject to a different process is that they don't incur the same benefits.

No ticket to permanent residency. No right to work. No long stay permitted. That's why Winehouse can get in. She's not on a path to permanent residency and is not likely to immigrate. Ron is.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-10 20:40:00
CanadaAfter reading this..
If they assumed all visitors were immigrating, none would be let in. The burden of proof is on the visitor, but that's not the same thing. smile.gif

In any case, Ron needs to record a song, perhaps a blues album. VJ will buy it, and then we will get him in on a celebrity award visa.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-10 20:02:00
CanadaAfter reading this..
QUOTE (kcmetzy @ Feb 9 2008, 08:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I guess I should explain why this bothers me so much. Good people like Ron/Sharon get denied their visa because of something (minor in my opinion) that happened 27 years ago!! The waiver for that could take up to 18 months.

Amy Winehouse is open about her drug addictions, currently using drugs, in and out of rehab, has videos on youtube smoking crack, sings songs about drugs, and HER visa denial is overturned in 48 hours!!

I have a serious problem with that.


More relevantly, though, is that Winehouse isn't trying to immigrate (as Ron is.) Not that I don't think that Ron's situation is ridiculous, but it's important to keep the visa classes separate. Hers doesn't lead to permanent residency. A lot of leniency can be given if you're only allowed in for a short period of time.

That said, boo on celebrity privileges.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-10 19:57:00
CanadaIllegal Immigrant - He's Canadian!
What I thought was interesting in the article is that no one's screaming about him because he's not Hispanic. And that they're seeing that while he's illegal, he hasn't been a drain on public resources. I think the guy's an ####### for flaunting his flouting of the law, but I can't see this article being written in the same tone if he were from Mexico.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-21 15:21:00
CanadaOk, here's what's going on
Jesus, Len. Was the tech high? Glad to hear everything is shipshape.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-25 22:11:00
CanadaWill my ignorance be deemed immigration fraud?
What did the form say?

The guy in the article is a different case. When they married, that wasn't the problem. It was when they used the K-1 visa that essentially she used a visa on false pretenses. You haven't done that. Getting married and leaving the U.S. is permissible.

So it all depends on what was on the form. If it's as you've said, that they simply denied her entry, it shouldn't be a problem just like the lawyer said. But it does depend on what they wrote down on the form.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-02-28 10:53:00
CanadaCanadians and AOS Interviews
QUOTE (jenmac75 @ Mar 5 2008, 11:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi all,

We just filed for AOS yesterday so I've been back to obsessively reading VJ after a couple of months off after all of the waiting for our K1 before Christmas.

So I've noticed that many Canadians' AOS cases get transferred to the CSC and they get their Green Cards approved without having to go through the interview process. Just wondering if this has been the experience to most of the Canucks who have filed?

Just curious...


There's a memo rebeccajo posted a while back that explains that the reason for being transferred to CSC is a backlog at your interviewing office. My unscientific way of guessing was to look up my office (Hartford) on the USCIS site and see what their times were. "6 months" is usual. Hartford was around 9 months, and we were transferred to CSC and approved without an interview.

But at least according to VJ stats, the initial transfer doesn't seem to have much to do with country of origin.
CaladanMaleCanada2008-03-05 23:32:00
CanadaTax Question
Alright, now I entered it under 'Other Wages', and took the exclusion, but now it dropped our expected refund. How does adding it in and excluding it make us get less money?
CaladanMaleCanada2008-03-08 20:50:00