ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaDid you have to go through ROC?
Removal of Conditions as Inky said has nothing to do with any country. It has to do with the fact that you get a conditional green card, conditional due to the fact your spouse signed forms stating he is respsnsible for you. you want to remove those conditions, which usually requires you to both file "jointly".

Then you get your 10 year green card and can file for nauturaliztion if you want or just keep renewing yoru PR card every 10 years.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-14 15:25:00
CanadaPolice Certificates??

For the visa interview in Montreal, under List of Documents sections it states "police certificates from all places lived since age 16." Our question is, are all of the police certificates required or is the one police certificate from where I live now sufficient? Thank you all very much!!



AS long as you never lived outside of Canada your fine. Just make sure the national criminal database is searched and it states that.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-14 15:29:00
Canadaomg i can't believe it!!
Ok so attempt #2 at buying a house is a bust.


Guess we are stuck with inlaws a bit more. Long story short, they would not give us the time to get an fha loan and close the sale,their addendums for an ROE were insane and not changeable in the attorney review period, AND a big thank you to Bank of America for fireing my 2nd loan officer. Did i mention i HATE repeating myself? :P


Suivant Next!
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-14 15:35:00
Canadaomg i can't believe it!!

Hang in there and offer what you can. Everyone wants you to think there's a bidding war on their house, but people fall off for various reasons. Even when people win the bidding war, their financing can fall through. You never know!



i'd like to believe that but its an REO..a fannie mae owned home. from what i'm told this is normal..just like any of the hud homes they go through electronic auctions as well. which is weird cuz HUD homes are FHA mortgages that defaulted.. Chicago has soo many bloody homes in default, empty boarded up etc. you would think they would want to sell them..espeically to people who can afford them..but pitting people against one another like this..its not right. i'm not a dog figting over a freaking meat bone. and this is how they are making us feel we should have been given the home the first time around when it was a short sale, instead of making us go through these roller coaster rides.


Its very unfair the sytem here.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-23 13:17:00
Canadaomg i can't believe it!!
remind me not to get excited about a house even if it seems a sure thing. apparently this is not subject to the first look thing from fannie mae, which is a time period for normal joe blue purchasers like me to bid and buy the house without competition.



we just got an email saying there are multiple offers and the website it lists is one that investors use. and they want a bidding war now. sooo it seems..we got screwed yet again...i guess well stay with the inlaws til davids credit loan is paid off and try again in 6 months or so...i'm gonna go cry in a corner now.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-22 17:54:00
Canadaomg i can't believe it!!
Fannie Mae it seems now owns the home, and they are offering to pay our closing costs if we close by Oct 31st. :) So the house is 8k cheaper than the last list price, i dont have to pay tax stamps etc this time, or closing costs..but i do have to buy appliances..all in all..i still save money! Should find out Friday for sure if its all a go with Fannie Mae. Keeping my fingers crossed!
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-21 08:25:00
Canadaomg i can't believe it!!

Yeah!!! I can't wait until we can afford to buy a house and get out of this tiny apartment. With a baby and 2 dogs, it is just too little :(

And BTW...I saw your post in the vent thread first and was thinking...OMG they are expecting....LOL!



LOL no not expecting yet..i wish..although once we finally get settled and the stress goes away maybe then finally we can add a little addition to the family. But stress totally reaks havoc with my body. and ever since sept 08, immigration to now no bloody wonder i can't get pregnant!!.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-17 15:06:00
Canadaomg i can't believe it!!
My husband was laughing and making jokes on the ride home today as its been so long since he saw me laugh blush etc. :) we ended up signing the offer today, all the apperwork has been sent out just gotta wait for the fha appraisal and loan to go through.


Its been 6 months since we saw the house originally and it has gotten dirtier since then (if that is even possible). But aside from some good old cleaning minor repairs (drywall holes door holes etc) a good paint job, its in moveable condition. Oh and no way in hell i'm using that stove or dishwasher..BLECH i'll never understand how ppl just stop caring and cleaning their home...i mean you still have to live there!. But i dont care..i'll live an extra 2weeks after closing at the inlaws while i clean and make it movein readyfor us. I'm just so damn happy right now. :dance:
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-17 15:04:00
Canadaomg i can't believe it!!
So its been 2 months since they auctioned off the house we loved and put an offer on. And its been 3 months that we have been with inlaws and i've been slowly going crazy.



Last night we are on the phone with my new realtor, and she tells me about a house that is more expensive than we want but she can get the guy to drop the price (same realty company). Anyway we agree to go see them today, they are in the same area as the house we wanted. So i go on Redfin to see her colleagues house, and OMFG, what do i see at the bottom of the page for other similar homes....thats rightOUR ORIGINAL HOUSE!!!!



It was there for less money to boot! So my last realtor, and the lawers for the auction and the old bank all lied etc etc...it never got sold it never got given to the bank..i dont even know where it went or what happend. but my realtor (shes the foreclosure specialist that was originally trying to sell it to us) was freaking out saying unreal this is unreal.. and now we are going to see it again and buy it for even less!!!



some of the appliances are gone from what i see in the new pictures, some minor dmgs in walls like from banging furniture into them but other than that..i'm so happy i could cry. its 8k less than it was originally, and i'll bloody pay 8k more if i have to to get it!!! we might just have a home before winter finally, cuz as it stands, i was about to kill my mother in law!!!!

Edited by Kimbear, 17 September 2011 - 08:39 AM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-17 08:35:00
CanadaCooking schools /courses
Wow i see what you mean by charging an arm and a leg at the bigger schools...i mean 35k for a year?? or the other ones that are minimum 15k? I know its been a while since i went to school but damn..is schooling really that expensive nowadays? And david just reminded me we are out in the middle of nowhere so i should wait til we find a place first...sigh. Well that was short lived lol.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-15 08:12:00
CanadaCooking schools /courses
I love cooking, and baking, and since i moved here i've been more into trying out different things to get my recipes to work out like back home and taste good.


The other day i saw an add on tv for a cooking school, and i thought..hmm..that might be interesting, not that i wanna go all iron chef or anything like that, but i could maybe open a catering place etc on the side later.



So I was wondering if anyone has gone to cookign schools or down that route or similar thoughts. I know its a far cry from the accountant i wanted to be, but my schooling and diplomas are ages old now and my recent job experinces are 2 years old and only in customer service answering phones.I mean i can't even get a job as a bloody secretary here lol.


I have yet to bring it up to hubby, and i dont even know where to start looking at schools etc, or if there is some sort of financing available or if that would affect my LPR status here (ie: would i have to pay any of the stuff back) but its a thought..and i love being in the Kitchen making stuff :)
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-14 15:42:00
CanadaCan I come back to Canada after POE?
As a K1, not until you apply for AOS with Advanced parole.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-14 15:20:00
CanadaTry to schedule a medical exam in Toronto, no one answers the phone?!
Sherry i never even knew you could email them. But yes it took a few days for them to call me as well. Think i left like 3 messages lol.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-05 14:49:00
CanadaAffidavit of support/Evidence of support
You do not need the i-864 until you move and get married and file for your AOS, so dont worry about that now.


The i-134 is pretty straightforward, Just follow the vj guides.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-17 08:02:00
CanadaEnglish in Montreal
Maybe things have changed in the last few years..but i always found it depended where you lived. LIke laval for instance...i found was very not english tolerant..not even the police. I grew up in the west island lived there til i moved to Ontario. Now the west island was preodminantly english, but i left because i got fed up of not being served in english and having peole in stores insist on speaking and replying to me in French. And dont get me started on the damn buss drivers...grrrr.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-17 06:35:00
CanadaBank accounts in Canada

If you have a Presidents Choice Account--if u tell them ur moving to the USA, they will want you to close the acct!! I just changed the addy to my parents!!

I think most banks have online access!! So checking the acct is no big deal!

If you make so much interest, it has to be reported. Of course banks give such low interest on ur normal chequing acct, its prob not going to happen,lol I think 1 has to make like $10. You would be better off taking it to the USA and putting it into an acct like ING, but their interest rate is like 1.3% (Just a few yrs back it was over 4%)

When ir comes to USA banks--like car insurance, health insurance, etc etc etc, you really have to shop around to get the best deal that suits you. I think bank of america just announced as of Jan 2012, they are going to charge ya $5 a month to use their debit card! No clue if u keep a min amt in ur acct it gets waived! We love USAA!! cheers



yes BOA will charge the 5$, and from what i read most other banks will follow, but i honestly heav never used my bank card as a debit card here in the usa. very different that from Canada, I just use it as a Visa card which is way easier.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-17 08:00:00
CanadaBank accounts in Canada
Something i just thought of, some banks alllow you access to your canadian account from the us one so you can see bank balances etc. I was able to do this with my Bank of america account online, granted it waslimited what your able to do, but i was able to see the balance of my accounts, credit cards etc with TD through my online BoA account.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-17 06:42:00
CanadaBank accounts in Canada

I don't know if this helps at all but I chose to make my Mom power of attorney for my bank account so I can figure out what I want to do with my money/bank account once I've moved to the US.

All of my tax refunds/HST credit/Visa money back go into my account so it'd be a pain in the butt to close it.

If you have someone you trust with your money it might make sense to do the same so you can decide later.



Once you leave Canada that is a moot point since yoru no longer entitled to those deposits for GST. And chances are you wont be doing anymore Canada tax returns.


However whati can say from personal experince, if you can deal with the monthly charges for keeping an account open keep it open. Makes it easier to pay off your Canadian Credit cards loans etc. I closed all my accounts and now have to mail a lousy cheque every month and it literally takes a month for it to get to toronto just from Chicago.



And as Flames said, Custom house is wonders for transfering money from your Canadian Account to your American one, with little to no fees depending on which way you transfer it.



The only way youd have to declare your canadian bank account on a canadian tax return is if you earned significant interest on it. Otherwise they dont care.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-17 06:40:00
CanadaAfter interview can you Travel to U.S. without passport
ya know...there is a reason this was asked in the CANADIAN forum...just saying...:whistle:
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-14 15:18:00
CanadaAnyone ever drove to Montreal from Toronto for Interview?

I haven't driven there for the interview (yet!) but I have driven to Montreal from Toronto just for fun, in February of 2009. It was a straight, easy drive across the 401. February isn't really the best time for a road trip, but we didn't run into any problems.
Don't turn right on reds. I'm not sure if it's EVERYWHERE in Montreal, or just at certain intersections, but better safe than sorry. Lots of one-way streets, keep an eye out for them.
If you have a GPS, it's useful, but I didn't have one at the time, and I was fine. If you're used to driving in Toronto traffic, you'll be fine :)



no right turns is all over island of montreal and quite a few places in Quebec. just be on the safe side and dont do it lol. usually there are signs stating you can't do it. also if your used to ontario roads. you will absolutely HATE quebec roads..soon as you pass lancaster the roads are craptastic. and if you need gast fill up before the border, quebec is quite a bit more epensive for gas.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-19 11:38:00
CanadaAnyone ever drove to Montreal from Toronto for Interview?
We drove from Windsor to montreal for ours. Drive wasn't too bad. Plan your route around the mississauga traffic..that alone took a few hours to get through, only other bad area was when you get into downtown montreal.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-19 06:27:00
CanadaBuy a house get a green card free!!
You assume they will buy things here. well i can tell you if i had that kinda cash, i wouldn't.


You can bet your lifes salaray if i had tha money i'd be buying from Canada all the ketchup chips, montreal style bagels, neo citran, robaxacet, kraft dinner, real coke, etc etc and shipping it to myself in the USA....just like some clothes from ceretain stores up north...buy em online ship em here. If i had the choice and the cash..hells ya..oh and dont forget my damned bagged milk..if i could have that sent here..oh god i would asap. i hate effing hate the milk containers here..among other things.


most of you know this is true..lol i mean how many threads do we have of what we miss from canada on here? for some of us, we dont have certain stores to get items of the same value and quality. so yes IMHO i do not think these new visa's will help..at all. not in the long run anyway.....
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-26 20:42:00
CanadaBuy a house get a green card free!!

The US needs more people to SPEND lots and lots of money to boost the economy. The economy is really suffering and Americans, even ones that can spend, are not spending and this is really hurting everyone. Unfortunatly the few thousand we spent to get here is small pennies in the grand scheme of things. And, if we aren't bringing large savings to invest when we get here, we're just adding to the population.

Getting people with the cash flow here and spending, especially in such large amounts, poses no risk and also stimulates the housing market and the economy.

I say, let the people who want to spend, spend! Essentially, it IS helping the people who already live here and it will lead to more jobs, more taxes being paid and a better economy.



I get that..but how is that going to happen if these people cannot earn money here? how are they going to spend something they are not getting? you dont just buy a house move here get a residency card not work and live a happy live. none of what they are proposing makes sense to me unless they are allowing the kings queens princes richest people in the world etc to buy homes here.


And what aobut the tourist industry? rather than these people visiting here and spending money in hotels etc. they wont be ..thats a loss right there.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-26 14:12:00
CanadaBuy a house get a green card free!!
From what i've read in all the articles its a permanent resident visa, valid as long as you own the home, AND They'd be allowed to bring a spouse and any children under the age of 18 . Immediately...that is one of the parts that really really irks me.


meanwhile most of us have gone through the process, bought homes, or are attempting to buy a home, and for sure as hell are not able to bring our entire families here immediatel even though we have spent thousands on our immigration journey...



also the residence home only has to cost 250k...the rest can be invested in other homes that you rent out etc...


i mean #######..fix the shite here for the current people living here...

Edited by Kimbear, 26 October 2011 - 12:14 PM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-26 12:12:00
CanadaBuy a house get a green card free!!

This country and its economy needs people who are able and willing to spend a cool half million dollars here. Makes more sense than importing people with empty pockets, or does it?



If you want to invite all the terrorists..sure....
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-26 08:35:00
CanadaBuy a house get a green card free!!
Just saw this one one of my real estate sites:



http://online.wsj.co...oWhatsNewsThird?



bascially the short of it is this:


The reeling housing market has come to this: To shore it up, two Senators are preparing to introduce a bipartisan bill Thursday that would give residence visas to foreigners who spend at least $500,000 to buy houses in the U.S.

The provision is part of a larger package of immigration measures, co-authored by Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Mike Lee (R., Utah), designed to spur more foreign investment in the U.S.



KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-25 15:01:00
CanadaHey everyone!
Hey!! Your alive :) Grats on the citizenship. I dont know how you lived in England that long..I've never been but i hear all it ever does is rain lol. My mother went and she said it was downright depressing the whole time she was there.


Glad to hear your happy! :)
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-14 15:28:00
CanadaAre american fiances allowed to go to interveiw with us?
the only person not allowed is a lawyer if you have one. I believe it says that somewhere on the papers you get about what to bring what not to bring. should be a section saying who can and cannot go. In fact they encourage your american fiance to go with you, in my case they even asked him questions. The interviewer asked David more questions that me lol.



Hello fellow Vjers,

Many fellow Vjers mentioned that they went to interview with their fiances(fiancees). My questions is: are they allowed to see the interview officers? I ask this because my fiance will go with me, if he is not allowed to interview with office but just companies me in line for hours i will feel sorry for him.

All comments will be appreciated!


I don't know if anyone else had this issue, but my Husband (then Fiance) had to have his passport handy or else he would not have been able to enter the consulate.

Good Luck!



thats normal, you only get in if you have an appointment letter or are a us citizen since it is a us consulate.

Keep in mind the interview is very quick! Like less than 10 min, and most of that time is the Consular Officer reviewing your paperwork! Most of ur time is just spent waiting



indeed...even though you will spend all night worrying checking papers and rechecking and resetting the alarm and worrying about getting their early etc. it took me most of the day to realize i even had an interview and was approved. and then we slept since exhaustion kicked in lol.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-11-01 17:10:00
CanadaWallets, Car keys and Parking at Montreal consulate

There are no parking garages. There is only street parking with meters and when I went to my interview and stood in line it was full not a parking space to be had ANYWHERE.
This is Montreal we are talking about. Rarely if ever is there a parking spot and if there is people will fight over it!

Leave the car and everything behind. Walk to the building with your papers for the interview thats all.



the only parking was for taxis and they are jockeying for position so to speak with each other when i was there. but yes downtown montreal very hard to park. and if you park where you are not allowed be prepared for a ticket or a boot on your wheel. definately agree on walking if yoru hotel is close enough. No electronics of any kind are allowed not even yoru hotel key if its a credit card looking one. no cameras nothing. just you, yourself and your folder of papers. thats it thats all. it is a us federal building and they take this very seriously as well as the scan when you get in.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-11-01 17:15:00
CanadaHas anyone had an afternoon appt. in Montreal?
wow things must have changed. all apointment letters used to have times on them but it was always first come first serve, otherwise if they run out of time they tell you to come back tomorrow. at least thats how it used to be. my apointment said noon or something but i still showed up at 6:30 and was out by 9:30. otherwise your their all day with the other types of visa's.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-11-01 17:17:00
CanadaPACKET 3 NOT YET RECEIVED

Hi everyone! Here is our case. We were approved Oct 4, got our case number from NVC October 12. Until now i haven't received the eligibility letter or the Packet 3. Should i call the Manila Embassy to check if they already have received our case. Thank you so much. I know by this time the eligibility letter should be on hand.



Egh..Manilla? Why is this in the Canada forum? if you were canadian i'd tell ya to just d/l it from the montreal consulate..but er..yeah........
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-11-03 10:37:00
CanadaFrustrated with trying to get money to the US!
i signed up for custome house online no problem what so ever...got an email couple days later saying it was all good..all i had to do was input info for both us and canadian account..unfortuneately i realized i could not use it as i no longer have my cdn bank account :(. but this was ohh copule months ago? way after the switch over to western union.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-10-26 12:16:00
CanadaVenting...

What kind of idiot am I to agree to stay until the end of the year at work? I manage a retail store and they asked me to stay until Christmas was over. My visa was approved on Oct 7th, and I am so freaking antsy to leave I can't even stand it.

I know it's dumb to complain when others are waiting to know whether their visa is approved or for NOA2.... (I'm sorry!)

Did anyone else wait a while before you moved? Advice on how to cope? I keep saying well if things get bad I'll just leave. I also keep telling myself I'm saving tons of money for when I can't work waiting for EAD. I couldn't just up and leave though but it sure is annoying and stupid of me to agree to stay.

:bonk:



I did not wait..but i can tell you i regret it. infact, i was already packed and in the car wiating fo the mail to drop off my Visa!! lol. Crossed the border the same day.


If i had of stayed longer i would have had more money saved up. And maybe we would not have had to move in with the in laws for the first few months. I also would haved affored to keep most of my stuff intead of throwing it out or giving it away when i moved.


Spend as much time with your family and friends before you leave. You wont know when youll have the chance to go back or how long it will take to get your green card.

Edited by Kimbear, 08 November 2011 - 09:09 PM.

KimbearFemaleCanada2011-11-08 21:07:00
CanadaTo those of you finally home (US side)!
oh and bulk stuff..every store i went to up north had a bulk section..like i can't find chicken soup stock powder or brown gravy anywhere..i have to buy these packets or cubes and they all have so much salt..no sodium free steak spice nada. :(
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-21 08:35:00
CanadaTo those of you finally home (US side)!

If anything I'm finding the exact same stuff only WAAAYYYY cheaper in Illinois than back in Ontario! I can't find the more exotic stuff at Meijer/Super Walmart or anything but I certainly have found great things at lesser known stores. I haven't been to a Whole Foods yet but couldn't you find stuff there? They aren't known to be cheap but are known for super healthy things.



The only thing i've found in illinois to be cheaper is dairy. I do most of my shopping at Vallie Produce, as the veggies etc are fresher and way cheaper. Nectarines were .49/lb their, but some other store wanted 1.59...2 blocks down..like what the hell?? Walmart where i am absolutelys ucks and the meat is always just about rotten or on the verge of going. Meijer, i found was over expensive. Whole foods, well my husband wont let me go there, he calls it "whole paycheck". :( And i've been told Trader Joe's has alot of Canadian brands as well.


if anything, the one thing i'm most disappointed in down here is the quality of the meat. and i mean the different cuts as well as the fat ratios etc. i mean i remmber getting lean ground beef for 1.99/lb here they want 10$ just for a rib steak..i'm red meat deprived :( I miss my butchers at teh farmers market or loblaws and independant...
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-21 08:33:00
CanadaTo those of you finally home (US side)!

Ok so I am a K-1. From Montreal and my Fiance from Ohio. So I can apply for the SSN right away after I entered the U.S. without getting married first?

Or am I reading the guides wrong?



you can but you need wait the 10 days or so for dhs to updated your info in the computers system or ssn office will say they cannot find you. And you can do it after you get marreid as well if you want it in your married name. only diff is bring a copy of your marriage certificate with you. i waited til after we were married and got the card in mail so i could go to the bank and open up my new accounts.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-18 19:10:00
CanadaTo those of you finally home (US side)!

So I gotta wait 10 days after I entered the U.S. to apply for the SSN?

Ok can someone explain to me, the whole 1-693 form? Because I didn't know I was suppose to ask for an official copy to where I did the Medical for the Visa, which Im going back to see if I can get one, I did read in the guides that if you don't have it all, you will just need to do the extra stuff to a civil surgeon.



its the same thing as the vaccination worksheet you receive bascially. I just used it when i did my aos and i got my green card no problem. I tried to get a copy of my medical at poe and they refused. so just make sure you have copies of the vaccination worksheet.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-09-18 19:08:00
Canadarenting an apartment in the u.s. - credit checks for canadians?
word of advice that worked for me. not long after you get your ssn# try and apply for a credit card. what this will do is create your credit file. Since you moved you dont exist and forcing a company to "ping" your name will actually create the folder / file in the credit system for you. then you can work on getting added to utilties etc. next thing you know pre apps for cap one etc will start showing up.



I did this, with a few places, chase, cap one and someone else.. i was initially refused for not having a file, then the reason changed to not having enough info to not having a long enough file. this was during my first 3 months of living in the U.S. i waited 3 months or so and got another preapp in the mail form cap one, so i did the online app and lo and behold i got a 500$ normal credit card. Just in time for christmas lol. so we put xmas gifts on it and started my credit rating.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-11-10 15:15:00
Canadarenting an apartment in the u.s. - credit checks for canadians?

Hi there,

I'm filing for a K-1 and I have my interview mid-December but we are looking for apartments for January 1 now. The landlord at the house that we love has asked for a credit check. Has anyone else had this experience before actually moving and getting an SSN? Can he do a Canadian credit check on me? I'm just trying to make it as easy as possible for the guy so I look like a great tenant :)

Thanks!



We had to get David's father to co-sign for us as they outright refused to even put me on the lease unless we had a co--signer. :( they tried to do a us credit check on me..even charged me for it..

We just used my husband's credit when we got our apartment. The only negative is that only his name is on the lease, which is annoying for Removing conditions.


Luckily getting a co signer..they allowed my name on the lease. I guess its up to the landlord.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-11-08 21:05:00
Canadacan i still pay off my credit card in the USA from canada?
Td had no issue with me being in the usa, i just send them a cheque each month for my payment. but it does take about 30 days for them to get it and process the payment. what they did recomend was closing the account, i could still get a statement pay my balnce and have a minimum monthly but i was no longer able to use the card as an actual credit card. for me this was better in the end anyway.
KimbearFemaleCanada2011-11-10 15:18:00