ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLost and overwhelmed--need some answers!
I'm not entirely sure what in here pertains to me. You linked me to the last page of what appears to be a huge argument... is there a specific post you're trying to point out? Clarification would help a lot here. :(

ETA: Nevermind! I posted before I saw your second post. I have not overstayed anything. My I-94 says I can stay until May 7th, 2007. :)

Edited by ziggyboo, 23 February 2007 - 08:19 PM.

ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-02-23 20:18:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLost and overwhelmed--need some answers!
I intend to go on Monday.

Also, why am I in danger of a three year bar? I haven't sent any papers yet, and I was let in by a customs officer. If staying here and sending the papers would make me likely for denial, shouldn't I go back to Canada and have the papers filed then? I'm a little confused. Either way, I don't intend to make a decision on that until I've spoken to a lawyer, I'd just like to hear your explanation.
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-02-23 20:08:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLost and overwhelmed--need some answers!
Thank you all for the replies--you've really helped me out and put my mind way more at ease. Thankfully, I have received mail here, and we do have some pictures as well.

As for the civil surgeons, I forgot to mention that I was specifically looking for one who is a woman. I'm very uncomfortable with doctors, so I've decided to see a female one if at all possible. Some of the names on the list I couldn't exactly tell what gender the doctor was, so I checked a few with obviously female names, and I know several of them were further away than the others.
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-02-23 19:28:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLost and overwhelmed--need some answers!
Hopefully it will just be that simple! We'll call around and set up an appointment with a lawyer and try to get that sorted out.

Another question--what kind of things should I get together to prove that our marriage is legitimate? I mean, we've been living together for the past two years, but we don't have any shared bank accounts, and we're living with his parents right now, since I can't work. We tried to open a joint bank account, but the bank didn't want to let me on because I wasn't an American citizen. =\ It didn't make much sense to me!

To answer your question, not much out of the ordinary happened at the border. We crossed in a car with his parents, and they asked us what we were coming in for. They asked me if I was planning to immigrate, and I said eventually, yes. At the time I was intending to enter as a visitor, since we hadn't sorted out our plans for that yet. Anyway, the customs officer explained that they weren't supposed to let people into the country that were planning to just come there and immigrate, but he told me that he would let me in this time anyway, and told to file for immigration as soon as possible. He gave me the I-94 then, which says I entered as a vistor, and allows me to stay here for one year.

I hope that makes sense!
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-02-23 19:07:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLost and overwhelmed--need some answers!
I just came into the country and at the border, was given an I-94-A paper. I haven't filed or sent anything for immigration. My biggest mistake was probably that. The reason I hadn't filed any yet is a little longwinded, but I'll explain anyway. We live in Meadowview, VA and there are no civil surgeons close to us--the closest is a 5+ hour drive away. My husband's parents are friends with a doctor here, so I talked to her and she agreed to send in what was needed to become certified. Unfortunately, she apparently messed up and didn't send everything at once, and now she hasn't heard anything at all and it's been several months. I waited on her, because she said it wouldn't take long. :( Big mistake.

So yeah, I haven't filed anything yet and I'll have to leave by May 7th of this year.

ETA: Can anyone give me an estimate on what it would cost to hire an immigration lawyer? Or can a consultation be done for free? Thank you!

Edited by ziggyboo, 23 February 2007 - 06:39 PM.

ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-02-23 18:38:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLost and overwhelmed--need some answers!
Hello there! I've spent a lot of time looking through the USCIS site as well as listening to other people, and after coming here, I'm beginning to think other people have given me bad advice. And USCIS site is rather confusing, not to mention it isn't specific enough to help. So I'm hoping you guys could help me.

Here's a rundown of my situation: I'm a Canadian citizen and I married my husband, an American citizen, a little over two years ago. Last May, I came back to America with him and unfortunately had a little trouble at the border. =\ Long story short, they customs officer said they really weren't supposed to let me in, since I was planning to immigrate, but they did anyway. Gave me my little card that says I was allowed to stay in the country for a year, and he told me I should file my papers ASAP.

Fastforward to here, and my time is nearly up. There were a few snags that held me up, and now after reading stuff here, I'm starting to think that the fact that they let me into America when they shouldn't have will screw me over. So I'm wondering, should I leave in May and file the immigration papers from home? If I do that, can anyone tell me how long it would be until I could come back and stay with my husband again? He will be unable to stay in Canada with me while we wait due to work.

Also, what would be the best route for us to take--K3 spouse visa or IR-1/CR-1 Spouse Visa? Please help me out--I'm completely overwhelmed by all this and stressed beyond belief! I just want to know what I should do to make this run as smoothly as possible, and I don't want to risk messing it up and having my application rejected! :(

Thanks in advance, guys!
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-02-23 18:23:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions about I-130 Package!
Thanks! That was very helpful! And I'd better make sure I have the newest version of the I-130, then... the one I have may not be the most up to date one.
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-03-13 00:15:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestions about I-130 Package!
All right, we're working on getting our I-130 package put together before I have to go back home in May, and I just had a few little questions I hope you guys can help me with. :)

The first one is in regards to needing a copy of our marriage certificate. Does that mean we would just need a plain photocopy of it?

And regarding question 22 on the I-130 form itself... since my husband will be filing this for me while I am home in Canada, do I just put N/A there?

Also, is there anything we should include in the package that's not on the checklist here: http://www.visajourn...mp;page=k3guide I just want to make absolutely sure we have everything we need in there before we send it off.

Thanks a lot, guys!


ETA: Oh yes! Another question... does the I-130 need a cover letter? If so, can someone show me an example of what we should write for a cover letter? Thanks!

Edited by ziggyboo, 12 March 2007 - 11:13 PM.

ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-03-12 23:09:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresForm-specific questions

Okay, I'm back in Canada now and I could still use some specific answers for these two questions:

I-129f Q20: You are supposed to fill in the city and country where the US consulate, at which you will apply for your K3 visa, is located.

I-130 Q22: You are supposed to fill in the city and state where the USCIS office that will handle your adjustment of status is located. Or, if he will apply for an immigrant visa, the city and country where the US consulate, at which you will apply for your visa, is located.

So for the first one, does that mean the place I'll be having my interview? Montreal? Otherwise, I don't know what I'm supposed to put here. A straight answer would be really helpful, please. =\

And for the second--which is it? =\ We're filing for K-3. but if we had the opportunity to abandon it and go for the IR1/CR1 instead, I'm pretty sure that's a better option for getting my greencard faster, yes? So I'm still not sure what to put here. Once again, a specific answer would help me out loads.

Thank you for the rest of the help--we're almost ready to send everything off now. :)


1. You're in Halifax, NS so you'll put down Montreal, Canada.

2. I left mine blank since I was not in the U.S. or filing for AOS. You can put down Montreal, Canada since that's where you'll interview for a CR-1/IR-1 if you're going that route. Note that if you're filing for a K3, what seems to be happening is that USCIS will not forward your approved I-130 to the NVC. Instead they retain it because your intentions when filing the I-129F is for you to arrive on a K3 and then adjust status while in the U.S.



Thank you so much! We're going the K-3 route, since we're more concerned with getting back together sooner than getting my green card sooner (and supposedly, it's faster for that). So are you saying that I wouldn't be able to switch to IR1/CR1 even if my I-130 was approved first, then...?
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-05-15 17:22:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresForm-specific questions
Okay, I'm back in Canada now and I could still use some specific answers for these two questions:

I-129f Q20: You are supposed to fill in the city and country where the US consulate, at which you will apply for your K3 visa, is located.

I-130 Q22: You are supposed to fill in the city and state where the USCIS office that will handle your adjustment of status is located. Or, if he will apply for an immigrant visa, the city and country where the US consulate, at which you will apply for your visa, is located.

So for the first one, does that mean the place I'll be having my interview? Montreal? Otherwise, I don't know what I'm supposed to put here. A straight answer would be really helpful, please. =\

And for the second--which is it? =\ We're filing for K-3. but if we had the opportunity to abandon it and go for the IR1/CR1 instead, I'm pretty sure that's a better option for getting my greencard faster, yes? So I'm still not sure what to put here. Once again, a specific answer would help me out loads.

Thank you for the rest of the help--we're almost ready to send everything off now. :)
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-05-15 15:25:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresForm-specific questions
G-325A: Unless you have had applications in to USCIS in the past, you probably do not have a file number (more commonly known as an A#). But, how did you manage to live with your husband in the USA for a year without having dealt with USCIS? (Think carefully about ramifications before you answer.)

I came in to the country legally, if that's what you mean. I have an I-94A that allowed me a year here. Which is also why I'm leaving soon--I am only legally allowed to stay until May 7th of this year. I don't see any need to contact a lawyer.

And yes, I should have made that clear--my husband is the petitioner and I am the benificiary.
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-04-26 17:21:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresForm-specific questions
Okay, I have a lot of questions here as my husband and I are hurrying to finish filling out the forms before I head back to Canada next week, so I thought it would be best just to put them all in one post. Here goes, I hope you all can help me! :)

G-325A
-File Number
Okay, at the top of the form, there's something that looks like this: http://i32.photobuck...FileNumberA.png
What exactly am I supposed to fill in there?


I-129F
-For question 18 (Has your fiance met and seen you within the two-year period immediately receding the filing of this petition?) The answer is "yes" for us, as we lived together for a year in Canada (2005-2006), and then together here for a year (2006-1007), and before we got married, we'd visited each other several times. I'm just not sure exactly what I'm supposed to put for describing the circumstances under which we met. Does it mean how we first met each other, or...?

-Question 20... I will be in Canada when we file (my husband will be here in Virginia), and I'm not sure what I should put for this question.


I-130
-Question 22, as we're applying while I am at home in Canada, does this question apply to us at all? I have no idea what I'm supposed to put here, either.


I-864
-All right, for this, my husband alone doesn't meet the requirements as far as income goes, so his parents have agreed to add their income to ours so we'll qualify. Do they each fill out an I-864 as well as my husband, or is there a different form they fill out? Also, does each parent have to fill out a form, or can they fill out one jointly? Also, does my husband fill one out and check box a, and then his parents fill out one and check box d?

-Also, how do I send this in (as in, what package, or am I just supposed to bring it with me to the interview, or what)? In the guide, it doesn't mention if the I-864 goes in a specific package.


DS-230
-on http://www.visajourn...mp;page=k3forms it mentions this form, but the guide does not. Do I fill it out? If so, what package do I send it with?

Whew, that was a lot of questions. I appreciate any help, but please don't answer if you're not completely sure your answer is correct. I'm absolutely terrified of filling these out wrong, so I don't want to mess up. :P I'm sure you all understand. Thanks guys!
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-04-26 16:30:00
CanadaMedical Exam + Halifax NS?
Oh man, thanks for all the info guys! And I was basically just asking so I'd know who I could go to for the exam when the time comes.

Hey, maybe some of you would be able to help me out with two more little questions I was having trouble with. Posted here, but two of the questions remained unanswered. :( http://www.visajourn...showtopic=65755 Any help from fellow canucks would be appreciated! :)

And flames, I would totally send you a tims coffee if I could. :P That's one nice thing about being back in Canada, anyways... haven't had tims for a year while I was in the US!


ETA: Meadowview, VA is where I'm headed. :) Although we'll probably end up living in Abingdon or Bristol once everything's settled.

Edited by ziggyboo, 15 May 2007 - 04:39 PM.

ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-05-15 16:37:00
CanadaMedical Exam + Halifax NS?
Awesome! Thank you very, very much.

Also, we haven't started yet, so that's why I haven't filled anything in on my timeline. ^^; We're just getting everything together now.

ETA: Where did you get the information from, out of curiosity? I wasn't sure where to look...

Edited by ziggyboo, 15 May 2007 - 03:58 PM.

ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-05-15 15:58:00
CanadaMedical Exam + Halifax NS?
Hey guys! I'm in Halifax, NS, planning to immigrate to VA to be with my husband. I'm wondering where I can go to find a list of doctors around this area (Halifax)? The USCIS is confusing as hell sometimes, and last I checked, their search function was messed up. =\ Anyway, yeah, where can I find a list of approved doctors who do the medical exam? Also, is there anyone in this area who's been to a doctor here that can give me their opinion on the doctor and let me know exactly what the exam entails? God, I hate going to the doctor. :P Not looking forward to this part at all.

Thanks!
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-05-15 15:48:00
CanadaMontreal CR1 Interview Tomorrow
Mine is on the 13th and I'm nervous as heck. XP Good luck with yours! I'm sure you'll do great. smile.gif
ziggybooFemaleCanada2008-08-06 20:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview in Montreal
QUOTE (wingsforever @ Aug 18 2008, 06:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi ziggyboo

So how long did it take for you to get the visa by mail...?

Thanks for info

Wingsforever


About three business days. smile.gif
ziggybooFemaleCanada2008-08-19 12:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview in Montreal
Bumping just to say the interview went fine, and my visa just arrived in the mail today! biggrin.gif
ziggybooFemaleCanada2008-08-18 16:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresInterview in Montreal
Just wondering if anyone who's had their interview in Montreal can tell me how long it took after the interview before they received their Visa? My husband is wondering if he should just stay with me and wait for it (if it won't take long) or if he should return to the States and just come back to pick me up when it arrives. Thanks!
ziggybooFemaleCanada2008-08-06 22:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-485 goes with I-130, y/n...?
I did read the guides, but the mention of it in the instructions threw me off. Thanks. :)

Wow, CR-1/IR-1 is much cheaper than K3.

Thanks for the quick reply!
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-05-23 16:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-485 goes with I-130, y/n...?
Okay, in the I-130 instructions, it mentions something about the I-485. But when I looked at the CR1 package guide, it only mentions I-130 and G-325a forms... I'm confused. Do I also include the I-485 with my I-130 package or not? :wacko:

Thanks!
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-05-23 16:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Cover Letter + Supporting Info
Thanks everybody! :) As usual, you've been very helpful.

As far as bills go, since my husband and I won't be able to live together until I get my Visa, we won't have any joint bills. But by the time we get an interview, I'm sure we'll have evidence like letters/cards/emails and such. :)
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-06-29 23:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Cover Letter + Supporting Info
All right--I was wondering if anyone would be able to post examples of cover letters for the I-130. :) I know there's one for the 1-129 in the examples section, but none for the I-130. So yeah, examples would be really appreciated!

Also, for supporting evidence, so far all my husband and I have is a copy of our marriage certificate and a paper from the bank saying on on his checking and his savings account. Is this enough to send with the package, or should we try to find something else? The only other option for us would be a couple pictures of us together, and possibly 2-4 signed affidavits.

Thanks, all!
ziggybooFemaleCanada2007-06-29 19:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisiting USA during immigration process
Okay, my husband and I have sent in everything now, and I think all we're waiting on is the letter to tell me when the interview date in Montreal will be (and, of course, I'll have to go to one of the designated doctors here to get checked out). However, I wasn't sure whether or not I was allowed to enter the states for visits while immigration proceedings were going on or not. And I can't seem to find an answer on whether or not it would be all right to go to the U.S. for a few weeks while I'm still waiting on that letter. I feel incredibly stupid asking this now (especially since it's been a year already), but is it okay to visit?

(thought maybe I should crosspost to this section, since this is the visa type we filed for me)
ziggybooFemaleCanada2008-06-05 20:34:00