ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresK3 Extension/EAD?
So, my K3 visa is going to expire in October. This also means that my EAD expires in October. We're almost done with the NVC process for the I-130 (we opted to do consular processing as Montreal isn't that much further and I can visit family), but I have some major doubts that I'll have my greencard in hand by October 5th.

Long story short, we were planning on doing Canadian immigration for my husband and moving to Canada. For financial reasons, we decided against it, and have since continued where we left off with the NVC. We just sent in the Affadavit of Support a few days ago, and sent the IV fee almost a month ago but haven't received anything since.

I can file for an extension of the K3. I know getting this extension is unlikely, seeing as we had a year and a half from when my I-130 was approved to actually get CR-1 (now IR-1) status. However, if this extension is somehow approved, is there any way to get the EAD extended? We just bought a house together and are still making payments on my husband's car as well. There is no way we can survive on one income for longer than a couple weeks.

If anyone has any advice, that would be wonderful.

Thank you!

Edited by WretchedMidget, 17 June 2006 - 08:26 PM.

WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-06-17 20:25:00
CanadaRCMP police check outside Canada

http://www.winnipeg....m_record_search

I had one mailed to me from the Winnipeg Police. i didnt use it--ended up going to ta local RCMP detachment.

The Winnipeg police Force states right on the cert that they use the Canadian National system, but when filling out the application, ensure that they do. As well for reason requird I stated for USA Visa and Immigration, and it was on the form. Hope it helps!!

And info from the RCMP:
http://www.rcmp-grc....c/finger2_e.htm


Thanks!

Any idea if you can get the certificate by mail from the Winnipeg Police if you've never lived anywhere near Winnipeg? :whistle: I wonder if they'd even question it...

I'll see if the Kingston Police Department website has any information on it, and if I can file for a record check without actually being there in person. If not, I guess I'll either go visit the family and stop by the RCMP office while I'm there, or consider mailing the fingerprints to the RCMP office (which is absolutely a last resort considering the horrible turnaround times when I was doing the K3). Thanks again.
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-04-23 23:44:00
CanadaRCMP police check outside Canada
I'm sure it's been asked before, but after searching for a while, I haven't found anything completely relevant.

Besides flying up there and getting the name-based check done again, is there any way to get the criminal record check done outside of Canada? I figure I can get the fingerprint one done if absolutely necessary, but I'd rather not wait forever for the results.

We're doing consular processing for the I-130, and I'm in the US on my K3.

Thanks!
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-04-23 13:23:00
CanadaPaying off Canadian Credit Cards?
So, I still have one Canadian credit card account open. I can't afford to pay it all off at the moment, but need to keep making payments on it each month. Any suggestions on how to actually get it paid from the US? I can't use my US bank account to pay it online, obviously, and I don't think there's any way to get money orders in CDN$ from here. Travelers checks, maybe? Would they even accept those?

I'm stumped.
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-08-13 10:53:00
CanadaHyatt Regency Hotel in Montreal?

Thanks for the info! I checked hotwire too, but you aren't guaranteed that you will get the Hyatt when you book through them....so I don't know if I'll do that.

And, since my interview is on November 22, does that not mean I wouldn't be able to pick up my visa until the Monday because of US Thanksgiving? ;)
Doesn't matter anyway, because I'm going to have it Xpressed back to me. John won't be coming up to get me until end of January early February because of committments I have already made so it's not like we need the visa right away, but having it in my hand will be such a relief :yes:


Oooh... I didn't even think of that. I'm sending Don back to the US on the 23rd, because he manages a Geek Squad, so he kinda needs to be at work at 3am on the 24th (day after Thanksgiving). I figured I'd stick around and wait for it to be mailed the next day and then drive down with my cat. Having to wait until Monday wouldn't be a huge problem, but it'd be messing up my plans... I might just have to email and find out at some point. Thanks for thinking of that :)
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-18 08:05:00
CanadaHyatt Regency Hotel in Montreal?

Hey, I have an interview for my K-1 on November 22 too! :D

John and I are going to stay at the Hyatt...I looked on a map too and thought the exact same thing about the walk/cab :lol:

Maybe we'll see you there! :)


Excellent :)
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-14 21:23:00
CanadaHyatt Regency Hotel in Montreal?
So, with the IR-1 interview set for November 22nd, I'm trying to figure out flights to get the hubby up here with me for the interview, trains to get us both from Kingston to Montreal, and a hotel for the night before the interview. The planes and trains I've got figured out, but I'm still debating on hotels.

Google Maps is a godsend.

I typed in the address of the consulate, and then searched for hotels nearby. I soooo wish I had known about this back in 2004 when we did the K3 interview. Last time, we stayed at a Delta hotel that was close to the train station, but a lot further from the consulate than I realized. Keep in mind this was early October in Montreal. Brrrr!!! Not doing that one again, especially with this one being in late-November!

It looks like the Hyatt Regency isn't too far of a hike from the consulate. If it's particularly cold out, a cab ride wouldn't cost too much (although, as an Ontarian, I'm not sure about those Quebec drivers :D ). Has anyone stayed there? Any complaints, etc?

I know there's a hotel across the street from the consulate, but since we're spending our 3 year anniversary apart, I'm looking at one of the nicer hotel rooms in the Hyatt and thinking it can just be a month-late anniversary getaway.
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-14 10:24:00
CanadaA little Canadian humour
Actually, I was amazed to find that the one Dairy Queen that normally does close in September was still open. I missed Treatzza Pizzas :D

Being from Kingston, I can totally relate. lol.
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-24 21:21:00
CanadaGonig to Montreal

We are heading to Montreal on the first of November. Have read many post about it. We wnet throught the NVC, and have no real specifics about that. We gave original docs, Birth, marriage, divorce, taxes(from the irs). We will be satying less than a mile, at the Villa Marie(best western) Airmiles, wish we had that here.

If we want the originals we need to bring copies?
Where is there good to eat close?
Since we were denied at one poe, will we need to return to that poe?
What are some good things to know?
What is up with the $100.00?
Usd or Cad?

Thank you all for your help, :D

Butch


I don't have my IR-1 interview until November 22nd, but I've done the K3 thing before so I can answer a few of those...

1) You need a copy of everything, regardless of whether you want the originals back. I thought I had copies of everything for our K3, just incase, and somehow misplaced the copy of the birth certificate. Luckily, the officer was nice and made a copy for us. With the IR-1, they *should* have copies of everything from what the NVC forwarded, but I wouldn't count on that. They might misplace something and expect a copy.

2) Not sure about the food situation. We ate a few times at this little restaurant by the train station. Deli Planet or something... yummy soup and sandwiches, which is really all we could stomach after the interview waiting to go back and get my K3. This was back when they issued them same-day.

3) Shouldn't have to go back to the same POE (don't quote me on that one, but I'm about 95% sure). However, be prepared to explain why you were denied entry... both at the interview and at whichever POE you use.

4) There isn't a whole lot to tell you besides the hints you'll find posted 463463 times throughout the forums about Montreal. Don and I were the first ones there for the K3 (arrived around 7:10am), and they let everyone in early. We were happy to see a photo booth in the basement while we were waiting for the elevator. I forget how much it cost, but if you want to kill some time, it might be worth it to bring some spare change :)

5) The $100 is USD, but it's only for non-immigrant visas. You paid all of the fees you need to pay through the NVC. I'm going to bring some US$ with me just incase... but anything I don't spend will be coming with me back down to Indiana a few days later.

Hope some of that is helpful, and good luck!!
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-21 21:21:00
CanadaImporting Car to the US
When I imported my 98 Toyota Camry two years ago, I just needed the safety letter from Toyota. I didn't have to pay duty on it, even though I had just purchased it a few months earlier, but I did have to pay state taxes on it when I registered/plated it in Indiana.

Hope that helps a little!
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-26 20:32:00
CanadaMy Canadian Car registered in US
My experience at the BMV (Indiana needs to be different and not call it the DMV) was the complete opposite because of that form. At the border crossing when I imported my car, they asked for the value. I said probably somewhere around 11,000 Canadian. So the border officer laughed and said, "soooo, around $5000 US maybe?" Anyway, we decided to go with that to save the trouble of actually looking up the exchange on it. I figured we would never use the form again. Then, at the BMV when I was registering the car, that's what they used to figure out the tax on it. I was quite happy with that, although I was irritated that I had to pay it at all in the first place :)

I'm sure you'll get the refund within a few months. At least others can learn from our mistakes when filling out silly forms :thumbs:
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-08-02 09:53:00
CanadaMontreal Interview Waiting Room Thread

As I recall the DR has the proper forms. Dont forget to bring the proper pics and some want the letter.


Yeah, I went to Seiden in Toronto the first time. It was an... interesting... experience. I think I'm going to go somewhere else this time :lol:

They wanted the letter last time. So, seeing as I don't even have the letter, I need to at least get that from him. He's going to bring everything when he comes up here for the interview, but that's not going to do me much good in the meantime.
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-14 21:20:00
CanadaMontreal Interview Waiting Room Thread
Our IR-1 case was completed at the NVC as of September 14th (according to the recording, anyway).

My hubby just checked the mail yesterday and we have our interview date in Montreal on November 22nd.

It's been a weird ride. I entered on my K3 visa back in October 2004, after having to wait almost a year for them to process the K3 because of the backlog at MSC. The I-130 was approved shortly thereafter and we opted to let it go through NVC/Montreal instead of doing AOS, since I'd be coming back to Canada to visit family anyway. That was the big mistake :wacko:

We weren't sure if we were going to stay in the US or try to immigrate him to Canada, so we just didn't bother sending the fees to the NVC for a while. Eventually we decided to go ahead with it. Then, the fun started of the NVC not sending the next batch of paperwork, losing the stuff that we had sent in, and waiting forever for my criminal record check from Canada.

This all resulted in the case being completed at the NVC, but still no interview date, so when my K3 expired on October 4th, I came back to Canada to wait out the interview. We figured that'd be better than staying in the US illegally :whistle: It's weird being apart for the first time since I moved down there, though.

I hadn't bothered changing the address, though, so he got the packet from Montreal with instructions and interview date yesterday. Somehow I need to get the medical forms from him (or find them online), and do the medical, but that's a piece of cake compared to the past few months....
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-14 10:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFinally successful IR1 interview completed at MONTREAL
Congrats!!! It's nice to finally find someone else getting their IR-1 in Montreal. I have a question, because I've seen conflicting answers around here and other sites. Did you have to pay anything at the consulate? I've noticed rumors of a fingerprinting fee. I know everything else was covered by the money sent to the NVC, but just want to be prepared as I don't really plan on bringing US$ with me to Montreal unless necessary ;)

Hopefully ours is as quick and painless as yours! Again, Congrats! :thumbs:
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-17 09:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAbout to send K3 paperwork to Embassy now I130 approved - what is best option?????

...
What should I do now? go for the K3 medical and is it the same as the CR/1 medical? ????? or will I have to have a seperate medical for the CR/1?????????

Do I need another police certificate if I wait for the CR/1 interview ????????

Shoulf I send in my completed K3 visa paperwork or wait until the embassy sends me the paperwork for the CR/1 interview, and is that likely to take long for me to receive from them????????

Also what would be the advantages/disadvantages of either option?????????

I know if I go to states on a K3 I will have to apply for AOS so is it easier to go on a CR/1 so I dont have to go through that process?????????
...


You should check out the wait times for the London embassy. If you go through with the K3, that is the only thing you'll be waiting on... the interview. After that, assuming you're approved, you can move to the US. With the K3, though, you'll have to wait for your EAD before you're allowed to work, like someone previously mentioned.

The problem with waiting for the CR1 is that even though the I-130 has finally been approved, you still have months of back and forth correspondance with the NVC before they'll schedule an interview date for that.

My opinion would be that it would be a lot faster to go ahead with the K3 and then adjust status once you're in the US, but I can't say if it's the right decision for you. It all depends on the wait times at the embassy, whether or not you'll need to work right away, and probably a million other personal factors of your own.

The medical is good for a year. I think the police certificate in Canada is good for 6 months, but it may be longer elsewhere. I'm not sure what the official USCIS stance is on the validity of police certificates. Anyway, if you did AOS in the US, you could probably re-use the same medical results. Make sure you make copies of everything.

Congrats on the approval, and good luck with everything else :)
WretchedMidgetNot TellingCanada2006-10-22 15:48:00