Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	VANCOUVER WoKing Medial: Extra copy of Medical	The option wasn't available for me, but I wish it were just in case something happens!	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-07-09 18:27:00
Canada	Note re: getting packet 3 from Vancouver	I got packet 4 via email as well, after harassing them	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-07-14 00:43:00
Canada	Lots of questions for Vancouver interview	1. Vancouver P3 states ?birth certificates?. Does this mean I also need an original of the USC?s certificate, or just my own? Same question for Police Certificates- just for the beneficiary, or for the petitioner too? Bring your original long-form birth certificate and at least 1 photocopy of your birth certificate. They do not need the USC's birth certificate (they submitted it with the original petition. 2. Someone once mentioned they ordered two original copies of their long form birth certificate. Is this necessary, or will one original (with extra photocopies) be enough? You do not need 2 originals. Bring 2 photocopies and the original to your interview, they will *not* keep the original. You will need it for your AOS so hang on to it when you come to the US. 3. Does Woking give you DS-3025 and 1-693A at the medical? And are both of these necessary? Woking will give you the DS-3025 (aka Vaccination list) as well as a sealed envelope and x-ray CD. I brought all of it but they only take the sealed envelope. Make sure you have the sealed envelope out because they will take it and xray it like it's a bomb - seriously. You *must* keep the vaccination checklist for your AOS. DO NOT LOSE THIS or you will have to get a whole new medical (aka I-693) done. If you do not apply for AOS within 1 year from your medical, you MUST get a new medical done for your AOS. 4. I believe a TB test and syphilis test are necessary for AOS, but maybe not for K1 (?). Does Woking test for these? If not, can I ask for them to? They test you for what is necessary for AOS so you don't have to ask to have other things done. You don't have to do anything special for AOS except submit the vaccination list (DS-3025) as long as you're within one year of your medical. Not sure what they test for, though as others have mentioned the xray could be for TB and the blood test for syphilis. Why bother asking? It might look weird. 5. I keep reading about signing up for DHL, but am not sure how/where to do this. Does this apply for Vancouver? When signing up for my interview, it said Loomis would be used to return my passport, and that I could log into my account to get the waybill # once approved. Which account does this refer to? The CSC Visa website account? DHL = Loomis. You need to log into the same website where you booked your appointment to find your waybill#. When you schedule your interview you should have picked the DHL office closest to you, which is where you will go to pick it up once it's ready. You can also have it sent directly to you for an additional fee + at least another week of waiting. You will need to have your waybill first, before you can do this. So if you have a location near you its cheaper and easier to pick it up yourself. 6. Last question- any suggestions on how early to arrive before the scheduled interview time? I was at least 30 minutes early, and they let me in. I've heard that they will turn people away before their appointment time. Do not bring anything except your paperwork/evidence/wallet/keys. Do not bring anything sealed except for your medical, no electronics (including cell phones). If you want to bring your purse/cell, store it at the convenience store across the street (next to purolator). It costs 5$ but it was well worth it to call my fiance and tell him the good news. Also, don't wear baggy clothes. I had a jacket/big baggy aritzia sweater/scarf on and they made me take it all off and searched it. I guess it won't be a big problem in the summer though! Good luck, let us know how it went! EDIT: As others have mentioned, you can now get an extra copy of your medical for AOS - just in case they lose it. I would definitely get one just in case! Edited by dukeandduchess, 19 July 2012 - 03:16 PM.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-07-19 15:08:00
Canada	Who to ask?	You just have to make sure you file "exit taxes" and notify them when you leave (exact date) to cancel your GST/HST credits.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-07-23 00:45:00
Canada	Record of Employment for Employment Insurance	They entered Quit - To follow Spouse	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-01 19:51:00
Canada	Last check and signing off from Canada for the last time!	I'm not sure if the same rules apply to an IR-1/CR-1 visa.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-01 22:34:00
Canada	Last check and signing off from Canada for the last time!	I dunno - I was told to say that and they knew what I meant! Either way, identify that you are entering on a K1 visa because they will direct you to secondary inspection automatically.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-01 19:48:00
Canada	Last check and signing off from Canada for the last time!	When you pull up tell them you're activating your K1 visa, show them the packet. As far as I know, when using movers, you will need to send them a copy of your I-94 once you get into the US before they are able to bring your things in. Also you should have filled out a customs form, although I'm sure you probably know that already. Make sure your things arrive after you do. That's about it. It's pretty straightforward. Good luck, and congratulations!	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-01 00:25:00
Canada	Have ya'll told your boss about your US immigration??	Haha - I have a similar story. I asked for a raise because I made the store I ran kick #### (after taking over from a horrible manager) and they literally laughed in my face. "You're not planning to stay." they said in February (right after I applied) even though I promised to stay for the entire YEAR. Oh, and I had worked there for almost 4 years with no raise (except for my promotion). I was told to sell more so I made more money. Then again, they still pay part-time employees 7.00$/hr despite the minimum wage being $9.50 (when I moved) because "they make commission" (although none of my staff ever made close to 9.50$ an hr including their commission except at Christmas). So glad I'm out of that place.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-01 20:02:00
Canada	Have ya'll told your boss about your US immigration??	I worked at the same company for 4 years. Despite being horrible & dysfunctional, I gave them like 10 months notice. I told them we were applying before we sent in the application. When it came down to actually leaving it was kind of up in the air (husband didn't have a FT job until right before I left) so they were constantly asking me. I ended up giving 3 weeks notice. I felt kind of obligated to give more notice because I was a manager.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-07-27 13:15:00
Canada	Traveling To and From Canada during CR-1 Processing	Just bring proof of ties to Canada - return ticket, letter from your employer, lease/rental agreement, bank statement, etc. A lot of VJ members say to carry a copy of your NOA1 (proof you're immigrating legally). Always say you're going for a visit - don't pack more things than you need it looks suspicious. Last but not least, never ever lie. Ever.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-02 13:12:00
Canada	Anyone else disappointed to get a Montreal Case Number ?	Western Canada goes to Vancouver, Eastern Canada goes to Montreal.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-07-27 20:35:00
Canada	Packet 3--Police and Birth certificates	You take them to the interview. I did not send copies with packet 3.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-06 18:25:00
Canada	Future CR1 Canidate	When my husband first came to see me, we weren't officially dating "just friends". When he crossed the border they pulled him into secondary and phoned me to see if I knew he was coming. I can't remember the specific questions they asked, but they basically wanted to know who he was (to me) "I like him, we're meeting for the first time, but we are just friends right now." and make sure I knew he was coming. Although I think this is extremely rare and I've actually never heard of this happening to anyone else, what if they call your girlfriend and say "Do you know so-and-so?" and she says "yeah he's my boyfriend." when you've told them she is your friend, you're in for a bad time. It's your life though. You could be denied entry even if you say "visiting friends". The best thing is to have proof of ties.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-08 13:56:00
Canada	Future CR1 Canidate	You need to bring proof of ties with you to the border. Things like: Return ticket, bank statement, rental agreement/deed to house, letter from your employer. I've visited my now husband plenty of times calling him my "boyfriend" even my "fiance" and did not get denied entry. Why? I told the truth and brought proof of ties to Canada. Yes, there is a chance you could get denied, but that is usually because you did not bring evidence that you will return to Canada. I wouldn't recommend lying or fudging the truth - if by chance you got pulled into secondary and interrogated (it has happened to me - but not related to visiting my husband) changing your story would look really bad.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-07 01:24:00
Canada	NOA2 in 84 days?!	Congratulations!	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-08 16:44:00
Canada	AOS RFE - urgh.. Question about Biometrics	Okay, we got my RFE in the mail today. I was super stressed it would be something to do with the medical but it's actually for the I-864. They want the following: Submit a complete Federal Tax Return submitted to the IRS from the petitioner/sponsor on Form I-864, Affidavit of support, for the most recent tax year. Submit evidence of the petitioner/sponsor's current income. Such evidence should include letter of employment, dates of employment, nature of the job, wages or salary earned, number of hours per week worked, prospects for future employment and advancement, paystubs or other documentation of pay for the previous 6 months, and evidence of other income. Edit: I included some of my husbands paystubs (about a month's worth) and his W2's. His dad gave us some weird forms showing his tax returns I don't think they were W2's so that could be another issue. I didn't submit paystubs from his Dad (maybe that also). So, I'm thinking that because my husband started a new job in January they want all of this information. My husband's Dad co-sponsored me so I'm guessing I should get the same information from him? Also, should I resubmit the I-864 with these documents or JUST the documents they asked for? Any advice would be most appreciated! Hopefully we can collect everything soon because they won't process my EAD until we do Thanks! Edited by dukeandduchess, 09 August 2012 - 06:32 PM.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-09 18:30:00
Canada	AOS RFE - urgh.. Question about Biometrics	That's what I'm thinking it is. My medical was in Sept of last year. We mailed it in the first week of July. That or the Certified copy of the Marriage Certificate (I just sent a copy because I was trying to update my SSN to my married name). Hopefully it's an easy fix. I'm really surprised we've heard something so fast though.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-06 14:28:00
Canada	AOS RFE - urgh.. Question about Biometrics	Thank you I think my hormones are making me over-react! Another question: If the AOS (for some reason) were denied, what happens to my EAD/AP? Do they continue processing? Could we re-apply for AOS if it is denied?	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-06 13:45:00
Canada	AOS RFE - urgh.. Question about Biometrics	Thanks! I'm mostly just venting because I'm being irrational and super upset about this - I know it's silly but I can't help it for some reason!	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-04 19:18:00
Canada	AOS RFE - urgh.. Question about Biometrics	So we filed our AOS at the start of July and already got an RFE. Not sure what it could be for, so of course I'm stressing out about it. Just wondering about my biometrics appointment. It's scheduled for the 7th and I'm assuming I go in for my appointment and I won't have any problems because there's an RFE? So much for thinking we did a great job and would have a nice smooth ride like our K1.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-04 15:21:00
Canada	How I Lost My Fear Of Universal Health Care	Wow Peachey! I had a similar problem - twice. First I had this problem with my ear (dizziness, vertigo) and my doctor said it "looked weird" and sent me to a ear-nose-throat specialist. It took 6 months to get in, and by that time the problem stopped, but I was left with a significant loss of hearing in the ear and a distortion. I constantly have problems understanding what people are saying. They just kind of shrugged and said "pay attention". Wow! Second I started having severe pain in my pelvic area on the left side. Went to a doctor and they said oh it's just your period deal with it. It was so bad I couldn't get out of bed, wearing pants was like torture, and I missed a ton of my university classes. It went away after 3 weeks. Then it came back after 3 months, while I was on summer break at my parents. It was so severe I did nothing but lay in a bed for weeks. This time it didn't go away so I finally got referred to a gynecologist, who of course couldn't see me for about 5 months. She immediately wanted to do exploratory surgery (thought I had endometriosis), so they gave me some pain killers and told me to deal with it for 4 months. I had to go to the hospital a few times from severe pain - I started getting huge cysts and they shrugged and gave me morphine and told me to wait for my surgery to remove them. Finally had surgery and she didn't see endometriosis. Did a biopsy which came back "inconclusive", but rather than figure it out they just shrugged and said "oh you have a trigger point or something". HUH? So they put me on more pain killers and then put me on a drug that puts you through pseudo-menopause (I was 21) for a year. That still didn't solve it so they just shoved drugs in my face and said deal with it. She couldn't figure it out which meant there was nothing wrong with me. Clearly! I jumped through all the hoops and tried everything they told me to and still no solution. So when I kept saying there's a problem they just went "well, maybe you should give it more time or get pregnant, that might fix it" - lol! Anyway, I still have problems with pain so this makes me hopeful that maybe a doctor here will have an answer for me. I've been having more problems recently so I may just make an appointment. So yeah, I can definitely say from experience Canadian health care sucks unless you're dying or only have a simple cold. I've had to live in constant pain for 4 years, 2 years of that pain being debilitating (as in had to drop out of university, couldn't work) and the last 2 years learning how to live with it. Nightmare.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-10 13:30:00
Canada	US Embassies in Canada - do I have to go to Montreal?	You'll be sent to Montreal.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-10 04:26:00
Canada	Which USCIS service center do you use?	Follow the instructions for what you're filing. You can always find instructions with each form, they will tell you what address to send it to. Do not choose your own.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-10 20:36:00
Canada	DS 230 Part 1	Yup, you need to list them all. Just try to work back from memory using other events. I had to ask my mom when we went to disneyland as a kid. I also listed when I was in the US for connecting flights to Australia. Better to be flustered and safe rather than have something pop up.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-11 15:00:00
Canada	Travelling With Cats	Oh heaven help those hotel staff if one of them had gone missing. I would freak!	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-10 15:32:00
Canada	Travelling With Cats	I made sure my cat had all of her vaccinations and a vaccination record before I drove to SoCal from Vancouver. They did not look at any of her paperwork when we crossed. I offered it and they said not to worry about it. California requires you to get a rabies vaccine though, so definitely get that. (I can't remember where I read that but I'm sure I did!) As for the travel part: it really depends on the cat! My cat is very calm and is really dependent on me for happiness (so as long as I was there she was okay). Honestly, she's a lot like a dog. We just set her in the car and drove. When we started out each day she'd meow a bit but once we got going she just sat there. She was fine just being carried to the hotel without a carrier (but I don't recommend that if you're not sure how your cat will react!) Didn't need a carrier at all (except to keep her confined during the inspection at the border). My family has had other cats that HATE traveling. They would literally panic - panting/throwing up/diarrhea... Eventually they just accept it. It's really hard to watch though because all you want to do is comfort them Best suggestion would be to get your cat and go for a car ride and see what s/he does. I believe you can get sedatives from a vet (although my Aunt, who is a vet, says never use them when you take a cat on a plane because it prevents them from regulating their body temperature correctly).	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-06-06 15:57:00
Canada	LONG FORM BIRTH CERTIFICATE	It doesn't matter when you got the certificate, as long as it is the long-form certificate (must have parents names). Good Luck!	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-14 20:46:00
Canada	Question Regarding Border Crossing	My parents didn't bring any proof of ties. The officers were really more concerned with me and my K1 visa. When the officer was processing it, he simply asked me when are your parents going home. I told him about a week or so (they drove to Cali and back so they spent about a week and a half).	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-16 13:33:00
Canada	Canadian taxes	You should have notified them that you were leaving because you are no longer eligible to receive the HST/GST credit. Not sure what to do if you didn't file your exit taxes in the proper year, I'm sure someone else can provide more info!	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-14 19:50:00
Canada	RFE for Birth Certificate on I-485	I sent in a copy of my long form certificate. No RFE for that as of right now.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-16 03:08:00
Canada	We're FINALLY home!!	Congratulations! Must feel good to be HOME!	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-15 14:51:00
Canada	Getting the runaround on paperwork (Warning: Rant Ahead)	Ugh! Talk about frustrating! Sorry you've had problems *big hug*	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-16 18:28:00
Canada	Canadian getting a California DL	You can also go to the california DMV website and take the practice tests which have a lot of California rules.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-20 13:30:00
Canada	DS 156 vs DS 160 vs My Head Exploding!	You go to the website, and fill it out. Not sure how it's confusing. You do not need DS-160. This is the link to the website to book your interview: http://usvisa-info.c...country_welcome You click create account. It asks if you have created your account/paid your fee. Click no if you haven't. Fill out the information. I can't go past that screen, but as far as I recall, it asks you for your case number and a few other things then it will let you book the interview.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-30 02:48:00
Canada	Declaring Jewelry at POE?	You shouldn't have to declare your personal items. I didn't when I drove over, I know they give you the form when you fly but I would just write 0 as the value of things staying. Don't know if that's correct or not. Maybe ask one of the customs officials when you get there.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-08-29 20:54:00
Canada	Woking Medical is CLOSING	Yuck, that would suck.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-07-29 00:09:00
Canada	Packet 3 VANCOUVER checklist	Here's the Vancouver K1 guide I put together a while ago, you may find it helpful. http://www.visajourn...uide-vancouver/ I responded to your questions via PM, but I'm not sure whether Vancouver allows self-sponsorship. Hopefully the consulate will e-mail you back or someone else here can answer that for you. As VeeNDee mentioned, you can claim your assets on your I-864 but they usually require 4x the assets (vs. income). I think you will be fine considering you have a substantial amount of savings. That said, if you are not allowed to self-sponsor for the I-134, your fiancee will need to get a co-sponsor. Edit: I just re-read P3 and it does say the beneficiary can submit evidence to "prove they will not become a public charge". Perhaps you could fill out your own I-134? Still not sure on the correct procedure to follow. Edited by dukeandduchess, 12 September 2012 - 09:37 PM.	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-09-12 21:34:00
Canada	last night in Canada...	It can be difficult, but soon you will be so excited to be together! I can't say I don't miss home, but I am making my home here now. You'll be okay	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-09-30 03:03:00
Canada	The Interview Process	I'm pretty sure they asked me this for my K1 and I never even thought to say "To be with my fiance (now husband)"... I think I said something like "His family is closer so we would have more support when we have a family." Maybe something like that?	dukeandduchess	Female	Canada	2012-10-02 23:13:00