ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIs there a "March Filers" thread in here somewhere?
I thought I'd run across a thread for March K-1 filers at one time, but I'm unable to find it. Anyone have the link?
Tim and ErinFemaleCanada2010-04-02 14:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresThanks to everyone ...APPROVED!!!
Congratulations and good luck with your move and your new life! :thumbs:
Tim and ErinFemaleCanada2010-11-05 13:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureswish me luck.. hah
I've also been through the wringer at the border (fingerprints, interrogation, etc) and it's not fun. But I was uninformed at the time and not prepared...no job...no return flight ticket because I was getting a ride home...also living at my mom's...no strong ties. But things turned around for my next visit when I was prepared ahead of time.

I don't think you've got anything to worry about. You've got lots of proof of ties. Just relax and tell yourself you're prepared!

Let us know how your border crossing goes. Enjoy your visit! :thumbs:
Tim and ErinFemaleCanada2010-11-16 10:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHow do we enter USA from Canada with approved IR-1 visa in passport ?
I came across awhile back (May 23 2005) but I had no problems at all.
I spent about 15-20minutes going through customs got asked a few questions got electronically finger printed and photographed and that was about it maybe a total 5min. The rest of it was waiting in line.
That was flying from Toronto to Texas.
sStiXxNot TellingCanada2007-02-26 01:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuick Question
So I am looking at this link: http://www.uscis.gov...form/i-864p.pdf and I think I am a tad confused about the numbers..

So my husband is in active duty for the U.S. military, so does he need to be making $14,710 in order for us not to neeed a co-sponsor, or $29,420?

Thanks!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-17 15:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about documentation
I have been reviewing this link: http://www.visajourn...ontent/assembly for my darling husband since he tends to overlook some details and I was just wondering do we need to send original documents in with the initial 1-130? I know I will need to bring originals in for the interview, but for the initial application are photocopies of his birth cetificate and a certified copy of our marriage license acceptable (we had certified copies made the day we got married knowing we we need them for his marriage notification for the military and this).
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-19 09:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuick question(s) about g-325

try to refer on here: http://www.visajourn...ontent/examples

also, G-325A can sign by your petitioner.



My husband cannot sign the form for me. That is called forgery.

:thumbs:

the only thing i would change about that is ...

1) if it gives you an error then leave it blank... print it off... then write "NONE" using black ink



That is what I was thinking of doing. Thank you for the quick reply!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-23 17:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuick question(s) about g-325
So I am doing my g-325 to mail to my husband and I have a couple questions that I can't seem to answer from looking at the example form.

1) For SIN do I leave it blank or write in 'none' as I do not have a U.S. SIN number. I have looked at the example form but when I type in 'none' i get an error stating my entry needs to be numerical.
2)For Applican't last residence outside us for more than one year, I listg current address (where I have lived for 15 years) and list the applicaiton month in the last set of boxes
3) Does it matter if I typed it in all caps?
4) My native language is clearly in roman alphabet so do I type "n/a| or leave that space blank
5) I am not previously married so do I need to only write "none" in the first box, or all the boxes?
6) For the I-130 we are applying for permanent resident, correct?
7) For file number and alien reistration number, both which have a bold 'A' beside them, I leave blank?

Thank you again for all your help!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-23 16:53:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 form questions

Legaly me and my husband have only lived together for 3 days on paper lol (which i felt so silly putting on the form, but its true lol we got our house together just before i left) even though we lived together in his barracks room for 3 months lol! Maybe they stayed with family though, because when my husband came to England we stayed with my parents!



When I visited I had my own hotel room. He lives with a friend, his wife, 2 kids and and 2 dogs. I wanted somewhere we could have privacy.
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-27 20:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 form questions

I remember freaking out when we were filling in the I-130, just take a deep breath and relax :) if you have never lived with your husband then i would asume "none" would be the correct answer.

In relation to your passport number, in my personal opinion i would wait for the new passport number because it would cause less complications, but i dont know for sure how it works, so hopefuly someone else can give you an answer that is a little more informed! :)



Thanks a bunch!

I also asked in the Canadian forum re: passport info.
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-27 18:54:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 form questions
Husband just skyped me freaking out that we might have a problem as he is filling out the form. For #21 "If filing for your husband/wife, give last address at which you lived together'. We have never lived together so is writing in "NONE" acceptable?

Also, I have to renew passport as mine is expiring in a few months. I will be doing that fairly soon, so should I hold off until my renewed one comes in or just file the I-130 with my current passport number and adjust later?

Thanks!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-27 18:36:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAffidavit Question
Can photocopies of our relationship affidavits be submitted with the 1-130??
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-28 08:55:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBiographic page question
Filling out the g-25a and I just wanted to double check, for the I-130 and answering "This form is submitted in application for:...." I check "staus as permanent resident", correct?
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-30 09:44:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuick Questions
FInishing up the last little bits of our I-130 package and I have a couple last minute questions:

1) On the I-130 #22, as we are applying for a Cr-1 being married less than two years and all, we should put "N/A" in the first blanks, and then Montreal, Canada for where I will apply for my visa abroad, correct?
2)On the same form, question # 7 "Other names Used (including maiden name); I have not changed my last name which has been the one I used all my life, so do I just write my last name again in this box or put "none". For my husband, same thing? Just write his last name or write "None"?

Nothing beats the paranoia of screwing these forms up :)

Thank you all for your continued help!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-30 18:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresGeneral update and question
I too was able to get a joint account with BOA when I was last with my hubby just after we got married a few weeks ago. This was in Tennessee on base. All she wanted was my passport and driver's license.
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-30 10:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Question
Thank you so much for all your help. It is truly helping me to worry a bit less. i am sure I will be pestering you all more in the coming weeks, but know it is really appreciated!

Already on the phone with my mother-in-law about getting his long form BC and the wedding pics. She is too awesome for her own good :)
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-09 15:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Question
Thank you for the fast reply!

I have not had a chance to see the wedding photos as my mother-in-law was the primary photographer at our small civil ceremony and she had to go home soon after as she had to extend her Christmas vacation just to come and drove 1100miles just to spend a couple hours with us. I will have to pester her for those.

I will do my best to get him chatting on Skype, etc more often.

I do have my military spousal ID, so should we include this in the visual proof as well? I have one or two of my boarding passes and some receipts (wedding rings, airport taxis from our limited visits. Not too many since it hadn't occurred to me to keep receipts from our dates at places like bowling alleys and movies... though I do have movie stubs but no pics) are these usable as well?

Most of the letters I wrote him while he was stationed have been lost in the return home, which is frustrating as we are compiling stuff for the I-130 :(
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-09 14:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 Question
New Member to the Vj forums, but have been reading for quite some time.

After a whirlwind romance, I just married the love of my life in Tennessee and am heading home to Canada so we can start the long process of getting my Cr-1. I am doing a good portion of the visa application research since my new hubby is in the U.S. Army and is very busy, so please bear with any stupid or inane questions I have :)

I have a couple questions that I am seeki

--]The first step of the application process is the I-130 form, correct?
-- What exactly do they mean in terms of full birth certificate? My husband had the wallet-sized one with us when we got our marriage license, is this acceptable? Or are they referring to the long-form one that you have to order?
-- My husband and I aren't really big into e-mailing or chatting on things such as Facebook, Skype, yahoo chat etc. We met online through World Of Warcraft so our hours of conversation is lost on that front. Is this going to be a problem in proving our ongoing relationship? We have a joint bank account and some photos but not a whole heck of a lot (we are averse to cameras it would seem ), some of which are from our wedding. We are able to get the guy who introduced us and was at our wedding as well as my mother-in-law to provide affidavits to our relationship. I am worried that the shortness or our relationship prior to us getting married is going to be a hindrance to our Visa application. Am I freqking out over nothing? Our physical time together has been limited due to me doing my Masters degree and him being deployed to Afghanistan during the bulk of our courtship.

I apologize is these are repeat questions, I'm just so worried we are doomed in the application process and any help is greatly appreciated :)

Matsiepan
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-09 13:50:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresHelp I'm so confused!

To answer your questions..
1. You write down his employer. If he's in the army, write US Army.
2. If you don't know where you'll be living yet, I'd use the current address where he receives mail. We don't know either, but we're using her parents address, since that's where she currently receives her mail.
3. If you haven't lived together yet, don't worry.they understand that not all couples have lived together before. This isn't a big deal until you're filling to remove conditions in about 2.5 years.



His being in the army may benefit your application if you have your priveledge and benefits ID and DEERS enrollment.
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-01-31 14:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresProof that marriage in the US without K-1 visa is OK
[quote name='Fishguy' timestamp='1329841020' post='5169782']
Remember that Canadians don't get tourist visas. Heck, we don't even get a stamp in our Passports when we enter the US. Due to the relationship between Canada and the US, entering is typically much more simple for a Canadian than most others. They typically only ask what your duration of stay is, do you have any fruits and vegetables etc.. As with many things in life I usually find it better only give answers to the questions asked and not volunteer too much extra info.

I get stamped every time I have flown to the U.S. to visit my husband. I just don't get stamped when I drive across.
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-02-21 18:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSharing of FInances
:) I did sign in person on the bank account. When we got married in January a couple days later we went into a Bank of America and opened up a joint account since they did not require me to have a U.S. SSN to co-open the account.
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-04-04 07:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSharing of FInances
So I am not entirely sure where I should be posting this, but as this is the forum I am most accustomed to here goes :)

I am considering getting a secondary card added to my current mastercard account for my hubby living in the U.S. Simply giving him a MC that I am responsible for covering the payments on any charges he may make. I figured it is just another step in proving the minglng of our finances (in addition to our joint Bank Of America account which we are using to create a new-life together nest egg for when I am finally able to be with him, as well gives me some piece of mind knowing that if he ever needs something while I am not there he's not up a creek (I currently make more than he does).

Has anyone aside from me done this (beneficiary giving petitioner a joint credit card) or experienced any issues in the approval process? We do not have as much pre-marriage stuff to document our relationship due to it having originally being fostered on WoW and his unfortunate loss of my physical letters while he was deployed during our initial courtship and we had a whirlwind engagement/wedding. I just want to make sure that this is ok to do and won't harm our petition in the long run.

Thanks again for all your continued help :)
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-04-03 20:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about evidence
Hey there!

Quick question here about submitting evidence. I just noticed that the online monthly statements for my hubby's and I's joint bank account does list both of us on the account (which makes sense since it is a joint account, but I've never really seen statements that list both names before). Can I print out these monthly statements and include them in the package as an example of mingling of financial resources, or do they prefer a photocopy of the original paperwork from when we opened the account. I am trying to put together the 1-130 package and need to know if I have to pester my sweetheart to find the original paperwork in the mountain he calls his "filing" or not. Love him to pieces but tidy he is not. :)

Thanks as always!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-07-31 10:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR-1 or K-1? Need advice given situation.
Personally, given the fact that you are going to be apart for a few years I would go the CR/IR route. Get married and when she is finally able to be with you she will be issued a 10-yr GC, you don't have to go through the hassle as you noted that comes with the K-1 once she gets here. She can work fairly soon after (providing there are no mess-ups with Social Insurance and GC production)as opposed to having to wait for EAD etc. This is actually the route my husband and I are going (we have delayed our I-130 submission by a few months to ensure our finances are more secure and to figure plans after he is discharged). We don't like the time apart, but we figure if we delay now it will save us a much greater headache later on.

You can do a great deal between now and then to substantiate a bona fide marriage case (joint property, bank account, insurance, lease, trips, phone logs, etc) and many couples live in the U.S. on separate coasts and can prove the same, so I would worry a little less about this if this is your main concern. I would focus on whether the extended time apart is what you are both willing to handle.

Edited by Matsiepan, 16 September 2012 - 10:49 PM.

MatsiepanFemaleCanada2012-09-16 22:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFilling in 1-30 and g-325 questions
So my hubby and I are finally submitting our application in the next month and I was just going through the initial filing forms and have a couple questions ( I apologize for the length of this post):


i-130 questions

1) On the I-130 form where we fill in the biographical information about my husband (he is the petitioner), he has a "jr" as part of his name. Does this get included in the family name box or his first name box?
2) I live in a house and not an apartment, so do I leave that box blank or put "none" in section C?
3) I have not changed my name since we were married, so do I leave "other names used, including maiden name" blank (or type none), or type in my maiden name?
4) Is short form permitted? I.e. when listing that I live in Ontario, Canada, can I type it in as "ONT, Canada". I looked at the sample form, but I still like to double check.
5) Just noticed I typed everything so far in caps. Should I fix this?
6) We have not yet lived together, so is typing "Have not yet lived together" acceptable for question #21
7) Montreal is the embassy where I will be applying for the visa when we get to that stage, correct?

g-325 questions

1) As these are filled out separately for both myself and my husband, the information needs to only be about myself on my form, correct? So when It asks for the applicant's employment for last 5 years, I fill in my information?
2) When filling in the " this form is submitted in connection with an application for:" section, do I click "other" and type in I-130, or Status as permanent resident?
3)My husband is in the military and was deployed to Afghanistan for about a year within the last 5 years. Do we just list his military base as the residence for that period? This part is confusing us greatly.


Last

1)I know that we do not need to submit my long form birth certificate at this stage (that comes later on when I am applying for the visa itself, not the permission to apply for the visa which is what we are doing now), according to the application guidelines. Is it wise to include it anyway as I have noticed a few people on the boards here get an RFE for not including it?
2) Do our bank statements need to be notarized? We receive our statements electronically for our joint account, so we were just going to have to print them off ourselves and include them in the package as part of our relationship proof. If so, should we just go into our bank and ask for notarized statements? Same thing with any bills we have in both of our names?

As always, thank you for any help you can all provide :)

Laura
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-02-16 10:51:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisa differentiation

It is determined based on your POE date.


Your permanent residence status is conditional if it is based on a marriage that was less than 2 years old on the day you were given permanent residence. You are given conditional resident status on the day you are lawfully admitted to the United States on an immigrant visa or adjustment of your status to permanent residence.

Ref: http://www.uscis.gov...000082ca60aRCRD


Excellent. So should I POE with my visa AFTER my second anniversary, I will be issued a IR-1 and will not need to ROC, correct?
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-02-16 13:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisa differentiation
Thank you for your reply. However I am asking whether it is determined by the day of your interview or the day you POE.
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-02-16 13:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresVisa differentiation
I think my eyes are going fuzzy through all my reading, but I just need a clarification:


Is what determines whether you get an CR-1 or IR-1 visa is the time lapse between when you got married and the time you enter the U.S. on the visa, correct? I.e. if you enter the U.S. with your visa after your 2nd anniversary, you will be issued an IR-1 and 10-year GC (not immediately, but in general). Whereas if you enter before the 2nd anniversary, you are issued CR-1 and need to apply to removed conditions 90 days before 2nd anniversary ?

I'm just confused with the wording, because I have heard it said it is determined by the proximity of the day you were interviewed and the day you were married ( interviewed b4 2nd anniversary and are approved = IR-1).

Husband and I are trying to figure out the timing of submitting our application in the off-chance we seem to get through extraordinarily fast (unlikely).

Thanks again for all the help!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-02-16 13:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuick I-130 evidence question
I thought that may be the case, but it did not hurt to ask.

Thank you for your reply!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-02-26 07:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuick I-130 evidence question
I am just putting together all the proofs for our I-130 application (finally submitting it!!!) and was wondering if including letters I have had my employer write over the past year when I go to visit my husband stating and I going to visit my husband and I am expected back on a certain day are fine to include as evidence of ongoing relationship?

Edited by Matsiepan, 25 February 2013 - 03:08 PM.

MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-02-25 15:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130/affidavit Question
Hey all,


Couple of quick questions:

1) My husband and I have delayed submitting the I-130 for various reasons, but now that we are back on track, will the fact that two of our notarized affidavits are from over a year ago be a problem?
2) If not, on one of the affidavits a friend of our referred to me by an informal hyphenization of my maiden and husband's last name. I have not offically changed my name, and only among friends use the hyphenated name. Should I be including this in "other names used" box of the I-130?
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-03-10 14:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 question
Excellent. Thank you for the quick reply!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-03-17 14:10:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-130 question
On the I-130 for question 15, are they asking for the current employer of the applicant or the beneficiary?
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-03-17 13:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresOther names used question
Ok. Thank you!
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-03-17 20:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresOther names used question
Informally (i.e. on none of my actual forms of ID) I hyphenate my husband and mine's last names. I have not and do no currently plan to change this on any of my IDs. However, I receive mail from my husband's family either addressed using my husband's last name,or the hyphenated version (they presumed I was going to take his name without even asking). Additionally, in one of the affidavits a friend of our referred to me by the informal hyphenization of my maiden and husband's last name. Should I be including this name in the "other names used" box on the I-130? I want to avoid any possible confusion by whomever reviews our package.
MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-03-17 18:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresOdd question perhaps about I-130

For question #19 on the I130, according to the sample form it says I should write in "None" as my native alphabet is Roman. Is this true, or would N/A be more appropriate? I'm just thinking of the issues some people have had with writing "none" under "other names used".

 

Thank you in advance!


Edited by Matsiepan, 05 June 2013 - 03:54 PM.

MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-06-05 15:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about Expedites

So feel free to move this to the military forum if need be-- I could not decide if it is military-only issue or not.

 

So my husband requested an expedite through the military hotline on the basis of a PCS move. He was sent a letter saying to fax in the information/forms officially stating that he is indeed going to be PCSing by the end of today, which is what he is doing ( It has taken this long for him to actually track down the officer in charge of such things in order to get the forms. Last minute, but it could not be helped).

 

He called the hotline again this morning to double-check that the information he gathered for them, was acceptable (before sending it in) and they said it was. He also tells me that he was told on a previous call that if he does not get the information to them by today, it is grounds to cancel our entire I-130 application. Is this actually true? I know that if the expedite is refused, the case goes on as normal (see: waiting forever for a NOA2 ;P).

 

 


MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-08-15 15:21:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNOA1 Hard-Copy Question

Never received a copy. Husband failed to tell me back in June. They have the correct mailing address since they sent him a letter requesting certain documents for our expedite request, which we received and responded to.


Edited by Matsiepan, 06 October 2013 - 08:06 PM.

MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-10-06 20:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNOA1 Hard-Copy Question

So I am planning a quick visit (6 days) to my husband next month before the busy season at work starts and he PCS's to training in the new year (essentially our last chance to spend time together for awhile).

 

I have visited him before with no issues at Customs/Border Patrol in Toronto (always bring letters from employer stating my expected return date, return flight itinerary, copies of recurring bills... never been asked to prove ties to home ironically), but these visits have always been prior to our I-130 submission. We never received a NOA1 hardcopy in the mail but we do have the confirmation text and e-mail USCIS sent us when they accepted the package a few months back. Is there any way to get a hard copy now to print out just in case I am asked for it at the airport, or should I stick to my usual retinue of proof?

 

Thank you for your help!

 

 


MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-10-06 17:01:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresQuestion about visa process and visiting

Disappointing is the mildest word to use in the situation. With the exception of the very polite man who told me I shouldn't have been there and  most of the agents in secondary were rather unprofessional. There was another young woman in there who said she had been there for over 2 hours, missed her flight already, and had been told nothing. I think part of it may have been due to the unfortunate timing of being sent in during the lunch hour/shift change, but I am somewhat tempted to write in to comment on the attitude of the agents (there is a sign in there outlining how they will behave with you).

 

 

Right now I am just thankful I still have a couple hours to indulge in free unlimited booze and food while I wait for my flight and hopefully this will be the last time I have to worry about all of this. I will chalk it up to a learning experience if anything else

 

Thank you for your surprisingly quick reply. Helped calm my nerves.


MatsiepanFemaleCanada2013-11-13 14:10:00