ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaPackage 3--Montreal
It's a good idea to bring copies with you to the interview. Montreal is supposed to have the original packet 3 you sent in but you never know if something will get lost. I just printed off two copies of packet 3 when I filled it out and kept one. They didn't need the extra copies at my interview, though. It's just a precaution.

Edited by pocheros, 31 August 2012 - 06:27 PM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-08-31 18:27:00
CanadaPlease help, Questions + Timeline for Toronto consulate?
I-797/NOA2 only lists your alien number which will show up on your visa. The consulate number will look like #MTL00002012. 99% chance you will be interveiwing at Montreal, NVC must have had a newbie handle your case who sent it to Toronto.

By the way, Montreal does not assign interview for fiances- you get to book it yourself, so you some have control over the date.

Edited by pocheros, 31 August 2012 - 06:34 PM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-08-31 18:31:00
CanadaHow soon can I send Pkt 3 to Montreal? (K-1)
You can send Packet 3 as soon as DOS says it's been "logged," which is the green light for Montreal to send Packet 3 to you. You DO NOT have to wait for packet 3 to physically arrive in the mail before mailing it out, despite what a DOS operator may say (they all give different answers- they are not familiar with individual consulates typically.) Montreal is notorious for being slow sending out Packet 3 and 4; sometimes they never arrive in the mail.

You can complete the DS 160 now.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-08-31 18:25:00
CanadaDS-260 K-1
Please read the checklist carefully. It says the DS230 OR the DS260.com

Oops the .com was from my phone...
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-01 11:54:00
CanadaSending P3
You save those things for the interview. All you send in packet 3 is the forms, a photocopy of the biographic info page of your passport, and two american style passport photos.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-03 14:46:00
Canadasome questions re: toronto medical
Dr. Seiden's has your results ready 2 business days after the medical, in which case you either pick them up or they are fedex'd to you (which is an extra $50 I believe.) Make sure you DO NOT open the results- they come in a sealed brown envelope that the consular officer will open. In addition to the envelope you will receive a piece of paper that's a record of your vaccinations. Make sure to keep this piece of paper as you will need it for adjustment of status.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-08-18 01:06:00
CanadaAny VJers from South Western Ontario?
I went from Brampton ON to Las Vegas NV. The weather here is a lot better :lol:
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-05-09 17:12:00
CanadaMontreal Package 3 Processing
This sounds normal, especially because of labour day. On top of that Montreal can take a couple weeks to actually process and log your package 3.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-05 21:29:00
CanadaVisa got approved today
Congratulations!
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-04 15:59:00
Canadamedical: report states....vaccine history incomplete
That's normal. It just means you didn't get a couple vaccines because they would be inappropriate for you (for example, one vaccine listed is for 65+ year olds). My vaccine sheet said the same thing and it was alright.

As Kimbear said, make to make extra photocopies because you will need it for AOS.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-08 15:45:00
CanadaPacket 3 and then some...
For package 3 you send the forms, a photocopy of the biographic info page of your passport, and two american-style passport photos (2"x2"). If you are not a citizen of Canada and only a permanent resident you also must send evidence of your residency. Print off two copies of each form as Montreal might request copies of them at the interview, plus it's helpful to have a record of everything. You cannot e-mail the forms to Montreal; they must be mailed. DoS will not flag you for calling them repeatedly; feel free to call every day.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-05 21:25:00
CanadaPolice Clearance in Toronto
I went to 22 division in missisauga and asked for the CPIC check. I filled out a form in person and in less than 5 minutes it was ready for me.

I did that over a year ago though!
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-13 19:15:00
CanadaWant to sponser my husband
This website should be helpful: http://www.roadtocan...orums/index.php
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-19 15:07:00
CanadaAffidavit of Support
I suspect that the letter from your employer along with all the other evidence you listed will be enough :)
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-20 01:44:00
CanadaMedical Exam in the US before Montreal Interview?
You have to do the medical exam in Canada, which means you can do it. in either British Columbia (I think the office used to be in Vancouver but it might have moved recently), Toronto or Montreal.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-22 23:00:00
CanadaPolice Certfiicate
Sounds like mine too! $45 and it took 5 minutes.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-22 12:16:00
Canadaevidence of fiance relationship
Fortunately Vancouver and Montreal tend to be easy when it comes to evidence of your relationship. One should always bring evidence, of course, but don't freak out if you don't have mountains of it. Also the engagement ring, while helpful, is definitely not necessary if you don't have one. I didn't have an engagement ring and I was fine.

This is what I brought for relationship evidence. Montreal didn't ask for any of it, though:

4 photos with the date they were taken written on the back
boarding passes and plane tickets from both me and my then-fiance
credit card statements showing that I spent money in the US (this alone is not very strong evidence, mind)
receipts from when my fiance spent money in Canada, showing his name and location on the receipt
print outs of flight itineraries

For things like receipts you want to show that you and your fiance were both in the same place at the same time. Phone bills are another idea.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-25 18:26:00
CanadaPolice Clearance
It sounds fine. CPIC or National Criminal Records Repository searches with name and DOB are both valid.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-26 14:58:00
CanadaIN LOVE - WHERE TO START, WHAT VISA? ahhhh
The K3 is basically a dead visa, you either go with the K1 (fiance) or the CR1/IR1 (spousal) visa.

All CR1s, regardless of where they live in Canada, must go through Montreal. Fiances living in eastern Canada go to Montreal and ones living in western Canada go to Vancouver.

The K1 is slightly faster than the CR1, especially if you go through Vancouver because Montreal gets the most interviews and therefore has the longest waiting time. Overall it seems to take about 7-12ish months, with 7 being a very fast K1 issuance and 12 months a slightly slower CR1 issuance.

HOWEVER: The difference between the spousal and fiance visa is that upon the receipt of the spousal visa you basically automatically can work and travel outside the US, because it's basically issued concurrently with the green card. However, with the K1 you must first enter the US, get married within 90 days of entering the US, and then adjust your status (AOS) to permanent resident. When you enter the US on a K1 you are not a permanent resident like a CR1 is, you are simply a legal alien residing in the US. AOS costs $1090 and you file it with USCIS and it takes about 3 months or so to receive your green card/EAD/AP, though sometimes it takes longer. (The CR1 basically costs the same; expect to drop around $2-3K on the whole immigration process.) You can file for an EAD and AP the same time you AOS; often they will issue a temporary EAD before the green card so you can get a headstart on employment. AP is advanced parole and allows you to exit and re-enter the US if you need to go to leave the country for some reason. Again the green card also allows you to exit and re-enter the US but you might get a temporary AP issued before the green card arrives.

Until you receive your green card or EAD/AP, however, as a K1 you cannot work in the US or exit and re-enter the country, because the K1 is a ONE TIME USE visa. Once you activate it you cannot re-use it. Since AOS takes about 3 months, as a K1 you can expect to spend at least the first 3 months in the US unable to work and unable to visit Canada. That's also if you get married and file for AOS right away.

I would endorse the K1 route because it's much faster and less of a headache to go through the Vancouver consulate, but consider if you're comfortable with being unable to work and unable to visit Canada for a few months once you immigrate to the US. This is a really uncomfortable scenario to consider, but do you have any loved ones who are ill in Canada? What if you must see them suddenly? And can your boyfriend financially support you until you are able to work?

Edited by pocheros, 03 October 2012 - 07:09 PM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-03 19:00:00
CanadaMedical
That sounds about right, but just in case I would call either Dr. Seiden's (the one in Montreal- there's two offices, the other one is in Toronto) or Medisy's to make sure- and to schedule an appointment, of course. I -think- Medisys takes 3 business days but I'm not sure. Dr Seiden's takes 2 business days. Dr. Seiden's website: http://panelphysicians.com/index.htm Medisys website: https://www.medisys....Pages/home.aspx

Edited by pocheros, 07 October 2012 - 11:16 AM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-07 11:15:00
CanadaCitizenship Party - Food Suggestions
Here is a list of Canadian dishes on wikipedia. Perhaps you'd like to make some of these: http://en.wikipedia...._Canadian_foods
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-07 15:23:00
CanadaBrand new - lots of questions
1. There's really only a couple reasons to go for a K1 over a CR1/IR1. One reason is that you simply want to get married after you immigrate- not out of practical concerns but just because it's more romantic or whatever, lol. The other reason is if you live in Western Canada. Before your visa is issued you have to be interviewed at a consulate. Montreal does the interviews for all CR1/IR1 visas in Canada- meaning, if you live in western Canada and apply for a spousal visa, you'll have to fly across the country to get it! On top of that Montreal is kind of a slow consulate. However, if you live in western Canada and apply for a K1 visa you get interviewed at the Vancouver consulate. Vancouver is much faster than Montreal. However the catch is with a K1 visa you spend a minimum of 2-3 months upon your arrival to the US unable to work or exit and re-enter the country (no visiting Canada) because your green card is getting processed. And that's IF you get married and AOS right away. If you have sick or ill loved ones in Canada, or need to be able to visit Canada at a moment's notice, the K1 is not the best option.

Even in eastern Canada the K1 is a bit faster than the CR1 but it's kind of pointless when you have to AOS after entering the US. My husband got laid off right after I entered the US and only recently got employment back, so even a year after I entered the US I still haven't AOS'd. I've spent the whole year sitting on my butt, unable to work legally or leave the country, because in order to AOS your spouse has to fill out an affidavit of support and part of that is proving they have an income/job (unless they have a ridiculous amount of assets but that doesn't apply to most people.) So I regret going the K1 route. I picked the K1 because I didn't find VJ before starting the process.

2. There is no reason to get a lawyer unless you have a complicated situation. A lawyer would be a glorified typist in your case. Not to mention many lawyers are behind on the immigration process, which changes frequently, and have given out bad advice to Canadian VJers in the past. No need to waste your money on one- you can find all the info you need online. The process looks daunting at first but it's actually pretty easy and straight forward once you get the ball rolling. Make sure to read the guides listed here.

As the previous poster said you would actually apply for a CR1 since IR1s are for couples who've been married for 2+ years. Minor note if you're wondering what the difference between CR1 and IR1 is: A CR1 is for a couple that's been married for less than two years. You'll get issues a conditional 2-year greencard that you have to renew when it expires. This process is called ROC (removal of conditions.) An IR1 gets a 10-year greencard.

I will answer your other questions shortly... In the meantime check out the very helpful guides on this website.

Edited by pocheros, 10 October 2012 - 12:42 AM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-10 00:35:00
CanadaWaiting for Packet 3?

Update:

I called DOS right at 8:30 am this morning. Got a wonderful lady named "Cookie". :P
She said that MTL issued our Packet 3 on October 11, 2012 - yesterday. I'm so happy! :D

I will have everything ready to go and sent back to them by overnight courier on Monday!!


Yay! :dance:
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-14 18:48:00
CanadaWaiting for Packet 3?
I would just call DOS again. Each DOS operator is different (varying degrees of helpful :lol:); you should be able to get one who tells you when packet 3 has been logged.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-10 14:38:00
CanadaFastest Way For A U.S. Citizen to Marry a Canadian
Couple notes:

If you apply for a spousal visa (CR1) you can get married in either Canada or the US. As Udella noted, getting married doesn't automatically have anything to do with immigration. If you go the CR1 route first you get married, then you apply for a visa. With the K1 route you get married after she enters the US on her visa.

The fiance (K1) route tends to be a bit faster than the CR1 route BUT when she finally joins you in the US she will be unable to work or exit and re-enter the country for a minimum of 2-3 months. The K1 is also more expensive. Conversely, a CR1 will be able to work and travel freely immediately. So it's a trade off: the K1 gets her there faster at the expense of being able to work and travel for a few months.

Where does she live? If she lives in western Canada you might want to go the K1 route. This is because ALL CR1s, regardless of where they live, are interviewed in Montreal. However, Vancouver does interviews for K1s in western Canada. Vancouver is a faster consulate than Montreal, and you might save on travel expenses that way. If she lives in eastern Canada she will be interviewed at Montreal regardless.

Finally, both kinds of visa are valid for 6 months after their issue. I mention this because if your process goes pretty quickly and she needs to stay in Canada until June, you don't have to fret as there is a fairly large gap for her to get ready to move.

Edited by pocheros, 14 October 2012 - 03:00 PM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-14 15:00:00
Canadapolice clearance, countries lived 6mos or 12 months?
If you've been residing in your current country of residence for more than 6 months then you must provide a certificate for that country. If you've previously resided in any other countries for a year or more then you must present a certificate from that country as well. For most people this means a police certificate just for Canada.

Edited by pocheros, 19 October 2012 - 06:56 PM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-19 18:54:00
CanadaDo I need the SSN card before I get married?
You don't need an SSN to get married, just some ID. You should be able to find requirements for marriage for your state online. I got married in Las Vegas and didn't have a SSN at the time.

Edited by pocheros, 19 October 2012 - 04:06 PM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-19 16:06:00
CanadaCopied from K-1 forum, did you get your packet back??
No, you do not get the packet back. The packet is instead forwarded to a USCIS centre. You have to submit copies of everything again, and yes... more passport photos! :P Yeah it's a very redundant process but that's how it goes.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-20 14:15:00
CanadaProving Domicile
Evidence of domicile is for US Citizens who do not currently reside in the US. For example it's common for Americans to live in Canada with their spouse, and when interview times comes the Canadian must prove that the American will move back to the US. Since you live in the US this is not a problem for you.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-21 18:58:00
CanadaFeeling frustrated...help please?

@codygrace:
So you did indeed fill out the DS160? The website where I was directed to fill out that form states that K Visa applicants don't have to fill it out but the instructions from Montreal tell me I do. I have also come to learn that there are a few things about the way processing is done in Montreal that is different from other consulates. Maybe this discrepancy is just another instance of Montreal being different? :)


ALWAYS refer to the consulate's instructions. The requirements vary from consulate to consulate; USCIS just lays out a general guideline that all the consulates have to follow but it's no consulate-specific.

According to the official packet 3 instructions for a K1 going through Montreal, you need: [source: http://montreal.usco...pplicants.html]

If you are a Fiancé (K-1) applicant:

DS-230, Part I only – one copy per each applicant, including children.
DS-156 – 2 copies.
DS-156K (292KB PDF) – 1 copy.
Confirmation receipt regarding Form DS-160 - one copy, available online at ceac.state.gov/genniv.
Checklist of documents to gather for the interview – one copy per family is sufficient.
2 color photographs (Photograph Requirements)
Photocopy of the biographic data page of the applicant's passport.

You may send the documents to the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal using courier services that are offered at no extra cost for the applicant. Please visit the Visa Services website and follow instructions for "IV Applicant Needing to Register for DHL" and "Sending Document to the Consular Section". If you have any further inquiries about the courier services, please visit the U.S. Visa Services website.


So yes, you need to fill out the DS-160. If I recall correctly that's the form that asks for a digital photo, right? This form is supposed to be accessed online (hence Packet 3 says you only need the confirmation receipt), but there should be an option to print out the whole form at the end of its steps. If you can make sure to print out the confirmation receipt and the form itself. You technically only need the receipt, which should show a barcode and your photo, but it's good to have the whole form printed out too.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-15 18:17:00
CanadaCanadian Citizenship for Children

I know dual USA/CDN citizens that have TS clearance. Just many companies won't do it as it costs more to do say for a normal plain Jane USA citizen as it takes more investigating.


That makes sense because I also know someone with top secret clearance who's told me they can't be a dual without risking their job. So it comes down to how much the company is willing to spend, I guess.

Edited by pocheros, 23 October 2012 - 06:12 AM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-23 06:11:00
CanadaCanadian Citizenship for Children

So I wonder then what this dude was yacking about since your the second person thats told me this now. This was 7 years ago that I asked, did something change?


This is not entirely untrue. You can't generally can't be a dual citizen if Secret or Top Secret security clearance is a requirement for your job. I know cause my husband is ex military and works in a military-related industry currently. It has to do with conflicting interests.

That doesn't mean you can't join the army as a dual citizen, just that any positions that require Top Secret clearance are gonna be off limits. Not all cushy jobs in the military necessarily require a high level of security clearance, though. If you know where the nukes are you can't be a dual. :P

Edit: whoops, timeouts caused me to double post.

Edited by pocheros, 23 October 2012 - 05:00 AM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-23 04:55:00
CanadaCanadian Citizenship for Children

So I wonder then what this dude was yacking about since your the second person thats told me this now. This was 7 years ago that I asked, did something change?


This is not entirely untrue. You can't generally can't be a dual citizen if secret to top secret security clearance is a requirement for your job. I know cause my husband is ex military and works in a military-related industry currently.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-23 04:55:00
CanadaShould I close my Canadian bank account?

What is a state ID? So does the expiration on your State ID affect your bank account? How can you get it extended after it gets expired?


A state ID is an ID card that individual states can issue. You get them at the DMV. I mentioned the expiration date because I haven't filed for AOS yet which means I had to make sure to open my bank account before my state ID expired. It doesn't matter if it expires after you open the bank account. State ID cards are only supposed to be issued to residents so you extend an ID card by showing proof of residency (green card).
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-22 11:57:00
CanadaShould I close my Canadian bank account?
IMO you should keep your canadian bank account open because the CRA won't direct deposit your tax return into an American bank and American banks tend to be finicky about cashing Canadian checks. I suspect if you collect EI from Canada they won't direct deposit into American banks either.

Also with opening a bank account in the US it varies, I had an SSN but they wouldn't open me a bank account unless I had an American passport or state ID. I was able to get a state ID (but it expired the same day as my I-94) so the bank accepted it when I came back. SSN alone may not be enough!

US and Canada do not share credit and usually they won't go out of their way to check your Canadian credit, you're basically starting from scratch when you move to the US.

Make sure to apply for your SSN within 74 days your POE. They accept SSN applications up to two weeks before your I-94 expires (which is 90 days after your POE); if you miss the boat on that you'll have to wait until you get your greencard.

Edited by pocheros, 21 September 2012 - 02:15 PM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-21 14:10:00
Canada1st steps

Hi all. I am a Canadian citizen marrying a US citizen in Vegas in a few weeks. we would like to live and work in Canada. How do we start this process..where do we find the paperwork?
As well I am divorced..3 years... Will this pose a problem. Thxs


Visa Journey is for people immigrating to America, but Road to Canada is for people immigrating to Canada. Their forums should help you: http://www.roadtocan...orums/index.php

Here is Citizenship and Immigration Canada: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp
Sponsoring your spouse: http://www.cic.gc.ca...nsor/spouse.asp

Congrats on your upcoming marriage and good luck :)

Edited by pocheros, 29 October 2012 - 01:38 AM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-29 01:30:00
CanadaSpecific question about the medical
I think they consider when the medical was done so it should be okay. They're mostly concerned about highly communicable diseases like tuberculosis, and for vaccines/immunity the ones they look for are MMR and varicella (chickenpox).
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-17 19:31:00
CanadaFEES - straight up... what are they?
Don't forget the travel expenses. You have to go to Montreal for the interview. Another small thing that adds up is all the passport photos. Any documents not in english must be translated as well. Then there's the travel expenses once you actually move to the US.
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-09-03 18:36:00
CanadaMedical & Immunizations
Is Hep A absolutely required? I ask because I just recently re-did my medical with a civil surgeon (because my first medical expired) and sent the I-693 off with the rest of my AOS, and the doctor didn't give me a hep A shot, just a tetanus one, and I'm pretty sure I've never had a Hep A shot, just the other Hep ones... :S
pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-31 04:02:00
CanadaMedical & Immunizations
Make sure your MMR is up to date. Immunity to rubella fades over time and one of the vaccines USCIS looks for is MMR. My doctor gave me a booster before I went to the medical. Since it's flu season you'll also need a flu shot.

Yeah, there are a few vaccines that are not age appropriate for most people- this is fine. When you get your medical exam (it will be in a sealed envelope- you cannot open the envelope or it'll void its contents) you'll get a copy of your immunization worksheet, or the DS-3025. Most likely a box that says "applicant is eligible for blanket waivers" will be checked off. This is also fine. I mention it because a lot of people panic when they see this box ticked off. Do not lose this sheet because you will need it for adjustment of status.

I did not get Hep A and it didn't cause any problems, though it's certainly a good vaccination to get anyways.

Edited by pocheros, 30 October 2012 - 05:49 PM.

pocherosFemaleCanada2012-10-30 17:48:00