biggish data

CR-1 interviews now being done in Vancouver!!!!

QUOTE (trailmix @ Jan 8 2008, 01:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Answer [Ambassador David Wilkins]: While we recognize the expense and inconvenience for persons having to travel long distances for their final immigration interview, the U.S. establishes a single office in each country to process the immigration cases originating in that county. There are no plans to change this. For the foreseeable future all such cases will go through the U.S. Consulate in Montreal.

I guess this means that the Ambassador can't foresee very much. :shrug:

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-01-08 05:55:00

Holy! $42 for a *basic* home phone w Verizon???

QUOTE (sandozwalker @ Feb 4 2008, 12:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I too have Vonage & have had no problems. Whats great about Vonage? You just need internet connection. I was living in Pennsylvania last year and had Vonage there, when I decided to move back south to be near my family. My fiance was still in Canada though & we did not want our phone bills to go crazy. So, even though the Vonage line was a PA phone number, I gave my fiance the Vonage box and he plugged it up to his computer & sure enough-American Vonage service in Canada. So, while living in the south, I could call another 'American' phone number-but the phone was actually in Canada. Beautiful.

I've been quite happy with Vonage Canada. I used it because I was having some problems with my Bell Canada line...could get DSL no problem, but my line was quite noisy on voice calls and a service call to Bell hadn't helped.

I added a "virtual number" in my girlfriend's state very quickly after we started our relationship (months before she became my fiancee), and I think I only added $8/mo. more for that. We've gotten PLENTY of use out of it, especially with her able to add my number to her cell phone's list for free minutes.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-02-04 12:16:00

How long have you and your loved one been separated?

We're just going through our longest time apart between meetings. My fiancee was up here with her son for spring break, the week following Easter. They drove back on March 29th. I'll finally visit her starting July 8th. This is the first time we've really had longer than two months between visits, but neither of our schedules worked out in May. (Those things called jobs can be so annoying!)

Fortunately, this will be a long visit. I'm using all my holiday time and attending a conference while I'm down there, so I'll be there a couple of days short of a month. So hopefully it will be more like living there than "vacation," and it'll be nice to have a longer stint like that together, before I move there next year.

I think the plans are for me to visit again in October and again over the Christmas holidays (though that's hampered a bit, since I'm a church organist, so I can't get away until after the day itself; last year, I flew down on Boxing Day.)

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-06-24 03:09:00

QUOTE (trailmix @ Sep 23 2008, 09:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Have you looked in to expediting your application at all Cafe - when the time comes to file?

In reading a bit of info on VJ it seems one approach may be to call USCIS once you have filed and explain your situation and inquire as to whether an expedite request would be considered.

I doubt our situation would warrant an expedite, unless something were to change. It would also be difficult for me, because I've given commitments to the people I work with that I'll be here until at least late May. But thank you for raising this. Because if circumstances were to change, it's good to have the reminder that the option is there.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-09-23 08:57:00

QUOTE (Carlawarla @ Sep 23 2008, 07:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hold on! Don't be afraid to post about how you're both surviving this.

Things have been much better since I first wrote. My fiancee is feeling a bit better and has had a really good weekend. So I'm back to being mostly at peace with the time. And in a little more than three weeks, I'll be down there for a week-long visit (and get to spend my birthday together again).

It's probably relatively easier right now, because we haven't filed the visa, so we aren't in the government's hands quite so much. And I'm trying to make sure my expectations are realistic now, so that I won't be disappointed too much later. Which is why I am even talking about the possibility of it dragging into August, so that I can hopefully be pleasantly surprised when we get things filed and eventually hear back an interview date.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-09-23 08:31:00

QUOTE (Mephys @ Sep 19 2008, 02:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My hubby's divorce took us 8 months in 2006 before we could file our K-1... So from beginning (when we decided I would move) to the day I moved it took about 18 months total... I do not mean to discourage you at all, but you just have to be prepared for the waiting that you have ahead. It is hard as hell, but it the end it will be worthed.

Thanks. I'm prepared for the wait...I've told everybody that I'm here until at least Victoria Day...and the past couple of weeks, I've started to add, maybe as late as Canada Day...and in my mind, I'm preparing to accept anything before Labour Day. Last night was just one of the bad nights, where so much was going on and I really wished I could help. Fortunately, some things have gotten a little better for her overnight, so it's not as bad today.

Thanks so much everybody for all the kind words. I was just trying to hold it together, and needed to really hear from people who'd been there (or are there).

QUOTE

Meanwhile, here's how we dealt with the long distance : We met in a online game, and we kept playing together while waiting for the K-1 process, it made us feel like we were "next to each other". It the closest we could be. Oh and the webcam was always open too

and we would have webcam dinners and we would cook the same food

(Pathetic some would say, but hey it works

)

I just got a webcam this last trip down there...but she finds she misses me more when she sees me on webcam. And right now, she's hiding a surprise, so that I can see her newly-dyed hair for the first time when I go down for a visit next month.

Webcam dinners are out...I don't do a whole lot of cooking (though we have ordered similar pizzas before unintentionally)...but we've done some movie dates where we each have a DVD and keep a phone line open while we watch...I also appear to have gotten her interested in Formula 1 auto racing, so we usually watch those races together at some point on our respective DVRs.

And yes, lots of AIM and lots of telephone. I got a US "virtual number" on Vonage, so she's put that in her MyFaves, so she can call me on her cell (or at home) without paying per-minute.

I'm hoping the year stays busy enough that the time passes quickly. But that time together this summer proved that we will be wonderful together. So there is a very special prize at the end of all this waiting, and it will be worth it.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-09-19 11:16:00

A rough day today. My beloved is having a rough time medically and I feel so helpless being stuck up here when I wish I could be there to do stuff as simple as get something for her from the other end of the house, so she didn't have to get up for it.

Frustrating, because the divorce process has dragged on, so we still haven't been able to file for our K-1 yet. (I'm thinking that will happen by the end of October.) And I'm wishing there was a quicker, legal way to be together. (A guy can dream, can't he?)

I'm tired of being unable to help. And I'm tired of waiting. I miss her and I'm tired of being apart. The process looked so simple at the beginning. Just time. And here we are. I know it'll be worth it, but I'm tired of waiting.

I'd like to just push the clock ahead by a few months. Anybody got a time machine I could borrow?

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-09-18 22:02:00

Canadian TV

QUOTE (AntandD @ Sep 30 2008, 02:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it was by a government/non-profit group called "concerned children's advertisers", or something like that, that sponsored this commercial.

They also did that "Drugs, drugs, drugs, which are good, which are bad. Drug, drugs, drugs, ask your Mom or ask your Dad..." commerical too.

I love that commercial! When my fiancee talks about taking about her medication, she now calls it her "drugs, drugs, drugs"...and when we're typing in chat we've even coined the abbreviation: DDDSAGSAB (Drugs, Drugs, Drugs, Some Are Good, Some Are Bad...since I'd misremembered the exact words.)

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-09-30 17:09:00

The first sign of progress

QUOTE (Carlawarla @ Nov 19 2008, 07:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Welcome to the Canada forum maplestar! Please introduce yourself! Where are you from? Your fiance from? I know you can't fill out your timeline yet, but please do so as soon as you file.

Thanks for the welcome, Carla...

I'm from a small town just west of Ottawa, where I work as a church organist, piano teacher and accompanist. She's from Virginia Beach and works in software development for a government contractor. We met through church-related e-mail lists that we were both members of, and had become good friends offlist, because we shared some common experiences and because we were similar in age compared to the rest of the list. We've been fortunate that we manage to see each other about every two or three months. There's a group that leads music at my church one Sunday of the month for most of the year, which means I have that chance to get away a little more easily, without using up all my holiday time (and I was able to use all three weeks of my holidays plus a week of continuing education time this past summer to spend an extended visit in what will be our home there). She has two teenage kids, a fourteen-year-old son (who mostly lives with his dad) and a thirteen-year-old daughter (who splits her time evenly between her two parents).

And yes, definitely filling out the timeline as soon as I have a date to fit in it. I've looked at dates on this site so often, trying to figure out what the timeline will be for us. We've been smart, though. We want to have a larger ceremony than "the process" would easily allow, so we plan to split it in two parts. Almost as soon as I go down, we plan to have a civil ceremony, with probably just our parents and her kids there, and then a few months later to have a church blessing, which we'll invite the families to and have as our main celebration of our marriage. (uh-oh...am I setting myself up for having to remember two different anniversary dates? :-D )

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-11-19 11:22:00

The first sign of progress

QUOTE (BH45 @ Nov 18 2008, 05:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Welcome. You'll find many here to help through the various steps of the process. VJ is a great place for questions and getting answers. I hope your journey is a smooth one.

Thanks! I've really enjoyed reading here over the last year, but since I'm not yet in the process, I haven't had a whole lot to say. I expect I'll be more active in the next few weeks, though

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-11-18 17:46:00

The first sign of progress

In some ways, it's felt like a long road. And in a way, we haven't really set out yet. But today is a big step. My fiancee's divorce hearing was this morning and she's now single again! As I understand it, the divorce is official as of today, but it will take two to three weeks to get the paperwork back from the court.

We've had our eye on the K-1 requirements for a long time now (I found VJ just over a year ago, a month or two before I officially proposed), but now we'll get serious about assembling the package for the petition. I'll be going down for a 10-day post-Christmas visit and we're aiming to be able to submit the petition about the time I come back home.

The original "plan" had been for me to move sometime around Victoria Day/Memorial Day, but given that the divorce process took a few months longer than I was expecting, at this point, I've adjusted my expectations to a move any time between then and Labo(u)r Day.

I'm sort of feeling that "I've got to study" feeling, since it's been so long since I've looked into the paperwork requirements. I know where to find the information, but for tonight, I'm going to relax and enjoy the moment. Tomorrow, time to pull out the book and click on the links around this site to really start getting our forms and evidence in order.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-11-18 17:33:00

Whos going Home for Christmas?

I'll be spending Christmas here, just outside of Ottawa. Because I'm a church organist, there's no way for me to get away for the holiday itself. (And given that it's my last Christmas here for a while, it is nice to share it with my family.)

But on Dec. 29th, I'll be flying south to visit my Ladybug.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-11-24 19:16:00

I found this which seems a little more detailed, but I'm not sure how up to date it would be.

http://thehague.usem...s/u.s.-customs/

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-12-12 14:01:00

I found a list explaining what can be brought back to Canada here: http://www.cbsa-asfc...aw-loi-eng.html but I haven't seen anything that detailed listing what's permitted/prohibited crossing into the US.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-12-12 13:30:00

QUOTE (thetreble @ Dec 12 2008, 01:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you mean, can I bring a sandwich on the plane, then yes, you can.

I think the food reference is to special foods that maybe other countries do not allow or if you were bringing an entire ham on the plane..or something like that.

No, it was the grocery thread that got me wondering...and wondering what the line is between allowed and not allowed. Are certain items allowed and others prohibited? Are some things limited to a certain quantity/amount? That sort of thing.

(Besides, with pre-clearance, any sandwich I brought on the plane would probably be purchased after I cleared customs!)

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-12-12 13:07:00

I keep wondering about this, because all my travel back and forth is by plane (since I don't have a driver's license). And I know the little cards you have to fill out when you cross the border ask if you're carrying food with you. And I've always avoided bringing food with me, because I'm expecting if I check that box to end up with a hassle. Am I worrying too much? What's allowed? Anybody know? What's not? What's your experience with checking the box?

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-12-12 13:00:00

Skype Calls and other proof of bonafide relationship

QUOTE (texascamelqueen @ Dec 24 2008, 01:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

..........I completely agree with this. You have no idea what a person is REALLY like until you spend time with the person face-to-face. Everything seems so exciting and romantic when you are in anticipation of something, but you don't get to know someone until you are around them for the day-to-day things in life. I met my now-fiance when I was on holiday in Morocco, we kept in touch profusely over the next year, and then I went back to visit for a month. However, we discussed having no expectations for marriage before I got there, that we just need to let things naturally take their course. If things felt right, they felt right. Obviously, things felt right for us, but I would have never agreed to marrying without having spent that essential time together to know him on another level, with all the good, bad, boring, annoying, and wonderful things that come along with day-to-day life.

This rings true for me, too. We've known each other online for more than a decade, so there was already a high level of trust between us. But I think we each had a little nagging in the back of our heads until this summer, when I managed to get down there for a month-long visit. I think something like that helps prove that a couple can live together. Because I think it's quite possible to love somebody deeply, but to be incompatible as husband and wife.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2008-12-26 17:38:00

Opening a bank account

Thanks for all the great comments...

I have to admit, the worst part of this is the lack of preparation...I knew exactly what I needed for the K-1 and figured I had plenty more months to get everything lined up for the AOS paperwork. Surprise!

But it's very comforting to hear the "I've been there"s. I'm pretty sure I'll be find once we get the paperwork filed...but right now, I almost feel afraid in a weird way. I mean, I went to Walmart today, because I felt too weird to go with her to the Social Security office to change her name. But those "don't feel right" moments are few and far between, so that's good.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-02-02 19:13:00

Opening a bank account

OK, folks. Things didn't go according to plan...which means I'm in waters I hadn't prepared for.

I came down for my post-Christmas visit to my fiancee. (I'm a church organist, so being away from Canada on Christmas Eve just wasn't an option!) When I got here, I saw that her health condition was bothering her far more than I'd realized (the difference between hearing "I'm having a rough morning" and seeing with my own eyes what that meant to her...as well as her not wanting me to worry when I was so far away).

So plans changed rapidly. And about two weeks ago, we got married here in the US and I won't be returning to Canada. (Which meant I had the "fun" of resigning from my job via e-mail and not getting proper goodbyes and not even having my laptop with me until my parents came down for the wedding; this weekend, it was calling the landlord to let him know I was giving up my apartment in Canada, now that my mother's had a chance to clean it up)...

ANYWAY...that's more of a diversion from my real question:

My wife (I still get a nice shiver from using that phrase) called to find out what she needed to do to add me to her bank accounts. Her financial institution told her I needed to file a W-8BEN, but I'm not sure about doing that given that my address would be within the US...etc. And the ITIN forms seem to want me to file a tax return, but since we were just married in January, I don't need to do THAT yet.

So I'm getting confused here.

Is there any good way to get a bank account before we file the I-130/AOS paperwork? Or am I waiting for my EAD and my SSN? I find this no-man's-land time a little stressful when I think about it.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-02-02 10:46:00

QUOTE (Hugglebuggles @ Nov 19 2009, 09:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did you already submit the application maplestar? When I applied online they had an option to expedite the processing for an extra fee. It cost an extra $20 or so but I received 2 day service.

Yes, I did already submit it.

The option to expedite processing was unavailable to me because it was to be sent outside Canada. They didn't even guarantee the 15 business days.

That said, when I checked the online status this morning, it said that my order had been processed yesterday (despite the fact that it was around 3pm when I submitted it) and that it had been couriered to me. So, I can't imagine ANY courier taking nearly a month for something to get from there to here, so I'm even less worried than before!

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-11-20 23:01:00

QUOTE (mitch.snyder @ Nov 19 2009, 04:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What province are you from??? as a different poster already replied AB was really quick getting it to me.... They also told me 20 days, and I too got in less than a week...

How did I forget that? Born in Ontario (where I lived all my life until I moved down here).

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-11-19 17:45:00

QUOTE (Rhiann @ Nov 19 2009, 03:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I honestly got mine very fast.
I live in Ontario and got it about 3 days after I applied for it.
I dont see it taking more than 2 weeks for you.

That's good. One never knows how to take guarantees. Sometimes they mean "this is how long it takes," and sometimes it means "this is the absolute worst case scenario." Your experience makes me think this is in the second category.

That's a relief!

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-11-19 15:45:00

I had my AOS interview on Tuesday morning and it was pointed out that they needed my long-form birth certificate. I had submitted the only birth certificate I have, the wallet-sized card, but because it doesn't have my parents' names on it, they won't accept it.

I received the letter today giving a 4-week deadline of Dec. 17th to submit the document. So (having heard back from somebody who is eligible to be my guarantor), I submitted the application online for the birth certificate.

Now my worry: the province doesn't make any guarantees about service times, if it's being mailed internationally. If one submits online and it's being mailed within Canada, they guarantee it within 15 business days. If I take that guaranteed time (ignoring the fact that it doesn't apply when the birth certificate's mailed to the U.S.), and work forward, I get Dec. 10th. Which is a little close for my comfort.

Is there a procedure to extend the deadline? If so, should I pre-emptively request an extension now, or should I wait to see if the document arrives in time to meet Immigration's deadline?

P.S. I wish they wouldn't use such black-and-white language in their notices "You have until December 17, 2009 (4 weeks) to submit the required documents or your application will be denied."

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-11-19 15:39:00

Losing a green card

I have my green card back!

We got a call yesterday from the transit company that they'd located my wallet, so we drove to their office to pick it up. Had about an hour of wait, because we needed a supervisor who had the key (it had been somebody from another office who'd called us, not realizing that the Norfolk office had no lost and found staff working that day). And the first time the supervisor looked, she couldn't find it. But their computer showed it as located, so that was good, and we eventually left with my wallet in hand.

So far as I can tell, all is there except for $25 in cash. I'll still carry the card with me. (I'm sorry, guys, but when the US government tells me one thing and "random person on message board" tells me something else, I'm going with the US government. Even if it's not likely I'll need to produce it, I assume it will be a whole lot of hassle if I don't have it that one-in-a-million time I need it.)

But some of the other cards will find new homes (I obviously don't need my SIN card every day. Nor do I need a pile of loyalty cards for chains in Canada. And the now-superseded Employment Authorization Card can probably live in that safe place where I store my Social Security Card, etc.)

Now, to reactivate my debit card...

maplestar

Male

Canada

2010-03-30 09:22:00

Losing a green card

I don't want to face up to this question, but I guess I'll ask if anybody has any experience with replacing a green card. (sigh)

I lost my wallet Sunday. I had it when I got on the bus to come home (because I took my bus pass out of it to swipe when I boarded). I got off the bus, walked across a parking lot to where my wife would be picking me up, got into the car, and before we got home, noticed it was missing. Retraced steps, called the bus company, checked the bus I'd been on when it came back (after it made only one other stop...and the bus had been empty when I got off). No sign of my wallet. Nor has it been turned into the transit company's lost and found, apparently. (We called Monday morning, since it's not open on the weekend.)

So, have found the I-90 form online. Anybody with experience on timelines? I was hoping to not pay USCIS anything this year, after my card finally arrived the end of 2009 and having to file for removal of conditions in 2011. Oh, well.

At least I have some ID still...my passport, birth certificate, and social security card. (rolls eyes...I don't want to even think about the hassle of replacing my SIN card from down here), but everything else was in the wallet: learner's permit, debit card, library card, health insurance card, my old health card from Ontario, and all sorts of old junk that's pretty useless...I mean, when am I going to need my Shoppers Optimum card or my card for M&M Meat Shops...

Still sucks to be missing it.

It would be so much better if somebody would have just taken the $25 cash and maybe the debit card (which I did put a hold on right away...not that there was much in the account) and ditched the wallet so the ID could be returned to me. *shakes head* And the fees on the replacement...seems way too expensive a "stupid tax" for losing my wallet.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2010-03-24 10:48:00

QUOTE (darkchilde794 @ Jan 1 2010, 11:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So since Ive been given an RFE (and likely will get the physical paper tomorrow or Monday) for the I-485 application, does that mean they also hold my EAD and AP application too? I am hoping to work in the spring

I think you're correct about that. In my case (AOS from entering as a tourist), I had neglected to have the medical before sending in my AOS. It was less than 3 weeks from the date of mailing the medical to the date I received my EAD card. (I had not applied for AP.) So if you get on top of the medical, your work in the spring should probably be safe.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2010-01-01 11:50:00

My Christmas gift from the US government was that my green card arrived in the mail on Christmas Eve!!!!

I kind of wish that we hadn't had church plans (singing in the choir for three services Christmas Eve and then my wife playing a role in the Christmas morning service) and could have just jumped in the car...we could have been at my folks place before they woke up on Christmas. But we'll plan this right...I think we're hoping to take my wife's kids up for spring break at Easter.

I may or may not slip up for a visit on my own before then. (But I'll probably wait. It'll be nice to have company crossing the border, instead of alone in a line at the airport.) But it's nice to be able to, since I haven't seen any of the family since my mother went back home a week after the wedding.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-12-26 04:43:00

I am so glad that I found you guys before I started the whole process, otherwise today's mail would have me tearing out my hair.

Today, my wife received the notice that her I-130 petition for me was approved. And the first paragraph includes the sentence: The person for whom you are petitioning "should contact the local USCIS office to obtain Form I-485, Application for Permanent Residence. A copy of this notice should be submitted with the application." Um, I filed that together with the I-130 back in June. Of course, today I received the welcome notice that my I-485 was approved. So good thing I know to ignore the bad instruction in the notice they sent my wife. *shakes head*

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-12-19 13:22:00

Of course, we would be out yesterday afternoon, when I feel my pocket vibrate. A text message with a status update from USCIS.

But we were on our way to have supper. One kid wanted Taco Bell, others were hungry, so we hit a mall food court so that everybody could have what they wanted. Then, we did some looking around for my father-in-law's Christmas gift, and then one kid needed pants, so we headed to the end of the mall to JC Penney...and then FINALLY (it seemed) got home so I could log on and read:

QUOTE
*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***

The last processing action taken on your case

Receipt Number: [redacted]

Application Type: I485 , APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS

Current Status: Card production ordered.

On December 11, 2009, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow 30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from you we will contact you. If you move before you receive the card, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283.

*Current processing times can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov under Check My Case Status and Check Processing Times.
*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.

Sincerely,

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

So yay! A great Christmas present for us! And sounds like I'm finally free of USCIS (well, for almost the next two years)!

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-12-12 04:57:00

And we got a knock on our door this morning from UPS delivering my long-form birth certificate, so we actually have plenty of time to get it back in the mail, but hopefully we can get on that on Friday, with plenty of time to get the 20 minutes to the USCIS office before December 17th.

I may soon be able to forget about USCIS for a couple of years!

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-11-25 12:46:00

Well, my wife and I had my AOS interview Tuesday morning. It was fairly simple. I was a little unnerved by how free-form it was. We did the raise your right hand thing and she did some of the questions from the AOS forms (you know, where I get to assure her that I'm not a terrorist and I'm not planning to overthrow the United States government). Other than that, it was mostly freeform. I think the longest part of the interview was introduced with the question "So what documents do you have for me?" or something like that, which was a little annoying because we had far more than should be necessary.

If I understood properly, it looks like the only hold-up is that I need to order a long-form birth certificate from Ontario, because they don't like the wallet-sized one (since it doesn't include the parents' names). She was stubborn about not giving a time frame for how long it should be after that gets submitted, except to say that their office tends to be pretty prompt.

So, I think I have all the information I need for the application, so I'll do that (even before I get the letter asking for the BC). (I've already gotten the information for my guarantor.)

Is good to have the interview behind us, even if it is a little frustrating to not be approved quite yet. (And in asking about timeline, she did say that my background check has come back, so it sounds like, once we submit the birth certificate, it will just be a matter of shuffling paperwork before I'll have the approval.)

Now I wish I'd gone ahead and ordered the long-form birth certificate. Oh, well. On the plus side, we weren't going to be able to get up there over the holidays anyway, so it's not like this is going to delay anything. (I have my work authorization already, but we didn't apply for advance parole.)

Yesterday was two tooth extractions, so today I'm feeling a bit better and once I transfer a top-up into my checking account, I hope to order the birth certificate later today. (At least that can be ordered online, so I don't have to wait for forms to arrive, etc.)

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-11-19 05:50:00

QUOTE (Inky @ Oct 15 2009, 01:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Still can't check my case status online. Haha wish I could! it would be nice to see where it is at right now.

Online case status is overrated...I didn't check mine for MONTHS after I filed. Now I wish I didn't. Is annoying to see my status say that they received my RFE response and they'll respond within 60 days, when it's said that for almost a month now and it hasn't been updated to reflect the appointment notice I've already received in the mail.

But I understand where you're coming from...the process is wearing, especially when there's no information on what's happening.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-10-15 12:39:00

Well, I got home from spending the day visiting a museum since my wife was out of the house all day (she normally telecommutes, but had to go in to the office today)...and found my social security card and my interview notice.

So definitely feeling the anxiety level rise, but trying not to freak about the interview yet, since it's still more than a month away. I'm doing AOS from entering as a tourist.

(Also, looking forward to opening a bank account AT LAST, now that I have an SSN, and semi-looking forward to getting my learner's permit--not that I liked driving when I tried it back home in Ontario, but here in Virginia, it seems to be a necessity. The bus system in this city is TERRIBLE compared to Ottawa!)

maplestar

Male

Canada

2009-10-13 19:08:00

Homesickness

Nice to see another Portsmouth resident here, Maplestar!

Yes! I was shocked to see us both post on a thread...I was looking there "Portsmouth...Canada...I didn't post already, did I?"

maplestar

Male

Canada

2011-12-14 09:59:00

Homesickness

I didn't feel homesick until I had been here for over 2 years. Is that weird? I was always fine.. a little sad every now and then, but completely fine. When we went to Canada this past August, I came home and I was so depressed for over a week. I had been home several times before that, and nothing out of the ordinary happened... it just hit me like a brick wall. I love living here, life is good and my marriage is fantastic. But home is where the heart is... and home will probably always be Canada.

I'm kind of dreading that first real experience of going back home. I've only been to Canada once in the nearly three years I've lived in the US, but that was a quick and stressful trip, really to say my goodbyes to my grandmother who'd been diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live at most (although that's nearly 18 months ago now and she's still alive). So it was long enough to reconnect with some extended family and get a taste of Tim Hortons and see bilingual signs, but not much else. Even that was where my aunt lives, not the hometown where I lived most of my life before moving down here and where my parents still live.

What really causes my homesickness are the family funerals. And made worse with the one I missed over the weekend, because I had just driven from Virginia to Florida last month to be at my wife's grandmother's funeral. And going to this one would only be about an hour longer than that trip. But I didn't get my driver's license until I moved down here (since in Canada I lived in small towns where I could mostly walk and could never have afforded a car, anyway), so I have zero winter driving experience, so driving up to eastern Ontario in December would not be something I'd be comfortable doing (unless my wife was behind the wheel. Besides, my green card expired the day after the funeral, and I didn't want to have the worries about not getting back in, since I don't have my NOA back for removing conditions.

The only other things are foods. Haven't found anything quite as good as Shreddies for breakfast. And I need to try to either make (or convince my wife to make) tourtieres, butter tarts, and Nanaimo bars.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2011-12-14 06:12:00

Fellow Canadian VJers removing Conditions..

I JUST received a notification that it was delivered. THANK GOODNESS.

I was literally at the post office an hour ago, and the clerk basically said it was in limbo and there was nothing they could do.

Whew!

We mailed ours from a post office in Virginia Beach (since we had to pick up an affadavit from there), and we'd forgotten to take the customer copy of the Express Mail label. The post office mailed our copy to us, but somebody had made an error and wrote: "SHORT PAID $9.40" (I think they did that, not realizing that we'd used a flat-rate envelope and calculated based on weight.)

Was a scary few minutes until I could get online and see that it had already been delivered. Still didn't completely believe it until the check was cashed.

maplestar

Male

Canada

2011-12-17 04:30:00

Fellow Canadian VJers removing Conditions..

Scratch that wont need the tracking number at all. It arrived in the mail this afternoon! Its also got the best picture ever so far in this process and to think .. they take it away after all this! poo.

I wonder if the Christmas rush really delays them arriving. My two-year GC was ordered on 12/11 and didn't arrive until 12/24. Merry Christmas to me that year!

maplestar

Male

Canada

2011-12-14 06:18:00