Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	visiting US while CR1	I'm not the expert on this and I know those who have done CR-1's will give you the 100% correct answer, but a tourist visa and a spousal visa are two very different things. That's exactly what I was getting at. Can't we file both since they are a separate thing? Would NVC or whoever issue tourist visa frown upon seeing two separate cases? 1 for CR1 and 1 for extension of the visit? Would it impact CR-1 processing? Or is it totally different from my friend's case since Canadian citizens don't actually need tourist visa to visit US? Edited by William S, 09 June 2011 - 09:29 AM.	William S	Male	Canada	2011-06-09 09:28:00
Canada	visiting US while CR1	Hi, We haven't filed anything yet as we are waiting for a wedding on Aug 27 so that we can file for CR1. While waiting, we are trying to plan things so that we can be together as much as we can while going thru the process. I understand that since my fiancee is a canadian citizen, she can visit US. I also understand that she may not be allowed as it's really upto the border agents. Let's just say she was allowed to visit after filing CR1. As it stands, she can stay upto 6 months minus 1 day in US. Is there a way to extend that visit? Could we not file for an extension and get a tourist visa or maybe even a student visa while the CR1 is being processed? Just a thought because a friend of mine from another country with tourist visa visited US and he was able to extend his stay in US by filing for extension. Thanks.	William S	Male	Canada	2011-06-09 09:15:00
Canada	Calling out to people from Virginia!	Well, I have been looking on the Internet and on here, and can't find the information I'm looking for! Do you need your EAD to get a driver's license in Virginia? Is there a time frame to get the license (within a certain time of moving here)? Any major issues I should know about before going to the DMV tomorrow? Thanks for the help!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-11 08:54:00
Canada	Medical in Montreal	Medysis was very professional, there is a parking lot under their building and the Delta is right beside it. And this block is not even 8 minutes up the street from the consulate... Like mentionned above, give yourself 4 days prior to your interview to get your medical results. The lady at Medysis told me I could get my results the morning of the interview since they open at 7:30. Good luck for your interview!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-12 08:09:00
Canada	Review of DMV in Virginia for DL	Hahaha! Wow, I got lucky I guess! But I'll celebrate once I have the license in my hands! They could always revoke it or something... Knock on wood!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-17 07:15:00
Canada	Review of DMV in Virginia for DL	I am going to try to get a refund as my oontario license was only 4 months old and the MVA kept it Awww... They kept it? Yeah, definitely try to get a refund! I wish I could have gotten one too!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-15 07:03:00
Canada	Review of DMV in Virginia for DL	Well, I guess the good thing after all this mess is that a US driver's license is much, much cheaper than a Quebec one! Speaking of which, did they keep it? You probably already know this, but don't forget to let the SAAQ know so that you get part of your money back for the portion of the license you didn't use. Maybe you'll have enough to treat yourself to some Starbuck's! I actually received the notice of renewal for my Quebec's license, and it is due in December... No refund for me And they let me keep my Quebec's license!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-14 10:01:00
Canada	Review of DMV in Virginia for DL	It's nuts that the first person said that Internet printouts are better, that makes no sense whatsoever. Glad you got it sorted out! I know I couldn't believe it! I almost felt like laughing at her, but that wouldn't have been nice. Always be nice.	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-12 12:45:00
Canada	Review of DMV in Virginia for DL	Hello everyone! Here is what happened today when I tried to go get my driver's license. First of all some details about my current situation so you can understand the rest better. I-94 will expire on November 17th, AOS package sent and NOA1(I-797C) dated October 18th, and I have a Quebec DL. So about a month ago, I took a first trip to the DMV to get my license. I was under the impression that I had to get it within 60 days of arriving here. I was turned around because I did not have a valid proof of residence. Last week, I got the proof of residence, i.e. a current statement from the bank with my adress on it. In the meanwhile, I found out on here through a very helpful member that I might not be able to get a license since the Governor has recently changed the elligibility factors for immigrants to get a license after an illegal alien drove drunk and ended up killing someone. So, this morning Chris and I went to the DMV to try it anyways, and see what would happen. He had to renew his license anyways, so we figured we'd kill two birds with one stone. Here are the documents that I brought with me: - Passport and I-94 (must be valid as you will see below) - Qc DL - SSN card - Marriage certificate - Proof of adress (current statement that I got at the bank, signed by the teller) - NOA1 for I-485, called I-797C (not necessary but brought it anyways just in case, but it ended up saving the day!) So, the first woman that I talked to at the information desk told me that first of all, the I-94 needed to be valid for at least another 30 days (which would confirm that you need to get it within 60 days). She also looked at my current statement from the bank and said that it was not valid and that I needed to print one off the Internet. I showed her the documents I had gathered from my previous visit to the DMV on which it says that you CANNOT print something off the Internet as it would not be valid, and she said that that wasn't right, the law changed. I thought that was pretty retarded, but oh well... She also said that I probably would have to wait for my green card to get a license. I asked her if the EAD would be enough, and she said that when I get the EAD to come back and that they would have to look at it... I wasn't very satisfied with her answers, so I followed Chris to the desk when his number was called, and this is where it got interesting. I explained the situation to this lady, I asked her if I should go get a number, and she said no, I'll do it right now. She gathered all my documents - the current statement from the bank was fine, go figure - and she went and got a little pad with all the requirements for various visa types. She seemed confused, but took my I-797C with her and went and spoke to her supervisor. After 5 minutes she came back and explained that she was able to issue a temporary driving permit that would expire on the day the I-797C would expire. So a year basically. I did the eye exam, filled out a piece of paper, paid 4$ (that's right, 4$!) and that was it! She had to have the paper I filed out approved by another supervisor. This person also seemed confused at first, but then the teller said that she ran it by James and he said it was ok (that was the first person she went and talked to). I was out of there in one hour! I now have to wait 10-15 days to receive the license in the mail, and I hope nothing will pop up until then! She did say that I was right on the limit. The limit of what I don't know. Either the fact that my I-94 is about to expire, or the fact that the law might change. So I don't know if I just got lucky, but I think it helped that Chris had to go to the DMV and that I was able to talk to a different person. Obviously, the two lady at the two different information desks had no idea what they were talking about. I don't think I would have been able to ask my questions to a teller under different circumstances. Sorry this is so long, but I hope it can help someone else! Very happy I got the license anyways!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-12 12:15:00
Canada	Anyone who has stayed at La Tour hotel	Yeah, or depending on what shore you're coming from, you can leave your car either in Laval or Longueil and take the subway...	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-17 12:36:00
Canada	Is my interview checklist ok?	Your list seems complete, apart from the medical like everyone said. Do you have any other tax transcripts from previous years? You'll be ok, I was just asking... And I had a letter of intent from me too... I know showing up at the interview shows pretty good intent to marry, obviously, but if it's not going to take you long to write one up, why not... I gave mine and my fiance's at the interview. Try to stay calm, smile, and everything will be ok. I was a MESS the week before my interview, only to feel like an idiot at how much I had stressed myself for nothing... Good luck! Oh! Do you have any proofs of ongoing relationship? Like pictures, e-mails, flight info? I brought a lot, never was asked for it, but it was reassuring to have them with me anyways...	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-16 06:53:00
Canada	Am I going to be eligible for benefits?	The EI people would be best! It comes down to the # of hours you have worked!! But another thing you have against yourself is the time between that you quit and moved to the USA. If one quits their job (and stays in canada) they cant get EI (unless 1 has a valid reason) But ur best to call the EI people and ask, all they can do is say no! And even if they did, i would stil try and apply for it,lol Yeah, I would definitely apply anyways too!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-17 12:34:00
Canada	Am I going to be eligible for benefits?	No, not too long nor too confusing! My sister-in-law works for the EI in Quebec, and I remember her saying something regarding applying for EI but then traveling while receiving benefits. If you were in the US after April, they might not give you benefits for the period of time you were not in Canada... I had this conversation with her a year ago, so don't quote me on it! Just call them, you'll get a straight answer! Good luck!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-17 12:30:00
Canada	Ontario OHIP question...	While I was on a US visit visa in the States, My husband got me on his BC/BS coverage, and it's 160 biweekly more for me to be added on. (health, Eyes, Dental) I thought it was a perfect rate since I had gone to a doctor once before I was put on his plan and it cost me almost 300 dollars for one visit. I get sick a lot more frequently than my husband. I'm back in Canada again waiting for the interview now though. But my husband has a very low rate bi weekly as well because he goes in for medicals. We get a wonderful low rate because neither of us drink or smoke at all (never have) and that we're not overweight/obese. People complain why it's so high for them, but those kind of factors give a higher risk of you needing to be taken care of! (Plans covering their own butts) And yes, I am Canadian, and I hate it when people think our health care is 'free'. It definitely isn't. You pay about the exact same as you would in most places in the states as you would in Canada in taxes. Get a job and get covered. Then you wont have to be worried about costs. It is most DEFINITELY worth 300-400+ dollars a month to be covered. Makes sense, but to get a job and get covered, I need the EAD, and so does the op... We'll keep knocking on wood until then I guess! What insurance company does your husband deal with if you don't mind me asking?	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-01 19:42:00
Canada	Ontario OHIP question...	Yeah well that's what' wrong with the world if you ask me	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-10-27 14:24:00
Canada	Ontario OHIP question...	I guess what irritated me the most when Chris told me that it would be an extra 430$ to put me on his insurance was the 'female' part. Ok, I don't work right now, that makes sense... But I should be penalised because I have a uterus??? As far as I know, unless technology has changed since last time I checked, you need sperm to create a foetus... Even proof of me being on birth control wouldn't bring the cost down... I was so pissed I didn't even want to damn coverage!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-10-27 13:30:00
Canada	Ontario OHIP question...	I agree. not too mention that one day Ontario will HAVE to change the health care system. The money will run out one day, and everything will start to cost. That's true, nothing is free... I mean, when you work/live in Quebec, 43% of your income goes to income taxes and other various taxes... But I still wish I could go to the doctor, show a card, and be done with it...	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-10-27 12:29:00
Canada	Ontario OHIP question...	And to think Millions of Americans are still brainwashed into thinking free health care is evil..makes you want to bang your head against a brick wall,but then you'd probably have to go to the hospital... Amen!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-10-27 10:54:00
Canada	Ontario OHIP question...	I've never seen employer coverage work like that. Normally the rates are something like: Employee rate Employee+spouse rate Employee+spouse+1 dependant etc. You might want to look into catastrophic coverage for a few months until you can get your own coverage. Catastrophic coverage? Sorry, the name of it is just too funny! What is that?	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-10-27 08:29:00
Canada	Ontario OHIP question...	Thank you all!!! Well the plan was for my husband to add me on his assurance …. BUT we both didnt know it was gonna be 500$ extra a month! i took care of all my health care before i left canada.. took enough refil to last me Months , thank god!! Anyway thanks everyone for replying Yep, I agree with you... Moved here naively thinking that it would be affordable to get coverage with Chris... But for an extra 430$ a month because I don't work and I'm a FEMALE(!?!), no thank you, I'll wait until I get a job and my own coverage... And I won't skateboard or do anything stupid that could result in an injury... And I'll knock on wood that I don't get in a car accident or something like that... We just can't afford it right now. Money doesn't grow on trees (well, not in our backyard anyways...)	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-10-27 08:18:00
Canada	WHEN will this wait end...waiting for an interview date?!	Gosh, every time I read about the crazy waiting time CR1s have, I shake my head, this is insane... How can this still be going on after a YEAR? Hope that you hear something soon, and I think that I would contact the congress person, can't hurt! At least it might make you feel a little bit more in control, which to me was the biggest issue in waiting for Montreal... Feeling like a puppet waiting for the next move... Good luck with eveything, and sending good vibes your way!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-11-30 10:28:00
Canada	Approved! Few pieces of advice...	I'm glad to hear everything went smoothly! Sorry you had to drive for so long! At least it's done now! Congratulations!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-01 08:56:00
Canada	Did you ever get 'screwed' ordering from a website?	Vero, how did you get the exclamation mark in your topic title? When I create a new topic I only see those available as a post icon. Mumm... I don't know, it's just there... Very vague answer, I know, but my computer literacy is as good as my English	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-06 11:09:00
Canada	Did you ever get 'screwed' ordering from a website?	Thanks for the feedback everyone! I'm going to keep this 'complaint.com' site close by... I did ask myself for a good hour whether or not to order from them, but I took a chance. They replied in the same day when I e-mailed them though... I guess I'll give them this week and see what happens... I also read a lot of complaints about fragrance.net, but I think it was because people were ordering from the UK... Again, thanks everyone, I had no idea if this had ever happened to anyone else before...	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-06 10:26:00
Canada	Did you ever get 'screwed' ordering from a website?	Alright, here's the story... Last week I found Chris' cologne on this site, fragrancecosmetic.com. I can't find it anywhere, so I got very excited and ordered it. The site seems safe, McAfee put a little green check mark beside it, you can pay with pay pal and all that fun stuff. BUT, they sent me an e-mail with the tracking number and everything, and it still does not appear on USPS... I e-mailed them, asking them what the h*ll was going on (not in those words), and they e-mailed me back saying that once the package would be received in the postal office of distribution where I live, it would appear online... I'm thinking that doesn't make sense, and I got screwed on that one... Has anyone ever bought anything from them? Or had similar experiences?	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-06 09:43:00
Canada	Holier then thou attitude	You know, you are TOTALLY right on this! I've traveled in Europe, in most of Canada, and in several different places in the U.S, and Americans win hands down for being the nicest! BUT, I agree with the health care thing, the canadian way is THE way to go... But that's just me!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-10-19 12:27:00
Canada	anyone in my situation......???	quite a few of us may aos filers are still waiting..you might have a bit of a wait on your hands. according to uscis they have 6 months before you are outside processing. i have asked for numerous service requests and and am now going on almost 8 months. Arabella jsut recently got her green card for her husband Sean after csc losing his medical and issuing them and RFE after 5 months. Colleens is still waiting and in the same boat as i am. And then there are the people in july and august who got their green cards. However the rule is wait 6 months before complaining according to uscis. Welcome to the Club. AS for the Bio their system screwed up and they forgot to schedule me and Colleens. If you have not heard anyting for bio after waiting a month call and harass them. Chances are they forgot to put your name in the computer that does the appointments. Oh. My. God... What a mess!!! Hopefully you'll hear something soon... Do you at least have your AP and EAD?	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-14 13:40:00
Canada	Need help with the USCIS timeline table	Thanks everyone for the link... Yeah I guess there's not much to worry about just yet, I was just wondering since the Vj timeline was telling me I should have had an answer by now... But I just received an e-mail telling me my EAD was in production, so the AP should be coming soon too hopefully! Thanks again!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-17 21:58:00
Canada	Need help with the USCIS timeline table	Does anyone have to name of it by any chance?	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-17 13:50:00
Canada	Need help with the USCIS timeline table	Hi everyone, I was looking at my timeline today, and realized that according to VJ, I should have gotten an answer on my AP, and soon for my EAD. I was trying to look at the USCIS timeline, and I can't figure it out... On the link from VJ to check the timeline, there are three boxes at the end of the page: Field Office: Service Center: National Benefits Center (also known as MSC): I have no idea what to select... My case (AOS) has not been transfered to CSC, and is still at the Chicago lockbox as far as I know... Please enlight me on what I need to put down, I'm lost and cofused!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-17 13:43:00
Canada	Approved! Montreal Interview Review	Great review! Congratulations on the approval and the little one! Nice Christmas present, enh?	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-21 07:02:00
Canada	Montreal Interview questions..	Will they ask information that has already been provided to them on the applications and such? They asked me when was the last time he was up visiting, and when was the last time I had gone for a visit (info already provided in the forms)... They might want to ask questions even though they have the info to see what your answer will be.	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-17 13:35:00
Canada	K-1 montreal timeline?	Good morning Shorah, We started a thread back when we were waiting for interview dates. We had called it 'Approved November Filers - The Wait for the Interview'. We kept track of our P3 being logged in and when we got our interview dates as well. After our interviews were done, we started a thread for our AOS. We're around 10 people keeping in touch. Believe me, having people to support you (and vice versa) makes this process a lot easier to handle! Maybe start a thread adding a specific month in it so you can track people with similar timelines as yours! I'm sure you're not the only one waiting on Montral Good luck with the rest of your journey!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2010-12-21 06:54:00
Canada	Approved!	Congratulations! Very good news!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2011-01-20 07:10:00
Canada	Thread on VJ and IRS website didn't help...	thanks kayla*mathew! i was able to efile today.. thanks for the heads up. i was so frustrated with the whole thing i was ready to give up : ) What do you guys mean by 'making someone a pin'...	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2011-01-25 18:12:00
Canada	Thread on VJ and IRS website didn't help...	PS - it's normal to fight about doing the taxes, I think my husband and I have done so each year I was so used to doing it all myself, but now I hover older his shoulder and nag him to death Just kidding.....I actually sit across the room lol	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2011-01-24 16:26:00
Canada	Thread on VJ and IRS website didn't help...	Looks like you've gotten great advice so far. What my husband and I did was file jointly in both countries. I mailed a photocopy of my passport to the Canadian tax agency to get an ITN number and he did the same for us. I showed up as $0 income for him as I had no Canadian income and he showed up as $0 income for me as he had no American income. This probably makes it sound overly simplified, but it seemed fairly simple to me. The pain in the butt part came with having to physically mail in my US taxes to file for the ITIN number for my husband. In the end, I found this the easiest way to go. I'm a staff accountant and I also consulted with our auditing accountant to make sure I was doing everything ok. Turbo Tax is great resource. I use it every year. I wouldn't recommend H&R Block as I've found that paying them hundreds of dollars when all the person that does your taxes is doing is basic data entry. Every time I went there, it was just a random lackey with no tax experience inputting stuff into computer software. Good Luck! J- Thank you Jill & Jeff! I just finished filling form 2555-EZ, so I'm all ready for when hubby comes home. Thanks again for everyone that took the time to reply, I have no idea how I would even survive here without all the help and support you guys provide!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2011-01-24 13:28:00
Canada	Thread on VJ and IRS website didn't help...	Thank you so much everyone for your patience and help! I think I understand better now! So basically, I don't necessarily have to wait for my T4 if I know (from my last pay stub) my total income for 2010, and the amount of taxes I paid. And all I need to do if fill form 2555 and 1040, right? Mummm, Turbo tax, enh? I'll keep that in mind! Thank you guys SO MUCH! You have no idea how better I feel now!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2011-01-24 11:24:00
Canada	Thread on VJ and IRS website didn't help...	Thanks Canadiandggal, I would go to HRBlock, but my husband is a firm believer that if you can do something yourself, you shouldn't pay someone else to do it What is a ITIN number? So I guess I definitely need to wait for my T4 then? I work for a school board, and in Quebec, they are always the last one to send them, so I shouldn't expect it sooner than late February... What info do I need from it apart from the whole income? I have some of that info in my pay stubs (total income from 2010, taxes witheld and what not)	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2011-01-24 09:02:00
Canada	Thread on VJ and IRS website didn't help...	Good morning, Sorry to bother everyone with yet ANOTHER tax question, but I'm on the verge of moving back home because this is too complicated for me. We had our first marital fight, and it wasn't a good one. So if anyone feel like helping, this is the time! Sorry again for those of you who will think I should have 'read the guides', done my research and what not. But I have. I've called the IRS, browsed the IRS website with no happy ending, and looked through the tax thread on VJ, and I'm STILL confused. I'll try to make this as simple as possible, this way if you can only answer one question you can do so, and if there's a tax genius out there, please HELP! This is our situation. Our income put together, including my canadian income, is in the 35,000 - 45,000$ range. 1- Is it more profitable to file married seperately or jointly? From experience? 2- If we do file JOINTLY, do I have to wait for my T4s? 3- Is there a form we need to attach/send apart from the normal forms we fill online? (my husband files his taxes online, without using TurboTax or another program like that) 4- Will it take longer for the IRS to process the return? 5- (Last one) If we do go the joint way, is it relatively easy or should I go get a refill of my anxiety medication? (joking) 6- What is form 2555, tax exemption? Do I need to fill that in? Will it make us save money? What's its purpose??? When I called the IRS, the man (who was not having a good day apparently), was telling me that if we decide to fill JOINTLY I will be considered a resident for the tax year, but that I need to type and sign a letter stating that I "take the election to be treated as a resident"... #######? Sorry again for bothering everyone, I've had my share of stupid questions that could have been answered by reading the guides, but I swear I can't find what I'm looking for and am about to go insane! I appreciate the helps, thanks again!	Vero and Chris	Female	Canada	2011-01-24 07:23:00