ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresA Few "Odds and Ends" Questions
1. The extended lists of evidence for bonafide marriage are generally more applicable in situations when the couple have been married for a while. You are correct in your assessment - a newlywed couple can not generally amass a large collection of such evidence. What you have described, in my understanding, will suffice. The photos will certainly not hurt. I would include them if I were you.

2. Generally speaking, the consulate will send the beneficiary a packet of information that will include information about which doctors are permissible for the immigration medical. In most countries, the list of doctors authorized and recognized by the US consulate to conduct immigration medicals is very short. Her family doctor will almost certainly not be among them. As for the timing, most people have the medical, at most, within a few weeks immediately prior to the interview, sometimes only a few days prior, the day before, on the same day or even the day after.

3. She will receive a visa in her passport and a sealed packet of papers, which she must not open herself. When she arrives at a US airport, they will take her into secondary inspection. There they will take her paperwork, and there she will receive an I-551 stamp in her passport. Her physical green card will be mailed to the US address she gives them within a few weeks.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-03-10 22:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAffidavit of Support Question...ish?
As long as the forms submitted are, at the date and time they are dated, a true and accurate snapshot of reality as it stands at the time, everything is fine. There is no official process, or any particular need, to notify USCIS if and when you become pregnant between filing for AOS and an AOS interview, if you have one.

If you do have an AOS interview, and have become pregnant [or delivered] in the interim, simply tell the IO at the interview. Even at that, they won't have to amend the form, because none of the AOS forms even have a field for indicating pregnancy. So you couldn't have told them about a pregnancy, even if you were pregnant at the time of filing. :)

If you deliver prior to an interview, simply tell them at the interview and they'll amend your forms at the interview to include the new child. It wouldn't be a problem.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-03-17 11:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI-864 Question
The Alien Registration Number is a 9 digit number of the form A###-###-###. If he has never been assigned one (having had no previous interactions with USCIS) he will have been assigned one in the course of USCIS adjudicating the initial petition. It should be visible above the beneficiary's name on the approval notice form the initial petition.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-04 23:39:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNo W2 from Petitioner
That's what we did. My now-wife had been out of work for quite a while when we did our AOS. We had a cosponsor, though, so that was fine.

Of the three preceding years, my wife had only filed taxes for the middle one, so we included that return, with the W-2, and a letter saying that during the other two years she had not earned above the filing threshold and had therefore not filed a tax return. We listed her current income as zero on the I-864, and we got accepted with no problems.

Obviously we had a full set of tax returns, W-2s, and other documentation for our cosponsor. So yeah, it sounds like your'e on the right track.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-28 11:09:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresReal Love, but Real Problems?
If the consulate already strongly suspects the young Romanian man of being in a relationship with this woman solely to circumvent US immigration law and obtain a GC (as is likely to be their default assumption), they are unlikely to be impressed if they find out that he has paid her a lot of money. They are likely to conclude, given the totality of the circumstances, that the impoverished American woman is being well paid (in cash and, ahem, other considerations [Don't look at me! It's the consulate that will be thinking it!]) for her role in obtaining a GC for this man.

It doesn't matter if this occurs before or after they are married. Money transfers from the intending immigrant to the USC petitioner (at least before the visa is awarded and the couple are cohabitating in the US), are always looked upon with at least mild suspicion, and since there are so many other red flags already at work here, I assure you the suspicion won't be mild.

I admit that it is purely circumstantial evidence, by itself, but USCIS are not held to the criminal court standards of "beyond a shadow of a doubt" when judging this sort of thing, and the totality of the already frankly suspicious circumstances makes money transfers, like you describe, a bad idea.

Very bad idea.

Edited by HeatDeath, 28 July 2011 - 01:38 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-28 13:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresReal Love, but Real Problems?

This whole situation screams immigration fraud to me.

But having said that the facts are she needs to deal with the divorce first
Once that is done they can get married in the US at one of his port stops or between cruises. The CR-1 doesn't care where you are married, but they can't adjust status from a crew visa.
She gets a co-sponser as she will never met the financial requirements. The soon to be ex-husband is not an option for this as that will be a huge red flag.
He continues to work until it is time for his medical/interview then goes back to Bucharest for this (not sure if there are any options)
Once he gets here on a CR-1 he can work right away or he keeps working on the cruise ship and just changes from a crew visa to a US green card holder.

The process they need to follow isn't rocket science. But they absolutely must be completely honest through the whole thing, including the current divorce.

If he has legal residency in any other country, he can apply to have his visa application transferred to the consulate there. For example, if he was a legal resident of Canada, he could have his case moved to one of the Canadian consulates, and do his interview there. Failing that, though, he will definitely need to interview in Bucharest. And it goes without saying, there is no option whatsoever to interview in the US.

Yes it could.
If he sells assets and transfers the money to her account in the US.

And as if the case didn't look like immigration fraud before, that would clinch it beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt.

Edited by HeatDeath, 28 July 2011 - 01:03 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-28 13:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresReal Love, but Real Problems?

Can anyone be a co-sponsor?

Yes. Just has to be a US citizen over 18 with sufficient income (125% of the poverty line for their current household size plus the sponsored immigrant). It does look better to USCIS and the consulate if the sponsor is in the immediate family of the petitioner, but this is not legally required.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-28 11:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresReal Love, but Real Problems?
If a judge signs a divorce decree, the marriage is dissolved. It would be weird to me if the state can [or would bother to] revoke the divorce later and declare the couple still married if they found out the couple was still co-habitating during their "separation" period. Either way, USCIS will take the divorce decree at face value and not investigate that part of it. So I don't think that's a big problem. [EDIT: Or maybe it is. The Romanian consulate may very well be stickier about such things than the Australian or Canadian consulates might be, particularly given the other circumstances.]

There was a thread here several months ago about issues surrounding AOSing from a crewman's visa. Basically, you can't. He will need to enter the US on either a K-1 or a CR-1 visa, if he wants to stay. Even if there was no preconceived intent to marry, trying to AOS from a tourist visa would be very dicey because of the other red flags associated with the case. He will need to return to Romania and go through the proper visa processing channels if there's any way this is going to work.

Which means a consulate interview. And they will absolutely require a cosponsor. And yeah, convincing the consular officer that a young Romanian cruise ship bartender has a legitimate relationship with a disabled, broke American woman 12 years his senior who finalized her divorce literally days before the petition was filed... it's gonna be an uphill battle, to say the least. Possible, to be sure, but certainly no walk in the park. They'll want to front load the petition, and he'll have to be very, very convincing at the interview. [Both interviews. An AOS interview is virtually guaranteed as well.]

Edited by HeatDeath, 28 July 2011 - 11:43 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-28 11:41:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresDS-230 Question #35
I had to use a DS-230 and a DS-156. Both forms wanted, in slightly different formats, a list of all trips to the US. What I, and many others, have done is simply list every trip you can remember or have documentation for, and then include a line item of "Numerous trips to the US between <year> and <year>, all less than 48 hours." Because Canadians can enter the US visa-free [and until 2009, passport-free!] and even now do not typically get their passports stamped if it's at a land crossing, the US consulates in Canada know it's fairly normal for Canadians to have made many day or weekend trips to the US over a typical lifetime that have little or no extant documentation.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-08-04 09:24:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresGot NOA2 and a cosponsor.. but petitoner unemployed?
When I did my K-1 my now-wife was unemployed through the whole process. We had a cosponsor, and it was no problem. We filed an I-864 for her showing zero current income, and included a previous tax return for when she had been working in the previous 3 years. As long as you can provide an I-864 for a cosponsor who is above the poverty line for a household that includes you, and as long as you include all of the necessary documentation for them, it should be fine.

But yes, do include an I-864 for your husband and any documentation you do have for him.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-08-18 10:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMarriage Certificate
You send them copies, not originals. Later you bring the originals to the interview, if any.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-11-18 14:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNeed a little help starting
The K-3 was legislated into existence at a time when CR-1 visas took literally years to approve. The K-3 is designed to allow the intending immigrant to enter the US after a much shorter period, and wait out the [then] extremely long green card approval with their spouse.

Now that GC approvals only take a few months, there is no meaningful difference in the timeframe between CR-1s and K-3s, and, with very few exceptions, no situations where one is better than the other.

Accordingly, the NVC now basically converts all K-3 applications to CR-1 applications midstream. So it's easier and less confusing to everyone (especially the NVC) to just start with a CR-1 application from the beginning.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-01-04 21:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNeed a little help starting
Never, ever, EVER lie to the US government about anything immigration related, ever. They literally hold your future in the US together with your wife in the palm of their hands, and they take being lied to really, REALLY personally.

As the spouse of a US citizen, she will need to have with her, every single time she enters the US to visit, until the visa is approved, evidence of employment, apartment rental or mortgage agreements, a well defined intended date of return, an employer letter reflecting that expected return date, ideally a return ticket for the expected return date, and a copy of all of your immigration papers to date. Also, she should be packing really lightly. If they smell even the tinest hint that she intends to stay, they will slam the door so fast her head will spin.

Under no circumstances should she attempt to bring a wedding dress across the border with her on any attempted visit.

Even with all that, her being able to visit is a roll of the dice, so neither of you should be shocked or devastated if it happens not to work out and she is denied entry. Don't panic, a denial on an attempted visit will have no impact on her eventual entry with the visa.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-01-04 21:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFREAKING OUT LIED ON DOCUMENT AND ENTERVIEW IS IN 6 DAYS!

That's not necessarily the correct. While a majority of Embassies and Consulates do not permit the petitioner at the interview, some do allow it.

I know the Canadian consulates will let petitioners through security and up to the waiting room. I don't know if they let petitioners up to the interview booths though.

As was said above, this can vary radically from consulate to consulate.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-01-08 15:55:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFREAKING OUT LIED ON DOCUMENT AND ENTERVIEW IS IN 6 DAYS!
In general, if you made an honest error on a form, and you have an interview coming up, bring a corrected form to the interview and (and this is the important part) bring up the error, and your forthright correction of it, BEFORE the consular officer does. Owning up to the error and correcting it yourself before they ask about it will count for a lot. They understand that errors can happen.

Errors do not become mistakes until you refuse to correct them.

Personal example: in my first US tax return, I erroneously applied for and received the $400 "Making Work Pay" tax credit, resulting in me receiving a $400 tax refund, when I shouldn't have received anything. I didn't notice the error until the next year, but when I did, I immediately sent back the $400 and a corrected return (the 1040X) form. Because I pointed it out to them, I received no penalty, and only had to pay a tiny amount of interest. If they had had to point out the error to me, there could have been significant penalties attached, but those were waived because I was proactive about correcting the error.

Edited by HeatDeath, 08 January 2012 - 03:54 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-01-08 15:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedurespassport. single vs married
I've never heard of the IR-1/CR-1 process caring at ALL whether the beneficiary's passport was obtained before they were married. The consulate may very well care that the passport remains valid until at least 6 months after the issue date of the visa, but I would be VERY surprised if the consulate cares in the slightest whether or not the beneficiary's passport was issued before the beneficiary was married.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-01-07 14:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresI REALLY NEED HELP!!!!!!!
When we did our AOS in late 2009, we needed a cosponsor for the I-864 because my USC wife was not working at the time. Her mother-in-law agreed to be our cosponsor. So my wife filled out an I-864, and my mother-in-law filled out an I-864. We did not need to use an I-864A, because my mother-in-law's income was sufficient, by itself, to meet the requirements for a household that includes her, her husband (my father-in-law), my wife (who was living with her parents as a dependent at the time) and me.

If my mother-in-law had not had sufficient income for the household size, she could have had my father-in-law fill out an I-864A, so that his income would help her qualify to sponsor us. But that wasn't necessary.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-01-11 15:29:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresIs marrying again a good idea???
Doing anything weird with your marriage paperwork, like marrying again, is ALWAYS a bad idea.

I don't even think it would be legal, unless you divorced first, and then remarried.

And that would make your immigration status all weird.

So, no. Don't do that.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-08-09 15:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPlease help!
+1 above.

The only caveat I would add to Lawyer 1's advice is that it is entirely possible, despite carrying evidence of strong ties to Canada, and a copy of your visa application documents up to that point, that you might get denied entry to the US on one of your attempts to visit the US anyways. It's purely random, and just depends on the personality and mindset of the CBP officer you randomly get at the border.

Don't worry too much if this happens. A denial on a visit attempt while a spousal visa is pending will have no impact on the spousal visa approval or your eventual entrance to the US with the spousal visa. Just be aware that it could happen, despite yours or anyone's best efforts, and that while inconvenient, it's not anything to really worry about long term.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-05-01 00:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPOE Selection
Just to be clear: he doesn't request the visa for Belgium from the US consulate, he requests it from the nearest Belgian consulate (or whichever EU country's consulate is most convenient). It's a whole separate process, that not too many people here will be as familiar with.

Logically, he should probably wait until he has the US visa in hand before beginning the process to get the Schengen visa, unless the Schengen visa takes a very long time to process and/or he would still want the Schengen visa even if, G-d forbid, he was refused the US visa.

Remember, it is quite common for US visa applicants from MENA to have to wait weeks or months after the interview for the visa to actually be issued. Given that, I would look into the process for the European visa, but I probably wouldn't start it until I had the US visa in my hand. The US visa is usable for 6 months after issuance, which should be enough time to get the European visa.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-08-08 14:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresPOE Selection
You do not have to fly directly from your home country to the US. You can visit a 3rd country on the way, no problem at all [assuming, of course, that your have an appropriate visa issued by the 3rd country to be allowed entry there].

The CBP officers at the PoE airport in the US don't care whether the flight bringing you to the US originated in your home country or not. They only care that your US visa is valid and that you are not otherwise inadmissible.

Edited by HeatDeath, 08 August 2012 - 01:58 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-08-08 13:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureshow to withdraw an application
Withdrawing a petition is one thing, but if you sent them original photos and documents, I don't think they'll ever give those back to you.

It's water under the bridge for you now, but for the benefit of future readers, never send USCIS your only copies of anything. Send photocopies or duplicate photo prints only. If they need to see originals they will ask for them at the interview.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2012-11-08 12:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresWill I be told if there are any bad results on my medical?

When I went through Vancouver and the Woking Medical Clinic in April 2009, the legalese they showed me made it very clear that this examination was a service being done for the consulate, not for me, no doctor-patient relationship was being created, that they weren't obligated to tell me anything at all, and that this examination was no substitute for a comprehensive physical examination by my own doctor.

 

That said, they were very nice and professional, and I believe they'd have told me if they found anything suspicious in the course of a normal examination, like a suspicious groin lump or mole or something, even if it was just an informal comment: "Have that looked at when you get to the US", etc. I wouldn't expect them to deviate from their standard exam process to go actively diagnosing, but I think they'd point out something they just happened to notice.

 

I have no experience with Dr. Cheema, however, so YMMV.


HeatDeathMaleCanada2013-07-17 01:38:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCivil union in England, but apply for marriage visa for America?
New topics are best.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2013-07-31 18:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCivil union in England, but apply for marriage visa for America?

Does the petitioner for a SS fiance visa have to live in a SSM state? Or can the couple just visit a SSM state and get married after the beneficiary enters on the K-1? I don't know that USCIS had clarified that the last time I checked (3 - 4 weeks ago).

 

I know that getting a SSM in a SSM state in the US, returning home and filing for a CR-1 will definitely work. I don't know for sure how (or if) they've decided to have SS K-1s work.


HeatDeathMaleCanada2013-07-18 22:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresEntering US before endorsing IR-1?
Isn't the spousal visa multiple entry? I don't know. I did a K-1 myself. If so, just enter as an immigrant for the first time on the trip, then enter later when you want to move your stuff.

Now importing the car, that i can speak to. It's quite straightforward. First you contact GM to get compliance letters that say that your car met US federal safety and emissions standards for the year it was released. With GM this will run you about 90 bucks. After that you simply drive to the PoE, and tell them you want to import your car. They will fill out a form that you sign. They will ask you what the value of the car is, so it's a good idea to look it up in Blue Book beforehand. Then you just drive on into the US. When you go to register your car with the local DMV, they will want to see the import form (that the guy at the PoE made up for you) and your compliance letters. Some jurisdictions may want you to get safety and emissions inspections within 30 days prior to registering.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2009-11-26 23:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNeed an outside opinion

There does seem to be a wide variety of rules from country to country for sure!

I think what canadian_wife and I were trying to say was that it is okay to visit as long as you are honest about your situation and do not misrepresent yourself. But as always, it is up to the discretion of the CPB. I wouldn't want to chance it if I had 7 hour return flight to take either. :unsure: Good luck on your journey.

That's why a lot of Europeans in this situation PoE through Dublin. There's a US Customs pre-clearance PoE there. If you get turned back there, at least it's only a 2-3 hour flight back.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-01-20 10:02:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSponsering to the US possible?
An I-130 is the form you file to petition for an immigrant visa (the CR-1) for an immediate relative [as opposed to petitioning for a nonimmigrant visa (the K-3) for an immediate relative, for which you would use an I-130, followed by an I-129F]. Since you are in Canada, these are your two main options: a K-3 spousal nonimmigrant visa (file for the visa, get the visa, with which you would enter the US, and then apply for permanent residence), or a CR-1 spousal immigrant visa (file for the visa, get the visa, then enter the US. You would be a US permanent resident from the moment you entered the US). If you are both in Canada, your husband may be eligible to file for the CR1 visa directly at the US consulate, shaving several months off of the process. (This is called DCF: Direct Consular Filing)

From an earlier post of mine:

Back in the days when marrying abroad and filing for a spousal visa was the only option, the permanent residence part of the processing took 1-2 YEARS, during which your honey would be stuck out-of-country. The K-3 was invented specifically to split the [relatively] quick processing the entry visa from the [then] glacially slow process of processing the green card for permanent residence, allowing you to be together, in the US, while that part slowly worked itself out. [Not to mention they get an extra $1000 [the Adjustment of Status fee] this way :devil:]

Now that the processing times or K-3s and CR-1s are pretty much identical (1-2 months difference) the K-3 no longer serves any useful purpose for couples who want to be reunited in the US in a timely manner.

Edited by HeatDeath, 06 February 2010 - 01:29 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-02-06 13:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresStudent Employement G-325A

Oh and not to hijack this thread but one more quick question. I had a few short temp jobs through different places in my overall period of unemployment. (usually no more than a week) is it ok to leave that out?

A ) hijacking a thread isn't a moral failing :) But you'll get much wider readership and a far quicker response if you post your own thread.

B ) The instructions specify all employment. I would include everything. I had to do mine as a separate attachment pages because at one point I was a substitute teacher for 4 different school districts simultaneously. It makes the list longer but yes, I would include them.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-02-21 16:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresStudent Employement G-325A

This does bring up a good question though, what do you put if you were unemployed for a while?

Have one of the lines in the employment history read like this:

None [(<brief explanatory text, if any>)]__Unemployed___<start date of unemployment>___<end date of unemployment>


- Text in [] is optional.
- Replace text in <> with actual info.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-02-21 16:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresStudent Employement G-325A

I am a full-time college student. Can I list it as my most recent employment/ occupation on G-325A?

I think they only care about actual jobs for which you are actually paid. However, they do care about periods of unemployment. They like there to be no chronological gaps in that list. So if you are currently an unemployed student I would make the top entry look something like this:

None (Full Time Student)_______Unemployed________July 2006________Present Time

The "(Full Time Student)" addition is probably unnecessary, but gives a slightly more complete picture than just sayiny that you're currently unemployed and have been for many months. :)
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-02-21 03:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresApply for two visas at the same time?
It's a more costly approach, because you have to pay both application fees, but I don't see a legal problem with it. The US doesn't care what visas the USC petitioner is applying for with other countries. I assume the UK would be the same way.

Given your earlier posts, and your not-completely-unreasonable fears of a drawn out fight or outright denial of a US visa, this might be a good way to go, if the money is no real object.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-02-22 15:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedurespassport required?
They do not need it prior to the interview. They will want to see it at the interview and, if you are approved, they will need it for about 24 hours immediately after the interview, to glue the visa into it. If you cannot pick it up in person (or they do not offer you that ability) they will mail it back to you in a large expresspost envelope you provide.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-03-01 02:25:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresFinance evidence question
The I-864 instructions state that the 2-years-ago and 3-years-ago tax returns are optional. It says something like "You may include these if you feel it will help your case." If you feel these tax returns will hurt your case, then I wouldn't include them if I were you.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-03-08 17:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresAfter the interview
Importing a car is from Canada is usually fairly straightforward. You need to contact the dealership or manufacturer and order a "compliance letter" This is actually a pair of letters prepared by the manufacturer that state that your particular car (you give them the VIN when you order them) was US DOT compliant at it's time of manufacture, and that it is up to date on all it's recalls. Expect to pay 80-100 bucks for these letters.

Once you have these, look up the "Blue Book" value of your car. The border officer at the PoE will need to know it. If you end up guessing, it's better to be a little low than a little high, as some states or counties will charge you a certain percentage (1-2%) import tax based on the value you state.

When you get to the PoE, and finish all of the other visa business, tell the border officer you want to import your car. They'll look over the compliance letters, ask you for the value of your car, and fill out and stamp an import form. Then you're done.

Later, when you're getting settled in the US, and you want to go to get US plates for your car, you show the DMV your compliance letters and the import form the PoE did up. Depending on the state and county you may have to get some inspections or emissions tests done on your car as well. You show all of this documentation to the DMV, along with proof of ownership (so make sure you have your Canadian title/registration/proof-of-insurance (which in Manitoba are all the same thing). As I mentioned earlier, they'll want to charge you some money, which will either be a small percentage of the value of the car on the import form or a flat fee, and then they'll issue plates and a local title deed for your car.

As for bringing stuff down, you can bring all of your property down anytime in the next 10 years, no problems. The only thing you'll have to watch is make sure that none of your household items are too new, or obviously in unopened original packaging. They may want to charge you import tax if something is obviously too new to be "household effects". The only paperwork you should need is a basic inventory list, e.g "Box 1 - Books, Box 2 - Dishes, Box 3 - Clothes," etc.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-04-06 21:32:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNasty Surprises?!?!?!

Thanks so much everyone!!! The more I can prepare now the less frustrated and overwhelmed I'll be later. I'm going to look into getting my long form birth cert. right away. Is there a time limit for how long before the medical the vaccines are due? I was thinking of starting to complile all that info already as well.

No. Remember, they're ok if your vaccines were given years ago! They just want documentation that you have had them. Timeframe is irrelevant.

I needed three vaccines - TDap, MMR, and Varicella (chicken pox). All Canadians have the latter two in the early years of elementary school, but my records are long gone, so I had blood tests to confirm that I had had them. TDap is not available in a lot of places in Canada (the public health authorities prefer a different tuberculosis+ vaccine) so the medical clinic in Vancouver made arrangements for me to get it on the day of my medical.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-03-11 14:44:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresNasty Surprises?!?!?!
Download the I-134 and I-864 forms from www.uscis.gov and read about the documentation they want, if you haven't already. It came as quite a shock to my USC wife that they needed a big stack of personal financial info and tax returns and the like. She found it very invasive, and was quite right to feel that way. Start gathering that stuff now.

Make sure you bring a photocopy of your birth certificate (long form, with parent's names) to the interview. [BTW, I had never even heard of a "long form" birth cert before this process :)] The CO at my interview would have kept the birth certificate if I hadn't had the photocopy. They say as much in their interview prep instructions in the "Packet 3".

If you're interviewing and doing your medical in Vancouver, try to schedule your interview for a Thursday, or, if necessary, a Wednesday afternoon. The medical clinic in Vancouver only does medicals once per week, at 6:30 am on Wednesday morning. Get there about quarter to 6 and you can be out of there by 9:30, and can easily make a 1 pm or 1:30 pm interview at the consulate (which is 6-8 blocks away, a solid 15-20 min walk. You can shave a couple of minutes off that if you're brisk or jog.). You'll have to return to the medical clinic after your interview to get your medical results, and then get them back to the consulate for final approval before the consulate closes at 4. But it's very doable.

If you are heading to Vancouver, there is a small hotel called the Burrard Inn which is on the same block, same side of the street, 200 feet from the medical clinic. Quite inexpensive, not all that nice, but VERY convenient for the aforementioned 5:45-6:00 am recommended arrival time at the medical appointment :)

Thos are my personal tips that you won't find in the FAQs here. Good luck!

Edited by HeatDeath, 10 March 2010 - 08:34 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-03-10 20:33:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresImmigration did not collect the package
Contact the CBP Deferred Inspection Office at the local International Airport, and make an appointment for both of you to go in. Bring the packet, and the ticket stubs from the flight, give the packet to them, and make sure you get a proper I-94 before you leave, if you don't have one already. Don't let them charge you anything for this - it's their mistake, not yours.

Edited by HeatDeath, 08 May 2010 - 02:17 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-05-08 14:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresmoney transfer

does money transfer count as Bonifide Marriage?
thanks...=)

It might serve as partial evidence of a bona fide marriage, it might not. Without further information, it's impossible to answer your question properly. What visa/process are you applying for? What stage of that process are you at?

:time:
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-05-31 21:11:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedurescan someone sponsor two different people?
In answer to your first question, it is perfectly fine for a person to sponsor multiple immigrants, even from unrelated cases, but they must include all previously sponsored immigrants in the I-864 calculations for household size for determining whether they make enough money to qualify. If this person's income is sufficient for a household that includes both this other immigrant, you, and anyone else in their household, than it's no problem at all.

In answer to your second question, if the most recent tax return shows sufficient income to qualify, and is totally correct, USCIS will not care at all that it was filed late. They just use it for evidence of income.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-07-25 00:08:00