ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Canada2010 Tax thread - For Canada and the U.S.

I have posted in here before but still have some questions.
I am the US citizen but I am living with my husband in Canada with him. (Have been for two years today)
I haven't earned any worldwide income and we got married in May 2010.
He is not immigrating to the US but we are currently awaiting Canada's decision on our application for me to immigrate there.

I just now found out that I need to file a US tax return since I got married last year. I have never filed a US tax return before because it wasn't needed.
Now I am not sure what forms I need to fill out, where to mail it to, etc. I am planning on filing as "married filing separately" since my husband doesn't have an ITIN or SSN. And I know that I should fill out the spot as NRA or NR in the spot where it asks for his SSN number. And I will include a letter explaining our situation.

I just want to make sure I am going about things in the right way.
Here are my questions:

1. Usually when you applied as "married filing separately" you would both be filing separately but my husband doesn't need to, will he get in trouble for that later on?
2. What address do I mail the return to?
3. How long does it take to get a reply back about it?
4. Do I apply with my address from the US or here in Canada?
5. What forms do I need to mail since I am living abroad with my husband?
6. What is tax with-holding?
7. My income is zero, how would I fill this out?
8. Will my husband's income play a factor into my return?
9. Will I get a refund even with no income, if so would they mail it abroad and could I still cash it here?

I know we got to get this done soon so I would appreciate any answers/tips you can give to us soon. I just don't want to get in trouble later on down the line and looking for a fairly simple way about this. Looking forward to your responses. Thank you!

Ok. I just finished my taxes, so I'll take a swing at these. :)
BTW, this page on irs.gov has links to the most commonly needed tax forms and, more importantly, their instruction documents: http://www.irs.gov/f....html?portlet=3
The whole setup is very similar to USCIS's forms area. You have form PDFs, and instruction booklet PDFs. If you can follow USCIS instructions, IRS instructions aren't really any harder. :)

1. Since your husband is neither a US citizen, national, nor resident, he has no tax obligations to the US government whatsoever. Even if he eventually becomes a US resident, his tax obligation would only start then. So no, he won't get in any kind of trouble :)

2. The table of addresses can be found on the last page of the 1040 instructions PDF, which includes an entry for being outside the US: http://www.irs.gov/p...s-pdf/i1040.pdf

3. 6-8 weeks I think.

4. Use the address in Canada.

5. Depends on what your sources of income are. If you have a Canadian bank account, or any kind of interest or dividends, you will need a Schedule B. If you have RRSPs, you will need Form 8891s for them. If your sources of income have been taxed already by Canada, you will need a 2555, and maybe a 1116. If you have no income, you can probably just use the 1040, or maybe even the 1040-EZ. Check the 1040-EZ instructions to make sure you qualify: http://www.irs.gov/p...pdf/i1040ez.pdf

6. That's the taxes your employer, if you have one, holds back from your paycheque. Your tax bill draws from your withheld money first. If there is any withheld money left over from your taxes, they give it to you. That is your tax refund. If your taxes total more than what was withheld over the course of the year, you need to write the IRS a cheque for the difference. That's if you're working for a US employer. Reporting Canadian income to the IRS, and taking Canadian government withholding into account, is significantly more complex. But it sounds like you don't have to worry about that.

7. You enter a 0 in line 7 of the 1040 [Line 1 on the 1040-EZ], where it asks for wages, salary, and tips. Easy :)

8. No. You are doing "married, filing separately", so all of the numbers are just your information - his information doesn't enter into anything.

9. Normally, no income means no refund. However, there may be some tax credits that apply to you. In 2009, I had 400 dollar refund, with no taxable US income, because of the way the "Making Work Pay" tax credit was worded. But I think they fixed it this year so you can't do that anymore. If you do have a refund, they would mail a cheque to you. I think most Canadian banks could handle a US government cheque, but there would be a processing delay and probably a small fee. You'd have to ask at your local branch.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-03-18 01:10:00
CanadaVANCOUVER CONSULATE QUESTIONS
My interview and approval was in April 2009, so things may obviously have changed. But in general:

You can cross the border the instant you get you passport back, along with your "Do Not Open" packet. If you have those in your hand, you can cross the border that afternoon.

I interviewed on a Wednesday at 1 pm, returned to the Consulate with my medical results at about 3:45 pm, was approved, and was told to come back the next day, after 2:15 pm, to pick up my visa and packet, which I did.

Once I had those in my hand, I could theoretically have gone straight to the airport and boarded a one-way flight to the US.

I don't have a solid handle on how common next-day pickup is. They never promised it, to me or anyone else since then, and indeed I was told [their standard practice] to bring an Expresspost envelope to the interview so they could mail my passport and packet to me. I didn't bother, having noticed that their was a post office right across the street and I could just run and get one if they confirmed that they needed it.

I suspect that in Vancouver it is less common than it was, and in Montreal it's basically unheard of. But I could totally be wrong.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-05-04 18:46:00
CanadaRenewing 10yr GC that has expired
Renewal of the 10-year GC is not anywhere near as critical as the RoC when the 2-year card expires.
When the 2-year GC expires, the PR status expires with it, unless you've filed for RoC.

This is not the case with the expiry of the 10-year GC.
When the 10-year GC expires, the card is expired, but the PR status continues uninterrupted.

Furthermore, once she got through RoC, her PR status from then on has had nothing whatsoever to do with her marital status. She has not been out of status in any way. She remains a PR, just one with an expired GC.

The worst-case scenario for a LPR walking around with an expired GC is basically a $400-ish fine if you happen to come to the attention of ICE. And obviously, you can't use an expired GC to reenter the US (at least not without major hassles, just as a USC will encounter major hassles trying to enter with an expired US passport.)

But no, she should be just fine. The I-90 will get her a new card - no additional paperwork should be necessary.

Edited by HeatDeath, 12 May 2011 - 10:38 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-05-12 10:37:00
CanadaI-130, question 14 help D:

okay so if I put:
Posted Image

how's that?

(assumed dates for my next trip on a mock up form)

oh would I put N/A for the last part, or just leave with the 6 month date. i'm assuming the 6 month.

That looks good. "N/A - Canadian" for the I-94 number is exactly right. I would put the 6-month date for the date your authorized stay will expire. That's how long Canadian visitors are admitted for, unless informed otherwise by CBP at the time of entry.
If you want to clarify your status even further, where it asks what status you arrived as, you could write "Canadian Visitor." Then they'll know exactly what's going on.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-05-12 10:50:00
CanadaConfused about Hep B vaccine?
The panel physician in Vancouver said I didn't need a Hep vaccine, and checked "Age Inappropriate" in my vaccination worksheet at my medical, but the CS in Salt Lake City wouldn't sign my I-693 until I went to the public health clinic and got at least the first shot of the series.

[The price for the I-693 transcription was only $25, and the Hep vaccination wasn't a money grab, since they sent me to a different clinic and didn't benefit from it personally, so it must have been their sincere interpretation of the requirements.]

Apparently they can require it if there is a high concentration of Hep floating around in the region of the US you happen to be living in.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-05-12 11:13:00
Canadaimmunizations

Can/should I just walk into a clinic and request a titer test to prove my immunity or will I be provided this anyways at a later date when I actually have my medical exam?


That's what I did.

The medical clinic in Vancouver said I needed Varicella, MMR, and TDap. I had my Manitoba Public Heath GP order the titers tests for MMR and Varicella. I'd had TDap, or some variant thereof, decades ago in school, but had no records to prove it, and there is no titers test for TDap. The doctor wouldn't give it to me because I'm outside the age range they normally adminster it. The medical clinic in Vancouver deasl with this all the time - they have a process in place to arrange for you to get TDap at a travel clinic on the day of your medical exam, if you tell them in advance. the clinic in Montreal may be able to do the same thing.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-05-19 17:40:00
CanadaPOE at Amtrak Train Station?
I drove in to the US at Pembina, ND (which is the busiest PoE between the Great Lakes and the Rockies, so they say- it's not a small facility) and it still took 90 minutes of the officer thumbing through reference binders to get my K-1 processed. Apparently they don't see a lot of K-1s.

Definitely call the customs office at the train station first. If you don't, your processing could very easily take 45 minutes to an hour, and the train won't wait. On the other hand, K-1 entrants coming in through international airports frequently get through in 10-15 minutes or less [once they hit the front of the line!], so the processing obviously can be done quickly, if the CBP office is sufficiently prepared.

I don't know if this train thing can be made to work, but you definitely need to talk to the CBP office well ahead of time.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-05-27 11:45:00
CanadaCanada Post
My work has me travel internationally once or twice a year, so I need a current passport. Mine expires in February. We've got a window until the end of August where I definitely won't need to go anywhere, so we figured this was a good time to renew it. Work is even paying for it, which is nice.

So OF COURSE! there's an impending postal strike happening now. It only stands to reason! :lol:

[I ended up Fedexing it to Passport Canada. Of course, the lady at the Fedex Store I sent it from forgot to have me fill out a commercial shipping invoice for it, so it got held up for 3 days over the long weekend until I could get to work to fill out and fax them the form they need. Sigh :) ]

All of this means I've been watching Google News on "Canada Post" quite closely for the last week and a half. The journalistic consensus seems to be that a strike is a very real possibility.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-01 10:50:00
CanadaCanuck Riots
I said to a friend of mine, right after the Choke-nucks lost Game 6, "At this point, as far as the Vancouver city government is concerned, it doesn't even matter. Win or lose game 7, they're gonna get a riot. They need to start prepping now" Can't say I'm surprised. And they shouldn't have been either.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-16 12:58:00
CanadaBeginning of the End
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." -Winston Churchill

But BIG congratulations anyways, it really is an awesome milestone!
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-27 10:45:00
CanadaCanadian citizens renewing passports from the US
Also, as I said earlier, Walgreen's (the one I went to at least) was able to size and frame the head and shoulders properly using their machine (it has a built in profile for the Canadian format), but could only cut to 2x2, using their special cutter. What I did differently than most people, I suspect, was to just take the uncut photos, and cut them myself using the paper cutter at my work. That got them out to be the proper size.

I suspect that sending Passport Canada 2x2 photos could easily be an auto-denial, especially if you got someone who was having a bad day that day. :)
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-29 11:08:00
CanadaCanadian citizens renewing passports from the US
That's probably because I brought the specs with me and went through them point by point until I was dang sure every point matched. And it's possible I just got lucky with the background colour/lighting/shadows, although I did check the prints for that quite carefully before I left the store.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-29 11:03:00
CanadaCanadian citizens renewing passports from the US
Additional note:

I had requested my old passport be sent back to me. It arrived with two punches, symmetrically spaced close to the corners, through the front cover and id page, but not all the way through the passport book, which seemed interesting. The page opposite the id page, while not punched through, had a "Canceled" stamp in blank ink applied in the center.

The big cardboard envelope contained just the two passports and the standard little information flyer they include telling you to sign the new passport, etc. There was no receipt for the fee. Which is relevant to me because my work is reimbursing me for the renewal fee since I need the passport for work related travel. So it's good that I've already received the CC statement with the charge, as it seems that's all the records you get for the passport renewal fee.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-28 13:18:00
CanadaCanadian citizens renewing passports from the US
FYI, my passport showed up this morning.

They received the application (via Fedex) on the 7th.
They charged the CC on the 14th.
The issue-date on the passport is the 21st (10 business days after they received the application, half their stated timeline of 20 business days. Good on them.).
They Fedex-overnighted it back to me on the 27th (which they may not do anymore - their website reports that they're back to business as usual now that Canada Post has been legislated back to work), and it arrived this morning.

Apparently my photos were good enough. :D

Edited by HeatDeath, 28 June 2011 - 01:06 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-28 13:02:00
CanadaCanadian citizens renewing passports from the US
I'm in the process of doing mine. For the photos I went to Walgreen's. Their machine will let them frame and size the photos to Canadian specs (though it took them 3 tries with the camera to take the picture so there was the right amount of space above and below my face), but they only had the 2 inch by 2 inch cutter. So they just left the pictures uncut. I had them sign and address-stamp the back of one of them per the Canadian specs, then I cut them using the paper cutter at my work to get them to come out the right size. World class pain. In. The. Rear. :)

[Speaking of pains in the rear, then I had to Fedex the application to Passport Canada, because of the postal strike, and the Fedex lady didn't tell me I needed to fill out an extra form, so the whole thing got held up for 3 extra days until I could fax them the form they needed. But that's another story.]

They received the application on the 7th, and processed the CC payment on the 14th, so I'd probably have heard by now if they rejected the application for out-of-format photos. But I was pretty careful. The only deviation from the specs was that the stamped and signed photo didn't say "Walgreens" on the back, because the printer printed that on a different part of the paper. I included the piece of scrap (after cutting) that had that printing on the back. I'm virtually certain the application will go fine, but I'll let you all know if something comes up.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-24 14:06:00
CanadaCanadians and different ways of thinking in the US
My brother just moved from Canada to Austin. He's a somewhat left-liberal Canadian, and he says it's great. He described Austin as not so much a part of Texas but "a piece of Seattle that broke off and, kind of like a blood clot, floated around until it lodged in the center of Texas." :) In a good way, mind you.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-29 10:57:00
CanadaPOE at Prescott
Theoretically, he needs to be prepared to show the chest x-ray from his medical. That's what all the instructions I received said. But apparently they never actually care in real life.

And since this is a land crossing he'll need 6 or 7 dollars US for the I-94 fee. A credit card will do.
And he should know the blue book value of his car. The car import form will ask for it. He may want to lowball it a little - some jurisdictions use the import value as the basis for a 1-2% import tax when he later goes to register it.

Edited by HeatDeath, 30 June 2011 - 10:57 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-06-30 10:53:00
CanadaCan Canadian wife enter on TN visa and then adjust status?
My understanding is that by far the most common cause for rejection of TN visa renewals is that the TN holder has acquired a US spouse. CBP officers are required to assume that any foreigner with a USC spouse is an intending immigrant, unless there is ridiculously compelling evidence to the contrary. No one who is deemed to have immigrant intent will be given a TN visa.

The TN visa would be given to her at the border. I think it's safe to say that if they find out she has a USC husband, she will definitely not be given a TN visa. The only way I can see her even being given a TN visa is if she does an incredibly dextrous dance and manages to avoid mentioning you, and even that would be considered invalid use of a TN visa and could very well end up being seen by the AOS adjudicator to have been material misrepresentation.

So I'm reasonably certain that the TN visa plan won't work.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-04 23:10:00
Canadaquestions about driving in (POE)/round-trip tickets
Oh, you'll also need an itemized list of your personal belongings (very basic, i.e. "Box 1: Books, Box 2: Kitchen appliances, Box 3: More Books, Bag 1: Clothes, etc).

FYI: when I told the border officer in the booth at Pembina that I wanted to "activate" my visa they had no clue whatsoever what I meant. I don't think the officer had ever heard the word "activate" used in that context before.

It might be better just to say "I would like to enter the US with this [fiance|spousal] visa", while you show them the visa.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-05 09:41:00
Canadaquestions about driving in (POE)/round-trip tickets
I drove in in July 2009, at Emerson, Manitoba/Pembina, North Dakota. Even though it's "the largest border station between the Great Lakes and the Rockies", they don't see a lot of K-1s, so it took the officer about 90 minutes to process my visa, and he was a little surly, but other than that everything was fine. Your fiance will need his passport with the visa, the do-not-open packet, $7US for an I-94 fee, the compliance letters for his car, the blue book value of his car, and his chest x-ray (they don't actually ask for it, but he'll be old to be prepared to show it). He'll want his Canadian birth certificate as well, but he won't need it for PoE. He should probably call the specific PoE a few days to a week in advance, to let them know he's coming. That way they can ensure someone is working that day that knows the process.

A year earlier, my now-wife flew up to visit me in Winnipeg, then we drove together back to her home in Salt Lake City. We got through the US border easily enough, but not before having to tell the very gruff border officer that we were going to get a fiance visa. His last words to us were a very stern "do it right!". But she had no problems getting a one-way ticket to Canada, or getting past Canadian customs.

The only problem with the plan of driving back down with him is cargo space in the car. When I came down on my K-1, my car was loaded to the ceiling with personal belongings. (Did you know you can fit 16 photocopier paper boxes of books in a 2-door Sunfire, as long as you're alone and aren't fussy about being able to open the glove box? :) ) Having to fit a passenger in reasonable comfort, and the passenger's baggage, would have cut my cargo capacity by more than half. And since the K-1 is a single-entry visa, he will absolutely positively not be able to go back to Canada for more of his belongings for at least 3-4 months after initial entry.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-04 22:59:00
CanadaDual citizenship for both of us
Hi all,

I've got a question or two that I'm hoping someone can answer. My fiance and I are planning on having him come to the United States from Canada (in fact, I'm sending my I-129F tomorrow morning :) ). We talked it over and made sure everything is good to go, but that brought up the issue of eventually returning to Canada. Our original plan was to have him come here and get a green card, then possibly return to Canada. I did some research, and found out this would forfeit his green card. So here are my questions:

1 - Is it true, that if he enters on a K1 visa, we only have to wait 3 years after the green card is issued to apply for U.S. citizenship/naturalization?

2 - Does anyone know if it's possible for us to start the process of getting me permanent residency in Canada, while we're still in the United States, waiting on his naturalization?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help. Here's to smooth sailing for the next few years!

Edited by BM Canada, 22 November 2010 - 01:17 AM.

BM CanadaFemaleCanada2010-11-22 01:17:00
CanadaAHHH DOS

A long 40 Hrs to Northern Utah... At least now i can do the drive with Matt, I can drive my truck well enough, but a 12 foot trailer.. not too sure that woulds worked too well. Thank goodness hes in construction and the Uhaul trailer size is a joke for him to drive. Not just for the POE, kinda worried about the process, going to import my Dodge Ram, and i have a doggie along for the ride also. Hope everything runs smoothly at Port Huron Friday Morning :)


Congrats on the visa! I'm in Utah, too -- you'll have to let me know how your drive goes so I can pass it along to my fiance when he drives down (coincidentally, his name is also Matt).
BM CanadaFemaleCanada2011-06-14 22:41:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionHow long to citizenship after K-1 marriage?

A ) You'll get better answers quicker if you just create your own new thread, rather than raising them from the grave to shamble, zombie-like into the world of the living again :)

 

B ) To answer your specific questions: 

 

1) If you received permanent residence through marriage to a US citizen, and are still living in marital union with said US citizen, you can file an N-400 to apply for citizenship after the latter of your third wedding anniversary or 90 days before 3 years after the "Resident Since" date on your green card.

 

2 ) You can apply for citizenship roughly 3 years after you get your green card, which will be 3-6 months after you marry. You are incorrect, the 3 year citizenship eligibility is available to K-1 entrants as well as spousal visa entrants. There are meaningful tradeoffs to be made between fiance visas and spousal visas (cost, timing of separation, etc) but the length of residence required to be eligible for citizenship is not part of them.

 

3 ) After you file for permanent residence (which should be as soon as humanly possible after the wedding), there is a period of 6-10 weeks where you cannot leave the US. Once you receive your advance parole card (which you file for with your Adjustment of Status to Permanent Residence, or "AOS"), you are free to return to South Africa as long as you can arrange to be back in the US for any required AOS biometrics appointment or interview. Once you have your green card and are a permanent resident, you are generally expected (by CBP, USCIS) to spend at least half of your time in the US. If you keep your trips abroad shorter than 6 months, and spend more time in the US than out of it, and make sure to maintain a US residence while you are abroad, you will be in no danger of having your PR status revoked.

 

4 ) In order to become a US citizen, you have to be present in the US for 5 years (3, if you are applying based on having obtained PR status through marriage, which you would be). A single continuous absence (one trip, regardless of whether it spans two calendar years or not) of more than 180 days would reset the clock, so to speak, requiring you to accumulate another 3 years of uninterrupted residence before you would qualify for naturalization.


HeatDeathMaleCanada2013-07-30 17:44:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionHaving other citizenships?!?
The US government will not force you to give up either citizenship, but the German government will revoke your German citizenship unless you have a BBG from them in your hand by the time your US citizenship oath ceremony occurs.

As long as you have, or have at least applied for your BBG, everything should be fine. If you haven't started your BBG process, you need to research it and get on that right away.


HeatDeathMaleCanada2013-08-06 11:19:00
US Citizenship General Discussiontips for naturalization interview

If you get more than 4 questions wrong, they will schedule you another interview in 4-6 weeks to let you try again. If you fail that one, they have to deny you. You can then apply again, but you have to pay another fee and wait several more months for processing.

 

At your biometrics you should have gotten a book and audio cd study guide. The audio CD has one track for each question-answer, with a 3-4 second gap between the question and the answer. Just listen through that CD a few dozen times on your way to and from work and you'll be able to answer those questions in your sleep.


HeatDeathMaleCanada2013-07-11 17:00:00
US Citizenship General Discussiondivorced and filing n400....need help please !!!
Whether or not you are employed has no effect whatsoever on whether or not you are eligible to apply for or receive naturalization.

I lost my job between the interview and the oath ceremony (new job starts in 2 weeks, thank you G-d!) and it didn't affect anything.


HeatDeathMaleCanada2013-08-29 11:04:00
US Citizenship General Discussionwaiting 2 months no oath ceremony

My interview in Salt Lake City was March 28th, which was too late to slot me into the April 1 oath ceremony. The next oath ceremony was June 12. So yeah, a 2.5 to 3 month delay for an oath ceremony is not impossible, even in a biggish city, if you get unlucky with the timing.

 

SLC oath ceremonies average 400ish people at a time. So that gives you some idea what kind of total volumes they deal with.


HeatDeathMaleCanada2013-06-25 01:00:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionHow to physicalyl print the N-400
There's no way around it - USCIS hates trees. Just send everything single sided and buy a carbon credit to make up for it.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2011-07-11 10:25:00
CanadaQuestions revolving around medical clinics!
QUOTE (Bern. @ Nov 19 2009, 10:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Sooo, hello everyone! Good evening. smile.gif I have some questions...so please bare with me!

First off, I am going to go ahead and assume that I will not be having my medical until after December 14th, so with that said.

1) If I take my medical after December 14, will I be required to have the first shot of the HPV vaccination?

Also, I have NEVER had the chicken pox. So my next question is:

2) What are the medical clinics that give out vaccinations on the spot, will they take my word that I have not had the vaccine and then administer it during the medical or will I have to visit with a clinic in my city and get it through them?

That's about it, sorry if they have been asked before...thank you so much in advance! *_*


1) From what I read, that sounds right. You should take a copy of any formal documentation about the Gardasil decision to your medical and show it to them, anyways. You can't always count on these CS's getting up-to-date immediately on new regulations.

2) I had my medical in Vancouver. Because of my age and gender, I needed three vaccs: MMR< Varicella (chicken pox) and TDap. I had blood tests done to confirm that I had had the first two done as a child, but TDap isn't offered by Manitoba Health. I let the medical clinic in Vancouver know this, and they referred me to a travel clinic in Vancouver (about 6 blocks away) to get TDap on the day of my medical. I would imagine the clinic in Montreal can make similar arrangements, but you should email them to confirm.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2009-11-20 01:24:00
CanadaVisa pickup from Vancouver consulate
QUOTE (Dan and Ali @ Dec 20 2009, 04:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I just wanted to re-affirm that visa pickup is available from the Vancouver consulate the day after the interview. I'm about to book our flights and I want to make sure we're giving ourselves an extra day for this.

Thanks everyone! smile.gif


When I got my K-1 on April 30, I was able to pick it up the next day. I don't know if things have changed since then, and it might vary on a case by case basis.

They recommend you bring an Expresspost envelope for them to mail it back. I didn't, because there's a post office right across the street and I figured they'd let me go and bring one back after approval if that was an issue.

In any case, I was glad to have the next morning to wander around Vancouver anyways. It's a very nice city. You can walk along the waterfront for a couple of hours, look at the mountains, etc.

I booked my trip for two days total:

Tuesday night: fly from Winnipeg to Vancouver, arriving at Vancouver just after midnight
Wednesday morning: wake up 5:30, go to medical.
Medical stuff all done by 10ish. Wander around, get lunch.
Interview at 1:30. Approved pending medical. Done by 3ish.
Pick up medical results, deliver to consulate. Just made it, consulate closes at 4.
Approved. Told to pick up visa at 2:15 tomorrow.
Thursday: wake up 10ish. Walk around Vancouver, sightsee until 2.
Pick up visa. Back to hotel.
330ish: bus to airport for 5ish flight.
5:30 almost miss flight, should've taken earlier shuttle bus. Fly home.
Arrive home 1130ish.
Friday: Back to work.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2009-12-20 19:23:00
CanadaA question
QUOTE (payneja01 @ Dec 13 2009, 07:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I am the service member in this thread. First I would like to thank everyone for your advice. It has really helped. Now I have a question. The 129F asks for our "address where you intend to live". I recently found out that I may be moving from Maryland to Virgina. Would it be best if I use my Home of Record address (which is my parents address)? Will using my HoR cause heart ache because it's not my home address??


It's best to be completely and brutally honest on these forms, and not to try to equivocate. If you sincerely don't know where you will be living, answer something like "Unknown - Future husband may be relocating due to military service" or words to that effect. It's always better to give an honest answer plus a short explanation than to give a potentially false or misleading answer.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2009-12-17 19:36:00
CanadaA question
QUOTE (Sam and Ben @ Dec 10 2009, 09:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (SCP2009 @ Dec 10 2009, 11:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Alright. So we've filled out the I-129F thingy and are going to get a cashiers check next week to submit with the form. Is that all we are required to begin this process?

We have done a lot of reading and I am a bit overwhelmed.



As listed within the K1 Visa Guide:

QUOTE
1. Payment as required by USCIS. Use a personal check so you can track the payment. Money Orders are also accepted.

2. Cover Letter (see example). Should include a description of what your are petitioning for (I-129F), a table of contents (list everything in the packet). If you need additional room to explain your case, attach a separate sheet (list the attachment on the cover sheet). Make sure to sign and date the cover sheet.

3. Form I-129F: Petition for Alien Fiance(e) (see example)

4. Declaration of how you met in person in the last two years. This should be a single typed page attachment regarding question 18 of the I-129F. Make sure to sign and date it.

5. Original statements (from both the US Citizen and foreign fiance) certifying an intent to marry within 90 days of entering the US on a valid K-1. (see example)

6. Proof of having met in past two years. (click here for examples)

7. G-325A filled out by the US Citizen signed and dated (see example). If you are using a newer version of the G-325A it may only contain one page for "Biographic Information". Be sure to make four copies of the completed "Biographic Information" page to submit with the package.

8. One passport-type photo (see specification) of the US Citizen. Write the full name of the US citizen on the back. Place in a plastic bag and label the bag "Photo of <Insert US Citizen's Name>". Attach the bag to a sheet of paper and place behind the corresponding G-325a.

9. G-325A filled out by the foreign fiance(e) signed and dated (see example). If you are using a newer version of the G-325A it may only contain one page for "Biographic Information". Be sure to make four copies of the completed "Biographic Information" page to submit with the package.

10. One passport-type photo (see specification) of the foreign fiance(e). Write the full name of the foreign fiance(e) on the back. Place in a plastic bag and label the bag "Photo of (insert foreign fiance(e) name) ". Attach the bag to a sheet of paper and place behind the corresponding G-325a.

11. Copy of the Birth certificate (front and back) for the US Citizen or a copy of ALL pages of the US Citizen's passport issued with a validity of at least 5 years or a copy of the US Citizen's naturalization certificate (front and back). This is used to establish citizenship.

12. Copy of final Divorce Decree(s) or Certificate(s) for the US Citizen and/or foreign fiance(e) if either has been previously married. If the previous marriage of the US Citizen and/or foreign fiance(e) ended due to the death of their spouse then include a Copy of Death Certificate(s) documenting that fact.

13. Proof of Legal Name Change if either the US Citizen and/or foreign fiance(e) is using a name other than that shown on the relevant documents. You must give USCIS copies of the legal documents that made the change, such as a marriage certificate, adoption decree or court order.

14. In regards to Section C Question 2, if applicable provide certified copies of all court and police records showing the charges and dispositions for any specified conviction(s) (in accordance with the IMBRA). See section 9 of the I-129f instructions for more information.



Edit:

It is easy to become overwhelmed in this process, but your best bet is just to take time reading through the guides and to prepare the forms/requirements one at a time. And take your time with them as well. Being hasty in filing will simply add time onto your process, as it's quite easy to forget to sign a form or to include some pertinent document. Regardless of how quickly you respond to an RFE (Request for Evidence) from the gov't, they aren't necessarily as quick at amending your case with the newly acquired information.

Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask for help as required. We all managed through this with the help of others here too, and are happy to assist.


It is probably a good idea to include, with your I-129F packet, a significant amount of evidence documenting your relationship, over and above the minimum required to prove that you two have been in the same place at the same time at least once in the last 2 years. When the time comes to do your K-1 interview (in Vancouver or Montreal, start saving for that trip now) they will want to see significant evidence of your ongoing relationship. Including some of this evidence with your initial petition ("front-loading" your petition, so to speak) ensures that the consular officer has to take that evidence into account. It can make your interview flow much more smoothly, and may possibly also make the adjustment of status step easier [it's possible, but by no means certain, that having that relationship evidence included in your immigration file may increase the probability of your AOS being transferred to the California Service Center, possibly sparing you the AOS interview]. At any rate, it can't possibly hurt.

Edited by HeatDeath, 11 December 2009 - 12:10 AM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2009-12-11 00:07:00
CanadaA question
QUOTE (SCP2009 @ Dec 10 2009, 08:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
*goes to read the K-1 visa process*


Good plan.

Issues of prior intent aside, there is a much bigger problem with marrying on a B-2 (tourist) status and then adjusting status: the right to appeal.

If you get a fiance visa, marry, go to adjust status, and for some bizarre reason are denied, you can appeal the decision, and such appeals are apparently virtually always granted.

If you come in as a tourist, go to adjust status, and for some bizarre reason are denied, you have no right to appeal the decision. You are basically out of luck at that point.

The fiance visa is the best bet, by far the safest and most reliable way to go, if you want to get married in the US and have no period of separation after you are married.

The only other option is the spousal visa, where you get married in Canada, your American returns to the States, and you stay in Canada until your visa is approved. This takes a little longer (maybe a month or two) and has the serious downside of a period of separation after the wedding, but gets you the green card significantly faster (you receive it within a few weeks of entry to the US, instead of sitting in a sort of legal limbo for a few months as you do with a K-1), and is $1000 cheaper, since you don't have to adjust status as a separate process.

Both paths have pros and cons. My wife (the USC) and I did not like the idea of separation after the wedding, or of having two wedding ceremonies (the legal one in Canada to start the visa process and a "real" one with family and ceremony once I arrived.) and two wedding anniversaries. So we went with the fiance visa. Your mileage may very.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2009-12-10 22:21:00
CanadaPOE Review and a couple of questions...
That "multiple entry" thing must be an easy mistake to make on their computer system. When I went through, the first I-94 the officer printed out said multiple entry, but he caught it and called the older guy over and the older guy showed him how to do a single-entry I-94.

I'm glad yours went quick. My PoE officer took an hour and a half, flipping through reference binders and going through my entire file page by page before he did up the I-94 and let me go. Fortunately I only had another 5 hours of driving to do that day and had already made motel reservations.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-01-03 01:55:00
Canadacomplicated POE
Worst case scenario: they all sit there for an hour and a half while the PoE officer flips through reference binders and goes through the visa file, page by laborious page <grumblegrumblepembinanorthdakotagrumble>

:)

It'll be fine B)
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-01-11 14:51:00
CanadaFamily driving across the border to attend wedding
Evidence of ties to Canada is only needed when the border officers have some other reason (visa application in progress, US spouse/fiance(e)) to suspect someone of being a significant immigration risk. Most Canadians do not need to bother, the vast majority of the time.

Edited by HeatDeath, 19 January 2010 - 08:03 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-01-19 20:01:00
CanadaFamily driving across the border to attend wedding
As far as CBP are concerned, your family coming down are just bog-standard Canadian tourists. They just need passports. Shouldn't even need evidence of ties to Canada, just a plausible story about going down to the US for a week or three and driving back. I wouldn't expect them to need more evidence than the wedding invitations, and I'd be surprised if they even needed that.

Now if they're ferrying down some of your personal belongings, to the point where the car is obviously carrying more baggage than would normally be needed for a 2-week wedding trip, then you need some additional documentation. They'll need to be carrying a copy of your K-1 visa and entrance stamp, and a letter that goes something like this:

To whom it may concern,

My name is <NAME>. I entered the United States at <POE> on <ENTRANCE DATE>, on a K-1 Visa. My wedding will be on <DATE>. On <ENTRANCE DATE>, my parents will be entering the United States at the <POE> to attend my wedding to <USC NAME>. They will be carrying some of my personal effects, detailed on the attached inventory sheet. They have my complete permission to do so. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or my fiancee.

<NAME> and <USC NAME>
<US ADDRESS>

Daytime Phone: <PHNUM>
Cell Phone: <CELL NUM>

Attached please find a copy of my K-1 visa.

Sincerely,



<NAME>

Obviously, they'll also need the above mentioned inventory sheet.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-01-19 19:59:00
CanadaX-Ray scanning in MTL consulate
If it's anything like Vancouver it's basically the same setup as an airport: empty your pockets, remove shoes, belts and anything metal, put everthing in trays (I can't remember if they xray the trays or just inspect them), walk through a metal detector and then scramble to put everything back on, take an elevator up and then do the whole thing again :) [When I came back with my medical results I was smarter, didn't put everything back on until after I was through the second set of detectors :)]

I'm virtually certain you don't walk through any xray anything, and the metal detector, as I understand it, is safe for pregnant women. I'm also pretty sure they can wand you if you're nervous about the walkthrough detector.

Edited by HeatDeath, 23 January 2010 - 08:40 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2010-01-23 20:37:00
CanadaCar Import Journey
Ordering the compliance letters from GM was easy: I called tham, and they referred me to an outfit called Vintage Vehicle Services, who do the compliance letters for all GM cars. You can order the letter online or via fax. It's $89.95, and they send them out in about a week.

When I registered my car in Utah, I did have to explain to them about how a Manitoba car registration form is simultaneously a car registration, proof of ownership, and proof of insurance. You just write the explanation on a form and then everything was fine.

They take your existing registration when they give you the new one, but I had them give me a photocopy, so I would still have the proof of Canadian insurance and ownership until I got the new insurance and the title deed showed up in the mail.

Edited by HeatDeath, 16 December 2009 - 07:57 PM.

HeatDeathMaleCanada2009-12-16 19:54:00
CanadaCar Import Journey
I imported a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire earlier this summer. Easiest part of the whole process. I had ordered the compliance letters from GM: $89.95. I drove to the PoE, and after them taking an hour and a half to process my K-1 entry (a whole 'nother story!) I mentioned that I wanted to import my car. Guy looked at my registration (which in Manitoba is also proof of ownership, and proof of insurance) and compliance letters, had me fill out one form, they stamped it, and that was that. The form asks for the value of your car, which I had to guess. I guessed a little high, but it ended up not mattering.

Later, in Utah, when I went to register it, I had to get safety and emissions inspections (local county requirement). Then i took those certificates, the compliance letters, and the import form to the DMV, dropped $150, and they gave me local plates and a new registration certificate for my car. They mailed out a new title deed about a week later. On recent models, apparently, they charge a 1-1.5% tax on the value of your car as stated on the import form you did at the PoE, so it's probably good to either check it beforehand or slightly lowball it, but it ended up not affecting me because my car is old enough to be charged a flat import/registration fee.

Only complicated part there was, because my Canadian registration was also my proof of insurance (I was still on my Canadian car insurance until a couple of days ago) they had to give me a photocopy of my registration to serve as temporary proof of insurance, and I had to call the state agency that maintains the database the police use to check whether people have insurance, and have them create a database entry for my Canadian car insurance until it expired and I replaced it with American insurance.
HeatDeathMaleCanada2009-12-16 19:44:00