ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaPolice Background Check

Doesn't have to be RCMP, it just has to use a certain type of search, a Canada-wide name-based search. The packet instructions say it only has to be RCMP if you have a criminal background. If not, then a local police search is perfectly fine. That's what I had, and I had no issues, plus I called and asked Montreal, and it's what it said on the instructions for packet three. :)


Chicken_Little is absolutely right. I as well simply went down to my local police HQ and got a police check. On the police check it stated that I had been checked against all Canada-wide police databases, with no fault against me. The important part is that ALL Canada-wide police databases had been checked.

There was no need to get the RCMP involved.

It cost me about $30 CAD and 10 minutes of my time. Piece of cake.
nice_manMale02006-04-12 10:18:00
CanadaGrrr...
I've just read through this very long thread.... :) ... and had to smile and nod my head in agreement many times!

Probably the biggest thing I miss about Canada right now is Tim Horton's. Fortunately, I was able to find one not far from Cleveland though, as I drove back home to IL from NY after Christmas. That fix is gonna have to last me for a LONG time though! :lol: Who knows when I'll be allowed back into Canada, without hurting my AOS application!

I was surprised that nobody here has mentioned that they miss Heinz tomato soup from Canada. I (as well as my whole family) LOVE that stuff. My sister brings cases of it back home to NY with her, everytime she comes back from Canada. Growing up, my mom often made us up macaroni with Heinz tomato soup and cheese. If you don't have Heinz tomato soup (there are no exceptions) then it ain't worth makin' up! So I miss that dish a lot.

To be honest, I haven't noticed a big difference between the American and Canadian KD. I mean sure.. it's called a different name.... but the taste is similar enough that I can't complain about it.

Here in the States, I've found that they have a POOR selection of Lipton SideKicks. Almost all of them are rice-related or something like that. They had so many good choices back in Canada. So I kinda miss that too...

In general though, I LOVE the selection in the States, when it comes to groceries. I mean just go look at the cake-mix aisle would ya!! And I've found groceries to be way way way cheaper down here in general, then in Canada. For example, quite often on say a $50 outing, I'll find out that I saved $25. I mean that just didn't happen to me in Canada folks... maybe I was just shopping at the wrong grocery stores... I don't know.

The other cool thing here is that I've found some President's Choice stuff. I LOVE their chocolate chip cookies! And I've found some President's Choice stuff in the frozen food section too!!

Edited by nice_man, 14 February 2006 - 12:38 PM.

nice_manMale02006-02-14 12:36:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionWeird Question ....
Found this bit of information off:

http://www.foreignbo...sidentalien.htm


Less Than a Year: Use Your Green Card

If you are a lawful permanent resident (immigrant) returning to the United States from a visit abroad of less than a year, you may apply for readmission by presenting your Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card") to the immigration authorities at a port of entry.

*** (The one-year time limitation does not apply to the spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, or of a civilian employee of the U.S. Government stationed abroad pursuant to official orders. In this case, the spouse or child must present the card mentioned above, not have relinquished residence, and be preceding or accompanying the member or employee, or be following to join the member or employee in the United States within four months of the return of the member or employee) ****

I have no idea what the last part about being a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States means. It's over my head! Anybody care to explain it to me in simpler language? Thanks! :)
nice_manMale02006-03-02 10:04:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionWeird Question ....
My sister (from NY state) and her husband just recently applied to have the conditions lifted on my sister's residency. I haven't heard the complete story on it yet, but my understanding is that USCIS wrote them back right away and extended my sister's green card for another year - and told her to start studying for her U.S. Citizenship Test. So, I don't know what that means... I don't know if they're back-logged or what. Anyway, perhaps it doesn't matter.

This is the situation. Her husband just got orders today which will reactivate him back into the U.S. military - sending him to Iraq. He served in combat for 4 years (2000-2004) and had returned to the private sector, but was required to still be 'on call' for 4 more years. Well, 2 years into that phase, the unthinkable has happened and my family is in complete shock over this. But we'll just have to do our best to get through this latest challenge. It could be a real long next 2 years though...

I've said all of that to say this... here is my question...

My sister may return back to Canada to live with/close to my parents for awhile. Her husband's family is from Texas and they just moved to a new city in NY state so they don't have a huge social network built up there yet - my sister would be pretty much alone with her husband gone.

What are my sister's options, as far as returning to Canada? As I mentioned before, she is currently a green-card holder, not far off from becoming a U.S. citizen. Is there a time limit on how long she could be away from the U.S. while in this stage of her immigration, while not affecting her current status in the U.S.?

I thought I would check here first, because I know that you guys are full of lots of knowledge. :)

Thanks in advance for any input - it's so appreciated!
nice_manMale02006-03-01 20:02:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionEmployment Status While Applying For Lifted Conditions
I'm going to send off my application to lift conditions this weekend - my GC expiration date is 06/14/08.

I've been at my current employer pretty much since I got my GC - started a month or two afterward. I'm really looking to make a change. I'm just burned out from being in the department I've been in and since I got a recent promotion I'm barred from applying for an internal transfer for another 3 months. That means I'm going to have to go external if I want to leave in the near future.

So, as I try to line up interviews with potential new employers the thought has been on my mind... well.... what is my employement status after 06/14/08? I would say that I'm still in good standing with respect to being eligible to work in the USA while going through this transition process. Afterall, I did get a 2-year GC to begin with.

I want the official word on that though. I'll be so disappointed if I get an interview and then lose out on a potential job opportunity because my GC is 'technically' expired. Also, any advice on what I should tell a potential new employer? How should I word this?

Any advice would be appreciated - thanks!
nice_manMale02008-05-23 10:04:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionSpecific PO Box At Nebraska Service Center For Submitting I-751 Form
QUOTE (nice_man @ May 23 2008, 08:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Good Evening,

If you check out the below link from the USCIS website you'll notice that they do not list the specific PO Box that should be used when mailing an I-751 Form to the Nebraska Service Center.

Does anyone happen to have this information or which PO Box has everyone used when submitting this form to the Nebraska Service Center?

Any assistance with this would be so much appreciated.

Thanks!


http://www.uscis.gov...00048f3d6a1RCRD


Sorry... I can answer my own question. I just noticed that someone else in this section recently posted a USCIS notice regarding this. This needs to be sent to California. Thank you for sharing that information with us - that is exactly what I needed to know!

Edited by nice_man, 23 May 2008 - 09:03 PM.

nice_manMale02008-05-23 21:02:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionSpecific PO Box At Nebraska Service Center For Submitting I-751 Form
Good Evening,

If you check out the below link from the USCIS website you'll notice that they do not list the specific PO Box that should be used when mailing an I-751 Form to the Nebraska Service Center.

Does anyone happen to have this information or which PO Box has everyone used when submitting this form to the Nebraska Service Center?

Any assistance with this would be so much appreciated.

Thanks!


http://www.uscis.gov...00048f3d6a1RCRD
nice_manMale02008-05-23 20:30:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionAddress to send I-751 to NSC
QUOTE (Kathryn41 @ May 18 2008, 10:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It is because the information about where to send the completed form is included on the instructions pages attached to the I-751 itself. It is always better to follow the information contained in the instructions than on line as they are more likely to be up to date.

Here is the link to the instructions: http://www.uscis.gov.../I-751instr.pdf

The mailing address is PO Box 87751, Lincoln, Nebraska 68501-77751. Be sure to read the instructions all the way through before you send out your application just to make sure you haven't missed something important.


Please note that effective yesterday (May 23, 2008) according to a press release on USCIS's website you are to send your I-751 application directly to the California Service Center. I am an IL resident also and I've sent off my package today - directly to California. I also included a copy of their press release to prove to them that I was just following their instructions. This change they've made is obviously very recent.
nice_manMale02008-05-24 16:55:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionToo Late To Get A New SS Card?
I should've taken care of this months ago (you can tell me I'm stupid and I'll agree with you this time) but I never did go to the local SS office and get a new SS card that doesn't have the working restrictions on it. I guess I just never thought it would matter.

Now, my conditional residency expires 06/14/08. I'm not too worried about proving my eligibility to live in the United States while my I-751 application is pending (I just sent it in to USCIS today) because I know that I'll soon be getting a notice from USCIS telling me that my eligibility to live in this country has been extended 1 year.

But I'm wondering now if I should quick try to get a unrestricted SS card before 06/14/08 - for employment reasons? Putting aside the fact that I should've did this a long time ago does it really matter? I do have Tuesday off and I'm thinking of going down to the local SS office and applying for an unrestricted card. What are my chances of getting one with being so close to the big date - 06/14/08?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Edited by nice_man, 24 May 2008 - 08:50 PM.

nice_manMale02008-05-24 20:49:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionEnough evidance for remove of condition??
QUOTE (ninif @ May 23 2008, 11:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (nice_man @ May 23 2008, 09:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
This is crazy. You've essentially said that the marriage is about to end. Why in the world are you applying for conditions to be lifted? Something doesn't seem right here. If the marriage is over then I would imagine you're going to have a hard time trying to explain to USCIS how y'all got married in good faith. There has to be more to the story here and I would hope so as if you have to go before USCIS to have an interview you're not going to have an easy time with this.



Wow, nice-man!

You are not nice at all!!!!!

no0pb.gif no0pb.gif no0pb.gif no0pb.gif no0pb.gif no0pb.gif


You're right. That didn't come out right and I apologize.

I just was (and still am) a little frustrated that this individual is not giving us very much information. It's just weird to say well my marriage is over now what evidence do I need to prove that it was legitimate in the first place, don't you think? I'm frustrated because I'm concerned for them. Maybe there was some abuse here... I don't know. I just wish they would've shared more details. I feel that given what they've said they're going to have a tough time proving their case to USCIS. Heck, we all know how hard it can be to deal with USCIS even when things are 100% legitimate. I just hope that everything somehow turns out all right for them.
nice_manMale02008-05-23 20:37:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionEnough evidance for remove of condition??
This is crazy. You've essentially said that the marriage is about to end. Why in the world are you applying for conditions to be lifted? Something doesn't seem right here. If the marriage is over then I would imagine you're going to have a hard time trying to explain to USCIS how y'all got married in good faith. There has to be more to the story here and I would hope so as if you have to go before USCIS to have an interview you're not going to have an easy time with this.

Edited by nice_man, 23 May 2008 - 09:58 AM.

nice_manMale02008-05-23 09:56:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionFor everyone adjusting status
QUOTE (jethro @ May 30 2008, 04:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Mrs.J06 @ May 30 2008, 04:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thank you for the links! I didn't see any date, is this as of now, immediately, or sometime later this year?


Immediate :

"The adjudication functions for these petitions have already been assigned to these locations in anticipation of this change. Therefore, all petitioners filing a Form I-751 are requested to file the petition with the California or Vermont Service Centers, depending on the state in which they reside."


California has been red hot fast for us so far. I mailed my package from IL to them in CA last Saturday (keep in mind that this past Monday was a holiday) and they signed for it on Tuesday. We just checked our bank account yesterday and the checks had already been cashed. That took less then 1 week. We're hoping that I get my first NOA next week.

When we applied for my 2-year green card a few years ago it got transferred to California and was issued to me in less then 6 months. I'm hoping for 4 months on the 10-year green card. Call me optimistic but there's no harm in dreaming. smile.gif
nice_manMale02008-05-31 08:16:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionHow soon prior to the expiration date should you file?
If I had to do it over again I would send in my I-751 app as soon as I hit that 90-day window. Instead I waited 'til last week (only about 3 weeks away 'til my 2-year green card expires). Now, they've received my app and cashed my checks and I'm totally fine. However, if I had filed a few months ago I'd be that much further through the process already.

I just hated the thought of dealing with USCIS again and getting the mountain of paperwork together that needed to be put together - and so I procrastinated.

I would say in the end I invested probably only 6 hours in everything. I should've just did it right away as soon as I was eligible to. So, that's my free advice for the day.
nice_manMale02008-05-31 09:36:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussionto those who got their 10 years greencard
QUOTE (dp8255 @ May 30 2008, 10:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi everyone, to those peeps who got their 10 years greencard what did they do with their conditional greencard, kept it somewhere or still in the wallet together with the 10 years?, just a thought, mine is still in the wallet together with the new one. Anyone wanna share their thoughts??? hehehe

Divina


Think of it kinda like a souvenir. Once it has expired it's not so much useful anymore.

With that said, I still have my Canadian driver's license somewhere around here and it expired a couple of years ago. There is nothing wrong with keeping mementos.
nice_manMale02008-05-31 08:12:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionWhat comes after I-751?
As has pretty much already been stated, a 10-year green card is different from a 2-year green card because when your 10-year green card expires your status in USCIS' eyes doesn't. That cannot be said for the 2-year green card of course. It's a fairly big deal when your 2-year green card expires.

There are literally millions of 10-year green card holders in this country who may never ultimately choose to become U.S. citizens. There really is no need for them to do so if they don't want to either.

I've recently applied for the 10-year green card and I just want to get to that stage in the game because I figure it'll be a whole lot easier then and less stress. I'm not worried about becoming a U.S. citizen at this point. When I'm ready then I'll go for it but it's not a big issue to me. All I have to do is pay some more money and pass a test. How hard could that be?

Now, I would recommend that people consider U.S. citizenship. Here would be my reasons why I will probably file for that within the next year or two:

1) USCIS keeps jacking up the fees for all of these immigration 'stages'. If you wait another 5 or 10 years to become a U.S. citizen then who knows... maybe it'll cost you $2,000.00 just to do that. It's not getting cheaper by the year put it that way! So, why not just get it over with?
2) Obviously we all moved here to be with our spouses but the U.S. is a great country too. Why not show some pride in the country and get involved with things like voting and jury duty? Those things are only open to U.S. citizens. 10-year green card holders are left out.
3) I think it would be nice to not have to worry about filling out any more forms for USCIS for the rest of my life. I mean... yea... 10 years is a long time but it's just something else you have to put on your calendar. Wouldn't it be nice to not have to worry about that? Also, my Canadian passport expires in 2010. If I don't become a U.S. citizen then I almost have to keep up with that and get another Canadian passport when I travel. Whereas as a U.S. citizen I would probably just get a U.S. passport and not renew the Canadian passport.

Anyway... I'm sure others have their reasons too... the most important thing for a lot of us right now is to just get through to the other side of the 2-year green card. It's a big step and it's a nice milestone in the long (and sometimes) frustrating immigration journey that we've all had to take to be with the love of our life.

Edited by nice_man, 03 June 2008 - 06:15 PM.

nice_manMale02008-06-03 18:14:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionEvidence for I-751
I would just send in a couple from each quarter. I would say that it's more important to cover a staggered timeline rather then just try to throw a bunch of statements at them. So, for example rather then sending in statements from January to December just send in statements from January/February and June/July and September/October. That kind of thing. You're sending in half a dozen statements and still making your point.

I guess I didn't feel like digging up tons and tons of credit card statements because I feel that's not really strong evidence anyway (in and of itself). It's a piece of the entire evidence but if that's all you have then I don't think that would go very far with USCIS. But, that's just my opinion. **shrugs***

What other evidence do you have? Were you able to get signed affidavits? Is/was there anything else you shared together - house/car/etc?

Edited by nice_man, 05 June 2008 - 06:56 AM.

nice_manMale02008-06-05 06:54:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionEvidence for I-751
QUOTE (HHW @ Jun 3 2008, 07:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
nice man,

Could you tell me what documents you sent in? I am kind of nervous because I am in divorce process...


I sent in 2 notarized affidavits from my mother-in-law and my best buddy who lives in the other side of our condo. They both see us a lot and can vouch for the legitimacy of our marriage. I sent in several bank statements covering a good amount of time showing that we have joint checkings/savings accounts. I sent in a credit card statement showing both of our names. I sent in a form that shows that we have a credit line in both of our names (joint debt and it's not just a couple of thousand dollars either...). I sent in jointly filed taxes for the last 2 years. I sent in a form that shows we have car insurance and house insurance in both of our names. I sent in a copy or two of a utility bill that's in both of our names. I also sent in our marriage certificate, cards and pictures received/taken over the last few years. And then the usual... Welcome to USA green card letter and photocopy of green card and driver's license.

Just for kicks, I also got a character reference done up by my boss (of 2 years) that basically says I'm MVP at work. Sure, it's not 'evidence' for our marriage but I think it would be good for USCIS to know that I am doing well in my career here in the U.S. makin' a good name for myeslf and that I'm not just some deadbeat leeching off my wife.

That's about it for my documentation *shrugs*.

Really the only thing that I wish I could've sent is something that shows that I'm on the mortgage. However, my wife bought our house 6 months before we got married and we haven't gotten my name added to the mortgage after that because we didn't want to refinance and perhaps lose our current favorable rate. But I was very honest and upfront with USCIS about this and I told them exactly this. I don't anticipate a big problem over it. I feel confident that they will see that I've been a good resident of the U.S. over the last 2 years and that I have a legitimate marriage with my wife. I fully expect to get approved in 4-5 months out of California. Call me optimistic I guess... but they did approve our AOS case in less then 6 months out of California 2 years ago.

Edited by nice_man, 04 June 2008 - 08:28 PM.

nice_manMale02008-06-04 20:26:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionEvidence for I-751
A credit card statement of ours was one piece of evidence that I did send in but I didn't personally feel it was necessary to send them a year's worth of statements. I tried to vary our evidence and also show a staggered time line. In other words, I didn't just send in one statement from 2 months ago. I sent in various paperwork dating back all the way to the early months of our marriage.

I guess I feel strongly that our case is legitimate. I did send them a fair amount of paperwork but I didn't send them a mountain of paperwork either. I think that would've been overkill. The way I see it, when they review your file they're either going to feel that your case is legitimate or they're going to have doubts. If they have doubts, I highly doubt that an extra 6 months worth of credit card statements from you is going to change their mind. See what I'm saying?
nice_manMale02008-06-03 18:00:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionOrganizing the Packet...
I think it's possible to over-think these kinds of things... wink.gif

I just put everything in an organized manner (had a cover letter detailing each piece of evidence in order) and then used paper clips to give things a bit of a flow and that was it.

I think that you will be just fine.
nice_manMale02008-06-06 23:27:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussionfelony
I can definitely understand the frustration with the OP here. No one ever likes it when someone ruins it for everyone else and there is that 'impression' that one gets when they hear the word 'immigrant' and 'felony' in the same sentence. I am surprised to see the kind of language here that I've seen though. It wouldn't fly on many other forums.

Look, the reality is that you've got to be on your Sunday best behavior every day you're in the United States as an 'immigrant' - especially as a fairly new one. Any major misstep and you're deportable just like that. I'm not saying that I haven't ever been known to speed but I'll tell you what... I've taken care to not even get so much as a speeding ticket since I've been here.

To the OP: If this does all work out for you (I can't say I'm extremely encouraged by your prospects) then you need to take a lesson from this and realize that you have to take every precaution to avoid situations like this. Hang around the right people, get a decent job and work hard at making your surroundings better for your being there.

Whether or not anyone wants to admit it, USCIS owns you until you become a citizen. They go to great pains to remind you of that often too. I'm just sayin' it again to you.

Edited by nice_man, 17 June 2008 - 06:39 PM.

nice_manMale02008-06-17 18:38:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionLeasons Learned (I-751)
I just sent in my I-751 application package today - directly to California (as a IL resident). The above advice is great. I also included my 'Welcome to the United States' letter (NOA I-797 I believe) and my permanent resident card mailer (the piece of paper that my permanent resident card was attached to when I received it). My conditional status expires on 06/14/08.

I'll be interested to see if we have to have an interview at this point. My AOS happened in less then 6 months (got the CSC transfer) and everything went off without a hitch. Here's hoping history repeats itself. I consider our case to be very solid and so I won't be that freaked out if we do end up having an interview to go to.

Good luck to all those who have applied and/or who will be applying soon for this.
nice_manMale02008-05-24 20:43:00