Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Tetanus vaccine for medical exam	The place you are going to go for the medical will do that blood test themselve (HIV and syphilis). So you dont need to have it done prior to the medical. So there would be another blood test on the med exam...hehehe. I'm not scared of needles but seeing 2 in a row and another coming, I might get needle-phobic. Thanks for the info guys! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-22 11:24:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Tetanus vaccine for medical exam	Today, I went to a walk-in clinic near my work. It took me an hour just to get the Tetanus vaccine. The doctor asked what is it for and I said for US immigration. He then went out of the room and got a syringe. On the cabinet next to me he took out a small bottle. He was telling me how good the weather is in California. Before he gave the shot, he listened to my heartbeat. After that, he asked me to roll up my right sleeves up to the shoulder. I was wearing 2 sweaters so I have to take off the top one. Before he gave me the shot, he asked me to breathe deep. It was quick and painless. I asked him to provide me a note that he gave me that shot today. I also asked him if he could make a request letter for a blood test. He asked me what kind of test I wanted. I told him only MMR. He was confused on why only MMR, I might be missing something. He asked me to confirm it with the US immigration doctor before he could issue me the letter. In short, I didn't get the letter that I need for the blood test. Tomorrow I will call the Dr's office again and confirm the MMR. I would like to know if I needed tests for HIV, Hepa B...etc. For the blood test, do I need to sked an appointment with the lab? Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-21 23:16:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Blood Test for MMR	I just had my blood test a few minutes ago. There is a laboratory in the building next to my work. They filled 3 vials of my blood and they said the results usually gets back in 10 days. Then I paid 25$. I was out there after 10 mins. Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-23 14:49:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Anyone here who applied for CR-1 visa and is from Vancouver?	I want to know how long did it take for the visa to get to Vancouver. If sending mail from Montreal to Toronto is taking 2 days, what about from Montreal to Vancouver? Thanks! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-24 00:59:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	i'm really freakin confused now	our lawyer has our packet with the interview letter, getting together all of our things so it'll be easier for us. my husband just received our copy in the mail today. i keep reading about bringing 230s or some form with us ON THE INTERVIEW DATE. but he says no forms were given, nothing mentioned about forms, just appointment letter and directions for passport pictures and medical. is the checklist not actually a CHECK LIST? i saw older versions on the web of actual CHECK lists. and forms we have to fill out and bring but date or something. does the lawyer have this and we didnt get them? husband's going to the lawyer end of the week, but i dont know if i should be worried? i'm so confused. are we supposed to wait for ANOTHER packet? so all im supposed to bring is our birth certificates, marriage certificate, police clearance, medical, and passport pics? that sounds too easy. quick edit: wanted to add: our interview is april 5th Hi flowingly, Did you apply for CR1 visa (Conditional Spouse of US Citizen)? I applied for that and the Packet 4 that they've sent me contains checklist, requirements for medical and reminders on the interview. There were no forms that'll be filled out or anything like that. My checklist goes like this: Document Name Status Description OF-169 Y Yes/Document complete/reviewed OF-230-I Y Yes/Document complete/reviewed OF-230-II Y Yes/Document complete/reviewed Passport Y Yes/Document complete/reviewed Birth Certificate Y No/Document/Missing Adoption E Exempted/ Document not needd Marriage Certificate O Original Docuement received Marriage Termination E Exempted/Document not needed Court Records E Exempted/Document not needed Financial Evidence Y Yes/Document complete/reviewed Custody Papers E Exempted/Document not needed Military Records E Exempted/Document not needed Canada Police Certificate O Original Document Received Philippines Police O Original Document Received Certificate E Exempted/Document not needed IRS waiver From my own interpretation, (please don't think that this is the correct one, I advise if you want to make sure, call your lawyer/embassy to confirm) the documents that says YES means that they already have it/reviewed it. I remember my lawyer sent me the 230-I and let me fill it out myself. She didn't asked me to fill out the 230-II. I'm also confused about that because, to my knowledge, 230-I comes along with 230-II. Anyways, I'm going to ask my lawyer about that and if I get an answer I'll let you know. I'm planning to bring everything I have even if it says they already reviewed it. So, good luck to you and I hope everything will be fine for both of us! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-25 17:16:00
Canada	Case sent to Montreal	Thanks guys! I hope I'll get a good news tomorrow! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-18 20:06:00
Canada	Case sent to Montreal	Cool! If I call the Embassy tomorrow, am I suppose to talk to a representative or it's automated like the one in NVC? Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-18 19:01:00
Canada	Case sent to Montreal	Hi everyone! I just one to share my happiness to all of you! After 1 month of wondering and getting frustrated about our case not being updated from "Case completed" at NVC, I just called them and they've send our case to Montreal US Embassy. I'm getting really excited now! Hopefully, I'll receive Packet 4 next week! Thank God! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-17 21:46:00
Canada	Montreal Interview Date!!!	Hi Our Mao, Congratulations to you! I noticed we have the same completion date. It took a month for NVC to give an update on our case. Last night, I called NVC and the automated machine said that our case was sent to Montreal last 3/15/07. I will call the Embassy tomorrow to find out if there's an interview date for us. Did you call NVC and talked to a rep regarding your case status? I asked my husband to call them and he got fed up waiting on the line so he hung up the phone. Maybe I'll just do it myself, LOL. Anyway, goodluck on your interview. Post a review when you get the medical, I'd really like to know what to do. Take care! Tessa at Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-18 23:27:00
Canada	Montreal Interview Date!!!	Hi Our Mao, Congratulations to you! I noticed we have the same completion date. It took a month for NVC to give an update on our case. Last night, I called NVC and the automated machine said that our case was sent to Montreal last 3/15/07. I will call the Embassy tomorrow to find out if there's an interview date for us. Did you call NVC and talked to a rep regarding your case status? I asked my husband to call them and he got fed up waiting on the line so he hung up the phone. Maybe I'll just do it myself, LOL. Anyway, goodluck on your interview. Post a review when you get the medical, I'd really like to know what to do. Take care! Tessa at Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-18 23:25:00
Canada	Which airport should we take to get to the US Embassy?	I don't know if this is a dumb question or I am just lazy to find that out hehehe.	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-19 21:40:00
Canada	Interview a day after my bday!	Hi everybody! We received an email from our lawyer saying we have an interview date on April 12! That's a day after my birthday! Yihaa! I guess I'm going to celebrate it in Montreal. Wish me luck! Tessa at Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-19 21:19:00
Canada	Montreal, March 20th	GOODLUCK! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-19 22:27:00
Canada	Medical Exam in Vancouver	My hubby had his medical in Vancouver .... said it went fine .... just show up early!!! Lots of people were there on his day and he was seen in the order he came in. Also, he said the receptionist was incredible nice Thanks autumnchik! I guess I need to book an appointment. Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-20 21:43:00
Canada	Medical Exam in Vancouver	Did anyone had their medical examination in Vancouver? How did it go? Any advice? Thanks! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-20 21:25:00
Canada	Scheduled my Medical Exam	I called the Dr.'s office today and scheduled my appointment. The lady who answered the phone set it for April 4 at 6:30 am. Their office is located in Burrard St. (downtown Vancouver) and I live 45 mins. away from Vancouver. Anyways, she gave a list of requirements that I should bring or get done before coming for the exam... Passport 3 Photos Interview Letter Tetanus Vaccine (should w/in 10 yrs) Blood Test (for MMR) $275, Cash/Money order She also asked me if I had my chicken pox already, I told her I had it when I was 19. She asked me about the Tetanus Vaccine and MMR (this point I don't understand her as I don't have any paperwork regarding this. I know I had vaccines before when I was younger but I lived in the Philippines then and I don't think my mom kept any paperwork or anything like that.) The lady told me to get my blood test done w/ my doctor. I told her I don't have a doctor. She said I can do it in a walk-in clinic. She also advised me to do it right away because blood test result takes up to 2 weeks to get done. The result could be faxed to the office. Last question she asked was if I am wearing any eyeglasses/contact lenses. So right now, I'm stressing out on which doctor should I go and which lab center to go to for my blood test. I'm still at work and I guess I have to leave work tomorrow or not come in to work just to get it done. Tessa at Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-21 16:27:00
Canada	Vancouver Medical Experience	Thanks for the post! It was very informative. I'll be having my medical next wednesday. I have to figure out how to get there since I'll be taking public transpo. I have to wake up early....argh! T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-29 17:37:00
Canada	Taxes, taxes, more questions about taxes	Hi, I'm Canadian and my husband is the USC. I haven't filed my taxes yet because I don't know where to start. I've been filing taxes electronically (very easy process!) but being married, made everything so difficult. My husband's taxes are not done yet. He went to a tax specialist and was told to apply an ITIN for me. He also needed to ask for an extension because he will be away on April 15 (I'm having my interview on April 12). So, I'm confused if I'm going to file my taxes as "married" or just makes it so easy for me and do it as "single". I don't want to go to a specialist, I just want to make use of the software that I bought. Anybody knows how to do it with the software? Thanks in advance! T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-01 19:02:00
Canada	Montreal Interview on March 20th	WE WERE APPROVED !! YAHOO Our Appointment was at 8:30am this morning, is now 9:42 and we are already back at our hotel. Here's our experience: 7:15am - Arrived at the embassy door, first in line. Others in line had backpacks, purses, etc.... 7:30am - Doors opened - Showed our Appointment letter, since we had no bags or purses we were allowed throught (THANK YOU VJ!!) 7:45am – Went to window 9, gave them my interview letter 8:15am – Called up to window 11, realized I had gotten the wrong size Xpress Post envelope. Husband went to pharmacy at the corner to get correct size. 8:45am – Called into room 7 for interview Very nice man. Asked us how / when we met. Asked where we were going to live. And that was pretty much it. He had me swear that all the information I had provided was correct, took fingerprint of both index fingers & said that all information was in order and that my Visa was approved. Eh Voila ! Done He said we would receive the visa in the mail within the week. And that was it! I worried & lost sleep over this for nothing. It was so simple. LOL Now we are checking out of the hotel and heading back to Ontario to pack up my stuff and wait for the Visa to make the long drive back to Florida. I want to sincerely thanks EVERYONE on VJ for all the support & advice. I would have been lost in this process if it wasn’t for everyone out there willing to take a few minutes out of their day to help out us beginners. Cheers everyone ! Hi amarceau, I have a quick question for you. Did you bring a copy of your DS-230 I and II? My lawyer said Part I was already sent to NVC while Part II will be sent to me later...later? Like before my interview? I don't get her. Thanks! Tessa & Carlos my husband and i were having the same problem. we both called and got different answers different times, and our lawyer says another thing. so just in case, we're bringing both parts signed, and both parts unsigned, hah. juuuuuuust in case. I guess I'll be doing the same. Tnx! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-28 17:24:00
Canada	Montreal Interview on March 20th	WE WERE APPROVED !! YAHOO Our Appointment was at 8:30am this morning, is now 9:42 and we are already back at our hotel. Here's our experience: 7:15am - Arrived at the embassy door, first in line. Others in line had backpacks, purses, etc.... 7:30am - Doors opened - Showed our Appointment letter, since we had no bags or purses we were allowed throught (THANK YOU VJ!!) 7:45am – Went to window 9, gave them my interview letter 8:15am – Called up to window 11, realized I had gotten the wrong size Xpress Post envelope. Husband went to pharmacy at the corner to get correct size. 8:45am – Called into room 7 for interview Very nice man. Asked us how / when we met. Asked where we were going to live. And that was pretty much it. He had me swear that all the information I had provided was correct, took fingerprint of both index fingers & said that all information was in order and that my Visa was approved. Eh Voila ! Done He said we would receive the visa in the mail within the week. And that was it! I worried & lost sleep over this for nothing. It was so simple. LOL Now we are checking out of the hotel and heading back to Ontario to pack up my stuff and wait for the Visa to make the long drive back to Florida. I want to sincerely thanks EVERYONE on VJ for all the support & advice. I would have been lost in this process if it wasn’t for everyone out there willing to take a few minutes out of their day to help out us beginners. Cheers everyone ! Hi amarceau, I have a quick question for you. Did you bring a copy of your DS-230 I and II? My lawyer said Part I was already sent to NVC while Part II will be sent to me later...later? Like before my interview? I don't get her. Thanks! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-26 20:39:00
Canada	Montreal Interview on March 20th	WE WERE APPROVED !! YAHOO Our Appointment was at 8:30am this morning, is now 9:42 and we are already back at our hotel. Here's our experience: 7:15am - Arrived at the embassy door, first in line. Others in line had backpacks, purses, etc.... 7:30am - Doors opened - Showed our Appointment letter, since we had no bags or purses we were allowed throught (THANK YOU VJ!!) 7:45am – Went to window 9, gave them my interview letter 8:15am – Called up to window 11, realized I had gotten the wrong size Xpress Post envelope. Husband went to pharmacy at the corner to get correct size. 8:45am – Called into room 7 for interview Very nice man. Asked us how / when we met. Asked where we were going to live. And that was pretty much it. He had me swear that all the information I had provided was correct, took fingerprint of both index fingers & said that all information was in order and that my Visa was approved. Eh Voila ! Done He said we would receive the visa in the mail within the week. And that was it! I worried & lost sleep over this for nothing. It was so simple. LOL Now we are checking out of the hotel and heading back to Ontario to pack up my stuff and wait for the Visa to make the long drive back to Florida. I want to sincerely thanks EVERYONE on VJ for all the support & advice. I would have been lost in this process if it wasn’t for everyone out there willing to take a few minutes out of their day to help out us beginners. Cheers everyone ! Congratulations & be HappY! Tessa & Carlos	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-24 00:52:00
Canada	Medical exam in Vancouver tomorrow!	Wish me luck! My med exam is tomorrow. I hope everything will be fine. T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-03 23:34:00
Canada	mephys's big day!!	Congratulations! Have fun with your fiancee T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-04 19:16:00
Canada	Med Exam review (vancouver)	Hello! Ok where should I start? Hmmm...a few days ago, I read Our Mao's review about the medical exam experience she had and it was very helpful. I even printed it out to bring it with me for my medical today (Thanks Mao! ). Since I'm going to take the public transpo, I went to translink.bc.ca to find out how to get to 1144 Burrard St, Vancouver (Woking Medical Center). I had to ride a bus from my house going to Skytrain station (in Surrey) then get off Granville Station, and lastly, take #17 Oak at Robson and Granville. I have to get off at Howe & Helmcken and walk 2 blocks going to Burrard St. I was looking at Google Earth and trying to figure out the landmarks close to the clinic. I don't want to get lost in downtown Vancouver...hehehe. Anyways, I had it all figured out, Tuesday night I gathered all the requirements that they've asked me. I have my passport, appointment letter, 3 photos, immunization record (I got my TD booster and MMR blood test results-passed on all of them), and $275. I even bought a book in case I get bored of waiting. I set my alarm for 430am and I planned of leaving the house at 5:15am. Since there's no bus at that time, I had to ask my dad to drop me off the station. Well, I wasn't out of the house at 5:15, I left at 5:35 am. In short, I was late. I don't want to blame him anymore. Instead of taking #17 Oak bus, I just walked from Granville Station to the clinic. I want to do a little exercise before getting there. I was at the clinic around 6:40 am (10 mins late). 12 people were ahead of me. I was #13 in the line (I guess this is my lucky #). The receptionist asked my name, check it off her list and gave me 3 pieces of paper. (1 that I should read and copy the last sentence at the space provided and then sign my name at the bottom, the other 2 were stapled and she wanted me to check my medical history. Also, on top you have to fill out your name, birthday, passport #). After filling out everything she had asked me, she took my passport, immunization record, 3 photos and copy the case # off my appointment letter. She also asked me if I'm currently living in Canada then signed on one of the pages. After I've done that, I was told to go to BCBIO Lab, 3 doors down the hall to do the blood test. The technician took 2 vials of my blood. I wasn't looking at it because I was a little bit scared. After that, I went back to the waiting room near the receptionist where Xray clinic is located (beside Woking Medical). I had to wait about 30 minutes for my turn. I was told to take off my shirt and bra, then have to put the robe. I was wearing my hair down, the technician asked me to tie it up. They have rubber bands there so don't worry. Anybody who's wearing necklace should remove it too. I was done with the blood test and Xray at 8am. The physical exam was the longest wait. I was waiting for 2 hours for my turn. The lady called me at 10:10 am. She led me to a small room and asked to take off my clothes, leaving my bra and panties on, then I have to put the tissue paper around my body and sit on the bed. She told me that the doctor will attend to me in about 5 minutes. Well, 5 minutes became 20 minutes. I wanted to go to the washroom so bad, but I can't, duh! I just counted the cats in the frame that was hanging on the left wall. It says on the title "onehundredcatsandamouse" so I entertained myself by counting the cats. I counted 98...it wasn't 100. LOL! The doctor came in finally accompanied by another lady. They were asking about my surname etc etc. It took about 5 mins to finish the physical. I was asked to put on my clothes and get out of the room to take some measurements (ht & wt). There was an eye exam too. After that, I paid her and was asked to come back at 2pm. I got out of there around 10:45am. I was planning to go home but I thought 3 hrs is a short time. Travelling from Surrey to Vancouver is almost 1 hr so I'll just find things to do. I took my lunch and read the book I bought. I went back around 1:30pm. The results were given at 2:00pm. The lady told me to give the medical results and xray when I get to my interview in Montreal. Overall, it was a good experience. It was very straightforward. Everything is in order. I was just tired for not getting enough sleep. Thanks to VJ! I had an overview of what to do with a lot of stuff. I'm glad I'm done with one of my worries. I can relax this weekend. Next week, I'll be more worried because my interview is on the 12th. Wish me luck. Hope my review is worth reading. T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-04 20:08:00
Canada	One quick question before my interview in 8.5 hrs	Thanks Karin und Otto! I tried calling canadapost but they're closed already. I wont be able to print out a label online coz im in the hotel and i dont have a printer with me. I don't think the concierge in the hotel has one available right now. I might not do it anymore. I just hope I'll be home to receive the package myself. Thanks a lot and goodluck on your interview! T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-12 00:34:00
Canada	One quick question before my interview in 8.5 hrs	Hello! Today at 8:30EST is the moment I'm anticipating, my interview in Montreal. I'm so stressed since yesterday and I haven't been sleeping normally. I'm having a bit problem about the Xpresspost envelope. It says on the letter that it is recommended that the letter has the "signature required". On the Xpresspost itself, it says that Signature is optional and I have to buy it? In my understanding, I need to put a sticker on the circle at the bottom part of the envelope. Where the hell I'm going to get that at 1am in the morning? I got two labels, in one I wrote at the bottom "Signature required". Is it ok to write that? Please someone help me with this....just one reply to make me sleep. Thanks! T&C PS. Wish me luck! FYI, Yesterday was my bday...hehehe!	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-11 23:59:00
Canada	POE @ YVR	Thanks guys! I hope it'll go smoothly. I am bringing 3 boxes full of clothes and other stuff...hehehe! Goodluck to all of us! T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-17 13:10:00
Canada	POE @ YVR	Hi! Has anyone experienced entering YVR(Vancouver International Airport) using Cr1 visa? What kind of questions do they ask? Do you need to make a list of the things you're going to bring to the US? I had my interview last Thursday (April 12, easy breezy!), got approved and just got my passport with visa visa Xpresspost...wooohoo! Thanks! T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-04-16 16:10:00
Canada	MTL Timeline to Interview	Can you add ours too? Visa Type: CR1 NOA2: 10/13/06 NVC Received: 10/30/06 Packet 3 @ NVC: 11/27/06 NVC Complete: 2/13/07 Packet 4: 3/22/07 Interview Date: 4/12/07 Visa Arrived:	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-29 21:34:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CASE COMPLETE!!!	Hi Justo/Sheyla, First of all, congratulations! I'm a newbie here but I've been using VJ to look for answers to my questions. My husband has filed an immigrant petition for myself in July 2006 and we learned that our case was completed last Feb. 13/07. Before it got completed, NVC have sent us an RFE letter, asking for an original/certified true copy of my birth certificate, marriage certificate, police clearance (Canada) and NBI clearance (Philippines). All of these were sent to my lawyer in California and it took awhile for me to gather all of it (approximately a month). Anyway, we're guessing that an interview might be available for us in April but the last time I checked NVC's automated machine, nothing has happened. I'm getting so frustrated, it's been a month and no updates for us. My lawyer wasn't that very helpful too. I wanted to spend my 1st year anniversary with my husband. My birthday is also in April and I would love to spend it with him. Goodluck to both of you! Tessa & Carlos Edited by Carlos at Tessa, 17 March 2007 - 09:28 PM.	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-17 21:27:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Denied at POE	Depends on why you were denied entry. Not enough evidence to prove I have ties in Canada. Not working at that time, not renting (living w/ parents), no return ticket.	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-29 21:23:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Denied at POE	Hi All! There's a question on the DS-230 Part II, "Have you ever been refused admission to the United States port-of-entry?". If your answer is YES, would that affect the approval of the visa? What are the chances that a visa could be denied because of this? Just curious. Thanks T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-29 21:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Question	Thanks Kath! I did a research too and as far as I could understand, OF-169 is also Packet 3. =) T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-31 16:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Question	Hi! What is OF-169? Thanks! T&C	Carlos at Tessa	Not Telling	Canada	2007-03-31 14:06:00