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Hello August Interviewees! I've got good news ~~~~~~~ I GOT APPROVED!!!!!!

I will write my full review tomorrow (I took mental notes to share with you all).
The only thing I'll let you know is - be prepared to WAIT!

I arrived at the consulate first thing. 6:30am, no one in line. I didn't leave until 1:30pm. I was one of the last to leave. Ridiculous! It turns out that I was a 'guinea pig' for a new online program (D-160) for K1 visas. By the time I got called into the interview I didn't feel nervous, just annoyed and cranky.

HAHA. So, relax, get your paperwork together, have a good breakfast and bring a good book. Once they tell you you're approved nothing else matters!

I am going to celebrate with my mom in rainy Montreal.

:dance:

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-08-03 12:56:00

Which one of our August interviewees has the longest distance to travel to get to Montreal?

I'm taking VIA rail from Toronto to Montreal. I think it will take me 6 hours. My mom and I were going to drive but have decided to avoid getting lost, as we're notorious for it (even with a GPS) :bonk:

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-08-01 18:27:00

OK, so I had a relaxing weekend at my family cabin, and now that I'm home and packing for Montreal I am freaking out!!!!! :crying:

No more calm, collected me. I am mostly anxious about getting to Montreal and have been having visions of the train breaking down, or some natural disaster preventing my interview from happening.
I'm only going from Toronto to Montreal. I can't imagine people flying in from the Prairies or East Coast. What stress!

Anyway, I'll let you know how it all goes as soon as I get back. I'll be home Wednesday evening so please expect an optimistic review :wacko:

August is finally here!!!!!! :thumbs:

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-08-01 18:21:00

HA ha Vero, I'm not freaking out just yet.
I feel prepared for the interview. All I need now is to visit the bank and get my $350 US. The train is booked to leave for Montreal Monday morning at 6am (ugh). My mom is accompanying me and so I'm mostly looking forward to spending a few days sightseeing and eating poutine with her.

I am excited about the interview however. I actually cannot sleep at night! I am sure I will be all smiles on Tuesday morning, even at 6:30 am!

This is an exciting time for all of us. I hope you are all enjoying your time with family and friends and having a beautiful Canadian summer. Before you know it, all of this waiting and separation from our partners will be over with! I swore to Clay that I will never be away from him for this long ever again. It's a really happy thought.

I'm off to the cabin for a few days of relaxation before I leave for Montreal. Have a great weekend and I'll post my review as soon as I get back to Toronto.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-28 18:42:00

I am so sorry to read about your Grandmother HalfnHalf. I hope you have lots of extra time to spend with her.

If you're not being interviewed in August, I am sure you'll have something scheduled for early September. It will be here before you know it!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-23 14:23:00

Good news! I guess I harassed the heck out of cardio and got my doctor involved too. My echo exam results are in ahead of schedule and I'll be faxing them to Seiden later today! Woo Hoo! This means all of my paperwork is ready for the interview!!

11 more days! AGGGGH!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-22 10:57:00

I know what you mean Wishing!!! Gosh, I'm so excited all the time, and so hyper, as if I had just downed 5 Red Bulls! But, trying to focus on these forms, almost done!!!

HA ha! Don't do that! You'll get a heart murmur !!
Oh well, I guess it's OK because you don't have a medical exam to go through anymore.

I've called my family doctor to begin harassing the hospital for my echo results. If I don't get them by next Monday I'm going to bring out my tough side. Look out!

You're right Wishing. I keep thinking that in less than a month I'll be with my guy again, planning a wedding. I can't sleep at night with all of this excitement!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-22 09:52:00

I am nervous. :blink:

My interview is just around the corner and I am STILL waiting for my Echo exam results! I need to fax them to the Toronto civil surgeon ASAP! Ugh. All of this is for a murmur that I don't have. I blame the strong cup of coffee for making my heart bump on my medical exam day, and have sworn to give it up because I am just so annoyed.

I'm going to start phoning the hospital every day until they give me my results. :bonk:

Other than that, I feel pretty ready for the interview. I am just praying that everything goes smoothly at the interview.

Good luck with your prep work and look forward to my review of Montreal!!!! YAY! :dance:

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-21 21:22:00

Time is flying by!

I've been so busy trying to sort out my medical mishap, that I haven't even thought about the Interview!
I went for my EKG yesterday (I was lucky to get a last minute appointment) and they were equally confused about my heart. I do not have a murmur, but for some reason my heart decided to behave all funny at the medical exam! Anyway, the results are on there way to my GP and I'll have those faxed to Dr. Seiden in Toronto. Phew!

Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful Canadian summer! My fiance told me that LA has been mostly overcast and is jealous of all of the sun we're getting.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-15 09:58:00

rose they did the same thing to me back in january, except they tried to tell me i had breast lumps and possible cancer!!!!

got it checked out ultrasound, xrays etc..nothing wrong..it's just how mine are lol they are occasionally lumpy faxed it all back and we were good to go..truth be told cost me an extra month of waiting but it was dealt with.

Wow Kimbear! I would have been so scared. After hearing about the heart murmur I freaked out. My GP calmed me down later and reassured me that it's nothing to be concerned about. Just another necessary obstacle to get over.

I cannot wait to get this visa!!!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-10 09:52:00

Thanks for posting the list Vero. I love seeing how far we've come.
HalfnHalf, I really hope this is your lucky week! Are you going to call on Friday? Good luck!

I just had a stressful day at my doctor trying to sort out my medical exam issues. I didn't mention it in my review, but the doctor at my medical exam detected a slight heart murmur. I guess this is a big deal for immigration because they put my case on hold until I receive furthur testing. Urgh. I wasn't even aware I had a heart murmur!

Neither was my doctor! Today she checked me and couldn't find one! This isn't good enough for the consulate however. I have to get an echo heart exam and have everything faxed to the civil surgeon ASAP. Thank god I gave myself enough time before the interview!!!

I hope you're all having a great summer and not stressing out too much about the interview.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-08 18:36:00

My medical exam went well, but I have to fax in some more vaccine proof :angry:

It was in Toronto and was super easy to schedule. I posted my review on the Canada Forum.

Happy Canada Day!!!!!!!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-07-01 09:39:00

Thanks for doing this Vero.
I am counting down the days!!!

I went shopping today for a new outfit to wear to the interview. I probably should have picked another day to do it. I didn't buy anything because I am exhausted from my medical exam (:

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-06-30 18:38:00

Is it just me, or is this kind of overwhelming?

I had a little panic attack too, but the AOS process really isn't that bad. At first, it does seem like K1 all over again, but the paperwork isn't nearly as complicated and by now we are total pros at all of this!

My husband keeps reminding me to sit down and reflect on how far we've come. At least now we are with our partners, enjoying our new homes.

Have a wonderful wedding! I was really emotional at my civil ceremony. Beforehand, I referred to it as a 'formality', but on that day I really felt like a bride marrying the love of my life.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-09-08 10:47:00

How did you assemble you AOS package?

I put my AOS, EAD and AP in separate manila envelopes and paper clipped certain documents together. I put my passport pics in pairs, in ziplock bags and stapled each bag on to a piece of paper.

I had a checklist stapled to my first, AOS, manila envelope and put the other two behind, with all of the documents in order of the checklist.

Good luck!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-09-26 13:24:00

Thanks for all of the great info. I'll give the DMV a visit as soon as I get my EAD and hope for the best!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-11-15 12:06:00

You are certainly entitled to do what you want. Just be aware of the fines and other fees that can occur if you get pulled over. If you get pulled over by an officer, he or she has a lot of discretion as to what to do. They can just give you a warning all the way up to cite you for operating a vehicle without a valid license (vehicle code 12500). If they go with the operating a vehicle without a valid license, your car will be towed and impounded and the violation is a misdemeanor. If you don't think people get tickets and or arrested for it, you are wrong. BTW, I work for a police department 10 minutes from you.

OK..As someone who works for a police department, you are telling me I am not allowed to drive with my Canadian Driver's License?
Because my I-94 is expiring, I have to wait for my AOS to arrive, right? My EAD is not validation enough?
I am very confused about all of this. I certainly do not want to break any laws, or condone illegal behavior, but I was under the impression that Canadians are allowed to drive with their Canadian license in California.

Is my best option to not drive until I am able to get a California license? This whole area is so unclear. I wish it had been in the little welcome letter the USCIS gave me!

Anyway, I hope to visit the DMV soon.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-11-10 14:04:00

Thank you for the advice.
As far as I know, I am allowed to drive in the US with my Canadian license, but I will go to the DMV as soon as I get my EAD and see what information they give me.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-11-09 22:22:00

I am starting to think about applying for my California Drivers License and have read several personal stories from VJ members. I am a little confused about 'deadlines'. The DMV site says I have 10 days to apply after receiving California residency. Does this mean that I should wait until I receive my temporary green card before I apply?

Or is my I-94 enough? It is expiring in a few days.

Thank you for your help!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-11-08 17:23:00

US born baby wants to be Canadian citizen too!

I am a permanent resident in the US, and had a baby a few months ago.
I'd like her to become a Canadian citizen also, and am wondering if anyone else has gone this route.

I have some questions:
1) Is it easier to apply in person, or can I do it all via mail? We'll be visiting Canada in a couple of months, so I was thinking we could take care of it then.

Also, 2)I'll be travelling with my Canadian passport and my baby's US passport. The name on mine is still my maiden name, so it is different from my baby's. Do you think this will be an issue with customs?

Thanks for your help!!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2013-03-28 09:42:00

Hello August crew! I don't know if you remember, but I am one of you too!
I've been kind of busy lately...we had a baby in December.

I have no idea when I sent my paperwork in for ROC, but I had my biometrics on February 14th (an easy date to remember).

Hope you are all doing great, and have settled into the US smoothly!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2013-03-28 09:38:00

Congrats Vero!!!! Time to celebrate!
:dance:

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-03-10 20:54:00

Congrats Tater & #######! Now you can relax and enjoy married life (:

Vero, I only brought a photocopy of my medical records (the one I was handed at my examination). I wasn't even asked for it. You should be fine.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-03-03 16:58:00

I received my Green card on the 19th. I'm so glad it's here.
After receiving it, I went for my drivers license. Apparently I have to pass a physical driving test? I thought I was done with all of that );

Things are coming together! My husband and I are in the midst of moving, so I won't be on VJ for a while. Best of luck on your interview Vero!!!!!!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-02-23 15:12:00

Congratulations Valerie and J&J!!!!!!!!!!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-02-16 22:38:00

Hi Vero,
The officer wanted cards signed and dated by relatives. My aunt always writes the date in the top right corner of the card, so that we'll have it for years to come. I showed him a bunch of 'congratulatory' cards, but they had no date.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your prep. I had my birth certificate, but the officer didn't ask for it. Bring yours though!!!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-02-16 00:03:00

Oh, another reassuring thing is that the officer recognized the short amount of time we have been married. He flat out said that 5 months isn't enough time to gather all of the recommended evidence needed. He mentioned that 2 years from now we may be asked to show more proof, but that by then we should naturally have it. He also said that we might not even have to be interviewed again, but that we should be aware of the possibility.

I don't think all officers will be as nice as ours was, but you guys have honest relationships, so you needn't fret!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-02-10 14:46:00

Thanks everyone! It feels good to be done with USCIS for the time being.
Good luck with your interviews Vero and T&B. I think you'll rock it!

As for paperwork, I had mine all nicely organized, and dated from K1 petition, to Montreal interview, to AOS application. The officer didn't care to see any of that. All he wanted to concentrate on was present proof of a genuine marriage. I had our joint bank account information, my husband's most recent pay-stub (his status is still 'single'..I wasn't too pleased with him for not updating his employment information; as the officer drew a big circle around 'single'), rental agreement and dog adoption paperwork. He wanted more information, but we explained to him the reasons why I don't have health insurance, or why we don't have utility, or phone bills in both of our names. It's a good idea to gather up as much of that stuff as you can, and if don't have it, explain why.

The officer began the interview asking me for my name, address, phone number, and parents' first names. I was nervous and almost blurted out my old Canadian address. There really wasn't any reason to be nervous however. By the time we all get to this interview, I reckon we are all pretty much in the clear.

That being said, I was kicking myself for not bringing more photos. I brought pictures from our marriage, but nothing past that (Christmas, New Years..) Also, any cards from relatives should be dated.

Our officer didn't care too much about keeping photos, but kept photocopies of our paper evidence instead (rental, adoption, bank info). I had copies of our marriage certificate and legal documents, but he didn't keep those.

What else.....??? I wrote a little affidavit, signed and dated, declaring my position as a Canadian non-resident married to an American citizen. He kept that.

He asked if we had our cell phones on us. I'm not sure why. We didn't, as the building prohibits them, however, we saw several couples with cell phones in the waiting room?!?! Oh yeah, I had read that showing up early is discouraged. We got their at our scheduled time, but still had to wait 30 minutes.

So yeah, it wasn't the smoothest interview, and there were times (in the really short, 10 minutes it took to get through it), when I thought we were in trouble, but at the end our officer smiled and said 'the truth is - you're Canadian, so no problems here.' He congratulated me and said my card should arrive in 10 days.

My husband and I were both sick, so I joked about sharing a cold..I was nervous and not funny at all (:

Good luck guys! Just bring photocopies and originals of evidence and you're good to go!

Edited by Rose416, 10 February 2011 - 02:41 PM.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-02-10 14:40:00

Just a quick note as I'm off to work to start my new job (at a cafe, till school starts...)

We were approved today! I am now officially a U.S. Permanent Resident and my card should be in the mail soon.

It feels good. I'm actually a little shocked; like, now what??? No USCIS for 2 years?!?

I'll write a review tomorrow. Nothing major..it was an easy experience.

The officer actually said 'no pressure here; you're Canadian and we're not worried about fraud.'

:dance:

Edited by Rose416, 07 February 2011 - 05:33 PM.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-02-07 17:33:00

That is a grotesque number Nickbits! You have insurance, right? I know I am playing with fire, and I plan on getting insured soon. I'm looking into getting covered for emergencies only. When I become a student I can use the school's doctor and dentist for everything else.

Anyone know of any reasonable insurance plans covering emergencies only?

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-01-29 14:42:00

Wishing, I applied for my SSN in my married name and it took about 6 weeks for it to arrive because of security checks. It sounds like you did the right thing by going back there. Apparently we all have to return to have our Social Security conditions removed. Right now mine says 'valid for work with DHS authorization'. When I have my Green Card I can go back and have that removed. The number won't change.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-01-28 19:49:00

Thank you for the advise Vero. I will read your forum and make sure we file as a couple. More money is fantastic!

Spanish is a great idea! I have been studying on my own and find it so easy, especially with a previous knowledge of French. I'm in California and there are lots of Spanish speakers meeting up for conversation clubs. There might be something like that where you are. Good luck getting your documents translated. It might be worth the expense in the long run. It just seems like immigration adds on so much extra cost. I have to pay to have my university transcript 'authenticated' for California schools, AND I had to pay to have my biometrics taken again for admission. So much bureaucracy.

Tater, Arizona will be a nice move. Weather will be gorgeous! I never used to get why west-coasters complained about east-coast weather so much. I was like, 'there's no such thing as bad weather - just bad clothing', but now, living in California, I understand completely. Our worst weather consisted of one week of rain.

I'm studying for my CBEST exam right now. It's a teaching subject matter equivalence test I have to take before being accepted by my school. I hate math, always did, and now have to force myself to study it. UGGH!!!

Hope you all manage to have a better weekend.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-01-28 19:45:00

Sounds like we are all settling into our new lives nicely! I had a couple of weeks of panic, like 'why the heck did I leave Canada?!?!', but California is starting to grow on me (especially this gorgeous January weather), and my husband's patience and support has helped calm my nerves.

Congrats on being approved Wishing! My interview is coming up and I am only just starting to think about it. I am getting a little bit nervous, but feel prepared. I have all of the originals and photocopies of my documents, and proof of our relationship.

Does anyone know how important it is to show proof of Health Insurance? My husband works for a non-profit and it's expensive to add me to his plan. I've gone without insurance for 5 months now, and it is always stressing me out. Is having no insurance a big no no?

Also, I've decided to go back to school. I've been having one heck of a time finding work here. Even bar/restaurant jobs are super competitive in LA. I am competing with actors and models!! I am applying to university to complete my teaching credential, but am nervous about bringing this up at the interview. I don't want them to suspect I moved here only to pay resident tuition to become a teacher! Teaching in Canada is way more lucrative!!

One more question....TAXES!!! I have no US income to report, so I don't think I'm going to file for the US this year. Is this OK? My husband will file his taxes separately. I am going to file for Canada however.

OK. That's all for now! Where would I be without VJ?!?!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-01-28 12:03:00

Happy New Year August Crew!

Today, in the mail, was my much anticipated interview date. For a second I thought they'd skipped it and decided to assign me my card instead. Oh well..my interview is Monday, February 7th. Hopefully I'll have a job by then! I've applied to over 20! There seems to be a lot of opportunity in LA, but of course this also means there is way more competition. I'm optimistic however.

Hope you all are doing great!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2011-01-07 14:40:00

Great news! Your appointment is very soon too! Be ready for a very intense 5 minutes appointment!!!

User .......... AOS sent .... NOAs ...... Bio. App ... AP Result ..... EAD Result .... Inter./Transf. .... AOS Result ...... Card Revd.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mandaNchris ... xx/xx/xx ... xx/xx/xx ... xx/xx/xx ... ----------- ... ----------- ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------
Rose416 ....... 09/25/10 ... 10/08/10 ... 10/28/10 ... 11/22/10(a) ... 11/23/10(a) ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------
Vero and Chris. 10/06/10 ... 10/18/10 ... 11/24/10 ... 12/14/10(a) ... 12/17/10(a) ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------
J & J ......... 12/06/10 ... 12/13/10 ... 01/05/11 ... ----------- ... ----------- ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------
Wishing ....... 10/11/10 ... 10/20/10 ... 11/12/10 ... ----------- ... ----------- ... Int: 01/11/11 ..... ----------- ..... ------------
Alaba ......... xx/xx/xx ... xx/xx/xx ... xx/xx/xx ... ----------- ... ----------- ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------
Valerie78 ..... 11/17/10 ... 11/24/10 ... xx/xx/xx ... ----------- ... ----------- ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------
nickbits ...... 09/16/10 ... 09/24/10 ... 10/28/10 ... 11/16/10(a) ... 11/16/10(a) ... Int: 12/13/10 ..... -Approved!- ..... ------------
Brenda2010 .... xx/xx/xx ... xx/xx/xx ... xx/xx/xx ... ----------- ... ----------- ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------
Tater&####### .. 10/08/10 ... 10/19/10 ... 11/09/10 ... ----------- ... ----------- ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------
ken and kate .. 11/15/10 ... 11/23/10 ... xx/xx/xx ... --- N/A --- ... ----------- ... ------------- ..... ----------- ..... ------------

I have a question for nickbits and Rose416... After having received the e-mail of approval for you EAD and AP, did you receive another e-mail the day after or so stating 'post-decision activity'? I got one for each form, and I'm a little worries as to what it means...

Hi Vero,
I don't remember getting an email from USCIS letting me know about my EAD. The day it arrived, my landlady was close to accidentally throwing my mail out! I almost never got my card! I just checked the USCIS site, and my status is still 'post decision activity.' So, don't worry about your situation. Your card will be in the mail before you know it.

I'm still waiting for my AOS. No status changes as of yet. I'm starting to panic....Is it possible to get an RFE but still receive your EAD and AP?

Congrats on your wife's approval Nickbits!

Happy holidays everyone! And happy 2011!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-12-21 14:44:00

Vero, I forgot to tell you that I received my EAD and AP in the mail. AP arrived November 22nd, and EAD on the 23rd.
Actually, I almost never got it!
My landlady accidentally grabbed it in her pile of penny savers ads. She was about to throw the ads away when she noticed a white envelope poking out. I couldn't believe it when she told me! Of all things to lose, that is probably the most important to me right now!

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-12-02 11:36:00

Sorry to hear about your RFE Tater & #######. I hope it gets sorted soon. I really don't understand how this could happen, especially after being approved in Canada. Sometimes this immigration system seems a little ridiculous. Good luck with every thing!

I would like to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving! We are so lucky we get to celebrate twice! Have a wonderful holiday (:

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-11-23 21:34:00

I just checked the USCIS site and it looks like my EAD was approved and a notice is being mailed to me today (Nov. 19)
:dance:

Still no word about AOS, but at this point I am so grateful for my work permit, everything else can take it's time.

All I need now is to find a job.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-11-20 02:16:00

Wow! Congrats on getting your EAD approved Nickbits! I hope mine comes along soon. I've started job hunting... slowly.

Anyone have any advice on sending money back to Canadian bank accounts? Someone mentioned Customhouse to me, but it is no longer free. Western Union owns it now and they charge quite a bit. I was thinking that my best bet is PayPal.

Rose416

Female

Canada

2010-11-17 13:59:00