ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaK-2 Visa Non-Custodial Parent's Notification / Consent

OMG I hope i'm not in trouble with this also my divorce states i have sole custody of the children and that he has reasonable access to them as we may agree, so there is no set visitation, plus my big problem is he no longer lives in winnipeg i have no address or telephone number for him, he hasn't seen or talked to the kids in over 2 years, am i going to be refused our visas my interview is on weds


Can you get your lawyer to quickly draft something saying that he's unreachable, can't be located and hasn't seen, talked to the kids or paid child support in 2 years?
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-06 16:48:00
CanadaDonating Stuff in Toronto
Well I got rid of the big items! Both couches, a shelf, my dresser and my (heavy) glass topped desk... the lucky winner was... wait for it... my cube mate at work.

I just randomly asked him today if he would be interested and he was! He has barely any furniture at his home (I didn't know this) and doesn't mind scratched up couches as he is adopting a kitten soon.

Whew!
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-06 21:20:00
CanadaDonating Stuff in Toronto
I've been trying to give stuff to friends but the big items, couches, no one wants. I live near condo land here so everyone is pretty yuppy and probably doesn't want my furniture! Plus I don't really like my neighbours too much... I don't quite "fit" into the "lifestyle" here (not a yuppy, don't have money, pretty extensively tattooed).
misaFemaleCanada2007-02-26 22:57:00
CanadaDonating Stuff in Toronto

Are you connected with a church? Sometimes youth groups or church camps want those kinds of donations.. they might help:)


Nope, no church but I'll do a few online searches tomorrow to see if I can find anything. Thanks!
misaFemaleCanada2007-02-26 18:56:00
CanadaDonating Stuff in Toronto
I've had really bad luck with freecycle before. People never showing up... but it is worth a shot! Thanks!

Who knew that trying to get rid of stuff was such a hassle! :P
misaFemaleCanada2007-02-26 18:01:00
CanadaDonating Stuff in Toronto
Damn, they don't take furniture that's been torn (like couches). With a maximum of 10 cats here once I have some pretty scratched up couches... I'll ask them on the phone but it looks like I might just be putting it out with the trash or something.
misaFemaleCanada2007-02-26 17:56:00
CanadaDonating Stuff in Toronto
Sweet! Thanks! I really didn't want to throw this stuff out.
misaFemaleCanada2007-02-26 17:48:00
CanadaDonating Stuff in Toronto
I have a ton of stuff that I want to donate (furniture, books, clothes, salvageable computer equipment) but I can't seem to find anyone to pick it up! Good Will and Salvation Army no longer do pickups in Toronto.

I don't drive, don't have a license... any ideas on who would pick up, other than you know, throwing it all out with the trash?
misaFemaleCanada2007-02-26 17:37:00
CanadaMedical question
Not that I'm aware of. They're more concerned with HIV and TB.
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-07 13:15:00
CanadaCanadian Birth Certificates
I think mine was fast because I had all the matching information: Parents date of birth, place of birth, hospital, etc. Plus I don't have a common name so it matched right away.
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-07 13:26:00
CanadaCanadian Birth Certificates
Yup, the long form in Ontario. I don't know if it depends on what year you were born, but mine is a certified copy of what my mom filled out by hand. She made a few mistakes on it and had to scribble a few things out. :P

Ontario is FAST too. I ordered mine online and got it in 2 business days by xpress post (signature required).

Edited by misa, 07 March 2007 - 01:12 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-07 13:11:00
CanadaEmbassy - Ottawa or Montreal?
Yup. The only consulates you can interview at for a K1 (or K3) are Vancouver or Montreal and it's dependent on where you live. CR-1/IR-1 applicants can only go through Montreal.

Edited by misa, 07 March 2007 - 01:17 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-07 13:16:00
CanadaVANCOUVER OR BUST
How did it go???? :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-09 11:39:00
CanadaVANCOUVER OR BUST
I know I already posted but tomorrow's the big day. GOOD LUCK! :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-08 01:50:00
CanadaVANCOUVER OR BUST
Good luck! :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-07 12:19:00
CanadaDo I need a Police Certificate from the US?
No problem! It's easy for me to pull the info to look since I have 3 copies of my entire case file. One at work, one at home and one on a remote server (yah, I am kind of neurotic). :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-09 14:53:00
CanadaDo I need a Police Certificate from the US?
Nope. :)

The Vancouver checklist says:

"It is NOT necessary to obtain police certificates from the United States"

Which makes sense since there are U.S. security checks throughout this entire process.

Edited by misa, 09 March 2007 - 02:51 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-09 14:51:00
CanadaMontreal-ers
Congrats!

There's a thread here about how long it took for Montrealers to get their visas and yup, about 2-3 business days.
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-07 20:19:00
CanadaCanadian cheques
FYI, I got this back from BoA. Geesh... I'm just going to open a BMO US currency chequing account and then transfer that to my US account (probably Wachovia) using Custom House. What a hassle.

Bank of America banking centers can convert a check in Canadian Dollars and deposit it into your Bank of America checking or savings account.

Your banking center will make the decision to accept the check for immediate credit or to send the check for collection. Among the factors considered in this decision are your account relationship with Bank of America, including how long the account has been open, the activity on the account, and the average balance, and the amount of the check.

If your check is accepted for immediate credit, there is no fee. If thecheck is sent on collection, there is a $40 collection fee and can take between 4-6 weeks for payment.

Please visit your banking center for complete information regarding the acceptance of foreign checks, current rates of exchange and associated fees.

bankofamerica.com/foreigncurrency
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-09 18:53:00
CanadaCanadian cheques
Thanks for the info guys! :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-08 20:34:00
CanadaCanadian cheques

Misa,

It does not matter whether your clients paid you in US or Canadian currency. What matters is, when you bill your client and where you are working. If you were working in Canada, then that is part of your Canadian income. If you're working in the US for your Canadian clients, then you have earned US income (even though your client is in Canada)

So to answer your question, when you reside in the US, you can still continue to bill your Canadian clients. Those fees that you bill your clients (in Canada or the US) will be considered to be US income. You dont have to worry about where they deposit the money (US or Cdn bank account). When you file your taxes, you will report what you have earned in the US into your 2007 US tax return. I'm also assuming that you will be filing your 'final' return in Canada for the 2006 taxation year.

Let me know if you still have questions or send me a private message.

Thanks.


This clears things up a lot, thank you!

My main concern was having to file both Canada and US taxes (aside from the "final" return).

I guess for now I can ask my sister to deposit for me into my BMO account here until I do find a bank that will accept my cheques without problems. I'll also check with BMO about a US currency account and will also ask my client about changing my rate to reflect USD.

Re: Money orders. Money orders are out of the question. My client (a corporation) has a Accounts Payable department that issues me my invoice payments. I can't ask them to give me a money order or do Paypal.

You've heard of money orders?


Corporate client with an accounts payable department that issues cheques only.
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-07 12:16:00
CanadaCanadian cheques
I emailed Bank of America to see what their "official" stance on Canadian cheques were. I had to go back and change "cheques" to "checks" though so they wouldn't get confused! :P

I'll ask my husband to contact a specific Wachovia branch to see what they say. In the meantime, I'll also get him to check with the credit union that he banks at. He used to work there so hopefully they will be helpful!

There's also a few Washington Mutual's where I'll be moving to (Richmond, VA), I'll get him to contact a branch there too.

Thanks guys!
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-06 21:14:00
CanadaCanadian cheques
What a hassle!

Well, looks like Wachovia might be out since I don't think I can convince my husband to drive to Arlington each time I need a cheque deposited. And what would I say to them? "Hey, I know you can cash them no problem because you do it for that guy who's in here all the time going on about Tim Horton's." :P

I think I read somewhere here that Bank of America accepted Canadian cheques no problem. I'd like to avoid depositing it into my Canadian BMO account simply because my sister would have to do it for me everytime I got a cheque (every 2 weeks) and I'd like to avoid having to file taxes in both countries. But it looks like that might be my safest bet with only 1 day hold on the cheque since my client also banks with BMO.

It's so weird since we can cash US cheques here NO PROBLEM with no fees or anything!
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-06 20:47:00
CanadaCanadian cheques
Or... (hopefully Our Mao will see this) can I do the following?

- Reside in the U.S.
- Deposit client cheques into my Canadian account (transfer it to U.S. when necessary)
- Only file US taxes with that income as "Foreign Income" and doing the taxes in the U.S. necessary for self-employed and skip Canadian taxes altogether? I'd be paying the IRS, but not Revenue Canada. As I understand there's a tax treaty so you don't pay double taxes.

Or do I have to file taxes in both countries this way?

- file Canadian taxes as self-employed even though I won't be living there and pay Revenue Canada
- then just declare that as Foreign Income on U.S. taxes with no U.S. taxation?

Edited by misa, 06 March 2007 - 08:23 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-06 20:23:00
CanadaCanadian cheques
Yeah, that's the thing. I always bought stuff from like book clubs and ####### with Canadian cheques and I've marked "US Funds" on it and never was asked to send another one.

So Cassie, your US bank just plain sucks huh? :P

Which banks cause the LEAST problems? I will be in VA and probably open a Wachovia account. Or should I go with Bank of America? Gah, what a hassle!

Or maybe I'll just suck it up and file taxes both in Canada and the U.S...

Edited by misa, 06 March 2007 - 08:00 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-06 19:59:00
CanadaCanadian cheques
Quick question... I know a ton of you have had problems depositing Canadian cheques into U.S. banks and I just remembered something. Everytime I've written a cheque to a U.S. company or friend, I've specified on the cheque "US Funds" and the Canadian bank ends up doing the conversion and I've never had a cheque returned. That goes for things I've bought through mail order too.

Are all the problems you've experienced with just straight Canadian cheques written in Canadian funds? The reason I ask is because I will be self-employed with Canadian clients and I'd rather not have to deposit those cheques into my Canadian account (I would have to file taxes in both Canada and U.S. then). I can have my clients write me cheques with a notation saying "US Funds".

Thoughts?
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-06 19:45:00
CanadaPolice certificate from another country
That's weird... because police certificates for Canada you get yourself and bring to your interview. Doesn't get sent to them at all.

The thing is that, you don't have a case number assigned yet since you haven't received your approval and it hasn't been through the NVC. So if your Israeli police certificate is sent to Vancouver, they wouldn't know what to do with it since you don't exist to them until NVC assigns a case number.

I'd call Vancouver and talk to someone in the K visa department. Call between 2-4 Vancouver time, 604-685-4311 extension 235. They're very nice on the phone.
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-09 01:00:00
CanadaPolice certificate from another country
Don't know about your Israeli certificate but your Canadian police certificate will be issued to you and you bring that with you to the interview.

I haven't heard of anyone having their police clearance sent directly to a consulate (too much of a chance it would get lost I would think!). I would just put your address for part A and maybe call or email the Israeli consulate to confirm.
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-09 00:07:00
CanadaReporting EI on US Tax forms...
What did IRS say? :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 00:00:00
CanadaWork Authorization
Oh! Forgot to mention that some states have a waiting period between the license and when you can get married. In VA where I was married, there was no waiting period. I mentioned in another thread that they didn't even ask to see my ID!
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-09 00:55:00
CanadaWork Authorization
To clarify, you will be having a legal civil wedding (i.e., courthouse) asap and then a bigger reception/ceremony in October, correct?

Right now, you'll want to see how much time it takes to get a marriage license (varies from state to state and city to city I believe) and book the courthouse wedding in advance of your fiance entering the U.S. so you can get that done and over with. Most states/municipalities require both people to be present to get the license.

Also you will want to see how long it will take to get the certified marriage certificate (also varies) after you get married so you can file EAD/SSN/AOS right away.

Edited by misa, 09 March 2007 - 12:22 AM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-09 00:21:00
CanadaMtL Interview - K3
Happy packing and good luck at the POE! :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 17:08:00
CanadaMtL Interview - K3
Congrats!!!! And thank goodness for that last minute cancellation. :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-07 12:18:00
CanadaDo I have everything for my K3 interview
Don't worry, I'll be clutching onto my accordian folder the ENTIRE flight and cab ride to the hotel! :)

Edited by misa, 10 March 2007 - 05:35 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 17:35:00
CanadaDo I have everything for my K3 interview
You know what's funny? Vancouver doesn't even REQUIRE the I-134 for K3s! But I'm bringing it anyway. :P

Thanks for looking this over guys. :)

I'll try and breathe... for today. I'll be panicking on Friday night though since I'm flying out to Vancouver on Saturday. I'll probably be double-checking my carry-on luggage over and over again and obsessively checking our flight times for any delays (he's meeting me in Vancouver).

Edited by misa, 10 March 2007 - 04:58 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 16:56:00
CanadaDo I have everything for my K3 interview
Sorry, my checklist doesn't say to bring some of the things I listed, but I'm bringing it anyway! :D I feel all panicky and sick to my stomach thinking about this.
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 16:18:00
CanadaDo I have everything for my K3 interview
I'll of course also be bringing the interview letter. :)
misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 15:59:00
CanadaDo I have everything for my K3 interview
Okay... 9 days until my interview in Vancouver for my K3 and the panic is starting to sink in that anything and everything that can go wrong will. So first off, do I have all my paperwork in order? I looked through the checklist and it appears I do but in times like this, a 2nd or 3rd set of eyes always helps. :)

Neither of us has been married before, have no children and no criminal background. I have only ever lived in Toronto as well. My name is also not common so I hope hope hope there is no US namecheck hit that would throw a wrench into our plans.

I'm bringing as indicated in my checklist:

- $100 USD Cash
- complete case file for both my I-129F and I-130 including both original & photocopied approval notices (just in case)
- hardcopy of original and photocopied DS-230 Part 1 and attachment that I faxed in
- hardcopy of original and photocopied of checklist that I faxed in
- Cdn passport (expires in 2011)
- Ontario long form birth certificate with raised embossed seal, original and photocopy
- VA marriage certificate with raised embossed seal, original and photocopy
- sealed medical report (and the 2nd copy I purchased, not sealed)
- RCMP police certificate that I got from Commissionaires in Toronto, original and photocopy (original does not have any sort of raised seal and looks kind of ghetto)
- 2 passport photos, 2"x2", colour, signed and name & case number printed on back
- DS-156 (2 copies), not signed or dated

I'm also bringing these things even though they weren't asked:

- 3 letters attesting to the validity of the marriage (1 from a mutual friend, 1 from my friend and 1 from his mom)
- photos of us together from all but 1 of our visits
- boarding passes and itineraries of our visits
- Signed and notarised I-134 along with W2s and tax returns for the past 3 years, letter from his employer and his most recent pay stubs

Anything I'm missing?

My husband is accompanying me to the interview so he can calm my nerves...

Edited by misa, 10 March 2007 - 03:57 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 15:53:00
Canadads230
I still have the blank one on my computer. Here ya go!

Attached Files


misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 13:06:00
Canadads230
Okay that is bizarre, they've changed it since I downloaded mine. Lemme see if there's a direct URL.

ETA: I think the form is missing from their server. Because the DS230 link references: http://foia.state.go...visa/ds0230.pdf but then it goes to that other page...

Edited by misa, 10 March 2007 - 01:01 PM.

misaFemaleCanada2007-03-10 13:00:00