biggish data

K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

My fiance and I filed in July and I will be sending in Packet 3 today. I'm hoping next week I'll be able to schedule my appointment on the CSC website. I've been looking through the stats and can't see the answer I'm looking for. Does anyone know or have you heard anything about the appointment wait time in Montreal for those who are trying to schedule this month?

ask in the canada forum, http://www.visajourn...orum/93-canada/ montreal is an ongoing issue for wait times apparently.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2012-01-11 14:42:00

K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

OMG CSC, they look so behind compared to Vermont :crying:

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-12-15 01:20:00

K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

Craptastic... I know it's not super accurate, but now I get:

Based on timeline data, your I129f may be adjudicated between January 5, 2012 and January 12, 2012*

on my timeline, when before it was before christmas. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo! :angry:

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-10-25 15:58:00

K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

NOA2s for us this week! gogogogogogo!

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-10-17 11:37:00

K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

ZOMG grats Britty9! (L)

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-09-21 01:14:00

K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports

ugggg I keep checking my case status https://egov.uscis.g...is/Dashboard.do over and over each day hoping it will change.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-09-20 15:14:00

Woooot got my NOA1! Now to wait even more >__<

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-09-07 00:19:00

G-325A

I'm filling out the G-325A for the I-129F however I'm missing some information.

I don't have one of my parent's birthday or residence. I'm trying to find out, however I'm unsure if I will get this information. I have a guess what it is, but I'm not sure if that would be a huge issue if I guess.

Also, for the stating employment/residence for the last 5 years, do I just go back to August 2006, or do I do all of 2006?

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-08-07 14:49:00

Would a Cruise Wedding violate our Visa?

I feel your pain. My boyfriend suggested going on a cruise/getting married on it or a honeymoon cruise, but yeah... can't leave the country that quick. Also, so many cruises have a foreign port. Ones that don't are much more expensive.

Though, great ideas on this thread! I'm checking out Catalina Island cruises <3

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-08-08 15:46:00

Birth Certificate

bleh, the lawyer insists my birth certificate is required for the I-129f. Now I'm stuck waiting 2+ weeks until I can send off my I-129f because my birth certificate is being mailed (or pay a crazy sum to get it rushed), then get a certified copy, then fedex it back to my fiance with the forms I need to sign, who will then send the whole batch of paperwork. Booooooo!

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-08-11 18:27:00

Birth Certificate

My fiance and I are doing the I-129f. He's insisting on a lawyer to assist with the paperwork, who asked me to send my long form birth certificate asap.

I'm missing my long form of my birth certificate, but I was under the assumption by the guides here on this site that I don't need that until the interview. I figure the lawyer wants the info off my birth certificate to do the G-325A? Or do I really need to pay rush delivery of my birth certificate, then another to my fiance and his lawyer?

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-08-08 02:10:00

Did you do the I-129F packet yourself or through a lawyer?

My fiance is insisting we use a lawyer as we are doing our I-129f, as everyone he knows told him to do so (with a couple horror stories of people who didn't).
I didn't agree, but he wants it "fullproof" that we have no issues... despite us not having any things like criminal record/overstays/drug use that would complicate the process.

From the experience so far, the lawyer wanted my info, and I instead I filled out the G-325a on my own and sent it to him via email. The lawyer re-did it so my long entries fit into the PDF file's boxes typed instead of handwritten, wanted a few things from me that was not required as far as we know for the I-129f. So it has dragged us getting our I-129f done so far 2 weeks later because of waiting for my fiance to have an appointment with the lawyer and time for lawyer to fill out the forms, sign the forms and send it back to the lawyer, than if we just powered through and filled out the things ourselves and mailed it.

I guess a benefit is it made my fiance have someone in person to ask questions rather than dig through the internet and have someone fill out everything for him. That and it makes him happy (and it's his money).

Edited by awkwardsoul, 17 August 2011 - 04:24 PM.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-08-17 16:23:00

Fiance has no vaccination records

What I did was get a blood titre test to test whether the vaccines are still in my system. From there, I got the vaccines I needed that I was missing. My family doctor did mine for free of all the ones that I needed to get done.

If not, I heard during the medical exam they'll give you the shots at an expensive price.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-08-17 21:23:00

Name change

Free to change to married name not to change around your whole name. Citizenship you can change your whole name to whatever you want though.

Iv had my married name on everything cept for my passport for 2 years. Just had my passport recently corrected to have married name so I can travel without carrying around the stupid marriage license.

If you don't want to take his name only you could always double up like my cousin did, she just hyphenated her last name! Jessica Lee herlastname - hislastname. Super long name but she is more happy that way.

Darn, I was hoping to get my middle name done with. If I hypen my last name, I'll have too many hypens in my entire name, lol.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-09-03 21:24:00

Name change

I've been debating on whether I should change my last name to my fiance's when I get married. I've been leaning on not wanting to, but I understand this is hugely personal preference, but I'm still hammering out the pros and cons.

1. If I don't change my last name it won't effect future things like going through the AOS process and beyond? However, someone (not a Vj'er) told me if I don't change my name US immigration will think my marriage is sketchy.

2. From the K-1 flow chart, it looks like all I have to do is change my name for the SSN. Not including stuff like bank account/bills, is that all I need to change?

3. I heard I get a free name change when I get married, I'm going to be located in California, does that include the ability to get my horrible middle name changed when I get married, or do I have to wait until my green card?

thanx <3 <3

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-09-03 13:19:00

Immigration specialist to file a K1 petition

My Fiance insisted on using a lawyer.. and it really slows down the process as you have to schedule an appointment or two, they do the paperwork, you check it, they fix errors and mail it back, you mail in the evidence/etc needed, they check it and mail it. Swore it added 2-3 weeks to send in I-129f than if I just busted through it myself over a weekend.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-08-31 23:00:00

Does a fiancee need a K1 just to visit?

http://www.visajourn...content/compare <- comparison of visa types for moving yer significant other to the US.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-09-13 10:37:00

Did you use a lawyer

my fiance has insisted we use a lawyer, even though our case is not complication.
I'm still waiting for the NOA2 (and hopefully no RFEs) but so far:

- took longer to get the paperwork sent, as he had to meet with the lawyer, then send him the information. Then I had emailed my completed forms, then wait for them to go through it, then they emailed it back and forth (we were correcting the errors.. sigh), then I signed and mailed it to my fiance, who then had to mail it to the lawyer, who sent it off to USCIS about 4 days later. So yeah, it added a few weeks.

+ the good thing was on the G-325a on those boxes you can't fit long lastnames/cities and they were able to fix that so it was all typed in instead of handwritten. woooo

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-10-17 11:33:00

Wedding date unknown

<3 thank you all!

My fiance isn't sold yet on the quick wedding, then a family gathering/party later, but to make it makes sense as the paperwork after can get started and greencard/etc (and be able to go on a cruise of a honeymoon out of country, which is already has to wait).

So far the only good thing about the K-1 taking so long is that I have time to shed some extra pounds for the wedding! bleh.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-09-20 15:12:00

Wedding date unknown

I'm doing the K-1 Visa and yeah, from what you can see from my timeline, I'm not getting my NOA2 for awhile. I'm one of those types that I'm fine with doing things last minute or with little advance notice. Also playing it safe - I wanted to book plane tickets/start booking wedding stuff once either I'm approved or Visa in my hand.

Anyways, my family and some friends are those PLANNING FREAKS that plan their holidays a year in advance and have been asking me about every week "When's the wedding? How come you don't know? Why don't you just pick a date? Think you'll be moved on X date so we can do a bachlorette party?" Each time I explain, I will not have a date until I get the Visa... and maybe a tentative date once I know when I know my interview date. Then its "When will that be?" :bonk:

Hoping after a few weeks they'll just figure it out and leave me alone. Then spaz out when I give them short notice for the wedding.

Any of you deal with this? How far ahead did you plan the wedding?

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-09-16 03:11:00

Medical exam.. stupid move, dont repeat, heads up to others!

So you're saying that it is possible to get the second round of varicella shots and influenza shot on the same day? I hope that's the case.

My doctor did my flu + last round of varicella at the same time last week.

It was MMR and Varicella I had to get apart. I got Tdap and Varicella at the same time.

human pincushion, wahhhh!!!!

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2011-10-25 16:14:00

Can we Choose between Montreal and Vancouver

http://vancouver.usc...ance-visas.html

The U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver processes fiancé(e) (K1) and spouse (K3) cases for citizens of Canada, or aliens who are Canadian permanent residents. Applicants must also be residing in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon or the Northwest Territories. All other applicants in Canada are processed at the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal.

not sure how you get to choose Vancouver unless you move out of Ontario.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2012-02-22 20:00:00

Thinking ahead to interview

takis, my fiance does not meet the guidelines that is why i have a co-sponsor, right? at least the poverty guideline he does not meet. ok so 2 of you said different things about tax returns. one said last 3 years a copy and another said only the most recent.

my fiance from his tax return for 2011 owed the IRS all that money, so he did not get a return. although i am sure he got a transcript of the money he should have gotten had he not owed it from a dumb mistake he made the year previous.

will this in anyway affect our k1 visa, if, infact i need to provide transcripts from him for the last three years?

I was recently approved for my K-1 in Vancouver. My fiance only provided his 2010 tax stuff and we had no issues.

Maybe it's a good idea to have 3 years just in case, but really.. on the I-134 it just asks for recent tax stuff (including W2s). You can check out the I-134 instructions and form here: http://www.uscis.gov...00045f3d6a1RCRD

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2012-03-17 00:08:00

My experience using a lawyer for K-1 visa

So I used a lawyer for my K-1. Maybe a lot of you experienced this, as soon as you are engaged and the visa topic comes up, everyone is like "You should use a lawyer". There's some misconceptions that a lawyer would make it go faster (they "know" people), the paperwork is tricky and it needs to be perfect or we'll never be able to live together.

My fiance (USC) and pretty much all our family and friends agreed we need to use a lawyer. I wasn't keen on it (I like to save money). But I agreed so my fiance found one and booked to see em. For that week waiting for the appointment, I starting googling around, found VJ, printed off all the I-129f and got cracking, then ditto for Packet 3 stuff when that time came so I knew the process/paperwork. I even filled out my own paperwork ahead of time to compare and understand what is needed (*cough* control freak *cough*). When they were doing the paperwork, I'd get a list of all the information they needed, that corresponded what was needed on the forms.

GOOD:
+ If you hate filling out forms, hey, they do it for you. Pretty brainlessy simple. Hey, that G-325a.. they somehow got long entries typed in that I couldn't squeeze in when I tried doing it myself.
+ They organized everything perfectly and in the order the consulate wanted it in. At my interview, the interviewer was very impressed how my things were organized and made his life easy. Hell my life was easy. I just stuffed it into a folder and brought it there. The whole process seemed streamlined.
+ The amount of things I sent as evidence didn't seem much to what I see on VJ (no 100 pages of chat logs and 50 pictures) but lawyer knew what was required for a canadian/usc couple. We had boarding passes, passport stamps, flight interaries, a couple emails and like 6 pictures.
+ I could see if you had no time to do the paperwork, I did find there was less work if the lawyer did it (and if there was no revisions needed).
+ a sense of informational control - my fiance asked a lot of questions to the lawyer and felt more comfortable about the process vs. online forums/google advise as it came from a professional.

BAD:
- I estimated for waiting for my fiance to have appointments, lawyer only working during business hours, revisions back and forth, it added maybe 3-4 weeks :blink:

to our case than if we just hammered out the paperwork over a weekend for each round of paperwork. So much for having a lawyer "make it go faster". Also when I worked business hours I could never get a response to the lawyer in time before they leave for the day, thus adding more time.
- revisions were annoying. I mean, I put down XXXXXX and it is misspelled/wrong on the paperwork when the lawyer deals with it. Ya tell em, you wait, the next day or 2 they fixed it, you check it, theres more things wrong/or missed errors the first time. It happens when you do it yourself, but more likely you'll miss boxes vs spelling everything wrong that you'd never spell wrong (names, cities). The package I had for my interview had stuff missing/errors on it, with only a day until the interview! The lawyer however dealt with it efficiently and was wonderful to own up to it.
- communication was an issue. Maybe it would be easier if the lawyer was on the beneficiary's side? Communicated through email was tricky and time consuming.
- Using VJ I found helpful as I knew what fellow peeps (especially Canadians) had to deal with recently with wait times and using Igor's list to judge when my NOA2 would come (was pretty accurate in my case). Lawyer was not up to speed on wait times for my consulate in particular (don't blame them, they work with many other couples from other countries, not just Canada).
- cost. I don't know how much this costed and I dont' want to know but it was probably pretty bad. More money than a few weekends with paperwork, delivered pizza on both ends and skype calls.

OVERALL:
We could of done it ourselves and probably would of went faster (in my opinion). But my fiance did enjoy just sending his info and sitting back letting it be taken care of as he had no time to do it personally (and was able to email tag/phone call during work hours vs. me who couldn't due to the nature of my work). From his end, it went well. But oddly, they made WAY less mistakes on his information vs. mine. Maybe it would of been reversed if the lawyer was in my country.

I hope that helps a few people who are new. I see a lot of "You don't need a lawyer!" stuff, but hey, it is a DIY minded forum, but maybe for some people they don't have the time or need to go this route due to their case.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2012-03-26 17:38:00

K-1 Visa and school~

check to see if there are international tuition fees - how long would it take for it not to apply to you. Depends school to school, sometimes up to a year, thats if you wanna save money.

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2012-04-04 13:59:00

Your Attorney & Your Interview!

My lawyer didn't help during my interview in regards to interview questions - they just had my paperwork in order. I'm sure I could of asked questions if I was worried.

My experience in using a lawyer http://www.visajourn..._1#entry5249933

awkwardsoul

Female

Canada

2012-04-24 09:46:00

QUOTE (samaci @ Mar 25 2008, 08:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is a house address, no unit #'s or anything complicated. There are 2 others living at the house (husband and wife), and they both have lived there for about 5 years. I'm staying with them for the time being, while husband is back and forth from deployment. My name was added to the mailbox out front back in Dec. I did the AR-11 change of address for me in November. Everything else arrives no problem (SSN, bank statements, personal mail, etc)...

I called today, the lady first tells me, that its a problem with the post office, and go to them to find out whats going on. I explained to her that I have been to them twice now, and made sure my name was added. So, then she proceeds to take my address again (same one I changed it to on the AR-11, and same the same one I gave them again, back in Jan, when the GC was first sent back).. but then she tells me, its hasn't more than 60 days since my last update and the system won't let her in to make any changes, even through the case status update online tells me it was returned again and to call thier 1-800 to update my address....UGH! She ends up telling me there is nothing she can do, and I have to call and make an infopass app't, and see if they can override the system and get in to do an update. (I'm not even trying to update, i'm trying to confirm they have the right address, which she can't tell me, cuz she can't see my file!)...

So, I tell my husband, he then calls them back.. (he's mad now.. LOL).. he gets a different woman on the phone, who simply tells him to do another AR-11 for me, call her back in 72hrs with the confirmation #, and she will have GC sent out again, and apologized for the first woman telling me to make an info pass app't and saying there was nothing I or she can do.

Just an update to my post above!

Yeah, call the girl back in 72 hrs, what a joke! They wouldn't talk to my husband without me on the phone 3-way???? He told her he didn't need me on the phone 3 days ago when he spoke to the other lady, and she told me I should've been on the phone and that they won't talk to us without both of us on the phone!!! He was calling them from work, so we had to wait until the next day so we could both be on the phone. First time I heard that one. Of course, we get a different lady, who has no idea why we are trying to give the confirmation #??? She gave my husband the Military Helpline #, but again said, if we don't hear or recieve anything in the next 45 days, to call them back... Which we then called the Military Line to see if they could help, in which they did. This woman gave me all kinds of info on file, was very nice and very helpfull. Said she would make sure they got the address change and have the card re-sent.

Anyway, the card finally arrived to the 3rd address we gave them approx 2 weeks ago. 6 months later, 2 address changes, 2 returns back to DHS by the post office saying the GC was "undeliverable"...... What a process! I think I need a stress leave!

samaci

Not Telling

2008-04-27 23:50:00

samaci

Not Telling

2008-03-25 22:02:00

Anyone else been through this? My GC has been returned twice now to Immigration by the post office, both times marked "undeliverable"... I will be calling them tomorrow to update/confirm my address for the 3rd time, been to the post office twice now, to confirm I am added to the address (which they look at me like I'm crazy when i ask about, one lady even told me she has worked for the post office for 20 years now, and had never heard about what I was asking!).. UGH!

samaci

Not Telling

2008-03-25 00:03:00

I guess I'm # 4 or 5 to join this thread. I'm still waiting on my green card to arrive, after entering Oct. 21/07.. I received 2 welcome letters already, one dated Nov. 30th, and the 2nd was dated Dec 8. I guess I just have to continue waiting...

samaci

Not Telling

2008-01-16 02:22:00

I'm new here, are we doing this right?

My husband will be deploying in a few months, but will be back by December. That was another one of my worries with him going away, regarding the address we will be using, which would be his. But he won't be there to get anything they may send him.

samaci

Not Telling

2006-02-15 16:58:00

I'm new here, are we doing this right?

Thanks everyone. No matter how much I read, I'm still confused. I'm sure I will have lots more questions as we go along.

samaci

Not Telling

2006-02-15 02:40:00

I'm new here, are we doing this right?

Hi everyone.

I'm new to this site, and still trying to read lots of the posts. I'm Canadian, still living in Canada, and my husband is American, living in the US. (married May/04 in Canada). We have been doing the commute to see each other for 5 years (dated over 3 years, and then married), We only live about 1.5 hrs from each other. We have finally decided to send off the paperwork. He is in the military and been deployed alot for the last couple of years, so we decided that I would stay here with family/friends/good job for a while, instead of moving to a new place with him being gone all the time. To start, he will be sending off the I-130 and G-325A's, and then once we receive a receipt for that one, we can send off the K-3 visa app (I-129F)? We will be sending it off in the next couple of weeks to start the process. Are we on the right track so far??

Thanks in advance!

Edited by samaci, 13 February 2006 - 05:34 PM.

samaci

Not Telling

2006-02-13 17:31:00

Visiting the U.S. during the I-130 process

This request for info goes out to all visa journey "alumni" who have had their interview and either have or are waiting for their VISA.

Did any of you visit the U.S. during the I-130 or K3 process? If yes, did you have any problems at the interview because of the visit?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I have heard different rules. I have been told that you can't cross the border while waiting, then one day I was at the border crossing, and talked to immigration/customs. They basically said there is no official rule that you can't cross, but you may have to prove that you still reside in Canada. They told me once I file, to bring any bills, pay stubs, etc and keep them in my car just in case so I can show them. I have met another Canadian girl, who has filed, and goes to visit her husband everyweekend, and has never had a problem yet. Her I-130 was just approved and waiting for an interview date. I just hope I can still go and visit once we file. But then again, I could've been told the wrong info from customs/iimigration at the border. Been told so many different things, I don't know if I'm coming or going!!

samaci

Not Telling

2006-02-15 18:46:00

Interview Location?

I've been looking through the threads and all over this website, and haven't found anything yet. Anyone know where I might have to go for my interview? I'm in Vancouver, Canada, and my husband is in Washington State, US. We will be filing the I-130, and haven't decided yet if we are going to also file the K-3.. I have heard I may have to go to Montreal, or possibly Seattle, or possibly the US Consolate in Vanc... Once again with the sooooooo many different answers. And also, from what I have been reading, I would go to the interview alone, they don't need him to go?

Edited by samaci, 17 February 2006 - 11:53 PM.

samaci

Not Telling

2006-02-17 23:52:00

Getting your original documents back at the Interview

I got both my original marriage cert and birth cert back at the interview. My husband had sent in a photocopy of his divorce papers, and we didn't get those back.

samaci

Not Telling

2008-02-22 23:43:00

The RCMP don't really take 150 days, do they?

1. I'm not sure. In Toronto I did not have to show anything to request my name clearance but I have heard that others did have to show something.
You might want to ask in the Canada section of the Regional Discussion area of Visa Journey http://www.visajourn...hp?showforum=93

2. Yes, you will need to order one. I'm not sure what Province you were born in, but you can Google for the info.

Thanks everyone for the answers, and thanks for pointing me to the Canada section, I didn't see that before..

samaci

Not Telling

2006-03-14 16:22:00

The RCMP don't really take 150 days, do they?

We have barely started our journey! I have a couple of questions for the future though.

I'm going to need the RCMP finger print clearance done (the 4-5-6 month one). My husband just mailed off the I-130 today, then we will be sending off the I-129F (k-3) petition. For this packet 3, do you think I could go in now and request my finger print check done, or do they need to see the packet 3 forms, which I won't get for quite a while? Or do they request the clearance done within a certain time period? I'm just trying to avoid a lengthy wait is all..

And, a few people have mentioned you need the full length Birth Certificate, which I don't think I have. I only have the wallet sized one. Do I need to order a full length one?

Edited by samaci, 14 March 2006 - 05:17 AM.

samaci

Not Telling

2006-03-14 05:13:00