Foreign Expats/Immigration Discussion

[galeteia]

To avoid derailing the Dem thread any further, I thought it prudent to set up a new thread for immigration gossip.

Note: I am not a lawyer, just a Canadian who immigrated to the US to be with my partner. We used VisaJourney for all our paperwork and it has been a blessing. We avoided the need for a lawyer by using VJ as a resource. It was PS'' own TravellingGal who recommended it, thanks as always, TG!

So, if anyone has questions about the process, I will happily do my best to answer them based on personal, layperson-only experience.

Date: 10/10/2008 5:15:36 PM
Author: Lannie
How long ago did you apply for the K-1? Congrats on the job! When I got here, I was out of work for 11 months because of how delayed some of my paperwork was getting in (I had a TERRIBLE lawyer). Getting my first job was awesome. Did you apply for advance parole yet? I had to apply for emergency advance parole when my grandmother passed away and I needed to go to the funeral. I got it then and there, but apparently if you apply for it the regular way, it can take up to 3 months.

We applied in Sept 2006. Hence my signature. Thanks for the congrats, I''m pretty thrilled. I wasn''t terribly keen because the pay was so low, but based on my experience and how impressed they were at my interview, my starting pay is higher than the usual introductory rate.

We got married a few days after I activated my K-1. As in, arrived Sunday night, researched license options on Monday, got the mandatory 3-day hold on license waiver and license on Tuesday, got married on Wednesday. Chilled on Thursday. Just kidding.

Actually, I think we went to get my SSN on Thursday or Friday and then spent the weekend celebrating being in the same timezone.

We filed for AOS about a month afterward, once we''d gotten everything we needed together and got the tax info, etc from our co-sponsor. Since they hiked the fees early this year as well as integrated the Advanced Parole and Employment Authorization into the regular AOS package, we filed for all three all at once since it was the same cost as just filing the AOS without AP or EAD. If I hadn''t applied for AP or EAD with my AOS package, I would end up paying for them twice if I applied for either later. It did take 3 months for both to come through, so I''m set to work and leave/enter the country freely while my AOS is processing.

I was freaking some time ago because I''d designated the co-sponsor stuff to my SO, and he goofed something so we had a delay while it was sorted out, so I was concerned about how long the delay would be. In the end we got the EAD and AP within the original pre-delay timeline anyway.

We got transferred from Texas as well, and it looks like they might skip the interview. Our case is so simple (US boy meets Cdn girl who has no skeletons in her closet) that it looks like they may approve it without the AOS interview. That would be sweet; I don''t relish a 6 hour drive to Dallas with our rickety car or having to shell out for a rental.

It''s amazing how you can be in limbo for so long during this process, isn''t it? 11 months without work authorization is my worst nightmare. Thankfully I was only unauthorized for about a month and a half between the expiration of my K-1 (authorized by class of admission) and the receipt of my EAD (plain ol'' authorized).

You don''t have to answer this if it''s too personal, but how did you survive those 11 months of limbo without going insane?

I went into a major depression with just 4 months of enforced idleness. Getting out of bed before 1pm was a good day.

 

[Lannie]

Date: 10/10/2008 6:32:40 PM
Author:Galateia
We applied in Sept 2006. Hence my signature. Thanks for the congrats, I''m pretty thrilled. I wasn''t terribly keen because the pay was so low, but based on my experience and how impressed they were at my interview, my starting pay is higher than the usual introductory rate.

Wow, that''s a long time to be waiting. I''m sorry that it''s taking so long. It''s extra awesome that you found a job because it''s getting really tough these days with the economy. There are so many people out there that are struggling to find work and taking incredible pay cuts just to get their foot in the door.

Date: 10/10/2008 6:32:40 PM
Author:Galateia
We got married a few days after I activated my K-1. As in, arrived Sunday night, researched license options on Monday, got the mandatory 3-day hold on license waiver and license on Tuesday, got married on Wednesday. Chilled on Thursday. Just kidding.

Actually, I think we went to get my SSN on Thursday or Friday and then spent the weekend celebrating being in the same timezone.

We filed for AOS about a month afterward, once we''d gotten everything we needed together and got the tax info, etc from our co-sponsor. Since they hiked the fees early this year as well as integrated the Advanced Parole and Employment Authorization into the regular AOS package, we filed for all three all at once since it was the same cost as just filing the AOS without AP or EAD. If I hadn''t applied for AP or EAD with my AOS package, I would end up paying for them twice if I applied for either later. It did take 3 months for both to come through, so I''m set to work and leave/enter the country freely while my AOS is processing.

Oh, that''s great that they lump them together. It was a PITA doing all three. The fee hikes are just insane. Minus the K-1/K-3 thing, that''s what I dealt with. I got my emergency AP and then a month later I got my EAD and my SSN. Then 3 - 4 months later I got my 2 year conditional Perm Res. I''m happy to not have to use my AP to come and go.

Date: 10/10/2008 6:32:40 PM
Author:Galateia
I was freaking some time ago because I''d designated the co-sponsor stuff to my SO, and he goofed something so we had a delay while it was sorted out, so I was concerned about how long the delay would be. In the end we got the EAD and AP within the original pre-delay timeline anyway.

My terrible lawyer and his incompetent assistant caused a 4 month delay with some of my papers. That''s why I had to wait 11 months without my EAD. It was a really stressful period to say the least.

Date: 10/10/2008 6:32:40 PM
Author:Galateia
We got transferred from Texas as well, and it looks like they might skip the interview. Our case is so simple (US boy meets Cdn girl who has no skeletons in her closet) that it looks like they may approve it without the AOS interview. That would be sweet; I don''t relish a 6 hour drive to Dallas with our rickety car or having to shell out for a rental.

Our case was really cut and dry, but we still were required to have an interview. Make sure you''re saving joint bills, receipts, letters, cards, pictures, etc that prove that you two are in a loving relationship and living together just in case. We had to hand over a huge file of all of the things we saved up at our interview. It went pretty quickly, but they''re sure to make you uncomfortable. You''re not allowed to answer questions asked of your spouse and they really watch your body language. I think our interview lasted about 15 minutes and our officer was pretty nice when she didn''t seem uptight. We were given an answer on the spot whether I was getting my PR or not. Obviously I got it.

I''m also pretty sure that you''re going to have the 2 year conditional PR as well as it seems to only happen to those that come by marriage.

Date: 10/10/2008 6:32:40 PM
Author:Galateia
It''s amazing how you can be in limbo for so long during this process, isn''t it? 11 months without work authorization is my worst nightmare. Thankfully I was only unauthorized for about a month and a half between the expiration of my K-1 (authorized by class of admission) and the receipt of my EAD (plain ol'' authorized).

You don''t have to answer this if it''s too personal, but how did you survive those 11 months of limbo without going insane?

I went into a major depression with just 4 months of enforced idleness. Getting out of bed before 1pm was a good day.

Limbo SUCKS. It was a REALLY long 11 months. To make matters worse, for the first 4 months of being in the country, we were living with my MIL to save up some money. The day we found a place to move into, was really one of my happiest days!

At that point, I didn''t know that I was allowed to apply for an SSN before getting my EAD. My lawyer was once again really crappy. If I had known that, I would have applied for my drivers license right then and there. But as I didn''t have an SSN, I didn''t know I could apply for my license. There was no public transit where I was living so other than going to the store down the street, I really didn''t get out. Other than my husband and two or three people, I really had no friends. With everyone working, I was alone all day until my husband came home. By the end of it, I started getting pretty depressed.

I usually woke up around 10:00am and spent the day listening to 90''s music, watching Maury and random movies. Yeah, pathetic, I know. If I had transportation I probably would have volunteered. I do a lot of volunteering and it sucked to not be able to do it. I did like that I had more time to cook though.

I''m really looking forward to when my AOS is complete. I just want to get that step over and done with. Once that''s done, it''s just a matter of me being eligible and deciding I want to become a citizen. I just take issue with the Oath of Naturalization as there are some things in it that I don''t think I''m comfortable swearing to, but we''ll see what happens I suppose, won''t we.

 

[galeteia]

Date: 10/10/2008 10:11:21 PM
Author: Lannie
My terrible lawyer and his incompetent assistant caused a 4 month delay with some of my papers. That''s why I had to wait 11 months without my EAD. It was a really stressful period to say the least.

Our case was really cut and dry, but we still were required to have an interview. Make sure you''re saving joint bills, receipts, letters, cards, pictures, etc that prove that you two are in a loving relationship and living together just in case. We had to hand over a huge file of all of the things we saved up at our interview. It went pretty quickly, but they''re sure to make you uncomfortable. You''re not allowed to answer questions asked of your spouse and they really watch your body language. I think our interview lasted about 15 minutes and our officer was pretty nice when she didn''t seem uptight. We were given an answer on the spot whether I was getting my PR or not. Obviously I got it.

I''m also pretty sure that you''re going to have the 2 year conditional PR as well as it seems to only happen to those that come by marriage.

Sweet mercy. This is why I tell people to haul tail to VJ instead of getting a lawyer. Or at least to educate themselves before they throw money at a lawyer if they don''t have a complicated case. You poor thing. I would just try to kill time until my SO got home. He said it was like coming home to a puppy. I can''t even imagine 11 months! Were you able to make new friends? I found the isolation made meeting new friends very difficult.

Did you get transferred to the California Service Center? That usually implies no interview, apparently.

We''re not too worried if we do have an interview, we are both on the lease, have a joint account, I have mail delivered here. But one can never have too much proof, as you said, it''s best to have it just in case. SO threw out the congratulatory cards his mother''s friends had sent us *headdesk* but I''m thinking of asking friends to send us some good wishes anyway.

Or did you mean the interview for lifting conditions of the 2 year conditional greencard?

That had to be rough, staying in the US and adjusting from there; I went through 2 years of preparing for the day I''d leave everything behind and it was still like having the rug pulled out from under me.

Those two years were unthinkable, we saw one another for a few days every six months. I found myself simultaneously feeling like things would never happen, and like things were rushing along too fast for me to handle.

 

[Lannie]

Date: 10/10/2008 11:18:31 PM
Author: Galateia

Sweet mercy. This is why I tell people to haul tail to VJ instead of getting a lawyer. Or at least to educate themselves before they throw money at a lawyer if they don''t have a complicated case. You poor thing. I would just try to kill time until my SO got home. He said it was like coming home to a puppy. I can''t even imagine 11 months! Were you able to make new friends? I found the isolation made meeting new friends very difficult.

I''ve made friends, but don''t have too many. The friends I do have are friends for life though. Very strong relationships with all of them, we''re a little family. I met the majority of them before I got my EAD and before I even moved here. It was just difficult to see them because most live a few hours away or across state lines. We made it work, but I was alone for a lot of the time. I haven''t made any new friends that I don''t work with. It''s difficult for me to make new friends with no outlets to meet them.

Date: 10/10/2008 11:18:31 PM
Author: Galateia
Did you get transferred to the California Service Center? That usually implies no interview, apparently.

We''re not too worried if we do have an interview, we are both on the lease, have a joint account, I have mail delivered here. But one can never have too much proof, as you said, it''s best to have it just in case. SO threw out the congratulatory cards his mother''s friends had sent us *headdesk* but I''m thinking of asking friends to send us some good wishes anyway.

Or did you mean the interview for lifting conditions of the 2 year conditional greencard?

Did you get the forms for your medical and biometrics yet? Or did that happen before you even came here. Well, actually you probably had at least your biometrics done seeing as your fingerprint is on the card.

Here''s mine (I don''t seem to have a pic of my greencard. I can take one later.) Picture of my EAD

All of our stuff has gone through the Vermont center as it''s the closest to PA. The interview was for my first green card. We had the interview in Philadelphia, about an hour from where we live in the burbs.

We''re not yet sure if we''re going to have to have another interview when my conditions are removed. I don''t believe we will but I''ve received some conflicting information. We''re no longer using a lawyer and we''re doing everything on our own. Either way, we have a lot of backup information regarding us living together and still being genuinely in love with no plans to split up if one is required.

Date: 10/10/2008 11:18:31 PM
Author: Galateia
That had to be rough, staying in the US and adjusting from there; I went through 2 years of preparing for the day I''d leave everything behind and it was still like having the rug pulled out from under me.

Those two years were unthinkable, we saw one another for a few days every six months. I found myself simultaneously feeling like things would never happen, and like things were rushing along too fast for me to handle.

I think it was much easier for me that way. The long separation is precisely one of the things we wanted to avoid. I don''t think I could have dealt with it without going insane. We were married but living in separate countries for 2 months, that was too much for me. Doing everything from already being in the States was SOOOO much quicker than had we done it the way that you had. If our lawyer wasn''t an idiot, I would have had my stuff within 4 months of moving here rather than 11. The only good thing our lawyer did for us was tell us about the loophole of me already living here as a visitor. Well, I suppose it''s not really a loophole, but it''s not widely announced that you can do it that way.

While I miss my family, I really wasn''t afraid to leave my old life behind. I was already spending so much time in the States that it didn''t seem like a huge change to me. I was fine and more than happy for the first while. It was the long months of not working that really "did me in". I miss my friends to a degree, but moving to another country shows who your real friends are. I get to visit Montreal quite a bit as it''s only a 6 - 9 hour drive (depending on traffic and how many times the dogs have to potty). Between us going there 2 - 4 times a year and my family coming here to visit, I don''t feel as terrible as I would have if I had moved to CA or something having to take a plane. I''m very happy to be just a car ride away. Even if it''s a long trip.

My husband and I had a very short relationship before getting married. We had known each other as acquaintances for about a year and then heavily talked for 2 or so months before we met in person for the first time. We had already fallen in love with each other before we met really. We were "officially dating" for about 6 weeks before we got engaged. Then we were engaged for just over 3 months. We got married 4 days before our 5 month dating anniversary on Valentine''s Day (his idea). We had been both traveling back and forth between Montreal and Philadelphia every week or two for the weekend. My husband would usually make the trip as it was less costly (he had a car, I had to take greyhound). It was taking a toll on our work, seeing friends, etc. As you can tell, we were as inseparable as LD relationships get and did whatever we could to spend time together. We spent a minimum of 7 hours on the phone every weekday and longer on weekends when apart. Video-chatting was a blessing. 7 months of long distance was more than enough for me. I can''t even imagine your 2 years, never mind the fact that you guys were obviously LD for quite some time before that. How long have you two been together in total, and how long have you been married for?

Out of my friends, I was the only one who said I never wanted to leave my city, I''m really the only one that did. On top of that I left my country, but it was really the best thing I ever could have done. I''m so much happier here than I ever was back home. Living in the States has given me opportunities that I never would have had back home. The only things that leave me feeling uneasy about living here is the government and the school system, but that''s a whole nother topic.

Anyway, I check the processing status on the USCIS website at least once a month to see how much closer they are to processing my AOS. I really wish they''d update it more often. I''m anxious to just get it already and not have to worry about it for 10 years. Unless I go for citizenship earlier than that.

So, did you hear that as of October 1, 2008 they changed the citizenship test?

 

[galeteia]

Date: 10/11/2008 12:11:16 PM
Author: Lannie
Did you get the forms for your medical and biometrics yet? Or did that happen before you even came here. Well, actually you probably had at least your biometrics done seeing as your fingerprint is on the card.



My husband and I had a very short relationship before getting married. We had known each other as acquaintances for about a year and then heavily talked for 2 or so months before we met in person for the first time. We had already fallen in love with each other before we met really. We were 'officially dating' for about 6 weeks before we got engaged. Then we were engaged for just over 3 months. We got married 4 days before our 5 month dating anniversary on Valentine's Day (his idea). We had been both traveling back and forth between Montreal and Philadelphia every week or two for the weekend. My husband would usually make the trip as it was less costly (he had a car, I had to take greyhound). It was taking a toll on our work, seeing friends, etc. As you can tell, we were as inseparable as LD relationships get and did whatever we could to spend time together. We spent a minimum of 7 hours on the phone every weekday and longer on weekends when apart. Video-chatting was a blessing. 7 months of long distance was more than enough for me. I can't even imagine your 2 years, never mind the fact that you guys were obviously LD for quite some time before that. How long have you two been together in total, and how long have you been married for?

So, did you hear that as of October 1, 2008 they changed the citizenship test?

The Canadian consulates require you to have the medical and get all the vaccinations, xrays, etc. done before they will grant you the visa. While that is a bit of a pain, it does mean that I didn't have to submit any of the medical forms because they are already in the package that MTL sealed and instructedm me to give Customs, who then sent it to USCIS once I'd crossed. So USCIS had my medical forms before I sent in my AOS. I had my biometrics done here.

We talked in 2005, met, lived together for 3 months in 2006, and then he got his PhD offer in Texas and that moved our whole timetable up a few years. He lived with me that summer before he moved to Texas to go to school, and we filed that September. So it was essentially 6 months after we met when we realized we were going to have to go the marriage immigration route. A friend of his is a lawyer, and after he and I poured over all the options (work visas, student visas, etc) he basically said "So, when's the wedding? Because that's the only way you are going to get down here."

I had to ask for my visa interview to be delayed a few months in order to save up more money while in Canada, protected from interest on my student loans, but the consulate ended up goofing up my interview date twice and as a result I didn't get my interview until early this year! Once I got it, I came down in late May and we got married right away. We call it our 'ceremony of cohabitation'. Sometimes we call it a 'shotgun wedding', except it's the government holding the gun.

So we've been married just shy of 5 months. Again, we don't think of it as 'married', and are planning to have a ceremonial marriage for the benefit of his family (very traditional) several years down the road when we feel ready to be 'married'. As I've said on PS before, I'm 100% sure I want to spend my life with this man, I'm also in no way ready for marriage.

I love that you two got married on Valentine's-- we decided that New Year's Eve was our anniversary since there were too many significant dates. It's good to have momentous anniversaries so no one forgets them!

I'm glad that moving to the US has given you more opportunities. That makes things so much easier. In my case, I am inserting a 10 year detour in my education plans, which I'm not thrilled about. I had planned to go to NTS (in MTL) when I finished my degree but I met SO at the end of my second-last term. I'll still go, but after he's done here and done working a 3 year contract he'll be doing once school is over.

For me, I really, really didn't want to come to the US. Texas was a concentration of everything I didn't like about the US, and the city I live in is a concentration of everything I don't like about Texas. It was, and is, really difficult for me to deal with leaving Canada and coming to a place I wouldn't be caught dead in, all for the sake of a man. I'm really not one of those "dreamt of getting married" kinda girls, in fact I never thought I'd have room for a long-term relationship in my life. I also never thought anyone would suit me enough to deviate from that, so you can imagine how spiffy SO is to lure me out of my carefully-planned, anti-US, pro-career life.

I don't like living here (Cesspit, Texas specifically and the US in general), for all kinds of reasons, but I think things would be a lot easier if we were living in a metropolitan area. Of all the places to live in the US, this has to be one of the worst for a liberal girl like me. But nowhere else has SO, and that's what matters.

No, I hadn't, what did they change?

 

[Lannie]

Date: 10/11/2008 1:06:42 PM
Author: Galateia
The Canadian consulates require you to have the medical and get all the vaccinations, xrays, etc. done before they will grant you the visa. While that is a bit of a pain, it does mean that I didn''t have to submit any of the medical forms because they are already in the package that MTL sealed and instructedm me to give Customs, who then sent it to USCIS once I''d crossed. So USCIS had my medical forms before I sent in my AOS. I had my biometrics done here.

Yeah, I didn''t have to go through the Canadian consulates to complete mine, though a friend of mine that was planning on coming though an H1-B had to (he got denied though). Everything I did went through the Phila and Vermont offices.

Date: 10/11/2008 1:06:42 PM
Author: Galateia
We talked in 2005, met, lived together for 3 months in 2006, and then he got his PhD offer in Texas and that moved our whole timetable up a few years. He lived with me that summer before he moved to Texas to go to school, and we filed that September. So it was essentially 6 months after we met when we realized we were going to have to go the marriage immigration route. A friend of his is a lawyer, and after he and I poured over all the options (work visas, student visas, etc) he basically said ''So, when''s the wedding? Because that''s the only way you are going to get down here.''

I had to ask for my visa interview to be delayed a few months in order to save up more money while in Canada, protected from interest on my student loans, but the consulate ended up goofing up my interview date twice and as a result I didn''t get my interview until early this year! Once I got it, I came down in late May and we got married right away. We call it our ''ceremony of cohabitation''. Sometimes we call it a ''shotgun wedding'', except it''s the government holding the gun.

So we''ve been married just shy of 5 months. Again, we don''t think of it as ''married'', and are planning to have a ceremonial marriage for the benefit of his family (very traditional) several years down the road when we feel ready to be ''married''. As I''ve said on PS before, I''m 100% sure I want to spend my life with this man, I''m also in no way ready for marriage.

I love that you two got married on Valentine''s-- we decided that New Year''s Eve was our anniversary since there were too many significant dates. It''s good to have momentous anniversaries so no one forgets them!

Yeah, we had checked to see if there were any other ways I could come to the States, but marriage was really it. I was fine with that though because we knew we wanted to and were ready to get married.

Date: 10/11/2008 1:06:42 PM
Author: Galateia
I''m glad that moving to the US has given you more opportunities. That makes things so much easier. In my case, I am inserting a 10 year detour in my education plans, which I''m not thrilled about. I had planned to go to NTS (in MTL) when I finished my degree but I met SO at the end of my second-last term. I''ll still go, but after he''s done here and done working a 3 year contract he''ll be doing once school is over.

For me, I really, really didn''t want to come to the US. Texas was a concentration of everything I didn''t like about the US, and the city I live in is a concentration of everything I don''t like about Texas. It was, and is, really difficult for me to deal with leaving Canada and coming to a place I wouldn''t be caught dead in, all for the sake of a man. I''m really not one of those ''dreamt of getting married'' kinda girls, in fact I never thought I''d have room for a long-term relationship in my life. I also never thought anyone would suit me enough to deviate from that, so you can imagine how spiffy SO is to lure me out of my carefully-planned, anti-US, pro-career life.

I don''t like living here (Cesspit, Texas specifically and the US in general), for all kinds of reasons, but I think things would be a lot easier if we were living in a metropolitan area. Of all the places to live in the US, this has to be one of the worst for a liberal girl like me. But nowhere else has SO, and that''s what matters.

Thankfully I was done with schooling (though I''d really like to go back at some point) so I didn''t really have much go give up or put on hold. The reason it''s better opportunity for me is because as an executive assistant, the pay grade is higher here than it is in Montreal. It''s also beneficial that I don''t need to speak French. I''m bilingual, but I really can''t stand speaking French, so I was happy to rid myself of it.

I really didn''t want to come to the States either. I always said there was no way I''d live here, so I know what you mean. We had discussed my husband coming to Canada, but it''s very difficult to emigrate to Quebec when you speak virtually no French. After much weighing of pros and cons, we decided that I should move to the States. We''ve discussed moving back to Canada at some point, but realistically I don''t see it happening. I surprisingly like where I live, but then again, I''m not in a red state. I''m very liberal and have many issues with the politics here, but I''m not anti-US.

I''ve been to Texas once before, and I absolutely HATED it. It was the worst trip I''ve ever been on. I really feel for you having to live there. I don''t think I would have been able to deal with that. I''m sorry that it adds to your stress.

Date: 10/11/2008 1:06:42 PM
Author: Galateia
No, I hadn''t, what did they change?

Here''s an article regarding the test change.

 

[galeteia]

Date: 10/11/2008 3:31:57 PM
Author: Lannie

Date: 10/11/2008 1:06:42 PM

Author: Galateia

No, I hadn''t, what did they change?

Here''s an article regarding the test change.

Interesting. I won''t be applying for citizenship, as we won''t be in the US for longer than 10 years and I don''t want to give the US a claim on my income for the rest of my life.

What do you think of the changes they made?

 

[Lannie]

Date: 10/11/2008 7:24:35 PM
Author: Galateia

Date: 10/11/2008 3:31:57 PM

Author: Lannie

Date: 10/11/2008 1:06:42 PM


Author: Galateia


No, I hadn''t, what did they change?

Here''s an article regarding the test change.

Interesting. I won''t be applying for citizenship, as we won''t be in the US for longer than 10 years and I don''t want to give the US a claim on my income for the rest of my life.


What do you think of the changes they made?

I''m not really sure either way. I don''t know enough about the tests to really be able to compare and give a good answer. Regardless, I''ll only be able to take the new one, so that''s what I''ll be preping for (if it''s still the same when I apply). I''m usually pretty good with "tricky" questions so I''m sure I''ll be ok.