Preparing for interview

[Pandora01 0]

Ok, please bear with me. I'm totally in the dark about some stuff and totally confused about other. I'm getting everything ready for my interview and I have a few questions.

On the DS-230, part I, # 25: I have to list all my previous visits in the US, specify the amount of time I stayed (mm-yyyy) and the type of visa. Here are my questions:

- All my visits lasted less than a month (two weeks at the most), how can I write this? Is overlap ok in this case, like 07-2001 to 07-2001?

- What if I went in the US twice in the same month?

- I live in Canada so I don't need to apply for a visa to visit the US. Should I write N/A under the type of visa?

- How specific should I be for the locations I've visited, city/state or state alone?

- On one of my trips, I traveled through the state of NY for two weeks. How do I list that?

On this site http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3190.html I found a PDF of the instructions sent with packet 3. In it, they state where one should get a police certificate from. I recently moved to a different city (one month ago) and requested a Canada wide search certificate from the local police in my new city. In the PDF, it states: "If the applicant lived in a different part of their country of nationality for more than 6 months, was 16 years or older at that time, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality." Does it mean I should have requested the Canada-wide search from the local police in my previous city of residence? Or should I get a report from all the cities I've lived in since age 16? I'm so totally confused...

Should the renewed letter of intent still be addressed to the United States Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, California Service Center?

I live in the province of Quebec, near Montreal. When I saw my doctor before she retired, I asked her about taking a test to show the vaccines I've received. She told me that there's no test of that nature. Uh? How am I supposed to prove that I have received all the required vaccines? Also, I was never vaccinated for mumps but had them when I was 5. So logically, I should have the antibodies. Any idea where I should go to have this test done so I can provide proof?

Finally, I'm attaching a scan of the divorce certificate I obtained from the court. It's only one page, has no intaglio border and no seals. Is this enough? The only other document I have in regards to this is a certified copy of the divorce judgment which is written in French. I only have one and want to keep it. Should I get another (if possible) and get it translated?

There you go, those are my questions so far. I so much want to get all the documents right for the interview so that everything goes smoothly. I feel closer to the end of this journey but there's still a whole lot to be done.

Edited July 27, 2008 by Pandora01

[thetreble 19]

I live in the province of Quebec, near Montreal. When I saw my doctor before she retired, I asked her about taking a test to show the vaccines I've received. She told me that there's no test of that nature. Uh? How am I supposed to prove that I have received all the required vaccines? Also, I was never vaccinated for mumps but had them when I was 5. So logically, I should have the antibodies. Any idea where I should go to have this test done so I can provide proof?

There is no test that can prove what you have been vaccinated for. That is scientifically impossible. The only way they could tell if you had a hepatitis b vaccine, for example, would be for you to be injected with the actual disease and see whether you got it or not.

The way you are supposed to prove that you have those vaccines is by vaccination records. I have a record for the government of every injection I ever got and that is what I handed as my proof to the US government. If you cannot prove you got those injections, you will have to pay to get them again.

[Cdn_Ali 11]

You need to ask your doctor for a 'Titre' test - it's a simple blood test. I just had this done a few weeks ago and it shows my immunity to all the things we are vaccinated for as kids. I have no health records in Canada so the lab report proves I was vaccinated & I'll show the doctor when I have the immigration medical. I did get a tetanus shot though as I knew it had been over 10 years since the last one.

[Pandora01 0]

Ok, thanks. I'll try to get that test.

Anyone who can answer my other questions, please?

[trailmix 77]

On the DS-230, part I, # 25: I have to list all my previous visits in the US, specify the amount of time I stayed (mm-yyyy) and the type of visa. Here are my questions:

- All my visits lasted less than a month (two weeks at the most), how can I write this? Is overlap ok in this case, like 07-2001 to 07-2001?

I think an overlap is just fine - maybe just add 'two weeks' to the dates area.

- What if I went in the US twice in the same month?

Pehaps note this - 07/2001 - 2 days in Vermont 07/2001 - 2 weeks in Nevada

That said, I have seen many here say they just wrote 'multiple trips to the U.S. of less than 3 weeks duration' or something to that effect - but that's up to you.

- I live in Canada so I don't need to apply for a visa to visit the US. Should I write N/A under the type of visa?

We wrote N/A - Canadian resident (or in your case Canadian Citizen)

- How specific should I be for the locations I've visited, city/state or state alone?

Why not put both if you have that information.

- On one of my trips, I traveled through the state of NY for two weeks. How do I list that?

I would put 'travelling all over NY state'.

In the PDF, it states: "If the applicant lived in a different part of their country of nationality for more than 6 months, was 16 years or older at that time, then the applicant needs a police certificate from the police authorities of that locality." Does it mean I should have requested the Canada-wide search from the local police in my previous city of residence? Or should I get a report from all the cities I've lived in since age 16? I'm so totally confused...

No - the Canada wide search is fine.

Should the renewed letter of intent still be addressed to the United States Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, California Service Center?

I'm not familiar with the K visa information on this one.

I live in the province of Quebec, near Montreal. When I saw my doctor before she retired, I asked her about taking a test to show the vaccines I've received. She told me that there's no test of that nature. Uh? How am I supposed to prove that I have received all the required vaccines? Also, I was never vaccinated for mumps but had them when I was 5. So logically, I should have the antibodies. Any idea where I should go to have this test done so I can provide proof?

Your family Doctor or walk in clinic should be able to provide you with this test, you can find more information here

Finally, I'm attaching a scan of the divorce certificate I obtained from the court. It's only one page, has no intaglio border and no seals. Is this enough? The only other document I have in regards to this is a certified copy of the divorce judgment which is written in French. I only have one and want to keep it. Should I get another (if possible) and get it translated?

I'm not familiar with Quebec civil documents, but i'm sure someone else here is.

[thetreble 19]

I have never heard of these teter antibody tests before. That is actually very cool and I see I was wrong! So from one simple blood test they can see every single vaccination you have ever had?

[trailmix 77]

I have never heard of these teter antibody tests before. That is actually very cool and I see I was wrong! So from one simple blood test they can see every single vaccination you have ever had?

They can see everything you have antibodies for - so for instance if you had Chicken Pox they can see that you have antibodies - although you may never have had the vaccination.

It is a specific test too, they actually have to specify which antibodies to test for - normally that would be MMR and Chicken Pox.

[MrsCat 6]

Here's what I can offer:

1) For multiple visits all over the US, one line one I put all the major cities I've visited, wrote multiple trips and for dates of travel I wrote 2000-present. I figured they could give me an RFE if they didn't like that answer.

2) For type of visa I wrote what was in my passport B-2 Visitor

3) For your police certificate, as Trailmix said, a Canada wide search should be sufficient

4) Go to a physician and get a titres test done, it will tell you what you may or may not need and you can take that to the medical exam. Just had mine done and my physician gave me a copy of the results to bring to the exam next week. He also gave me a tetanus shot and gave me a prescription paper showing that I had the shot.

5) Not sure about Quebec Divorce certificate. I read on another site somewhere that the Quebec office will put on a seal if you request it. That was in 2003, so things might have changed since then. You might be able to just write on a separate piece of paper that that is how Quebec Divorce Certificates came - with a signature of the clerk of the court and no seal. Personally, that is the route I would take and worry about an RFE later. I like to gamble

[Pandora01 0]

Thanks trailmix and cattatude. That answers most of my questions. Good! I feel better now.

Cattatude -

• I have stamps in my passport from previous visits in the US but I don't see any indication as to what kind of visa (if any) those are. How do you know that yours are B-2?

• In regards to the divorce certificate, I guess I'll just go ahead and request a certified copy of the judgement. This is for my interview and I want to make sure I have the right thing. No RFEs at this stage and I don't want things to be delayed by having to go for another interview because I didn't have the right document. Yeah, I'm not much of a gambler

Ok, how about my other question re: the second letter of intent and to who it should be addressed? Anyone knows the answer?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

My now husband just wrote the letter 'To Whom It may Concern' re: K-1 Visa for Kathryn XXXXXXX Case Number" done on two lines. We had no problem.

[MrsCat 6]

Thanks trailmix and cattatude. That answers most of my questions. Good! I feel better now.

Cattatude -

• I have stamps in my passport from previous visits in the US but I don't see any indication as to what kind of visa (if any) those are. How do you know that yours are B-2?

  Some, but not all of my stamps when crossing into the US, have a circle, which says the date I entered the US, and on the line that says Class Until - the border officer wrote in pen B-2.

• In regards to the divorce certificate, I guess I'll just go ahead and request a certified copy of the judgement. This is for my interview and I want to make sure I have the right thing. No RFEs at this stage and I don't want things to be delayed by having to go for another interview because I didn't have the right document. Yeah, I'm not much of a gambler

No worries there - I can talk big because my documents were ok and approved. I probably would have been singing the poor me blues if I had gotten an RFE

[Pandora01 0]

My now husband just wrote the letter 'To Whom It may Concern' re: K-1 Visa for Kathryn XXXXXXX Case Number" done on two lines. We had no problem.

Now that's a good idea. Thanks Kathryn!

I'm so deeply involved in looking up all the info that my brain isn't thinking about the obvious anymore!

[Pandora01 0]

Thanks trailmix and cattatude. That answers most of my questions. Good! I feel better now.

Cattatude -

• I have stamps in my passport from previous visits in the US but I don't see any indication as to what kind of visa (if any) those are. How do you know that yours are B-2?

  Some, but not all of my stamps when crossing into the US, have a circle, which says the date I entered the US, and on the line that says Class Until - the border officer wrote in pen B-2.

• In regards to the divorce certificate, I guess I'll just go ahead and request a certified copy of the judgement. This is for my interview and I want to make sure I have the right thing. No RFEs at this stage and I don't want things to be delayed by having to go for another interview because I didn't have the right document. Yeah, I'm not much of a gambler

No worries there - I can talk big because my documents were ok and approved. I probably would have been singing the poor me blues if I had gotten an RFE

I have the stamps too but nothing was written on the line. I'll just do like trailmix and write "N/A - Canadian citizen".

I'll be calling tomorrow to get certified copies of the divorce judgement. I guess it can't hurt to have them. Thanks again cattatude!