New here... lots of questions.

[messin18 0]

So i met a wonderful beautiful canadian online and after some time she came to visit with me. She wound up staying the maximum of 6 months and we were enganged in the first month. She just returned to her country around August 10th.

Before she went back we apparently had a very very wrong understanding of the fiancee visa. She had thought on returning to Canada it would only take a month or two to get the visa. From reading posts her these last few days I"ve been very very upset and disheartened to learn it could take 10+ months. I'm nearly done with my I-129f this is what i'm includeing on top of the forms they request:

3 photos of us together

two months of phone records showing us talking and texting

A recipe showing she's been in this country recently

Do you think this is enough?

My other question is would it be faster / make more sense to just have her come back into the country in 5 months (in so staying out of the country as long as she was in it) Getting married and having her live with me while we file the marriage paper work?

Also when is the soonest she can return? I was hoping she could at least come visit in December for xmas for a week or two. Since she was here for 6 months and only left August 10th will that be possible?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Jasman0717 9]

Take a look at the documentation in the Guide tab at the top of the page, that should help a lot.

[messin18 0]

Take a look at the documentation in the Guide tab at the top of the page, that should help a lot.

I'm wondering about this one:

"Declaration of how you met in person in the last two years. This should be a single typed page attachment regarding question 18 of the I-129F. Make sure to sign and date it."

I can't imagine trying to write an entire page answering a such a simple question?

[thetreble 19]

Take a look at the documentation in the Guide tab at the top of the page, that should help a lot.

I'm wondering about this one:

"Declaration of how you met in person in the last two years. This should be a single typed page attachment regarding question 18 of the I-129F. Make sure to sign and date it."

I can't imagine trying to write an entire page answering a such a simple question?

Well to be honest, it seems most people have met their significant various times. This doesn't seem like the case for you. I told the story of how we met and the various times we made trips to see each other. It definitely took a couple paragraphs.

Edited September 11, 2008 by thetreble

[thetreble 19]

My other question is would it be faster / make more sense to just have her come back into the country in 5 months (in so staying out of the country as long as she was in it) Getting married and having her live with me while we file the marriage paper work?

This would be technically illegal. Since you have already filed for a K-1, it would be a mistake in my opinion to drop your petition and to start another one. Your fiancee clearly has intent to immigrate which would be a big no no.

[Marilyn. 340]

My other question is would it be faster / make more sense to just have her come back into the country in 5 months (in so staying out of the country as long as she was in it) Getting married and having her live with me while we file the marriage paper work?

This would be technically illegal. Since you have already filed for a K-1, it would be a mistake in my opinion to drop your petition and to start another one. Your fiancee clearly has intent to immigrate which would be a big no no.

actually I don't think they have filed the K1 yet.. I think they are still in the process of getting the package together

[MissStacey 1]

Take a look at the documentation in the Guide tab at the top of the page, that should help a lot.

I'm wondering about this one:

"Declaration of how you met in person in the last two years. This should be a single typed page attachment regarding question 18 of the I-129F. Make sure to sign and date it."

I can't imagine trying to write an entire page answering a such a simple question?

It doesn't have to be a whole page. Keep it simple, factual, and to the point.

[MissStacey 1]

Where does she live in Canada? If she is closer to Vancouver that is a plus. Vancouver tends to be much faster at getting people in for an interview.

Also- you should change your "filed for" from a K3 to a K1. K3 is a spousal visa.

[messin18 0]

My other question is would it be faster / make more sense to just have her come back into the country in 5 months (in so staying out of the country as long as she was in it) Getting married and having her live with me while we file the marriage paper work?

This would be technically illegal. Since you have already filed for a K-1, it would be a mistake in my opinion to drop your petition and to start another one. Your fiancee clearly has intent to immigrate which would be a big no no.

actually I don't think they have filed the K1 yet.. I think they are still in the process of getting the package together

Yes i'm very close to filing the package. Last thing holding me up is presentation and a few other pieces just ot make sure i have it perfet.

[Carlawarla 1]

When filing your initial 129F petition (you need to change your profile to reflect this!), you need to remember all you need is proof that you've met at least once in the last two years. Phone records, emails and photos are secondary proof, and are good for proving an on-going relationship, at the interview. Makes sure you get in your paperwork, and that until she has a visa, you can't get married until she has had her interview in Canada, received a visa, and comes back down to marry within 90 days.

She could come down, you could get married, then she'd still have to go back, and you'd file I-130, however the clock won't start counting until then for her to come down to stay. She can't come down with the intention of staying after you're married.

The declaration, needs to be on a seperate page, but doesn't need to be more than a paragraph, or two. Just put down when you initially met, how many times you've visited each other etc. If you met on the internet, don't put down that as being the day you met. You can put down that you initially met on the internet, but you MUST put down the date you actually met in person.

Canadians are allowed to visit up to 6 months at a time. We do know of people who have visited for a lengthly time, then come back, and then turned around and went back for another visit. My understanding is it's 6 months in a calendar year. Someone else may be able to speak to this. Another issue you might have is her being allowed in, with significant ties to Canada. She needs proof when crossing the border, that she has strong ties to Canada. A lot of the time, strong ties are employment (a letter from an employer), rent receipts, bills or statements which show ongoing activity and bill payment in her name to a Canadian address, appointments or notices of upcoming appointments or schedules. Now, if she's been there for 6 months already, and just got back to Canada, will she be able to show ties to Canada in December? That's one of the things you have to consider. At any time, she can be denied entry when she comes to the US. She's not to lie, so saying she's coming down to visit her fiance will send some alerts out to the people at the Border.

Read the Guides above for information on how to assemble the package, and read the threads here in this Canada Forum for some answers to questions you may already have.

Best of luck, and welcome to VJ! Give us some more info about you guys as well as to where you live and how you met!

[vanee 13]

Canadians are allowed to visit up to 6 months at a time. We do know of people who have visited for a lengthly time, then come back, and then turned around and went back for another visit. My understanding is it's 6 months in a calendar year.

When I went to visit my fiance (now husband) for the third time within a year, the border official added up how long I'd been in the US within the past 12 months (almost 3 months, and I was going for another 2 months), and he said that I was allowed to be in the US for a maximum of 180 days out of the past year, or something like that. He allowed me in, but he stressed that I could not spend more than half my time in the US as a visitor.

It wasn't about how long I was there at a time, but about the total amount of time within the past 12 months. Since the OP's fiancee has already been in the US for 6 months of the past year, my understanding is that she can't spend more time in the US until a year has passed from the start of those 6 months.

[thetreble 19]

It wasn't about how long I was there at a time, but about the total amount of time within the past 12 months. Since the OP's fiancee has already been in the US for 6 months of the past year, my understanding is that she can't spend more time in the US until a year has passed from the start of those 6 months.

This is correct.

[aravis227 1]

Take a look at the documentation in the Guide tab at the top of the page, that should help a lot.

I'm wondering about this one:

"Declaration of how you met in person in the last two years. This should be a single typed page attachment regarding question 18 of the I-129F. Make sure to sign and date it."

I can't imagine trying to write an entire page answering a such a simple question?

I had a hard time keeping mine under a page...but we had met several times and if you've ever ready any of my posts you know that I'm a bit...verbose.

[Mephys 2]

From reading posts her these last few days I"ve been very very upset and disheartened to learn it could take 10+ months.

Unfortunately, I want to say "Welcome to the club" because I believe it has been the case for many of us here, when we found out how long the process was. I am guilty of thinking all I would need is to find a job in the US and then I would be able to move....which I did 18 months later after all the divorce, K-1, interview, Visa were done...

All I can say is whatever path you choose, be strong and never give up. Long distance relationships are hard and it takes strong people to get through it, and it only can make the relationship stronger in the end And it's all more than worthed