Did interview yesterday and denied!

[trailmix 77]

Hi and welcome, sorry to hear that!

Yes, please keep us updated

Do you mind telling us what you initially took to the interview and what you sent for additional evidence?

[nana1111 0]

Hi, initial interview was on AUG 24, 2009

Then my husband moved to U.S. to submit evidence which was asked by our interviewer. She told my husband to move down there. This is horrible, we were never separated, but this unhappy situation has been over 1 month so far. WE sent pretty much everything you could think up. My college admission letter, my husband's employment letter, utility bills, moving quote, lease agreement for 6 months, driver license. These are all we sent in.

I will keep you posted for sure. Good luck to everyone.

Edited November 20, 2009 by nana1111

[Avery 0]

Wednesday will be week four. They expect us to give up our home (which we did) and our jobs (which we did) - establish a domicile in the US (which we did). I just wish they would hurry up. It's extremely taxing to be trying to live off what little you have left of your savings to actually MOVE down there. =(

Can the US citizen move down first and get your home set up and start working while you guys wait? Might be easier on finances.

I wish we could. It just isn't feasible to pay for another trip home for him AND then for him to come back to help me move down. (It's a 24 h drive in a u-hual with 2 cats) Not to mention the job he has, once he starts he can't really just book a week off since nov/dec are their black out months. Alas, we wait. One day we can all go home. It really just seems like 8 weeks in total is excessive considering we got them the information they wanted one week after our interview. I thought waiting for an interview date was bad! lol ah well. I'm defeated and going crazy. hehehehe

[Malrothien 6]

Wednesday will be week four. They expect us to give up our home (which we did) and our jobs (which we did) - establish a domicile in the US (which we did). I just wish they would hurry up. It's extremely taxing to be trying to live off what little you have left of your savings to actually MOVE down there. =(

Can the US citizen move down first and get your home set up and start working while you guys wait? Might be easier on finances.

I wish we could. It just isn't feasible to pay for another trip home for him AND then for him to come back to help me move down. (It's a 24 h drive in a u-hual with 2 cats) Not to mention the job he has, once he starts he can't really just book a week off since nov/dec are their black out months. Alas, we wait. One day we can all go home. It really just seems like 8 weeks in total is excessive considering we got them the information they wanted one week after our interview. I thought waiting for an interview date was bad! lol ah well. I'm defeated and going crazy. hehehehe

Avery, I know where you are coming from. We can't afford to be apart - literally. We have the money for the medical, the flight, and the move, and that's it. Nothing more.

[trailmix 77]

Hi, initial interview was on AUG 24, 2009

Then my husband moved to U.S. to submit evidence which was asked by our interviewer. She told my husband to move down there. This is horrible, we were never separated, but this unhappy situation has been over 1 month so far. WE sent pretty much everything you could think up. My college admission letter, my husband's employment letter, utility bills, moving quote, lease agreement for 6 months, driver license. These are all we sent in.

I will keep you posted for sure. Good luck to everyone.

Wow nana, that's not good news, sounds like you were well prepared.

However, we have seen some people who were told that the U.S. citizen had to move back and instead they sent in additional evidence and were approved.

There seems to be a few COs at the Montreal Consulate that do not understand the domicile instructions. I mean if the U.S. citizen had to move back, what would be the point of having direct filing at the consulate at all.

I personally think it is very unfair to expect a couple to live apart, but aside from that, from a purely financial point of view - after all the expense of immigration - to expect a couple to maintain 2 households, when obviously the U.S. citizen will probably have to give up their job when they leave Canada - well I find that ludicrious.

There is allowance for 'reestablishing' domicile and it should be used!

Edited November 20, 2009 by trailmix

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I completely agree with trailmix. Seems that MTL has become quite stringent when it comes to domicile and DCF filers. When we filed, we had little in way of that: the lease agreement. That was it. and that was enough.

I am so sorry to hear about this you guys

[Lenie7 0]

Hi, initial interview was on AUG 24, 2009

Then my husband moved to U.S. to submit evidence which was asked by our interviewer. She told my husband to move down there. This is horrible, we were never separated, but this unhappy situation has been over 1 month so far. WE sent pretty much everything you could think up. My college admission letter, my husband's employment letter, utility bills, moving quote, lease agreement for 6 months, driver license. These are all we sent in.

I will keep you posted for sure. Good luck to everyone.

Wow nana, that's not good news, sounds like you were well prepared.

However, we have seen some people who were told that the U.S. citizen had to move back and instead they sent in additional evidence and were approved.

There seems to be a few COs at the Montreal Consulate that do not understand the domicile instructions. I mean if the U.S. citizen had to move back, what would be the point of having direct filing at the consulate at all.

I personally think it is very unfair to expect a couple to live apart, but aside from that, from a purely financial point of view - after all the expense of immigration - to expect a couple to maintain 2 households, when obviously the U.S. citizen will probably have to give up their job when they leave Canada - well I find that ludicrious.

There is allowance for 'reestablishing' domicile and it should be used!

You are right, Trailmix. It makes no sense that in all the immigration documents, they tell you not to give up a job, apartment, etc. in your home country because a visa is not guaranteed, and yet they want the US. citizen spouse to move back to the U.S. alone to set up a new household. So what if the U.S. citizen gives up a job in a foreign country and they deny the overseas spouse a visa? Like you said, it's not logical to proceed that way since many people can't afford two households nor do they want to be separated for long periods of time.

I had issues with the affidavit of support because I am living in Canada and not working in the U.S. My husband makes good money and we have assets well over 5 times the requirement, but the NVC told me that I needed a co-sponsor OR that I had to move back to the U.S. to work. In the end, I had to ask my sister (who doesn't make a lot of money) to be a co-sponsor, despite us having enough assets and my husband having 9 years of social security credits in the U.S. It's all so crazy!

[trailmix 77]

That's interesting Dalene, if you had posted this info before I had forgotten it. I'm just sitting here pondering 'proof of domicile' and your situation is another thing that concerns me.

There is another VJ member, Shiri, who showed up at her interview with and I-864 joint sponsor and proof of the joint sponsor's individual income (as they filed jointly with their spouse). They were asked to have that spouse fill out the I-864A - they did not accept the single joint sponsor.

Things like this concern me. Going to Montreal for an interview shouldn't be a 'big black hole' - it should be transparent and people should understand exactly what it is they want. When we think we have figured it out - based on their field manual and experience of others, someone throws a wrench in it.

We also used assets and also went through NVC and they accepted them.

hmmm!

[Malrothien 6]

I'm wondering if the CO will give us problems when hubby goes and do what NVC did - require an I864A - without seeing the part where my grandfather is no longer with us.

[trailmix 77]

I'm wondering if the CO will give us problems when hubby goes and do what NVC did - require an I864A - without seeing the part where my grandfather is no longer with us.

Good question Malrothien.

I have forgotten the details now. I remember that they requested and I-864A from your late Grandfather but I don't remember the details of that. He had no income shown on her 2008 return? Yet they requested it?

I think we need a new thread to track Montreal/NVC requirements and surprises regarding the I-864

Edited November 20, 2009 by trailmix

[Malrothien 6]

I'm wondering if the CO will give us problems when hubby goes and do what NVC did - require an I864A - without seeing the part where my grandfather is no longer with us.

Good question Malrothien.

I have forgotten the details now. I remember that they requested and I-864A from your late Grandfather but I don't remember the details of that. He had no income shown on her 2008 return? Yet they requested it?

I think we need a new thread to track Montreal/NVC requirements and surprises regarding the I-864

They actually wanted my grandmother to change her household members to include him since she was married without realizing that he had passed in February. They had filed a joint return for 08, but obviously 09 won't be.

[trailmix 77]

They actually wanted my grandmother to change her household members to include him since she was married without realizing that he had passed in February. They had filed a joint return for 08, but obviously 09 won't be.

Right. Yes. When I hear stuff like this out of NVC - you can almost say, well they are churning out thousands of applications and they overlook stuff (doesn't make it any better for you of course).

I would certainly hope that they don't even ask you about this at Montreal.

[Malrothien 6]

They actually wanted my grandmother to change her household members to include him since she was married without realizing that he had passed in February. They had filed a joint return for 08, but obviously 09 won't be.

Right. Yes. When I hear stuff like this out of NVC - you can almost say, well they are churning out thousands of applications and they overlook stuff (doesn't make it any better for you of course).

I would certainly hope that they don't even ask you about this at Montreal.

Oh for sure. I won't be going to Montreal for the interview so I have a lot to teach hubby.

[trailmix 77]

In light of all the information coming back from Montreal, I would really like to ask someone to clarify the domicile question while they are there, but it seems too much to ask.

I'm going to take a stab at it and try to email the consulate and see if I can get a response.

[SapphireDreams 71]

In light of all the information coming back from Montreal, I would really like to ask someone to clarify the domicile question while they are there, but it seems too much to ask.

I'm going to take a stab at it and try to email the consulate and see if I can get a response.

Tell them you are Trailmix from VJ

Avery - Makes sense about all of the added expenses. Hope you hear something soon!