k1 switch to AOS???

[Malrothien 6]

The packet 3 will be sent to me by my family. So I'll be staying here with my fiance until either my 6 months is over or my interview is sooner then 6 months.

Do you have all documents necessary NOW to send the Packet 3 back? You don't get an interview until Packet 3 has been sent back.

[MJhawk 0]

Yes I have all my documents that I'll need- long birth cert. police criminal record check

[antda 13]

Hi MJhawk,

A few months isn't too long in the overall grand scheme of things...

Think of it as an extended vacation back home to Canada, to get your things in order before you move to the USA forever..

And a few months away legally instead is better than a lifetime ban away by doing things illegally, right?

Meanwhile, there are lots of vjers who have done this k1 thing before, so you are not alone in the process there.

Hmm...maybe your fiance can accompany you too back to Canada, while you are waiting for your k1 to be completed?

For example, your fiance can go with you to your k1 interview, which can be helpful in your case there too.

Ant

Well when I came here at the end of Sept. we got engaged and my fiance (U.S. citizen) filed the petition and yes I'll have to return back to Canada for a medical and interview. The only thing is I'll have to leave in 6 months and the K1 visa usually takes between 7-10 months. Meaning I'll have to be away from him for a few months before returning with my visa in hand.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Ant+D+A

[Sprailenes 47]

Needy much?

You're going to be with this person for the rest of your life, a couple of months back home isn't going to kill you.

[MJhawk 0]

Yes we plan on him staying for a couple of weeks when I come back but from May-June he will be busy at work and I'm hoping the interview is in April so he can be there...fingers crossed

[Inky 1,110]

Canadian medical has to be done before the interview, you cant send packet 3 back without having the appointment set up.

[MJhawk 0]

NEEDY MUCH???? I find that abit rude. I'm not needy but my fiance is now a huge part in my life and wanting to be with him is now considered "needy". It's hard when you spend a long period of time staying with him and then having to leave.

Ya I'll be setting up the medical in Montreal about 1 week before the interview.

[Malrothien 6]

NEEDY MUCH???? I find that abit rude. I'm not needy but my fiance is now a huge part in my life and wanting to be with him is now considered "needy". It's hard when you spend a long period of time staying with him and then having to leave.

Ya I'll be setting up the medical in Montreal about 1 week before the interview.

You have to have the appointment setup when you send Packet 3, which is about 4-5 months before the interview at this point. You won't even find out the interview date until just a few weeks prior. Please pay attention to what we are all posting.

And guess what - ALL OF US have had to spend time away from our loved ones. You're not going to get much sympathy.

[antda 13]

Hi MJhawk,

That's good that your fiance can stay with you for a few weeks while you are in Canada and hope to that he can be there for you for the interview when the time comes.

Understandable that it would be hard for you to be away from your fiance. Long distance relationships are never easy (believe me, I know about that too), as I'm sure all of us here on vj can tell you about that. And any time apart, however little or big it is, seems like forever in ways. Still, a few months isn't too bad in the grand scheme of things, and as well, during the process while you are waiting, you can both still visit and see and communicate with each other too, which is a good thing, especially since Canada and the USA are so close to each other...Lol...though yet so close but so far....oh the woes of immigration...

Either way, good luck with the rest of your immigration journey, and hoping for a speedy one for you too.

Ant

Yes we plan on him staying for a couple of weeks when I come back but from May-June he will be busy at work and I'm hoping the interview is in April so he can be there...fingers crossed

NEEDY MUCH???? I find that abit rude. I'm not needy but my fiance is now a huge part in my life and wanting to be with him is now considered "needy". It's hard when you spend a long period of time staying with him and then having to leave.

Ya I'll be setting up the medical in Montreal about 1 week before the interview.

[Inky 1,110]

my husband is in the military, i have spent alot of time away from him and i still spend time away from him, it is likely in your best intrest to go home before the 6 months and to do the things you need to in canada and get your things ready. I would not advise staying for 6 months.

[MJhawk 0]

What is wrong with staying for 6 months. The medical can be scheduled after you return the checklist. I heard of people getting their interview date and then setting up their medicals right away. You need to bring the results to the interview. There's no reason for me to leave before my 6 months is up unless it's necessary.

[Sprailenes 47]

NEEDY MUCH???? I find that abit rude. I'm not needy but my fiance is now a huge part in my life and wanting to be with him is now considered "needy". It's hard when you spend a long period of time staying with him and then having to leave.

Ya I'll be setting up the medical in Montreal about 1 week before the interview.

Well you're sitting here whining about not being able to do the AOS from here and regretting the entire K1 process. You'll be with him before you know it.

We've all been there, you're acting like it's the end of the world... it's not. It's merely the beginning.

My husband lived with me in Canada for two years and had to come back and we spent over a year apart while doing the K1 so I am not unaware of how it feels to spend a lot of time together and then be apart. But you do what you gotta do and you do it without regrets. Makes everything a whole lot easier.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Sprailenes

[MJhawk 0]

Thank you Ant+D+A for all your advise.

[MJhawk 0]

Sprailenes- you are full of them tonight "needy" "whining" you should keep your comments to yourself thank you

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Be flexible with your plans. Don't commit yourself to 6 months regardless of the circumstances. There are things that you will need doing in Canada to prepare for the interview. None of us want or wanted to be apart from our loved ones, yet learning how to deal with separation is part of growing into maturity, especially in relationships. Maturity is learning how to make tough choices that are in our own best interests in the long run although they might not be comfortable in the short run. So, you can plan on being in the US for 6 months but recognize that circumstances may dictate otherwise, and you may need or want to return to Canada before that time is up if only to make sure your visa process goes more smoothly and quickly than it might if you remain in the US.

How do you have your police certificate already if you did not know you were getting engaged when you entered? It does seem to intimate that you were planning to be married, so you definitely should not go the AOS route if you have a security clearance obtained for immigration purposes before you even entered the US. You may find that you will need to update that clearance as well depending on when you had it done and when you receive packet 3 and your interview. You may also require additional vaccinations that you will definitely not want to pay to have done in the US even if you have to pay to have them done in Canada (the doctor's visit is covered by health insurance in Canada - in the US you will have to pay the doctors office visit bill which can be very pricey on top of the costs of the vaccine). What if when you have the medical the week before your interview a medical issue you hadn't foreseen comes up? Having the medical earlier will allow you to deal with it before hand and not have to go to the interview, have them request additional information and have to wait for your decision until you get the matter looked after and provide them with the requested information. Having your family send you the packet in the mail is also risky - you will be adding time and money to the process - as well as the chance for it to go missing.

Anyway, I hope you are able to spend this time with your fiance and that the time apart isn't long, but you need to be realistic and recognize that some separation, no matter how unhappy and uncomfortable that is, is probably going to be necessary. We do know what you are feeling. We do understand - but we also have a wealth of experience dealing with the US immigration system and you would be wise to take advantage of that experience.