Two different stories, one ruined wedding. (Posting again and with updates)

[chyiochan 1]

I think we had decided to do the K-3 because we decided to get married about 6 months ago, and we were told it would be an easier wait time (the 4 months or so) doing it that way from the USCIS.

It may have been a very short-term plan, and I wish we had dug deeper into it than we had. We knew it would take work to get all of it done, that's why it didn't sound "too" good to be true to get done. I will be calling the Registrar tomorrow to get an appointment/meeting time to get answers.

I know I can't get all answers over the phone, but I am doing the best I can with the resources I have!

Thanks Hugglesbuggles, I appreciate all your help with this!

[cdneh 3,112]

And yes, that is one thing we are making sure of. If on the 15th of November, she is not working when we try to cross, we will not cross at all. She is our only hope in letting me stay.

I must say that this sounds very strange to me. I have never heard of a person admitted to the country under this circumstance, and how is it that this one border officer may take it upon herself to circumvent policy?

I'd be questioning that for sure.

[chyiochan 1]

amber...

Do you have a job? A lease for a place to live? These are the BEST ways to prove your ties to Canada... a bank account and things like that. Items that show that you HAVE to return to Canada.

Keep in mind too, they could still deny you. But the more you bring the better. When I got the US to see my husband, I bring a letter from both my jobs stating when i'm to return, a copy of my rental agreement a letter from myland lord, bank statements, my NOA2. Umm, what else. Well, anything that I can get my hands on that show I live in Canada and must return. My cell phone bill, my cable and internet bill...

Stuff like that.

The thing is, I had just left my job on Friday. It was my last day, because of everything we were told, it would have been okay. We were never EVER todl to have ties to Canada, not even when I had crossed beforehand for visits, even for a warning

I live with my Mother, and have never had a lease or payments for a car or of the sort.

I do have bank accounts that can only be accessed in Canada, and I do have a Cell phone, but I've learned that a Cell phone, and credit cards can all be paid online, and wouldn't work.

I am scared they may not work when I try to cross to visit, and I would just get turned around again.

I'm going to have to find something that can Tie me to Canada soon. A lease for a place or something? But it doesn't make sense, you can set up leases to be paid automatically by a credit card or with bank payments online. How do they allow that? It's doesn't make sense.

[lgg 2]

Honey... may I call you honey???

This IS a public forum don't forget you will, I repeat, you WILL get both constructive and critical advice and observations here. My advice? Suck it up. Take what you need and go from there. By announcing all this to the public, you will assuredly place yourself in a position where someone will have something you won't like to hear. You will have to deal with it...

Good luck! We have all been on both sides of the coin.

Again, Calling the USCIS, they had told us the process would have gone faster with a US marriage license. It's just what we were told, and so we had planned for that. I didn't even know this until yesterday.

I would prefer constructive comments rather than criticism or nit-picking. Please don't belittle what and how we have learned things up until now. We only have a little amount of time to make this go through properly and hopefully as planned. I want to spend my first Christmas married with my husband and his family. It is a very nice thought to have!

Edited October 27, 2009 by lgg

[Hugglebuggles 60]

I think we had decided to do the K-3 because we decided to get married about 6 months ago, and we were told it would be an easier wait time (the 4 months or so) doing it that way from the USCIS.

It may have been a very short-term plan, and I wish we had dug deeper into it than we had. We knew it would take work to get all of it done, that's why it didn't sound "too" good to be true to get done. I will be calling the Registrar tomorrow to get an appointment/meeting time to get answers.

I know I can't get all answers over the phone, but I am doing the best I can with the resources I have!

Thanks Hugglesbuggles, I appreciate all your help with this!

No problem! The good thing is you are doing your research and finding everything out now. At least you didn't get married and then attempt to cross the border that day and be denied entry right? That would have been a much worse scenario.

The 4 months you have been told really isn't reflective of how long the process is going to take. After you send the petition to your service center it gets "approved" (the part that takes around 4 months), then it is cycled through NVC and eventually to your home consulate where you wait to be assigned an interview date. In reality the process is probably going to take you at least 7 months, possibly stretching into the 10 month mark. Where in Canada are you from? If you live in the west coast you will go through Vancouver, which is much quicker than those of us who had to wait for interviews in Montreal. Montreal can get very backlogged at times and people have recently waited over 4 months just to be given an interview after everything has been approved. In the end it will be quicker than the CR-1, but not by a whole lot.

Edited October 27, 2009 by Hugglebuggles

[chyiochan 1]

And yes, that is one thing we are making sure of. If on the 15th of November, she is not working when we try to cross, we will not cross at all. She is our only hope in letting me stay.

I must say that this sounds very strange to me. I have never heard of a person admitted to the country under this circumstance, and how is it that this one border officer may take it upon herself to circumvent policy?

I'd be questioning that for sure.

The reason why I say to make sure she is there, is because other Officers may not have been told about the situation, or what the people above the Chief that the Chief had contacted in an urgent message had been told to anyone else either. I'm just saying that as the highest precaution to use, because we do not wish to have another large hassle at the border again, not specifically that she is the only way, it just looks like the easiest way to get though and to make things clearest at the Border.

More Hassle-Free? In that sense.

[trailmix 77]

If I were to quote all the misinformation I have been given over the phone, it would fill pages - border and USCIS.

Here is the thing. Many people visit their SO while waiting for their K1 (fiancee), K3 or CR1/IR1 visas to be processed. It is not against any rule to visit, however it is completely up to the person at the border to decide on the day that you may enter the U.S.

They do not want people entering the U.S. without a visa, intending to reside there - that is why you were turned back.

Also, Canadians are only permitted to stay for 6 months per entry - therefore you will not be able to stay in the U.S. until your visa is finished processing, it will take more than 6 months.

Now perhaps the person you spoke to is completely on the up and up and and knows what they are talking about and will give you an extended visa period - but that's pretty unlikely.

I'm not saying this to be negative, just to let you know that you may have to stay in Canada until your visa is processed (I really hope that won't be the case and I do wish you good luck).

[cdneh 3,112]

If I were to quote all the misinformation I have been given over the phone, it would fill pages - border and USCIS.

Here is the thing. Many people visit their SO while waiting for their K1 (fiancee), K3 or CR1/IR1 visas to be processed. It is not against any rule to visit, however it is completely up to the person at the border to decide on the day that you may enter the U.S.

They do not want people entering the U.S. without a visa, intending to reside there - that is why you were turned back.

Also, Canadians are only permitted to stay for 6 months per entry - therefore you will not be able to stay in the U.S. until your visa is finished processing, it will take more than 6 months.

Now perhaps the person you spoke to is completely on the up and up and and knows what they are talking about and will give you an extended visa period - but that's pretty unlikely.

I'm not saying this to be negative, just to let you know that you may have to stay in Canada until your visa is processed (I really hope that won't be the case and I do wish you good luck).

I agree with all you have said.

OP...you may get to visit for the usual 6 months, but I still don't understand why she on her own can do anything to assist beyond that as you don't have a visa, and it will most likely take longer than 6 months to process one.

[chyiochan 1]

Honey... may I call you honey???

This IS a public forum don't forget you will, I repeat, you WILL get both constructive and critical advice and observations here. My advice? Suck it up. Take what you need and go from there. By announcing all this to the public, you will assuredly place yourself in a position where someone will have something you won't like to hear. You will have to deal with it...

Good luck! We have all been on both sides of the coin.

I can ask for nicer replies in hopes that I can get them. It may be public, but I can also ask for help in ways I can take it too. It is difficult to suck it up, especially since of what has just happened too us. We're in a fetal position right now!

No problem! The good thing is you are doing your research and finding everything out now. At least you didn't get married and then attempt to cross the border that day and be denied entry right? That would have been a much worse scenario.

The 4 months you have been told really isn't reflective of how long the process is going to take. After you send the petition to your service center it gets "approved" (the part that takes around 4 months), then it is cycled through NVC and eventually to your home consulate where you wait to be assigned an interview date. In reality the process is probably going to take you at least 7 months, possibly stretching into the 10 month mark. Where in Canada are you from? If you live in the west coast you will go through Vancouver, which is much quicker than those of us who had to wait for interviews in Montreal. Montreal can get very backlogged at times and people have recently waited over 4 months just to be given an interview after everything has been approved. In the end it will be quicker than the CR-1, but not by a whole lot.

I'm from Ontario. The one main fear of the CR-1 we were scared of, is that it would take the 6 months or so. (Not known exactly on the details, again, information from the USCIS. we were told it could take 6-10 months, and we were scared it would run into our Wedding date.) and we weren't able to get married until it was processed, and we had a certain amount of time to do so after it was processed.

Edited October 27, 2009 by ambermiele

[chyiochan 1]

If I were to quote all the misinformation I have been given over the phone, it would fill pages - border and USCIS.

Here is the thing. Many people visit their SO while waiting for their K1 (fiancee), K3 or CR1/IR1 visas to be processed. It is not against any rule to visit, however it is completely up to the person at the border to decide on the day that you may enter the U.S.

They do not want people entering the U.S. without a visa, intending to reside there - that is why you were turned back.

Also, Canadians are only permitted to stay for 6 months per entry - therefore you will not be able to stay in the U.S. until your visa is finished processing, it will take more than 6 months.

Now perhaps the person you spoke to is completely on the up and up and and knows what they are talking about and will give you an extended visa period - but that's pretty unlikely.

I'm not saying this to be negative, just to let you know that you may have to stay in Canada until your visa is processed (I really hope that won't be the case and I do wish you good luck).

Thank you for this! It makes a lot of sense from everything I have read so far! I guess it is up to the person at the border to let me visit or not. It is just bad in my situation that we had said we were planning to move. The only thing I can't do now, is just visit, because they will just think I will move, and they don't wish to take that chance with me. I would just visit if I could though.

[lgg 2]

No, no you're not in a fetal position at all. IT may take some time and it will, but you guys will be together. Think of it like this, so let's say you take your time and you file for the K3, i would go CR1 if I were you, but we can talk about that a different time. So say you're apart for like 8 months right? Then, when you are together, you'll be together forever. On top of that, you will have done it legally and right and you will be a welcome addition to the US. And you'll have the rest of your life with your husband.

I know it seems rough now but look around you, we are ALL or have been in the same boat you are. But we made. talk to all the lovely people here who live with their spouses and stuff, they're happy to have done it.

So... let us help you, get all your stuff together, go see your guy when you can for a week or two at a time, bring your ties to canada and soon? you'll get your visa and you'll laugh this off and you'll also laugh at all the things people said to you that you don't like now.

I promise.

That's all I can promise but it's probably more valid than a Border Patrol guard.

Best, honey... or Miele...

Edited October 27, 2009 by lgg

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I would also like to add another clarification that might help you feel a bit better in spite of what you have experienced. If you had gone ahead with your plan to get married in Canada then go to the US and apply for a marriage license to use in the immigration process, it would have got you no where. First, a marriage license is for permission to get married and is issued for the jurisdiction where the marriage would take place. If you were already married, you would not be eligible to get a marriage license in the US. Secondly, a license is useless for immigration purposes. You need a marriage certificate - and there is no way you would be able to get an American marriage certificate for a wedding in Canada. Marriage certificates are issued by the State after the information is registered with them by the wedding officiant. It is irrelevant to the immigration process where you get your marriage certificate - having a US marriage certificate does not speed up the immigration process so that was more misinformation you received. You just need a legal marriage certificate from either US or Canada or any other country where you have satisfied the marriage requirements.

[Flames9_RN 358]

k3/cr-1 are probably both running close to the 8 mo-1 yr time-frame!! k3 is pretty much obsolete, may be beneficial for someone that lives in the western provinces as Vancouver does K3's as well and they tend to be faster than Mtl.

As others have stated the USCIS 1-800 # are referred to as the "mis-information" #'s they give out terrible/incorrect information all the time.

1 thing you learn with immigration dont plan your wedding until you have the visa, OR get married then start the process. best of luck

[chyiochan 1]

Thank you!

Yes we have just learned that it didn't matter where to get the Marriage license.

We weren't planning on getting two licenses, we were going to have the ceremony, and do all the legal paperwork after the ceremony over the border.

We have a lot of stuff to do, and to maybe apply for something else since we haven't applied for the I-130 yet (Waiting for Certificate)

Thank you very much for all your help. It is very comforting that so many others have gone through some of the same hardships that we have. When it first happened, it felt like we were the only ones it has happened to.

I will keep you updated as much as possible, in hopes that it may help another not make the mistake we did!

I know this is only a little hurdle for us, and I know we will laugh it off. I cant wait to be with him for the rest of my life! (Sorry edits!)

Edited October 27, 2009 by ambermiele

[Hugglebuggles 60]

No problem! The good thing is you are doing your research and finding everything out now. At least you didn't get married and then attempt to cross the border that day and be denied entry right? That would have been a much worse scenario.

The 4 months you have been told really isn't reflective of how long the process is going to take. After you send the petition to your service center it gets "approved" (the part that takes around 4 months), then it is cycled through NVC and eventually to your home consulate where you wait to be assigned an interview date. In reality the process is probably going to take you at least 7 months, possibly stretching into the 10 month mark. Where in Canada are you from? If you live in the west coast you will go through Vancouver, which is much quicker than those of us who had to wait for interviews in Montreal. Montreal can get very backlogged at times and people have recently waited over 4 months just to be given an interview after everything has been approved. In the end it will be quicker than the CR-1, but not by a whole lot.

I'm from Ontario. The one main fear of the CR-1 we were scared of, is that it would take the 6 months or so. (Not known exactly on the details, again, information from the USCIS. we were told it could take 6-10 months, and we were scared it would run into our Wedding date.) and we weren't able to get married until it was processed, and we had a certain amount of time to do so after it was processed.

I understand that, but what differences does it make now? Now knowing that either process is going to take 7months to a year, what is the benefit of the K-3. Actually, lets take it from the top, I think it would help everyone. What have you been told about the K-3 that has made you decide that is the best option? Maybe we can defunct some rumors for you.

With either visa you can visit your husband in the US, for up to six months and neither of these visas are going to be completely processed within 6 months

Over use of the term "6 months"? Possibly

Edited October 27, 2009 by Hugglebuggles