Nasty Surprises?!?!?!

[blahblah1000 0]

Hi VJers!

I am waiting to marry my fiance, and then start the Visa Process. I have found this site immensley helpful already. I feel like I am fairly well prepared for the road ahead. I wanted to know what those nasty little surprises have been that maybe were stumbled upon in the middle of the visa processing. I thought of starting this thread when I found out that Canadians can only interview in Montreal, or Vancouver. It made me wonder what else I didn't know, and I thought maybe the more seasoned veterans of the site could help us newbies out.

Thanks in advance.

[canadian_wife 1,826]

You need your long form birth certificate - the one with the parents names listed on it. That's the one that surprised me!

Good luck

[OBX 51]

You need your long form birth certificate - the one with the parents names listed on it. That's the one that surprised me!

Good luck

:thumbs:

You also might want to make sure your vaccinations are up to date and that you have a record of them. This link will give you some info about the medical. This step comes when you have an interview date so it is still quite a way down the road but it's best to be prepared

http://www.panelphysicians.com/

Good luck.

[canadian_wife 1,826]

OBX is wise!

You also need an ExpressPost envelope for the interview, that is consulate specific by the way

[HeatDeath 430]

Download the I-134 and I-864 forms from www.uscis.gov and read about the documentation they want, if you haven't already. It came as quite a shock to my USC wife that they needed a big stack of personal financial info and tax returns and the like. She found it very invasive, and was quite right to feel that way. Start gathering that stuff now.

Make sure you bring a photocopy of your birth certificate (long form, with parent's names) to the interview. [bTW, I had never even heard of a "long form" birth cert before this process ] The CO at my interview would have kept the birth certificate if I hadn't had the photocopy. They say as much in their interview prep instructions in the "Packet 3".

If you're interviewing and doing your medical in Vancouver, try to schedule your interview for a Thursday, or, if necessary, a Wednesday afternoon. The medical clinic in Vancouver only does medicals once per week, at 6:30 am on Wednesday morning. Get there about quarter to 6 and you can be out of there by 9:30, and can easily make a 1 pm or 1:30 pm interview at the consulate (which is 6-8 blocks away, a solid 15-20 min walk. You can shave a couple of minutes off that if you're brisk or jog.). You'll have to return to the medical clinic after your interview to get your medical results, and then get them back to the consulate for final approval before the consulate closes at 4. But it's very doable.

If you are heading to Vancouver, there is a small hotel called the Burrard Inn which is on the same block, same side of the street, 200 feet from the medical clinic. Quite inexpensive, not all that nice, but VERY convenient for the aforementioned 5:45-6:00 am recommended arrival time at the medical appointment

Thos are my personal tips that you won't find in the FAQs here. Good luck!

Edited March 11, 2010 by HeatDeath

[La Souris 19]

Electronic Processing is available Though, this is not a nasty surprise.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=224010 - make sure you real the latest developments, email address was changed I think...

http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reciproc...ocity_3531.html - for exactly what kind of birth certificate, by province.

Good luck!

[Peter&Jaime 1]

My husband's interview was April 2nd. At our interview we were asked for our taxes even though they weren't due! Nothing I had read on VJ and nothing in my letters from the embassy said to bring my taxes. Luckily I had done them early and had a copy on hand.

[Carlawarla 1]

Hi, and welcome to VJ! Come join us in the Canada Forum, where you can do some additional VJ reading specific to Canada.

Here's a link:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showforum=93

Depending on where you're moving in the U.S., a nasty surprise might be that you won't be able to get Tim Horton's!

[Beth and John 7]

Welcome!

Make sure you do a LOT of reading, especially the guides, and take advantage of the example forms.

Agree with the vaccinations information - if they are not up to date, inquire if your physician can give you the ones that are required for your age bracket. John did have to have an update, and the US will not accept the Canadian vaccination (TDaP is what was required). Take your vaccinations with you to your medical.

Depending on where you're moving in the U.S., a nasty surprise might be that you won't be able to get Tim Horton's!

teehee Carla I do see more and more of them cropping up now a days.

[blahblah1000 0]

Thanks so much everyone!!! The more I can prepare now the less frustrated and overwhelmed I'll be later. I'm going to look into getting my long form birth cert. right away. Is there a time limit for how long before the medical the vaccines are due? I was thinking of starting to complile all that info already as well.

[Emmamama 2]

Thanks so much everyone!!! The more I can prepare now the less frustrated and overwhelmed I'll be later. I'm going to look into getting my long form birth cert. right away. Is there a time limit for how long before the medical the vaccines are due? I was thinking of starting to complile all that info already as well.

Be prepared to spend $.

Fed-ex, copies, notarizing things, translations (if applicable), adjustment of status (since you're doing K-1), payments for fees...

[Emmamama 2]

Thanks so much everyone!!! The more I can prepare now the less frustrated and overwhelmed I'll be later. I'm going to look into getting my long form birth cert. right away. Is there a time limit for how long before the medical the vaccines are due? I was thinking of starting to complile all that info already as well.

Be prepared to spend $.

Fed-ex, copies, notarizing things, translations (if applicable), adjustment of status (since you're doing K-1), payments for fees...

[HeatDeath 430]

Thanks so much everyone!!! The more I can prepare now the less frustrated and overwhelmed I'll be later. I'm going to look into getting my long form birth cert. right away. Is there a time limit for how long before the medical the vaccines are due? I was thinking of starting to complile all that info already as well.

No. Remember, they're ok if your vaccines were given years ago! They just want documentation that you have had them. Timeframe is irrelevant.

I needed three vaccines - TDap, MMR, and Varicella (chicken pox). All Canadians have the latter two in the early years of elementary school, but my records are long gone, so I had blood tests to confirm that I had had them. TDap is not available in a lot of places in Canada (the public health authorities prefer a different tuberculosis+ vaccine) so the medical clinic in Vancouver made arrangements for me to get it on the day of my medical.

[blahblah1000 0]

I have started saving every spare penny, as well as giving up my shopping hobby. We have decided to get marries first and do the CR1 route, due to it costing less, and not really saving us that much time. Plus I would rather go to Montreal for the interview than Van. (Closer to TO). I'm thanking my lucky stars there is a Dr here to do the medical.

Thanks again everyone, I just applied online for my birth cert!

[OBX 51]

I have started saving every spare penny, as well as giving up my shopping hobby. We have decided to get marries first and do the CR1 route, due to it costing less, and not really saving us that much time. Plus I would rather go to Montreal for the interview than Van. (Closer to TO). I'm thanking my lucky stars there is a Dr here to do the medical.

Thanks again everyone, I just applied online for my birth cert!

FYI, if you are going the CR1 route your only option for an interview IS Montreal.

Also as far as the vaccinations go, the panel physician in Toronto will not provide any, so make sure you are up to date by that time.

Good luck.