The Way We Were

[K and T 0]

I just made the trip on Tuesday. We missed all of the traffic and it was a very scenic drive.

Good luck with Queenston-Lewiston on a Friday night of a long weekend!

Queenston-Lewiston was fine Friday evening.. we got in line 6:00 and were done by 6:10

Late Sunday morning, on the other hand, was a different story. Got on line 11:30 and finally got done at 1:00.

I gotta remind myself to take Rainbow or Peace next time during long weekends.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I need to get started on this. Bleh. What sounded quite far off two years ago has come up rather quickly.

We are one of the ones with no rental agreement or house..we are with the MIL still. With her unwell, and the husband as well, my guess is none of that will change any time soon.

We were transferred to CA the first time around, so I expect an interview looms for us as well with ROC. For that, and biometrics, I have to go to another state...sheesh...about 3 hours from here.

My AOS was transferred to CA as well and I had no interview. My ROC was also approved without an interview. I didn't have any interviews between the K-1 interview and the Citizenship interview, so don't worry. If your evidence is good the only reason you might get an interview is for statistics purposes - they are required to interview a certain percentage in all classification categories. Such interviews when they have been reported here are very perfunctory and more of a matter of form than anything else.

I am not on the mortgage or ownership deed nor on any of the utility bills for our home either yet that wasn't a problem at ROC. I just made sure I included evidence to show me paying for things like service contracts or home maintenance or repairs on my credit card from our joint account or a joint check from our joint checking account. Car maintenance and repairs, registration, car loan payments, insurance, retirement plans, etc. all showing joint address and in some cases joint names all helped to show we were living a joint life together at the same address. Think creatively and you'll be surprised what good evidence of your joint life together you can come up with, although I have to admit one of our best bits was totally beyond our control - we were audited our first year of marriage by the IRS because his ex-wife wasn't declaring his alimony payments as income and he was claiming the deduction! (It went in our favour, btw). We made sure to include the documents listing both of us on the audit for ROC evidence.

There is no Application Support Center closer than 3 hours away? Yipes.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

The ones that go back mid aug I think get out earlier in June.

The students here go back to school first week of August and are out of school by the first week of May. It did take some getting used to. We never started before Labour Day and always went to to the end of June when I was growing up.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Kathryn41

[cdneh 3,112]

My AOS was transferred to CA as well and I had no interview. My ROC was also approved without an interview. I didn't have any interviews between the K-1 interview and the Citizenship interview, so don't worry. If your evidence is good the only reason you might get an interview is for statistics purposes - they are required to interview a certain percentage in all classification categories. Such interviews when they have been reported here are very perfunctory and more of a matter of form than anything else.

I am not on the mortgage or ownership deed nor on any of the utility bills for our home either yet that wasn't a problem at ROC. I just made sure I included evidence to show me paying for things like service contracts or home maintenance or repairs on my credit card from our joint account or a joint check from our joint checking account. Car maintenance and repairs, registration, car loan payments, insurance, retirement plans, etc. all showing joint address and in some cases joint names all helped to show we were living a joint life together at the same address. Think creatively and you'll be surprised what good evidence of your joint life together you can come up with, although I have to admit one of our best bits was totally beyond our control - we were audited our first year of marriage by the IRS because his ex-wife wasn't declaring his alimony payments as income and he was claiming the deduction! (It went in our favour, btw). We made sure to include the documents listing both of us on the audit for ROC evidence.

There is no Application Support Center closer than 3 hours away? Yipes.

Who would ever think in a million years that an audit would turn out to have such a silver lining. Excellent thinking on your part!

That's interesting, no interview. I've been dreading another since it's such a long haul. They have divided this state along the central sort of highway, if you are on the left you stay in state, but if you are like us and live to the right of center, it's off to the state next door. I checked it out on google maps though, they are both the same length of drive from us

I'm going to go through my box of 'stuff'. Any time I spied anything over the last two years that might be good for ROC, it went into the 'box 'o stuff' Let's hope there's a little magic in there somewhere.

I remember the summer holiday the same way Kathryn. Out the end of June, and back the first week of September. Even in high school, but that's a long time ago now.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Who would ever think in a million years that an audit would turn out to have such a silver lining. Excellent thinking on your part!

That's interesting, no interview. I've been dreading another since it's such a long haul. They have divided this state along the central sort of highway, if you are on the left you stay in state, but if you are like us and live to the right of center, it's off to the state next door. I checked it out on google maps though, they are both the same length of drive from us

I'm going to go through my box of 'stuff'. Any time I spied anything over the last two years that might be good for ROC, it went into the 'box 'o stuff' Let's hope there's a little magic in there somewhere.

Hehe, that is what I did too - set up a box and just tossed into it anything that might be useful for ROC. It works great!

Good luck!

[Ontarkie 14,221]

They have divided this state along the central sort of highway, if you are on the left you stay in state, but if you are like us and live to the right of center, it's off to the state next door.

I remember the summer holiday the same way Kathryn. Out the end of June, and back the first week of September. Even in high school, but that's a long time ago now.

I hate having to go to Memphis(we are in North Little Rock)for everything with this process, on top of that we have to take all the kids with us too.

The school thing still gets me after 3 yrs of being here.

[cdneh 3,112]

I hate having to go to Memphis(we are in North Little Rock)for everything with this process, on top of that we have to take all the kids with us too.

The school thing still gets me after 3 yrs of being here.

North Little Rock? Wow...I am in Searcy, about an hour up 67/167

[teh Jai 0]

My huge thing was that reading these forums turned me into a paranoid ball of nerves. Some people would say you need to do X, but my instructions say Y, and ... yeah. I'm actually considering myself back now, and totally ready to chat it up with Canucks. I'm just waiting to get my passport, then hop to Newfoundland to see my parents and grandparents, and then off to the USA I go.

Am I supposed to be more frightened than excited?

[Flames9_RN 358]

Whats their to be frightened about?

[Moosker 7]

Just wanted to say hi everyone! This board moved fast ROC was approved and got my 10 year green card safely in hand. Sigh, glad it's over! On to citizenship.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Congrats on the approval! I sent my ROC out yesterday. Im just glad to finally get it out the door.

[Krikit 1,164]

Congrats, Moosker and Huggles!

I just came back from Canada on Saturday. US border (Peace Bridge) was no problem. Coming into Canada, though, I think I had a newbie because I got the third degree. He even wanted me to itemize each item I was bringing across. It was 9:00pm and I'd been up since 4:00am because I'd dropped my husband off at the airport first thing that morning. I was like.... "Buddy. I've been up since 4:00am. I don't even know if I've brought a toothbrush." *removed*

Oh, I'm sorry. I was just whining.

Never mind.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Krikit

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Wow, I just saw this thread, lol.

I don't see a lot from the people that went through the K1 the same time I did, guess LIFE takes over after a while!

Its always good to hear from fellow Canucks..especially when I'm missing home.

A few friends are coming up for a visit this week (first since early last year), and I'm super excited!

Hope they bring some Canadian treats

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Krikit, I had to laugh at your border crossing experiences!

I flew to Syracuse October 20th and rented a car to drive to Kingston. I have dual US and Canadian citizenship and mentioned that to the Canadian border guard. He still really grilled me and wanted to know things like how long I was going to be in Canada, my Dad's full name and address, the reason for my visit - and he didn't stop the grilling when I explained Dad was going in for surgery and I was to be there to help him get settled in a nursing home afterwards. He wanted to know how long ago I had left Canada, and wanted the exact date and time and airline of my flight back to Atlanta. It felt like he was also itching to say 'well, you had better be on it!'. I finally just reminded him that I am also a Canadian citizen, and he stopped the 'grilling'.

Coming back into the US was really easy. I have a passport card and the border guard noted that I had Canada as my birthplace. He asked me about how I came to the US and then where I met my husband (and said, 'gee, did they have computers back then?" - he was kind of young ), and asked if the car was rented in my name. When I explained the reason for my visit and handed him the list of items I was bringing back, -my Dad died while I was back home from complications during surgery and the things I was bringing back related to his estate - he became sympathetic, offered his condolences and passed me through. He asked a number of questions, but it never came across as a grilling, more like a casual conversation.

That was the first time I have ever been grilled by the Canadian border guards, though. I crossed at the Ivy Lea Bridge at the Thousand Islands Parkway. Both times there was absolutely no traffic so I didn't have to wait at all.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Kathryn41

[Colleens 40]

Krikit, I had to laugh at your border crossing experiences!

I flew to Syracuse October 20th and rented a car to drive to Kingston. I have dual US and Canadian citizenship and mentioned that to the Canadian border guard. He still really grilled me and wanted to know things like how long I was going to be in Canada, my Dad's full name and address, the reason for my visit - and he didn't stop the grilling when I explained Dad was going in for surgery and I was to be there to help him get settled in a nursing home afterwards. He wanted to know how long ago I had left Canada, and wanted the exact date and time and airline of my flight back to Atlanta. It felt like he was also itching to say 'well, you had better be on it!'. I finally just reminded him that I am also a Canadian citizen, and he stopped the 'grilling'.

Coming back into the US was really easy. I have a passport card and the border guard noted that I had Canada as my birthplace. He asked me about how I came to the US and then where I met my husband (and said, 'gee, did they have computers back then?" - he was kind of young ), and asked if the car was rented in my name. When I explained the reason for my visit and handed him the list of items I was bringing back, -my Dad died while I was back home from complications during surgery and the things I was bringing back related to his estate - he became sympathetic, offered his condolences and passed me through. He asked a number of questions, but it never came across as a grilling, more like a casual conversation.

That was the first time I have ever been grilled by the Canadian border guards, though. I crossed at the Ivy Lea Bridge at the Thousand Islands Parkway. Both times there was absolutely no traffic so I didn't have to wait at all.

Sorry to hear about your father Kathyrn My thoughts are with you and your family.