Lots of things not making sense to me

[pocheros 101]

Thanks for the clarification, Kathryn Learn something new every day!

Regarding visiting your husband:

This may be a bit of a tricky situation if you're planning for a lengthy stay, for a few reasons.

The first reason is that it is unpredictable when your interview date will be assigned to you. Unlike a K1 you cannot choose your interview date, Montreal will pick it for you. Sometimes there's only about a month between the date you're assigned an interview and the actual interview day. You'd need to be able to scramble back to Canada when your interview is assigned to obtain a medical exam. You cannot obtain your medical exam before you have an interview scheduled.

Second reason, but I'm not sure about this one... How does a CR1 find out their assigned interview date? I know e-mails tend to be unreliable throughout this process. Do they find out through snail mail, or is Montreal pretty good about e-mailing people for interview dates? Because if it's through snail mail, the OP wouldn't want to be outside of Canada when their interview date is mailed to them. Would there also be potential for RFEs (requests for evidence) at this stage? Although they are uncommon if you include all the necessary forms you certainly wouldn't want to miss an RFE either.

Of course if they have someone to check the mail for them it might be okay, but anyways... I know, I'm probably overthinking this!

Third thing... I'm assuming you don't have a job since you said you're able to spend 2-4 months outside of the country. This may make it a bit difficult to prove your ties to Canada. Usually, showing documentation that you already have an interview date for a visa is helpful, but by the time your interview is assigned to you you may not have enough time to visit.

It is certainly "possible" to visit for 2-4 months while your case is being processed, but it's up to the individual border patrol officer. Many people who were not intending to circumvent the immigration process and brought evidence of their ties to Canada have been turned around. The fact that you'd be visiting for such a lengthy time only increases the likelihood that you would be denied at the border.

If you decide to visit your husband, here are my tips: (Also not saying whether it's a good idea or not to visit him, for the aforementioned reasons )

1. Have a return ticket. (Since you said your husband flies to see you, I'm assuming you'd be flying as well). If you do not have a return ticket this increases the likelihood that you'll be denied at the border, since they may think that you don't intend to return to Canada.

Of course, you'll want to return when you're assigned an interview date, if the interview date is relatively soon. I believe some airlines give you the option of changing the date of your return ticket- not sure how that works. You'd want to look into it since you may want to return at a date that's different from the one you originally purchased.

2. Get refundable tickets.

3. Pack "light"- meaning, don't bring stuff that makes it look like you're going to start permanently living in the USA. From the visitation guide:

"Your foreign fiance(e) should bring only the amount of clothing they will require for the length of the visit. If they are coming for a two week visit but are bringing enough items to cover a six month visit, they will give the appearance that they do not intend to return to their home country and risk being turned back.

If your foreign fiance(e) is refused entry to the United States, it will be up to them to cover the cost of the return airfare. For this reason, you should look into having them fly out of an airport where the U.S. POE is stationed within that airport. Pre-clearance locations are limited. Here is a list of airports where pre-clearance is available." Fortunately Vancouver and Victoria have pre clearance.

4. Bring proof of ties. There's a list of different things you can use in the Visitation I linked.

5. Have a plan in case you are denied at the border. It happens!

I hope that helped and didn't just confuse anyone further Certainly into typing novels lately...

Edited January 22, 2012 by pocheros

[dukeandduchess 141]

I just saw in another post that you need to have your interview booked before you book your medical for a CR1 visa. I guess if you took the ferry over and spent a day here then got your flight to Montreal it would work pretty well for you!

[DoritoBreath 0]

@Kathryn- Thanks for the welcome and the clarification.

@pocheros- Those are some very good points. You are correct in your assumption that I don't have a job; I was laid off just before Christmas, and there is diddly squat out there. >.< My thinking was that gives me an excuse to go spend some time with my hubby, but really I don't have enough evidence that I would come back. Ah, oh well. I really need to get a new job to pay for the Montreal trip anyways. >.<

@dukeandduchess- That's very true. Might as well be efficient about it.

[pocheros 101]

You could also try for a short visit- a 2-4 month visit would probably be looked upon more harshly than a 2-week visit, and you can use your NOAs as part of your evidence. But yeah, you'd still need to be prepared in case you got denied There will certainly be quite a bit of time before you have your interview, so your hubby could also fly up and see you- US citizens can visit their foreign spouses much more easily than the other way around.

You should have at least a month's notice when your interview date is assigned to you (often more than a month) so that's how much time your hub will have to buy tickets to accompany you on the day of your interview. He can even come inside the consulate with you if he has a passport

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Actually, he'll need a passport regardless both to fly into Canada from the US and to be allowed back into the US so he should remember to bring it to the interview so he can be allowed into the Consulate.