Canadian Married to a US Citizen - where do we start?

[Jani1980 0]

Hi,

I am a Canadian Citizen and my wife an I got married in New Hampshir last year. Our original plan was to move to Toronto, but since we have decided to move live together in US.

My wife is a US Citizen: and we need help getting started.

One issue that I foresee, is that she is still going through her Doctor's degree, and her income is well below poverty line. My mother in law can provide guarantees, but would that cause any complications, or is it a straightforward process.

Cheers

Jani.

[stevie b 141]

Hi,

I am a Canadian Citizen and my wife an I got married in New Hampshir last year. Our original plan was to move to Toronto, but since we have decided to move live together in US.

My wife is a US Citizen: and we need help getting started.

One issue that I foresee, is that she is still going through her Doctor's degree, and her income is well below poverty line. My mother in law can provide guarantees, but would that cause any complications, or is it a straightforward process.

Cheers

Jani.

its a pretty straightforward process.. total turnaround time can be 6-12+ months from filing until the visa is granted unless it is filed from abroad which will shorten the time frame considerably. your wife will have to prove the domicile piece for the embassy

Edited June 2, 2013 by stevie b

[Autumnal 25]

This should probably be moved into the Canada regional forum since we have a LOT of people over there who know exactly about this situation. You have IR-1/CR-1 and K3 visa options to get into the US. Depending on how you file, the time that it takes will vary a fair bit. K3 is an excellent choice for those who live near Vancouver as it saves them from going all the way out to Montreal, which is the sole consulate dealing with IR-1/CR-1.

[NikLR 13,232]

Read the guides!

The process is pretty straight forward. The interview will be in Montreal, it's the only consulate in Canada that does immigrant visa interviews.

Are you both currently in Canada?

[Ryan H 3,834]

This should probably be moved into the Canada regional forum since we have a LOT of people over there who know exactly about this situation. You have IR-1/CR-1 and K3 visa options to get into the US. Depending on how you file, the time that it takes will vary a fair bit. K3 is an excellent choice for those who live near Vancouver as it saves them from going all the way out to Montreal, which is the sole consulate dealing with IR-1/CR-1.

The K3 is no longer a viable option (even though it is still officially on the books) and here is why in a nutshell: The two petitions are tied together by USCIS and usually approved at the same time. Both petitions usually end up at the NVC at the same time; per NVC policy, when there is an approved I-130 on-station, the K3 process is administratively closed.

A K3 making it through the NVC these days is rare and even if it does, if the Consulate gets wind of an approved I-130 being on-station with the State Department, the K3 is administratively closed (per policy).

With I-130's filed on behalf of spouses being adjudicated by local offices these days, I have yet to see many cases as to what happens when an I-129F is filed to start the K3 process; however, see my previous paragraph should the I-130 be able to catch up.