Time Spent Apart

[Abby&Mario 100]

There is a requirement for a copy of the bio-data page of the beneficiary's passport. Maybe she just wants everything in her husbands last name and is waiting on that?

She might not have the expired passport anymore either. When you apply for last name change in Canada you are required to submit for a whole new passport. Unless you request to keep the old one they will take it from you.

Your first sentence is outdated information. Believe me, we thought it was bizarre that we didn't need a copy of my Colombian husband's birth certificate or passport at the USCIS stage, and read the requirements a hundred times to make sure that was indeed the case. We were approved with no RFEs very recently. If you go to the VJ guide I linked to, #7 has a strike through with "no longer needed" in parentheses. Things change. Read the official USCIS instructions and you won't see anything about a copy of the beneficiary's passport or birth certificate there either. http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-130instr.pdf

If she's waiting for a name change to go through, I guess that's a different story. But if not, I see no reason she has to wait to send the petition.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Abby&Mario

[Al422 221]

I realize that some of you have been waiting so long that our mere 7 months so far is like nothing. And we both have internet with cams, so Skype is at our disposal. Still it seems like forever. If all goes well she should be here in about 6 weeks.

In these closing weeks, our theme song has bee "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne. For those with the CD, it is the last cut on "The Best Damn Thing". For those without, search it on You Tube. And give it a listen. And share it with your fiance or spouse as the case may be. I play it at least 4 times a day.

[CanGirl 95]

Your first sentence is outdated information. Believe me, we thought it was bizarre that we didn't need a copy of my Colombian husband's birth certificate or passport at the USCIS stage, and read the requirements a hundred times to make sure that was indeed the case. We were approved with no RFEs very recently. If you go to the VJ guide I linked to, #7 has a strike through with "no longer needed" in parentheses. Things change. Read the official USCIS instructions and you won't see anything about a copy of the beneficiary's passport or birth certificate there either. http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-130instr.pdf

If she's waiting for a name change to go through, I guess that's a different story. But if not, I see no reason she has to wait to send the petition.

That's strange I wonder why they would change that requirement. I submitted my i-130 last October so I thought I had recent info lol

Things change fast!

Edited April 24, 2014 by CanGirl

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Come read the Canadian forum - there are plenty of subtle differences.

You shouldn't need a whole lot of adjusting, no. There will be some differences to get accustomed to.

Truer words have not been said - 7 yrs later I can vouch

Six years down the line from the K1 process, let me share a tip with you.

If you're planning on spending the rest of your life with this person who lives in America, spend time building and mending relationships in your life at the moment. Once you make the move, it's incredibly easy to lose touch, to feel homesick and lonely, even when you're with the one person who makes you feel whole.

Trust me ... take the time to enjoy the family and friends that you have NOW. Planning for tomorrow is great, knowing how the process works before and after you arrive in the US is even better, but the best thing is building a lot of memories of the loved ones that you are going to see much less of once that visa is in your hands.

Best of luck in your process, but please don't wish your life away. The time will come.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Six years down the line from the K1 process, let me share a tip with you.

If you're planning on spending the rest of your life with this person who lives in America, spend time building and mending relationships in your life at the moment. Once you make the move, it's incredibly easy to lose touch, to feel homesick and lonely, even when you're with the one person who makes you feel whole.

Trust me ... take the time to enjoy the family and friends that you have NOW. Planning for tomorrow is great, knowing how the process works before and after you arrive in the US is even better, but the best thing is building a lot of memories of the loved ones that you are going to see much less of once that visa is in your hands.

Best of luck in your process, but please don't wish your life away. The time will come.

That's really good advice, my interview is in less than a month and I'm really realising this now!

[Ortolan 381]

You know, you could write letters, old fashioned letters to each other, make a little detail about the day....after this is over you'll have a lovely collection of love letters, and you can save them and read them over and over.

Real paper is something you can hold in your hands, and smell, and feel. It's a beautiful thing, a letter....

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Love letters in the post are a nice idea, as are sending each other gifts. We can trace the evolution of our relationship from the letters we started sending after we met. When we'd been waiting for six months already for the I-130 to be approved and I was feeling a bit melancholy my wife sent me this package

[laurafunmaker 0]

Hey Girl, I feel your pain. I am located in the middle of Ontario, in a town with a population of 1000. It is hard to be away from the one you love. I know how you feel when every one around you has their spouse and you are with out yours. Things I do to pass the time are, reading, watching movies, when it is not Polar vortex out i walk and enjoy winter turning into spring. We live in Florida and it is summer there all year round. So i am getting my fill of the great north. Oh I go and have a Tim hortons coffee, sweet Timmies. I have taken up painting, and crafting and doing something that will keep my mind busy. I am also quitting smoking so that is hard too. Just do all the things you can do while your here since once you are gone and back there, you will not have Tim Hortons, or harveys, or seasons, or EH. Visit with friends and family and have a good time.

I have been apart from my husband for 6 months, we missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, our 1 year anniversary, his birthday and my birthday. He works a lot, we are trying to save money and pay down debts and get ahead , so visits are not really an option and and we know we will be together forever once this is done. I have told my friends and family that I will not be coming back for a long time since I have been here for so long, I just want to be with the one I love. I look at it this way : everyday away from him, brings me 1 day closer to being home. write letters, remind yourself and him why you got married and how much you guys love each other, You can send a letter for $1.10 and that is how people rolled before the internet and phone.

Best wishes and good luck.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Hey Family.

Just wondering what people do while trying to pass the time till they can basically start their lives together with their spouse?

Right now I don't even have the option of calling or texting my husband. Feel like I'm just sitting alone in the dark. We haven't even sent in our I-130 yet! Waiting on a new passport... Then I'll be waiting a year till I can go be with my husband. Lately I've been reading post on here to keep my spirits up..

When you get down, what do you do?

Some of the things you can do are:

plan the move, to a sufficient level of detail

familiarize yourself with the area you will be living, employers, things you can do, etc

Based on employers in the immediate and surrounding are, prepare yourself for a position in there (if you are planning to work that is); alternatively, maybe school is what you want to do first.

Is there a possible move to a different area, city, etc?

The above is not yourself but with husband. You actually have the rare opportunity to plan ahead on the kind of live and living you will/want to have; for most those kind of decisions are often to be done within hours or days.

[NikLR 13,232]

That's strange I wonder why they would change that requirement. I submitted my i-130 last October so I thought I had recent info lol

Things change fast!

It hasn't been a requirement for some time. We filed our I-130 in October 2012 and it wasn't a requirement then.

It is for the NVC but that's months and months away. Even then you can change passports and simply update your information along the line.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I feel for you regardless - I can't imagine being away for such a long period and certainly not without a good means of communication. People can of course fall on hard times and everything rights itself. My now husband and I called eachother nightly and were on the phone from about 6 pm until 1 of us fell asleep..EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and we still tried to visit as often as possible between Ontario and Virginia

I love the old fashioned letter writing idea!

[Novembro 1,763]

Has anyone mentioned binge drinking?

lol?

lol!

Edited April 24, 2014 by Novembro

[LesleyRyan 4]

Your first sentence is outdated information. Believe me, we thought it was bizarre that we didn't need a copy of my Colombian husband's birth certificate or passport at the USCIS stage, and read the requirements a hundred times to make sure that was indeed the case. We were approved with no RFEs very recently. If you go to the VJ guide I linked to, #7 has a strike through with "no longer needed" in parentheses. Things change. Read the official USCIS instructions and you won't see anything about a copy of the beneficiary's passport or birth certificate there either. http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-130instr.pdf

If she's waiting for a name change to go through, I guess that's a different story. But if not, I see no reason she has to wait to send the petition.

OMG I've been waiting on that for nothing! Grr.. . either way I noticed some photo copies are made too light and signitures are missing because of it. Probably would have gotten our package sent back. I will be getting my I-130 sent out express thursday night to my husband to sign and send!!!

[Larry&Sam 5]

Hi Guys..well I'm currently sat in England watching over our poorly American Bulldog on my ipod on facetime, which we shipped to America March 25th..whilst my husband is at work. I'm on my iPhone for visa journey and using whatsapp to message my husband to update him on our poorly pup! In between jobs my husband Larry calls me on the magic jack ..thank god for technology! I don't know if others have a magic jack? But it's awesome $20 a year for any calls back and forth from the US, to any US number

[LesleyRyan 4]

I'm running to the bank now to get my US money order and sending my package tonight or tomorrow!! What a fool I was.. I had everythig I needed already