IR-1/CR-1 Montreal DQ'd private message group goes public CONTINUED

[BunyanP 89]

18 hours ago, Hawk Riders said:

@betzzymathew, @Abe&Noha, @Cath&Claire, @SSS24: approved?

best wishes @BunyanP!

Thanks @Hawk Riders   Approved this morning!!
 

[JandTK 40]

10 minutes ago, Cath&Claire said:

FYI 

interview 2/22

Tracking # received this morning, 2/26 

Did you use CanadaPost or Purolator?  Our interview was Monday and we have been at final Issued since Wednesday but we opted for purolator and don't have a tracking yet.

[Cath&Claire 150]

Just now, JandTK said:

Did you use CanadaPost or Purolator?  Our interview was Monday and we have been at final Issued since Wednesday but we opted for purolator and don't have a tracking yet.

I opted for Purolator.  A fellow visa applicant I know had their interview on Wednesday, 2/24 - he received his tracking # today as well.   

[SSS24 7]

1 hour ago, Cath&Claire said:

I opted for Purolator.  A fellow visa applicant I know had their interview on Wednesday, 2/24 - he received his tracking # today as well.   

Same for me! Interview 2/24 and received purolator notification today.

[Danii 312]

12 hours ago, State and Maine said:

What’s everyone doing with their Canadian bank accounts when they leave? Are you leaving them open and paying fees? Are you closing them? Just trying to plan ahead here...

I've been wondering the same thing! I thought I'd leave one open so that I can use the account when I'm visiting/paying student loans but I don't know anything about what's allowed/not worth it. Would love to hear about what others have done! 

[JandTK 40]

16 minutes ago, SSS24 said:

Same for me! Interview 2/24 and received purolator notification today.

We finally got our tracking number about 30 min ago.  Thanks!

[Cammabear 34]

2 hours ago, JandTK said:

Did you use CanadaPost or Purolator?  Our interview was Monday and we have been at final Issued since Wednesday but we opted for purolator and don't have a tracking yet.

I opted for Purolator as well, was interviewed 2/24 and got my tracking number today

[sjb17 192]

Update on POE: As of yesterday (February 25), my green card is being produced! I crossed on February 15 from BC > WA at Peace Arch; this seems super quick compared to what other folks have experienced in the past months. I'll share an update when it arrives and when my SSN (hopefully) does too.

[sjb17 192]

13 hours ago, State and Maine said:

What’s everyone doing with their Canadian bank accounts when they leave? Are you leaving them open and paying fees? Are you closing them? Just trying to plan ahead here...

I've been wondering this as well. A cross-border tax consultant I talked to said there would be no issue with me keeping a chequing account open but that I should close out any investment/TFSA accounts to avoid non-resident tax. I've left the chequing account open for now as I'm keeping my job with my Canadian employer and have other payments in Canada that come out of the account, but I'm going to call my bank directly and confirm whether there will be any tax liabilities with keeping one open as a non-resident. If anyone has additional insight, I'd similarly appreciate it!

Edited February 26, 2021 by sjb17

[mam521 2,062]

15 hours ago, State and Maine said:

What’s everyone doing with their Canadian bank accounts when they leave? Are you leaving them open and paying fees? Are you closing them? Just trying to plan ahead here...

Still have mine.  Super useful, especially on days like today where its a kid's birthday and the family want to send cash.  As long as you don't have $10K in assets, you don't have to file FBAR. 

 

[Ptitchou 117]

2 hours ago, sjb17 said:

I've been wondering this as well. A cross-border tax consultant I talked to said there would be no issue with me keeping a chequing account open but that I should close out any investment/TFSA accounts to avoid non-resident tax. I've left the chequing account open for now as I'm keeping my job with my Canadian employer and have other payments in Canada that come out of the account, but I'm going to call my bank directly and confirm whether there will be any tax liabilities with keeping one open as a non-resident. If anyone has additional insight, I'd similarly appreciate it!

I'm also interested in hearing more about this. I wonder if maybe a separate thread topic on US/Can finances would be a good idea? 

I'm also still paying off a line of credit with my bank in Canada and will be keeping my job (but under contract instead of full time with deductions) so they'll be paying me in my Canadian account too. 

[Ptitchou 117]

On 2/25/2021 at 8:40 AM, CGs_Mother said:

My cat will also be immigrating with me - I know you have to get a certificate showing evidence of rabies vaccinations when you take your pet across, even for a trip, but please let us know if they ask for anything else (microchip, license, etc.). And also, if you are driving down, please let us know if you felt the need to tranquilize your cat for the trip or not, and if you are driving or flying. Thank you! And congratulations on your successful interview! 

We'll also be driving down with my two cats. I'm not looking forward to it because they do NOT travel well. One in particular pees himself in terror the moment he's outside the apartment door and the last time I had to take him in the car, he tore his claws trying to get out of the carrier. Poor little idiot. 

 

We originally planned to start doing exposure therapy with him a few months in advance to just put him in the carrier in the car for a few minutes at a time, then increasing  the length of time until working our way up to drives around the block, etc. But I don't drive and now with the pandemic, my husband can no longer visit like he used to, so it's no longer an option. If you're able to do this yourself though, I recommend it! 

 

I spoke with my vet yesterday about sedation, and he said that they no longer use tranq drugs for cats for travel sedation, but instead use low doses of human Benadryl because it's much safer. It's worth talking to your vet about doing a trial of this at home to see how your cat(s) handle it. 

[A&RN 64]

Interview date 2/22, tracking info received this afternoon (12:30pm). I opted for Purolator. 

[YYZ-DFW 9]

@Hawk Riders Hi! New member here, have been using your spreadsheet and it has helped a lot with my peace of mind through this process. I would love to be added, my timeline is updated

[Hoffmaya 124]

POE Update: My spouse and I crossed today at Peace Arch. Due to Covid and border restrictions, it was dead empty and we were the only car going through customs. It was awkward but convenient since we did not have to wait in line. The CBP officers seem bored and they were happy to see us. That was a first

 

The primary inspection just asked for our passports (my spouse is the US citizen) and I informed him that I wanted to activate my visa and import the vehicle at same time. He asked me the type of visa (it is IR-1), he said welcome to the US and congratulations, then put a sticker on the windshield and asked us to drive to the secondary inspection. 

 

We drove through a massive X-ray machine and a couple of agents re-directed us to park in secondary and wait for an officer.

The CBP officer showed up after 15 minutes. He asked for my passport and the CD with the X-ray from my medical (good thing I had kept the sealed envelop from Dr Cheema with me). He asked a few questions such as when and where we met, where we are heading to, what my job is and what we are transporting in the vehicle. We informed him that our household will be shipped in a few days and he requested the contract from the movers and declaration for customs. He then asked for all the docs related to the car (EPA form 3520, DOT HS-7, bill of sale, Canadian registration, letter of release from the manufacturer and letter of compliance from the manufacturer). All the forms were filled out and the officer said it seems ok. He checked the VIN number from the label/sticker under the hood and went back inside to complete the import and activation. We stayed in the car approx. 30 minutes. He came back and confirmed all was cleared and the car is duty free since it was manufactured in the US. He gave me back the forms and handed over the CBP 7501 form with a seal (I had to sign it) that will be required to register the car. He also gave me my visa with the stamp and confirmed it was valid for 1 year which should be sufficient since the GC should be delivered within 2 months. He also asked us to confirm the address we were moving to and re-entered in their system since the mailing address will be used to ship both SSN and GC. He wished us good luck and directed us to the exit. 

 

I understand some members from these forums had different experiences but I can say that all the CBP agents were extremely friendly and welcoming, and the experience was pleasant and easy overall. The whole process took about 1 hour (mainly to wait inside the car). During that time, we only saw 2 other cars going through customs!

Activating the visa is quick but if you intend to import your vehicle, the administrative and registration process can be time consuming. I suggest you fill out the necessary docs correctly as it will save you some precious time and prevent you to re-do them in person. 

 

I'll share an update when the SSN & GC are delivered.