part IV, the big IR1/CR1 DQ'd message group...

[BETEPOK 9]

1 hour ago, thenextman said:

Is there any notification sent when the visa status changes to "Issued" (or at all)? Or it's necessary to just keep checking the website? I saw my case was "last updated" today, so I take it as a promising sign....

 

Thank you!

It means somebody was working on your case on that date.  keep checking the CEAC. There will be no notification, just CEAC: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/   Best wishes!!!!

 

[CanUkie 7]

1 hour ago, BETEPOK said:

It means somebody was working on your case on that date.  keep checking the CEAC. There will be no notification, just CEAC: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/   Best wishes!!!!

 

just to add to this:

 

once it says ISSUED, check your Consular account https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/iv/users/sign_in 

The "status" should have your tracking # and once it gets shipped and ready for pickup - it will show "ready for pickup" right beside the Tracking #. Just write it down and bring it with you to the Courier Service Location that you've selected in the consular appointment registration.

[BETEPOK 9]

I was informed via e-mail at 10:51 that my passport was ready to ship. The SAME 10:51 time there was e-mail from Purolator with tracking #. I rushed to CEAC to see what was in there - ISSUED. All works like clock movement! 

[mike_b2020 14]

Does anyone know how long it usually takes the green card to arrive after your border Landing? 

[EC&IC 32]

I have my passport!!! I got the email today (Friday) at 10:17 saying that the documents were ready for pickup at BLS in Montreal. I saw a previous post saying that they were usually sent on Fridays, and it was true for me.

 

I almost got a heart attack once I got there, at 2:40 pm, after 1.5 hours of driving (with the kids!), and the doors of their offices were closed! No sign or anything explaining it. A lady who was sitting nearby told me she had been told they were on their lunch break...! They reopened at 3:00pm and I easily got my documents. But that was a stressful way to end a stressful 544-day process!

 

We're crossing the border tomorrow. Thank you so much to everyone on this forum, all the posts and comments were extremely useful and we really appreciate it. Good luck to everyone, this is a very difficult process and it was often hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel... But we do get there!

Edited March 25, 2023 by EC&IC

[EC&IC 32]

13 hours ago, thenextman said:

Is there any notification sent when the visa status changes to "Issued" (or at all)? Or it's necessary to just keep checking the website? I saw my case was "last updated" today, so I take it as a promising sign....

 

Thank you!

It has to be a good sign! Good luck!!!

[thenextman 14]

Keeping my fingers crossed for approval of my visa imminently...

 

New question: when entering the US and activating the IR1 visa, how's the process at the border? I'll enter by air, which necessitates pre clearance at the airport in Canada. I'm assuming it's not a simple "wave you through" type of thing, I'm anticipating that they'll be a visit to secondary and extra time and paperwork.

 

Just trying to judge things as having had delays at pre clearance before, it's always stressful for actually making your flight

 

Can anyone share relevant experience?

 

Thank you!

[Family One 49]

1 hour ago, thenextman said:

Keeping my fingers crossed for approval of my visa imminently...

 

New question: when entering the US and activating the IR1 visa, how's the process at the border? I'll enter by air, which necessitates pre clearance at the airport in Canada. I'm assuming it's not a simple "wave you through" type of thing, I'm anticipating that they'll be a visit to secondary and extra time and paperwork.

 

Just trying to judge things as having had delays at pre clearance before, it's always stressful for actually making your flight

 

Can anyone share relevant experience?

 

Thank you!

You don't want them to "wave you through."  Make sure they send you to secondary and stamp your passport with LPR and the date.  This will serve as your temporary green card.  I have heard that not all airport customs officers are aware of this procedure.  I have no experience, though, with airport immigration.

[mam521 2,023]

On 3/24/2023 at 1:00 PM, mike_b2020 said:

Does anyone know how long it usually takes the green card to arrive after your border Landing? 

As long as you paid the fee, usually a couple of weeks.  Can be months.  It's not an issue because your endorsed I-551 will allow you to do everything you need to do.  Sign up for Informed Delivery with USPS and you'll be able to see it probably before USCIS sends the tracking info.  

 

On 3/25/2023 at 12:33 PM, Family One said:

You don't want them to "wave you through."  Make sure they send you to secondary and stamp your passport with LPR and the date.  This will serve as your temporary green card.  I have heard that not all airport customs officers are aware of this procedure.  I have no experience, though, with airport immigration.

I didn't do my I-551 by air, but have done other visas.  Head to the airport (early) and check into your flight like usual.  Head to customs and tell them you have to activate your LPR.  They will take your passport and boarding pass, pull you aside and take you to secondary where you'll deal with an officer who will pull your digital file, endorse your visa in your passport and tell you "Welcome to America".  It sounds daunting, but it's no more daunting than the interview and you've already passed that!  

[RGKhela 0]

Hello Folks,

 

Hello

 

We got Dq recently. My spouse is sponsoring me. He started working in US 3 months before submitting documents to NVC. We attached employment letter and recent paystubs. By working 3 months he met the minimum income requirement but in tax returns for past 2 years he does not meet the requirement.(Annual income is six figures).

 

We thought since he is now making good income is US this would be sufficient but we received following message from NVC:

 

"This case does not meet the minimum income requirement to sponsor the intending immigrants. To avoid delays, an additional Affidavit of Support Form I-864 from a joint sponsor may be submitted. For more information visit https://nvc.state.gov/aos. The consular officer will make a decision regarding this requirement at the time of the interview. For more information, please visit https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p."

 

I am not sure why this happened. I plan on taking tax return from 2022 to prove that he meets income requirement but I am a bit nervous  about this. Any inputs are most welcome on how we can increase our chances of getting approved.

 

Should I also submit a copy of tax return that my spouse will be submitting? Will this change DQ status or put us back in the queue for interview.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Family One 49]

55 minutes ago, RGKhela said:

Hello Folks,

 

Hello

 

We got Dq recently. My spouse is sponsoring me. He started working in US 3 months before submitting documents to NVC. We attached employment letter and recent paystubs. By working 3 months he met the minimum income requirement but in tax returns for past 2 years he does not meet the requirement.(Annual income is six figures).

 

We thought since he is now making good income is US this would be sufficient but we received following message from NVC:

 

"This case does not meet the minimum income requirement to sponsor the intending immigrants. To avoid delays, an additional Affidavit of Support Form I-864 from a joint sponsor may be submitted. For more information visit https://nvc.state.gov/aos. The consular officer will make a decision regarding this requirement at the time of the interview. For more information, please visit https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p."

 

I am not sure why this happened. I plan on taking tax return from 2022 to prove that he meets income requirement but I am a bit nervous  about this. Any inputs are most welcome on how we can increase our chances of getting approved.

 

Should I also submit a copy of tax return that my spouse will be submitting? Will this change DQ status or put us back in the queue for interview.

 

Thanks in advance!

When you receive the notice that you are Documentarily Qualified, you join the queue for the interview, and your place does not change until the interview, even if you submit other documents.  The interviewing officer will be the next person making decisions on your file.  At this point, there is no reason to submit extra documentation until right before the interview.  However, you will want to do your homework to prepare a sufficiently strong financial case.  An extra year of income taxes filed before the interview would definitely stand in your favor.

[EC&IC 32]

Just an update—we successfully crossed the border on Saturday, my green card was no issue (although they asked twice to see my packet, and we had to show them the letter that came with my passport, saying the packet was electronic!), but we had to wait two hours at the border and in the end could not import our car...

 

We had read the threads about successfully importing a car without a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system), since that is the one difference between American and Canadian RAV4s, but our after-market system bought on Amazon didn't make the cut. The border agent told us Toyota Canada was wrong in telling us it was impossible to install, so we had to have it done *by Toyota* before we could import it, but my husband was told yesterday by Toyota in Idaho that they couldn't do it. They even called engineers at the main office, because it seems so absurd. So we will have to go back to Canada (a 12-hour drive to the closest border), sell our paid-off, perfectly good car at a loss, and buy a car here in the US...

 

Just letting you guys know, in case you got a conformity letter that mentions the TPMS. I guess some people got lucky and were able to import their car, but if you aren't one of those, it becomes a mess. From what we understand, until we can get a car registered in the US, our “residency” situation is complicated—we can't give up our residency in Canada since that's where our car is insured. So we'll have to deal with this ASAP. What we should have done is sell our car while we were still in Canada, and have my (American) husband cross the border to buy a car in the US before our move. This is such an absurd situation and reason for trouble. A tire pressure monitoring system!

 

But oh well. At least we're here! Good luck to everyone!

[llcoolwil 99]

I'm not at the point of the interview yet - waiting to be DQ'd - but I've been floating around trying to navigate the Telus Sante website to prepare myself and what not. Anyone else super confused with their website?? LOL. I can't find anything that is for patients or specific location information like appointment booking info. Is there a different link I should be looking for? The one on the telushealth.com website seems to be a loss lol 

[thenextman 14]

16 minutes ago, llcoolwil said:

I'm not at the point of the interview yet - waiting to be DQ'd - but I've been floating around trying to navigate the Telus Sante website to prepare myself and what not. Anyone else super confused with their website?? LOL. I can't find anything that is for patients or specific location information like appointment booking info. Is there a different link I should be looking for? The one on the telushealth.com website seems to be a loss lol 

This is the contact information for the clinic: https://www.telus.com/en/health/care-centres/locations/montreal-downtown

 

You need to call the number to make an appointment. They don't make appointments more than about 30 days out from the interview date. They will tell you everything you need for the appointment.

 

When you make the appointment they will tell you 5 business days for the results; but this is not strictly true. At the appointment they tell you it's 10-15 days and this was my experience. So plan accordingly if you must use the Telus clinic.

[thenextman 14]

19 minutes ago, llcoolwil said:

I'm not at the point of the interview yet - waiting to be DQ'd - but I've been floating around trying to navigate the Telus Sante website to prepare myself and what not. Anyone else super confused with their website?? LOL. I can't find anything that is for patients or specific location information like appointment booking info. Is there a different link I should be looking for? The one on the telushealth.com website seems to be a loss lol 

One thing you can do to be proactive is ensure you have all the needed vaccinations. Telus is the only panel clinic that gives missing vaccinations, but they charge a premium over your pharmacy or family doctor. The list of vaccinations needed is age dependent.