Kathryn41

Well, for the sake of speculation, even if the US offers an amnesty to undocumented aliens and allows them to apply for immigration benefits, why should this mean you no longer pay for the immigration benefits you are requesting and receiving? An amnesty only allows for an opportunity to apply - which undocumented aliens do not have at this time. It does not provide them 'free' processing or 'free' benefits. They would still have to pay the costs involved - and for certain circumstances will most likely also be required to pay penalties in addition to the costs, the same as anyone else requesting a benefit.
You are using an immigration service. You pay a fee to request the service. If the service is granted, great. If the service is denied, not so great, but you don't get your money back because they have done the work you requested; the answer wasn't what you wanted, but you still got the service - the review of the request for the immigration benefit.
I think you are mixing up apples and oranges. You already have the ability to apply for an immigration benefit and you are paying the requisite fees necessary to obtain a desired benefit. Amnesty would merely grant those who currently do not have the right to apply for an immigration benefit, the opportunity to request an immigration benefit. It won't be given to them free of cost and they, like everyone else, will pay a fee for the service and any user fees in order to obtain any benefits for which they may now qualify.
Nothing has been taken away from you, nor anything given to someone else at a reduced or cheaper cost than you are paying. Why would you get any money back? As Judge Judy likes to say - "you've eaten the steak; you pay the check". Amnesty means that those who have been hovering around the garbage bins in the back yard trying to scrounge something to eat will now be allowed to order from the menu - and pay for that order.

You may also go to your Member of Parliament's office and ask them if they can do a follow up for you with the RCMP to find out why there is a delay. I know at one time (quite a number of years ago now when I was still in Canada) fingerprint police checks did take a ridiculously long time. I don't know how long the process typically takes now but if you don't get any success approaching the RCMP, don't hesitate to ask your MP for assistance. He/she have staff specifically for this purpose. I know, because I used to be one of those staff:-) and did follow up requests for things like this all the time.
Good luck.

You may also go to your Member of Parliament's office and ask them if they can do a follow up for you with the RCMP to find out why there is a delay. I know at one time (quite a number of years ago now when I was still in Canada) fingerprint police checks did take a ridiculously long time. I don't know how long the process typically takes now but if you don't get any success approaching the RCMP, don't hesitate to ask your MP for assistance. He/she have staff specifically for this purpose. I know, because I used to be one of those staff:-) and did follow up requests for things like this all the time.
Good luck.

Me (I am the beneficiary from Canada!)
Thought this process would be a breeze because I am Canadian, but no way.... they treat us all the same :'(

Well, for the sake of speculation, even if the US offers an amnesty to undocumented aliens and allows them to apply for immigration benefits, why should this mean you no longer pay for the immigration benefits you are requesting and receiving? An amnesty only allows for an opportunity to apply - which undocumented aliens do not have at this time. It does not provide them 'free' processing or 'free' benefits. They would still have to pay the costs involved - and for certain circumstances will most likely also be required to pay penalties in addition to the costs, the same as anyone else requesting a benefit.
You are using an immigration service. You pay a fee to request the service. If the service is granted, great. If the service is denied, not so great, but you don't get your money back because they have done the work you requested; the answer wasn't what you wanted, but you still got the service - the review of the request for the immigration benefit.
I think you are mixing up apples and oranges. You already have the ability to apply for an immigration benefit and you are paying the requisite fees necessary to obtain a desired benefit. Amnesty would merely grant those who currently do not have the right to apply for an immigration benefit, the opportunity to request an immigration benefit. It won't be given to them free of cost and they, like everyone else, will pay a fee for the service and any user fees in order to obtain any benefits for which they may now qualify.
Nothing has been taken away from you, nor anything given to someone else at a reduced or cheaper cost than you are paying. Why would you get any money back? As Judge Judy likes to say - "you've eaten the steak; you pay the check". Amnesty means that those who have been hovering around the garbage bins in the back yard trying to scrounge something to eat will now be allowed to order from the menu - and pay for that order.

Well, for the sake of speculation, even if the US offers an amnesty to undocumented aliens and allows them to apply for immigration benefits, why should this mean you no longer pay for the immigration benefits you are requesting and receiving? An amnesty only allows for an opportunity to apply - which undocumented aliens do not have at this time. It does not provide them 'free' processing or 'free' benefits. They would still have to pay the costs involved - and for certain circumstances will most likely also be required to pay penalties in addition to the costs, the same as anyone else requesting a benefit.
You are using an immigration service. You pay a fee to request the service. If the service is granted, great. If the service is denied, not so great, but you don't get your money back because they have done the work you requested; the answer wasn't what you wanted, but you still got the service - the review of the request for the immigration benefit.
I think you are mixing up apples and oranges. You already have the ability to apply for an immigration benefit and you are paying the requisite fees necessary to obtain a desired benefit. Amnesty would merely grant those who currently do not have the right to apply for an immigration benefit, the opportunity to request an immigration benefit. It won't be given to them free of cost and they, like everyone else, will pay a fee for the service and any user fees in order to obtain any benefits for which they may now qualify.
Nothing has been taken away from you, nor anything given to someone else at a reduced or cheaper cost than you are paying. Why would you get any money back? As Judge Judy likes to say - "you've eaten the steak; you pay the check". Amnesty means that those who have been hovering around the garbage bins in the back yard trying to scrounge something to eat will now be allowed to order from the menu - and pay for that order.

Really? How shocking. So, tell me, where do you propose people who have descended into this cycle of poverty access fresh water for washing and drinking and flushing their toilets? They already have no money, so what do they do? As a resident who pays my taxes and my water bills, I don't mind in the least supporting those who are not lucky enough to have these resources, this is water we are talking about, not a ###### cell phone.

IMHO people as so disgruntled with they own lives and the bad choices they made, they just can't bring themselves to empathize anymore. 'Screw my neighbor so he too can share my misery' seems to be mind frame of many. I do however believe they are a minority and don't represent the majority of the American people.

Ture. In our country life is sacred up until the moment it is out of the womb. After that it is every man for himself and helping thy neighbor, let alone, love him or her, os frowned upon. I believe the Canadians made a point - that seriously when the communitty gets together something good can come out of it. I don't believe for a second they ever presumed to present a solution to the problem, so much they wanted to show that itt is really not too hard to make a difference. A message utterly lost on some.

First, congratulations to the OP on being approved as a Permanent Resident.
Second, a number of posts continuing the inappropriate discussion after the warning posted by a moderator have been removed or edited to remove the continuation of that inappropriate discussion.
Please do not hijack someone else's thread to discuss your 'opinions'. VJ works because we can share our personal experiences, but posting misinformation, even if you are trying to be helpful, may end up hurting someone rather than helping them. If you wish to get into a dialogue about the non-case specific in and outs of the immigration process, please use the General Immigration Discussion forum or the Immigration News and Discussion forum. Case specific threads are here to help the original poster with their particular circumstances, and 'opinion' unsubstantiated by experience or backed by documented sources hijack the thread away from the original intent.
As the OP has received a satisfactory conclusion to their personal circumstances it should no longer be necessary to post anything in this thread other than a 'congratulations'. Failure to follow this 'advice' will result in administrative action.
VJ Moderation

thread closed for review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After review, this thread is being re-opened. One more post has been removed, another edited and one more member thread-banned.
Any further inappropriate comments will result not in a thread ban but in a minimum 24 hour suspension. Please post appropriately.

First, congratulations to the OP on being approved as a Permanent Resident.
Second, a number of posts continuing the inappropriate discussion after the warning posted by a moderator have been removed or edited to remove the continuation of that inappropriate discussion.
Please do not hijack someone else's thread to discuss your 'opinions'. VJ works because we can share our personal experiences, but posting misinformation, even if you are trying to be helpful, may end up hurting someone rather than helping them. If you wish to get into a dialogue about the non-case specific in and outs of the immigration process, please use the General Immigration Discussion forum or the Immigration News and Discussion forum. Case specific threads are here to help the original poster with their particular circumstances, and 'opinion' unsubstantiated by experience or backed by documented sources hijack the thread away from the original intent.
As the OP has received a satisfactory conclusion to their personal circumstances it should no longer be necessary to post anything in this thread other than a 'congratulations'. Failure to follow this 'advice' will result in administrative action.
VJ Moderation

A number of inappropriate, provocative comments and several violating the Terms of Service have been removed.

Any further such comments from either party will result in administrative action. If you cannot restrict your comments to constructive posts in response to the topic, then do not post in this thread.

A number of inappropriate, provocative comments and several violating the Terms of Service have been removed.

Any further such comments from either party will result in administrative action. If you cannot restrict your comments to constructive posts in response to the topic, then do not post in this thread.

First, congratulations to the OP on being approved as a Permanent Resident.
Second, a number of posts continuing the inappropriate discussion after the warning posted by a moderator have been removed or edited to remove the continuation of that inappropriate discussion.
Please do not hijack someone else's thread to discuss your 'opinions'. VJ works because we can share our personal experiences, but posting misinformation, even if you are trying to be helpful, may end up hurting someone rather than helping them. If you wish to get into a dialogue about the non-case specific in and outs of the immigration process, please use the General Immigration Discussion forum or the Immigration News and Discussion forum. Case specific threads are here to help the original poster with their particular circumstances, and 'opinion' unsubstantiated by experience or backed by documented sources hijack the thread away from the original intent.
As the OP has received a satisfactory conclusion to their personal circumstances it should no longer be necessary to post anything in this thread other than a 'congratulations'. Failure to follow this 'advice' will result in administrative action.
VJ Moderation

there is a difference between federally-funded means tested benefits and state-only-funded benefits. what kay said about federal means tested benefits is accurate. what you are talking about is (probably) state-funded benefits.
if anyone is interested, this document has summarised the exemptions and benefits that the different states offer to non-qualifying immigrants who have not met the 5 years residency requirements and LPRs who have not earned 40 quarters of work - http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/11/ImmigrantAccess/Eligibility/ib.shtml
as an aside, that chart says that in NY, non-qualifying immigrants are not eligible for food assistance programs. maybe things have changed since 2011, but i would not count on the social service providers to tell you for sure whether or not you are eligible. the very fact the US government has the ability to sue sponsors tells you that it is possible for immigrants to receive benefits they should not be receiving, despite their applications having to go through the social service providers first.

Yes, the unemployed USC can apply for any benefits available to him. As Harpa suggested, perhaps Unemployment to fill the gap between jobs. The foreign spouse should not apply for any means-tested benefits.
As for the I-864, yes, you can bring a joint sponsor's documentation with you to the interview so you are covered and avoid delays in your approval.
Means Tested Public BenefitsFederal means tested public benefits are the following:
Food stamps Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Medicaid Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Can the applicant use government assistance or public benefits?If the sponsored immigrant uses federal means tested public benefits, the sponsor must repay the cost of the benefits.
What assistance programs are not considered means tested public benefit programs? The following types of assistance are not considered means tested public benefits and do not have to be repaid.
Emergency Medicaid School lunches Immunizations and treatment for communicable diseases Student assistance to attend colleges and institutions of higher learning Some kinds of foster care or adoption assistance Job training programs Head start Short-term, non-cash emergency relief http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/immigrant-process/documents/support/i-864-frequently-asked-questions.html
http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-864p.pdf

I wasn't arguing with you. I just think it's important that the OP is aware that there is the potential for the government to seek reimbursement as per the I-864.

You can prepare another I-864 for the interview and get a co-sponsor. The I-864 must be accurate and approvable both at the time of submission and the time of approval, so with the change in circumstances, a new I-864 will be required.
Unless he gets a new job, like today.
And, if he got laid off, then he should apply for unemployment compensation. This is insurance, and not a public charge thing at all.
Best of luck.

I can sense a lot of people are very tense in this thread, and rightfully so with this ridiculous process we are all going through. But, let's all keep some perspective and try not to attack each other. We are all on the same side here and are all feeling like we don't have much control in what is happening to us. I come to this thread each day to get some info, have a laugh and feel very sad to see negative comments between members. Let's use all of our energy to hate the NVC, not each other.

Your opinion stated you would not use it if out of status for any amount of time. What other reason, other than the possibility of triggering a ban for overstay when leaving, would there be for not wanting to use AP if you had been out of status? Not an opinion or what you assume or believe may happen. An actual reason.
I posted information about why it is safe for an adjustment applicant to use the AP that was granted to them, even if they had overstay. No one ever stated re-entry was an absolute guarantee, and I pointed out there is no guaranteed entry with a green card either.
Also, if you look back, at first I did address your personal feelings on the matter by stating that if you personally did not want to use it, then don't. I would find it just as odd for someone to post that they would personally not use a K-1 visa to enter the US, even when they are in no position to ever need to use such a visa, because there is no guarantee of entry with a K-1 visa. Trying to scare other people away from using it based on your opinion is not helpful. People that have shared their experiences, good or bad, after actually using AP are helpful. Those type of posts can already be found here on VJ.
You have posted misinformation around VJ. You like to argue against the actual instructions and immigration laws in favor of how you think/believe/assume it should work. Misinformation, even if deemed 'simply an opinion', is still misinformation. It confuses the issue and hurts people looking for actual, straightforward answers to their questions. Bickering back and forth with your opinions/beliefs against the facts causes those correct, needed answers to get lost in the bogged down thread due to people trying to get the correct information out there. If you post misinformation, someone is bound to come along and correct it. It is not bashing you.

1. actually, there is a term for posting opinions that may raise alarm unnecessarily - it is "fear mongering" and i did not use it earlier because it sounded a little harsh, and i am sure that that was not your intention. just a friendly suggestion, since your goal is to help others, instead of demanding your right to express your opinion, why not read up a bit more, gain some awareness of how your opinion could affect the OP, and be more open to corrections from others who have been posting and studying immigration issues for much longer?
2. just to add, a lawyer would not be able to guarantee the OP's re-entry either. it is kind of a non-answer, since most people come here to take advantage of the DIY knowledge and advice available - if indeed a lawyer is necessary, people here would be the first to say so. in this situation, i don't really think consulting a lawyer is necessary, nor would it give the OP any new information that has not been mentioned here by harpa and kaydeecee already. (btw, i do consider harpa and kay experts given the amount of studying and research they both have done into immigration issues).
3. TboneTX made excellent points

One post in the thread has been removed for being nonresponsive.
1. Over and over, some new members persist in posting misinformation and partial truths in a dangerously cavalier posting style when they don't know what they don't know. A typically appropriate "defensive response" is to read, study the Guides, read more, and contribute on the basis of actual fact, with care taken so that nothing can be misinterpreted. The experienced members of this forum typically know what they're talking about. It's therefore wise to heed their input and learn from it, before barreling in with unwashed advice. There is very good reason that experienced forum members have been correcting your posts.
2. Importing drama from another thread risks administrative action.
3. You're allowed to state your opinions, and others are allowed to correct serial misinformation perpetuated through many posts in various forums. The need to correct misinformation would be far less if some new members took more time to learn and study from reasoned answers posted by experienced members.

although you may have had good intentions in wanting to help, sometimes posting your opinion when the OP is looking for factual answers, can create fear and confusion. how about next time just saying "cool, thanks for the correction, even if i personally won't be trying it" instead of coming back with a defensive response? otherwise, it just comes across as if you are trying to discourage the OP from traveling, despite there being no real cause for them to worry about doing so.

No mods have posted in this thread. And posting facts is not 'very rude', but if you disagree, you are free to hit the report button on any post and state your case.