misa

I was such a freak about my passport and paperwork- I clutched on to it and had to keep it in eyesight at all times. I was a nutcase. If I could have carried it in one of those briefcases that you handcuff to yourself, I would have.

I did that too! I had all my paperwork in a separate tote bag and kept my eye on it when it went through the airport xray. I even had it on my lap the entire time on my flight to Vancouver! Then the strap was wrapped around my wrist in the cab to the hotel... I was tempted to ask the hotel if I could put it in the hotel safe but I think my husband would have told me to knock off the neurotic behaviour at that point.

I just wanted to clarify something....

Maybe Seiden's/Montreal's packet 4 directives are only for CR-1/IR-1/IR-5/etc. since those going through the NVC don't have a packet 3 and just a packet 4.

K1s/K3s do have a packet 3 and can/should be able to schedule a medical when they get it (which is a requirement on the checklist). Packet 4 for K1s and K3s only consist of an interview letter and nothing else.

You can file the I-129F regardless of if your I-130 is approved or pending. The instructions do not specify that it needs to be pending. It just asks for proof that you filed a I-130 (which you did).

As far as duplicate documentation... you'd have to provide everything required at the interview since they don't have access to what you supplied to the NVC. So... your husband would have to bring in (at the interview) originals of his BC, marriage certificate, passport pics, medical, police certificate, etc. Note that as of earlier this year, Vancouver did not require a I-134 for K3 applicants. I think you'd have to ask Vancouver to forward a copy of his medical to Montreal for the CR-1 interview though since the original will be in the sealed envelope handed over at the POE.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Ya, Montreal's started being crazy recently

30 days to get an interview date?!

Looks like they are catching up with their backlog. But where's kimmbo's husband's P4?

I didn't vote for Harper and I think I'm pretty well versed in both Canadian and U.S. politics. But I digress...

Anyway, are we allowed to vote even if we're living in the U.S.?

Congrats Lenina! I had no doubts that you would be approved.

Cassie, I'm talking about administrative processes though, not the amount of work or the wait time. I can identify at least one area off the top of my head that would cut down on work for staff at Montreal -- the first being the way they schedule interviews. The only reason why it's set up that they can't schedule past the following month is because someone set it up that way. The way they do it now creates double work for their staff (inputting people when they receive P3 and then later going through the pending list again to check each month who to schedule).

Other busy consulates also have better scheduling processes. While Manila is not that fast, they do schedule when they input receipt of packet 3 months in advance of their interview. I think that one change would cut down on a lot of work and give applicants piece of mind because they actually have a date in the future rather than have to keep calling and emailing every week or so. Not only that, it would drastically reduce the staff having to answer emails and phone calls.

Can you tell I used to be an office adminstrator and a project manager?

I think the hardest part for applicants would be the waiting and not knowing. I'm sure that if applicants going through MTL were told that their interview would be in 6 months on _______ date it would be better than what it is now which is not knowing. Sure the 6 month wait would suck but it would be better than being completely in limbo.

Oh we are definetly going to try. I guess that is the nice thing about US Customs being at Dorval. I the USC get the questions coming back to the U.S

Us Canadians get questioned by customs when we come back into Canada too. Customs questions only though, obviously no immigration questions. They just want to know if we bought anything we didnt declare. I think that's the same with CBP when they ask a USC what the purpose of their visit in Canada was, etc., etc. Par for the course.

As for the petition expiring, I imagine if a December vs November date was going to get me into problems the woman that gave me assurances of a no earlier than Dec 2007 date would have said as much.

It makes me really angry because now I'm stressing over their mistake (like that's a new thing around here, eh?) and this will cost me thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars if I have to move before May 1st.

If my 6 month window starts ticking on Nov 7th, I will have to move in early April. This is bad. Very bad.

Is it okay if I send the email from a yahoo account? I want to hurry up and get this done but don't want my email blocked as spam.

Ooo, I am so angry.

I wonder if they can hold off actually approving and issuing you the visa until December but still retaining the November 7th interview date? Worth asking though you may not get a correct answer...

when I went to the Montreal consulate for my interivew, the people were nice and polite and not rude at all...

I meant the rudeness on the phone when people call about interview dates. I didn't have to deal with them because I went through Vancouver but there's a lot of people here who got rude people on the phone. I still think that the Montreal consulate needs their administrative processes overhauled.

CR-1 is totally different though since people only have to deal with Montreal after they're scheduled through NVC.

They're probably celebrating now!

I don't doubt that the consular staff do work hard. I think that it's just not being run as efficiently as it could be which adds to workload and frustration for the staff. That's not to say that's an excuse for rudeness.

I would love to get in there and overhaul their administrative processes. I see several areas where they easily streamline for everyone's benefit (staff and interviewees). Vancouver is a great example of how things can be run efficiently from packet 3 to day of interview.

Lona, there's a expiration date on the K1 (6 months from date of issue). It needs to be "activated" before that or it's null and void. After you enter the K1 is essentially "void" since it's a one time entry and then the clock starts ticking with your I-94 that you are issued (90 day validity). Going for the November interview would cut things a little close though if she can't move before May 1st.

Galateia, hope you can get this cleared up and hopefully they can give your spot to Kimmbo's husband.

Congrats on the 2nd interview date and getting your documents. You're almost there!

Don't send the original certified copy with your package. A photocopy of it will suffice.

Kitkat knows a lot about waivers and such. Hopefully one of the mods will move this to the waiver forum for you so she'll see it.

Yeah, you can definitely try. Anytime you cross the border the final decision is always up to the individual officer. Hope for the best but be prepared for the worse. Well the alternative really isn't that bad since she will have a visa in hand and she can move there when she chooses to!

Always consult VJ

I concur.

Ditto!

I know there are some good immigration lawyers out there but I do think I did this much faster on my own than if I had hired a lawyer. If I had hired a lawyer I would never have known who to contact, how to transfer my K3 interview and when and what to stay on top of at each step of the way. Having said that if someone's case is complex, then definitely consult a lawyer.

KeoKeo, hope things start working in your favour soon!

- DS-156 and DS-156K

- long form birth certificate for beneficiary

- police certificate for the beneficiary

Do you have your assessment envelope from your 2006 taxes? I think there's a change of address flap on the envelope if you feel like mailing it in instead of doing it on the phone.

Congrats on the first step!

Glad to hear she's doing okay!

So do you need to present your passport at a customer service desk or something? And can you keep doing it? Like go back later and say you're "visiting" blah blah blah and get a new discount card?

You can try and say it's your husband's stuff.

Best to call up whatever moving company they use for Canada/U.S. moves and ask them about required documents that a USC needs to provide to them when they ship stuff without the person being there.

I meant that the only one that doesn't give lifelong immunity is tetanus since you need a booster every 10 years. That's the one that hurts since it's given intramuscularly. Ouch!

Maybe the other one you're thinking of is diptheria which is part of the tentanus one (it's a combination vaccine).

Here's the required ones that are age-specific: http://panelphysicians.com/Pages/Immunizations.htm

For most of us, all we need are:

- Td

- MMR

- chicken pox (can give a verbal declaration at Canadian panel physicians)

If you're 19 and under, then you need Hep B.