mam521

Our cats are a bit bougie - they have a Litter Robot. It was a LR3 upgraded to an LR3 Connect. Considered the new LR4, but I can't justify $700 for a pooper scooper when my old skool unit still works and the reviews on the new one are hit or miss. The old one is a bit noisy, but it's been going strong for many moons now. We had a Smart Scoop litterbox before we got the LR and then got one when we were back in Canada stuck in immigration purgatory for 18mo and couldn't bring LR with us. We simply missed our LR. Smart Scoop was inferior and used more litter than LR because LR does a better job of cleaning each cycle and not wasting litter. Supposedly the crystal litters are better because they have less dust. I personally can't justify the cost of some of the gimmicks that go along with the crystal litter - pH this and whatever that. We use the Scoop Away clay litter because it's often on sale at Costco and I like that there are 4 smaller, more manageable bags in the flat pack. I don't find it smelly and if I do notice the litterbox, it's because some teenaged slacker hasn't cleaned the drawer and added litter and I'm hyper sensitive to the smell. We have 2 badly behaved boomer kitties (16 & 13.5 years old) so the drawer gets emptied on Wed/Sun, just in time for M/Th trash pickup. People don't notice a litter smell. They are informed cats live here when the boomers come out and talk to our guests and demand worshipings. I have a friend who uses Arm & Hammer clay litter and her whole house WREAKS of that litter. Back when Hurricane Harvey happened, her house flooded so she came to stay and hubs had to tell her to switch litter because it was too perfumey and it was making him sick. The other consideration is food. Cats are obligate carnivores, so feeding them an appropriate food without fillers also helps the 💩 stink less. The boomers had to be put on wet food because the boy cat has urinary issues otherwise but it's worked out fine because he's also now a diabetic (in remission - thank goodness) and our food choices were good other than the bit of kibble he got in the evenings was more like McD's for cats. He was annoyed when we switched it, but he's over it. He gets his "snack" around 10pm. To alert us, he sits in front of my husband and complains to him. If ignored, he relocates to the carpet near the edge of the coffee table and sits up on his haunches, rubbing the front paw beans one paw at a time on the edge of the glass because he knows he's not supposed to. As soon as hubs stands up, boomer cat hops onto his feet and trots over to his bowl to await his reward. The 16yo cat (Siamese) will come issue a complaint with the Complaints Department if the water fountain isn't to her liking or the litter box isn't quite right. She's the one you can set your watch to when it comes to dinner time, too. 7am and 7pm, she's up in your face telling you that famine is imminent and she's a 100% poor, starved kitten who's withering away to nothing. She purrs like a Mack truck and is super noisy when she eats, too.

Re: ROC for the stepkids - they are all pretty close to or are graduating. Dealing with delays with removing conditions could hamper their efforts to attend post secondary schools in the US as many admissions organizations are not well versed in handling non-standard greencard enrollments. The 18yo and 16yo will likely also face further scrutiny with things like driver's licenses, etc. ROC might not be such a big issue for a spouse as long as you have all the time in the world, but any time kids are involved, any hiccup can be undesirably impactful for them.

I suspect the US will begin to crack down on some of these types of behaviors. Requesting reentry at regular intervals has to start looking rather suspicious at some point and goes against the spirit of permanent residency. Personally, I can't imagine the cost of packing up and moving across the world every couple of years just to retain PR. Not just the moving costs, but the application fees associated with the reentry permit and the greencard renewals as well as the other country's filing fees.

Photocopy is fine for the passport. No to the photos. Your petitioner has already established a bonafide relationship between the 2 of you during the I-130 process. Now, you're establishing that you, the beneficiary, are a "welcome addition" to the US. Take what's listed here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MTL-Montreal.html You don't switch the application. As long as you enter the US after your second wedding anniversary, your application will change from CR to IR. I interviewed as a CR but entered the US 1 day after my second anniversary for this reason - to ensure I would get an IR greencard and not have to worry about ROC.

In a fashion not dissimilar to Australia, your wife, irrespective of a 2 year or 10 year greencard and a refusal to gain US citizenship, is going to run into issues with where she isn't residing "permanently", be it the US or Aus. It sounds a bit like she wants her cake and to eat it too. You guys really need to make some decisions on where you want to be instead of playing immigration ping pong.

Considering you are currently unemployed, I would head to the US and get a job. You need to prove you have sufficient income to support your spouse in the US and unemployment benefits from a foreign country aren't going to be sufficient. By also being in the US, you've established domicile so there won't be a grey area. Be prepared, as @Crazy Cat has said, to present a joint sponsor. Having the best intentions doesn't typically work for immigration. Sponsorship requirements are put into place for a reason and demonstrating you meet them is key.

Many people have had to be separated from their spouses, irrespective of how deeply attached they are. They need to consider the end game - a few months on how many years of marriage is but a drop in the hat. The biggest challenge your father will face when visiting with a pending immigration case is proving strong ties to Canada and that he's simply visiting. One of the easiest ways is an employment letter, which sounds like he won't have. You will have to consider how to demonstrate to a CBP officer that he is not entering the US to adjust status. The CRBA's may take some time. The US passports will definitely take time.

If you read the FAQ, it's always been said to not bother being too early because you will not be allowed into the Consulate until close to your interview time. If you show up 10 minutes early, you'll be fine. It's not FCFS; it's by appointment only. I can guarantee if it was winter, there's no way you'd stand outside of the Consulate for 45 minutes. No point in doing so in the summer, either.

@wav_m is correct - the process is rather opaque and has caused confusion for many, many moons. When you tell the agent "immigration", they assume for a visa for work or something like that and you often get a PRC with fingerprints. They don't know that in reality, it's for permanent residency and that the US essentially wants the FBI holdings equivalent.

Depends on airport and where the GE office is. If they are super busy with interviews, despite taking walk ins for updates, you might be in for a long wait.

When you check in online with your airline, use your US passport. You'll get eGates in GB - use your British passport. When you return to the US, ask the CBP officer if you can head to the GE office to update your information. Most major airports are doing "instant" interviews, so you can head to the line and update once the CBP officer has admitted you back to the US. The GE officer will update your profile on the spot so you can use next time. I'd also download the MPC app. If the regular immi lines are long, the MPC line is typically shorter and then you can go jump in queue for the GE interview line. I just did this exact thing in May.

Have you received anything? I'd send an inquiry if you haven't or call NVC and ask for a status update since you've been DQ'd for a while.

No reason you can't. You are the petitioner for her, the beneficiary, to come to the US; she'd be the petitioner for you, the beneficiary, to come to Canada. Different people doing different things. The premise of either application is that you'll live in the sponsor's country. You will live in Canada if (more likely when) Canadian PR is granted for a little while. It could potentially afford you guys as a little family of 3 to make some more premeditated decisions about the move to the US. Maybe you guys will change your plans a bit and stay in Canada long enough for your wife to gain citizenship and then move to the US. You can always pause that I-130 for a bit after it's approved. It's just another avenue open to you. I think 14mo for Canadian PR is a bit pessimistic - hopefully you'd be in the top 20% that go through the process faster. If you were actually willing to work in Canada, there is an Express Entry option for skilled workers. 6mo for PR. That said, the I-130's in the US are taking a year or more for approval. Then there's the DS-260 to contend with and a medical and an interview. You're looking at 18mo at a minimum and that will also depend on things like a CRC and any documentation required from your wife's home country. I'd imagine she has most of those ducks in a row to have obtained Canadian PR, but you never know. USCIS and the DoS can be fickle.

Have you considered Canadian PR so you can stay with her and drive to the US for work? The US I-130 process takes more time than Canadian PR takes. It sounds like being together is important to you, so this might be the better way to manage things. Additionally, the baby will be born in Canada and get Canadian citizenship. You'll still have to file a CRBA to get the baby's US citizenship before you can move baby to the US. Lots of moving parts, so I'd give it a think.

Exactly what @Crazy Cat said. Because you've become a citizen, the babies are no longer derivatives and require their own petitions. Once you get the NOA with their case numbers, call and ask to speak to a Tier 2. My husband explained to the agent that we filed initially in the Family Preference category and that the kids were derivatives on the petition, but he acquired citizenship and because of that, my petition got bumped into the IR category. We then had to then file the kids' petitions because they were no longer considered derivatives. No guarantees that they will expedite them, but if you get an understanding agent, they will do everything in their power to get those petitions caught up to Mom's. The Tier 2 agent is the key in these cases. In our case, Kid1 & Kid2's petitions actually caught up and leapfrogged mine! The whole derivatives here but not here is a bit skewed to me. Spouses and children of a USC are essentially guaranteed a greencard but require their own petitions. The FP categories allow derivatives even though those visas have to become available.

I've found great little businesses that are local to family members that allow me to purchase online. I prefer to support those little local businesses so my family has access to them after I've given them a taste of what's available.

For your reading (non)enjoyment https://www.uscis.gov/save/save-casecheck

Congrats on finally achieving approval! Hubs won't have an I-94 as a LPR. The person at the DMV/DPS should be accepting that temporary I-551 in his passport as it's legal. And if they still have questions, they can request a SAVE verification which will verify 100% that he's entitled to be in the US without restriction.

The airports on both ends know which airport you're supposed to be in and are aware of your presence the minute you check in and head through security. The biometrics associated with your passport give them all they need to know. They know what flight you're supposed to be on, so which gates you'll be accessing to plane, and what gate you'll deplane at when you reach your destination. In most of Europe, they are using eGates for a good number of passport holders - you slide your passport in, it scans your face, the gates open. You don't even interact with a human anymore. Applicable for both plane and train travel. The UK just dropped the eGate user age to kids 10 and up. The bulk of Europe was 12 years old. It was slick and far superior to waiting in line to interact with a human.

You'll have to check your DS-260 submission and see if you ticked the box. If you did, wait about 10 business days after you enter to see if you get it. If not, head into your local SSA office with your passport and apply for one. You can still work, even without your SSN in hand. Your temporary I-551 in your passport serves as legal documentation proving your work authorization.

I know a lot of people potentially flagpole, but it makes little sense to me. You have 6 months from the medical to "wrap up business" in your former "home". The idea of permanent residency is you reside. Permanently. In the US. I might understand if someone was in extended AP or something, but for the most part, the better part of half a year is plenty. I do think that a lot of people think it's ok to do because it is a commonly held misconception that it's alright. I'm with Mike E on this one - it's really not ok. Many people, because it's a commonly held misconception, don't realize there are implications in their home country. I see it all of the time on threads on the Canadian forum where people don't even realize their social benefits (health care, child tax credit, GST credits) all go away (there are some small exceptions) when they activate that greencard, on top of the implications in the US. Anyway, OP needs to verify that they paid the Greencard fee. If not, that needs to get paid to receive the physical card. I also agree that it's easier to transition the young one into school sooner than later. The district may choose to do a placement test anyway, especially if English is a second language, irrespective of how well she speaks it. Kid1's friend is stuck doing this yearly despite him speaking English perfectly as his 4th language and being an all AP Honors student.

If you search the forum, it's been discussed many times. For Federal Import, you will need: 1. A compliance letter from the vehicle manufacturer stating the vehicle meets DOT regulations. NOTE: this is typically where people have issues because TPMS is required for the vehicle to meet DOT regulations and it would seem that CBP are starting to crack down on aftermarket installs because they don't actually meet DOT regulation. 2. Bill of Sale 3. Clear title (basically, your pink card with no other leinholders) 4. The HS-7 form and EPA forms. Once you get to the border, you may have to pay federal taxes. From there, you need to check what you will need to do in your state to get registration and insurance for the vehicle. You may have to pay state tax, too. The thread about the TPMS has some information but as you read towards the end, you'll see it'####### and miss if you don't have TPMS. https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car

Not exactly the same, but similar. Being British, the US, British and Canadian governments share information. The DS-260 - bring the updated information.

So, I've got my citizenship interview on April 10. Hopefully the oath ceremony won't take long after that. We know what to do for me - easy peasy, turn up at the Passport office and apply. But Kid1 & Kid2 - they are minors and will be given derivative citizenship. We will apply at the same time as me for their passports, but does the passport office take their greencards? How does that work? Can anyone offer their experiences?