mam521

Ahhh....big hugs, @TBoneTX. Everything is happening so fast and so furious. Definitely not easy. Have faith better days are in the future! Just gotta get through this rough patch.

https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=489873

Considering you need either a birth certificate or a naturalization certificate, I'd agree. But it's the derivatives who either never get a passport or let theirs lapse or lose it that don't have the certificate. If you're on the ball and keep it valid, sure. That said, only 48% of Americans actually have a passport. I'd be curious to know what percentage are born Americans vs what percentage are naturalized/derivative citizens.

If you search, you will find a number of people who have no proof of citizenship and have lost their passport. They end up screwed. I haven't seen the alternate where the passport has been reissued - just the opposite. No proof of citizenship and no passport.

Yes. Interview March 9, 2020, 2 year anniversary was March 31, 2020 and we entered the US on April 1, 2020. I had both. My GC and Kid1's GC came statused as IR1/2. Kid2's GC came statused as CR-2. I had to file the I-90. The funnier part was that even though Kid2 was issued a new, IR-2, 10 year GC, we still got a NOA reminding us not to forget to file the ROC 🙄. Water under the bridge. We have CoC for both Kid1 and Kid2 with no issues. Important to note once in the US, the DoS's role changes and they will issue that passport for a derivative citizenship child, but USCIS has to issue the CoC for the child to have undeniable proof of citizenship. In the event the derivative beneficiary loses their passport or allows it to expire, that CoC is needed. DoS doesn't override that need.

CBP, USCIS and DoS are individual entities housed under the same umbrella. The CBP officer told me straight up it's not their job to determine the status because they don't have access to all the information (think marriage license to verify dates). They go by what's issued on the visa. So, they stamped mine as a CR-1 but my greencard came as an IR-1.

Don't worry too much about photos - yes, put like 4 to a page and submit a few with captions using identifiers in the plural, but better evidence are things like boarding passes for the pair of you for the same trip, evidence of shared accommodation and then the things like income tax filings (filing as married, not single), listing each other as beneficiaries on life insurance policies, pensions and investments, etc...the stuff that lasts longer and is harder to just toss someone off of.

How far along in the K-1 process are you?

This is technically administrative processing (AP) that everyone goes through. They are double checking there aren't any issues with your background checks and that you aren't a risk to hand a visa to. It takes longer if you have a common name, if you've lived in many countries, potentially if you have a TAL background, etc. but 99% of the time, it's a formality and it is a good sign that they kept your passport. If you are handed a DS-5535 or end up in extended AP, you can request your passports to be returned to you. Just remember that the Montreal consulate works at the speed of sloth when it comes to requests. Fingers crossed you'll be receiving passports with affixed visas very soon!

Echoing what the others have said, beg, borrow, something to get those forms in. Often Canadians tend to take immigration a little too lightly...BIG mistake, especially in the current climate. Immigration is a privilege, not a right. You don't want an overstay and you don't want to jeopardized your professional licensing. So, either get the forms in to adjust or head back to Canada and proceed with consular processing, when you have the funds.

Just remember, when you activate that greencard, you are subject to US income tax on your worldwide income, so if you have a property in the UK that you are selling, any profit becomes taxable, etc, even though you're returning to the UK for a period before moving permanently.

Congrats! Total home stretch for this leg for sure! I will say it's good that you're meticulous. Can you imagine if you'd left a lawyer to worry about your medical? Some things are just easier to do yourself!

Far East Asia...it's kind of all over I think. Kuala Lumpur in rush hour was...special. Interestingly, Paris, when the police suddenly shut everything down in a blink of an eye and you're in an uber - not much different! The instantaneousness of the gridlock was impressive as much as it was infuriating. How many arks are we up to because it's getting a bit ridiculous! Had a friend arrive into town yesterday just before the rounds started. Warned him when he was working on his pretrip packing to pack an umbrella! Currently looking at skies that are clouding over...weather app says 100% chance of rain in about 2 hours 👎

Your Indian sibling has probably 20 years until a visa would become available, so after you spouse's citizenship is obtained, file for the sibling, keep calm and carry on. Working while on a correct visa should continue to be fine. If they do decide they want to move to the US more quickly, that L work visa, being dual intent, and with their employer sponsorship, will be a much shorter timeline.

If you'd fill out your timeline, it would be helpful to the rest of the community here: https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=489507 As @MalloryCat said, over the phone is extremely rare and not the norm. For now, leave it blank. In this instance, it's better to get the paperwork filed. The SSN is really more important for getting a bank account and doing income taxes.

🙂 So then my next question is, why do a K1? You guys could do a spousal visa, which would mean your partner enters the US with a greencard in hand, ready to work, play and enjoy life with you? You guys could either meet somewhere and get married or do an online Utah marriage and then meet somewhere and file (requirement is to meet in person after the online). It saves adjusting status, filing for a work permit and travel permit on top of the green card. Just food for thought!

Are you willing to toss away $625? If it's not a big deal, you could gamble. I just tend to agree with the others that the likelihood of it being approved in time is low.

I'm chuckling...where was your tax transcript that you'd have needed for the I-864? Credit though - you gotta do what you gotta do! @VNMH I believe PA has a 3 day waiting period after you apply for your official marriage license that you have to wait before you can actually get married. It's definitely worth it to look into.

Quick one: have you actually met your fiance in person?

I would wait the extra couple of weeks. Honestly, it's so not worth the headache when you're THAT CLOSE to your 2 year anniversary. Believe me, I get it. I had to pack up my kids and move out of the States (I met my husband when I was on a work visa), leaving our family home, the kids' schools, my "regular" job, still paying a mortgage back in the US and looking after rent and bills in Canada for 18 months. Hubs and I had discussed and decided anything within a 3 month window of our 2 year anniversary - we'd wait. Happy we did, even though we had to move in the middle of covid when the border was technically closed and school, work, logistics were all a giant cluster of uncertainty.

We got married March 31, 2018. We had an interview March 9, 2020. We waited until April 1, 2020 to enter the US after heeding warnings from people here. Best thing we could have ever done. We didn't have to remove conditions, we didn't have to request joint ROC & naturalization interviews, no carrying around extension letters, no ridiculous, inflated fees...none of it. With the current state of affairs, a couple of extra weeks to have that permanent, 10 year card is worth it. Considering how long the process has taken, what's another couple of weeks? Marriage is supposed to be forever. This is just a blip in that timeline.

Good lord...Monstersaurus has the zoomies something fierce...mini elephant doing burnouts upstairs. Just heard a crash and went to investigate. One of Kid1's Lego Botanicals projects has been relocated. This cat really needs some cat furniture besides a simple cat tree!

Sorry, one other question - appointment or walk in?

Absolutely this. Texas DPS will absolutely do a SAVE verification and ask you for EVERYTHING. I got screwed over during covid because our vehicle insurance cards didn't list both of our names on them (they were separate cards..I don't get it). Anyway, the DPS agent was unwilling to even look in the system to see that I was a named person on the insurance and sent me away. I was so defeated but there was a really nice State Trooper standing outside who told me not to worry about it - yeah, I was supposed to change it within the 90 days but considering the circumstances, it would be ok since I still had a valid driver's license from Alberta. A few weeks later, I managed to get an appointment at the Spring Supercenter and the lady helping me was really great. She shook her head in disbelief when I told what happened in Conroe. She got into the system, fixed some issue in my file and got me sorted. I was issued an 8 year license. @Crazy Cat how did you guys let them know when your wife got her citizenship? I have updated with the SSA but I haven't even given it a second thought for my license!

The only consulate in Canada that does immigrant visas is in Montreal. The Montreal consulate is a challenging consulate and irrespective of DCF, are likely going to require proof of domicile. Having an address only is unlikely to cut it. I'd also get those taxes filed because just because the kids' cases may be exempt from the I-864, it certainly doesn't mean the Consulate won't ask for it. You really, really don't want an RFE from Montreal because it will take forever. Yes, Dr. Cheema is in Vancouver and does immigration medicals.