Mjc2021

Hi There,

I'm at my wits-end here.  I'm currently awaiting my PR card in the mail.  We just moved, so I went to the website to change the address.  I selected IVF and entered in my IOE# that was on my IVF receipt and it's saying it's all invalid.  I entered in about two dozen other receipt numbers from my 900 documents for this CR1 visa, and nothing is valid.  I tried using the IOE# for the I130 form too, but it didn't accept that either.

HELP! 

I was an IR-1 applicant.  I received my temporary green card on November 1st (Montreal, Canada) and entered the US on November 2nd at the Toronto Pearson Airport POE.   I received my SSN on November 9th.

I took my temporary green card to the DMV for my driver's license and they said they can't issue one based on a temporary green card.  They said to come back when I have my actual green card.  

How long is it taking you for your green cards to arrive?  I know when you pay the Immigrant Fee it says 120 days.  They also told me it'd take 28 days to receive my temporary green card, and I received my passport back in 7-days from my interview.  So, I'm curious about others processing times with this.

21 minutes ago, neluciubuc said:

Hello thank you for all your comments! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with L1 visa and I'm glad everything worked out for you! 

I just have a clarifying question - since delivery to an address is not applicable to me (I don't have anyone in Montreal and no plans to visit Ontario where I have a few friends). When I pick up at post office, which address do I have to match - the one I have in my NVC profile or an address I indicate upon registration for the interview? For now I have my Canadian license - which goes to the house I sold a while back - and a temp US license that I may or may not get the full plastic version by the interview time.

BTW I'm also going up to Vancouver for the medical, as I'm in Colorado  Flying in to Seattle then driving across the border in a rental in 1 week. 

So, my lawyer told me that the courier address has to match the address on the ID. I’m not too sure because the lawyer also told me I had to retain an address in Canada as an L1 holder. We sold our Toronto house, and I changed my Canadian residency to my brother’s house. My Ontario license has his address on it.  She had told me L1 holders couldn’t sever ties in Canada, so that’s what I did in winter 2020 when I got my L1. 
 

I used Purolator though and they never asked to see my ID. They just asked for me when they came to my brothers’s door in Toronto. 
 

Maybe someone here can share their experience picking up from a post office. 
 

Safe travels! The medical in Vancouver was very easy. I ended up being able to take a same day flight back to California.  The longest part was waiting for the x-ray. Medical and blood work was fast. Everything was quite close together but it was good to drive (had a rental in Vancouver). 

Oh, for passport delivery…. I selected Purolator. I didn’t pick a post office. If you do pick the post office, you will need ID with an address that matches the delivery address. You can use either a Canadian or US drivers license. 
 

Purolator was fast. I was there when they delivered. It was easy. I’d do that again rather than the post office. 

3 minutes ago, Mjc2021 said:

Hey! I am a Canadian Citizen who is/was living in the US with an L1A visa. My interview was in Montreal on October 25th. I arrived in Montreal on October 23rd from my home in California. I was at the consulate for about 2-3 hours. No surprises. It was all straight forward. First, someone reviewed your docs. Second, was the inter.
 

They told me it didn’t matter that I live and work in the US with my L1A. I had to wait my turn in line for my passport to be returned.  They said 2-3 weeks at the time of my interview.
 

 I flew to Toronto after and received my passport back on November 1st (exactly 1 week!!). I flew home to California on November 2nd. No issues at Pearson but I did have to wait for an hour in immigration in Terminal 1 for them to review my case. It only took a few minutes when they got to me. 
 

I hope that helps! 

I should note I was fully vaccinated and after I entered my data into the ArriveCAN app, I was exempted from the 14 day quarantine. I’ve been fully vaccinated with Pfizer for 6-months and had a negative PCR test upon entry. 
 

I’ve traveled to Canada twice (Vancouver for my medical in Sep) and didn’t have issues either time. 

Hey! I am a Canadian Citizen who is living in the US with an L1A visa (now have my temp green card). My interview was in Montreal on October 25th. I arrived in Montreal on October 23rd from my home in California. I was at the consulate for about 2-3 hours. No surprises. It was all straight forward. First, someone reviewed your docs. Second, was the interview.
 

They told me it didn’t matter that I live and work in the US with my L1A. I had to wait my turn in line for my passport to be returned.  They said 2-3 weeks at the time of my interview.
 

 I flew to Toronto after and received my passport back on November 1st (exactly week!!). I flew home to California on November 2nd. No issues at Pearson but I did have to wait for an hour in immigration in Terminal 1 for them to review my case. It only took a few minutes when they got to me. 
 

I hope that helps! 

15 minutes ago, Gisselle Villegas said:

Thank you for your information!  It's strange that the Officers would tell you not to travel until you received your physical card considering the temporary Green Card serves the exact same legal purpose as a physical Green Card.  What if you have to travel at least twice a month abroad for work purposes?  I have read on numerous legal pages that you can leave the US with the temporary Green Card stamp as long as the absense is not too extended (over 3 months or more).   I have also read that there seems many officials both from Immigration and Social Security don't quite understand the rules of how things are supposed to work.  We have done all the paperwork without an immigration lawyer but I think having one now would be a good idea so he/she can set things straight.  Another question:  Did you have to show them proof that your spouse was living in the US when they asked you?

Yeah, I think it’s silly they told me to avoid international travel for 90 days, too.  I don’t have any travel planned since family is coming to visit us for the holidays. So, I won’t really have to unless there’s an emergency. 

They didn’t require proof. They didn’t even ask his name. They just asked where he was. I didn’t think much of it at first and said he was home with our dogs and for work, and the first officer noted he was asking for domicile reasons. The second officer asked “where is your husband at this very moment since he doesn’t appear to be with you?” she was intense. I said he was at our home in California. She asked if it was the address associated with my green card, and I said yes. That was it. 

Hello! I just entered the US moments ago for the first time with my temp green card (IR-1). I currently have a L1-A work visa and my temp visa has the same wording as your husband’s. 
 

When I just went through immigration processing they told me:

1. My husband must be either accompanying me into the US or already at our home in the US. He’s at our home in California. I was asked/told this by two immigration officers at the airport. 
 

2. They told me to avoid leaving the US until I have my actual green card. They said I can of course leave but it’s complicated, so I should wait until my green card comes back in the mail. 
 

I’m a Canadian Citizen and have been married for 6 years (we lived in Canada preciously). 
 

Since I have lawfully lived and worked in the US since December 2020 with an L1 visa, I already have a SSN, but I was able to start work and receive income while I waited for it upon my L1 entry since everything was very slow to process with COVID. 

1 hour ago, HRQX said:

That is not needed: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-5-collect-financial-evidence-and-other-supporting-documents/step-7-collect-civil-documents.html

Note: Present and former residents of the United States do NOT need to submit any U.S. police certificates.

My lawyer recommended it and they seemed appreciative of it and asked to keep a copy. 
 

My passport with visa is en route to me! I will have it exactly 7 days from my interview!! 

2 minutes ago, Mjc2021 said:

I had my interview on Monday. Status changed to ISSUED on Tuesday. I am a Canadian Citizen married to an American and legally living/working in California with an L1 visa. 
 

I have to stay in Canada until they return my passport. They said 2-3 weeks. It doesn’t matter that I legally live and work in the US. There aren’t exceptions.  I must take vacation and/or work from Canada until I receive my passport back. 
 

I canceled my return flight to Cali and made arrangements to work remotely and stay in Toronto until I obtain my passport. 
 

You’re not permitted to attend the interview with your spouse. My husband came with me at the suggestion of our lawyer but they wouldn’t let him into the building. 
 

I hope that helps. 

Also, I did my medical in Vancouver three weeks before my interview. I flew there for 24 hours and flew back since it’s only a 90-min flight.  I was able to obtain and updated RCMP check while I was there too. Of course, I obtained an FBI check as well since I live in the US. 

I had my interview on Monday. Status changed to ISSUED on Tuesday. I am a Canadian Citizen married to an American and legally living/working in California with an L1 visa. 
 

I have to stay in Canada until they return my passport. They said 2-3 weeks. It doesn’t matter that I legally live and work in the US. There aren’t exceptions.  I must take vacation and/or work from Canada until I receive my passport back. 
 

I canceled my return flight to Cali and made arrangements to work remotely and stay in Toronto until I obtain my passport. 
 

You’re not permitted to attend the interview with your spouse. My husband came with me at the suggestion of our lawyer but they wouldn’t let him into the building. 
 

I hope that helps. 

29 minutes ago, Ashtim said:

What was your document (nvc) submission date ? 

It was Nov 2020

IR-1 visa.  Interview on October 25th, 2021.  Status turned ISSUED on October 26th, 2021.  Says "ISSUED" with AP description listed below.  Clerical error or meaningful?

See attached image.