simistar's US Immigration Timeline

Petitioner's Name: David Beneficiary's Name: Michelle VJ Member: simistar Country: Canada Last Updated: 2010-01-06 Add Comment to Timeline Register or log in to follow this timeline

Immigration Checklist for David & Michelle:

USCIS DCF I-130 Petition:       Dept of State IR-1/CR-1 Visa:     USCIS I-751 Petition:   USCIS N-400 Petition:

IR-1/CR-1 Visa Event Date Service Center : Texas Service Center Transferred? No Consulate : Vancouver, Canada Marriage (if applicable): I-130 Sent : 2009-03-26 I-130 NOA1 : 2009-03-26 I-130 RFE : I-130 RFE Sent : I-130 Approved : 2009-03-26 NVC Received : Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : Pay AOS Bill : Receive I-864 Package : Send AOS Package : Submit DS-261 : Receive IV Bill : Pay IV Bill : Send IV Package : Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter : Case Completed at NVC : NVC Left : Consulate Received : Packet 3 Received : Packet 3 Sent : Packet 4 Received : 2009-09-15 Interview Date : 2009-10-22 Interview Result : Approved Second Interview (If Required): Second Interview Result: Visa Received : 2009-10-27 US Entry : Comments : Processing Estimates/Stats : Your I-130 was approved in 0 days from your NOA1 date. Your interview took 210 days from your I-130 NOA1 date.

Port of Entry Review Event Date Port of Entry : POE Date : 2009-11-26 Got EAD Stamp : Biometrics Taken : Harassment Level : Comments :

Member Reviews:

Consulate Review: Montreal, Canada Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Event Description Review Date : October 27, 2009 Embassy Review : First of all, thanks for the heads up VJers to be there just before 7am...I was the first in line! And boy was it cooooold out this morning! Another couple showed up about five mins after I did (I think they're members on here, but never got their user name(s)) so we chatted until they opened the doors...which I think was at 7:30, but I didn't have a watch on me. A few more people had joined the line by then. Went through security... Went down some stairs where you're told to wait in a chair outside the elevator. You're also given a form saying what documents/items to have ready to show, so most people get this organized while they wait for the elevator guy to come and get you... At about 7:45am a few of us from the front of the line were taken up in the elevator... We were told to sit and wait until our names were called. It was cold and foggy, so unfortunately, couldn't see the view everyone raves about :-) Just before 8:30am I was called up to a window to submit my documents... The lady here was pretty nice...she seemed to appreciate that I had everything organized:-) She told me to go pay at the cashier and come back to be fingerprinted... There was a bit of a line at the cashier, but I paid, and went back. She wasn't there at first, but when she re-appeared she called me up right away... She said everything looked in order, took my fingerprints and told me to go back to the main waiting room and wait to be called to an interview room. *I should note here that of the documents that were asked for, none of them were our "proof of domicile" documents/items...perhaps this is my fault, I should have asked the lady whether she wanted them... But she never asked so I figured I would just show them at the interview.... At around five to 9am I was called in the interview room... I was kind of thrown off! I guess I was just expecting it to look different:-) It's a pretty small cubicle-like room with a window that you talk through...and you stand...at least my interviewer asked me to... Anyway, he was...okay...not super nice, but not rude either... He looked through all my submitted documents and asked me when we would be moving. I said since we weren't sure how this would turn out, we would move as soon as we could after I got my visa. That is seriously ALL he asked me! Then he started explaining domicile and how visas are meant to re-unite people and since my husband and I already live together that doesn't apply here, BLAH BLAH BLAH... Honestly, I don't even think he knew what he was talking about! I certainly didn't! :-) But the bottom line at the end of all his talking was that everything in my file looked good except that my husband would have to move the States first so he could establish domicile, and then we could proceed further with the visa... WTF?? Well, thank goodness I had read about ALL about this on VJ! So after I politely listened and nodded to everything he said... I pointed to my file folder on the chair and said I have some proof of domicile... But before I could finish my sentence, he cut me off and said he didn't need to see it, that there was nothing I could show him that would prove domicile because my husband lives in Canada, not the United States. Again, WTF??? He started to repeat himself about the whole visa meant to reunite people speech but he was interrupted by some other US consulate employee knocking at his door. He asked to excuse himself b/c there was some kind of emergency to deal with. He came in and out a few more times while I just stood there waiting... He apologized each time saying this was unusual, but there was an emergency... While he was busy dealing with all that, I'm thinking, Jesus, he won't even let me SHOW him what I brought to prove domicile!! I think my heart stopped beating for a few seconds:-) When he came back and was done dealing with the emergency, I gently and VERY nicely said, it was our understanding that since we don't currently live in the United States, that all we had to do was prove that were are "re-establishing" domicile... He said, well, yes, but you'd need a job offer, a lease agreement... And I said, WE HAVE ALL THAT! And he said, Oh, okay...well, then yes, let me have a look at what you've got... (FINALLY, thank you! I think maybe him having to leave me waiting maybe made him feel a bit bad? or not...who knows:-)) So, I showed him the job offer letter...he read it... I also showed him a letter from my husband's parents saying were going to be staying with them and paying X amount in rent and X amount for utilities. *This is important -- we also attached an "official" lease agreement that both of us AND both his parents signed...it was a lease form we downloaded from the Internet... He looked at this and I think this "official" looking document is what really got him to admit it as proof of domicile. I had other things too... My husband's valid US drivers license... A bank statement showing a joint US dollar account in Canada A listing agreement with our real estate agent to sell our place... Mail from over a couple years addressed to my husband at his parent's current address... He wouldn't accept ANY of these! BUT, he did accept the job offer letter and the "lease agreement" with my husband's parents and FINALLY said, I've got enough and my visa is approved!!! Oh, I should mention that at some point, he asked how my husband and I met...but seriously, he only asked like TWO questions total... I was out of there by about 9:15am! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!! I couldn't have done it without everyone's help on here!! Rating : Moderate

Timeline Comments: None yet, be the first!



*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.

** Not all cases are transfered

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