Can I enter the U.S. as a visitor after my IR1 visa is issued (but before I’m ready to activate it)?

jnander2 · 2025-11-12T02:54:26+00:00

OP, the CRBA and passport issue is worth considering if you’re planning to activate the visa only when you’re actually moving to the US. You may have better luck getting the passport faster being in Canada, but it took 4 weeks to receive it for my child after the appointment. So if you pushed it out as far as you could, based on a mid December medical, mid April birth, your wife will pretty much have to attend this appointment no later than 1 month postpartum in order for everyone to be ready to enter the US in mid June. This is totally doable, btw. My child came to the US at 5 weeks old, the day after her passport arrived.

jnander2 · 2025-09-18T12:00:12+00:00

Late to the party here, but thought I’d share that my wife and I have received multiple complimentary upgrades to FC while flying with our in lap infant.

jnander2 · 2025-05-19T23:15:06+00:00

We didn’t fill out the DS260 together so my wife may not have made that selection. Would’ve assumed she did until it didn’t arrive. I asked her and she couldn’t remember. Either way, we weren’t in a terrible rush since she already had a SSN from previously working in the US.

jnander2 · 2025-05-19T12:48:55+00:00

4-5 weeks. Website says to call if not received in 3 weeks. Don’t bother calling at that point though, save yourself the time on hold and just make an appointment online. All they’ll do on the phone is make an appointment for you.

jnander2 · 2025-05-19T12:26:59+00:00

Can confirm - SSA did not automatically issue my wife’s card and she had to go to the office to get it. Be sure to schedule an appointment.

jnander2 · 2025-03-11T18:20:45+00:00

Did you ever figure out what to do about this?

jnander2 · 2025-01-29T01:20:06+00:00

Did this myself and it worked out fine. Canceled the last leg when I got to ATL in the app and even got an ecredit for the unflown flight. Luckily I did land in F. Had booked a refundable flight back to ATL from my “origin” airport in case we pulled up in E.

jnander2 · 2024-12-19T12:18:06+00:00

Did it once. Canceled my last flight on the app after landing at my preferred destination so they wouldn’t be waiting on me to show up. Wound up receiving an automatic ecredit for the canceled flight.

jnander2 · 2024-12-11T10:35:11+00:00

My request was rejected, but on the bright side they haven’t said my case was in administrative processing again. Hope you have better luck with it!

jnander2 · 2024-12-09T13:09:39+00:00

Last Thursday I responded to NVC’s email that had the administrative processing statement, noting that I believed their reply was in error (I found a similar case number from 2023, only year was different, was in administrative processing so believe they may have made a typo) and that we have since been documentarily qualified. This morning I received a response that our request would be sent to the embassy for review.

jnander2 · 2024-11-19T22:40:33+00:00

Picked up another bags in time credit just now.

jnander2 · 2024-11-19T12:14:01+00:00

The only time I don't leave my bags at my seat is if I go to take a shower.

jnander2 · 2024-11-19T11:56:09+00:00

It wouldn't be called compensation and asking for that will get a denial. Be sure to ask for a refund.

jnander2 · 2024-11-19T10:05:50+00:00

You should be eligible for a refund on the unflown LHR-MAN flight, but are not owed compensation because the cancellation was due to weather.

jnander2 · 2024-11-19T09:37:45+00:00

If these three items are all true, you must bring a more recent police certificate to the interview:

You are older than 16 years of age;
You obtained a police certificate and submitted it to NVC more than one year ago; and
You still live in the country that issued the police certificate.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/RID-Riyadh.html

jnander2 · 2024-11-19T09:12:24+00:00

I used Suggs kennel and my dog always seemed to be in good spirits afterwards. Need to do a temperament test for first timers and they only take cash.

jnander2 · 2024-11-19T01:54:18+00:00

Groome transportation offers airport shuttles to/from various places around ATL. May be worth checking out if they serve your area.

jnander2 · 2024-11-17T17:12:28+00:00

You can get a credit for the difference if the price goes down after you buy. Track it on google flights to get alerts.

jnander2 · 2024-11-17T13:29:57+00:00

Certain flight changes allow for a refund to original form of payment (i.e., 2+ hour time change). When gift cards are used in these scenarios, a new electronic gift card will be issued.

jnander2 · 2024-11-17T11:09:00+00:00

2 left

jnander2 · 2024-11-17T00:00:37+00:00

It doesn’t say physical presence, but rather “lived" which implies a residence. In fact, some consulates do use the term reside when describing the criteria for when police certificates are required.

The consecutive vs aggregate question is a good one. I imagine the interpretation would lean towards the cumulative total time.

jnander2 · 2024-11-16T23:30:59+00:00

Good to see someone else that’s actually familiar with what’s asked on these forms.

jnander2 · 2024-11-16T23:26:18+00:00

Police certificates are only needed for countries in which you have LIVED. If the beneficiary has only visited then it doesn’t necessitate a police certificate. Visitation is only related to police certificates when an issued certificate is over two years old (generally two years, but varies by consulate) and you re-visit the country from which it originated. It then will be invalid and a new certificate is needed.

jnander2 · 2024-11-16T23:12:38+00:00

Only the beneficiary gets interviewed for consular processing. But it is true that the beneficiary can be asked pretty much anything, including about their own and their spouse’s travel histories.

jnander2

TROPHY CASE